《The Untouchable Ex-Wife》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡®No wonder Hunt wanted me out by tonight. So he has another woman he¡¯d like to y house with! Hah, to think that I let that man affect my emotions! How I wish I could p my past self!¡¯ Briar approached Renee with a cocky smirk. ¡°So you¡¯re Renee Everheart, huh? What are you still doing here? Didn¡¯t Stefan kick you out? Get a move on! Have you no shame?!¡± Despite the provocation, Renee continued packing her belongings at her own pace. ¡°Hey, are you deaf? I¡¯m talking to you here!¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t quite hear you.¡± Renee met her gaze calmly. ¡°All I heard was some crazy b*tch barking!¡± ¡°How dare you call me a b*tch?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Looks like you went ahead and got offended in the first ce.¡± Renee replied as she got up with her luggage. She tilted her head at Briar, who was blocking her path. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me. Nice little doggies should know how to stay out of the way.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Briar¡¯s face went bright red as she stomped her feet. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she known to be a living punchbag? When did she learn to talk back like that?¡¯ The housekeeper quickly tried to win Briar over. ¡°Please calm down, Miss Desrosiers. You shouldn¡¯t upset yourself over a woman like that!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be thedy of the house soon, that insolent witch is insignificantpared to you¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve also arranged a room for you as per Master Hunt¡¯s orders. Let me lead the way!¡± Briar looked visibly pleased by the ttery. She quickly lost the mood to argue with Renee and proceeded to follow the housekeeper into the vi. Renee was once again left alone outside. Mixed emotions welled up in her chest as she gazed upon the tall building. It felt ironic that she would return to the streets after four years of living here. ¡°Goodbye, Hunt.¡± Renee took a deep breath and left. Later on, she moved into a small one-bedroom apartment downtown. She felt liberated as soon as she lost her title as the ¡®Second Young Mistress of the Hunt household¡¯. She was free to do anything she wanted, and she was no longer the caged bird she used to be. Renee took her phone out and dialed a number she blocked for four years. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve finally remembered that I exist! It¡¯s been four years, you know!¡± A delighted voice eximed on the other end of the line. This person was none other than Liam Osborne, also known as one of the Four Princes of Beach City. Despite his rebellious and unpredictable nature, he made himself sound like an underling when speaking to Renee. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°I heard about your divorce, by the way. Congrattions! You should¡¯ve ditched that *sshole a long time ago!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but while you were being Mrs. Punchbag, rumors about you started spreading everywhere! If those old geezers knew that you¡¯re actually the ultimate boss they were looking for all this while, they¡¯d flip their sh*t!¡± ¡°So? Are we doing something big this time? I can¡­¡± ¡°Hold that thought!¡± Renee was so annoyed by his constant bbering that she considered blocking him again. ¡°I promised Grandpa that I won¡¯t go back to that life anymore. If you really do see me as your boss, you better keep this a secret.¡± It appears that her past was rather ¡®interesting¡¯, to say the least. However, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about it. ¡°I called because I want you to help investigate something¡­¡± After talking some more with Liam, Renee hung up the phone, only to receive a text message from Stefan. Her heart started racing as she tapped her phone screen ever so lightly. [Beach City Courthouse, 9 am tomorrow.] Short and simple, as if she didn¡¯t deserve any more than that. The butterflies in her stomach dropped dead in an instant. She realized how foolish she had been for expecting more from this man. [Ok.] Renee replied, matching his energy Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡®No wonder Hunt wanted me out by tonight. So he has another woman he¡¯d like to y house with! Hah, to think that I let that man affect my emotions! How I wish I could p my past self!¡¯ Briar approached Renee with a cocky smirk. ¡°So you¡¯re Renee Everheart, huh? What are you still doing here? Didn¡¯t Stefan kick you out? Get a move on! Have you no shame?!¡± Despite the provocation, Renee continued packing her belongings at her own pace. ¡°Hey, are you deaf? I¡¯m talking to you here!¡± ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t quite hear you.¡± Renee met her gaze calmly. ¡°All I heard was some crazy b*tch barking!¡± ¡°How dare you call me a b*tch?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Looks like you went ahead and got offended in the first ce.¡± Renee replied as she got up with her luggage. She tilted her head at Briar, who was blocking her path. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me. Nice little doggies should know how to stay out of the way.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Briar¡¯s face went bright red as she stomped her feet. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she known to be a living punchbag? When did she learn to talk back like that?¡¯ The housekeeper quickly tried to win Briar over. ¡°Please calm down, Miss Desrosiers. You shouldn¡¯t upset yourself over a woman like that!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be thedy of the house soon, that insolent witch is insignificantpared to you¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve also arranged a room for you as per Master Hunt¡¯s orders. Let me lead the way!¡± Briar looked visibly pleased by the ttery. She quickly lost the mood to argue with Renee and proceeded to follow the housekeeper into the vi. Renee was once again left alone outside. Mixed emotions welled up in her chest as she gazed upon the tall building. It felt ironic that she would return to the streets after four years of living here. ¡°Goodbye, Hunt.¡± Renee took a deep breath and left. Later on, she moved into a small one-bedroom apartment downtown. She felt liberated as soon as she lost her title as the ¡®Second Young Mistress of the Hunt household¡¯. She was free to do anything she wanted, and she was no longer the caged bird she used to be. Renee took her phone out and dialed a number she blocked for four years. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve finally remembered that I exist! It¡¯s been four years, you know!¡± A delighted voice eximed on the other end of the line. This person was none other than Liam Osborne, also known as one of the Four Princes of Beach City. Despite his rebellious and unpredictable nature, he made himself sound like an underling when speaking to Renee. ¡°I heard about your divorce, by the way. Congrattions! You should¡¯ve ditched that *sshole a long time ago!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you know this, but while you were being Mrs. Punchbag, rumors about you started spreading everywhere! If those old geezers knew that you¡¯re actually the ultimate boss they were looking for all this while, they¡¯d flip their sh*t!¡± ¡°So? Are we doing something big this time? I can¡­¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Hold that thought!¡± Renee was so annoyed by his constant bbering that she considered blocking him again. ¡°I promised Grandpa that I won¡¯t go back to that life anymore. If you really do see me as your boss, you better keep this a secret.¡± It appears that her past was rather ¡®interesting¡¯, to say the least. However, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk about it. ¡°I called because I want you to help investigate something¡­¡± After talking some more with Liam, Renee hung up the phone, only to receive a text message from Stefan. Her heart started racing as she tapped her phone screen ever so lightly. [Beach City Courthouse, 9 am tomorrow.] Short and simple, as if she didn¡¯t deserve any more than that. The butterflies in her stomach dropped dead in an instant. She realized how foolish she had been for expecting more from this man. [Ok.] Renee replied, matching his energy Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The next day, Renee showed up at the courthouse at 8:30 am, even though they agreed to meet at nine. Not only did she arrive early, but she also made sure to put on heavy makeup and her favorite outfit, a rose-red halter dress. With her long hair tied up into a ponytail, the skin on her neck and back glowed under the bright sunlight. When paired with her elegant, yet cold demeanor, she looked angelic from afar. Unfortunately, she had caught a cold the night before. Her body was burning up, which made her feel quite weak. At 9 am sharp, a silver Bugatti Veyron cruised into the parking lot in front of the courthouse. Soon after, she was greeted by Stefan¡¯s ice-cold expression as he exited the vehicle. His eyes sparkled for a split second when he saw Renee standing there, but this was quickly reced with a contemptuous expression for some reason. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you excited?¡± Stefan scoffed as he walked past Renee, heading straight towards the department that handled divorce cases. ¡®¡­What¡¯s his deal?!¡¯ Renee thought to herself as she stared up at the tall figure. ¡®Aren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s excited? You¡¯re practically running to the counter!¡¯ The procedure went very smoothly. All they had to do was sign a few papers, which took less than ten minutes. ¡°ording to the neww, there is a one-month grace period for all divorces. Should any of you wish to call off the divorce, you can bring along the required documents before the thirty days are up,¡± exined the staff as he handed them their application forms. Having worked at the courthouse for years, he had witnessed countless tears and fights during divorce proceedings. This was the first time he hade across such calm individuals at the courthouse. He simply couldn¡¯t fathom why this couple was divorcing each other. They appeared to be made for each other, especially given their good looks. Renee immediately took the papers and read through the uses. She mumbled to herself sarcastically, ¡°There¡¯s a grace period for divorce, but not marriage? If thisw applied to marriages as well, I-¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened. With a cold smirk, he snapped, ¡°Oh? Are you saying you wouldn¡¯t have married me if there was a grace period for marriage?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Renee lifted an eyebrow. ¡°I got 40 million out of you. 40 million! The average woman wouldn¡¯t even dream of making this much money in their lifetime. I guess you could say I struck gold!¡± Stefan was visibly upset by her reaction. He tugged on his tie out of frustration. The Renee from before was always very lenient as if she didn¡¯t even have her own opinions. The closer they got to the divorce, the more sharp and spiteful her words became. Just as they were about to part ways, a soft voice came from behind. ¡°Fan, are you done yet?¡± Renee turned around, only to realize it was Briar! Briar was wearing a white sundress, her gaze filled with a tinge of sadness. She looked like a dandelion that would crumple apart at the slightest breeze. There wasn¡¯t a single shred of arrogance left on her face, unlike the other night when they initially met. Besides that, Renee had also noticed a slight bump on her belly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to wait for me in the car? What are you doing out here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold out here. This child is important to our family, we can¡¯t afford to have you fall ill while pregnant.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Stefan¡¯s voice sounded cold and distant as usual. Seeing the two, Renee couldn¡¯t help but feel betrayed. Deep down in her heart, she felt extremely aggrieved. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you owe me an exnation, Master Hunt?¡± Stefan stared back at Renee expressionlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you anything. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡®Just look at how unabashed this man is acting! This is ridiculous!¡¯ Renee thought. She had always viewed Stefan as someone who was morally sound and would nevermit adultery. In the end¡­ the very same man she thought so highly of, dropped a nuclear bomb on her. Not only did he intend on marrying his mistress, but they were expecting as well. This was thest push that Renee needed to move onpletely. The tinge of sadness in her heart hadpletely vanished. ¡°So this means you were cheating on me, right?¡± Before Stefan could respond, Briar hurriedly ced herself between them. Teary-eyed, she said, ¡°Miss Everheart, it¡¯s all my fault! If it makes you feel better, you can punish me however you want¡­¡± ¡®Does this woman think this is some soap opera? She¡¯d make a great actress, honestly.¡¯ ¡°Really now?¡± Renee raised her hand up high as if she was about to deliver a p. As soon as she realized what was going to happen, Briar squealed and darted behind Stefan. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say I can punish you however I want? Why are you hiding?¡± Renee put up a fake smile as she ran her fingers through her hair, brushing them over her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic, I¡¯m no brute. I¡¯m not going to beat you up like they normally do in the movies.¡± ¡°If you are truly in love with each other, I¡¯d be more than happy to walk away from this rtionship!¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What?¡± Briar was left dumbfounded by her words. She initially prepared to y the victim, but it turned out she didn¡¯t have to y that card at all. ¡®Looks like the rumors were true, Hunt and Everheart really were just in a contractual marriage. Why else would she be so kind to her husband¡¯s mistress?¡¯ Renee continued speaking. ¡°Since you cheated on me, it¡¯s only fair that we make a few adjustments to our settlement.¡± Hearing that Renee wanted a change in herpensation, Briar was so agitated that she dropped her facade. ¡°Stefan already said he¡¯d give you 40 million dors, along with a whole penthouse! He¡¯s being generous enough as is! Besides, the Hunt household put in a lot of effort to clean up the mess your family made. How shameless of you¡­¡± Renee nearly burst outughing when she saw Briar break character. ¡°Aww, we¡¯re not even legally divorced yet, and little Miss Mistress already has a say in his finances already? Are you scared that your man would lose all his money to this divorce? Who¡¯s actually the greedy one here, hmm?¡± Upon hearing the response, all color drained from Briar¡¯s face. ¡°T-that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Stefan remained calm and collected throughout the interaction. Staring at Renee with an intimidating aura, he uttered ¡°Continue.¡± Renee took on his pressuring gaze head-on and listed out her new terms. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money, nor the penthouse. Just hand over yourw firm to me.¡± ¡°Byw firm, you¡¯re referring to Hunts & Co.?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes as he juggled his memory. Being the top of the eight most powerful families in Beach City, the Hunts were involved in all sorts of businesses. A singlew firm was not significant enough to upy Stefan¡¯s memory. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. However, he did somewhat remember its existence, as it was in charge of handling all of the Hunts¡¯ legal affairs. He merely viewed it as a charity organization, since the employees were earning high sries without much work to handle. The firm simply had no economic value to the Hunts. ¡®This woman decides to turn down the 40 million dors, and instead asks for such a worthless asset? What is she thinking?¡¯ Suddenly, he started seeing Renee in a new light. Although it had only been a few days, she seemed¡­ like apletely different person. ¡°Well, that¡¯s my only condition. I¡¯ll send you an amended copy of the documents soon¡­ It¡¯s gettingte, so if you¡¯ll excuse me!¡± ¡°Oh, and I wish you a fruitful life with your little lover.¡± Renee lifted her chin and revealed a satisfied grin as if she had just scored herself a phenomenal business deal. Sadly, her cool demeanor onlysted for a second. Her head began to spin and she cked out secondster Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Renee thought she was about to fall t on her face. Just then, a man wrapped his strong arm around her waist, catching her fall. The fresh scent of peppermint filled her senses, entrancing the woman entirely. ¡°You¡¯re burning hot¡­ Do you have a fever?¡± Stefan asked her with a hint of concern in his voice. The urge to protect her sprang up in his mind, apanied by the following thought. ¡®She¡¯s so thin and frail, like a feather.¡¯ ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you!¡± Renee hissed through her teeth as she regained her bnce. She stubbornly tried to free herself from his arms. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. After the procedure was done, she intended to walk away elegantly, leaving Stefan in the dust. She wanted to avoid casting the impression that she was using her illness to gain sympathy. However, no matter how tough she tried to act, her body was simply exhausted. Even after gaining her footing, she staggered backward. Seeing this, Stefan lifted her bridal style and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you to the hospital.¡± ¡°What are you doing¡­ Let go of me!¡± Visibly upset, Renee wriggled in his arms with all her might. ¡°Do you not remember that we¡¯ve separated¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still considered my wife during the waiting period.¡± The man insisted firmly. Seeing them leaving together, Briar went into a state of panic. This was not what she wanted to happen. She immediately nted one of her hands on her hips feigning sickness. ¡°Fan, wait up! I can¡¯t walk that fast when I¡¯m pregnant¡­¡± ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll have Elijah pick you upter,¡± Stefan said in a deep voice before turning back towards Renee. ¡°I can¡¯t stand back and watch when she¡¯s clearly ill.¡± Hearing this, Renee nearly rolled her eyes to the back of her head. ¡®What the hell is he doing?! First, he knocks up his mistress and forces his wife into a divorce. Now he¡¯s acting as if he still cares for me?!¡¯ ¡®Who does he think he is? Is he trying to string me along? This jerk¡­ Turns out he really is a perfect match for Briar Desrosiers!¡¯ ¡®If that¡¯s how you want to y it, don¡¯t mind if I do too!¡¯ Renee decided to switch up her strategy and she wrapped her arms around Stefan¡¯s neck. While batting her eyshes flirtatiously, she said ¡°Thank you, my dear ex-husband.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes darkened as he was left speechless. No one could tell what was running through his mind at the moment. On the other hand, the color drained from Briar¡¯s face as she was consumed by sheer anger. At the hospital, Stefan stayed by Renee¡¯s side throughout the entire process. He even went as far as waiting for the blood test results with her. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take long for the hospital to get back to them. ¡°Her temperature is currently 39.3 ¡ãC. You do realize that this is a viral infection, not a bacterial infection, right?¡± ¡°If she got here anyter, you¡¯d find her a cold corpse rather than diagnosed with a fever.¡± After going through the report, the doctor adjusted his sses and lectured Stefan sternly. ¡°What kind of husband are you? How could you let your wife wear such thin clothing in this cold weather, with a fever no less? How heartless can you be?¡± Just as Stefan was about to exin, Renee started speaking in a sickeningly sweet tone, choking on fake tears. ¡°Doctor, please don¡¯t me him for this. He may have starved me and left me out in the cold¡­ He may be very temperamental and takes out his anger on me¡­ He may have cheated on me and forced me into a divorce, but¡­ I¡¯m willing to endure this much for him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just way too handsome, I couldn¡¯t possibly hold a grudge against him!¡± Stefan was absolutely confused. ¡®What is she saying? Why is she so different from what I remember?¡¯ The doctor seemed very taken aback as well, looking at the both of them in disbelief. ¡®Ah, the younger generation¡­ Always full of¡­ surprises.¡¯ ¡°Your condition should stabilize once you¡¯ve taken the pills I¡¯ve prescribed. You may rest here till the IV bag is emptied,¡± said the doctor before leaving the ward. With that, Stefan and Renee were the only ones left in the ward, which created an odd tension. Despite being married for four years, the two rarely spent time alone together. Stefan shoved his hands into his pockets and loomed over Renee, asking. ¡°Are you done with the games?¡± Renee cleared her throat awkwardly and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± She was now aware that she could¡¯ve lost her life if she had fooled around any longer. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reschedule today¡¯s meeting when you realized you had a high fever?¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks were flushed red due to the fever. Shey still on the bed and was back to being the defenseless little bunny that he was familiar with. Oddly enough, this made his heart ache for her. ¡°What¡¯s the point of rescheduling? It¡¯s inevitable anyway, isn¡¯t it, Master Hunt?¡± Renee replied softly. Though she wished for Stefan¡¯s love, she knew she shouldn¡¯t let herself drown in that fantasy. ¡°Thank you for today. I¡¯m fine now, you can leave now. Your pregnant lover is waiting for you, you know!¡± Her statement seemed to have snapped Stefan back to reality, as he responded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be off then.¡± Just then, a tall slender figure entered the ward. ¡°Miss Everheart, how did you end up in the hospital over a divorce¡­ Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Liam¡¯s rxed voice came to a sudden halt as soon as he noticed Stefan standing inside the ward. He scanned the ice-cold ¡®statue¡¯ up and down, and the ¡®statue¡¯ stared back at him. The odd tension from before returning to the room. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± Stefan asked Renee with a chilling tone. He wondered how an infamous yboy and a modest richdy would ever get the chance to interact when they were frompletely different worlds. ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee buried her face in her hands awkwardly. She was the one who texted Liam to meet at the hospital, but she didn¡¯t expect him to arrive so soon. ¡®A soon-to-be ex-husband bumping into the dashing yboy¡­ This was weirdly reminiscent of a scene from a romantic drama.¡¯ ¡°Know her? She¡¯s my muse!¡± Liam eximed as he approached Renee with a bouquet of sunflowers in his hand. With a sarcastic smile, he turned to Stefan. ¡°Little do you know, Master Hunt, Miss Everheart has quite the reputation back in our school! She has so many admirers that she could build an army if she wanted to! As for me, I¡¯m her most loyal fanboy!¡± ¡°As one of her biggest fans, of course, I¡¯d have toe over to congratte her on finally handing in those divorce papers! It¡¯s a great day!¡± Liam said as he handed the bouquet to Renee. There was love in his eyes as if he was no longer the infamous womanizer. ¡°These sunflowers are for you, my goddess. I remember that these are your favorite, especially since they symbolize loyalty and new hope, right?¡± ¡°I think it truly does suit you the most!¡± Renee did in fact love sunflowers. However, she knew that the sunflower actually symbolized unwavering love, which was what she felt for Stefan. She never had eyes on anyone else the moment she met him. Now that things hade to this, she realized that it was time to look somewhere else. After all, it was just a pointless endeavor to keep on loving him. Renee happily epted the gift and brought it up to her nose. Sniffing the flowers, she shed Liam a bright smile and thanked him. ¡°This is the first time in four years I¡¯ve received any flowers. They smell great.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you flowers every day if you¡¯d like!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was as cold as ice at this point, so much so that the temperature within the room seemed to have lowered by a few degrees. Liam smirked arrogantly as he noticed Stefan¡¯s silence, teasing him. ¡°Mr. Hunt, I¡¯m really grateful to you for returning my goddess to a life of freedom. A divine beauty has yet again returned to Beach City.¡± Stefan ignored Liam¡¯s remarks, along with his existence, entirely. To him, Liam was merely the old man, Geronimo Osborne¡¯s spoiled kid. He didn¡¯t have to pay attention to this flirt at all. The bright yellow sunflowersplimented Renee¡¯s gorgeous appearance, blinding Stefan for a brief second. He even mumbled to himself under his breath. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you like sunflowers¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you don¡¯t know about me.¡± Renee chuckled coldly before issuing an instruction. ¡°Help me put these flowers in the vase, Liam.¡± ¡°Alrighty!¡± Liam immediately did as told. Upon seeing this, Stefan felt oddly frustrated once more. ¡®Just what is their rtionship?¡¯ ¡®This sixth master of the Osborne family had always presented himself as a cocky womanizer, but why is he acting like aplete simp in front of Everheart?¡¯ All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Do you need anything else, Master Hunt?¡± Renee smiled politely at the man, indicating that she wanted him gone. Stefan looked even more upset now. ¡°I¡¯ll have to remind you that you¡¯re still a married woman during the grace period, so be mindful of your actions.¡± ¡°I know. At least I wouldn¡¯t end up with a child like you did, Master Hunt.¡± Stefan had a feeling he was going to pop a vein if he continued this conversation, so he exited the ward without saying a word. Seconds after he left, Liam couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Did you see that, boss? Did you? He looked so mad!¡± ¡°I swear, this is the first time in four years I¡¯ve ever seen him make an expression on his stone face, even though I¡¯ve bumped into him in so many events! That was hrious to watch!¡± ¡°You were amazing, Boss! You dissed him so hard that he decided to rage quit! Hahahaha, good job!¡± Renee didn¡¯t feel happy about it at all. In fact, sadness began to well up in her heart. No matter how indifferent Stefan was, he was still the man she had loved for four years. She never expected them to end up this way. ¡°Okay, okay, stopughing. Where¡¯s the thing I asked for? Give it to me,¡± said Renee who had decided to leave her sorrow behind Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°I¡¯ve got it right here. How would I dare ck off when you¡¯re my boss?¡± Liam stopped his cheeky act and handed the woman a thick stack of documents. Renee couldn¡¯t care less about her sick state and skim through the pages quickly. After a few moments, a pleased grin formed on her lips. ¡°Good. I knew thesewyers weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed. They¡¯re worth way more than what he offered aspensation!¡± ¡°Tsk, but they¡¯re Stefan Hunt¡¯s employees. How great can they be?¡± Liam questioned, crossing his legs while leaning against the side rails of her bed. ¡°I know lots ofwyers who are better than them. If you need any, I can give you some rmendations.¡± ¡°No, I want them,¡± Renee said with a determined expression. She seemed in a great mood, absolutely unbothered by her divorce. ¡°Boss, are you nning something? I feel like I can smell a schemeing our way.¡± Liam expressed sheer excitement. ¡®Four years! It¡¯s been four whole years! I¡¯m so thrilled the goddess herself has returned! The goddess who¡¯s always so passionate in her craft!¡¯ ¡°C¡¯mon, tell me!¡± He continued. Renee put up a soft, sly smile. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? You¡¯ll know soon enough.¡± Since Liam was familiar with Renee¡¯s personality, he didn¡¯t ask further questions. He already knew that he wouldn¡¯t get an answer out of her no matter what, and she might even get so irritated that she¡¯d have to block him again if he continued to prod. If that were to happen, Liam would definitely cry his eyes out. ¡°But¡­¡± Liam straightened his posture, carefully testing her limits. ¡°Are you sure you can move on from that¡­ ice block?¡± More than anyone, he knew that Renee really was deeply in love with Stefan. It would be rather difficult to give up on someone she loved that much. ¡°So what if I can¡¯t?¡± Renee felt defeated, replying softly. ¡°Being his wife is so tiring. It¡¯s basically a loss on my end¡­ I just want to be Renee Everheart now.¡± ¨C At the Hunt family manor, Alexander Hunt and Francine Milford, Stefan¡¯s parents, had extremely different reactions towards Briar¡¯s baby bump. Francine was absolutely delighted, clinging to Briar as she looked her up and down. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re pregnant with our son¡¯s child!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°You have no idea but¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop crying when my eldest son died three months ago. I felt like there was no point in living since then¡­¡± ¡°This baby must be an angel sent from the heavens, and it¡¯s here to save me! It might even be Tristan¡¯s reincarnation! You have to take care of yourself and deliver it safely!¡± On the other hand, Alexander looked upset. His eyebrows furrowed as he red at Stefan. ¡°What have you done, you brat?! You got another woman pregnant while still being married to Renee? What is she going to do now? We should never forget what her grandfather has done for us! If he hadn¡¯t saved the old man, us Hunts would¡¯ve met our demise long ago!¡± ¡°The old man and I had promised to take good care of Renee back then. And yet, you¡­ What am I supposed to say to the old man now, huh? How can we possibly live on knowing we broke our promise to thete Mr. Everheart?!¡± Out of anger, Alexander tried to p Stefan. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Briar quickly put herself between the two men, whimpering as she said, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, Mr. Hunt. This is all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten pregnant! If this is really that big of a problem, I¡¯ll just schedule an abortion tomorrow!¡± ¡°No, you mustn¡¯t! This child is part of the Hunt family¡¯s bloodline! You have to give birth to it no matter what!¡± Francine put Briar behind her as she howled at Alexander, ¡°Why are you so protective of Everheart anyway?! If she really did have an actual rtionship with Stefan, they¡¯d have children by now! Other women wouldn¡¯t have been able to get in between them!¡± ¡°Just think about it. She¡¯s just the daughter of a fallen family! She doesn¡¯t even have any useful talents! She didn¡¯t do anything for our family, and she¡¯s nothing but a drag! We¡¯ve been taking care of her for four years already. Isn¡¯t that enough to repay their kindness? How is she being mistreated?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s 2023. We¡¯ve got a choice to love and marry whoever we want! Stefan should be the one to make that decision, so who are you to butt into his business?!¡± After her long rant, Francine looked toward the silent Stefan and asked. ¡°Tell us, what are your ns, Stefan?¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Stefan stood tall and proud, an indifferent look on his face as he pondered over his father¡¯s words. His eyesnded on Briar¡¯s stomach, and he said dismissively, ¡°As you can see, Briar is already three months pregnant. This child is part of the family bloodline, so she will need a proper title before the child is born. I¡¯ve already proceeded with the divorce with Everheart. Once we¡¯re legally separated, I will register my marriage with Briar.¡± Francine and Briar let out a sigh of relief at the same time after hearing this. However, this statement only made Alexander even more furious. He was on the verge of pping his son. ¡°You b*stard, so you¡¯re being serious about this?! You¡­ You¡¯re so foolish that you kicked your wife out to make space for your mistress! Are you insane?!¡± ¡°If Ren¡¯s grandfather found out about this, how should he rest in peace? You should know that he used to be quite the soldier and was even appointed as an esteemed general! Aren¡¯t you worried that he¡¯d haunt you in your dreams?¡± ¡°Just break off this nonsensical rtionship!¡± Francine crossed her arms, rolled her eyes, then said scornfully, ¡°The Everheart family wouldn¡¯t have fallen if he really was that great. If we didn¡¯t take his only granddaughter in, their bloodline would¡¯ve ended right then!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how many enemies the Everhearts had back then? We endured the pressure and let her marry into the family regardless! We even made a few enemies ourselves just because of this! Even if we were repaying his kindness, shouldn¡¯t this be more than enough?¡± ¡°Besides, the old man himself said that their marriage would only need tost four years. If they still didn¡¯t love each other after that, they could just go their separate ways! Stefan is not the bad guy in this!¡± Seeing his parents fighting made Stefan rather annoyed, so he spoke up in a chilling tone. ¡°I¡¯ve said what I needed to say. If you¡¯d like to argue, find another ce to do that.¡± ¡°Ah, whatever!¡± Alexander sighed deeply. ¡°You¡¯ve always been pretty stubborn, son. Your brother was the only one who could talk you out of things¡­ If he were still alive, he might have been able to try convincing you, at the very least¡­¡± With that, the atmosphere instantly became quite heavy. Three months ago, news of Tristan Hunt¡¯s death brought devastation to the Hunt family. Stefan, who was already cold, became even more closed off after the ident. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything if you really intend to marry this woman, but you have to promise me one thing, or else I¡¯d rather we cut tiespletely!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Stefan stared at his own father, still expressionless as always. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°You have to keep this a secret from your grandfather. You know that his heart is unwell, and he has a transnt surgerying soon. We can¡¯t afford to agitate him. And you know how much he loves Renee. He¡¯s always treated her like she was his own granddaughter! If he found out you divorced her over a mistress, he¡¯d lose his marbles!¡± Stefan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that.¡± Finally, the old couple left the manor. Francine also made sure to remind Briar over and over again to be careful with her health, clearly viewing her as her future daughter-inw now. Due to his guilt towards Renee, Alexander refused to act friendly with Briar the whole time, unlike his wife. Hence, Briar was very anxious during their interaction, as if she had just experienced a rollercoaster. Despite what Stefan¡¯s parents thought of her, Briar knew that the most important person was actually Stefan. He had the most say within the Hunt family and the entire Beach City, after all. At this time, Stefan was standing by the window on the second floor, spacing off as he looked at the sunflower garden in the backyard. He didn¡¯t stop by the manor much, so he never noticed the field of sunflowers in their garden. To his surprise, he found this sight rather beautiful. ¡®Sunflowers, huh¡­¡¯ He wondered. He only found out earlier today that sunflowers were Renee¡¯s favorite type of flowers. ¡®Loyalty and new hope? Does that mean the divorce is giving her new hope? Was being my wife really that bad?¡¯ ¡°Stefan!¡± Briar then walked up to him, wiping her tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry the baby and I are giving you trouble. Why don¡¯t we just¡­ give up?¡± Stefan turned around, his starry eyes filled with endless sadness. With a lump in his throat, he said, ¡°No, we can¡¯t. This was Tristan¡¯sst and only wish. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 If one could turn back time, Stefan was willing to risk everything to return to that night three months ago. That night, on the streets of New York, the two brothers were assaulted as they were chatting about the family¡¯s future. Tristan had selflessly protected Stefan using his body and took a bullet for him. Moments before his death, Tristan mentioned that he had a girlfriend who he loved deeply, Briar Desrosiers. Moreover, Briar had just conceived their child. ¡°Marry Briar and live on in my stead. Please¡­ give them aplete family.¡± Stefan couldn¡¯t possibly forget how his brother¡¯s bloody hands held onto him, begging him with despair consuming him whole. Stefan would surely push his brother away if he could turn back time, as it would have been better if he had died instead. Hearing his answer, Briar continued with her pitiful act nheless. ¡°Not only have you upset your father for me and the baby¡¯s sake, but you¡¯ve also hurt Miss Everheart in the process! I feel really bad¡­ This isn¡¯t going to work out!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as a single mother. I may be a woman, and life may get tough sometimes, but¡­ I don¡¯t mind enduring it all to protect Tristan¡¯s only child!¡± ¡®Hehe, ying the damsel in distress always works on men. I refuse to believe that Stefan doesn¡¯t feel the urge to protect me now.¡¯ However, Stefan remained hostile, even going as far as to inch away from Briar. ¡°My father has no idea about the truth, so you shouldn¡¯t take his reaction to heart.¡± ¡°And as for Renee Everheart¡­¡± Stefan paused for a brief while before continuing his sentence. ¡°We never had an actual rtionship. We¡¯ve never even done anything physical throughout the four years of our marriage. I would¡¯ve divorced her regardless of your existence.¡± ¡°What about Miss Everheart then? She must love you very much, doesn¡¯t she? You¡¯re a great man and a very handsome one at that.¡± Briar¡¯s voice was as enchanting as always, her eyes filled with absolute adoration towards the man. As an experienced seductress, she merely wanted to fool around with the honest man, Tristan, and keep him hanging for a bit longer. The man was boring, to say the least, and always sucked up to her no matter what she wanted. However, Stefan made her realize that love at first sight was indeed a real thing. Briar immediately cleaned up her act to focus on seducing this A-plus man, and Renee was obviously the biggest obstacle in her n. N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°She doesn¡¯t love me either.¡± ¡®Elsewise, she wouldn¡¯t have been so excited about the divorce,¡¯ Stefan thought to himself. Hearing this, Briar felt much less worried, thinking. ¡®Looks like the rumors are true, they don¡¯t love each other. It might not even be a stretch to say that they hated the sight of one another, and that divorce was inevitable.¡¯ ¡°Oh dear, Miss Everheart has such bad taste. Just look at how handsome and excellent you are. How could she not love you? I¡¯m notining, though, because now that I have someone as lovely as you by my side.¡± Briar said as she moved closer to him. Stefan felt quite annoyed upon hearing the woman¡¯s words and he tugged on his tie angrily. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Panicked, Briar immediately asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your house? Where are you going?¡± Stefan answered dismissively. ¡°I stay somewhere else in Beach City.¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± Briar waspletely stupefied. She was hoping to stay with Stefan so that their rtionship could blossom with time. ¡®And he¡¯s¡­ leaving already? ¡®No wonder they¡¯ve never had sex. Everheart was basically living as a widow for four years. That¡¯s horrible!¡¯ ¨C Renee was recovering well. It had been three days since she was discharged from the hospital. At this time, she was moving out of her apartment. Liam had arranged a new ce for her, saying that her room was way too shabby for someone her status. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. I know you like keeping a low profile, so I chose a ce ording to your preferences.¡± Liam said over the phone. However, as she followed the address he sent, she was absolutely speechless when she arrived at a luxurious 300-square-meter condominium in West Langsmith. ¡®How is this million-dor condo considered lowkey?!¡¯ Just as Renee was about to call Liam to make changes, she received a call from the hospital. ¡°Hello, is this Miss Everheart? We are calling from the General Hospital. The final results of your full body checkup have arrived, and we noticed a minor issue. Pleasee to the hospital at once.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Renee was extremely anxious when she arrived at the hospital. She was even more confused when she received the medical report from the nurse. ¡°Miss Everheart, ording to your blood test, it would seem that your HCG and progesterone levels are higher than usual. You have been pregnant for a month or so.¡± ¡°What the hell? I¡¯m¡­ one month pregnant?!¡± ¡°Yes. Congrattions, you¡¯re going to be a mother!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Even after the nurse had left, Renee was still standing in ce, shocked. ¡®There¡¯s no way¡­ right? I just fainted once. Once and I¡¯m pregnant? How strong is my fertility? Or was it his fertility that was the problem here? Oh god, why me?!¡¯ However, there was no doubt that she was pregnant with Stefan¡¯s child. About a month ago, the Hunts were just finishing up with Tristan¡¯s funeral, as sorrow dawned upon the entire family. It was the first time Renee saw Stefan shed his distant and hostile act. He was so vulnerable that he seemed like a defenseless child, sobbing into his palms as he downed several bottles of wine. Heartbroken, she cried and drank with him to providefort, which then ended with them sleeping together¡­ That was the most intimate night they had ever spent together as husband and wife, and Renee foolishly thought their rtionship could improve after that. Instead, it ended before it even started. Not that the divorce really mattered, but this babypletely foiled her initial ns. ¡®Ugh, I regret ever sympathizing with that man! How unlucky!¡¯ Renee thought, wishing she could p herself before it was toote. She wondered if she should tell Stefan about her pregnancy. ¡®He is the father, after all. I feel like both of us should discuss whether to abort it or not.¡¯ ¡°What a coincidence, Miss Everheart! Why are you here at the hospital?¡± Suddenly, Briar¡¯s voice echoed behind her. Renee turned around, only to see Briar and Stefan standing behind her, side by side. Briar was gently caressing her baby bump, and the look on her face was that of a happy mother. On the other hand, the man was as frosty and dashing as usual. Naturally, this made him stand out in the crowd. Stunned, Renee felt like her heart had been stung by thousands of needles. ¡®They do look good together, huh? I can almost feel the warmth of their love all the way from over there. Wait, is it just me? Desrosiers¡¯ baby bump looks even bigger than before.¡¯ Renee couldn¡¯t help but think that both she and her child were mere extras in their romance. ¡°I just came for a follow-up. If you¡¯ll excuse me then.¡± She smiled, waving goodbye nonchntly. In the end, she wasn¡¯t able to muster enough courage to deliver the news of her pregnancy. She figured she¡¯d only embarrass herself by doing so and decided to take this to her grave. At the very least, she could save the little bit of pride she had left. Just then, Stefan grabbed hold of her slender wrists, stopping her in her tracks. ¡°You look pale, is something wrong?¡± He asked. Renee found it rather ridiculous when she met eyes with the man, as she remembered just how much she adored their beauty. ¡°I don¡¯t think it concerns you. Right, future ex-husband?¡± Stefan was incredibly enraged upon hearing that and furrowed his eyebrows in response. However, it was abnormal for him to stick his nose into someone else¡¯s business, considering his usual cold personality. ¡°You said it yourself. I¡¯m your future ex-husband, not your ex-husband just yet.¡± Stefan said harshly, emphasizing the ¡®future¡¯ in his words as his eyes darted toward the report in her hands. ¡°What¡¯s your follow-up about? Let me have a look. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Stefan looked extremely serious this time. Thus, Renee¡¯s grip on her report tightened as contemtion rose within the depths of her heart. Briar, who was standing at the side, seemed to have noticed something off and ced herself in between them. Then, she took her own report out and shoved it toward Renee¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Everheart, look at my baby. He¡¯s three months old now! We just had an ultrasound done, and the baby is fully formed! Here¡¯s a picture of him¡­ isn¡¯t he so cute? It¡¯s great that we managed to bump into you today. I have to thank you for giving my baby and me aplete family and for such an excellent father like Stefan! Because of your generosity, we can live in bliss!¡± ¡®She just wants to brag!¡¯ Renee thought, ncing at the ultrasound picture. She could tell that it really was a fully formed fetus with limbs and facial features. On the contrary, her own child was just an embryo. Some would say that it wasn¡¯t exactly alive, either. ¡®How funny. The difference between our children shows just how insignificant my child and I are.¡¯ Seeing how quiet and meek Renee seemed, Briar continued her act. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯re basically the baby¡¯s savior, you know! How about this? You should name our baby! Then our baby will forever have a reminder of you and your kindness, right?¡± Renee was baffled. This was the first time she wanted to hit Briar so badly. ¡®What the hell?! Is she really asking me to name their baby? She¡¯s really getting on my f*cking nerves now!¡¯ Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The woman smirked coldly, staring at Briar with contempt. ¡°Are you sure you want me to name it?¡± ¡°Mhm, if you¡¯re okay with it, that is.¡± Briar beamed. In reality, she just wanted to humiliate Renee in front of Stefan because she figured Renee would refuse. No matter how generous one may be, no woman would ever help name the baby of her husband and his mistress. Stefan narrowed his eyes, staring at Renee with mixed feelings. ¡°If it¡¯s too much, you¡¯re free to refuse her offer.¡± Although their divorce was certain, he somewhat wished to defend her, especially seeing how awkward she seemed. However, it would seem that¡­ he was reading too much into it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not hard toe up with a name.¡± Rather than awkward, Renee actually felt quite amused, raising a brow cheekily. ¡°Let¡¯s name him¡­ Karma Hunt!¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Connor Hunt?¡± Briar was slightly shocked at Renee¡¯s response, her mask shedding for a brief moment. ¡°Do you mean¡­ C-O-N-N-O-R?¡± ¡°Oh no, no. I mean K-A-R-M-A. You reap what you sow, right? Karma will hunt anyone down and make them face the consequences of their actions. See, what a meaningful name!¡± As soon as Renee exined, Briar looked rather infuriated, but she simply couldn¡¯t afford to lose her cool in front of Stefan. Hence, she merely gritted her teeth, suppressing her anger with all her might. Renee continued. ¡°Thanks for this lovely opportunity, Miss Desrosiers. Remember to use the name I came up with, alright? Else I¡¯d think you were just faking your gratitude towards me, you know!¡± Stefan¡¯s face was stone cold, his eyes focused on Renee. ¡°Enough, don¡¯t cross the line.¡± ¡°Who really crossed the line here, future ex-husband?¡± Renee questioned, not afraid to meet his gaze in the slightest. ¡°Or should I say¡­ Mr. Cheater? Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Stefan clenched his fists tightly, unable to respond. In the past, he had always perceived this woman as a boring little puppet with no opinions. He didn¡¯t think she would have such a feisty attitude like she was a feline with sharp ws. She didn¡¯t need his protection at all. Seeing this, Briar immediately yed the victim card again, clinging to Stefan¡¯s arm. ¡°Stefan, please don¡¯t get mad at Miss Everheart. It¡¯s all my and the baby¡¯s fault! Miss Everheart was forced to give up on you even though she loves you so¡­ It¡¯s natural for her to be upset with us! Just let her take her anger out on¡­¡± ¡°Nope, wrong again.¡± Renee scoffed. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me because I¡¯ve made myself loud and clear that I wasn¡¯t being generous. I merely threw away a piece of trash I didn¡¯t want, and you just happened to pick him up. That¡¯s why this baby is your karma. I told you the name suits it well, didn¡¯t I?¡± She then turned to Stefan with a fake smile across her lips. ¡°Indecent people usually get bad karma though, Mr. Hunt¡­ I reckon that you will be rather unlucky ining times.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened yet again, his blood boiling just hearing the woman speak. ¡°My mom used to tell me to avoid unlucky people, or else I might be unlucky myself. So you two should just tie the knot. I¡¯ll respect your decision, and I wish you well. Bye-bye now!¡± All the previous insults were clearly an act of ying with fire since Stefan Hunt was the most influential figure within Beach City. No one would ever dare to provoke him the way she did. So before Stefan could do anything, Renee quickly ran off after berating them. She didn¡¯t care about what they thought, she just wanted the satisfaction of doing so. ¡®If they were truly offended by my words¡­ they deserved it!¡¯ Once Renee left, Briar secretly observed the man, as she knew a temperamental man like him would never let such insults go. Yet, she only ended up with sheer confusion when she noticed the man¡¯s thin lips curve up slightly as if he were¡­ smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Stefan. Miss Everheart was probably so angry that she ran her mouth. It¡¯s my fault and the baby¡¯s fault. Just me it on me if you have to, don¡¯t hold any grudges against her¡­¡± Briar continued on and on, hoping for Stefan to take her bait. Despite her efforts, the man was irritated by her voice, and his gaze followed Renee until she was out of his sight. ¡®Heh, my future ex-wife¡­ is kind of interesting!¡¯ ¨C Renee felt awful after exiting the hospital, as anger and a hint of mncholy stung her chest. She was mad at that horrible couple and sad for her child. Whenever she was reminded of the fetus inside her, growing ever so slowly, she felt extremely frustrated. ¡®The baby could¡¯ve had an amazing life, a bright future ahead! But it just had to die because of his useless, immoral father.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, the woman calmed down and brought out herptop. Her fingers leaped through the keyboard at a fast pace, typing out a long string of code in barely ten minutes. With that, a computer virus was created. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee then merrily smirked as she activated the virus from within the system. Half an hourter, the H Group¡¯s entire business system was hijacked, exposing arge amount of client information. Stefan was still at the hospital when he received a shocking call. ¡°A virus?! Who did this?!¡± On the other side, Renee was sipping on a hot cup of coffee, admiring the light waves in the pond nearby. Experiencing the tranquility around her did, in fact, lighten her mood. She had mentioned that Stefan would face misfortunes in theing times, and she surely wasn¡¯t lying. After all, that virus was enough to put hispany in a crisis for more than two weeks Chapter 13 Chapter 13 A suffocating atmosphere loomed over the entire area within the tall building that served as H Group¡¯s headquarters. ¡°Just who the hell did this? It¡¯s been two days, and none of you know how to fix this! Is the technical department filled with sham employees?! You all receive millions of dors for your yearly sry, and this is all you¡¯ve got?! Our client information has been leaked to the public, and more is being leaked as we speak! If we don¡¯t stop it soon, H Group will be aughing stock, and you¡¯ll all be fired!¡± Elijah Young¡¯s scolding could be heard throughout the hundred-meter-tall building. As Stefan¡¯s most trusted assistant, he was in charge of most affairs within thepany. Two days ago, there was a sudden virus attack on H Group¡¯s business system of H Group, causing hundreds of employees to work overtime for two days straight. None of them could get a wink of sleep due to the havoc this virus has wreaked. ¡°Mr. Young, that was uncalled for. We¡¯re not the onescking here. Our enemy is just too strong! Their IP addresses constantly change as if they¡¯re moving from country to country within minutes. We can¡¯t track them at all!¡± The technical department manager, Antony Gray, refused to acknowledge that his skills were the issue. ¡°You should know that our department has hired all the IT prodigies within Beach City. If we, of all people, can¡¯t fix this, no one can.¡± Just then, a timid voice spoke up,ing from the furthest corner of the room. ¡°Actually, there is a way.¡± Everyone turned their heads and noticed that it was a young man wearing a pair of sses with a ck frame. ¡°How? Tell us right now!¡± Elijah immediately urged him. The young man adjusted his sses, still speaking in a soft tone. ¡°That is to do¡­ nothing. We¡¯ll just have to wait three days, and the virus will deactivate itself.¡± ¡°Wh-What did you say?¡± Elijah felt as if he had been tricked, and he rolled up his sleeves as if he were getting ready to fight these fools. ¡°Exin.¡± Stefan¡¯s frosty voice sounded from the center of the meeting room, his slender fingers casually ying around with a fountain pen. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. His nonchnt attitude seemed far different from Elijah, who wasshing out. However, it was exactly because of this dismissive demeanor that exacted this suffocating pressure on every single employee. No one dared to make the slightest mistake when he was around. The young man responded carefully. ¡°ording to my observations, this code string is simr to my idol¡¯s style. They¡¯re considered a legend among hackers and go by the codename ¡®Phoenix¡¯¡­¡± Half of the employees in the room visibly lit up with excitement, discussing with one another. ¡°Phoenix is amazing! No one has ever been able to remove their software or track them down. And the more you try doing so, the more ws you end up with. Their software has a certain trait though that they only run for five days. After five days are up, they are automatically deactivated.¡± ¡°There are lots of rumors circting about Phoenix too. Some say they¡¯re a young prodigy, while some say they¡¯re in their fifties or sixties. Basically¡­ no one has ever seen them in the flesh.¡± ¡°But Phoenix has been on a hiatus for many, many years. Why did they suddenly resurface again? And they clearly have their eyes on H Group for some reason. We¡¯re so unlucky!¡± ¡®Unlucky?¡¯ Stefan remembered what Renee said at the hospital a while ago. ¡®Tsk, is this woman a psychic? Her prediction was way too urate.¡¯ Based on their assumptions, H Group had lost at least five hundred million dors due to this incident. It truly was an unfortunate event for the entirepany. ¡°Phoenix?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes, mumbling the name under his breath. In that instant, his pride got the best of him, as he didn¡¯t like admitting defeat. Upset, he gave orders in a chilling tone. ¡°Elijah, I want to know who this ¡®Phoenix¡¯ person is. Spread the news that whoever gets information on this person will be rewarded a hundred and fifty million dors. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°Atchoo! Atchoo!¡± Renee sneezed several times as she arrived at a crowded restaurant, so much so that her ears were burning up. ¡°That¡¯s weird. I swear I¡¯m not sick anymore, but why am I still sneezing so much?¡± Renee sniffed, wondering if she should take some Tylenolter. ¡°Maybe someone is talking behind your back!¡± Leia Osborne said as she handed Renee a copy of ¡®BC News¡¯. ¡°Oh Ren, you¡¯re in trouble! Your future ex-husband is out to get you. He¡¯s even offered a hundred and fifty million as a reward!¡± As Liam¡¯s twin sister, Leia was also very close with Renee. However, she didn¡¯t worship her like how her brother did. She was more like Renee¡¯s best friend. Whenever the two got together, banter and hrious memories would ensue. Renee scanned through the newspapers and chuckled with disdain. ¡°If he has the power to do this, he should think of how to mend that wed business system instead! It¡¯s been years, and yet their system is still as weak as ever. It really didn¡¯t take much to hack into it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wild, Ren!¡± Leia said and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°As you should be, though, honestly! After all, you¡¯re the legendary hacker, the one and only Phoenix!¡± ¡°That ice block Stefan Hunt really wasted his handsome looks. He¡¯s all beauty but no brains! How could he cheat on you?! You¡¯ve been nothing but great! He even got his mistress pregnant. What a b*stard!¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he ever use his d*mn brain and realize how much you¡¯ve helped him over the past few years!? If you hadn¡¯t secretly stopped every attack on that broken system, it would¡¯ve been hacked repeatedly¡­ Ugh, he deserves everything that¡¯s happening to him now. What an ungrateful jerk!¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Leia used to be their number-one fan. She hoped the two could fall in love with time, despite their arranged marriage, just like the ones shown in fiction. Instead, the plot in this love story took a turn, as the male lead brought his mistress and their illegitimate child into the house. From that moment on, Leia felt like her heart had sunk to the bottom of the ocean. ¡®F*ck this sh*t!¡¯ Leia thought, feeling as if she was angrier than Renee herself. She even contemted barging into H Group and beating the man up. Just then, a waiter walked over to their table, serving them a te of nicely barbecued skewers, along with a few cans of beer. Leia immediately opened one of the cans and downed the entire thing as if it were just in water. On the other hand, Renee hesitated despite looking at the juicy, aromatic food in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ren? You¡¯re about to divorce, and you¡¯re about to be free! Drink up! We have to get ckout drunk tonight to celebrate!¡± Renee bit down on her lip and called out to one of the waiters. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯d like a ss of orange juice and a te of chicken sd.¡± Pfft! Leia was so shocked that she spat her beer out. Her mouth was left wide agape. ¡°What the heck? You know you¡¯re getting a divorce soon, right? Why are you still acting like a modest littledy? Do you not want any beer or skewers?¡± ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t today. If you know what I mean.¡± Renee replied, beating around the bush. She didn¡¯t intend to tell Leia about her pregnancy, nor anyone else, to be exact. She made an appointment at a private clinicst night and will be aborting her child in two days. Even though she had decided, Renee didn¡¯t understand why she was still worried that such unhealthy food would stunt the baby¡¯s growth. ¡°Oh, I get it. You¡¯re on your period.¡± Leia nodded and handed her a ss of warm water. ¡°No worries, have some water instead. I¡¯ll handle the alcohol.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lei.¡± Renee smiled warmly. Thinking about it, the best thing she¡¯s ever done in her entire life was saving Liam and Leia. They were now her most trusted confidants, and she considered both of them family by this point. ¡°Yo, if it isn¡¯t the elegant, modest, reserved Mrs. Hunt herself?¡± A cocky voice suddenly came from behind the two women. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The owner of the cocky voice was Bradley Stokes. He had a cigarette in his mouth and five underlings following behind as they walked over to Renee. ¡°Remember how your parents owe me a f*ck ton of money and then decided to report me to the police for illegal trade? Yeah, I had to pay a fine of millions and was held in custody for two whole weeks!¡± ¡°When I was finally out and ready to get revenge, I found out those two wimps ended up jumping off a building! F*cking hell! You¡¯re their only child, aren¡¯t you? Now that we¡¯ve bumped into each other, tell me¡­ just how many times are you going to grovel to earn my forgiveness?¡± Leia jumped out of her seat and scowled at Bradley. ¡°Grovel?! Over my dead body! Get lost if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Bradley was furious to have been insulted. Shoving his finger in front of Leia¡¯s nose, he said, ¡°Who even are you, you little brat?! This is a personal matter, so you should take your own advice and get lost yourself!¡± ¡°Consider this a warning!¡± Leia stood in between Renee and Bradley, and her tone was dangerous, ¡°You should run while you still can. If you make my girl angry¡­ You¡¯ll definitely regret ever crossing paths with her.¡± Upon hearing this, Bradley and his underlings froze for a second, then cracked up instead. ¡°Hahahaha, regret? You probably don¡¯t know this yet, little brat, but the Hunts have kicked this unlucky b*tch out of their family! She¡¯s nothing without the Hunt family, you know? I can do whatever I want with her now!¡± Bradley had been trying to make Renee pay for what her parents did for years. However, he could only suppress his fury when she married the most influential figure in Beach City. Two days ago, he discovered that Stefan kicked her out of the house, not to mention that the mistress moved into the very same house soon after. Thus, he knew that it was finally time for revenge. ¡°Haha, the universe is on my side today. Now that we¡¯re here, it¡¯s time to pay up! If you don¡¯t have the money, I won¡¯t mind if youpensate with your body instead!¡± Bradley eximed as he stared at Renee¡¯s gorgeous face. He felt so lustful that he even extended his hand to touch her. ¡®Hmph, if I get to f*ck a woman who¡¯s slept with Stefan Hunt before, that¡¯ll be quite the story to tell! I¡¯ll come out winning regardless!¡¯ Renee dodged his advances, taking a sip of her water calmly. ¡°Sure, I can do that. But are you sure you¡¯re ready to handle this?¡± Bradley grinned slyly in response. ¡°Of course I am!¡± The woman ced her ss down and stared back at Bradley, replying in a seductive tone. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s head to the back of that park over there!¡± With that, the two actually started walking towards the park. Bradley¡¯s underlings were stunned, watching their boss with sheer envy. Leia seemed to be the only one who was somewhat worried as she ced her hand on her forehead. After hesitating for another few seconds, she decided to call out to the two. ¡°Hey, uh¡­¡± Bradley looked visibly excited at this point, giggling profusely and ignoring the underlying concern in her tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be gentle. I need to keep this prettydy around forter use, after all.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Leia fell silent as she looked at Bradley with a pitiful gaze. ¡®This poor guy is so unlucky. He ended up messing with Renee Everheart, of all people! Not to mention that she¡¯s just been betrayed by the man she once loved!¡¯ ¡®D*mn, it¡¯s up to his chubby body to save him now. I¡¯m not even sure if he¡¯d survive this, to be honest¡­¡¯ A few minutester, an rmingly loud scream could be heard from the back of the park. ¡°Ahhh! No! Please, I beg of you! Have mercy! Chapter 16 Chapter 16 However, those screams were not of Renee¡¯s, but instead Bradley¡¯s. ¡°Wh¡­What happened?¡± The underlings exchanged looks of unease. Five minutester, Renee returned without a scratch on her. She cracked her neck and her face remained expressionless as if nothing had happened. Not even a single strand of her hair was out of ce. ¡°Have you dealt with him?¡± Leia asked. ¡°Mm-hmm, it¡¯s been years since I did this, so I¡¯m a little rusty. It took me two extra seconds to finish him.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble, Ren. You may have used an extra two seconds, but it sounds like you got ten times stronger! That guy screamed like he saw an actual ghost! Is he even alive?¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably still breathing, at least,¡± Renee said coldly as she turned to the underlings. ¡°If you wish to see your boss live, get him to a hospital right now.¡± Although the underlings had no clue, they could tell that something was off after hearing their boss¡¯ wailing. Hence, all of them rushed off, visibly worried and afraid. Leia, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t surprised at all. When both she and Liam were kidnapped back then, Renee was the one who took on ten kidnappers alone and saved the twins before they were killed. They saw firsthand just how agile Renee was. That was when they realized the power that lurked beneath her gentle facade. While they were astonished in the beginning, they slowly grew ustomed to it. Now¡­ They were simply numb to the sight of her bloodshed. Their boss was thete General Everheart¡¯s only granddaughter after all. It¡¯d be ridiculous if she was a helpless damsel. It was a shame that the Hunts had overlooked Renee¡¯s unique abilities. ¡®Were they blind or something?¡¯ Leia wondered. ¡°Ren, I was worried that you¡¯d get taken advantage of after getting married. For the longest time, you were acting as a meek little wife. It was so good that I thought you¡¯d actually be one¡­¡± ¡°Looks like I was just being a worrywart. No one could possibly take advantage of you, because you¡¯re literally on the top of the food chain! I feel much relieved now!¡± Leia then clinked her ss against Renee¡¯s, adding. ¡°Whatever here¡¯s to freedom!¡± Renee giggled softly. ¡°To freedom!¡± ¡®That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll no longer have any ties to the Hunt family from now on. I won¡¯t have to act like a dignified young mistress, nor do I have to wonder what type of girl Stefan Hunt likes.¡¯ She thought. ¡®From now on¡­ I¡¯ll live for myself! Freedom tastes amazing!¡¯ The next day, Renee arrived early at the private clinic for her appointment. Not only did this clinic have an excellent reputation, but it also kept every patient¡¯s information absolutely confidential. No one else in this entire world would ever find out that she was pregnant, let alone the fact that she would get an abortion. It would be as if the fetus in her belly never existed at all! As the time for surgery drew nearer, Renee felt her heart thumping against her ribcage. Anxiety was painted all over her tense, gorgeous face. ¡®You can do this, Renee. This is just one small step. Once the abortion is done, your life will get back on track!¡¯ She thought in an attempt to cheer herself up. ¡°Renee Everheart,¡± the nurse called out from the office. ¡°Coming,¡± said Renee before taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve looked over your report, and there appear to be no contraindications. If you wish to proceed, we can start operating now.¡± The doctor¡¯s face was stone-cold as she flipped over the pages.¡° Are you sure about this operation?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Alright, you may follow the nurse to the changing room. Once you¡¯re done, I need you toy down on the operation table¡­¡± A momentter, Renee heard the doctor sigh softly. ¡°Ah, what a shame. Have you looked at the report yourself? Do you know how special your pregnancy is?¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°What do you mean?¡± Renee was confused. ¡°ording to your HCG levels, it seems that you¡¯re carrying twins. And it¡¯s very likely a baby boy and girl¡­¡± The doctor sounded full of pity. ¡°Forget about regr twins, do you know how low are the chances of conceiving fraternal twins? It¡¯s a miracle that they were conceived in the first ce. Are you really sure you want to abort them?¡± ¡°F¡­ Fraternal twins?¡± Renee felt another wave of mixed emotions rising within her chest as she looked at the report. ¡°Besides that, due to your physical condition, you aren¡¯t one to get pregnant easily. Should you proceed with the surgery, it¡¯d be pretty difficult to conceive a second time. I¡¯d advise you to think it over once more.¡± After that, the doctor adjusted her mask and turned to the door. ¡°Next patient, please.¡± A nurse approached Renee and said, ¡°If you have made up your mind, please follow me to the changing room.¡± Sometimeter, the red light in front of the surgery room was switched on. Renee walked over to the operating table with an expressionless face, wearing a surgery gown¡­ ¨C The night was freezing cold, as Renee headed to the very same restaurant from yesterday after her trip to the clinic. She was in distress and wanted to drink her frustrations away. Despite that, she still ended up ordering a ss of warm water, along with a chicken sd. In the end, she decided against the procedure. She was already conflicted knowing that she¡¯d be ending a life before it even started. The fact that there were two meant she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Hence, before the doctor could insert the surgical tools inside her, the woman hopped off the table and bolted out the door. ¡°My silly babies, out of all the couples in this world, why did you choose us as your parents?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s to your new lives then, a life without fatherly love.¡± Renee decided to give birth to the twins in secret. She wasn¡¯t afraid of the pain, she was merely feeling sad for her children. With water in ce of alcohol, she downed the entire shot as a toast to her children. Just then, a group of men appeared out of nowhere, dashing toward Renee with malicious intent. ¡°Mr. Gold, look! She¡¯s that b*tch who nearly killed Brad yesterday!¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee calmly swiped a look at the group. She recognized the man speaking to be one of the underlings she encounteredst night. It was obvious that they were here for revenge. ¡°Her?¡± Otto Gold questioned. The well-built man was an infamous gangster who ran the area. He never expected that the person who sent his right-hand man into the ICU would be a weak little woman. ¡°Yeah, I did that.¡± Renee put down her ss and red at the men surrounding her. ¡°You¡¯re blocking my view. Keep standing there and I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll suffer a worse fate than that pervert!¡± ¡°Hoho, you talk big, littledy!¡± Otto scowled as he grabbed Renee by the cor. ¡°Let me show you the rules around these parts then!¡± ¡°Oh? Really now?¡± Renee raised an eyebrow, thanking the gods for being so generous as to hand her a punching bag after a long, stressful day. Cracking her knuckles loudly, the woman was ready to rumble. Suddenly, all she heard were Otto¡¯s screams, as he was sent flying back. A tall figure stood before her, as if he were arge wall, shielding her from danger. ¡°Which one of you tried attacking her? Come forth, or else.¡± Stefan spoke, his voice cold as ice Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Renee waspletely dumbfounded as she stared at the man¡¯s dashing figure from behind. She wondered. ¡®Out of all the ces, why is here here, and at this moment? Was he stalking me?¡¯ The gangsters were stunned by Stefan¡¯s intimidating aura. All of them got into their fighting stance and yelled nervously. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?! Stay out of this if you value your life!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. The only thing that matters is that you pay since you¡¯ve decided to go against someone you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was stern, and that was enough to strike fear into their hearts. ¡°Another brat with a death wish!¡± Otto crawled back up to his feet, gritting his teeth and rubbing his backside gently to ease the pain. ¡°Do you know who I am? Why don¡¯t you ask around the area? You two must be dying for a beating, huh?!¡± ¡°What are you guys standing there for? Get them!¡± yelled Otto. The ten gangsters immediately charged at Stefan and Renee with their metal bats. The people in the vicinity fled out of fear for their lives. Stefan was rmed but he continued shielding Renee with his body. As he tugged on his tie, he turned slightly tofort Renee. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Just close your eyes for now, I¡¯ll be done with them soon.¡± While speaking, he kicked over one of the thugs who tried ambushing them from the side. ¡®Oh ho? How strong!¡¯ Renee thought, pretending to be a harmless little damsel as she hid behind the man. ¡®Huh, I didn¡¯t expect this cold gentleman would have such agility.¡¯ ¡®Even if he didpete in a cockpit, he¡¯de out as one of the top fighters!¡¯ However, this wasn¡¯t exactly all that surprising, since the Hunt family was ranked first amongst the Great Eight of Beach City. As the esteemed young master Hunt, Stefan had been trained in every field throughout his life. Horse riding, chess, boxing¡­ You name it, he had likely mastered it. ¡°Ah! Please have mercy, good sir!¡± The entire group was defeated within the first few minutes, as cries of pain echoed through the air. ¡°Take this lesson to heart, and stay away from her!¡± Stefan warned the fallen thugs, before gently brushing the dust off his tuxedo. Renee, on the other hand, had her arms crossed. It was as if she was merely a spectator, here for a good show. If this was before, she would¡¯ve been entranced by his act. Yet now, she felt numb inside. In fact, she found it to be quite ridiculous. ¡®Hah, he ignored me for four whole years, and now he wants to act like he¡¯s Prince Charming saving the damsel in distress? What the hell is he on?¡¯ Suddenly, Otto picked up a beer bottle and lunged at Stefan from behind. ¡°Damn you, I¡¯ll kill you if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡± ¡°Look out, behind you!¡± Renee warned nervously. However, it was toote, the bottle crashed right into Stefan¡¯s head. Blood flowed down Stefan¡¯s hair as he winced in pain while pressing against his wound with his fingers. He could feel his hand soaking in warm liquid. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sh*t!¡± he cursed. Seeing the blood on his palm, Stefan felt nauseous and he began to stagger. Renee instinctively noticed that something was wrong. Hesitatingly, she went ahead to give him a hand. ¡°Are you okay, Hunt?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The man¡¯s face started turning pale. It no longer radiated the powerful aura he once showed. He seemed extremely weak, as he grunted. ¡°I can¡¯t protect you anymore, run!¡± ¡°No way¡­ Can¡¯t you stand anymore?¡± Renee was confused, as sheter pondered to herself. ¡®It¡¯s just a beer bottle to the head though, he¡¯s not that weak, is he? He was doing great fighting those guys a while ago!¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t stand the sight of blood!¡± said Stefan before fainting in Renee¡¯s arms. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 When Stefan regained consciousness, he realized that he was alreadyying on a hospital bed, his head wrapped in white gauze. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee remained by his side the entire time. It was only upon seeing his eyes open did she let out a sigh of relief. However, she sounded distant regardless. ¡°Since you¡¯re up, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± In actuality, she worried for the man, but she didn¡¯t want him to find out. Before she left, she felt him grab her wrist. ¡°Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?¡± Stefan asked weakly. Despite his condition, his beautiful eyes remained sharp as it scanned Renee¡¯s entire body. The woman returned his concern with a cold smile. ¡°Thanks for worrying, Mr. Hunt. But you should worry about yourself first, especially with that strength of yours. I¡¯mpletely fine!¡± She had loved this man for four years. Once upon a time, she wished for him to show concern toward her as well, even if it were just empty words. Now, she no longer needed his love¡­ To her surprise, Stefan dismissed her cold attitude towards him and was stupefied. ¡°Those people were thugs, weren¡¯t they? How did you even escape from them?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Renee froze up. She couldn¡¯t confess that she had beaten them into the ground in order to escape after all. ¡°Is the question that difficult to answer?¡± Sensing something was off, Stefan stared into her eyes. He didn¡¯t think this was aplicated question, and it shouldn¡¯t take her this long to reply. As Renee met his gaze, it felt likesers were shooting through her mind. Keeping her cool, she responded, ¡°I had to use your title, of course. You¡¯re the great Master Hunt!¡± ¡°When they heard that you¡¯re the heir to the most powerful family in the city, they were so scared that they begged for forgiveness on their knees. Then I sent you straight to the hospital¡­¡± Her reasoning was immacte. Bringing out the Hunt family name was truly considered a trump card since no one would ever dare to cross them in the slightest. It was believable enough that Stefan bought it. He stared at the woman¡¯s slender figure, feeling conflicted as he remembered how she was being surrounded by those gangsters. ¡°If you knew my title is useful in situations like these, why didn¡¯t you use it from the start?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If someone dares to harass you again, don¡¯t foolishly reason with them. I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be quicker to solve this by saying you¡¯re my ex-wife.¡± Renee was perplexed. She looked at the man and wondered. ¡®What does he even mean? Isn¡¯t he being way too confident in himself?¡¯ ¡°Mr. Hunt, do you know how many children die of starvation each year?¡± ¡°And how much money do the beggars in front of this hospital earn daily?¡± ¡°Or maybe, do you perhaps know how much the sea level rises every hour due to global warming?¡± The woman¡¯s words confused Stefan. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°Precisely. What would my business have to do with you?¡± Hearing this, Stefan¡¯s expression darkened in an instant. Renee put on a fake smile and stood before the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know why curiosity killed the cat?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Stefan asked, still visibly upset. ¡°Because it couldn¡¯t mind its own business,¡± Renee said as she brushed her hair back. ¡°I hope you understand that we¡¯ll be legally divorced after twenty days. Please take care of yourself, and mind your own business.¡± ¡°If you really have that much love to give, give it to charity, build a good reputation for yourself¡­¡± The woman left Stefan no room to retort. All he could do was clench his fists silently. ¡®When did she learn to speak like that? It¡¯s like her tongue is made of thorns. She doesn¡¯t have any resemnce to that gentle little bunny she used to be back then¡­¡¯ ¡°Goodbye!¡± said Renee as she left without an ounce of hesitation. It was toote to show affection now, she simply couldn¡¯t care less. Besides, this wasn¡¯t exactly an act of love. He just didn¡¯t want to feel guilty for his actions. If that was the case, she didn¡¯t need him to worry about her safety. However, before Renee could exit the ward, she immediately bumped right into her mother-inw Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Ugh, watch it, you!¡± Francine hissed as she rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the pain. Once she realized that it was Renee who knocked into her, her anger red up. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± ¡°I knew my little Fan would rub off your bad luck!¡± Renee chuckled coldly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please just endure me for another twenty days, okay?¡± ¡®What do you mean?¡± Francine lifted her gaze, her tone hostile. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll be flying off after twenty days.¡± ¡®Well, I can¡¯t, but¡­¡± Renee shone her a frosty yet polite smile. ¡°But we¡¯ll be legally divorced once twenty days are up.¡± ¡°Even if your son were to grovel in front of me, I¡¯ve sworn to never get involved with the Hunt family anymore. I figured that would be the best for both of us.¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Francine was left in a state of shock. ¡®What the hell happened? She used to be so obedient back then. She would let me do and say whatever I wanted! Why does it feel like she¡¯s apletely different person now?1 i ¡°How dare you speak to me that way?!¡± ¡°Why would I not dare to?¡± Renee replied as she was used to Francine¡¯s behavior. Back then, she would endure her solely because she was Stefan¡¯s mother and her mother-inw. Their inevitable separation meant that she simply had no reason to endure her harshnguage now. i ¡°I¡¯m just mirroring your attitude towards me. If you¡¯d like me to respect you, earn it.¡± ¡®Why you little¡­!¡± Francine lifted her hand and was ready to p her across the face. Out of nowhere, Stefan appeared to have gotten out of bed, grabbing Francine¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom, stop this.¡± Only then did Francine notice the blood stains on her precious son¡¯s bandages. It looked serious, which brought tears to her eyes. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Fan, did you get into a fight? You have hemophobia, don¡¯t you? How could you be so reckless? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?¡± 1 ¡°Your brother just left us not long ago! How could I possibly live on if something were to happen to you?¡± 1 Stefan was assailed by dizziness again, and this time, he felt even more nauseous than before. Supporting his own head, he narrowed his eyes painfully. ¡°Mom, please be quiet for now.¡± i As Renee was listening at the side, she instinctively clenched her fists. She then thought to herself. ¡®I really didn¡¯t expect him to have hemophobia. When did he even get this fear? Why haven¡¯t I heard about this before?1 ¡°Are you alright, son? Should I call for a doctor?¡± Francine began to panic.¡± Okay okay, I¡¯ll stop talking. Let me get you back to bed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to divorce this good-for-nothing anyway, I can¡¯t be bothered to argue with her!¡± 1 Stefan then went back to lie down, he didn¡¯t have the luxury to rx at all. Francine continued her nagging as she tucked him in with a nket.¡± You¡¯re pretty reckless too, you know? Why would you even put yourself in danger for this woman? Do you see her worrying about you when you¡¯ve done so much for her? When you¡¯re literally in pain? Did she even thank you for your help?¡± 2 Tve finally realized that the Everhearts are just a bunch of ungrateful leeches! Her parents scammed so many investors, they deserve to die for their sins!¡± ¡°And you know how much we¡¯ve helped her throughout the years! Look at how she¡¯s treating us now! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re divorcing her soon, what a disrespectful girl! Initially, Renee still felt somewhat grateful towards the Hunt family, but Francine¡¯s words immediately snapped her back to reality, as if she had actually been pped. ¡®She¡¯s saying I¡¯m ungrateful?¡¯ ¡®If I really was a leech, how was H Group unaffected when the economy copsed three years ago?¡¯ ¡®If I really was ungrateful, why did the hacker association leave H Group out of their nationwide cyber attack?¡¯ 1 She could think of many more examples of her protecting the Hunts in secret, she merely didn¡¯t bother to take credit for everything. 2 ¡®Whatever, this family¡¯s not worth my time and energy!¡¯ Renee turned to Stefan emotionlessly. ¡°I¡¯ve already sent the amended copy of our divorce papers to your office. Sign them if you have no objections.¡± Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. ¡®Why does that sound so familiar? Didn¡¯t I say those exact same words a while back?¡¯ ¡®This woman sure is quick to turn on me. How could she say all that without any hesitation?¡¯ ¡®And why do I suddenly feel so¡­ disappointed?¡¯ The man wanted to question Renee further, but she had already left the room. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Chapter 21 The moment Renee returned to her apartment in West Langsmith, she immediately pulled out her laptop. With just a few clicks, she disabled the virus nted in the H Group system, allowing it to return to normal. The negative remarks on the inte soon came to a half, and H Group¡¯s stock price slowly regained stability. ¡°Boss, what are you doing? We¡¯re just getting started, why did you disable the virus all of a sudden?¡± Liam sounded agitated over the phone. He called as soon as he caught wind that H group was recovering, i ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d focus on your career now? And that you¡¯d be targeting H Group? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve started to feel bad for Stefan. Do you still like him or something?¡± For the past few days, the malware in H Group¡¯s system resulted in a massive leak of their client¡¯s information. A few of their partners ended their contracts with H Group out of anger and turned to work with a newpany instead. On the surface, thispany was run by Liam, but it was in fact Renee¡¯s. It was already starting to take shape within the industry as well. No doubt, his one and only goddess had decided to show mercy to the bastard Stefan. ¡®Why else would she stop the operation when she could gain more?¡¯ he thought. 2 Renee swirled her coffee mug, stared out the window, and replied dismissively, ¡°I¡¯ve already got what I wanted, there¡¯s just no reason to continue to attack.¡± ¡°Just say you feel bad! You don¡¯t have to act tough!¡± Liam sighed pitifully.¡± It¡¯s only normal that you haven¡¯t moved on from a man you¡¯ve loved for four years.¡± i Renee fell silent. She was indeed not a stone-hearted person. The fact that Stefan got hurt while protecting her earlier made her feel bad. ¡®You can feel bad, but don¡¯t forget the pain he inflicted on you. Remember this, okay? Men suck! The better you treat him, the worse he¡¯d hurt you in return.¡± i ¡®You may have let him off easy today, but¡­ he might not do the same for you.¡± 1 Liam sounded quite rational, pausing for a brief moment before saying, ¡°I heard that man has ced a $150 million bounty on your head. Countless professionals are out for you. Even ¡®Haze¡¯, who has retired for years announced his participation in the witchhunt!¡± 2 ¡°What do you think Stefan Hunt would do to you when he finds out you¡¯re ¡® Phoenix¡¯? You know how he holds even the smallest grudges!¡± 1 ¡°Oh really now? Haze is interested in joining the search too?¡± Renee asked calmly. She took a sip of her coffee and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this goes then!¡± 1 After her call with Liam ended, Renee caressed her stomach, whispering.¡± Don¡¯t worry, my darlings. I swear I¡¯ll get enough money to raise the two of you before you even arrive in this world!¡± Renee had been waiting for Stefan to mail the divorce papers back to her. The sooner he signed those papers, the sooner she¡¯d gain ownership of Hunts & Co. Law Firm. Some of her ns could only be set in motion after she had achieved that. However, it¡¯s been half a week, and she had yet to receive anything in the mailbox.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Since they were both in the same city, it should take less than a day for any mail to arrive. It became clear that Stefan didn¡¯t care about the divorce papers. For all she knew, he could¡¯ve even thrown it into the trash. Time didn¡¯t wait for anyone, and Renee could tell that her baby bump was growing day by day. She simply didn¡¯t want to just sit there and do nothing. With that, she called for a cab and headed straight for the H Group headquarters. ¡°Wee, Mrs. Hunt!¡± The employees had no idea that the two were divorcing, and proceeded to greet her warmly as usual. ¡°Good morning,¡± Renee replied with an awkward smile. Back when she was head-over-heels for Stefan, she would asionally bring him lunch or a cup of homemade coffee. That exined why the staff recognized her immediately. However, she had always done this in secret. In order to keep the other employees from gossiping about their rtionship, she would bring along extras for them as well, so everyone was rather fond of her. 1 Within minutes, Renee reached Stefan¡¯s office without much hindrance. ¡°Mrs. Hunt, w-why did youe all of a sudden?¡± asked the secretary nervously. From her memory, Renee would always leave her gifts at the reception counter, and she refused to visit his office for some unknown reason. ¡®Why is she here now? Did something happen?¡¯ the secretary wondered. ¡°I¡¯m just here to see Stefan Hunt, is he inside?¡± Renee nced at the office door. This made the secretary even more ufortable, which resulted in her stuttering awkwardly. ¡°He is¡­ but¡­ uhm¡­ It might not be¡­ a good time to visit.¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Renee directed a reassuring smile at the secretary. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be able to handle it¡± After that, she lifted her chin and strode confidently into Stefan¡¯s office. Just as she expected, she found the little mistress, Briar Desrosiers, in there. The woman was sobbing in Stefan¡¯s arms but quickly moved away as soon as she saw Renee enter the office as if she had been caught red-handed doing something bad. i ¡°Miss Everheart, please don¡¯t misunderstand, we were just¡­¡± ¡°Save it.¡± Renee put up her hand. Turning to Stefan, she said, ¡°Sorry for interrupting your date, Mr. Hunt, but I¡¯m here for the divorce settlement. I¡¯ll leave once I¡¯ve obtained your signature.¡± Stefan rested his arms on his desk and without a hint of emotion on his face, he responded, ¡°Oh that¡­ do you really need it in such a hurry?¡± ¡®What the hell is he saying?¡¯ Renee thought as she suppressed the urge to beat him up. Through gritted teeth, she growled, ¡°What do you think?!¡± ¡®There¡¯s still twenty days till we are legally divorced. I think it¡¯s fine to wait it out.¡± Stefan said with a deadpan expression. Renee clenched her fists tightly. Never in her life has she felt the urge to punch him more. ¡®Did that thug really hit him that hard in the head?!¡¯ ¡®So he¡¯s not in a hurry to settle things now? He was the one who handed me divorce papers, and kicked me out on the same night! All this, just so his mistress could move in with him!¡¯ ¡°Mr. Hunt, are you trying to be funny here? Is this a joke?¡± Renee asked as she pointed to Briar¡¯s belly. 1 ¡®Take a look at her belly. It looks like it¡¯s gonna explode any minute now! You may not be in a hurry, but she is, and the baby is too. For their sake, you should just sign it now.¡± 1 Stefan chuckled coldly and replied sarcastically. ¡°I never realized how considerate my future ex-wife is. Why should I be in a rush to let go of someone amazing like you?¡± 1 Hearing this, both Renee and Briar started to panic. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡®What the hell do you even want, Stefan Hunt?¡± yelled Renee, whose patience had finally run out. ¡®He wanted a divorce, but now he¡¯s refusing to sign the papers? Why is he the one making decisions here? Does he think he¡¯s some kind of god? Does he think he makes the rules?¡¯ Briar chimed in too. ¡°Stefan, I might not be in a hurry to marry you, but look at how panicked Miss Everheart seems. I¡¯m guessing she has a new boyfriend¡­ Why don¡¯t you sign those papers now? Let her go sooner, so both she and her boyfriend feel reassured.¡± Suddenly, the atmosphere became extremely cold, as if they had teleported to the North Pole. Stefan pressed his lips together, clearly displeased. Renee initially wanted to respond to the usation, but she figured that it was a convenient reason to convince Stefan to sign the papers anyway. Hence, she kept quiet, pretending as if she was guilty of such a thing. Briar took a cautious gulp and continued. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have a rtionship to begin with. Isn¡¯t it better to let each other go, so that you two can pursue the love you both deserve?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Renee agreed. Although it hurt to hear Briar say that, this was the truth, and she simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to disagree. Stefan didn¡¯t love her, not in the slightest, which was why she didn¡¯t understand why he was being so difficult. ¡®Is he trying to toy with me now?¡¯ ¡°Leave for now,¡± Stefan said coldly. Upon hearing this, Briar turned to Renee with an almost unnoticeable smirk on her face. ¡°Yeah, you should leave for now, Miss Everheart. You know how Stefan is, I¡¯ll convince him for you, okay?¡± To their surprise, Stefan spoke up, ¡°Briar, I¡¯m asking you to leave.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Briar stammered as her face turned bright red. ¡°Have a good talk then, I¡¯ll be off now.¡± Stefan and Renee were now the only ones left in therge room. The man rose from his seat and made his way toward Renee slowly and steadily. 1 Renee was rmed by his actions. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. Stefan trapped her in between him and his desk, growling. ¡°So tell me. Are you really in such a hurry to have me sign these papers because you have someone new?¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Despite being married for four years, they rarely stood this close to each other. The air between them abruptly rose in temperature, Renee¡¯s face was bright red as she tried her best to regte her breathing.¡± Yeah, so I hope you can give us your blessing, Mr. Hunt. I¡¯ve given you my blessing after all.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes darkened, huffing coldly. ¡°Who is it? Is it Geronimo Osborne¡¯s youngest son? If I remember correctly, that guy¡¯s three years younger than you. You know that, right?¡± His words alone were enough to upset Renee. ¡®What? Is he implying that I¡¯m too old? Then why can other men date girls who are decades younger than them, but women can¡¯t date someone just a couple of years younger?¡¯ Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And what about it? Why does it matter to you? Besides¡­ don¡¯t you know that a lot of younger guys prefer mature women now? Oh, how hard it was to resist his adorable efforts when he was pursuing me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re dating a younger guy, but Liam Osborne is off-limits.¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes, his tone stern. ¡°Ask around and you¡¯ll see how much of a womanizer he is! A modest girl like you won¡¯t be able to handle him.¡± Renee didn¡¯t understand what Stefan meant by that. She thought to herself, ¡®We¡¯re getting a divorce, so why would he care about who I¡¯m dating?¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t he the almighty Stefan Hunt, the cold and distant ice block? When did he be so concerned about his ex-wife¡¯s love life?¡¯ ¡®You don¡¯t have a say in whether I can handle him or not. So what if I like womanizers? Doesn¡¯t that make the rtionship all the more exciting?¡± she eximed. Not wanting to drag this on any longer, Renee continued urging for his signature. ¡°I know you¡¯re a busy man, so just sign the papers! Let¡¯s just get this over with!¡± 2 ¡°Did you lose it? Doesn¡¯t matter, I have the pdf file right here, we can just have it printed right away¡­¡± said Renee as she pulled out her phone. Her impatience to obtain his signature irked Stefan. While their marriage was loveless, one still couldn¡¯t deny the fact that they had been legally married for four whole years. To Stefan, it felt like someone stole something that belonged to him, and it didn¡¯t sit well with him. 2 ¡®What if I don¡¯t sign it?¡± Stefan said as he arrogantly nted his hands into his pockets. ¡°Seriously?¡± Renee scoffed. 1 ¡®As expected, men suck! It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s good-looking, it doesn¡¯t matter how decent he seems. They¡¯re all f*cking pr*cks!¡¯ ¡°If that¡¯s how the game you want to y, don¡¯t mind if I do!¡± Renee gritted her teeth as her fingers danced on her phone screen quickly. ¡®What are you doing?¡± Stefan asked with furrowed brows. He was starting to realize this woman wasn¡¯t as gentle and obedient as he remembered. There were too many sides of her that he¡¯s never seen before. Momentster, Renee smirked as she pointed her phone at Stefan. ¡°I¡¯m live streaming,¡± she replied. ¡°What the hell?¡± Stefan was confused by what the woman was trying to achieve. On the other side, Renee started wailing all of a sudden, as if she was being starred in a soap opera. ¡°Everyone¡­ Please help me out, I¡­ I can¡¯t do this anymore!¡± ¡®This is my husband, Stefan Hunt¡­ You may know him as the second son of the Hunt family in Beach City, or the CEO of H Group¡­ ¡°I just¡­ I just found out that he cheated on me! He even knocked up his mistress in the process! But he¡­ he won¡¯t sign our divorce settlement, saying that he refuses to give me a single penny!¡± ¡°Can the rich just do whatever they want now? It¡¯s¡­ just so unfair that he¡¯s refusing me financial support, even though he¡¯s the one at fault here!¡± Stefan wondered if the woman had gone mad. ¡®She couldn¡¯t possibly think that this little act would fool anyone, right? Is this her feeble attempt at threatening me?* However, he soon received a panicked call from Elijah. ¡®What¡¯s happening, Mr. Hunt? Why is Mrs. Hunt crying on ourpany¡¯s official ount?¡± 1 ¡®There are about thirty million viewers by now, and everyone¡¯s calling you a cheating bastard in the comments! They¡¯re even saying they¡¯d take down every project H Group is currently working on!¡± 3 ¡°Is this your way of flirting with each other? Just get a room! The stream isn¡¯t doing us any good, please just shut it off!¡± 1 Stefan was still in a state of disbelief. He grabbed hisptop and logged into H Group¡¯s official Facebook ount. 2 ¡®She really did it! The stream on the ount is clearly my office! And it¡¯s being streamed on every tform!¡¯ Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¡°Please darling, we¡¯ve been married for four years, you know? Even if you did cheat on me¡­ I forgive you, because¡­ my love for you is true¡­ Please¡­ just don¡¯t be so cruel to me¡­¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for much either, I just wanted the least valuablew firm that you own. You can¡¯t just divorce me and leave me out on the streets to starve, right? I¡¯ll die!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you my blessing¡­ I¡¯ll leave quietly for your sake! I won¡¯t bother you at all, I just want you to be happy!¡± Renee¡¯s acting was immacte. Tears were flowing down her cheeks and she damsel in distress. Riled up by her performance, the viewers left countlessments as the stream continued. [What a jerk! Stefan Hunt really is as cruel as they say! How inhumane can he be?!] [Men like him should rot in hell! She just wanted aw firm, that¡¯s pocket change for him!] [This bastard and his mistress should burn in hell!] ¡¯ [I¡¯m unfollowing them! Men are all the same! What a waste of good looks!] Stefan was visibly enraged at this point. He didn¡¯t even have time to figure out how the woman got ahold of the password to their official ount, all he wanted was for the stream to end. ¡°Shut it off!¡± he ordered harshly. Naturally, Renee ignored his instruction. She continued pointing the camera at Stefan as she cried. ¡°Darling, I wish you would stop raising your voice at me. Please don¡¯t me me for this. I have no other choice but to negotiate with you in this way!¡± 2 ¡°Both my parents have died¡­ I¡¯m alone in this world, and I have no power to go against your family either¡­ the only people I can rely on are my fellowizens¡­¡± She was implying that she would only stop streaming once he had signed the papers. ¡°Give me that!¡± Stefan growled angrily. He was frustrated, as it was the first time someone had ever threatened him this way. Not wanting to prolong this, he immediately tried reaching for Renee¡¯s phone. 2 Renee, however, was able to dodge his advance swiftly. ¡°What are you doing, darling? Let¡¯s just talk this out, okay? You don¡¯t have to be rough with me! And you have to be careful with your image, we¡¯re live streaming here!¡± ¡°So you think I was being rough?¡± Stefan stepped closer, grabbing both of her wrists with a sly grin. ¡°Let me show you how rough I can get!¡± After that, he pulled the woman in, causing their bodies to touch. The sudden movement caused the phone to slip out of Renee¡¯s hand. With the camera pointing at the ceiling of the office, the viewers were left to their own imagination as to what was urring between Stefan and Renee. [What¡¯s happening? What are they doing? Where did they go?] [Are they really divorcing? Why does it feel like they¡¯re actually flirting with each other?] [Are we actually allowed to watch this for free?!] [Oh my god! They¡¯re definitely flirting, aren¡¯t they? Lucky us! We get to see this live!] Renee did not anticipate Stefan to make this move. She could feel her face burning up. As she struggled to escape his embrace, she growled at him,¡± What are you doing, Mr. Hunt?! You know this is a live stream, right?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like my reputation could get any better at this rate, so I don¡¯t mind making it worse!¡± Stefan forcefully kept her in his arms, as he whispered into her ears naughtily. Although they had been married for so long, this was the first time he realized that his boring wife was actually quite precious¡­ Her body smelled amazing, and she felt so soft in his embrace. He wasn¡¯t prepared to let go anytime soon, given these sensations brought him some sort of reassurance. On the other hand, Renee¡¯s heart was absolutely calm. She used to wish for Stefan¡¯s embrace during their marriage to the point that she¡¯d have dreams about it. Yet now, all she wanted was to escape his arms, because she couldn¡¯t allow herself to make the same mistake twice. ¡®You don¡¯t mind it being worse, you say?¡± The woman asked, then started screaming on the top of her lungs. ¡°Ah! Darling, please don¡¯t hit me! No!¡± 1 ¡®Til give up on my demand! I¡¯ll listen to you! Just please don¡¯t hit me!¡± ¡°Help! Someone, anyone! He¡¯s going to beat me to death! Please call the police for me!¡± 1 Stefan froze, all the emotions he felt just now faded away instantly. 1 ¡®This woman¡­ is ruthless!¡¯ Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. At the same time, arge group of people barged into his office, their expressions vexed¡­ Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¡°Mr. Hunt, calm down! Leave Mrs. Hunt alone!¡± ¡®You know that domestic abuse is a crime, right? Mrs. Hunt is such a great person! She loves you so much too! How could you ever bring yourself to hit her!?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll quit our jobs if you dare to hit her one more time! And we¡¯ll file awsuit against you for the abuse you¡¯ve put her through!¡± These people were employees of H Group, specifically the ones Renee handed her lunchboxes in secret to. Looks like the few extra snacks Renee gave them finally paid off. At the time, Stefan and Renee were still in a rather¡­ inconvenient position. Looking from afar, it seemed that Stefan was forcing himself on Renee, using his tall figure as an advantage to her feeble body. To an outsider, it was truly an infuriating sight. Stefan¡¯s actions had caused an uproar. Even his most trusted assistant, Elijah, was on Renee¡¯s side this time. ¡°Mr. Hunt, I have to be real with you here.¡± ¡°Mrs. Hunt is a great person, you should know that. For the past few years, she¡¯s been nothing but a diligent and responsible wife. And yet you cheated on her¡­¡± ¡®To think you¡¯re now refusing to sign the settlement¡­ This is just crossing the line!¡± Elijah continued as he scowled at Stefan, without an ounce of worry that he might be sacked for insubordination. 1N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡®Wait, could it be that¡­ you¡¯re still in love with Mrs. Hunt? Is that why you¡¯re refusing to sign the papers, Mr. Hunt?¡± Hearing this, everyone started nodding along. ¡®That must be it! Mr. Hunt¡¯s cheating was just a stupid mistake on his end, he still loves Mrs. Hunt after all¡­¡± i ¡°How could his mistress be any better than Mrs. Hunt? He just wanted to spice up their rtionship!¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt, don¡¯t be shy. Just admit that you still love her! If you apologize to Mrs. Hunt sincerely, she¡¯ll surely forgive you!¡± ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d get on my knees right now! It might be a little embarrassing, but your ego is nothing compared to the woman you love!¡± Although the employees knew that their statements could cost them their jobs, they were giving their all in order to save their OTP. Renee didn¡¯t expect things would go this way. A few minutester, she snapped back to reality and chimed in as well. ¡°Do you really still love me, darling? Is that why you¡¯re being difficult on purpose? It was all just to make me stay by your side?¡± ¡°If you do love me, you can just tell me that! You don¡¯t have to hide your feelings at all! Your employees are right, you know? I¡¯ll forgive you if you¡¯re willing to beg for my forgiveness!¡± ¡°Renee Everheart!¡± Stefan red at the sly woman, his face twisted from sheer anger. He suddenly realized that he waspletely helpless when it came to Renee¡¯s antics, despite his experience within the business field. ¡°Stop overthinking! How could I possibly love you?!¡± Stefan refused to let this madness go on. He retrieved the amended divorce papers from his drawer under his office desk, and with a quick scribble, he signed his name at the bottom of the paper. ¡®You¡¯re only doing this just to get my signature anyway! If that¡¯s what you want, here!¡± he said as he flung the document toward Renee coldly. 1 At the very same time, Renee ended the live stream. With a raised eyebrow, she smiled as she picked up the papers. ¡®Thank you so much, Mr. Hunt. If it¡¯s possible, please initiate the ownership transfer as soon as you A can. She admitted to herself that she was indeed hurt by the man¡¯s words, but it didn¡¯t matter, as she had gotten what she wanted in the end. With the document in hand, Renee left the H Group headquarters with a satisfied grin. 1 ¡°Mrs. Hunt, wait!¡± Elijah called out to her from behind. ¡°What is it?¡± Renee asked as she turned to look at him. Whenever Stefan had something to discuss, he would always have Elijah ry the message. Hence, they were no strangers. In fact, Renee found him to be rather easygoing. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, actually. I just wanted to apologize to you for what Mr. Hunt did¡± 1 ¡°And¡­ I¡¯d like to ask why you want Hunts & Co¡­ Don¡¯t you know that the threewyers working there are unreliable people? Thew firm is basically worthless at this point! You realize you¡¯re basically getting nothing out of this divorce, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee smiled mysteriously. ¡®You¡¯ll understand, soon enough.¡± Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Chapter 26 After the live stream incident, Stefan found himself in a PR disaster whereizens cursed him out daily. Some of them even went as far as to expose Briar Desrosiers¡¯ past rtionship with histe brother. Everyone was absolutely furious with Stefan¡¯s indecency, especially with how he was sexually involved with his brother¡¯s girlfriend. H Group, which had barely recovered from the recent cyber attack, was affected by this as well. Their stock prices tanked as soon as news of their CEO¡¯s scandal spread. ¡°Fan, what in the world happened in that live stream? Just look at how you treat Renee¡­ How could my son be such a bastard!¡± ¡°Your cheating is now being published on every tform too! Aren¡¯t you proud of yourself!¡± ¡°And how dare you abuse Renee! If I wasn¡¯t traveling abroad to find a suitable heart donor for your grandfather¡¯s surgery, I¡¯ll make sure you won¡¯t seethe light of day!¡± The sun had just risen but Stefan had already received an earful from his father. With a disappointed frown, he tugged on his tie and said, ¡°It¡¯s all an act, you¡¯ve been tricked by that woman.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Alexander was so agitated that he nearly cussed at his own son. ¡°I know Renee, okay?! She¡¯s an honest and responsible child! If you hadn¡¯t pushed her over the edge, why would she ever expose our family matters online?¡± ¡®Honest?! Responsible?!¡¯ Stefan felt like exploding as soon as he heard those words. Back then, Renee could still be considered honest, responsible, obedient, and adorable in his books. However, she was now just a sly and irritating fox. ¡°Or perhaps¡­ you still love Renee, like what some people are saying. Is that why you refused to sign the agreement? Do you not want a divorce?¡± Alexander said with a smirk. 1 ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should just apologize! Women like it when a man is gentle with them, alright? I¡¯m experienced in this. I¡¯ll teach you everything when I get back. Women need¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t love her, and I never will.¡± Stefan interrupted coldly as if trying to deny even the possibility of that idea. Alexander was at his wit¡¯s end. ¡°Ah, whatever. Do what you want! Just deal with this immediately, especially the usations in the comments!¡± ¡°Your grandfather is currently in the hospital, so he doesn¡¯t have ess to the inte for now. Should he find out and if something were to happen to him, you¡¯re the one to me!¡± Peace and quiet returned to Stefan¡¯s office when Alexander hung up the phone. Leaning against his chair, he stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. Despite iming that he had never fallen for Renee, his mind waspletely upied by her. ¡®Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to be yed by my inconspicuous, so-called wife.¡¯ ¡®To think I made a fool of myself because of her. I¡¯ve really underestimated you, Renee Everheart.¡¯ ¡°Mr. Hunt,¡± said someone from outside. ¡°Come in,¡± Stefan responded. It took one second for him to restore the cold, stoic expression on his face. It was his personal secretary, Rachel Miles. ¡°Mr. Hunt, the PR department has already dealt with the negativements regarding the live stream. We¡¯ve also paid the media to help restore both you and thepany¡¯s reputation by releasing articles all together¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Rachel paused awkwardly. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®What is it?¡± Rachel took a deep breath and replied carefully. ¡°Sentiments are high, and theizens are split over the issue. One side is using you of being an abusive cheater, and they wish to take you and H Group down.¡± ¡®The other side, however, are die-hard fans of your rtionship with Mrs. Hunt. They truly believe that you two were flirting during the live stream and that they were blessed to have been able to witness your love on screen.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened. H did not expect people to have such imaginative minds and so much time for online gossip. ¡°Our current issue is that we can¡¯t control theizens¡¯ments, even though we are able to control the media.¡± ¡°Our teams may be trying their best in deleting their posts, but they are unable to keep up with their speed, given how they¡¯re posting on multiple forums. They¡¯ve even created pages to hate on you, or fangirl over your rtionship.¡± ¡®The two sides are practically at war right now, and they¡¯re what¡¯s keeping this topic trending on the inte. It¡¯s simply too difficult to keep everything under control as of now!¡± i Stefan was speechless, he wondered if he should be angry or if he shouldugh at the sheer absurdity of this situation. ¡°Is there a solution?¡± ¡®The PR department has been working overtime to figure something out. Not only will this calm everyone down, but it might even help H Group regain its poprity. It¡¯s just that¡­ I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll dislike what we have in mind¡­.¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Stefan¡¯s patience was wearing thin. ¡°Just spit it out, what¡¯s the hold-up?¡± ¡°After careful data analysis on every tform, we¡¯ve arrived at the conclusion that mostizens feel upset for the unfairness that Mrs. Hunt has faced.¡± ¡°If you were to obtain Mrs. Hunt¡¯s forgiveness, and show the public how your rtionship has improved, I think we have a good chance of changing public opinion toward you,¡± Rachel exined while looking away from Stefan. She knew just how prideful her boss was. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t be exaggerating to say that everyone perceived him as the ruler of Beach City. Now, they were asking for him to grovel before a woman he had abandoned, i R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only It just didn¡¯t seem possible. ¡°No.¡± i Stefan was very straightforward with his answer. ¡°Since thoseizens love wasting their time on gossip, then so be it.¡± ¡®They are naive if they think they¡¯re able to take H Group down,¡± Stefan scoffed haughtily. H Group has branched out into various industries, including real estate, fashion, consumer electronics, car manufacturing, food & beverage, and they have recently been making moves toward the arms industry as well. What Stefan said was true, that theizens had no power in taking them down. ¡°Just hire more people to delete these posts if there are too many!¡± Stefan ordered coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days. I don¡¯t care what method you use, but I don¡¯t want to see anything regarding the live stream by then. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Rachel had no choice but to ept this task. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ discuss this with the PR team again. I suppose we can just increase our budget on public rtions.¡± It was obvious that this solution wasn¡¯t going to be effective, since it didn¡¯t solve the crux of the issue. However, their CEO¡¯s pride simply didn¡¯t allow any other way. Suddenly, just as Rachel was about to leave, Stefan called out to her. ¡¯Yes, Mr. Hunt?¡± The man pointed to his coffee mug with a frown. ¡¯What have you been doing to my coffeetely? It¡¯s disgustingpared to before.¡± Stefan had a habit of drinking coffee to relieve stress. Although he wasn¡¯t an expert, he could still tell there was a difference between today¡¯s coffee and the ones he had before. He missed how his coffee used to taste. ¡°Mr. Hunt, it¡¯s likely because of the change in coffee beans.¡± ¡°Well change it back!¡± Stefan ordered sternly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible¡­¡± Rachel replied honestly. ¡°Mrs. Hunt was the one who gave us those coffee beans before. She¡¯d always personally deliver arge jar of it to the office.¡± 1 ¡°Unlike instant coffee, we used to grind it fresh every time we make your coffee. I presume that¡¯s why it tasted so amazing.¡± i ¡°But we¡¯ve used thest of it recently, and Mrs. Hunt hasn¡¯t given any in a long time. We¡¯ve tried looking for the same brand, but we just couldn¡¯t¡­ so ¡­¡± i Rachel then shrugged helplessly, i ¡°Everheart was the one who gave that?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, didn¡¯t you know, Mr. Hunt?¡± Rachel found an opportunity and mustered up all her courage to tell Stefan everything. ¡°Mrs. Hunt was the one who secretly supplied your coffee for the past few years.¡± i ¡°Not just that, your sulent nt, that favorite cake you gave so much praise to, and that ashtray you refuse to rece¡­ they were all gifts from Mrs. Hunt.¡± 1 ¡°Since she won¡¯t let us talk about her giving all these gifts, we secretly gave her the nickname ¡®Lady Char¡¯, short for charity that is.¡± ¡®We really like Mrs. Hunt, she¡¯s just so nice¡­ That¡¯s why all of us were willing to risk our necks when you attacked her that day. We had to stop you no matter what¡­¡± Stefan remained silent, lost in thought as he nced at the ashtray on his desk, the sulent by his window, then the cute cushion over at the sofa¡­ Mixed emotions started rising in his chest. He initially thought that they were just married strangers, yet she had already left her mark on his life, a mark that he can no longer erase. ¡°Mr. Hunt, I have to say this, even if you threaten to fire me. Mrs. Hunt really does love you, you shouldn¡¯t have hurt her like that.¡± ¡°PR disaster aside, I feel like you owe her a proper apology..¡± Stefan remained silent. Up until this point, he wasn¡¯t aware of her feelings for him, which meant that his ¡®cheating¡¯ did hurt her. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading back to work now, Mr. Hunt.¡± Rachel calmly walked to the door. ¡°Just¡­ one more thing. I¡¯m actually your fan too. I¡¯m one of the moderators for the forum named ¡®Hunt my Everheart¡¯!¡± ¡°All of our members are so talented. There was one fanfic in particr that touched everyone¡¯s hearts! It¡¯s such a shame that the author stopped posting long ago!¡± After Rachel left, Stefan carried on his work as usual, pretending as if nothing had happened. However, his curiosity got the best of him and he looked up the forum on his own. He waspletely stunned. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Stefan did not expect to find 300, 000 active users on this forum, which ced it in the top five most active groups on the entire website. He foolishly thought that this was just a small interest group, but it seemed that they were as big as an army. It was no wonder a single live stream was able to put him in the headlines. Stefan continued scrolling down the page, his eyespletely focused on the screen. [This is so sweet! Just look at them! Look at them!] [Oh my god, my precious little Renee is looking at that bastard with such loving eyes!] 2 [They¡¯re definitely the opposites attract trope! The cold tsundere CEO, Stefan Hunt, loves his wife just as much as she does!] The forum was incredibly active, and new threads containing old stories, photos, and theories would pop up every few minutes, all revolving around Stefan and Renee¡¯s rtionship. This was the first time Stefan realized that he actually had this many pictures with Renee. Moreover, he noticed just how deeply in love with him she appeared to be. Out of all the posts, there was one that stood out from the rest with its astonishing amount of likes. It was a piece of fanfiction about them, written by someone with the ID name, ¡®Everheart_Hunter¡¯. [Their first meeting was on a summer evening, as rain poured heavily from the skies. Everyone was busy finding shelter when their gazes met¡­] Stefan was intrigued. He was about to give it a good read when he was met with a 404 error message after clicking on the post. It seemed that the post had been deleted. ¡°Damn it!¡± He cursed under his breath, obviously wishing that he could¡¯ve seen just a little more about the story. 1 However, he finally understood why there were so many active members within the forum. Their authors were just too imaginative and skilled in their writing. The moment you entered this fanbase, it was near impossible to get out. Stefan did his best to keep cool as he clicked away from the page. He was worried he himself would be a fan of his rtionship with Renee if he continued reading on. It wasn¡¯t long before nighttime descended upon the city. Although Stefan had worked productively the entire day, he felt an emptiness in his heart. After pointlessly scrolling through his phone in the quiet office, Stefan stared off into space, seemingly deep in thought. At the same time, Renee was reading a book on parenting when her phone suddenly rang. Picking it up from her couch, she realized that it was a call from Stefan. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you at Rose Quartz Eatery,¡± the voice said coldly before hanging up abruptly, i Listening to the dial tone, Renee was dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s his deal?¡± This man had never called her during the entirety of their marriage, he¡¯d merely do it through his assistant, Elijah, and only if it was necessary. 1 ¡®Well, tonight¡¯s a first.¡¯ i If this was before, she would¡¯ve squealed with excitement while hugging her phone to her chest. Then, she¡¯d do her makeup and dress nicely to meet him. Now¡­ she just thought of it as a scam call. She just wanted to dismiss it as soon as she could. After finishing her book, Renee proceeded to watch a documentary, then yed around with some codes. 1 Soon, it was 10 PM, and she intended to put on a facial mask before heading to bed. ¡°Are you here yet? I¡¯ve been waiting for more than two hours.¡± Stefan sounded like he was about to explode from rage. Renee was speechless. ¡®Is he okay in the brain?* ¡®I didn¡¯t make him wait. Why would he wait for more than two hours anyway? Isn¡¯t he a CEO? When did he get the luxury to wait for others?¡¯ ¡°Come here, I have something to tell you!¡± Stefan said before hanging up once more. ¡°Ugh! He¡¯s just so¡­!¡± Renee groaned, not knowing what his deal was. ¡®How did I not realize that my prince charming has a few screws loose before? He¡¯s being so childish right now!¡¯ 1 She first decided to ignore the man, but as the clock continued ticking, she couldn¡¯t help but imagine him waiting in a cold, empty restaurant all alone. She felt bad. ¡®Oh whatever, I¡¯ll just go check it out. The restaurant¡¯s just a mile away anyway.¡¯ With that, Renee headed out in her cartoonish pajamas without any makeup nor hairdo. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only It was already 10:30 PM. The restaurant was empty, except for the seat by the window. There was a handsome man sitting at the table, all alone. He was currently looking out the window with eyes filled with mncholy. Watching him from afar, Renee felt her heart skip a beat. ¡®Damn, just look at this man. Handsome¡­ Elegant¡­ What a shame that he¡¯s a jerk.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, the woman approached Stefan. ¡°What do you want, future ex-husband? Why¡¯d you have to call me up at such ate hour?¡± Stefan turned around and looked her up and down. ¡°Wearing pajamas to meet me? You sure let yourself go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be my ex-husband anyway, why would I have to restrict myself?¡± Renee sat down nonchntly, making fun of herself. ¡°Besides, I couldn¡¯t make you stay even when I was on my best behavior. Why would I ever do something so pointless now?¡± ¡°So you really did love me?¡± Stefan asked, his gaze focused entirely on Renee¡¯s face. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Renee, who was drinking a ss of lemon water when Stefan asked the question, started choking. ¡®Am I hallucinating? Isn¡¯t this stone-hearted prince being too direct? This is too unlike him.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be a narcissist, who even told you that?¡± Averting her gaze, Renee denied ever loving him. ¡°Everyone has been telling me that. They said you loved me very much,¡± replied Stefan with a grin that he was unconscious of having. Plenty of women have confessed their love to him, some even tried to seduce him with their bodies. He would always be annoyed by them, let alone develop feelings for them. On the other hand, he enjoyed being doused in this Renee¡¯s love. For some reason, it gave him a sense of achievement. ¡°Oh please, you know I was acting during that live stream. Those people are blissfully unaware of what was actually happening,¡± Renee answered nonchntly. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. She did not intend to reveal her true feelings. It was the only way she could protect her dignity and continue living confidently. Unfortunately, it seemed that Stefan was adamant about uncovering the truth as if he was ying detective. ¡°If you didn¡¯t love me, what¡¯s the point of all those secret gifts? If you didn¡¯t love me, why were you looking at me with such loving eyes in every picture we took together?¡± ¡°And¡­ if you didn¡¯t love me, why would you express hostility towards Briar in the first ce? Isn¡¯t it obvious that you were jealous of her?¡± His questions made Renee feel defenseless and humiliated as if someone had just ripped her wounds open. ¡°So?¡± Stefan asked again. ¡®What the hell is he doing? Why is he trying so hard to prove that I used to love him?¡¯ ¡®Is he trying to prove that he can hurt me however he wants? Does he want to see me cry and beg for him toe back to me? Just so he can fuel his ego?¡¯ Renee wondered. She red at Stefan coldly and spoke with a sarcastic tone, ¡°You are the crudest and most conceited man I have ever met, Stefan Hunt.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I loved you in the past. I don¡¯t love you now, and I never will.¡± ¡°If you only called me out to hear me admit that I loved you, just so you could prove that you still got it, you need to get a life!¡± i Just as Renee was getting up to leave, the waiter brought over two servings of sirloin steak, with beautiful blue mes dancing across the meat. Stefan cut into his steak elegantly with a knife. ¡°Why are you overreacting when you don¡¯t love me at all? Come, have a seat, I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with you.¡± Renee clenched her fists. Indeed, in the spur of the moment, she had allowed her emotions to take control. It made her appear guilty inparison to the calm and collected Stefan. ¡®No, I mustn¡¯t lose to him!¡¯ she thought. And so, she sat back down and began cutting into the steak. Since she was also feeling quite hungry, she figured she might as well have Stefan pay for the meal. The two remained silent while eating. Thinking back, this was one of the few times the two had dined alone together throughout their marriage. Renee was famished, so she cut up bigger pieces than usual and stuffed them into her mouth. Her puffed-up cheeks resembled a squirrel that was gathering acorns in preparation for winter. Stefan was smiling a little wider now as he recalled the woman¡¯s modesty from before. She used to smile politely and was rather soft-spoken. She didn¡¯t even dare to open her mouth wide while eating. She seemed like the epitome of modesty and politeness back then. You could throw things at her and she¡¯d never lose her temper. 1 He did not expect that a divorce would change this woman so drastically. ¡°So how do you prepare to deal with the aftermath of your nonsense?¡± asked Stefan as he set his cutlery down. ¡°Me? Deal with the aftermath?¡± Renee scoffed. ¡°You can deal with it however you want. Isn¡¯t your PR team great at handling these disasters? Aren¡¯t they great at manipting the media? Why are you asking for my opinion?¡± Stefan smiled slyly. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I can do whatever I want?¡± he asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you always like this, Master Hunt?¡± Renee had no idea what the man was nning. She wondered to herself,¡¯ Has he gone mad? He¡¯s acting really weird right now.¡¯ Just then, Stefan raised his hand and snapped his fingers. All the lights in the restaurant were dimmed, with a single ray of light shining down on Renee. By the time Renee could react, Stefan had already left his seat. He now stood behind Renee with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. They were her favorite sunflowers. Renee leaned back in her chair as she stared up at Stefan with a horrified expression. ¡®Wh¡­ What is this? What is happening here?¡¯ ¡°Sunflowers represent unwavering love, just like what I feel for you¡­¡± Stefan said in a cool and affectionate tone, like the male protagonist of a romance flick. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, my dear!¡± ¡°I love you so much!¡± After saying that, he cupped her gorgeous face with his hands and kissed her on the lips. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Renee¡¯s mind went nk and her body stiffened up. Although she had slept with the man once, this was the very first time they had kissed. As she expected, his lips were cold as ice, but they made her bum up intensely. Renee¡¯s clenched fists slowly loosened up as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in his sudden embrace¡­ A few minutester, a man¡¯s voice came from one of the corners, ¡°Alright, we can wrap this up now!¡± Soon, the restaurant¡¯s lights were once again switched on. Renee was finally brought back to reality as well. She quickly pushed Stefan off of her with a look of disgust. ¡®What just happened?¡¯ ¡®Was I out of it just now? How could I have kissed my future ex-husband?!¡¯ 2 Thinking to herself, she immediately wiped her lips clean with her hands, but this action made Stefan rather upset ¡°What are you doing that for? I could tell that you enjoyed it, you know?¡± Renee tightened her fists, suppressing the urge to beat the man up while questioning him. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, Hunt? What are you trying to do?¡± Stefan put both hands into his pockets with a mischievous grin. ¡°Nothing really, I was just learning from the best.¡± His eyes then fell onto the woman¡¯s tender pink lips which resembled rose blossoms. After the passionate kiss they shared, the sight of these lips stirred something deep inside Stefan¡¯s heart. A chubby cameraman approached the table with a wide grin. ¡°Mr. Hunt, your performance was amazing! It was so romantic, it¡¯s even better than most romance movies!¡± ¡®Those viewers who called you a bastard are now happily giving their blessings for the both of you!¡± ¡®This was such an effective PR n to deal with our current crisis! The only w we¡¯ve faced is that you two were practically making out, and for far too long, which dyed our schedule. Some of the viewers were even wondering if you were faking it.¡± Stefan seemed dismissive. ¡°Whatever, it was just for show.¡± Listening to their conversation, Renee started to piece together the puzzle. Stefan had used her to put on a lovey-dovey show on the live stream. ¡®So this was his attempt at fixing his reputation, huh?¡¯ ¡®Hah, how funny. How absolutely hrious,¡¯ Renee thought. She found Stefan¡¯s actions absurd, but herself even more so. ¡®To think I felt my heart skip a beat! I¡¯m still just as naive as I was before, this is just embarrassing!¡¯ ¡°Mr. Hunt, with this live stream, I¡¯m sure our current issue will be resolved very soon¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. This n is way more effective than deleting the posts online, and it¡¯s way more cost-friendly too,¡± the chubby man eximed while wiping the sweat off of his forehead. He was one of the core members of the PR team within H Group. With this, he was finally able to get a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡°So that means I¡¯ve done H Group a big favor, huh?¡± Renee asked the cameraman with a smile. ¡°Oh but of course! Thanks to your wless performance, theizens werepletely hooked on the live stream!¡± ¡°Mrs. Hunt, you were able to portray the right amount of bashfulness too! I was so nervous and excited that I felt my entire body trembling just now! ¡®Thank you, thank you,¡± Renee replied, her face now reced with elegance instead. She then turned to Stefan with a smirk. ¡°So, Mr. Hunt, do I get a reward for helping out this time?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°What do you want?¡± Stefan retorted. It seemed that he could never keep up with her randomness. 3 ¡°I want¡­¡± said Renee with a grin as she approached him slowly. Before he knew it, she pped him across the face with as much force as she could muster. Her smile faded as she continued her sentence in a cold, monotonal voice, ¡®This.¡± The atmosphere within the restaurant felt extremely tense. None of them dared to move an inch as if a bomb would explode any second. ¡®What in the world just happened?¡¯ ¡®Mrs. Hunt¡­ the kind and gentle second young miss¡­ pped Stefan Hunt!¡¯ ¡®Oh lord, she actually pped Stefan Hunt! We¡¯re talking about the heir of the biggest family in Beach City here! Stefan Hunt, the man feared by all!¡¯ Worse, it appeared that Renee did not hold back her p, as evidenced by the bright red handprint on Stefan¡¯s left cheek. Everyone expected Stefan to explode on her, knowing how hot-tempered he was. To their surprise, he remained calm as he licked the blood off the corner of his lips ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± he asked. Renee shrugged her shoulders calmly. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just retrieving my reward for helping H Group out!¡± ¡°I was going to ask for a few million, but money can¡¯t improve my mood right now. A tight p now is worth more than a couple million!¡± ¡®Hmph, using me like I¡¯m some tool and ying with my feelings¡­ I¡¯m letting him off easy with just one p!¡¯ She thought as she turned to leave. However, Stefan grabbed her by the wrist and asked, ¡°What makes you think you could leave after causing this ruckus?¡± Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Chapter 31 ¡°Or what?¡± Renee turned around, staring at the man¡¯s hand around her wrist, her expression as calm as still water. ¡°Would you like to return the favor, Mr. Hunt?¡± Stefan was silent as he stared at her coldly. His deep gaze held a million unspoken words. Renee boldly stepped forward, and her face was now inches away from his. Her lips curved into a smirk, and she whispered mockingly, ¡°Mr. Hunt is famous for holding grudges, so why pretend? If you¡¯re upset, just get even and p me.¡± Naturally, Stefan didn¡¯t lift a finger. Instead, he looked at the people around them, silentlymanding them to leave. Soon, they were the only two left in therge restaurant. Stefan let go of her, and exhaled deeply. ¡°I never wanted to use you¡­. I may have been lying when I said I loved you, but I truly am sorry for hurting you.¡± The light of the chandelier entuated the man¡¯s beautiful features, making him look like some kind of ethereal being. He was so near, yet so far. ¡°Are you¡­ apologizing to me?¡± Renee froze, her eyes wide in disbelief. She hadn¡¯t expected the insufferably prideful Master Hunt to lower his ego and apologize. ¡°No, you must¡¯ve misheard me.¡± Stefan let out a dry cough, looking embarrassed. He quickly schooled his expression back into his usual cold mask. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve realized, but H Group was gravely affected by your little livestream prank. Since you¡¯re the one who did it, you need to take full responsibility for it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I cooperate with your act just now? I helped clear your name! What else do you want me to do?¡± Renee bit out furiously. Personally, she felt like she was being too nice to him. If someone else were in her ce, they¡¯d definitely paint him in a worse light and demand a huge sum of money. Renee, however, couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so, as she had truly loved the man for the past four years. ¡°Everyone is rooting for us, so even if we got a divorce¡­ we¡¯d still have to pretend like we¡¯re together in public,¡± Stefan exined. He¡¯d even started meddling in the woman¡¯s private life. ¡°On paper, you¡¯re still my wife, so it¡¯s best that you don¡¯t get too close with that Osborne fellow. It¡¯d be bad for our reputation. Instead, you may continue using your title as ¡®Mrs. Hunt¡¯ anywhere you¡¯d like, and you can spend however much you want. Also, if anyone tries to make trouble for you, just tell me right away and I¡¯lle to your rescue.¡± Renee was so stunned that her jaw dropped. ¡®Did he hit his head somewhere? Who does he think he is? Who gave him the right to control my life? Also¡­ did he really say he¡¯de to my rescue? Ugh, what a narcissist!¡¯ (2 ¡°Mr. Hunt, you seem to have forgotten something.¡± Renee sneered. ¡°Our divorce will be finalized soon, and when that happens, we will no longer have any connection to each other. What makes you think you have any control over my life? Are you thew? Are you God?¡± ¡°Your mistress is carrying your child, and yet, you still want to use your ex-wife to protect your precious image. Have you no shame? Do you think the world revolves around you? Also, how could you say you¡¯d¡¯e to my rescue¡¯ when all you did was neglect me throughout our entire marriage? You never once asked me if I was okay¡­ Your fake promises disqust mel¡±. This was the first time Renee felt so irritated with the man. All she wanted to do was leave this ce; she didn¡¯t want to associate with him any longer. ¡°Grandpa is getting a heart transnt in two days,¡± Stefan said slowly, his eyes still fixed on her. ¡°The doctors said he can¡¯t get too worked up.¡± Renee turned away from the man as her frosty expression wavered slightly. Out of all her inws, the old Mr. Hunt was the nicest to her, as he had always treated her like she was his granddaughter. There was no doubt that he¡¯d be horrified if he were to find out about their divorce. She would be haunted by guilt for the rest of her life if anything were to happen to him. Stefan seemed to have read the woman¡¯s mind, as his expression softened. ¡°Just give it some thought, at the very least. If you agree to do it, I¡¯lle pick you up tomorrow. Where do you live now, by the way? Send me the addresster.¡± Renee gasped, clenching her fists angrily. ¡®Why is Stefan Hunt acting like a young scoundrel? His cold and mysterious image ispletely gone!¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business!¡± She rolled her eyes and strode away. When the woman got home, she kept tossing and turning on her bed, unable to fall asleep. She kept thinking about that jerk¡¯s face, the things he said, and¡­ how it felt when their lips touched. 1 N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Emotions whirled in her like a storm. She was furious with him, but there was a part of her that was undoubtedly flustered by the man. ¡®Damn it, Renee Everheart! Wake up! Hasn¡¯t he hurt you enough? Why are you letting him affect you again?¡± She was still able to get some sleep, but her slumber was soon interrupted by her phone ringing early in the morning. ¡°Ren, are you alright? Did that jerk take advantage of you? Do we need to call the cops on him?¡± Leia¡¯s panicked voice sounded over the line. ¡°What? Why are we calling the cops?¡± Renee was confused and drowsy since she had just woken. up. ¡°Did you not watch the news? They caught everything on camera!¡± Leia stomped her foot angrily as she continued questioning the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you slept with him! You didn¡¯t, right?¡± Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¡°With who now?¡± Renee couldn¡¯t understand a single thing Leia was saying. She didn¡¯t really take Leia¡¯s screaming seriously, since she had always been quite dramatic. ¡°With Stefan Hunt!¡± Leia screeched. ¡°Girl, if you really slept with him, I¡¯m going to be so disappointed in you I know I used to support the two of you, but that cretin crossed the line! Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to ¡°divorce him? How could you sleep with him?!¡± Leia was only angry out of concern for her best friend. She didn¡¯t want Renee to get hurt again. ¡°Who said I did that?¡± Renee felt awkward, realizing Leia must¡¯ve watched the livestream fromst night.¡± It was all just for show. Sure, we might have kissed, but I also got to p him aspensation.¡± Renee didn¡¯t find the kiss much of a sacrifice, as it was great being able to p Stefan across the face.¡± Damn, that felt so satisfying!¡± ¡°Oh, so you pped him¡­ Nice one, Ren!¡± Leia eximed, then turned serious again. ¡°But that¡¯s still not a good enough reason to sleep with him! Be honest with me though, did you really not sleep with himst. night? You were seen heading home together¡­ Wait, is he next to you right now?!¡± ¡°Ew, Leia, don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± Renee scoffed, but she didn¡¯t remember heading home with Stefan at all¡­ That¡¯s why she was speechless when she saw the pictures published in the article that Leia sent. The pictures made it seem like the both of them had returned to Sunup Residence. Although they weren¡¯t exactly heading in together, it looked like Stefan had reached the ce no more than ten minutes after her. Sunup Residence was where she was currently staying. It had only two units, and Liam had personally chosen the location for her. The woman had never revealed her address to anyone else, as she had always cherished her privacy. Thus, there was only one possibility: Stefan was stalking her. ¡°That jerk!¡± Renee felt chills run down her spine. After ending the call with Leia, she immediately dialed Stefan¡¯s number to confront him. ¡°Why are you calling?¡± Stefan¡¯s husky voice sounded rather surprised. However, Renee wasn¡¯t in any mood to speak calmly, and immediately started to yell. ¡°Stefan Hunt, how disgusting can you get? Do you really have that much time on your hands? How are you any different from a perverted predator?! You know, I absolutely hate it when someone ys mind games with me! We¡¯re divorcing soon, so stop pestering me! If you keep this up, I¡¯ll have no choice but to call the cops!¡± Stefan frowned, responding coldly, ¡°What on Earth are you talking about?¡± ¡°Stop acting like you don¡¯t know!¡± Renee gritted her teeth. ¡°Why were you following mest night? The news article mentioned that you didn¡¯t leave Sunup Residence, even after an entire night! Are you still hiding somewhere? Are you trying to spy on me?! I¡¯ve finally seen your true colors, Hunt! That elegance, coldness, and modesty is all fake! You¡¯re just a pervert through and through!¡± ¡°You¡¯re at Sunup Residence?¡± Stefan ignored her insults, focusing on her words instead. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Renee clenched her fists tightly. This man is as stubborn as a mule! Why is he still pretending when he¡¯s already been exposed?! Ding dong! Ding dong! Suddenly, the doorbell chimed brightly, and the woman figured it was the takeout she had ordered earlier. Hanging up, Renee rushed over to the door, still in her pajamas. To her shock, instead of the delivery guy, Stefan was standing right, on her doorstep. ¡°Oh my god, you pervert! What is your problem? You were waiting here all along?! I¡¯ll call the cops right now!¡± Renee never expected Stefan to be crazy enough to stay in front of her home for the whole night. ¡®This is borderline creepy!¡± The man¡¯s tall figure stood there, his facepletely expressionless. ¡°I like your pajamas, but they¡¯re a bit too loose around the chest. Be careful, or you might identally sh someone.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Renee¡¯s face flushed red as she covered her chest with her arms immediately. She had only ever worn these pajamas to sleep. It was a loose tank top with ace around the hem. If she wasn¡¯t careful, it would be quite easy for her to have a wardrobe malfunction. ¡°You don¡¯t have to cover yourself, we¡¯re still legally married,¡± he reminded her indifferently. ¡°Shut it! Don¡¯t you dare look!¡± Renee took a deep breath, balling up her fists once more. ¡°Tell me the truth: Why are you stalking me? Why are you here?¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¡°You should stop watching dramas.¡± Stefan scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve been living in the opposite unit for four whole years. If anyone¡¯s a stalker here, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°What did you say? You¡­ live in the other unit?¡± Only then did Renee notice that the door to the opposite unit was ajar. She awkwardly scratched her head, wishing she could dig a hole in the ground and hide. ¡®So he wasn¡¯t stalking me¡­ He actually lives here! Oh no, I called him all sorts of names earlier¡­ It feels like I¡¯m the narcissistic one here, assuming that he was stalking me like that!¡¯¡± Stefan¡¯s sharp gaze scanned her room nonchntly, and finallynded on her bedroom door. ¡°Your bedroom looks pretty different from mine.¡± Stefan walked towards it, intending to head inside. Suddenly, Renee remembered that she had a pile of books about parenting still lying on her bed. She thought, ¡®If Hunt sees them, he¡¯ll find out about my pregnancy!¡¯ ¡°No!¡± She screamed as she stopped him, right before he got to the door. ¡°Let me through,¡± Stefan demanded. As someone with power and status, no one had ever been able to stop him when he put his mind to something. 1 ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡± Renee spread her arms out, refusing to give in. She was so annoyed that she felt like punching him. ¡°Do we look like best friends to you? What makes you think you have the right to enter my bedroom whenever you please?¡± ¡°I am your husband!¡± The man red down at the woman, who was a foot shorter than him. His eyes darkened as he asked slowly, ¡°Could you be¡­ hiding another man in there?¡± ¡°Stefan Hunt! Mind your words!¡± Renee hissed furiously. ¡®If he refuses to listen, I¡¯ll have no choice but to use force. With mybat skills, I wouldn¡¯t even need to use much strength to take him down. Hah, just imagine the confusion on his face!¡± ¡°Stop moving, you¡¯re shing me again,¡± Stefan pointed out, giving her a reminder out of ¡®kindness¡¯ again. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Ugh! You jerk!¡± Renee instinctively covered her chest with her hands, and fell right into Stefan¡¯s trap. Stefan¡¯s tall figure instantly moved past the woman into the bedroom. The entire area consisted of french windows, a closet, a desk, and a pink bed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d have such a girly side. That Hello Kitty bedsheet is most unexpected from a woman in her twenties.¡± Stefan smirked, slowly approaching therge bed. He was learning so much about Renee right now. The woman realized that the man was about to notice the books next to her pillows, and hollered at the top of her lungs: ¡°Don¡¯t go there!¡± She instinctively lunged at him and pinned him onto the bed. Stefan stared at her, dumbfounded. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the woman on top of him and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± At the same time, he was wondering how this little woman possessed the strength to pin him down. Embarrassingly, he couldn¡¯t even sit up no matter how much he tried. ¡°Well, I¡­ Uhm¡­ you¡¯re just so handsome, you know?¡± Renee stammered as she subtly stuffed the books under her pillow. She had ced her knee on a pressure point on Stefan¡¯s stomach, which was why he couldn¡¯t muster up any strength to fight back. It was equivalent to tranquilizing him, so Stefan was naturally unable to move at all. Seeing his beautiful face turn red from exertion, Renee finally understood why he enjoyed being so dominant. The man looked like an adorable, helpless littlemb in her eyes. ¡°Be good and don¡¯t move, alright?¡± She murmured as she caressed his defined facial features, wondering just how far she could push him. You¡¯d better get up, woman¡­ or else!¡± Stefan warned her. ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡®How heavy is this woman? Why can¡¯t I push her off me?¡¯ He wondered incredulously. I¡¯ve never been so humiliated in all my life!¡¯ After a while, Renee decided that she had her fun, and finally took her knee off of him. The moment Stefan could move again, he quickly rolled her under him, trapping her under his muscr body. ¡°Are you done?¡± His eyes were dark with desire, and looking at Renee¡¯s lips reminded him of the kiss fromst night. He knew he wanted more than just a kiss this time¡­ Ring ring ring! Suddenly, Stefan¡¯s phone started ringing. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, picking up the call with a scowl. ¡°Mr. Hunt, the infamous hacker, Haze, has arrived at the H Group main offices. He said he can find out who Phoenix is, and he would like to see you now.¡± Oh?¡± Stefan instantly got to his feet upon hearing this. He wondered. ¡°So¡­ that hacker who made a fool out of H Group is finally going to be unmasked? Interesting!¡± ¡°Tell him to wait for a while, I¡¯ll head over right now.¡± Stefan hung up, and started straightening his clothes. The sudden coldness and hostility on his face was such a stark contrast to the passionate expression he had on earlier. Having been so close to the man while he was on the phone, Renee had naturally overheard the conversation as well. She had actually intended to meet with Haze for quite some time, but never had the opportunity to. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, she couldn¡¯t possibly allow herself to miss it. ¡°Leaving already, Mr. Hunt?¡± Renee asked softly as she looked at him. ¡°Mhm, I have to settle some matters at the main offices.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± 1 Stefan quickly turned around, squinting at the woman suspiciously. ¡°What are you scheming this time?¡± He was genuinely worried that his future ex-wife had something up her sleeve. She might look innocent, but he had no idea what was going through her head right now. ¡°What are you saying? You¡¯re the mighty CEO of H Group who rules over everyone in Beach City! Why would I dare to plot against you?¡± Renee grinned, looking at him innocently. Stefan, however, was expressionless. He knew she was lying, but he also wanted to see how long she¡¯d keep up the act. Renee hopped off her bed, picking up a shawl to cover herself up. ¡°I thought about itst night, and I agree. to your deal. I will continue pretending to be your wife.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stefan was rather surprised, and his eyes visibly lit up. Just as he was about to say something, Renee lifted her hand and stopped him. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. I¡¯m not doing this for you or the Hunt family¡­ I¡¯m only doing this for old Mr. Hunt.¡± This time, Renee was telling the truth. She had already done quite a lot for the Hunts, which was more than enough to repay them for their kindness. However, old Mr. Hunt was someone she loved dearly, as he was like a grandfather to her. She simply didn¡¯t wish to see the old man¡¯s health deteriorate because of their failed rtionship. Hearing this, Stefan didn¡¯t pursue the topic any further. His voice was monotonous as he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡± Soon after the man exited her room, Renee opened up her closet and changed into a nice sheath dress. She stood before her mirror and gazed at her stomach. She didn¡¯t know if she was imagining it, but it looked like her stomach had grown a bit bigger. ¡®I don¡¯t have much time left. I need to get things done quickly!¡± The Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in front of the H Group building, and many employees nearly cheered when they saw Renee walking inside, her arm linked with Stefan¡¯s. ¡°Oh my god! I knew I was right to ship them!¡± ¡°That mistress is nothing! Our boss has only ever loved Mrs. Hunt! It¡¯s true love!¡± Elijah walked up to wee the two, but was extremely confused to see Stefan and Renee acting so¡¯ lovey-dovey¡¯. However, with something more important at hand, he wasn¡¯t in the mood to pry. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re finally here. Haze is currently waiting at the technical department. That guy is so arrogant! He said he would only talk to you, and that he wouldn¡¯t wait for long!¡± Elijah initially thought that he himself was odd, but meeting Haze made him think otherwise. ¡°Mhm. Stefan didn¡¯t say anything else, but his expression darkened as he walked towards the elevator. Naturally, Renee followed him. ¡°Mrs. Hunt, you don¡¯t have to join this meeting, right?¡± Elijah asked hesitantly. ¡°There¡¯s this new dessert shop that¡¯s opened on the lower ground floor. Would you like to go there?¡± Not only would the conversation with Haze involve confidential information, the assistant simply didn¡¯t want to bore her, especially since he was under the impression that she wouldn¡¯t understand a thing. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Stefan didn¡¯t seem to mind, as he also figured that she wouldn¡¯t understand anything. The three then got into the private elevator for the CEO, and headed straight towards the technical department, which was on the 16th floor. ¡°Ten, nine, eight, seven¡­¡± In the distance, a cocky and carefree voice echoed from the technical department. 1 ¡°Last three seconds. If he doesn¡¯t arrive by then, I¡¯m leaving.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Chapter 35 A man dressed in ck clothing was there, his legs set on a desk as if he were some kind of delinquent. He was turning around in the revolving chair he was sitting in nonchntly, clearly not showing any respect to the others in the room. 1 He was wearing a cap that covered half of his face, only revealing his sharp nose and thin lips. He was, in fact, the one and only idol to many within the IT field, the four-year consecutive champion of the Global Hackers Unionpetition, one of the two legendary figures amongst all hackers ¨C Haze. ¡°Please wait just a little bit longer, Mr. Haze! Mr. Hunt will be right with you any time now!¡± ¡°You must be tired from all this waiting! Here, let me give you a massage!¡± Having been given the honor to meet their idol, many employees from the technical department were gushing over Haze, with some even asking for photographs and signatures. It was quite the desperate sight. ¡°Don¡¯t you all have work to do?!¡± Elijah was the first to witness this, and felt like he was about to explode. from rage. The moment the employees sensed the strong aura radiating from Stefan, all of them bolted back to their seats. ¡°Sorry for making you wait, Mr. Haze. Mr. Hunt is here now. Mr. Hunt, this is the renowned hacker, Mr. Haze.¡± Elijah stood in the middle of the two, introducing them to each other carefully as he didn¡¯t dare to offend either of them. Haze, however, was still leaning back against the chair casually. He didn¡¯t seem like he intended to greet, Stefan at all, let alone shake his hand out of courtesy. He cocked his head, smirking lightly as he looked Stefan up and down. The CEO was sizing the other man up as well, all while looming over the arrogant hacker. Haze chuckled to himself and sneered, ¡°So you¡¯re Stefan Hunt. Aren¡¯t you the guy that¡¯s being cussed out all over the inte? You know¡­ as the jerk who got his mistress pregnant and ditched his wife?¡± Everyone gasped the moment he said those words. Standing next to Stefan, Renee couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®This Haze guy¡¯s personality is just like his code. Does he enjoy attacking others or something?¡¯ ¡°Hahaha, good joke, Mr. Haze!¡± Elijahughed nervously to ease the tension in the atmosphere, all while ncing at Stefan worriedly. Stefan, however, ignored the remark and asked him bluntly, ¡°Can you really find out who Phoenix is?¡± ¡°Are you doubting my capabilities?¡± Haze seemed angry, jumping up from the chair to meet Stefan¡¯s eye. I wouldn¡¯t havee to you if I wasn¡¯t confident I could do it.¡± After that, he quickly typed out a string of code on theputer behind him. ¡°This is a tracking software that took me three whole days to make. It can track down the virus that hacked into your system, and reveal the personal information of the person who created it.¡± Still typing on his keyboard, Haze seemed extremely excited, as if he were ying a game. ¡°As soon as I activate it, all of Phoenix¡¯s information will be on disy within fifteen minutes!¡± For the past few years, there were only two legends within the hacking field. One was Haze, who specialized in offense, while the other was Phoenix, who specialized in defense. The two had always been rivals, especially since they always tied in everypetition they entered. However, four years ago, Phoenix managed to win against Haze by a slight margin, but after that, they completely disappeared. From then on, everyone viewed Phoenix as the top hacker in the field. Eventually, the rumors spread further, describing the two as the ¡®Bonnie and Clyde¡¯ of hackers. With that, Haze started to develop an interest in Phoenix, and swore to track her down, no matter what it took. Stefan, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t quite as knowledgeable when it came to softwares. Hence, he stared at theputer screen, and spoke in his usual cold tone, ¡°Do it.¡± However, Haze didn¡¯t do as told, his expression rather haughty. ¡°Why should I follow your orders?¡± ¡°Elijah, transfer one hundred and fifty million dors to him.¡± ¡°Pfft, don¡¯t make meugh! What kind of hacker out therecks that kind of money?¡± ¡°What do you want then?¡± Stefan looked upset, his patience wearing thin. This Haze guy might be a pain, but if he can find out who Phoenix is, he¡¯d really live up to his title.¡¯ He thought. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Haze replied. ¡°If I really am able to track them down, you should use your power and status, as a Hunt, to make them announce to the whole world that they admit defeat to me. Oh, and make them call me Daddy Haze while they¡¯re at it. I want it broadcast on every single television out there too!¡± ¡®I¡¯m excited just thinking about it.¡¯ The hacker thought to himself smugly. Renee, who was still standing next to them, couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡®How childish! I heard Haze was quite handsome, with a tall and muscr figure¡­ He was basically a mysterious dark prince from what people described. I mean, sure, he¡¯s tall, handsome, and probably muscr¡­ but what happened to being a mysterious dark prince?¡¯ ¡°Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom,¡± Renee said as she slipped out of the office quietly. ¡®So you want me to call you Daddy, huh? Just wait till I show you who Mommy is!¡¯R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a deal.¡± Stefan¡¯s icy gaze was fixed on the ¡®Run¡¯ button on the screen. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Haze clicked on the button without thinking twice. Everyone held their breath, and all eyes were focused on the monitor screen. Some of Phoenix¡¯s fans *clenched their fists, their hearts pounding in excitement. ¡°Almost there! Almost there!¡± ¡°The identity of the mysterious legendary hacker Phoenix is going to be exposed!¡± Fifteen minutes seemed to fly by. Everyone started counting down. *10, 9, 8, 7¡­¡± At that moment, Renee nonchntly returned to the scene. ¡°Aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± She asked mockingly as she watched Haze, who was frowning deeply. ¡°Are you sure you can do it? I think there¡¯s some errors in your code. If it turns out that you¡¯ve been chasing your own tail this whole time, aren¡¯t you worried that you¡¯ll have to call someone Daddy instead?¡± ¡°What does a woman like you know about coding? All you know how to do is clean up garbage.¡± Haze was so full of disdain for Renee that he didn¡¯t even bother to look at her. He despised women like her who were not willing to leave their cheating husbands, but instead tried topromise in every way just to remain with them. She had no brains, no self-respect, and no talents to speak of how could someone like that know anything about coding? The crowd also believed that Renee was speaking nonsense. Haze¡¯s codes had always been wless, so there was simply no way that there could be anything wrong with them. ¡°3! 2! 1!¡± The long-awaited moment finally arrived. Anytime now, once the program finished running, the information everyone wanted to see would be disyed on the screen. The screen shed, and everyone watched closely. ¡°But that¡­¡± The whole room instantly fell silent as soon as they saw that the picture disyed on the screen was of Haze himself. The room erupted into chaos. Haze had just shot himself in the foot! ¡°See?¡± Renee crowed triumphantly. ¡°I was right! There really was something wrong with your codes!¡± She stifled a smile and patted Haze¡¯s shoulder before saying sweetly, ¡°No matter how high you think you¡¯ve climbed, there¡¯s always a higher mountain out there, young man. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Haze burst out, eyes wide in shock. ¡°Absolutely impossible! There¡¯s no way I made a mistake in my codes! I¡¯ve spent three long days and nights on this¡­ There simply can¡¯t be any problem with it!¡± He opened up the back end and went through it again and again, but still could not find any problems anywhere. ¡°This is exactly why you shouldn¡¯t go around telling people to call you Daddy!¡± Renee added gleefully.¡± Since It¡¯s clear that your skills aren¡¯t up to par, the best thing to do is just own up to the fact that you¡¯ve Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. lost.¡± Renee¡¯s words felt like little daggers piercing through Haze¡¯s heart, but he could not think of any words to throw back at her since his mind was focused on finding the bugs in the program. Stefan pursed his thin lips. He was not paying any attention to Haze¡¯s blunder at all. Instead, he was staring at Renee shrewdly. Why was this woman acting all cocky, he wondered. Even if it was true that there were some issues with the codes, why was she so smug about it? ¡°Looks like the so-called legendary hacker turned out to be mediocre,¡± he said finally. ¡°You¡¯re just wasting my time.¡± He nced at his watch and made for the exit. Everyone in the IT Department was disappointed in Haze as well. It appeared that legends and icons. really only existed in the realm of imagination. As soon as they came in contact with reality, their whole. facade would crumble. ¡°Wait!¡± Haze shouted suddenly. He had finally returned to the real world. ¡°I¡¯ve found the source of the problem.¡± Stefan raised his brows and motioned for him to keep talking. ¡°The only reason it went wrong was because the target had decoded the logic of my codes and launched. a targeted systematic counterattack, recing the result retrieved by the program with a picture of myself.¡± Seeing how the others in the room were confused by his words, he exined, ¡°In other words, Phoenix, the person we¡¯ve been searching for, is in this room, because only the people in this room have seen my codingposition.¡± ¡°Which means,¡± Haze continued, ¡°that anyone who left this room while the program was running is a prime suspect!¡± 1 Everyone in the room exchanged looks with each other. ¡°But apart from Mrs. Hunt, everyone else stayed here the whole time¡­ No one else left the room! Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Despite suddenly bing the target of everyone¡¯s critical gazes, Renee remained perfectly calm. ¡°Wait,¡± she chuckled, ¡°surely you guys aren¡¯t suspecting me of being Phoenix, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d just gone out to the restroom for a few minutes,¡± she said incredulously, ¡°and in that time, I somehow Jurned into a famous genius hacker! What a magical turn of events! Perhaps I should celebrate it with fireworks!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s all just a coincidence,¡± Elijah chimed in quickly. ¡°Based on my understanding of Mrs. Hunt¡¯s character, her shrewdness and practicality are more suited for a housewife. Her proficiency with computers is limited to watching movies and videos online. She doesn¡¯t even y any video games¡­ If someone like her is a genius hacker, then I must be the president of this country!¡± Although his words were unttering at Renee¡¯s expense, he had only said that to help get her out of trouble, and it worked well. Everyone thought that Elijah¡¯s words made a lot of sense. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Renee with a smile, the picture of innocence. ¡°Everyone knows how much I love Stefan. If I really was Phoenix, I would¡¯ve done everything I could to help him. There¡¯s no way that I would ever sabotage him! ¡°Is that so?¡± Stefan, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. His pointed gaze was fixed on the woman as he sneered, ¡°I think you¡¯ve sabotaged me quite a few times before.¡± Reneeughed awkwardly. ¡®What a hateful man,¡¯ she thought bitterly. How could he just pull the rug out from under her feet like that? Stefan slowly stepped towards Renee and reached out to grip her chin, lifting her head to his. His gaze was searching, meticulously dissecting every emotion on her face. ¡°So, are you Phoenix?¡± Renee could not help feeling somewhat guilty, and she quickly averted her gaze. She could easily fool the others, but she knew full well that the scarily shrewd Mr. Hunt was not someone to be trifled with. All she could think of was to give him an ambiguous answer. ¡°If you think I am, then I am. If you think I¡¯m not, then I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Very good,¡± he responded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the right kind of meaningless crap to say.¡± His strikingly handsome face was emotionless as he demanded, ¡°Give me your phone.¡± After all, the entirety of anyone¡¯s secret life would surely be hidden on their phone in this day and age. If there really was something suspicious about Renee, he could easily figure it out just by browsing through her phone for a while. Naturally, there was no way that Renee would ever let him go through her phone, because there were so many things there that could never see the light of day! ¡°You¡¯re invading my privacy here,¡± she told him directly. ¡°Please forgive me, but I won¡¯t cooperate.¡± She stood her ground just as firmly as Stefan. It was as if the two were ying a game of tug-of-war, and neither was prepared to give up and be subdued by the other. The onlookers broke out in a cold sweat. None of them even dared to breathe. They truly did not expect that Mrs. Hunt, the woman who had always been so gentle, well-behaved, andpliant, would have the guts to go against Mr. Hunt. Was she so unafraid because she had a special status as his wife? Haze¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between Stefan and Renee. Suddenly, a mischievous smile appeared on his handsome face, which had been partially hidden by the brim of his cap.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Fascinating¡¯ Extremely fascinating! ¡°Ah, it suddenly urred to me that there really is something wrong with my codes!¡± He then turned to the crowd andughingly said, ¡°I¡¯m incredibly sorry, everyone. I¡¯ve made a fool of myself! I¡¯ll go back and improve. I promise that there won¡¯t be any mistakes next time!¡± And just like that, the tense atmosphere instantly rxed. Haze¡¯s answer made everyone heave a sigh of relief. Earen Renee secretly loosened her clenched fists. It would not have been that big of a deal had her secret identity been exposed, but if Stefan really did check through her phone, then the secret of her pregnancy would be out ¨C and that would open up a huge can of worms! She furtively nced at Haze and saw him smiling andughing like he had nothing to hide. She was confused. Why had he decided to help her? ¡°In any case,¡± said Haze, ¡°I¡¯m sure that Phoenix is one hundred percent not Mrs. Hunt. Do you guys want to know why?¡± The crowd stared at Haze in eager curiosity. ¡°Because,¡± he exined with a half-smile, ¡°Phoenix¡¯s coding style has always been meticulous and neat. They were never sloppy. A person who could write that kind of code would never cling to a cheating man!¡± Chapter 38 Chapter 38 Chapter 38 After Haze left, the atmosphere became calm again. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else,¡± said Renee to Stefan, ¡°then I¡¯m leaving now.¡± After all, she had performed the obligatory public disy of affection, and even Haze had left. There was simply no reason for her to remain at H Group ¡°Free up your evening.¡± Stefan ordered as he sat at his office table, burying himself in his work. Renee was extremely irritated by the authoritative air he exuded, as if he was ordering her around. ¡°What for?¡± She growled. Stefan did not answer her. Instead, he opened a drawer and took out a beautiful gift box. He handed it to Renee and said, ¡°Be at the banquet hall on the first floor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel this evening, at eight o¡¯clock sharp. Make sure to dress well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re giving me a present? Renee found it so surprising that she wondered if the sun was going to rise in the west tomorrow. Unable to stifle her curiosity, she opened up the present Inside, she found a silvery dress that looked extremely expensive, but was overly modest in style. At first, Renee was about to give Stefan a piece of her mind about it, but an idea suddenly popped up in her mind. A sly smile appeared on her face. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there right on time.¡± That evening at eight o¡¯clock, the open-air parking lot of the Cosmopolitan Hotel looked like a luxury car show, as the ce was littered with all kinds of luxury cars. It was the annual Beach City Charity G Dinner, where dignitaries and celebrities from all over the country, and even from abroad, gathered once every year. Renee had just arrived by taxi. She was wearing a drab brown windbreaker and her hair was casually tied up in a messy bun. Her appearance was a stark contrast to the otherdies around her who were all dolled up in morous dresses. Unsurprisingly, she was stopped by the security guard when she was about to enter. ¡°Show me your invitation card,¡± the guard demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t have one,¡± she replied honestly. ¡°Then get the hell out of here. This is an exclusive event, so you can¡¯t just barge in here.¡± The security guard probably did not watch the news much, which was why he had no idea that Renee was the wife of Beach City¡¯s most distinguished VIP, Stefan Hunt. Or at least, she still was¡­ for now. Just as Renee was about to exin herself, she was interrupted by the sound of a red Ferrari supercar screeching to a halt in the parking lot. Out stepped Stefan¡¯s cousin, Charlotte Milford, d in a pink gown. and looking like a proud peacock. She was apanied by her new boyfriend, Micah Larson, as well as¡­ Briar Desrosiers. ¡°Be careful, Bri. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯ve got my cousin¡¯s baby in your belly!¡± In contrast to her usual bratty demeanor, Charlotte gently held Briar¡¯s arm as they walked, disying genuine concern and affection for the pregnant woman. ¡°Everheart?¡± Charlotte¡¯s smile faded as soon as she recognized Renee at the entrance. ¡°What are you doing in a ce like this?¡± Ever since Renee married Stefan four years ago, she had never gotten along with Charlotte. To be more urate, it was Charlotte¡¯s one-sided animosity towards Renee that caused the rift. She would jump on any chance to mock Renee, and on asion, would even resort to physical violence. *Renee replied nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m here for the g dinner, of course¡± ¡°You?¡± Charlotte scoffed as she red at Renee spitefully. ¡°You¡¯re attending the dinner? A leech like you who¡¯s only managed to survive till now by sucking the blood of the Hunt family, who ended up bing the unwanted wife who¡¯ll soon be discarded, has no ce at an event like this!¡± ¡°Charlotte,¡± Briar intervened soothingly, ¡°don¡¯t be so harsh on her. At the end of the day, she is still your former cousin-inw, and you¡¯re younger than her, so you should be more polite to her.¡± ¡°Polite?!¡± Charlotte spat. ¡°Stefan is going to get rid of her soon, so there¡¯s no need to be polite to her!¡± The security guard was no idiot, and realized from the women¡¯s conversation who Renee really was. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said, ¡°are you actually Mrs. Hunt, Mr. Stefan Hunt¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°She used to be,¡± Charlotte immediately said before Renee had a chance to answer the question. ¡°But not anymore! Now she¡¯s just a woman that my cousin kicked out of his house! You don¡¯t have to be so polite to a woman like her! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°It sure looks like being Mrs. Huntes with a lot of perks,¡± Renee sneered. ¡°In that case, I think I won¡¯t be getting a divorce anymore. Besides, in the period before the divorce is finalized, if either the husband or the wife wishes to cancel the divorce, the divorce will be dered invalid. And if I remain Mrs. Hunt, we¡¯ll still be inws too! Isn¡¯t that just great?¡± Both Charlotte and Briar were horrified by the words that left Renee¡¯s mouth. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Charlotte never expected that Renee, who had always been a pushover, had the guts to fight back. ¡°You shameless witch!¡± She cursed furiously. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look in the mirror and realize how wicked and depraved you are? You¡¯re just a gold digger whose family was financially ruined! Nothing. about you says you¡¯re worthy of my cousin, and yet, you have the nerve to dy the divorce?¡± ¡°Do you think there¡¯d be any use of you dragging this out?¡± Charlotte hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t you see how Bri¡¯s belly is getting bigger and bigger every day now? Her marriage to Stefan will undoubtedly happen! You have no right to decide whether or not you¡¯ll get a divorce!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t discuss whether or not I have the right to decide that right now,¡± Renee calmly responded. ¡°But in any case, what¡¯s certain is that you have no say in it whatsoever.¡± ¡°And so what if her belly is getting bigger? As long as your cousin and I haven¡¯t finalized our divorce, I am still hiswful wife and she is just his mistress, which means that the baby in her belly is not even Stefan¡¯s legitimate child.¡± Renee had evidently touched a sore spot, but Briar could not lose her temper and attack her, so she could only continue to y the innocent victim. ¡°Miss Everheart,¡± Briar said sorrowfully, ¡°you can attack and mock me however you like, but please don¡¯t insult my baby!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not insulting anyone¡¯s baby,¡± argued Renee exasperatedly. ¡°I¡¯m merely stating the facts. If a baby born to a mistress isn¡¯t illegitimate, then what is it? A prince?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­.¡± Briar was stunned speechless, and all she could think of was to keep up her act as the innocent victim. ¡°Stefan and I love each other,¡± she said tremulously. ¡°And since that is the case, it is the one who is not loved who should be called the mistress!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time with her, Bri! The only way to deal with shameless people like her is with violence!¡± Charlotte snarled, lifting her hand to p Renee¡¯s face. However, right before the pnded, someone grabbed her hand. ¡°Damn it, who has the nerve to get in my way-¡± Charlotte immediately shut her mouth when she recognized who was behind her, and the blood drained from her face. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Osborne.¡± Liam was d in a white suit. He looked as elegant as a prince from a fairy tale, and was so enchanting that it was difficult to look away from him. ¡°Did you take the wrong pills today, Miss Milford? Why are you in such a rotten mood?¡± Although Liam looked at Charlotte with a faint smile on his face, his sharp gaze clearly warned her how dangerous she was. Don¡¯t you know the consequences of stepping out of line when you are in the Osborne family¡¯s territory?¡± He asked again. ¡°What¡­ What consequences?¡± Charlotte had long harbored unrequited feelings for Liam. At that moment, she was so embroiled in shame and fear that she did not even dare to meet Liam¡¯s eyes. ¡°Those who talk nonsense will have their tongues cut off, and those who wrongfully hurt others will have their hands chopped off!¡± Liam sald cheerfully. ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Charlotte¡¯s face turned deathly pale as soon as she heard those words. Her knees buckled and she fell straight to the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re from a good family of high standing, Miss Milford. You should take care to behave appropriately in public, otherwise you¡¯ll only bring shame to the Milford family.¡± As soon as he finished speaking. Liam dropped Charlotte¡¯s hand. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Charlotte, now humiliated and enraged, hastily tried to exin herself, ¡°But you don¡¯t understand, Mr. Osborne! It was all because of this woman¡¯s filthy mouth! She¡¯s sly and wicked. She knows full well that my cousin doesn¡¯t want her around anymore, but she still clings to him and won¡¯t let him go! She clearly. wants to keep draining the Hunt family¡¯s fortune!¡± ¡°What¡¯s even more disgusting.¡± Charlotte continued, ¡°is that she even has the nerve to call the baby in Briar¡¯s belly, my cousin¡¯s baby, illegitimate! I was only trying to teach this worthless woman a lesson! What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Liam¡¯s gaze turned colder and colder, until atst he sternly warned her, ¡°Did you think that I was joking. when I said people who talk nonsense will have their tongues cut off, Miss Milford?¡± Charlotte quickly took two steps back, away from Liam. She was so frightened that she dared not even utter another word. The Osborne family was considered the least powerful of the eight prominent families in Beach City, but nheless, their power and influence were not something to be trifled with. The Osborne family was renowned for their connections and involvement in the ck market, so Charlotte understood perfectly that Liam¡¯s talk of cutting people¡¯s tongues and hands off was not just a joke. ¡°Mr. Osborne,¡± Briar said, ¡°please don¡¯t be angry. This is all just a misunderstanding. We had no intention. of disturbing Miss Everheart at all, but when we noticed that she was held up at the entrance and how she was wearing such casual clothes, we were worried that she might not be invited, so we came here to help her out!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to be invited by anyone,¡± responded Liam with a sneer. ¡°My family owns this hotel, so she¡¯s free to enter anytime she wants, even if she¡¯s wearing her pajamas and slippers. Now, the two of you, on the other hand¡­ If you still continue to behave in such a shameful manner, then you can leave immediately!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Briar had initially wanted to take the opportunity to embarrass Renee, but her n had backfired. so spectacrly that she could not utter a single word. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Renee said softly as she leaned on Liam, indicating that it was time to drop the matter. Let¡¯s go inside.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Liam nodded obediently. They both then entered the venue together. ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± Charlotte screeched. ¡°I¡¯m so pissed off!¡± After Renee and Liam had disappeared from sight, Charlotte started to stomp her feet in anger, cursing.¡± When did that gold digger get acquainted with Liam Osborne? They look like they¡¯re really close too! I¡¯ve always known that she¡¯s a useless and worthless woman with no skills to speak of whatsoever. The only thing she¡¯s good at is seducing men! What a loser!¡± ¡°Come on,¡± Charlotte¡¯s boyfriend tried tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t be upset, baby. You¡¯ve still got me!¡± ¡°What good are you, anyway? Nothing about you evenpares to Liam Osborne! You¡¯re worthless!¡± Despite her words, Micah did not get angry. Instead, he told her, ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a surprise for you this evening. I¡¯m sure thatter it¡¯ll make you stand out as the most stunning woman of the night!¡± Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Renee and Liam walked side by side in the hallway that led up to the banquet hall. Liam, who had been a dignified and proud gentleman outside only moments ago, had now transformed completely into a docile little puppy all smiles and adoring nces at Renee. I can¡¯t believe those people from the Hunt family dared to bully you like that!¡± He grumbled. ¡°The next time they do it. I definitely won¡¯t let them off so easily!¡± Renee smiled slightly and teased him, ¡°Wow, Liam¡­ I¡¯m used to seeing you all meek and frivolous, but when you get serious, you¡¯re actually pretty intimidating! I was shocked to see you earlier.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing shocking about it,¡± said Liam proudly. ¡°I am Master Osborne, after all!¡± However, despite his words, Liam still looked like a meek little puppy. He looked at Renee¡¯s windbreaker andmented, ¡°But, honestly, Ren, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re dressing a little too shabbily for the event?¡± ¡°You have to address me as Miss,¡± Renee corrected him. ¡°Did you forget that you¡¯re my junior?¡± ¡°But why does my sister get to call you Ren?¡± Liam argued, pouting like a schoolboy. He childishly added, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not going to call you Boss or Miss anymore. From now on, I¡¯ll call you Ren!¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Renee scolded him. ¡°Doing that would only imply that you¡¯re harboring feelings for me. You aren¡¯t, are you?¡± ¡°Well,¡± answered Liam honestly, not intending to sidestep around the subject at all, ¡°since you¡¯re divorced now, what¡¯s wrong with me having feelings for you?¡± He had been waiting for Renee to get a divorce for so many years now, and now that she was finally divorced, there was no way that he wanted to remain as just her junior. Renee smiled, but did not respond. Just as they were about to arrive at the banquet hall, Renee unbuttoned her windbreaker with her slender fingers, then swiftly took it off and tossed it aside before letting down her hair. She then pulled out a red lipstick and applied it on her lips smoothly. ¡°Boss, you¡­¡± Liam was utterly hypnotized. The people inside the banquet hall turned their heads towards them, stunned speechless. Renee stood there, d in a rose red strapless gown that hugged her sublime figure. She looked stunning and eye-catching, but also graceful and elegant. The gown was designed in a way that exposed her waist slightly, making her look slim and alluring. There was such a glow to her that it was almost as if she had brought her own portable spotlight, drawing the eyes of everyone around her. Suddenly, someone in the crowd loudly proimed, ¡°No way! Thatdy looks familiar¡­ Isn¡¯t that Mrs. Hunt?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The room quickly erupted into heated discussions, and that was when Stefan, d in a well-tailored ck suit, descended the staircase like a king. He had just finished discussing business matters with Johnson, the host of tonight¡¯s event, and his icy gaze was immediately attracted by the red gown.near the entrance. Amazement shed in his unfathomable eyes, quickly followed by a trace of irritation. That damned woman, he thought. What was she trying to do now? With a chilling expression, Stefan made his way towards Renee In long strides and, as if publicly iming her, swiftly put his arm around her slender waist. ¡®Mrs. Hunt, I didn¡¯t expect you to arrive so early,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°I was just about to go fetch you!¡± Although there was a smile on his wless face, his expression gave every onlooker a strange sense of chilling danger. So thedy really was Mrs. Hunt! The crowd gasped. Those men whose eyes were fixated on Renee¡¯s breasts, her waist, and her legs, hastily looked away. Those indignant women who had been throwing curses at her as soon as she appeared also shut their mouths instantly, not daring to utter another word. ¡°Come with me!¡± Uncaring of what people might say, he brought Renee to a private room under the watchful eyes of the onlookers. ¡°What is this about? Renee asked calmly as she pinned a stray lock of hair behind her ear. ¡°Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°You dare ask me such a thing? Stefan¡¯s dashing face was calm as his gaze fell on Renee¡¯s chest. He then sternly asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you a dress? What on earth are you wearing?¡± ¡°The dress you gave me was too prudish,¡± Renee replied bluntly. ¡°It looked like something a nun would wear. I didn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Stefan was so enraged by her response that he saw red. The dress had been made by the chief. designer of Gi ¨C even most wealthydies could not afford such a top-quality dress, yet Renee had the gall to say that it looked like something a nun would wear! 1 But then again¡­ it was indeed a little on the prudish side. ¡°Say,¡± Renee suddenly turned to Stefan with a twinkle in her eye and asked him teasingly, ¡°was it because. you thought that my body was not worthy of being shown in public for everyone to admire?¡± Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¡°Whether or not your figure is worthy of being shown in public and admired is my business and mine only.¡± Stefan stared at Renee with burning eyes as he said that, and there was a hint of possessiveness in his tone that even he did not notice himself. You¡¯re my wife,¡± he reminded her ¡°Don¡¯t forget that. It¡¯s your most basic duty to appear as dignified as possible Dressing the way you do now ispletely indecent. In fact, you¡¯re only attracting unwanted attention this way!¡± Stefan thought of those men just now who had been ogling Renee as if their eyes were going to fall out of the sockets, and he felt strangely furious. He even had the urge to gauge those men¡¯s eyes out! ¡°Put this on!¡± he ordered, taking off his coat and roughly wrapping it around Renee¡¯s body. ¡°You¡¯re acting like my dad¡± Reneeughed, but her charming eyes were full of mockery and disdain. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you noticed that it¡¯s no longer the Victorian era, Mr. Hunt I¡¯m the master of my body, so if I want to attract any attention, it¡¯s perfectly in my right to do so it¡¯s absolutely none of your business. As she spoke, she removed the coat and hung it on her index finger, slowly uttering, ¡°I have no need for your good intentions¡± After finishing her sentence, she let go of Stefan¡¯s ck coat, which fell straight to the floor. With her chin raised high, she walked away from him confidently like a proud peacock, her enchanting figure disappearing into the distance. With a gloomy face, Stefan stayed silent as her graceful figure walked away He was burning with rage, yet he realized it was not his ce to interfere with her anymore He had lost that right. The host repeatedly tapped on the champagne ss, announcing that the Charity Dinner G was about to begin officially. All the dignitaries and VIPs were gathered here for the annual banquet. Stefan, Renee, and Liam were all seated in the first row. Directly behind them in the second row were Charlotte, Micah, Briar, and the others ¡°Look at her, Bri! Didn¡¯t I tell you how shallow and superficial that Everheart woman is? All she does is seduce men everywhere all day long!¡± Charlotte red at Renee¡¯s sexy back as she grumbled through gritted teeth to Briar. Briar quickly shushed her, ¡°Not so loud, Charlotte! Someone might hear you.¡± ¡°So what if anyone heard me? Wasn¡¯t everything I said true?¡± Charlotte was almost mad with jealousy at that point, and she continued her verbal assault, ¡°Who does she think she is, sitting there with Stefan on her right and Master Osborne on her left? Look at her acting all frivolous and fake! She barely knows how to handle herself-like a rat that has fallen into a rice vat!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Briar and the otherdies in the same row could not help but purse their lips andugh at the mockery of Renee-but it could not be helped. When you were the person who stood out the most in a gathering such as this one, you would inevitably be the target of envy and jealousy. ¡°But she won¡¯t be happy for long!¡± cried Charlotte, gritting her teeth. ¡°She¡¯ll see soon enough!¡± She had already figured out how to teach Renee a proper lesson. The host stood in the center of the stage enthusiastically performing his duty. ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen! It is once again the annual Beach City Charity Dinner G! The rules this year are the same as the previous years. We will be receiving donated items from charitable people all around the world.¡± ¡°These items will then be auctioned off here,¡± he continued, ¡°and the proceeds will be donated to a cause for children in the rural mountainous region after being notarized by a notary agency.¡± ¡°Now, we¡¯ll move on to our first session right away. We will present to you all the donated items that we ¡°received this evening.¡± ¡°The first item is the painting named The Evening Song of the Shepherd Boy by the artist Domingo Otero, donated by Mr. Charles Leavitt, the President of Leavitt Corporation. The current market value of this item is 200,000 dors.¡± 2 ¡°The second item is a limited edition Hermes purple-gold handbag, donated by the actress Lily Mauve, with a market value of 300,000 dors.¡± *The third item is a rare and authentic Tibetan Dzi bead, donated by the international supermodel Jakob Thibault. The market value for this item is around 500,000 dors.¡± As the host continued to introduce the donated items to be auctioned off, the room¡¯s atmosphere grew more and more fervent, and the crowd¡¯s voices grew louder and louder. Each year, the presentation of donated items and the subsequent auction became a sort of disguised contest for financial strength and power. Whoever donated the most valuable item and the person who paid the highest price for these items would eventually be the most influential person in Beach City for the year. That is why newpanies, celebrities, and socialites would take the plunge and try to donate the most. valuable possession that they owned in exchange for glowing reputations. However, because Stefan and Liam both already possessed a high reputation and influence in the city, to begin with, they would not participate in the donation part of the event but only in the subsequent auction. ¡°And now,dies and gentlemen, I will present to you the most precious treasure donated to us this. evening!¡± At this point, the host¡¯s voice grew tangibly more excited as he added, ¡°This treasure was donated to us by Mr. Micah Larson, of the notable Larson family, as a token of his love for his girlfriend, Miss Charlotte. Milford. I would like to invite our personnel to reveal this treasure to everyone¡­¡± As soon as the personnel pulled away the white cloth covering the exhibition box, the whole audience burst into an excited gasp. ¡°Wow!All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Inside the exhibition box shone a pink peach-shaped pendant, dazzling the eyes that saw it. ¡°As you can see,¡± said the host, ¡°this peach-shaped pendant was cut from a single whole piece of pink. crystal, and it was given an incredibly romantic name-Evesting Heart¡­¡± This is far from being a normal crystal pendant,¡± the host continued. ¡°Legend has it that it was specially made for the adopted daughter of the king of a small kingdom in Varangia, which means that this¡­ is a royal treasure,dies and gentlemen. It is absolutely one of its kind in this world. Currently, it¡¯s being valued at around three million dors!¡± The host¡¯s colorful descriptions endowed the already luxurious pendant with even more hype and splendor. The audience¡¯s continuous gasps in awe were enough to show how highly regarded this crystal. pendant was. Numerousdies even cast an envious look at Charlotte. ¡°So,¡± Micah took Charlotte¡¯s hand and asked in a groveling manner, ¡°do you like this surprise that I¡¯ve given you, baby?¡± Charlotte¡¯s vanity was fully assuaged by that point, and the grin on her face could not get any wider. Meanwhile, Liam was frowning slightly in the first row as he studied that pendant with a scrutinizing gaze. Disdainfully, he said, ¡°The crystal¡¯s coloring is mediocre at best, but I guess thebel of being a royal jewelry managed to get it to be valued as high as three million dors. Do these people think that we¡¯re all idiots with too much money in our hands?¡± ¡°It is indeed a good quality crystal,¡± responded Renee in a half-smile and a vaguely mysterious tone, ¡°but as for whether or not ites from a royal family, well¡­¡± 1R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Right,¡± the host continued, ¡°we have just presented to you all the items that will be auctioned off today, and among all the donated items, the most valuable one is the pink peach-shaped crystal pendant that Mr. Micah Larson donated in the name of his girlfriend Charlotte Milford, therefore, I¡¯d like to invite Miss Charlotte to pleasee on stage.¡± And so Charlotte appeared on stage like a celebrity amidst loud cheers and apuse. She took the microphone and spoke to the audience in an obviously affected tone, ¡°Thank you for your apuse, ladies and gentlemen. I¡¯m really happy to be here with you today in the name of charity. To spread the love, I would like to invite my cousin-inw, Renee Everheart, toe on stage and share this beautiful moment with me.¡± As she finished her sentence, she extended her arms toward Renee as an inviting gesture. Renee knew at the drop of the hat that Charlotte must have some hidden bad intentions for her, but still, she showed no sign of timidity and proudly walked up on stage. She really wanted to know what kind of trick this silly cousin-inw of hers had up her sleeve. In an instant, the audience¡¯s attention was focused on Renee¡¯s beautiful figure. They were mesmerized by her blinding beauty. This made Charlotte even more jealous of her now. ¡°Anyway, I invited you up here because I¡¯ve got a simple question for you. You see, we¡¯re gathered here in the name of charity this evening, and everyone has donated so much to show their support for the cause, and yet it seems that you¡¯ve¡­ not donated anything at all?¡± ¡°In any case,¡± Charlotte continued, ¡°you are a part of the Hunt family. You must¡¯ve obtained a substantial amount of money these past few years, so wouldn¡¯t it look like you¡¯re a little cold-hearted when you don¡¯t contribute anything at all?¡± Evidently, she had done everything up to this point just to embarrass Renee in front of the huge audience, making it too shameful for her even to leave the stage. Surely enough, the people in the audience had begun to criticize Renee, each standing on the moral high ground, using Renee of being one of those greedy rich people who had no charitable heart at all, painting her as the kind of woman who only knew how to suck on the fortune of the Hunt family, yet being unwilling to give anything back to society. She might look stunning outside, but her heart was hollow and ugly. ¡°F*ck!¡¯ cursed Liam. He clenched his fists in anger as he watched it all transpire. He could barely stop himself from rushing onstage and beating those people up. In fact, he knew of no one else in this world who was kinder and more charitable than Renee! Meanwhile, Stefan, who was seated in the same row as Liam, merely pursed his lips tight. His handsome face was gloomy and severe. His eyes were focused keenly on Renee as he waited for the situation to develop. Despite being surrounded by vocal disparagement and criticism from the audience, Renee appeared perfectly calm. She faced the audience and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,dies and gentlemen. I will definitely donate something to the cause in time, but before I do that, I would like to give everyone a sincere apology on behalf of my cousin-inw.¡± Those wordspletely confounded the crowd. Charlotte gritted her teeth and, in a lowered voice, asked her, ¡°What the hell are you talking about, your gold digger?¡± Without bothering to look at Charlotte, Renee continued, ¡°Because the pendant she had just donated is a fake!¡± Chapter 43 Chapter 43 Chapter 43 The vain Charlotte was explosively enraged by Renee¡¯s words. ¡°Are you so mad with jealousy that youpletely lost your mind, you gold digger?! My boyfriend spent millions of dors for that pendant! How could it possibly be a fake?! You know, I should wreck that foul mouth of yours for spewing bullshit!¡± And with that, without a thought of consideration for her reputation as a rich socialite, Charlotte stomped her feet and hurled herself toward Renee. Without a change in her expression, Renee effortlessly dodged Charlotte, which caused Charlotte to lose her bnce and fall straight to the ground. The audience roared inughter at the sight of such aical scene. Stefan¡¯s face turned severe. The gloominess of his expressions looked like the rumbling thundercloud that warned of the dangerous rage that was about to explode. Renee Everheart¡­ What was she going to do now?! Was it not bad enough that she dressed so inappropriately, attracting all the unwanted attention? Yet now she even ended up fighting with his cousin onstage! Who knew what kind of horrible headlines would be stered on tomorrow¡¯s frontpage? 1 ¡°Mrs. Hunt,¡± said the host, trying his best to control the situation, ¡°were you just joking to lighten up the atmosphere, or do you¡­ have the evidence to prove that this pendant is fake?¡± ¡°I have the proof, of course.¡± She then proceeded to pull out aser pen and faced the audience with a confident smile, saying, ¡°The authentic Evesting Heart had been meticulously polished, and in fact, the inside of the crystal was cut a total of sixteen. times, which happens to be the number of letters in the words, Evesting Heart. Also, if you shine aser pen through the pendant, the words ¡°Evesting Heart¡± would be projected out, signifying the King of Asken¡¯s love for his adopted daughter¡­¡± ¡°Which means,¡± she continued, ¡°that the authenticity of this pendant can be proven with just thisser pen. The audience listened with keen interest. Some people even corroborated what she said, confirming that there really was such a rumor about the crystal pendant called Evesting Heart. Without hesitation, Renee aimed herser pen at the crystal pendant in the exhibition box. As expected, no words were projected out of it. ¡°Ah, so all thismotion was just for a fake!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, they even stooped so low as to donate a fake item, all for that little bit of publicity and self- promotion. They don¡¯t have a shred of integrity!¡± The situation hadpletely reversed, and now all the disparaging and mocking was directed towards Charlotte, who had been so proud and celebrated not a few minutes ago. Charlotte was so humiliated that she wanted to bury her head in the ground, but she gritted her teeth and angrily questioned Micah, ¡°Is what this gold digger just said true?! Did you actually buy a fake to mess with me?!¡± With a droopy head, Micah endured the mockery of the crowd and answered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Charlotte, I had no idea that there was such a way to prove its authenticity, but even though the pendant is not authentic, I still spent millions of dors on buying it!¡± 1) Like a sore loser unwilling to admit defeat, he turned to Renee and asked her, ¡°How did you know all these things? To my knowledge, only experts are privy to this kind of information! Most people don¡¯t know how to differentiate such a close imitation from the real thing!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee stifled herughter. Of course she knew! How could she not, when the real Evesting Heart pendant was in her jewelry box at home and when the true identity of the mysterious adoptive daughter of the King of Asken was herself? (2) ¡°I just made a lucky guess,¡± she lied. In the end, Charlotte stepped off the stage in disgrace, wishing she could find a hole in the ground to hide herself. In the front row, Liam finally breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that his respected and admired Boss would never be so easy to bully. ¡°Since my cousin-inw donated a fake,¡± Renee suddenly announced, ¡°then I owe it to you to donate something authentic myself. Please take it as an honest apology on her behalf.¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Once again, Renee hadpletely captured the audience¡¯s attention. There was a slight shift in Stefan¡¯s expressions. He wondered what Renee could possibly donate to charity. Judging by his limited knowledge of her, she probably had not saved up much money in her four-year marriage to himself. He worried that if she donated something too shabby, she would only end up humiliating herself. The next moment, he saw Renee lifting her fair right hand and removing the huge diamond ring on her ring finger. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¡°This is my wedding ring, which symbolizes my marriage to my husband. Although it might not be the most priceless item here, it is still endowed with a special meaning. Now, I would like to donate it, and I hope it would garner a good price and help as many people who needed help as possible.¡± This move instantly stirred the crowd into a flurry. How could she so easily decide to donate her wedding ring?! Some people praised her generosity and charitable nature and for not binding herself to sentimental attachment to objects. But others were beginning to suspect if the rumors about the rift in the marriage between Stefan and Renee were true after all. Stefan, who was right in the center of the audience, exuded a chilling aura that warned people from approaching him. His dashing face betrayed no signs of emotions. Meanwhile, Liam could not be more delighted. With a wicked smile, he uttered the following words as if they were cuts from a dagger aimed at Stefan¡¯s heart, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, my own Miss Everheart used to treasure that ring above anything else! No matter what she did, she was never willing to take it off. Yet now, she donated it without giving it a second thought. It looks like she is extremely disappointed in you and her marriage to you, Master Hunt! But I¡¯m d that she¡¯s finally ready to move on now. Congrattions, Ren!¡± As soon as he uttered hisst word, he shot up on his feet and whistled approvingly at Renee, who was still onstage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ren! Even if I had to sacrifice half of the Osborne family¡¯s fortune today, I would do anything in my power to get that ring back for you!¡± Liam¡¯s dramatic deration of his love for Renee again blew up the scene like a bombshell. The crowd never expected that Mrs. Hunt, who had always appeared so dignified and prim and proper, would be so suspiciously close with the infamous yboy, Liam Osborne! Onstage, Renee looked at Liam with an appreciative expression. She could not deny that this junior of hers had been. very helpful in preserving her dignity and reputation today. She could not be more grateful to him! ¡°Mrs. Hunt,¡± the host interrupted, ¡°this diamond obviously carries much meaning to you. Are you absolutely sure that you want to donate it?¡± Renee stared at the ring and the diamond on it that was almost the size of a pigeon¡¯s egg. She fell silent. Images of her life in the past four years raced through her mind. She remembered how, in the past, she had treasured this ring as if it was the most precious thing in her life. She treasured it so much that she would not take it off even when she was taking a shower, eating, and sleeping. She treasured this ring just as much as her marriage to Stefan Hunt. (1) Yet all she got in exchange was herself being discarded and left high and dry. Now, as she took off the ring, she finally realized that the only things this extravagant object ever brought her were not love or hope but merely the shackles that bound her in a cage. Letting go and moving on-aren¡¯t those the important lessons that a person should learn in life? That was why she decided that it was time to let go now. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it,¡± Renee firmly said, ¡°and I¡¯m ready to let it go. This ring should go to a ce that is more suitable for it, where it would be more useful and hold a greater value.¡± Her speech was followed by thunderous apuse from the audience. Everyone praised her for her kindness and generosity. 1 Renee could sense that Stefan¡¯s gaze was fixed on her, staring at her with burning eyes, a gaze that could easily tear 1/2 her into pieces. But none of that mattered to her anymore. She did not even bother to look at the man. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only After stepping off the stage, Renee did not immediately return to her seat. Instead, she entered the restroom and sshed her face with cold water. With her hands on the washstand, she studied the reflection in the mirror before. her. The woman looking back at her seemed magnificently dignified and morous. No longer did she see the poor daughter-inw who was pushed around everywhere by everyone. She felt alive again! She did not need any man! She had a brilliant career ahead of her! She could not help thinking of Stefan¡¯s dour and gloomy expression and found herself immensely delighted by it! Now that her reason foring to the dinner g had been fulfilled, she fixed her lipstick and prepared to leave. But suddenly, she heard a man¡¯s voiceing from the toilet.. ¡°As soon as Stefan Hunt gets onstage,¡± the voice said, ¡°we move in on the target immediately. This time I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have nowhere to run!¡± ¡°Hmph! Three months ago, he had his brother as a human shield, but this time¡­ let¡¯s see if he gets lucky again!¡± 1 Renee tensed up immediately. Her long slender fingers curled up in a ball without her realizing it. Was that guy¡­ in trouble?! Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Renee could have just left then and there. After all, in only twenty days, she would be officially divorced from this guy, and they would forever have nothing to do with each other anymore. Besides, if he really did die this evening, she would inherit a massive chunk of his fortune as his wife- she would be unimaginably wealthy then! But in the end, she realized that she could not be that cruel, and that she could not just turn a blind eye to this, so she returned to the auction hall. What else could she do, when that scumbag was the biological father to her two children? If her children found out in the future that she had just left their father to die without helping him, they would certainly hate her forever! The atmosphere in the auction hall had almost reached a fever pitch by the time she returned to her seat. ¡°Five million!¡± ¡°Six million!¡± ¡°Six and a half million!¡± 1 All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Celebrities and public figures from all walks of life enthusiastically raised their bidding cards. The item being auctioned off at the moment was the ring that Renee had just taken off her ring finger a few minutes ago. By the time Renee had taken her seat, someone had already made a bid for it at the price of 6.8 million dors! ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± eximed Renee. She remembered how the diamond ring had only cost around three to four million dors. This was definitely proof that these rich people had so much money that they did not know what to do with it! She was about to reach out for her drink to soothe her shock, but her hand identally brushed against Stefan¡¯s hand. His fingers felt slightly cold, just like his strikingly handsome but cold face- intimidating and unapproachable. ¡°You definitely stole the show this evening¡­¡± Stefan turned to Renee with cold, piercing eyes and added, ¡°I never knew that my wife is so benevolent and charitable that she could just take off the wedding ring that she¡¯d been wearing these past four years and donate it without any hesitation!¡± Renee picked up her drink, calmly took a sip, then smilingly responded, ¡°There¡¯s nothing baffling about it, Mr. Hunt. I was only trying to put the ring to good use, that¡¯s all.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned even colder than before. There was a sign of almost insuppressible rage in them. Renee was sure that if they had not been alone right now, he would have torn her into shreds! ¡°Mr. Hunt,¡± she said in a hushed tone, ¡°as someone who was once married to you, I¡¯d like to warn you not to go on that stageter. Someone is trying to harm you.¡± She had looked around the hall earlier but did not notice any suspicious figures that might cause trouble. Still, Stefan would be under the spotlight, yet the enemy would be hiding in the dark-this ce was simply too dangerous for him! Stefan seemed a little more vignt now. He squinted, studied Renee searchingly, and asked, ¡°What are you up to now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just warning you out of genuine concern. Just listen to me, and you¡¯ll be fine!¡± That was all that Renee could tell him. 1/3 ¡°Twelve million!¡± (1) ¡°Twelve and a half million!¡± ¡°Thirteen million!¡± The bidding was still going on, and the price kept on climbing to outrageous heights. It was fast approaching fifteen million dors now. Among the bidders, Liam, Renee¡¯s number one admirer, was the one whose card was raised most enthusiastically. Not only was Liam from a rich family, but he was also his father¡¯s eldest son and favorite child. That was why he could make the bids with no care in the world about the price. (1) ¡°Thirteen and a half million!¡± shouted Liam, raising his card again. This time, no one came forward to outbid him anymore, probably because the real mary value of the ring was not at all that high. The only thing that made it very valuable was that it used to be the wedding ring of Stefan¡¯s wife. ¡°Thirteen and a half million going once!¡± ¡°Thirteen and a half million going twice!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been called twice now,¡± the host said, flushed with excitement. ¡°This is yourst chance,dies and gentlemen! Is no one going to outbid this price?¡± ¡°This ring is of great significance,¡± the host continued. ¡°There¡¯s only one of its kind in the world. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to outbid the price?¡± Silence. ¡°Okay, then. Thirteen and half million dors-¡± ¡°Fifteen million!¡± shouted Stefan with an emotionless expression as he raised his card right before the host was about to dere it sold. Boom! The whole room was astounded. Even Renee was bbergasted. She wondered, was this guy¡­ out of his mind?! They would get divorced soon anyway, so why would he spend fifteen million dors for their own wedding ring? No matter how rich H Group was, it was still a ridiculous way to spend money! ¡°It must be true love!¡± someone shouted. ¡°This is clearly a sign of true love!¡± ¡°No matter what, anything that belongs to your wife should return to her anyway!¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt must really love his wife very much! They¡¯re nothing at all like the rumored emotionless couple! What a touching scene!¡± Some audience members were now moved to tears by Stefan¡¯s grand gesture. But Briar, who was in the second row, clenched her fists and red at Renee, her eyes burning with hatred borne of jealousy. ¡°But Mr. Osborne was very keen on the item earlier. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to outbid the price?¡± The whole crowd turned to Liam, but he was only smiling sheepishly. He shrugged and said, ¡°I can¡¯t afford it. I give up!¡± ¡°Fifteen million going once!¡± 2/3 ¡°Fifteen million going twice!¡± ¡°Fifteen million dors sold!¡± Holding the microphone, the host excitedly announced, ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Hunt! The diamond ring that your wife donated is now yours. Pleasee onstage and give a short speech!¡± Stefan¡¯s face was its usual cool and suave. But internally, he wondered why he felt as if he¡¯d walked into a trap set by Renee and Liam. Or was he perfectly willing to step into the trap himself? The spotlight was now aimed at Stefan. He stood up haughtily and buttoned up his suit, preparing to walk onto the stage. ¡°Don¡¯t go up there!¡± Renee shook her head and tugged at his arm. If he went up there, he¡¯d quickly be a sitting duck. It would only be a matter of time before those who wished to harm him would attack him! 1 But Stefanpletely ignored her. Knowing that any attempts to stop him were futile, she could only hold onto his arm and said, ¡°Fine! In that case, I¡¯ll just go up there with you!¡± (1) Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Stefan and Renee both went on stage. Under the dazzling light, they looked like a match made in heaven. The host discussed the issues between her and Stefan as the crowd cheered for them. Renee¡¯s sharp gaze swept through the crowd as she tried to find the problem. However, everyone seemed normal, and no one appeared suspicious. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡®Did I mishear it? Or is that a prank?¡¯ she thought to herself. At this moment, she heard the host say, ¡°Let us congratte Mr. Hunt for sessfully auctioning off the ring for fifteen million dors, and we will have our presenter hand the ring to him.¡± Stefan was gracefully presented with the disy box containing the diamond ring by the tall and stunning presenter in a white gown. ¡°Let¡¯s have Mr. Hunt put the diamond ring on his wife¡¯s finger again. We are all here gathered around to witness the consistent and beautiful love between Mr. and Mrs. Hunt!¡± The host had unexpectedly be a wedding host, as it seemed he was hosting Stefan and Renee¡¯s wedding. The mood grew lively as the crowd became enthused, as though they were attending the wedding. The amount of excitement was identical to their actual wedding four years ago. Stefan¡¯s face was originally frigid as he maintained his poker face with no emotions. After all, he had just wasted fifteen million dors on something that had once belonged to him! But since the host had called him out for the sake of everyone, he cooperated and said, ¡°I¡¯m grateful that everyone is here today to witness the love I have for my wife. I think the best ce this ring belongs is on my wife¡¯s finger.¡± With that, he held the ring and tried to slide it onto her finger. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Renee snorted quietly behind her smile and stood stiffly as uneasiness flooded her. (1) ¡°Is this necessary?¡± she wondered to herself. She didn¡¯t reach out her hand. She smiled awkwardly and said through gritted teeth, ¡°I think it¡¯s not necessary.¡± ¡°It is necessary. How am I supposed to keep you with me without the ring?¡± Stefan was a natural flirt and the living embodiment of shamelessness. Hearing this, the audience became even more excited. Renee didn¡¯t have an option. She could only stretch out her hesitant hand and say, ¡°Mr. Hunt, do the honors of keeping me with you.¡± ¡®Let¡¯s see who¡¯s awkward now!¡¯ she thought to herself. After all, it wasn¡¯t a huge matter since she could take it off afterward. Stefan gracefully held her hand and gently slipped it on her finger. The sight was romantic as if it were from a movie. It was also at this moment that Renee¡¯s sharp gaze noticed something odd about the presenter holding the disy box. ¡°Watch out!¡± 1/2 Renee pulled Stefan behind her without hesitation as she saw the woman pulling a tiny revolver from her gown. Her movements were quick, and she knocked the gun off the woman¡¯s hand with a kick. But even so, she wasn¡¯t as quick as a bullet. Bang! Renee¡¯s arm was shot, and blood poured out of her wound. ¡°Ahhhh! Murder!¡± The scene turned chaotic as people were running everywhere. ¡°How dare you ruin my n!¡± Thedy kicked to the ground and spoke in a man¡¯s voice. When he red at Renee, his eyes were filled with murderous intent, and he whipped out another gun. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯ll die here today! This is the end for the Hunt family!¡± At the same moment, the other three hosts charged at them with fury. The situation was dire! ¡°You should go now. They¡¯re here for you!¡± Renee shielded Stefan behind her as she urged him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re hurt!¡± Stefan eximed, remaining still. His whole attention was fixed on the gushing wound on her arm. The crimson-flowing blood was the same as what had flowed from Tristan¡¯s chest three months ago! Stefan was instantly repulsed, and his head began to spin before he lost his bnce and fell to the ground. He heard more gunshots, and a bullet seemed to strike Renee again in his foggy vision. ¡°Renee!¡± He struggled to get up, but eventually, his vision turned dark, and he lost all consciousness. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Chapter 47 When Stefan woke up, he realized he was lying on the hospital bed. The nurse came in and was d to see him awake. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re finally awake. You¡¯ve been in aa for an entire day.¡± ¡°An entire day?¡± ¡®Shit!¡¯ he cursed inwardly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. His blood phobia was getting so serious that he kept fainting at critical times. Thest thing he remembered before cking out was Renee getting shot. At the thought of this, his heart tightened. He grabbed the nurse¡¯s arm and asked coldly, ¡°How¡¯s Rence? Is she okay?¡± Stefan¡¯s sudden movement caught the nurse off guard. ¡°You mean Mrs. Hunt? She only needed a slight patching up. She left after bringing you here yesterday,¡± she said cautiously. 1) ¡°A slight patching up?¡± When he heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that her injuries weren¡¯t as serious as he had imagined them to be. ¡°Yes. after she was done, she left with Mr. Osborne,¡± the nurse added. ¡°She left with Liam?!¡± When Stefan heard this, he instantly asked toplete the checkout procedure. Ding Dong! Renee had just boiled her noodles when she heard the doorbell rung. ) She furrowed her eyebrows and thought, ¡®Liam is such an annoying man. I just sent him away, and he¡¯s back again. It¡¯s just a slight graze and not that big of a deal! Is it that hard to ask for some time alone?¡¯ She panicked as she opened the door and found Stefan waiting outside. ¡°W-why are you here?¡± (1) ¡®Shouldn¡¯t he be in the hospital? I heard that he has a serious issue of blood phobia!¡¯ she thought to herself. ¡°Are you alone?¡± Stefan didn¡¯t answer her question but questioned her instead. His sharp gaze swept over Renee¡¯s head as he observed the room as if he was here to catch the mistress. ¡°That has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°What do you mean nothing? Even if we¡¯re not husband and wife, we¡¯re still neighbors. It¡¯s not wrong for me to care for my neighbor.¡± As he spoke, he pushed past her and entered her house. Renee was left speechless. She wondered why she had never noticed how shameless he was before this. ¡®When I was his wife, he had never cared for me. Now he¡¯s showing so much concern for me as a neighbor?¡± After Stefan had checked every corner of her house and was sure only she was home, his cold face began to show warmth. ¡°You¡¯re only eating this for dinner?¡± When he saw the instant noodle cup on the table, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. 1/2 ¡°Yes. My hand is hurt, so I can¡¯t cook, and the food outside isn¡¯t clean.¡± Her instant noodle was imported and of great quality and nutritional value. ¡°You¡¯re sozy!¡± Althoughining, he walked to the kitchen and began looking for ingredients. Her refrigerator had few ingredients, but he made three dishes and a soup for her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you could cook.¡± (1) Renee had a new perspective of the cold and noble man before her after seeing the food on the table. ¡°There are many things about me that you don¡¯t know,¡± he said as he put the food on her te. The bullet hurt Renee¡¯s right hand, so she could only hold the spoon with her left hand. Seeing this, he took the spoon over and fed her. ¡®This¡­ isn¡¯t really appropriate, right?¡¯ Renee thought as she blushed. It was an intimate and romantic gesture for him to feed her! ¡°Open your mouth,¡± Stefan said forcefully. Hearing this, she could only helplessly cooperate with him and do as he said. After trying the food, she had to admit that his cooking skills were good. (1) ¡°Women are so troublesome!¡± Although Stefan seemed to beining about it, his movements when he fed her were full of gentleness. It seemed like they had a tacit understanding as they stayed silent during the meal. As Renee ate, she felt tears pooling in her eyes. She had imagined this moment innumerable times during thest four years. As his wife, she didn¡¯t expect him to adore her; she was content if he could spare some time to eat with her. Yet she was always alone at the dining table for that four years. She was too lonely in her marriage. The dining table was empty, and so was the bed. Even her heart was empty. Now that he wanted to apany her, she didn¡¯t need him anymore. She felt that it was good to be alone. ¡°I¡¯m full. Thank you for taking care of me. You can return to your own home now, neighbor.¡± Renee wiped away her tears and held her heart at bay as she tried to get Stefan to leave. However, Stefan was in no rush to go as he slowly put down the spoon and informed her, ¡°I¡¯ll live here until you¡¯re fully recovered.¡± (1 ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± Renee refused immediately. ¡°What you say doesn¡¯t matter.¡± With that, he carried her and said, ¡°Now, I¡¯ll bathe you and get you ready for bed.¡± ¡®What does he n to do?¡¯ Renee wondered nervously. Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¡°Stefan, put me down. We¡¯re not that close with each other!¡± Renee said as she struggled to break free from the man. She was embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t beat him despite her skills and reputation. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop moving. You¡¯re hurt.¡± Stefan shot back with a poker face as he carried her to the bathroom. She was as light as a feather, which stirred a huge urge in him to protect her. Renee was a little speechless. Her arm was only slightly injured. It wasn¡¯t like she had broken her leg or waist that she couldn¡¯t care for herself. She became worried when she saw that he had not intended to leave after he had ced her inside the bathtub. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re not really going to shower me, right? I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t you dare take advantage of me!¡± A sly smile appeared on the man¡¯s face after he had ced her inside the bathtub. His slender finger hooked underneath her chin, and he asked, ¡°What if I want to? After all, the bathtub is huge. It has enough space for two people.¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee shouted with a red face. She had no idea the cold man she used to adore had such a perverted side to him. Those who seemed normal on the surface were really twisted on the inside! ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t you dare do anything to me. Or else I¡¯ll call the police!¡± ¡°Call them. I¡¯d like to see what the police would say about a husband and wife bathing together.¡± As he spoke, he turned on the faucet. At the same time, he opened two of the buttons of his shirt, showing off his perfect abs. He leaned closer to her and said hoarsely, ¡°Since we¡¯re going to get a divorce soon, let¡¯s have ast bath together. Won¡¯t it feel like a farewell ceremony?¡± He was seducing her openly! Renee clenched her fist quietly and thought, ¡®Since the police couldn¡¯t do anything about it, I¡¯ll have to solve it alone!¡¯ Although her arm was injured, she was still capable of beating Stefan. The tub quickly filled up with water. They leaned in closer gradually, and the ambiance seemed affectionate. Just as she was about to strike him, he suddenly stood up and looked down at her. ¡°You¡¯re so stupid!¡± His slender fingers skimmed through the water, and he flicked the water on her delicate face. ¡°I¡¯m not that desperate to vite a patient! I¡¯ll wait for you outside. Call me anytime you need me.¡± With that, Stefan left the bathroom and gently closed the door. Seeing this, Renee breathed a sigh of relief. She had overthought things earlier, hadn¡¯t she? Stefan would never have the desire for her. He was ying with her earlier. In the past four years of their rtionship, they were only intimate once, and it happened because they were drunk at that time. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking,¡± she told herself. The whole bathroom grew misty and warm as the temperature rose due to the hot water. Renee crossed her delicate legs over the tub after removing her clothes and satfortably while listening to music with her eyes closed. Stefan sat on the sofa, his legs crossed, reading the newspaper. His aura exuded a sense of nobility. As predicted, the charity night event made the newspaper¡¯s front page, with Renee and him as the main focus. The four individuals who tried to murder him had been apprehended, ording to the newspaper. Among them was a male dressed as a woman, which exined how they got into the event. During these years, the Hunt family made many achievements and enemies. As the only sessor of the family, Stefan became the target of many. He still remembered that Renee advised him not to do so before he went up on stage. ¡®Could she know something about it?¡¯ But he shook the thought off as he remembered she was only an innocent woman. He was prepared to ask her about it after she was done bathing, but Elijah called, and his voice was solemn as he spoke, ¡°Mr. Hunt, there¡¯s news from the police. The four individuals hade clean and said the same people who tried to kill you in Newrest three months ago hired them.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sterfan¡¯s gaze turned cold, and he sat up straight, stunned. ¡®Wasn¡¯t the attack three months ago caused by local riots? If it had been deliberately started by enemies¡­ Tristan¡¯s death was not an ident, but nned?¡¯ ¡°As to who is the man behind all these, they refused to confess. How are you feeling now? If you¡¯re a bit better, I suggest you attend their hearing, after all-¡± Bang! A loud noise suddenly came from the bathroom. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¡°What happened?¡± Stefan called out as he hung up the phone and went straight to the bathroom door. Just as he was about to open the door, he heard Renee¡¯s panicked voiceing from inside, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯te in! And a series of loud banging sounds followed afterward. It doesn¡¯t seem like she was fine. After moments of hesitation, he pushed the door and entered. ¡°Ah! Who told you toe in? Get out!¡± Renee was standing up in the bathtub. She quickly wrapped a towel around her naked body when she saw that he had entered. Although her movements were quick, he still saw her body. He froze in ce and swallowed harshly, feeling his lips turn dry. He hadn¡¯t known that she was so stunning! He wondered why it had taken him so long to realize that he had been living with a hidden treasure for the previous four years. After a while, he finally calmed down. Only then did he realize that the clothes on the rack had fallen, which meant Renee¡¯s clothes and towel had dropped into the tub, and the towel she used to wrap herself in was dripping wet. ¡°Do you need help?¡± he calmly asked her. [1 She looked very seductive, standing before him with a wet towel wrapped around her body. ¡°What do you think?¡± Renee said, clearly embarrassed with how red her face was. ¡®Does this man know no boundaries? Does he think it¡¯s appropriate toe in when I¡¯m naked? If it weren¡¯t for the towel, I would have dug a hole and hid in there forever!¡¯ she thought embarrassingly to herself. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re in a pinch. How do you want me to help you?¡± Stefan asked as he approached her, his face filled with concern. ¡°D-don¡¯te near me! That¡¯s the biggest help you can give me!¡± She stuttered and immediately backed away. In her panic, she didn¡¯t see that she had reached the edge where she tripped and was about to fall t on her back. 1 ¡°Watch out!¡± Stefan called out and reacted quickly. His long arms reached out and wound around her slender waist before they both fell into the water. Their bodies were pressed closely together, and it seemed very intimate. 2 They could feel each other¡¯s body temperature and their beating hearts underneath the thinyer of clothes. Stefan gazed at Renee underneath him. This was the first time he observed her up close.. Her eyes were brilliant and piercing. They seemed gentle and docile, yet there was a hint of mystery. Red flushes grew like roses on her delicate cheeks, captivating his heart. ¡°How long are we going to keep this position? My legs are numb!¡± she asked awkwardly as her arms wrapped around his neck. Instantly, Stefan returned to his senses. His expression was indifferent, but his movements were gentle as he pulled out from the tub. Then, he turned around like a gentleman and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get your clothes.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fin-.¡± Before she could finish her words, he had left. At this point, she doesn¡¯t care anymore. After all, they had been intimate before, and she was having his children, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about anymore. Renee sat by the tub and wrapped herself in the wet towel while waiting for him to return. Stefan went into the bedroom. After taking her nightgown, he wanted to leave, but a jewelry box caught his attention. The box was programmed to open automatically. There were few items inside, and they weren¡¯t very pricey. The only item that stood out was a peach-shaped crystal ne that looked just like the one auctioned off at the charity event. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡®Is the real product? But why would she have the ne that the king of Asken customized for his daughter?¡¯ he wondered to himself. He was now more curious about his obedient wife and how many secrets she kept that he didn¡¯t know about. At this time, Elijah called him again. (1) ¡°Did they talk? Who¡¯s the mastermind?¡± Though his voice was calm, it was obvious that Stefan was eager for the information¡­ ¡°No.¡± Elijah took a long breath before continuing, ¡°The police just informed me that they¡¯re dead. They took their own lives.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Stefan furrowed his brows and cursed. He was close to finding the mastermind, but now the lead was gone! He said coldly, ¡°Keep looking into this. I must find out who killed Tristan!¡± After he said that, he paused and added, ¡°Get me information on Renee. Whether it¡¯s disclosed or not, I want it all.¡± ¡°Huh? You want Mrs. Hunt¡¯s information?¡± Elijah repeated, clearly confused. ¡°They have been married for four years, and only now does Stefan ask for Renee¡¯s information. Isn¡¯t it toote?¡¯ Elijah thought to himself. Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Chapter 50 It was alreadyte at night when Stefan and Renee finished changing their clothes. Shey on the bed, losing all patience as she gazed at the handsome man sitting on the couch in blue pajamas. ¡°I only have a slight injury on my arm. You don¡¯t have to stay here and look after me all the time. You should return. to your house, and we should keep our distance like before.¡± ¡°You got hurt saving me, so I¡¯m responsible for it,¡± Stefan calmly replied as he folded the magazine he had been reading. He coldly gazed at her and asked with seriousness, ¡°Do you need me to tuck you in bed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary!¡± Renee said, immediately crossing her arms and turning to the other side of the bed. She reasoned that if he persisted in guarding her, she should leave him to his own devices since she was sleepingfortably on the bed and not the one suffering on the sofa! The orange light from the tablemp illuminated the room. A calm silence filled the room as time passed, and the only sound she heard was of him flipping through the magazine. It was strange. She had been having difficulties sleeping for thest several days, but now she felt peaceful and secure for the first time and immediately fell asleep. Stefan was also getting tired. He put down the magazine and gently rubbed his temple. His dashing features looked perfect under the warm light. He turned to look at Renee, who was fast asleep on the bed. She curled into a ball and turned her back on him. His heart softened when he saw her in that adorable state. He didn¡¯t understand how such a petite, weak woman could have such courage to protect him that day. He stayed by her side because he was worried that if she woke up in the middle of the night thirsty or hungry, no one would be there to help her. He was also afraid that those who tried to murder him might come for her in revenge. He had to be consistently on guard, as they had tried multiple times to kill him! Stefan sucked a deep breath and sipped his coffee to keep his energy. Then, he took out his phone and scrolled through social media to pass the time. On ident, he pressed on the fan page of him and Renee. It was usually quite an active page, but it got even more attention after the incident at the auction. There were multiple pictures andments about Stefan and Rene, so he randomly clicked on one of the posts. ¡°This is super cool! See how the usual obedient wife protects her husband!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. There was a video of Renee kicking the gun away, and she looked cool indeed. ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the video and looked surprised. Her swift motions seemed only possible after eight to ten years of practice. ¡®Is she the same weak and incapable girl I met?¡¯ he wondered to himself. He even suspected she was possessed since the difference between her on regr days and in the video was so significant. (1 The majority in thement section felt the same as Stefan. ¡°Wow! Renee is so amazing. She stood in front of a gun for love. This is so touching!¡± 1/2 ¡°I suddenly feel that Stefan doesn¡¯t deserve her. He¡¯s so weak. I think Mr. Osborne is more powerful!¡± ¡°I agree. I announce that Hunt my Everheart is fake. Liam my Everheart is the real couple!¡± ¡°I agree!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± (1 ¡°I agree as well!¡± When Stefan saw this, he became angry. He registered an ount andmented angrily, ¡°A yboy like Liam doesn¡¯t deserve her.¡± Instantly, he became the joke of the inte. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and date Renee then?¡± ¡°Liam has a lot of admirers, but he only loves Renee.¡± ¡°You¡¯re definitely a hater. Get lost!¡± Seeing this, Stefan angrily deleted hisment. Apart from that, there were posts apuding Renee and Liam and bad-mouthing Renee and Stefan. Suddenly, he remembered the fanfiction about him and Renee that managed to capture the hearts of many. However, the owner had deleted that post, and many were begging for it to be published again. Stefan was looking for it too but found nothing in the end. He was annoyed and phoned Elijah once again. ¡°Can you still find posts that had been deleted before when you¡¯re doing damage control?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an id called ¡®Everheart_Hunter¡¯. They wrote a fanfiction of Renee and me before. Get the technician to retrieve it.¡± Elijah was confused. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Ten minutester, he called Stefan back and said, ¡°Mr. Hunt, the technician examined it, and we did not erase it. The author seems to have deleted it on their own. Not only that but all online traces of it were also removed. I believe they did it on purpose.¡± ¡°On purpose?¡± Stefan¡¯s face darkened, and his desire to read it became stronger. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Chapter 51 The following day, the sun shone brightly. Elijah immediately sent Stefan all the pieces of information he had on Renee. After reading it, Stefan was shocked, and he had a new perception of her. They had been married for four years and were about to get a divorce, and only now did he find out that his wife was the infamous genius that graduated from BC University. She skipped two grades in high school and entered BC University without needing to take the exam. She studied Electronic Communications and Technology, majoring in Electromaic Field and Electromaic Wave Direction. She became the lecturer¡¯s assistant in her second year, and whenever she was in ss, it would be full of students. During her second year of postgraduate, she went to Asken as an exchange student and continued to have exceptional grades. However, everything changed when she was in her final year. The Everhearts faced insolvency and dered bankruptcy. Her parentsmitted suicide because they were unable to face reality. The former member of The Great Eight of Beach City had fallen and gained a slew of enemies. 1 Afterward, she became an orphan under Maurice¡¯s care where Stefan rushed home under the threat of Old Mr. Hunt and immediately married Renee. He wasn¡¯t happy with the arranged marriage, so he hated her. He still remembered the first time he met her. It was raining. She was wearing all white, and a white flower was hanging on her ear. She looked petite as she didn¡¯t speak a word with a solemn face. 1 Stefan didn¡¯t like women who were quiet and solemn, so his first impression of her wasn¡¯t great. As a result, he had never been interested in his wife in the previous four years. He obviously didn¡¯t want to know her. He pretended to be a loving pair with her whenever he needed to attend an event, but they had no further interaction. It was undeniable that Renee carried out her responsibilities as Mrs. Hunt. She was respectful and attentive to his grandparents. Even though she had been practically a widow for four years, she didn¡¯t get involved in any scandals. If it weren¡¯t for Briar, he wouldn¡¯t have minded going on with this marriage. After Renee woke up, she sat up from the bed and stretched her body. Last night was her most peaceful sleep in the past four years. She looked around the room and didn¡¯t see Stefan, and she instantly let out a breath of relief. ¡°He finally left!¡± However, her hopes were crushed when she walked out of her room and saw him sitting on the sofa. ¡°Why are you still here? I thought, as the CEO of H Group, you should be busy.¡± She said, her expression filled with disdain as she looked at the man. (1) He put down the newspaper and looked at her calmly before saying, ¡°Have some breakfast.¡± Only then did she see there were all sorts of food on the dining table. She felt conflicted. Before this, she would be so happy, but now it was toote. It only felt funny seeing him do all this. 1/2 ¡°Stefan, you really don¡¯t have to.¡± She looked at him calmly as she said coldly, ¡°First of all, we are married by contract, so no feelings are involved. Second, we¡¯re about to get a divorce soon. Third, I think Briar needs this breakfast more than me.¡± ¡°To conclude, I hope you know your limits as my soon-to-be ex-husband. Please keep a distance from me and don¡¯t bother me anymore, so people don¡¯t misunderstand us.¡± Her words were blunt to the point that it might have hurt him. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. However, he wasn¡¯t mad at her. He stood up from the sofa and slowly approached her. In the still and silent air, they gazed at each other. He was taller than her, so his aura felt greater, as if he was suffocating her. ¡°So¡­ Have you misunderstood something?¡± his voice was cold as he looked at her and asked. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Renee subconsciously pursed her lips but didn¡¯t answer him, thinking to herself, ¡®You¡¯re aware of what I misunderstood. Why are you pretending not to know?¡± Stefan¡¯s dark eyes focused on her, and he said, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you misunderstood me, but I don¡¯t want you overthinking things. I¡¯m doing all this to thank you for saving me. Besides that, I have no other intentions.¡± After hearing this, sheughed mockingly at herself. She knew she had read too much into his actions. He had never liked her in the past four years, so it was impossible that he had feelings for her now! (1) ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She rxed instantly and joked, ¡°After the divorce, we won¡¯t see each other anymore.¡± Stefan merely pressed his lips together and didn¡¯t say a word. He was thinking of the same thing, but he didn¡¯t feel happy when he heard her say it. Renee rolled up her sleeves, pointed at her injury, and said, ¡°See, my injury is healing. I can take care of myself. You can leave now.¡± He looked at the scar and asked indifferently, ¡°Where¡¯s the medicine? I¡¯ll put it for you.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not necessary. I can do it on my own.¡± Stefan didn¡¯t care at all about her refusal. He found the medicine and applied it to her. The scar was longer and deeper than he had thought. He couldn¡¯t imagine how painful it was for her when she had gotten this wound. ¡°Ah! That hurt.¡± Renee hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°Bear with it¡­¡± His movements were gentle as he blew on her scar and said coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re scared of the pain, why bother acting strong and being the hero?¡± ¡°Hey! I got hurt because of you!¡± She was so mad that she wanted to hit him! ¡°Don¡¯t do stupid things like this anymore. I¡¯m not worth the risk,¡± He looked at her scar and said in a hoarse voice. 1 He was naturally strong, so he didn¡¯t like owing another person a favor. His phone rang when he rubbed the medicine on her wound. Renee saw the name on the screen and noted it was Briar calling him. She asked him, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to pick up the call?¡± Stefan hesitated for a while before putting down the medicine and picking up the call. ¡°Stefan, where are you? Can youe to the hospital for a while? I want to apply for a checkup card, but they need your signature as the baby¡¯s father.¡± Her coquettish voice wasn¡¯t loud, but Renee heard her clearly. ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle immediately.¡± There wasn¡¯t hesitation to his answer. She could tell that he really cared about Briar and her child. At the thought of her two kids inside her tummy, she felt they would never get any love from their father. 1/2 The thought made her sad. Stefan was hesitant when he noticed the scar that was only partially covered with medication. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Go. She¡¯s waiting for you. I can do the rest.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a scar. Not like I became cripple. Of course, I¡¯m sure.¡± Renee replied, raising an eyebrow and laughing sarcastically, ¡°If she knows you¡¯re here with your future ex-wife, she¡¯ll probably get upset. That wouldn¡¯t be good for the baby.¡± Her words made him a little worried. The baby was Tristan¡¯s only bloodline. He couldn¡¯t let anything happen to the baby. ¡°I¡¯ll go now. Call me if you need anything.¡± After that, he grabbed his jacket and phone and left the house. Instantly the house became cold once again. Renee froze in ce for a while beforeughing at herself. ¡®I¡¯ve lostpletely,¡¯ she thought to herself. But then she gathered her feelings and decided it was all fine that he was gone since it meant she could finally be free to read books and practice yoga. Just as she was excited to have her own time, the doorbell rang. ¡°Could he possibly return halfway?¡± She opened the door with some anticipation but saw that the person standing outside was not someone she ever imagined turning up here. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Chapter 53 ¡°You?¡± Shocked was written all over Renee¡¯s face.. He was an unwee guest! ¡°Am I not weed here?¡± Haze asked with his hand shoved inside his pocket. His charming face, hidden under his cap, gave off a mysterious vibe to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re that familiar with each other,¡± Renee replied coldly. She didn¡¯t know why a hacker like him was here, and she was instantly wary and on guard at his presence. ¡°Not familiar?¡± Haze repeated andughed sarcastically. ¡°We¡¯re a great team in the hacker world. Although we¡¯ve never met each other, we¡¯ve worked together online multiple times before. We should be old friends, right, Phoenix?¡± When Renee heard this, she smiled helplessly. As expected, he purposely let her win that day at H Group cause he had long known her identity. It didn¡¯t matter anyway since she wanted to meet him too, and he came on his own today, so it was perfect. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Phoenix. You can call me Renee,¡± she said, extending her hand to the man. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Haze. You can call me Justin Baldwin.¡± The man felt that his wish had finallye true when he held her hand. He waited many years for this moment. Since Phoenix won during the hackerpetition for the first time by a small margin from him, he was determined to find her. He originally thought Phoenix was an old man, as rumored. He didn¡¯t expect that Phoenix was a beautiful woman whose husband had cheated on her! The differences between her in real life and online identity were so massive that it was hard to believe! ¡°Justin Baldwin?¡± Baldwin wasn¡¯t amon surname. Renee frowned and asked cautiously, ¡°Pardon me, but what is your rtionship with the famous Austin Baldwin from Sutton?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my grandfather.¡± Haze shrugged his shoulders nonchntly as he answered honestly. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that the unbeatable man who owns a team of top armies that couldmand the whole of Sutton is your grandfather?¡± Renee said with eyes wide in shock that they looked like they would fall out of their socket anytime. When she was a child, she heard stories of Maurice fighting in the war with his two best friends. One was Old Mr. Hunt, and the other was Austin. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only However, something happened between Old Mr. Hunt and Austin and they ended the friendship. Maurice chose to side with Old Mr. Hunt; hence he had to end the friendship with Austin as well. Yearster, the Hunt family and the Everheart family became the two most powerful families in Beach City, while the Baldwin family became powerful in Sutton under the lead of Austin. ¡°My grandfather never imagined that one day I would be destiny to meet his old buddy¡¯s granddaughter.¡± A mix of emotions shed before his eyes as he stared at Renee and said, ¡°If I had known the woman my grandfather forced 1/2 me to marry was the Phoenix I¡¯ve been looking for a long time, I would¡¯ve dly agreed.¡± +15 BONUS ¡°I would have treated you like a queen for being such a beautiful and perfect wife. I wouldn¡¯t have cheated behind your back.¡± When the Everheart family faced bankruptcy and Renee¡¯s parents decided to end their life and leave her all alone to face the enemies¡¯ threats and live a harsh life, Austin wanted Haze to marry her for Maurice¡¯s sake. 1 However, when Haze heard about the news, he went missing. And so their wedding had to be canceled. Afterward, the news about her marriage to Stefan was everywhere. What angered Haze the most was that he had gone missing not to avoid the marriage but to look for Phoenix instead. He hadn¡¯t known that the person he had been looking for all this while was in front of his eyes the whole time! ¡°Ugh! Fate was ying with me!¡± Haze groaned as he slumped on her couch with immense regret. Renee handed a bottle of juice to him and asked, ¡°Why are you here? It can¡¯t only be because you regret not marrying me, right?¡± It was strange. Although she was meeting him for the first time, a sense of familiarity made her feel like he was her long-lost rtive. This made her wonder whether she would be happier if she had married Haze instead of Stefan. ¡°Of course not.¡± He twisted open the bottle and gulped down the juice. Then stood up and said solemnly, Do you hate him? Do you want to get revenge?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate him, nor do I want revenge,¡± She answered honestly. Stefan has cheated on you. She just wanted to earn enough money to raise her two kids and live a peaceful life with them that didn¡¯t involve Stefan. Haze shook his head and said, ¡°we quite optimistic. Do you know that the Hunt family is in trouble now? This is the best chance to get your revenge. If you¡¯re willing to work with me, I can help the Everheart family take over the Hunt family¡¯s position.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to work with you?¡± ¡°If you refuse, I will expose your identity as ¡®Phoenix¡¯. which will cause him toe and exert vengeance on you.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± He didn¡¯t answer her. Instead, he gave her a card. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days to think about it. Call me anytime you change your mind.¡± Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Renee didn¡¯t take Haze¡¯s threat seriously, and she threw the card away. She didn¡¯t care if he exposed her. After all, she saved Stefan¡¯s life. She hoped Stefan wouldn¡¯t be cruel to her just because of a little prank. However, she was curious about the problem Haze said about the Hunt family. ¡®Is that why Stefan keeps getting targeted? Who would be bold enough to attack the Hunt family of Beach City publicly?¡¯ she thought to herself. At first, she wanted to ask Liam to check it out, but she felt it was unnecessary, seeing as she and Stefan were about to get a divorce soon. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. She put the thoughts back in her mind and decided to care for herself first. It was a pointless venture anyway, as she had never gotten any gratitude from the Hunt family in the past four years despite all the sacrifices she had made for them. Seeing as the weather was great today and she hadn¡¯t gone out to shop in a while, she called Leia. The two decided to meet at three in the afternoon in Paragon za. Thinking about how her babies were almost two months old, she initially went from feeling they were a burden to slowly looking forward to meeting them. ¡°Bestie!¡± Leia called out, looking stunning as she waved at Renee from afar. As Liam¡¯s twin sister, she got the same love from Geronimo and was pampered her entire life. As a result, she exuded confidence and radiated force. Only in front of Renee that she would act silly hence the nickname ¡®brainless beauty¡¯. ¡°Ren, you finally remembered me! I miss you so much. Let me see your injury.¡± After Leia gave her a big hug, she began examining her wound. Only when she was sure Renee was okay did she start toin. ¡°My brother is too overbearing! He doesn¡¯t let me visit you because he said I¡¯d bother you. I think he just wants you all to himself! He should at least look in the mirror before thinking he deserves you. Doesn¡¯t he know that you belong to me?¡± At the mention of this, she hugged Renee in her arms and kissed her furiously on the cheek. Renee couldn¡¯t help butugh at the other woman¡¯s actions. ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t be disgusting. Let¡¯s go shopping.¡± ¡°Sure. Where do you want to go? LV or Chanel? I don¡¯t think the mall has Hermes. That¡¯s why it feels like it¡¯s missing something.¡± Leia was born rich. All her clothes were luxurious brands. She rarely goes to a mall, but if she did, she would go to branded shops. ¡°Let¡¯s just window-shop a little.¡± Although that was what Renee said, she pulled Leia straight to the fourth floor. The fourth floor was full of baby products. Parents could be seen there with their children. Renee¡¯s eyes glistened with excitement when she saw the baby¡¯s clothes and instantly went up to touch them. ¡°Wow. This pink dress is so cute. The material is so soft!¡± ¡°And this overall is so adorable too!¡± ¡°This pair of shoes is so small, so adorable!¡± Leia stood outside the shop and was stunned to see Renee so excited. 1/2 ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ If she remembered correctly, Renee seemed to dislike children but now¡­ ¡®Something¡¯s not right!¡¯ Leia thought to herself. Renee got more excited as she walked inside the shop. She loved every single thing there and had a strong urge to buy the whole floor. She saw a doll in the center of the shop and was about to take it for a closer look when someone snatched it away. It was none other than Briar. ¡°Miss Everheart?¡± Briar was shocked, but she acted innocent. At the same time, her future mother-inw, Francine, saw Renee and shouted, ¡°Renee, why are you here? Did you follow Briar and me?¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, why are you here at a baby store? Are you pregnant as well?¡± Briar purposefully exposed her belly. She seemed innocent, but her voice and actions were filled with provocative intent. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Francine snorted and sized Renee from head to toe before mockingly saying, ¡°Stefan won¡¯t even touch her, so how can she be pregnant? She¡¯s just a waste of our money.¡± Francine¡¯s words were so cruel that Renee instantly clenched her fist when she heard them. Just as she was about to say something, Leia stepped forward and insulted Francine. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re not that capable, either. One of your sons died, and the other had an affair. If I were you, I would reflect on why my sons are useless. Aren¡¯t you afraid your grandchildren will get karma because of your nasty remarks?¡± Before Renee had a divorce, Leia kept quiet and didn¡¯t interfere in their family matter. But now that Renee was getting a divorce, she wouldn¡¯t stay silent anymore. Francine was furious when she heard that, and she turned pale with anger as she pointed a finger at Leia. ¡°You¡­¡± When Briar saw this, she felt that this was an opportunity for her to get on Francine¡¯s good side. She instantly stood. between Francine and Leia, then acted like a pitiful victim as she said, ¡°Miss Osborne, you can¡¯t say that to your elder. Even if you¡¯re not satisfied, you can¡¯t be unreasonable.¡± Leia felt rage course through her at Briar¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t want to be aggressive before this but couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. She grabbed Briar and hit her across the face. p! A crisp noise rang out clearly, causing Briar and Francine to be stunned instantly. Francine hadn¡¯t thought that a softie like Renee would have such a fierce friend that was not one to mess with. She looked at Renee and demanded, ¡°Why are you standing there? Tell your friend to apologize now, or else I won¡¯t drop this matter so easily!¡± Renee stood where she was and calmly said, ¡°You should apologize instead. I am afraid her face might be too thick from how shameless she is that it hurt my friend¡¯s hand.¡± ¡°What?!¡± When Francine realized that Renee didn¡¯t care, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She raised her hand, intending to p Leia, but Renee grabbed her wrist instantly and coldly said, ¡°Miss Francine, it¡¯s bad to sneak up on someone else.¡± Francine was stunned to see the sharp look in Renee¡¯s eyes, as it was theplete opposite of how Renee used to be. Suddenly, Briar sat on the floor with a thud and screamed, ¡°Oh, my stomach!¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stefan appeared, and his handsome face was dark as he asked solemnly. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. When Francine saw Stefan, she became even more arrogant. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re finally here. If you didn¡¯te in time, Renee and her violent friend were about to beat us up! You have to teach these two a lesson today!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t care about Francine but rushed to help Briar and asked, ¡°Are you okay? Do you need to see the doctor?¡± Briar had pretended to be hurt, so naturally, she didn¡¯t need or want to go to the hospital. She said weakly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just that I got pped, but it didn¡¯t hurt my stomach. I¡¯ll be fine after some rest.¡± When Stefan saw the mark on her face, his cold face grew even more frigid. He stared coldly at Renee and asked with a hint of steel in his voice. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you exin what¡¯s going on?¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Thinking that an exnation was unnecessary, Renee returned the man¡¯s cold stare with a calm one and said, ¡°She was pped. There¡¯s more to say about it.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if he considered her unreasonable or disgraceful. There was nothing to exin, and it wasn¡¯t necessary. Everything about the Hunts was nothing important to her from the moment she decided to divorce Stefan. What¡¯s more, it was just a mistress and a shrew. (D) Francine, with a shaking voice and an arrogant look, said, ¡°Look, she admitted it. What are you still standing here for, son? Make her get down on her knees and beg for forgiveness!¡± Having stood by the side watching, Leia started to get irritated again and shouted, ¡°Fuck your forgiveness! I wouldn¡¯t have pped her if your mother and this bitch didn¡¯t call Ren a parasite and a barren!¡± Stefan furrowed his brows deeply when he heard her and turned to look at his mother and Briar. ¡°Is that true?¡± Briar, feeling guilty, choked on her words. As for Francine, rather than feel guilty, she was harrumphed and said righteously, ¡°It¡¯s just a fact! She¡¯s indeed barren. She¡¯s the one who couldn¡¯t conceive, so what¡¯s the fuss about fearing what the people say?¡± Leia was speechless, almost reaching the brink of exploding as she eximed, ¡°Why do you think Ren is infertile?¡± Leia pulled Renee impulsively and announced proudly, ¡°Let me just tell you straight. Ren has been pregnant for almost a month. And one more thing, she is having fraternal twins!¡± Her words were like the most powerful nuclear weapon in the world. Everyone was stunned. And Renee was the most confused one. ¡®What¡¯s happening here? I remembered clearly that I had not spoken a word to Leia about my pregnancy. How did shee to know about it?¡¯ t Francine stared at Renee¡¯s belly with mixed feelings, and said doubtfully, ¡°Son, didn¡¯t you have no feelings for her? Why is she get pregnant?¡± Stefan pursed his thin lips, and his cold eyesnded on Renee¡¯s belly. The expression on his face was rather unpleasant. He and Renee hadn¡¯t been intimate, so how could she be pregnant? Leia was delighted with their reactions and continued bluffing with a serious face, ¡°Hmph! Stop dreaming. Who said that Ren¡¯s pregnant with your son¡¯s children? Since your son shamelessly cheated on my friend, of course she could. give him a payback. It¡¯s only fair this way!¡± Renee was always in sync with Leia, so she immediately got her point. Her best friend was clearly trying to stand up for her and making things up on purpose! Stefan¡¯s handsome face turned extremely gloomy, and he questioned bitterly, ¡°Whose baby is it?¡± ¡°I told you already that Ren is having fraternal twins. Isn¡¯t this obvious enough? They are Liam¡¯s, of course!¡± said 1/2 TIU DUKUJ Leia proudly, ¡°We, the Osbornes, inherit a strong gic trait of getting twins, you know?¡± Renee struggled to hold back herughter and nearly failed, and a snort almost left her lips. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Oh my God, how could Leia be so full of shit? When I really give birth to twins, it¡¯ll be impossible for me to exin this!¡¯ Stefan stared at Renee with eyes that could almost tear her into pieces. ¡°Is she telling the truth?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Renee didn¡¯t know how to answer that for a moment. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true!¡± Leia chimed in as she cast a sympathetic look at Stefan. ¡°What a pity! My best friend is one hundred percent sure who the father of her children is, but I won¡¯t be sure if Master Hunt is the father of this bitch¡¯s child!¡±¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee cleared her throat, signaling Leia to stop and not to go too overboard. Stefan was a difficult man to deal with. If he were really pissed, the Osbornes would be in trouble. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lei. Mr. Hunt is still busy picking out clothes for his baby!¡± After dropping this sinister remark, Renee held Leia and walked away, her head held high and ignoring Stefan¡¯s cold gaze. If looks could kill, she would certainly have dropped dead with how hard the man was staring at her! Stefan watched her retreating back indifferently, hesitating to withdraw his gaze. Francine said indignantly, ¡°Hmph! I knew that bitch was no good. It¡¯s not a surprise that she would cheat on you. You are getting divorced soon anyway, so let her fool around if she wants!¡± Stefan slowly turned and said slowly, ¡°Impossible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s impossible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible that she would cheat on me, moreover, get pregnant.¡± His gaze turned sharp as he said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t have the guts to do that!¡± Briar did not expect Stefan to defend Renee even though he was about to divorce her, which rmed her. To get rid of Renee, a prickly thorn in her heart, an evil n started to form in her mind secretly¡­ Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Renee¡¯s shopping mood was swept away after the misfortune of meeting Stefan and the two toxic women, so she went straight home after leaving the mall. The following day, she woke up early. After changing into a ck dress and tying up her hair, she went to the florist to get a bouquet of daisies and then drove to the graveyard. It was the third of March, the death anniversary of her parents. It had been four whole years since theymitted suicide, and she had never visited them. Everyone said she was a cold-blooded, ungrateful wretch who forsook her family to please the Hunts. But only she knew how much she loved her family. She was angry that they were not brave enough to live on, for their cowardice, their choice to leave in such a stupid and stubborn way, and for leaving her alone in the world! She hadn¡¯t visited their graves for so many years because she hadn¡¯t wanted to face or ept this reality. Yet, it was different now. She had gained the courage to face everything because of the two little ones in her belly! (0 After this visit, she might leave Beach City without knowing when she would return. Regardless, Renee froze when she stood in front of the grave, as a bouquet of flowers was lying in front of the headstone of the joint grave. The bouquet was still fresh and undoubtedly pricey, judging from its borated arrangement. But since the tragedy happened to her family four years ago, her rtives deliberately stayed away from the Everheart family to avoid getting involved, so nobody would possiblye. So, who could these flowers be from? With the questions in her mind, Renee was about to leave after paying her respects, but an amber pendant beside the bouquet caught her eye. She picked it up with care and examined it. It was a delicate work, with unique characters carved inside. She found it very familiar but failed to recall who she had seen wearing this, no matter how much she tried. So, she put the pendant into her pocket and nned to return it to its rightful owner sometime. Leaving the graveyard, Renee was unaware that a man was sneaking up behind her. When she got into the car, the man dashed forward and stood in front of the car with his arms wide open. That was¡­ Elon Barnes? 1 With a cheerful look, the man said excitedly, ¡°My darling niece! I finally found you. I miss you so much!¡± It should be a touching scene when family members meet after four years, but who would have thought that a stern look would slide onto Renee¡¯s face instead? ¡°Elon, I¡¯ve not forgotten how you kicked my family when we were down. It¡¯s still fresh in my mind, so stop pretending!¡± Elon felt so embarrassed that he did not dare look into Renee¡¯s eyes when he tried to exin himself, ¡°You have to understand, Ren. Your aunt and I cut ties with you to save our lives back then. In fact, I still care about you and your mother deep in my heart¡­¡± Not bothering to listen anymore, Renee went straight to the point, ¡°Cut the crap. Just tell me what you want!¡± 1/2 Elon¡¯s eyes were tinged with greediness and slyness as he rubbed his hands. ¡°Ren, I heard that you are divorcing Stefan. Since the Hunts are rich, you must have received arge amount of alimony, right? So, can you help me out a bit?¡± Renee was somehow intrigued and wanted to see what this traitorous uncle of hers was plotting. ¡°What kind of help?¡± He replied unabashedly, ¡°Can you lend me some money? I don¡¯t need that much, just a few million! I desperately need this money!¡± She replied to himzily, ¡°I didn¡¯t get a dime out of the Hunts. I only got aw firm.¡± ¡°What? Are the Hunts so stingy that you only got a worthlessw firm? Elon said as his expression twisted uglily. However, he did not give up and continued, ¡°Did they really not give you a dime?¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°Yup.¡± Suddenly, Renee recalled something and said, ¡°Did you leave flowers on my parents¡¯ grave?¡± Elon was taken aback at first, but then he said cunningly, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s me! Your mother loved flowers and all the beautiful things in this world. It¡¯s her anniversary today. As her brother, I should have done this for her!¡± Renee¡¯s lips curled into an uncaring smile. At this point, she was almost certain that the bouquet was not from her stingy uncle, so he naturally could not be the one who had dropped the pendant. Either way, she didn¡¯t want to be too harsh to him because he was her mother¡¯s brother. ¡°If you¡¯re really short of money, I can get you a job once the ownership of thew firm is transferred to me.¡± She rolled up the window and sped off without waiting for his answer, leaving Elon with exhaust fumes and cursing at the distant shadow of her car. ¡°What the hell?! You¡¯re just an abandoned woman! Get off your high horse!¡± ¡®But the Hunts shouldn¡¯t be so stingy that they didn¡¯t give her a single dime, right?¡¯ Rubbing his chin, Elon had an idea¡­ Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Chapter 58 Renee returned home after leaving the graveyard. Just as she entered the door, she received a phone call from an unknown number. It was Briar. However, her tome was extremely polite and gentle, unlike her usual domineering tone when facing Renee. ¡°I am sorry to disturb you, Miss Everheart. I¡¯ve been cleaning the room recently and found some of your personal belongings. Do you have time toe and get them tonight?¡± ¡®Was Briar always so kind?¡¯ Renee thought, obviously skeptical about it. What was she up to this time? Despite that, Renee did not hesitate and replied calmly, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll drop by and get themter.¡± She left in hastest time, leaving some important belongings behind. Even if Briar did not call her, she would still find time to return to the vi to pick them up. At around eight in the evening, Renee got a cab and went straight to the Hunts¡¯ vi. The servants were somewhat distant because the previous mistress was visiting. They did not even bother to greet her. What snobs! It did not matter to Renee. She simply walked into the vi through the big door. The ce where she had been staying for four years was still the same as when she left. It was just a pity that the people had changed, and her heart inevitably felt sorrow. ¡®Bah! How unlucky I was to have wasted four years of youth in this damn ce!¡¯ The luxurious parlor was extraordinarily lively. Not only that the new mistress of this vi, Briar, was here, but Charlotte and her boyfriend, Micah, were also there. As soon as she saw Renee, Briar immediately took on the role of the hostess and went forward to greet her warmly. ¡°Miss Everheart, you came. We were just talking about you!¡± Renee asked with an indifferent look, ¡°Where are my things?¡± Renee was here to retrieve her things, so she would leave as soon as she got them. She had no time to be ying around with her. ¡°They¡¯re in your old room. I¡¯ve asked the servants to pack them up so you can take them away whenever you want.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± When Renee headed to the revolving staircase, Briar took her arm and said warmly, ¡°Since you are already here, why don¡¯t you stay for dinner?¡± ¡°Dinner?¡± Renee turned her bright eyes on Briar, and they suddenly unveiled a hint of yfulness. ¡°I am rather curious. When did my rtionship with you be so close, Miss Desrosiers?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Her gaze was so sharp that Briar felt intimidated and instinctively avoided it. Charlotte came forward and sneered. ¡°How petty of you to chicken out of a meal. It¡¯s no wonder my cousin doesn¡¯t want you!¡± Renee raised her eyebrows, amused. She found these two interesting, one ying nice and another nasty. What were they trying to achieve by acting so hard? ¡°Okay. It just so happens that I¡¯m a little hungry.¡± She decided to go along with them. She wanted to see what they coulde up with. A feast was served, and there was even a bottle of Lafite ¡¯82 on the table. Renee¡¯s cheeks started to burn after she drank the wine Briar poured for her. With one hand propping her forehead and her eyes turning hazy and watery, she was unmistakably drunk. ¡°I feel so dizzy, and why is it so hot¡­¡± Briar and Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard this, and they exchanged nces. (1) Charlotte hurriedly said to Micah, ¡°She¡¯s done eating. Take her upstairs and help her carry her things down¡­¡± At the sight of the drunken Renee, Micah swallowed heavily and helped her up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will take good care of her!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your doomsday today, bitch! After taking that stuff, even a saint will be a slut. She won¡¯t be able to escape this time, not even if she has wings!¡± Eyes glittering with a malicious light, Charlotte urged Briar excitedly, ¡°Bri, call my cousin. Doesn¡¯t this slut like to seduce men? Let¡¯s show him her true colors!¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Putting on the mask of concern, Briar said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bad idea? She¡¯s still your cousin¡¯s wife, after all.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Charlotte took Briar¡¯s arm and persuaded her righteously, ¡°Bri, you¡¯re just too kind-hearted. Think about how this woman trampled you at the charity banquet. Don¡¯t you want to give her some payback? Didn¡¯t you see how lustful she was acting just now? I¡¯m so generous that I even lent her my boyfriend to help her out! She¡¯ll have to thank meter! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of it if anything happens! It won¡¯t be your fault!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so kind to me, Charlotte!¡± Though Briar looked touched, she wasughing inwardly at Charlotte¡¯s stupidity. The stupid girl didn¡¯t even know she was being used, yet she was still working herself to the bone for Briar! A short whileter, Stefan returned to the vi. A chilling aura exuded from his tall figure, and he asked sternly,¡± Where is she?¡± Not seeing Renee after surveying the spacious parlor, his brows knitted tightly together. ¡± Briar approached him with an innocent look and stammered, ¡°Stefan, Miss Everheart is¡­ she¡¯s with Micah¡­¡¯ Charlotte gave him an aggrieved look andmented, ¡°Stefan, your demure and virtuous wife took advantage of our absence to seduce my boyfriend and get him into her bed!¡± Right after that, she hurriedly led Stefan upstairs. Stefan didn¡¯t say a word, his lips pursed and his gaze cold. They arrived at Renee¡¯s old bedroom, only to find that the door was tightly closed, and sultry sounds wereing from inside. Briar tried to open the door but found that it was locked. ¡°Stefan, it¡¯s locked. I can¡¯t open it¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned red as the simmering rage under his skin finally ignited into a burning fire. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± The next second, he kicked the door open with a loud bang, but the scene inside made them freeze. They saw that Micah, whose gaze was unfocused, was lying on the floor, hugging a life-size teddy bear and acting lewdly. (1 ¡°Hey, hottie¡­¡± On the other hand, Renee was sitting leisurely on the couch with her legs crossed. She was casually holding her phone with one hand, filming the whole thing, and eating popcorn with her other hand. She didn¡¯t seem to be drunk like how she acted just now! ¡°Hey, you came. Come on here quick! Watch this live performance. It¡¯s so entertaining!¡± Renee said as she beckoned. the three at the door enthusiastically. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on here?¡± Briar¡¯s face turned gloomy. This was not what she wanted at all! Renee was definitely more difficult to deal with than what others had said! On the other hand, Charlotte exploded and rushed toward Renee fiercely, trying to grab the cell phone in her hand as she screamed, ¡°What have you done to my boyfriend, you bitch?! Why is he like this?!¡± Renee dodged her easily, and Charlotte took a bad tumble, making herself look somewhat awkward. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know better why he¡¯s like this?¡± Renee replied, casting a condescending look at Charlotte. The former¡¯s gaze was disdainful as if looking at an insignificant ant. ¡®Hah, I thought these people would devise some great tricks to deal with her¡­ And this is it? Just the drug?¡¯ How disappointing! It was so uncreative and boring! She knew something was wrong with the wine immediately, so she switched it with Micah¡¯s when they weren¡¯t looking. She also pretended to be drunk to cooperate with them in the drama. ¡°Charlotte, my baby, why are you here? Let me kiss you¡­¡± (1) Micah, who was ying happily with the teddy, immediately pounced on Charlotte when he saw her falling next to him. And the scene became unbearable! ¡°Haha, wonderful, I¡¯ve learned something!¡± Renee picked up her phone and continued to film the scene before her happily. With this video, Charlotte would never dare to do anything to her again. Otherwise, she would buy thergest advertising screen in the busy area and broadcast it twenty-four hours a day! When she was in the middle of filming, someone suddenly grabbed the back of her cor. ¡°Stop watching already!¡± Stefan, whose face was as cold as ice, carried Renee out of the room like a mother cat carrying its kitten. Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Renee struggled to push him away. ¡°Stefan, are you crazy?!¡± ¡®Stop interrupting when I am enjoying myself, okay?¡¯ ¡°This isn¡¯t appropriate! You shouldn¡¯t watch this!¡± He spoke like a father worried for his daughter, as if Renee was a young, innocent girl watching something bad. Renee was speechless. ¡°I am not a kid, okay? I¡¯ve experienced a lot of things!¡± ¡°Really? Tell me, what have you experienced?¡± The cmitous rage on his handsome face had subsided, reced by a trace of yfulness as he calmly returned her gaze. She stayed silent as memories of the night she had sex with this man surfaced in her mind, which turned her cheeks red without her realizing it. Her shy reaction amused him, making him even more confident of his spection that she was not pregnant. In fact, she probably never had an intimate rtionship with a man! Shortly after that, Briar also left the room in embarrassment and hastily attempted to clear her name. ¡°Are you alright, Miss Everheart? I didn¡¯t expect that Micah would do such a thing. You were in the room for so long. He didn¡¯t harass you, right?¡± Her question was obviously a trap. It was hard for people to believe that nothing happened when only a man, especially a lewd one, and a woman were in the room. Renee chuckled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be very disappointed if I say he didn¡¯t, Miss Desrosiers? After all, the ss of wine you gave me was spiked to the brim, huh?¡± Briar paled at Renee¡¯s words, but the former replied innocently, ¡°What do you mean, Miss Everheart? I felt regretful for my actions toward you previously, and I wanted to apologize sincerely by offering you a ss of wine. I really had no idea it would turn out like this. Charlotte brought the wine, so you can ask her what was in it.¡± ¡°Is that so? However, I know for a fact that Charlotte is stupid, and she couldn¡¯t havee up with such tricks!¡± Briar was such an ungrateful woman for trying to get herself off the hook with just a few words. Renee couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for Charlotte for a moment. ¡°I know you hold prejudice against me, Miss Everheart. It¡¯s all my fault for getting pregnant and destroying your rtionship with Stefan. I¡¯ll pack my things and leave now¡­¡± Her tears flowed easily like the water from the faucet when she cried so miserably. She was clearly the perpetrator, yet her actions made Renee seem to be the aggressive one. 1 ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Stefan looked at Renee and continued coldly. ¡°This is between you and Charlotte. Don¡¯t drag any unrted people into it.¡± Then, he turned to Briar and ordered in a softer tone, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this. You should return to your room and rest. Stop crying. It¡¯ll affect the growth of the baby.¡±Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I am sorry, Stefan. The baby and I have caused you trouble,¡± Briar said pitifully. Then, she wiped her tears and left the scene without a single me on her. Renee clenched her fists, and bitterness welled up in her heart. ¡®Huh, does he love her so much that he turns a blind eye and lets her do as she pleases? Is he so concerned about the baby that he thinks even a little cry will harm it?¡¯ Stefan was unaware, but if she hadn¡¯t been vignt tonight, the babies in her belly might have died! Renee was so frustrated with this man that she didn¡¯t want to dwell on him for a moment longer, let alone stay in this hellhole, so she said coldly, ¡°My things are still in my room. Please get them out for me.¡± He frowned and said, ¡°Charlotte was out of line this time. I¡¯ll make her apologize.¡± ¡®Huh, did the sun rise from the west?¡¯ The man who never cared about her and let Charlotte trample her as she liked was actually turning his back on his own family for her sake? Unfortunately for him, she didn¡¯t need his concern anymore. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary. Just get my things out for me. I am in a hurry.¡± Renee went downstairs right after saying that and waited at the door in a reserved manner, acting like she was just a random visitor. And in fact, she had gone from being the mistress of this vi to a guest of this household. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Stefan pushed open the door and saw that Micah, who was under the influence of the drug, was pinning Charlotte beneath him and trying to have sex with her. ¡°Stefan, help me!¡± As of seeing a lifeline, Charlotte screamed at Stefan for help. Although Micah was her boyfriend and they had had sex a long time ago, this was a situation she just could not ept. It was too humiliating! Stefan¡¯s eyes coldly swept across the two on the floor and took away what belonged to Renee on the table. ¡°Serve you right!¡± He left without looking back after saying those words. His cousin was spoiled to the point of being toowless. It was time for her to taste some pain. When he got downstairs and saw Renee waiting at the door, he frowned. ¡°We are not divorced yet. You are still the mistress of this vi.¡± ¡°No, thank you!¡± Renee took the things in the man¡¯s hand and left without bothering to say goodbye. It was alreadyte at night at the moment. Renee stood outside the vi and tried to call for a cab, but because it was too far from the main city, no driver was willing to take the order. Not long after, Stefan pulled up in front of her in his silver Bugatti Veyron. His handsome face was cold. ¡°Get in!¡± It was not an invitation, but an order. Renee hesitated for a while but did not refuse. She pulled open the passenger door and got into the car. (1) But when she saw the things on the seat, she was a little surprised. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± She saw an amber pendant on the car bench. It was identical to the one she had found in the graveyard this morning. +15 BONUS A bold guess came up in her mind. Could he be the one who visited her parents¡¯ grave today and dropped the amber pendant? But it couldn¡¯t be. Why would he buy two identical pendants? Was it just a coincidence? ¡°Your pendant¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch my stuff!¡± He sounded hostile and snatched away the pendant coldly. ¡°Tsk!¡± She was a bit disappointed, thinking that it should be a coincidence and she must have been overthinking. Stefan did not even care about her, so how could he remember the death anniversary of her parents and bother to send flowers to pay respects? It was a love me, love my dog kind of thing. What was she expecting? She looked out the car window, hoping to get home as soon as possible. However, she immediately discovered that the route he took was not right. ¡°This was not the way back to Sunup Residence. Where are you going?¡± Stefan did not answer. His eyes were focused in front. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there.¡± She furrowed her brows and said, ¡°Stop the car. I¡¯m getting off.¡± If it were not for the difficulty of getting a cab in that area and he so happened to live in the same neighborhood as her, she would not have considered getting into the car! But now, the road was unfamiliar and she did not dare to get into a stranger¡¯s car. ¡°Sit tight!¡± He pressed the lock button and stepped on the gas pedal harder, and the car picked up speed immediately, overtaking several cars in a row. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t drag me with you if you want to die. Slow down!¡± Renee was so scared that her back was pressed against the seat and her fingers were gripping the armrest. It was not that she was a coward. She had learned car racing back then and experienced a higher speed than this. It was just that she was worried about the babies in her belly being scared. ¡°We are almost there. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to sell you!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face was expressionless when he continued to speed up. It took about ten minutes for the car to pull up at Paris La Nuit Club. Renee knew about this club. It was very high ss and had a strict membership system. Those who were members were either the rich or the aristocrats of Beach City. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only This was weird. Why would this man bring her to such a ce all of a sudden? ¡°Get out of the car.¡± Stefan parked the car and unlocked the passenger door. Renee, seeing that she was free, hurriedly opened the door to run away. But Stefan grabbed her wrist with his big palm and said in an absolutely assertive tone, ¡°You have to apany me to this meeting today.¡± ¡°We are in the middle of a divorce. Why should I y along with you? What¡¯s in it for me?¡± Renee, who was no longer her past self who was at his beck and call, said proudly, ¡°My appearance fee is very high, you know?¡± ¡°One hundred thousand per minute.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± She replied immediately with a bright smile, ¡°You are indeed generous, Mr. Hunt!¡± Thinking about her past self, she really found that she was very silly to be willing to be his puppet who was ready to apany him to any asion at any time without getting anything inpensation. Even reckoning made long friends, what¡¯s more with husbands and wives! The two were led by the waiter to the room on the highest floor of the club called the ¡°Night Banquet.¡± This room was the ssiest in the entire club and was only used to receive their most Sunguished members. Renee heard cheerful voices andughter from afar. The moment Stefan entered the room, he suddenly pressed the pause button, and all the voices stopped awkwardly. A tall, handsome man rushed over, his eyes widening. ¡°Holy sh*t, Stef, am I dreaming? Are you really here?¡± Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Chapter 62 The one speaking was a childhood friend of Stefan¡¯s, called Xavier. When Xavier saw Renee who was standing next to him, he let out an even more exaggerated yell. ¡°Oh my god,e and see this. Not only did Stefe, but he also brought his wife with him. Will wonders never cease? What a rare asion!¡± Stefan¡¯s attractive face remained unfazed as he strode into the room and said in a meaningful tone, ¡°Since I received the invitation, I naturally had toe.¡± Renee was still confused about the situation, so she acted like a good and dignified wife and followed the man obediently. Since she had received a fee of a hundred thousand dors per minute, she naturally had to y her role as his puppet well. The interior of the room was extravagantly luxurious. It was spacious andvish, with lights glimmering and glinting, as if they had entered a pce. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only A few couples were seated on the couch. She could tell from their appearances that they were children of the rich. The ones who stood out the most were the couple sitting in the middle. The man was charming, with rimless sses resting on his high nose bridge. He looked genteel and elegant, but his pair of narrow, deep eyes seemed to be able to control everything. Such aura muste from a family with a rich and powerful background. For instance, the silver watch on his wrist was a limited edition Rolex. It was the only one in the world, worth more than ten million! The woman who was intimately next to him also looked unique. Her near-perfect face was not only beautiful but sophisticated. She had a look that was rare even among thedies of the high society. In short, they were clearly a couple and were a good match for each other when sitting together. They were equally stunned when Stefan came in. ¡°Stef, you¡­¡± The woman stood up directly. Her eyes were wide open, flowing with love as if she had a lot of things to say. the contrary, the man was calmer and more rxed. He said gently, ¡°You are finally not angry and are willing toe.¡± Stefan put his hands into his pockets and looked at the two condescendingly. His deep voice was mixed with a hint of helplessness as he smiled faintly and said, ¡°Why else would it be?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes shuttled back and forth between them, and then she immediately came to a conclusion, ¡°The rtionship of these three is not simple. There must be something fishy going on here!¡¯ The atmosphere within the room was inexplicably awkward. Everyone was tensed and cautious, no one dared to say a word. Xavier took two sses of wine and walked airily to Stefan and the man on the sofa to give them each a ss of wine, and said cheerfully, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it. It¡¯s been four years and now that the golden trio is finally reunited, so we must drink till we drop! I am the youngest here and I was worried for the two of you so much, my bros, so I shall be the one who gives the first toast!¡± L The man on the couch stood up and clinked Stefan¡¯s and Xavier¡¯s sses with his wine ss, and sighed rather emotionally, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been four years, and we are finally reunited!¡± And he tilted his head and emptied his ss. Then, his attention fell on Renee beside Stefan and he said gently, ¡°So, you are the girl that Stef was forced to marry four years ago, and you are¡­ Renee?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. Nice to meet you.¡± Renee said gently, and smiled without showing her teeth. It was what she had to do for the sake of the money she would make per minute, so she had to set up the best stage for the high and mighty Mr. Hunt. ¡°Hello, I am Christopher Jacobs. I¡¯m very sorry for not attending your wedding four years ago. As an apology, I¡¯ll drink three shotster.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Christopher. Stefan has been telling me about you for the past few years, saying that you¡¯re great and that he misses you and has wanted to get together with you for a long time.¡± Stefan was dumbfounded. ¡®Can you not overdo it? When did I ever mention Christopher in front of you?¡¯ ¡°Really?¡± Christopher¡¯s eyes lit up, and he looked at Renee with more interest. ¡°You are indeed as gentle and docile as they said. You are a lucky man, Stef!¡± Hmph! How could she be not gentle and docile when she is paid a hundred thousand per minute?¡¯ Xavier was discontented and refuted, ¡°What¡¯s so lucky about that? She¡¯s just a tasteless, down- on- her-luck girl. How is she a good match for Stefan? And Stefan, even if you were dumped, 2/3 you couldn¡¯t just give up and casually marry such a boring woman!¡± ¡°Dumped?¡± Renee suddenly turned extremely domineering. She swept her eyes around the room and asked loudly, ¡°Who dares to dump my husband? Is she here?¡± Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Chapter 63 Everyone in the box froze! No one expected that Renee, who looked gentle and docile, would have this side to her. ¡°My husband is such a perfect man. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s blind enough to dump him!¡± When she said this, she wrapped her arms around Stefan¡¯s affectionately, expressing her desire to defend her husband. But of course, it was mere pretense. Regardless, out of curiosity, she wanted to confirm if her guess was correct. Sure enough, the elegantdy sitting on the couch lowered her head sheepishly. Christopher¡¯s expression was also somewhat stiff. Xavier seemed to care a lot about the woman and immediately retorted surly, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who dumped her. Since she is Stefan¡¯s first love, she must be a hundred times more perfect than you in every way! It is important to know one¡¯s weaknesses. You and Stefan are not even from the same world and you can¡¯t see eye to eye. Why did you still marry him, knowing that? You¡¯re doing him and yourself a disservice!¡± Christopher¡¯s soft gaze turned slightly cold. His tone was light but very oppressive. ¡°Xavier, enough!¡± Xavier continued on like a kid instead, ¡°Well, am I not right? This girl can¡¯tpare to Cecy.¡± Cecy? Renee raised her eyebrows slightly, guessing that this beauty on the sofa should be Cecy. ¡°Xavier, stop joking around. Don¡¯t scare our new friend.¡± Cecilia finally raised her head and waved graciously at Stefan and Renee, with a warm and gentle smile on her face. ¡°Stef, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Indeed, long time no see.¡± tef, are you still angry with Christopher and me?¡± She knitted her eyebrows slightly and revealed a sad face. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. It was me who was clueless, not knowing how to tell friendship and love apart that I wavered between the two of you and caused a rift between the two of you. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here today!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past anymore.¡± +15 BONUS All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Unlike the woman¡¯s excitement, Stefan¡¯s attitude was lukewarm. There were not many emotional changes on his charming face. This feeling of estrangement was as if the two were only acquaintances who had not even spoken a few words. Xavier could not stand it and said loudly, ¡°Man, I really respect you guys. It¡¯s just a rtionship that has ended. There is no need to be like this, right? We are friends who grew up together. Let¡¯s not make it so awkward just because of the past.¡± The crowd echoed. ¡°Yeah, we are all friends. Now that Mr. Jacobs and Cecilia¡¯s rtionship is stable, and Mr. Hunt and his wife also seem to love each other, it¡¯s a happy ending for all!¡± Therefore, under the coaxing of everyone, Stefan and Renee sat down next to Christopher and Cecilia. Gee, what a scene! Renee looked at Stefan on her right and then at Cecilia on her left. What was with the excitement she was feeling? His first love had dumped him and got together with his best friend? And gosh, as the victim, he was actually forced toe here to reconcile with them? Weren¡¯t they just bullying him? Comment by Lunaelle: please rephrase It was unexpected that Mr. Hunt, who usually looked cold, ruthless, and bold, actually had such a heartbreaking past. No wonder he insisted on dragging her to this ce unprecedentedly and even offered her such a high fee to act. If he were toe alone, how devastated would he be? Renee suddenly had a feeling that she was entrusted with a great responsibility as his actress, and the burden on her shoulders had be heavier! Comment by Lunaelle: awkward. please rephrase ¡®Don¡¯t worry, ex-husband-to-be, since we are in the same camp of those who were cheated, I¡¯ll help you win the game tonight.¡¯ Comment by _Lunaelle: of those who cheated or of those who were cheated?? Thinking about this, she smiled and looked at Cecilia, and said, ¡°Miss Smith, I must thank you tonight.¡± Cecilia was slightly taken aback, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Thanks for not realizing how wonderful my husband is, and leaving him. That gave me an +15 BONUS opportunity to be with him. You have no idea how perfect my husband is. He is so handsome and such a family man. Not only does he give me all his money, but he is also a good cook. I really am very happy!¡± When she said this, she lovingly leaned on Stefan¡¯s shoulder. Stefan, on the other hand, sat there stiffly, with a mixed expression. He did not expect this woman to go so far, that he did not know whether he should be angry orugh. He leaned and moved his mouth close to her ear, as if disying their affection, but in fact, he was saying, ¡°Take it easy. Your acting is too fake.¡± Cecilia clenched her fingers a little when she saw this and failed to hide her disappointment. Seeing this, Xavier challenged Renee. ¡°Of course, you have to thank Cecy. Do you know who she is? If she had not given way, when will it be your turn?¡± ¡°Oh? Who is she?¡± Renee was really curious about it. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 Chapter 64 ¡°Hah, you¡¯ll be shocked when you find out!¡± Xavier said proudly, ¡°Do you know Petersville University? Cecy studied astrophysics there, their most difficult subject. When she presented her research paper, she was even awarded the first prize in the Starburst Competition!¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really an outstanding student, Cecy!¡± The crowd cast adoring nces at Cecilia. It was not that their reaction was exaggerated, but in fact, it was because it was very rare for those who were born with a silver spoon to excel in academics, so an astrophysics top student was a feat to them. Cecilia smiled lightly and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I am good, it¡¯s just that I happened to pick the topic that the judges liked.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble. You should just admit it if you are good!¡± Xavier put his hands into his pockets and looked at Renee pompously, and asked, ¡°Do you know what astrophysics is? I guess a housewife like you, who never leaves the house without her husband, must have never heard of it.¡± Reneeughed and shook the orange juice in her ss, ignoring his insult. She looked at Cecilia and asked tentatively, ¡°Is your award¨Cwinning paper ¡°The King of the Dome of the Sky ¨C On the ¡®Love and Death¡® of the Sr Emissive Layer and the Troposphere¡°?¡± The smile in Cecilia¡¯s eyes disappeared and she looked at Renee with some surprise. ¡°That¡¯s the one. Could it be that you¡¯ve read it and also studied astrophysics?¡± ¡°Hahaha, what a joke!¡± said Xavier disdainfully, ¡°She¡¯s a housewife who reads recipes. How could she possibly understand such an advanced academic paper?¡± At this moment, Stefan, who had been silent, said nonchntly, ¡°Of course, she can read it.¡± The crowd¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. Stefan unhurriedly took a sip of wine and said expressionlessly, ¡°Because she is one of the five anonymous judges of the Starburst Competition.¡± ¡°What?!¡± They shouted in shock and their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Cecilia found it even more incredulous. ¡°Could it be that you are the most mysterious judge of the MISSC contest?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. There¡¯s nothing to brag about.¡± Renee smiled awkwardly while ncing at Stefan. She had not revealed this hidden identity to the public, so how did this guy know about it? ¡°Coincidentally, my wife is also a top student who studied electromaic waves,¡± said Stefan while raising his eyebrows and smiling faintly, ¡°Anyway, it is not much use, it is just that it¡¯s always good to have more skills.¡± Um¡­ this was being a bit of a humblebrag. The crowd fell silent immediately. ¡°You are really impressive.¡± Christopher looked at Renee with eyes full of admiration. He knew that Stefan would not have simply married a useless woman. Cecilia lowered her head, a little frustrated. No matter where and when, she was always the best and the one in the limelight. She was very proud of her identity as a top student, but in front of Renee, who was a judge, it was not worth mentioning. Xavier had wanted to support Cecilia, but now he was making her look bad. He frowned and thought for a while, and then said, ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal if you are only good at your study, but Cecy is an all¨Crounder, which is much better than you, a nerd. If you beat her in this category, I will kneel before you!¡± Renee was speechless. ¡®Hey, is he going to stop? Why must he keep pestering me?¡® Xavier acted like a kid and challenged Renee. ¡°Do you dare to take out your phone?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Chapter 65 ¡°Why would I not dare to?¡± Although Renee did not know what trick he was pulling this time, she did not chicken out and took out her cell phone confidently. Perhaps she wanted topete with Cecilia deep down. After all, Cecilia was Stefan¡¯s first love whom he could not get over, so she was curious about what was so memorable about this woman. ¡°Did you download Apex Heroes on your phone?¡± When Xavier said this, he cast an even more adoring gaze at Cecilia and said, ¡°Cecy is not only a top student, but she was also an advanced game yer. Apex Heroes is the most popr game worldwide and she is the third-best yer in Aeos!¡± Renee smiled and said calmly, ¡°Is she really that good? Then let¡¯s stop wasting time and y a match.¡± ¡°You know how to y games?¡± Xavier was a little surprised. It seemed like this demure wife was not as boring as he had thought! Anyway, he guessed that she would only be a rookie who would never beat his Cecy. After losing the battle just now, Cecilia was eager to have a chance to reim her pride and said quickly, ¡°Forget about a match. Let¡¯s just have some fun.¡± So, they logged into the game and started thepetition. They even projected their screen onto the giant LCD screen. Since there was a huge disparity between them, the crowd was not very excited, expecting to see how Renee would be killed in seconds. But after three checkpoints, Renee miraculously passed, scoring almost the same as Cecilia! Seeing that the game was getting more and more intense, Renee¡¯s series of moves were getting more and more smooth andparable to the level of professional yers. ilia started to panic. Her forehead was covered in sweat, and her slender fingers were Licking on her phone as fast as they could. If she did not take thest checkpoint, she would definitely lose, which would humiliate her 1/3 +15 BONUS N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. greatly! ¡°Spin!¡± ¡°Cover!¡± ¡°Watch out. The crystal is about to be stolen!¡± The crowd held their breath as if they were watching a world-ss gaming league. With thest hit, Renee performed a perfect attack and got the highest score, sessfully surpassing Cecilia. ¡°Impressive!¡± ¡°Wow, that was amazing! Please let me join your team!¡± The crowd was bursting with excitement. They admired Renee so much that they nearly wanted to kneel before her. Xavier, who had been sitting on the couch with his legs crossed waiting for her to be theughing stock, fell straight off the couch. ¡°This is impossible. It¡¯s just luck. It must be!¡± Renee calmly put down her phone and asked leisurely, ¡°You said that she is the third-best yer in Aeos, then do you know who the best yer is?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± As a senior enthusiast of the game, he immediately replied, ¡°It¡¯s a yer with the ID, Everheart_Hunter. Wait a minute¡­ It¡¯s a bit simr to your name¡­ Wait, are you Everheart_Hunter?¡± She smiled briefly. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s me.¡± Although it was just a simple statement, the room was in an uproar. Stefan had never yed mobile games and had been watching this with a cold face. But when he heard her ID, he frowned and stared at Renee deeply. ¡°You are Everheart Hunter?¡± So, she was the original author of the article with the same name that caused a media sensation? ¡°So what if I am?¡± The man¡¯s reaction was confusing. Why had he asked so much when he did not y games? opher stood up and eximed, ¡°You are both top students and pros of mobile games. It seems like Stef has found an advanced version of Cecilia, so now I can feel at ease. Cecilia and I will be engaged at the end of next month. I hesitated to tell you at first, but now that you have EID BONUS such a wonderful wife, I think you should have gotten over the past. I hope you and Renee can attend our engagement ceremony!¡± ¡°Tsk, he was cuckolded, yet he still has to send his blessing. How cruel they are!¡¯ Renee peeked at Stefan and could not help but sympathize with him. Stefan¡¯s expression was nonchnt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there, and I¡¯ll give you a big present.¡± Hearing this, Cecilia¡¯s face turned gloomy and she clenched her fists secretly. On the way back, Renee sat in the passenger seat, peeking at the man from time to time, wanting to say something. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Stefan asked coldly. Renee finally could not hold it in any longer and said sympathetically, ¡°As someone who has experienced it, I can understand your feeling. Being betrayed by the person you love is not a good feeling. Don¡¯t hold it. Cry if you want!¡± Stefan had actually gotten over Cecilia a long time ago. His absent-mindedness was due to his attempt to digest the fact that she was Everheart_Hunter. Since she was so understanding, he decided to tease her. Stefan slowly pulled the car over, and propped his long arm on the backrest of the passenger seat, looking down at the woman from above. ¡°Yes, I am very sad. Anyway, we are a couple, so how are you going tofort me?¡± Chapter 66 Chapter 66 Chapter 66 ¡°How¡­ do you want me to make you feel better?¡± Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee asked earnestly, her back pressed tightly against the seat, her eyes innocent and clear. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know how to feel. She should have felt ted and vindicated to see the man in this predicament. Yet, seeing how sad he was, she felt a little bad. ¡°The best way to forget someone is with time and a new love. I have plenty of time. But a new love¡­¡± Stefan stared at her intensely. He lifted her chin slightly with his long finger and said in a low voice, ¡°Everyone said that you¡¯re a better version of Cecilia Smith. How about you be her substitute for a few minutes and give me aforting kiss?¡± He closed his eyes. His pronounced facial features were perfect, as if they were sculpted. His thin lips slowly moved closer to Renee. No woman could refuse such a handsome face. The old Renee would have fallen for it too¡­ But now, her mind was crystal clear. Her fists tightened. You want me to be a substitute?! In your dreams! Renee gathered her strength, preparing to drop him to the floor. Suddenly, her keen ears detected an unusual sound in the quiet car. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Stefan opened his eyes. It was obvious from the look in his eyes that he wanted more. ¡°You¡¯re resisting me?¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± ¡®s something wrong with your car!¡± San instantly became alert. His face became serious again. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear that? Something¡¯s beeping¡­¡± Stefan frowned. He held his breath and listened attentively. Sure enough, there was a beeping sounding from the bottom of the driver¡¯s seat. Renee swallowed hard. She found it hard to breathe. ¡°If I¡¯m guessing correctly, there¡¯s a ticking time bomb in your car!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Stefan¡¯s face stiffened. He was losing hisposure. He wanted to get up to check, but Renee pushed him back down. ¡°Do you want to die? I told you not to move!¡± Stefan, who was used to being in control, was being ordered around by a young woman for the first time in his life. But, surprisingly¡­ he didn¡¯t dislike it. He cleared his throat and remained in his seat as she told him too, then asked, ¡°Okay. What do we do now?¡± ¡°What else? We¡¯re gonna dismantle the bomb!¡± First, Renee took a deep breath to calm herself. Then, relying on her past experience, she carefully slid over to the driver¡¯s seat and bent down to inspect the situation. It was supposed to be a dangerous and tense moment, but Stefan was a bit distracted. That¡¯s because her posture at the moment was way too distracting. Her beautiful hair dropped down like a waterfall, giving off a soft fragrance. Her petite body moved like a nimble doe¡­ Stefan¡¯s mouth felt inexplicably dry. He gulped and quickly turned away to look out of the window. Renee did not notice Stefan¡¯s unusual behavior. She was too busy inspecting the bottom of the seat. There was indeed a time bomb under the driver¡¯s seat. It was the size of a fist with a timer on. There was still two minutes before the countdown reached zero. F ately, the bomb had a very simple design. There were only three wires ¨C red, yellow and blue. To her, this bomb might as well be a toy. She could already deal with something like this back when she was a kid. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Stefan asked in a serious voice. ¡°We have two minutes left. Hand me a pair of scissors.¡± Reneey there calmly and stretched her hand out towards him. Stefan always kept tools like scissors and knives in his car. He rummaged around for a pair of scissors and ced them in Renee¡¯s hand. He wanted to see if the young woman could actually dismantle a bomb. Renee took the pair of scissors. She carefully checked the bomb¡¯s wiring in an extremely difficult pose. She must find out which wire to cut in the shortest time possible. ¡°Beep, beep, beep¡­¡± Seconds passed. Stefan¡¯s face was grim. He was finally starting to feel afraid. It¡¯s not like he was afraid of death; he was just afraid that Renee might get hurt. Seeing that two minutes had already passed but Renee was still crouching down, Stefan asked with clenched fists, ¡°Have you dismantled it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done it like a minute ago.¡± Renee¡¯s voice was calm. Stefan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he immediately asked, ¡°Wait, a minute ago? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?!¡± Renee tried to hold backughter as she exined, ¡°I was afraid something might go wrong still!¡± Hahaha, in truth, she just wanted to y a prank on him. Because it was the first time she ever saw the normally arrogant and proud Master Hunt looking scared. Unfortunately, she was in an awkward posture, or she would have snapped a picture! Stefan, being as sharp as he was, immediately caught Renee holding backughter and instantly understood what happened. ¡°How dare you! You¡¯re gonna pay for this!¡± ried to flick Renee¡¯s head with his long finger. Renee ducked back and mocked him, ¡°You need better social skills. Why do so many people +15 BONUS want to kill you?¡­¡± ¡°So, I saved you once again. Is this how you repay someone who saved your life?¡± As they bickered yfully, an ambiguous emotion filled the air. Both of them realized at the same time that they had crossed a certain line. Stefan cleared his throat and changed the subject. ¡°You can actually dismantle bombs?¡± ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t you know who my grandfather is? When girls my age were still ying with dolls, my grandpa had taught me to disassemble guns and introduced me to all kinds of weapons!¡± Renee spoke of her grandfather with pride and nostalgia. ¡°I see.¡± Stefan found it hard to believe at first, but when he recalled that she was the granddaughter of the famous General Everheart, he thought it made sense. The top student of a famous school, an expert gamer, and a bomb dismantler. What other things had he yet to discover about this woman? Renee suddenly realized that they were in a very awkward position. She tried to get up, but suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach¡­ Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Stefan noticed her difort and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, just a little cramp because I crouched down for too long.¡± Renee endured the difort and returned to the passenger seat. She must be careful not to let Stefan find out about her pregnancy. Upon returning home, Renee could not endure it anymore. She immediatelyy down on the sofa and did not dare to move. She took out her phone and called Liam. ¡°Come here and take me to the hospital right now! Liam drove Renee to the nearby hospital in his super expensive sports car as fast as he could After a series of examinations, Renee was ced on a hospital bed to wait for the examination results. Liam paced back and forth restlessly. He was so confused. Why was Renee in the obstetrics department? He finally received the answer when the examination results came out. He was petrified. ¡°What the hell¡­ six weeks pregnant?¡± The doctor pushed his sses and told Renee and Liam, ¡°What are you guys doing? This is a crucial period in the pregnancy. The babies are very fragile right now. You, please look after yourself better! And you should look after your wife better!¡± ¡°The results of the examination show that there¡¯s a risk of an early miscarriage, but the problem isn¡¯t too severe. You just have to stay in bed for a few days and get some oxygen.¡± Renee was relieved to hear that the babies were alright. ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡± The nurse put Renee on the venttor, gave her some instructions, and left. Renee and Liam were now alone in the ward. Liam could not hold it in any longer. He asked in a rush, ¡°What the hell, boss? I haven¡¯t seen you for a few days and suddenly you¡¯re pregnant?! Who¡¯s the father?¡± Renee rolled her eyes. ¡°Who do you think?¡± When Liam heard that, he instantly understood. He tightened his fists in anger. ¡°Damn that 1/ Stefan Hunt! What a bastard! He impregnated you, then immediately took in his lover and forced you to get a divorce?! I won¡¯t stand for this!¡± ¡°Does he think we¡¯re pushovers? I¡¯ll go confront him right now!¡± +15 BONUS Seeing that Liam was threatening to go fight Stefan, Renee shouted at him, ¡°Get back here!¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m pregnant, and I don¡¯t want him to know. It¡¯s over between us. After getting the divorce certificate, my babies and I will have nothing to do with him anymore, so understand?¡± go and make thingsplicated. Do you don¡¯t All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Liam tried to suppress his anger. After a while, he growled, ¡°Fine. Dump the father and keep the babies. That scumbag¡¯s unworthy of being the babies¡¯ father!¡± ¡°You and I are the only ones who know about this. I don¡¯t want a third person to know.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is a secret that belongs only to you and me. I¡¯ll protect it to the grave.¡± Liam said earnestly and resolutely. No matter how much he wanted to seek justice for Renee, he would unconditionally support whatever decision she made. ¡°Thank you, Liam.¡± Renee was touched. She knew Liam would understand her. He was always someone she could trust, someone she could put her guard down around, someone she could rely on. The ident this time made Renee more keenly aware of the fact that she did not have much time left. She managed to bluff her way out this time, but if things like this kept happening, Stefan Hunt might actually find out. Then, she would be in trouble. Therefore, she must make all the arrangements as soon as possible. The most important matter was to make sure the ¡°Azure Group¡±, which was under her direct control, get on the right track. ¡°Liam, have all thepanies that terminated their contract with H Group signed a contract with our Azure Group?¡± * most of them, but there¡¯s an investmentpany that¡¯s being a little difficult. They + very strong background. If they¡¯re willing to cooperate with us, it would help us ¡­.inensely.¡± Liam¡¯s attitude was serious, which was rare for him. ¡°Can we get an appointment with the person in charge?¡± ¡°No problem. He may be difficult to deal with, but my name of Master Osborne still holds some weight around here.¡± ¡°Good. Please make an appointment so that I can talk to him.¡± After the discussion, Reneey down to rest. The next day, the doctor came for an inspection. There was no problem with the babies and Renee was discharged. Liam, like a knight, helped escort Renee out of the hospital. 1 They did not notice a camera aiming at them in the distance, snapping picture after picture. Chapter 68 Chapter 68 Chapter 68 After a few days of rest, Renee¡¯s bodypletely recovered. She brought thew firm share transfer contract to H Group to get Stefan to sign it. H Group had a serious atmosphere today. A security cordon had been set up outside the building. Supposedly, an important person was visiting thepany with guests. Many reporters had heard the news and were waiting outside. Renee was stopped outside the cordon. She had to wait until the visit was over before she could enter the building. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. She saw Stefan in the distance. He was in a ck suit. He was standing in the center of the building, gracefully and calmly taking a group photo with the visitors. Stefan¡¯s handsome face and cold eyes gave him a naturally regal air. He was always extremely attractive. Suddenly, amotion rose in the crowd. ¡°Let me in! Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± A man was struggling to break through the cordon to get to Stefan. Elon Barnes! Renee¡¯s brows furrowed and her fists tightened. Elon Barnes, like a thug, shouted in Stefan¡¯s direction at the top of his lungs, ¡°Nephew¨Cin- The voice immediately drew the attention of the reporters. They all turned their cameras towards him. Embarrassing!! Renee walked over with clenched fists and a cold face and yelled, ¡°Shut up, Elon! Do you no shame?¡± ¡°Renee! You¡¯re here too! That¡¯s great! Tell your husband toe here. We¡¯ll rediscuss the distribution of assets!¡± have your family. I can¡¯t watch you get bullied in this divorce and not do anything about it!¡± Elon Barnes said that loudly without any shame, hoping to attract everybody¡¯s attention. He knew H Group had an important event today and all the major media outlets would be here. He wanted to say stuff to pressure Stefan in order to wring a sum of money out of him! Renee felt so embarrassed. But more importantly, if Stefan felt offended by this, he might intentionally make things hard for her in the share transfer, and that would be problematic. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Elon, get lost right now or I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Elon Barnes, wishing to cause as big of a scene as possible, roared, ¡°You seeing this, everyone? My niecepletely changed after marrying into a rich family! She said she¡¯ll call the police to get her uncle arrested! Do you think this is right?¡± Stefan, who was not very far away, had already noticed themotion in the crowd. Normally, Stefan would not even bat an eye at something like this. He would just let the security guards handle it. However, he saw Renee¡¯s petite figure among the crowd. His eyebrows slightly furrowed. Meanwhile, Renee had reached a boiling point. She had always found people who had no shame to be much harder to deal with than bad people. If you argue with someone who had no shame, you would just end up stooping to their level. ¡°Elon Barnes, for thest time, get lost!¡± Renee refused to argue with him any further. She started dragging him away. ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving until Stefan gives me a satisfactory answer!¡± After Elon Barnes said that, he pushed Renee away, hard. Because Renee was trying to protect her babies, she lost her bnce and fell straight back. Next thing she knew, a man¡¯s strong arm was tightly holding onto her slim waist. Her back did not hit the cold ground but fell into a warm embrace instead. Renee turned around and met the man¡¯s eyes. Stefan Hunt! a little surprised. She did not expect the arrogant CEO to actuallye over. After gently helping Renee regain bnce, Stefan asked Elon Barnes tly, ¡°What kind of answer do you want from me?¡± ¡°Can we get an appointment with the person in charge?¡± ¡°No problem the may be difficult to deal with, but my name of Master Osborne still holds some weight around here¡± ¡°Good Please make an appointment so that I can talk to him.¡± After the discussion, Reneey down to rest. The next day, the doctor came for an inspection There was no problem with the babies and Rence was discharged. Liam, like a knight, helped escort Renee out of the hospital. They did not notice a camera aiming at them in the distance, snapping picture after picture. +15 BONUS Chapter 68 After a few days of rest, Renee¡¯s bodypletely recovered. She brought thew firm share transfer contract to H Group to get Stefan to sign it. H Group had a serious atmosphere today. A security cordon had been set up outside the building. Supposedly, an important person was visiting thepany with guests. Many reporters had heard the news and were waiting outside. Renee was stopped outside the cordon. She had to wait until the visit was over before she could enter the building. She saw Stefan in the distance. He was in a ck suit. He was standing in the center of the building, gracefully and calmly taking a group photo with the visitors. Stefan¡¯s handsome face and cold eyes gave him a naturally regal air. He was always extremely attractive. Suddenly, amotion rose in the crowd. ¡°Let me in! Don¡¯t you know who I am?¡± A man was struggling to break through the cordon to get to Stefan. Elon Barnes! Renee¡¯s brows furrowed and her fists tightened. Elon Barnes, like a thug, shouted in Stefan¡¯s direction at the top of his lungs, ¡°Nephew¨Cin-w! Nephew¨Cinw, look over here! I¡¯m Renee¡¯s uncle! I have no choice but toe to you! You can¡¯t ignore me!¡± The voice immediately drew the attention of the reporters. They all turned their cameras towards him. Embarrassing!! Renee walked over with clenched fists and a cold face and yelled, ¡°Shut up, Elon! Do you have no shame?¡± ¡°Renee! You¡¯re here too! That¡¯s great! Tell your husband toe here. We¡¯ll rediscuss the distribution of assets!¡± ir family. I can¡¯t watch you get bullied in this divorce and not do anything about it!¡± Elon Barnes said that loudly without any shame, hoping to attract everybody¡¯s attention. +E BOWLS He knew H Group had an important event today and all the major media outlets would be here He wanted to say stuff to pressure Stefan in order to wring a sum of money out of him! Renee felt so embarrassed. But more importantly, if Stefan felt offended by this, he might intentionally make things hard for her in the share transfer, and that would be problematic. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Elon, get lost right now or I¡¯ll call the police!¡± Elon Barnes, wishing to cause as big of a scene as possible, roared, ¡°You seeing this, everyone? My niecepletely changed after marrying into a rich family! She said she¡¯ll call the police to get her uncle arrested! Do you think this is right?¡± Stefan, who was not very far away, had already noticed themotion in the crowd. Normally, Stefan would not even bat an eye at something like this. He would just let the security guards handle it. However, he saw Renee¡¯s petite figure among the crowd. His eyebrows slightly furrowed. Meanwhile, Renee had reached a boiling point. She had always found people who had no shame to be much harder to deal with than bad people. If you argue with someone who had no shame, you would just end up stooping to their level. ¡°Elon Barnes, for thest time, get lost!¡± Renee refused to argue with him any further. She started dragging him away. ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving until Stefan gives me a satisfactory answer!¡± After Elon Barnes said that, he pushed Renee away, hard. Because Renee was trying to protect her babies, she lost her bnce and fell straight back. Next thing she knew, a man¡¯s strong arm was tightly holding onto her slim waist. Her back did not hit the cold ground but fell into a warm embrace instead. Renee turned around and met the man¡¯s eyes. Stefan Hunt! She was a little surprised. She did not expect the arrogant CEO to actuallye over. After gently helping Renee regain bnce, Stefan asked Elon Barnes tly, ¡°What kind of answer do you want from me?¡± Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Stefan¡¯s strong aura caused Elon Barnes to shrink back a little. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. However, with so many cameras aiming at them, he did not think Stefan would dare do anything funny! ¡°What else could I want, my nephew-inw?¡± Elon cleared his throat and said loudly, ¡°My niece has been your wife for many years. She has always been a responsible wife. Now that you want to dump her, all you¡¯re giving her is a stupidw firm? How is she supposed to live from now on? Considering how rich the Hunt family is, surely you don¡¯t have to be so heartless?¡± His words caused an uproar in the crowd. The reporters frantically pressed their shutters. L ¡°My niece is timid and has a thin skin, so she begged me the whole night to help her fight for what she deserves¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep it simple. Give us $7 million and we promise to disappear from your lifepletely!¡± Elon could hardly wait to extort Stefan. ¡°Elon Barnes, shut the hell up!¡± Renee said through clenched teeth. His words had dragged her reputation through the mud. She wished she could tear him into pieces! Renee stole a careful nce at Stefan. She thought he would be furious, but¡­ he was actually quite calm. Still the same emotionless face that kept everyone at bay. He stood tall like a celestial being, giving off a sense of oppression. He turned slightly and said, ¡°Elijah, take him to the finance office.¡± Then, he simply walked away. That¡­ that¡¯s it? Elon swallowed hard. He could not believe it was that easy to earn $7 million. Before he came, he was afraid that Stefan would be difficult to deal with, so he had even prepared a small knife, intending to put up an act of harming himself to threaten Stefan. Had he known that his niece-inw was this generous, he would have asked for more! After taking a few steps, Stefan suddenly turned back and looked coldly at Renee, who had +15 BOHUS stood rooted to the spot with a confused face. He asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing?¡± Rence jolted back to her senses and quickly followed behind him. Stefan went back to the visitors with Renee in tow and calmly introduced her to them. Renee quickly calmed down and greeted the visitors. The way she carried herself with elegance and dignity drew praise from them. They took a photo together, talked for a bit, and happily concluded the visit. Renee could finally heave a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the crisis was averted, If Elon Barnes had messed up the visit due to the scene he caused, she would have felt so bad, not to mention Stefan might make things hard for her. Renee and Stefan stepped into the CEO¡¯s private elevator. As soon as the elevator door closed, all pretense of love and harmony between them dropped. Neither of them spoke. The atmosphere was awkward, While the elevator climbed, Rence stole a secret nce at Stefan. His face was as cold as ice. It was scary! Renee guessed that he was probably mad. After all, Elon Barnes¡¯ embarrassing actions earlier would probably have a negative impact not only on his reputation, but on H Group¡¯s as well. ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡± She cleared her throat softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened just now. Elon Barnes is a rat. Please don¡¯t give him the $7 million he asked for or he¡¯ll just keeping back for more!¡±¡± Stefan¡¯s face was chilly. Without even looking at Renee, he said coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re dissatisfied with the alimony, you could have just told me directly instead of doing things in such a roundabout way.¡± So he really had misunderstood her! Renee could not find the words to retort. She thought hard about how she should exin it to him so that he would believe her. The elevator arrived at the floor where the CEO¡¯s office was, and Stefan strode out. A handsome figure was standing next to the french window in the corridor. At the moment, he was looking at them with half a smile on his face. ¡°Mr. CEO, you¡¯re finally done with business. Do you have time to talk to me now?¡± When Renee saw who it was, she suddenly felt the urge to run away. Tsk, it never rains but it pours! Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Haze looked at Renee casually with his hands in his pockets and said pointedly, ¡°What a coincidence. You¡¯re here too, Mrs. CEO¡¯s wife. A wonderful show is about to begin. Why don¡¯t you stay for the show, seeing that you¡¯re one of the main protagonists?¡± Renee was not stupid. She naturally heard the hidden meaning in Haze¡¯s words. It looked like his threat to expose her as Phoenix if she refused to work with him was not just an empty threat, but a real one! Before Stefan transferred thew firm¡¯s shares to her, her identity as Phoenix must remain a secret! ¡°The famous Haze! I¡¯ve long been an admirer of your skills. Could I perhaps have a quiet word with you?¡± Although it looked doomed, Renee was unwilling to give up. She decided attempt a desperate Hail Mary. You never know, Haze might take mercy on her plight and give her a chance. ¡°Of course.¡± Haze¡¯s long, narrow eyes shined with a glint of cunningness as he said with a smile, ¡°Since the CEO¡¯s wife personally requests it, who am I to refuse?¡± Therefore, they both turned towards Stefan, who was standing between them. The meaning was clear: Please step away for a moment. Stefan¡¯s already cold face was now covered in frost. ¡°You have five minutes.¡± After telling Haze that with disdain, he walked into the CEO¡¯s office without giving them a second nce. The cold air about him made him look like a walking iceberg, leaving a chill in its wake. As soon as Stefan was gone, Renee dragged Haze to a dark corner, grabbed his throat with her ng fingers, and fiercely pushed him against the wall. She said, ¡°I warn you, you better not mess around. If you dare reveal my identity, I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t break your neck!¡± (1) N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Haze was not scared at all. In fact, his eyes were sparkling with excitement. ¡°Who would have thought that the great Phoenix isn¡¯t only good at coding, she¡¯s great at fighting too. How talented. Now I want to work with you even more. Ah, what should I do?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee was afraid someone might hear or see them, so she quickly covered his mouth with her hand and pressed closer to him. Haze, who was still struggling a moment ago, suddenly stopped moving, bing as obedient as a child. He swallowed hard. Renee¡¯s delicate little face was right in front of his. Her long ck hair was as smooth as silk and gave off a subtle fragrance. It tugged at his heartstrings like the furry paw of a kitten. Renee had also realized by now that that they were a bit too close to each other. She frowned and warned him, ¡°Be careful of what you say. If you agree, nod once.¡± Haze nodded obediently. Renee removed the hand that was covering his mouth. Haze raised his eyebrows and returned to his usual cynical demeanor. He told Renee, ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance to work with me to bring the Hunt family down. If you do, I¡¯ll keep your secret for you. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no otherwise!¡± Renee proudly stated, ¡°I, Renee Everheart, never take kindly to threats. I would only work with you if I wished to work with you.¡± ¡°If you really want to expose my secret, be my guest. But if you do that, from now on, you and I will be mortal enemies. I¡¯ll make you pay for your ignorant actions!¡± ¡°So if you¡¯re going down, you¡¯ll bring me down with you?¡± With a mocking look in his eyes, Haze joked, ¡°Why do you still wish to protect Stefan even though he treats you so badly? When he finds outter that you¡¯re the reason the H Group is in this predicament, do you think you¡¯ll be able to leave this building alive?¡± ¡°You can do as you please!¡± Renee did not want to waste any more time arguing with Haze. She was prepared to fall out with Stefan. en without Haze¡¯s intervention, the trouble Elon Barnes caused earlier was already enough to make Stefan fall out with her. At this point, it probably would not matter anymore, so whatever! Haze walked into Stefan¡¯s office. He was in there for more than ten minutes before he came back out. Renee was waiting outside, ready for the storm. Haze¡¯s thin lips curled into a smile. He said to Renee, ¡°You can go in now. I¡¯ve told him everything. If you need help, feel free to call me.¡± Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Chapter 71 Renee took a deep breath and walked into Stefan¡¯s office. Stefan¡¯s slender body stood in front of the bright french window. His broad shoulders and long legs gave him a dashing appearance. However, the chilly air emanating from his entire body lowered the temperature in the office to a freezing point. It appeared the big iceberg knew everything now. However, Renee did not panic. She calmly took out the share transfer contract and said to his back as if nothing had happened, ¡°Mr. Hunt, if you¡¯re free right now, please sign this. We should split up the assets cleanly now so that the divorce can proceed without a hitch.¡± Stefan turned around. The sun added a bit of warmth to his cold, handsome face, making him look even more charming. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to get the divorce? Don¡¯t you think you should exin yourself first?¡± ¡°Exin myself?¡± Renee¡¯s expression was calm. She had nothing to lose anymore. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to exin. Number one, Elon Barnes asked you for $7 million of his own ord. I have nothing to do with it. You can believe what you want.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Number two, the vulnerabilities in H Group¡¯s customer database have always been there. It¡¯s only a matter of time before it¡¯s attacked. I¡¯m just making you aware of the ticking time bomb in advance. If you want to retaliate, feel free to do so.¡± ¡°Number three, the divorce agreement stated in ck and white that thew firm belongs to me. Even if you don¡¯t sign the papers now, the court will eventually enforce it anyway.¡± Stefan stared at Renee with a deep gaze and a veryplicated expression. After a long while, he coldly said, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Was my exnation not clear enough? Make your move! Stop wasting time!¡± Renee expected that Stefan, who always paid his debts, would not let her get away scot-free. She could only wait for him to take action so that she could deal with it. St rowned and said in a chilly voice, ¡°The hacker just now said you¡¯re his ex-girlfriend, e reason why you agreed to the divorce so easily is so that you two can get back together¡­ I want to hear your exnation.¡± +15 BONUS ¡°What?! His ex-girlfriend?!¡± Renee was so surprised that she almost choked on her own saliva. ¡°That¡¯s what he told you?¡± ¡°What else should he have told me?¡± ¡°Lies! Absolute lies!¡± Renee raised two fingers and said sincerely, ¡°I swear, I don¡¯t even know him that well. If I¡¯m lying, my future husband will die a long, painful death!¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡± Somehow, he felt like he was the one being cursed. However, judging by Renee resolute attitude, she was probably telling the truth. His gloomy face softened a little. ¡°Umm¡­ besides that nonsense, did he say anything else?¡± Renee asked carefully. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good. Goood.¡± Renee breathed a sigh of relief. A false rm! It was a false rm! It appeared that, even though Haze always had ackadaisical attitude, he was not that bad of a person. Maybe this was what they call ¡°honor among thieves¡±. Stefan suddenly walked up to Renee and forced her step back towards the desk. He asked in a low voice, ¡°From the way you say it, it sounds like there were a lot of stories between you two?¡± ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Renee shook her head, her cheeks turning slightly red. Why did this guy suddenly move so close? at did you two talk about while you were alone earlier?¡± As he said that, he moved even closer to her. Through the clothes and fabric, she could feel the warmth of his body and his heartbeat. The atmosphere in the room was strange. ¡®Dammit, what is this situation? Is it really appropriate for two people who are about to get a divorce to be this close?¡¯ Just as Renee thought he was going to kiss her, Stefan returned to his usual aloof demeanor. He seemed to be in a good mood as he said, ¡°Give me the papers.¡± Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Chapter 72 ¡°What papers?¡± Renee felt like a fish that could breathe again. She was finally able to think normally. Her bright eyes were focused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to sign the share transfer contract? Give me the papers before I change my mind!¡± Stefan¡¯s words were cold and proud. He actually agreed?! Renee could not believe it. She quickly handed him the contract and a pen in a respectful manner. ¡°If you would, Mr. Hunt!¡± She did not even dare to breathe too loudly during the process lest the temperamental man went back on his word due to a perceived slight! Stefan signed the contract with a cold face and then said without any emotion, ¡°You better not advertise the content of our divorce agreement to the public. If you want anything, just tell it to me straight. There¡¯s no need to y dirty.¡± His words struck her like ice cones, cold and painful. Renee froze. She thought the reason he signed the share transfer contract so readily was because he did not believe any of Elon Barnes¡¯ nonsense. Unfortunately¡­ it seemed like he still did not believe her. However, it did not matter anymore. Renee had no intention of exining herself any further. They were about to get a divorce anyway, so it no longer mattered how he saw her. She guessed the reason he signed the contract so quickly was because he wanted to make sure the divorce would go smoothly. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hunt, for your cooperation. Barring any idents, we¡¯ll only have to see each er one last time ¨C on the day we get the divorce certificate. After that, we¡¯ll have nothing to do with each other anymore. Renee put the signed contract away and left without looking back. Stefan¡¯s icy gaze fell on the woman¡¯s back and remained in that direction long after she left. He could see how eager she was to leave him. It made him curious. She was willing to give up $40 million in alimony and only wanted thew firm. What was she thinking? Did she not know how useless and entric the partners of Hunts & Co. Law Firm were? Could she really deal with them? The next day. Renee got up early. She put on her best professional makeup and t leather shoes and headed to the Hunts & Co. Law Firm with vigor. Despite being a former subsidiary of 11 Group, thew firm actually operated independently. In addition to handling legal issues for II Group, thewyers there also epted personal cases. The law firm only needed to share their profit with II Group based on their annual revenue and expenditure. Over the years, probably because they were backed by the behemoth that was H Group, thewyers there gradually grewcent. They had even stopped epting personal cases altogether. Everyday, all they did was waste time. This resulted in thew firm not only making no profit, they were even sustaining losses every year. At the end of each year, the three entric partners of thew firm, who barely showed themselves all year, would suddenly pop up to ask H Group for money. H Group had long wanted to get rid of these useless leeches, but unfortunately, they were bound by contract. Therefore, thew firm was like a hot po 2 by taking thew firm off their hands. H Group. Renee had actually done them a favor Based on the address, Renee found thew firm in a run-down office building outside the Fourth Ring Road. She looked up and saw a sign that said ¡°Hunts & Co. Law Firm¡±. It was rusty and looked like it could fall off at any moment. As exr ed of a ce housing worthless trash! But that only made Renee even more enthusiastic. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. She stepped into thew firm and saw that there was no one inside except for a cleaner who was currently cleaning the desks. After a while, awyer finally arrived. Before she could speak, thewyer took a look at her and told her tly, ¡°If you want to file awsuit, go to thew firm next door. We¡¯re not epting clients today.¡± Renee pursed her lips and did not respond. She walked up to the cleaner who was cleaning the desks and said, ¡°Mr. Wayne, can I have a word?¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 Chapter 73 The man¡¯s clothes were in and he was wearing a face mask. He was patiently wiping the leaves of a nt on the desk, making sure each leaf was spotless clean. Hearing Renee¡¯s voice, he gently raised his eyes and looked over curiously. ¡°The new boss of Hunts & Co. Law Firm, I presume? The poor woman about to be abandoned by Stefan Hunt?¡± Rence felt a little awkward. She cleared her throat softly and said, ¡°The second part was unnecessary.¡± The man put down the spray bottle and took off his mask. His middle-age face looked kind and gentle, exactly as the information said. From the information Liam sent her, Renee knew that the Hunts & Co. Law Firm had three two men and a woman partners and this John Wayne was one of them. (1) ¨C Among the three partners, John Wayne was the oldest and the most experienced. He looked like he would be easy to get along with, but he was actually the most cunning one. John said, ¡°I¡¯m curious. We haven¡¯t met before and I¡¯m dressed like this, so how did you recognize me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Renee told him honestly, ¡°Being your new boss, I¡¯ve looked into all of you. I know that John Wayne is a nt lover. An ordinary cleaner wouldn¡¯t have made sure every leaf was spotless clean.¡± ¡°Hah. Interesting.¡± John stared at Renee, the interest in his eyes growing stronger. He smiled and said, ¡°Lass, if you¡¯ve really looked into us, you would know that we¡¯re a difficult bunch to deal with. If you¡¯re smart, you should stay away from us.¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯ve always loved a challenge.¡± Renee¡¯s voice was passionate and her eyes sparkled with excitement. She looked bright and tenacious, like a determined young leopard who would not give in. After all, in her veins flowed the blood of General Maurice Everheart. Her indomitable personality was engraved into her genes! Stefan Hunt couldn¡¯t do it in three years. You really think you can change us?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need three years. I¡¯ll do it in three days!¡± Renee proimed with confidence. +15 BONUS ¡°Imend your courage, young woman. Good luck,¡± John said meaningfully and left. The Hunts & Co. Law Firm was indeed like a hot potato. The three partners being absent more often than not was not the only problem. Thewyers working under them were all tough nuts to crack too. None of them took their new boss seriously. The only one who was respectful to her was a traineewyer called Warrick. It was time for the morning meeting but there was still not awyer to be seen in the spacious office. Warrick cautiously told Renee, who was sitting at the conference table, ¡°Boss, Mr. Rosenwell said there¡¯s a match today, so he gathered everyone in preparation for the live stream this evening, so¡­ so he said he wouldn¡¯t being to the office today.¡± ¡°A match?¡± Renee raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Are you talking about the LCL Season 7 Spring Split Grand Finals?¡± ¡°Warrick¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°How do you know, boss? Do you follow e-sports too?¡±¡± After all, LCL was a niche game that had a steep learning curve. Only true game enthusiasts pay attention to it. Property ? of N?velDrama.Org. How could a wealthy housewife like his new boss know about it? Renee¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile. She only said, ¡°Okay, tell Mr. Rosenwell and the others to enjoy the match. I¡¯ll treat them to some snacks to this evening.¡± At 9:00 pm, the LCL Spring Split Grand Finals reached its climax, with Team Raging Storm from Aeos trailing Team Victory from Varangia 1:2. The club was crowded. At thest second, Team Raging Storm managed to turn the tables and wipe out Team Victory, winning the championship. The ce erupted in cheers. ¡°World Champion! Well done, Team Raging Storm!¡± Renee suddenly arrived with champagne and sashimi. Zack Rosenwell was cheering fanatically. Among the three partners of thew firm, he was the youngest, but his professional skills were very highly-regarded in the industry, and that gave rise to his arrogance. How arrogant was he? He would not even give Stefan the time of day, let alone Renee. ¡°Team Raging Storm won the championship! We have to celebrate. I brought champagne and sashimi for everyone.¡± Renee stood in the center of the club and addressed everyone there enthusiastically, Zack sneered. ¡°As if you know anything about Team Raging Storm. Have you even yed the game before?¡± Renee smiled. ¡°Not only do I know about Team Raging Storm, we¡¯re actually old friends.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Why don¡¯t you trying up with a more convincing lie?¡± ¡°If I manage to invite Team Raging Storm to the club, can you promise me one thing?¡± Renee¡¯s lips curled into a mysterious smile. Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Chapter 74 Three days passed. The Sporadic Star Bar was a rtively famous bar in Beach City. It was an elegant and artistic- looking two-story establishment. Xavier Stuart and Christopher Jacobs were currently sitting in the VIP area on the second floor. Not only did it have a great view, it also provided a certain level of privacy. The two already had a few drinks, but Stefan, who had agreed to meet them here, was still nowhere to be found. ¡°What¡¯s up with Stefan? This is the first time in four years us Golden Trio are meeting up with just the three of us. He wouldn¡¯t stand us up, would he?¡± Xavier was holding a ss of wine with a slightly anxious expression. He kept looking towards the entrance. ¡°I asked to see him today because I have something important to talk to him about. If I don¡¯t take care of this, my father will surely break my leg when I go home tonight!¡± Christopher, being the oldest in the Golden Trio, was as calm as ever. He said unhurriedly,¡± Bro, calm down. You know how Fan is. If he doesn¡¯t feel like it, he simply won¡¯te. It¡¯s not the first time he¡¯s stood us up.¡± Xavier could not calm down. Only Stefan could take care of his problem for him. ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯m gonna give him a call!¡± He took out his phone and called Stefan. At the other end of the phone, Stefan was busy with work. His words were cold and a bit rushed. He told them to drink by themselves first, and if he could not get there in time, they did not have to wait for him. ¡°Man, are you really gonna stand us up?!¡± Xavier was racking his brains trying to think of a way to get his workaholic friend toe when he saw about five or six people walking in from the bar entrance, all of them bright and youthful. What surprised Xavier was the sight of the ck-haired woman in white dress among them. It was actually Renee! the moment, Renee had a bright smile on her face as she whispered something to a man around her age. They seemed very intimate. +15 BONUS Stefan was about to hang up, so Xavier quickly added with some excitement, ¡°Bro, you¡¯ve gottae, or you¡¯re gonna lose your woman! Your dear little wife is going around hugging different men right now! She¡¯s having a great time!¡± At the other end of the phone, there was a moment of silence, followed by the sound of aptop closing. ¡°Sporadic Stars Bar, right? I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Christopher had also seen Renee by now, and a smile appeared on his gentle face. ¡°Fan¡¯s wife seems to be a little different since thest time we saw her. What an interesting young woman.¡± Downstairs, Renee and Zack chose a booth for eight people. It had only been three days since Renee met thewyers. Three days ago, they looked down on her, but now, she had be the life of the party. She was the one everyone revolved around. The arrogant Zack was now behaving like herckey. He was constantly trying to please her. ¡°Boss, everything¡¯s taken care of. I¡¯ve handled the matter exactly as you instructed. Can you invite Team Raging Storm over for another game sometime so that us mortals can feast our eyes upon your godly skills?¡± Three days ago, Renee managed to invite Team Raging Storm over with just a phone call. Team. Raging Storm, who had just won the world championship! Not only that, Team Raging Storm¡¯s captain even respectfully referred to Renee as ¡°Master¡±! When the youngwyers saw that, they almost bowed down to Renee. From then on, they saw Renee as a ¡°forefather of e-sports¡± and their admiration for her shot through the roof. Renee picked up a ss of juice and touched Zack¡¯s ss with it. With a smile, she said, ¡°That will depend on your performance.¡± Before taking over thew firm, Renee had conducted aprehensive research of every member in the firm. The members of thew firm were all young people in their twenties except for John Wayne and Sandra Lee, who were slightly older. Zack Rosenwell was the youngest among the three major partners of thew firm. He was undefeated in court, but he was a noob in video games. Although he was a noob, he loved ying video games. He would lead the group of youngwyers to y video games all day. From the beginning, Renee knew that as long as she could make Zack obey her, the group of young lawyers would naturally obey her too. What better way to convince Zack to listen to her than to insta-kill his idol in front of him in N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. the game? Therefore, she was not surprised at all that she was able to make these rebelliouswyers submit to her in just three days. Renee and thewyers were having a good time when a certain figure walked into the bar. Stefan stood there, tall and handsome. He immediately saw Renee sitting in the middle of the group, surrounded by the others like the moon being surrounded by stars. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Stefan frowned slightly after a hint of surprise shed across his cold face. What have Rence done? Why was Zack Rosenwell willing to pour drinks for her? Three years ago, when II Group acquired the Hunts & Co. Law Firm, Zack Rosenwell left a deep impression on Stefan due to his arrogance andck of respect. However, because Zack¡¯s professional capabilities were so outstanding ¨C he would easily help H Group solve all kinds of legal issues ¨C Stefan simply let him be. All these years, Stefan had always left the Hunts & Co. Law Firm alone. He did not care how much money they made as long as they could be useful in crucial moments. But thosewyers simply turned thew firm into a ¡°retirement home¡±. Not only did thew firm not make money, it was losing money every year! Renee actually gave up $40 million dors and a luxury house in exchange for thisw firm. In Stefan¡¯s opinion, it was so not worth it. He was sure that there was no way Renee could deal with the difficult people in thew firm, considering her capabilities. When that happened, Renee would naturally admit defeat ande to him to re-discuss the distribution of assets. But now, it seemed like Renee had pretty much done it¡­ in only three days? Renee and thewyers did not notice Stefan¡¯s arrival. Stefan did not go over to greet them either. Instead, he headed straight for the VIP area on the second floor. Xavier had been waiting for him. He was full ofints. ¡°Bro, you¡¯re finally here. When we asked you toe, you said you¡¯re busy, but when it concerns your little darling wife, you came immediately!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°It has nothing to do with her.¡± Stefan replied coldly as he took a seat. The seat he chose was right across from the booth where Renee and thewyers were in, enabling him to see their every move. From the moment he sat down, Stefan¡¯s gaze had never left Renee, as if his eyes had been locked in ce. Downstairs, Renee was surrounded on all sides. She was smiling brilliantly, like a blooming flower, bright and charming. +15 BONUS Her white skirt was pure, while her red lips were seductive. The two contrasting elements blended into her, making her seem¡­ so alluring! Was that how she took care of those entricwyers? When he thought of that, Stefan¡¯s gaze tightened. He took a sip of wine with an expression of displeasure. A strange feeling rose in his heart. ¡°Bro, are you even listening to me?¡± Xavier¡¯s waved his hand in front of Stefan¡¯s face. He then continued bravely, ¡°From the moment you sat down, all you¡¯ve been doing was stare at her. We should just call you Starefan! Stop ignoring your friends!¡± Only then did Stefan realize that he seemed to have been paying too much attention to that woman. He withdrew his gaze and turned to Xavier, asking him in a cold voice, ¡°What were you saying again?¡± Xavier quickly said, ¡°Bro, I remember you have aw firm, and there¡¯s awyer named Zack Rosenwell working in yourw firm, right? Dude, I¡¯m in trouble. Can you ask that guy to represent me in a case? I can¡¯t lose this case or I¡¯m done for!¡± ¡°I can get you awyer, but Zack Rosenwell¡­¡± Stefan had aplicated expression as he said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t take orders from me.¡± ¡°No way! You¡¯re his boss!¡± Xavier seemed really worried. He said helplessly, ¡°Dude, I¡¯ll tell you honestly. It¡¯s the new club I opened. A woman died from alcohol overdose from drinking too much. Now, her family¡¯s taking us to court. The situation is very unfavorable for us!¡± ¡°I have a good rtionship with the judge, so he secretly hinted to me that in this type of cases, our side would usually lose. There was only one example of the defendant winning ¨C it was a case Zack Rosenwell took on years ago¡­¡± Xavier was about to lose it. He came from a family of politicians. His family had always been strict. His father nagged him every day for not working a proper job. If his father found out that he actually had the audacity to open an entertainment club and the club had even caused death, his father would definitely break his legs and confine him forever! Christopher chimed in, ¡°Try and ask thewyer to help him, Fan. After all, if thewyer is someone we know personally, there will be fewer problems.¡± Stefan pursed his thin lips and said no more. Downstairs, Renee¡¯s group was bing more and more lively. They were now ying a drinking game. Stefan¡¯s face hardened. He could not sit still anymore. He picked up a ss of wine and told the dispirited Xavier, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡° Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Chapter 76 The two men went downstairs. Because of their good looks, they attracted a lot of attention. Unfortunately, Renee¡¯s group was too immersed in their drinking game to notice. Therefore, the two young masters were¡­pletely ignored! Xavier was used to being the center of attention everywhere he went and had never experience such a cold reception before. Moreover, he was feeling mad on Stefan¡¯s behalf, so the words that came out of his mouth were very arrogant. ¡°Look how excited they are over a stupid drinking game. So childish.¡± Only then did the group notice them. The atmosphere that had been merry a second before rapidly dropped to a freezing point. Stefan¡¯s eyes met with Renee¡¯s. An invisible tug-of-war began. Although neither of them spoke, the others could clearly sense the fireworks that were going off between them. They could tell a silent battle was raging. The new boss versus the old boss. Thewyers were in a tough spot. They immediately made the decision to step back and watch the show unfold, lest they get burned by coteral damage. Renee finally broke the silence and asked, ¡°Wanna y with us?¡± Before Xavier could say ¡°I don¡¯t want to y such a childish game¡±, Stefan had already sat down. He said coldly, ¡°Why not.¡± Therefore, Xavier could only follow suit, albeit reluctantly. The person sitting next to him happened to be Zack Rosenwell, thewyer he regarded as ¡°the only person who could save him¡±. Zack had always been lukewarm and indifferent to his former boss Stefan, but he was in a good mood today and he did not want the atmosphere to get awkward, so he said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for Mr. CEO himself to stoop to our level and y with us peasants, so let¡¯s not y the drinking game anymore. Let¡¯s y something else.¡± ¡°The rules of this game are simple. Each of us hold a number te in our hands and take turns spinning the arrow. The person the arrow points to can randomly choose another person to answer a question. If the other person refuses to answer, that person will be punished.¡± ¡°Oh my god! That¡¯s so childish!¡± Xavier stood up, ready to leave, but when he saw Stefan still remain seated with no intention of leaving, he could only try to salvage the situation by saying, ¡°Alright, stop wasting time! Let¡¯s start the game!¡± It¡¯s strange. Why was his workaholic friend Stefan so free today? And he¡¯s usually as cold as an iceberg, so why was he willing to y such a childish game with these zoomers? Was Stefan being manipted by his petite, demure wife? The game started. Because there were two party poopers there, everyone was pretty reserved. All the questions and punishments were rtively mild. Then, the arrow pointed to Zack. Zack had no fear. He looked straight at Stefan and asked, ¡®I¡¯ve always wondered, is the great Stefan Hunt also an early bloomer in the matter of amorous affection? What I¡¯m trying to ask is, how old were you when you lost your virginity?¡±¡± Now that was an explosive question. Everybody pricked up their ears. Rence did so too. She was paying full attention, fearing that she might miss a word. As expected of Zack Rosenwell. How brave! After all, lots of people would like to know the answer to that question but none dared to ask. Zack was a savior for the gossipmongers! Renee guessed that a desirable man like Stefan must have lost his virginity really early. As for herself, not only was her first night reallyte, she had only ever done it with one man¡­ Sigh. It was so not worth it! Under everybody¡¯s expectant eyes, Stefan swirled the ss he was holding and took a sip of whiskey. ¡°I refuse to answer that question,¡± he said. Boo! Renee could not help rolling her eyes. This guy¡¯s no fun! The crowd was also visibly dissatisfied with the answer. At that moment, the brave Zack Rosenwell struck again. ¡°Well, rules are rules. I will now tell you what your punishment is.¡± Stefan calmly raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Zack smiled mischievously. ¡®It¡¯s simple. Hug and kiss Number 6 for 30 seconds!¡±¡± Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Chapter 77 Zack was determined to y a prank on the two snobbish rich kids, Stefan and Xavier. Therefore, when he distributed the number tes earlier, he deliberately assigned number 6 to Xavier. Think about it. Two young masters from the Great Eight Houses of Beach City kissing each other for 30 seconds. What an exciting sight that would be. It would be a ssic that would leave its mark in history. ¡°Who¡¯s number 6? Please stand up!¡± Zack looked at the group and asked even though he already knew the answer. Xavier had a short temper. He immediately stood up and pointed a finger at Zack. ¡°Who do you think you are? How dare you embarrass my bro? Do you wanna die?¡± Zack¡¯s expression was calm. Hepletely disregarded the threat. He had been involved in the legal industry for many years and had seen people from all walks of life. Even people more powerful than Xavier Stuart had to show him respect. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to bet, you must be willing to pay your wager too. Since you two decided toe here to y the game with us, you must respect the rules of the game.¡± After he said that, Zack took out his phone, brought up the stopwatch, and gestured at them, ¡® Hurry up, you two. It¡¯s no big deal. Two beautiful young men kissing each other makes for a beautiful image.¡± The crowd looked at them expectantly. The two men were under some serious pressure to kiss each other. 11 Xavier cleared his throat and said haughtily, ¡°Why are you all looking at me? I¡¯m not Number 6.¡± Then, he turned to Stefan with a sympathetic look and said, ¡°Bro, why don¡¯t you take your chances. All the girls here don¡¯t look too bad. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll lose anything if you kiss one for 30 seconds. If you get unlucky and Number 6 turns out to be a guy, I¡¯ll flip the table for you!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not Number 6?¡± Zack¡¯s brows furrowed as he asked, ¡°What number are you?¡± ¡°Take a good hard look. I¡¯m Number 9!¡± Xavier proudly threw his number te onto the table. It really was Number 9! Zack¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. He realized that he had made a mistake. He must have seen the number te upside down and mistook the number 9 for the number 6. But it¡¯s gotten to a point where he could not back down anymore. He could only keep going.¡± Who¡¯s Number 6? Hurry up and step out.¡¯ In any case, it should still be quite fun to see the iceberg-like CEO kiss someone. ¡°It¡¯s not me!¡± ¡°Not me either!¡± Everyone showed their number tes ¨C except for Renee, who sat still with an awkward expression and a slight blush. The answer was obvious. Xavier heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You got lucky, bro. It¡¯s just your wife. Go ahead and kiss her.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze fell on Renee. The emotion in his eyes was unclear. In a cold voice, he said, ¡°Since I agreed to y, I¡¯ll ept the punishment.¡± From what he remembered, her lips were moderately thick and were as soft as jelly. After having a bit of a taste thest time, he had thought about them a lot. He recently discovered that, although he hated intimate contact with women, he did not dislike having intimate contact with her. In fact, he looked forward to bing more intimate with her¡­ Everyone looked at Renee. Their new boss and their old boss had been married for many years, so a kiss should be somethingpletely normal between them, right? Renee took a deep breath and finally looked up. However, the person she looked at was Zack. She said, ¡°I think this punishment is so boring.¡± In other words, she was saying that kissing Stefan was boring. Wasn¡¯t that, like¡­ publicly humiliating him? Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Chapter 78 Zack notiost Renee¡¯s embarrassment and wanted to help her out. ¡°Yeah, I think this punishment is boring too. I wouldn¡¯t want to offend His Royal Majesty Mr. Hunt, so I decided to forfeit my punishment right.¡± Many an eye were rolled in the crowd. Zack¡¯s double standard was too obvious. He was singing apletely different tune a moment ago. His preference for the new boss was way too obvious! Stefan¡¯s expression did not change much, but his perfect, cold face was unreadable under the flickering light. He stared at the woman next to him with a cold gaze and suddenly smirked. ¡°I underestimated your charisma. You sure know how to win people over.¡± Renee simply sat there. She did not know how to respond. Why is this guy being so sarcastic?¡± She just helped him evade punishment. Was he not supposed to thank her? Why did he look so unhappy with her? ¡®Men are so unreasonable!¡± The game continued. This time, the arrow pointed at Xavier. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Xavierughed out loud. He felt like he was about to get revenge, He wanted to teach Zack a lesson. The guy was too arrogant. He was also being really intimate with someone else¡¯s wife. This made Navier dislike him a lot. However, when he thought of how Renee publicly embarrassed Stefan just now, he suddenly really wanted to know how Renee truly felt about Stefan. If it was love, why was she unwilling to kiss a man she loved? Navier turned towards Renee and asked her directly, ¡°I want to know if you love your husband and if your first night was with your husband?¡± Another embarrassing question, but it was actually not that hard to answer. Stefan stared at Renee, the emotion in his eyes unclear. He was waiting for her answer. Renee looked straight at him and said, ¡°I refuse to answer that.¡± Everyone looked disappointed. Looks like the new boss and the old boss were very alike. They had the same reaction even when ying a game. ¡°Sometimes, not answering is an answer in itself. I think a certain someone should get it now.¡± Xavier nced at Stefan. He was feeling pity for his good friend. See? This is the kind of woman Stefan ended up with after letting his first love go. shame! What a Renee could not be bothered exining. She told the righteously indignant Xavier, ¡°So? What¡¯s my punishment?¡± Xavier was momentarily stunned. He had not really thought about how to punish her. Because he felt that, although his question pried into personal matters, it was not difficult to answer. If Renee liked Stefan even a little, or if she had given her virginity to Stefan, she simply had to tacitly admit it. But she would rather ept punishment than do that¡­ Sigh. Once again, Xavier quietly took pity on his good friend Stefan. Right then, the performance on stage ended. Xavier said, out of ack of better option, ¡°Maybe you can go on stage and sing a song for us or something¡± He thought that Renee was already good at studying and an expert gamer. Surely she must be terrible at singing. Let her make a fool of herself on stage. Consider it a small revenge for Stefan. F ver, Renee was not shy at all. She smoothened her long hair and confidently stepped onto the stage. She sat down on the tall chair and hugged the acoustic guitar, her long fingers flicking the strings. With just two notes, she grabbed the attention of all the guests in the bar. ¡°>> A long, long time ago, you¡¯re mine, and I¡¯m yours. A long, long time ago, you left me and flew far away¡­ ??¡± Renee¡¯s voice flowed like water, smooth and pleasant to the ear, filling up the air in the bar. Her voice carried a tinge of sadness, as if there were a lot of stories behind it¡­ Many people in the bar immersed themselves in her song. Some could not help but shed tears. Among them was Xavier. He wiped away his tears and said indignantly, ¡°Bro, why didn¡¯t you tell me your wife could sing so beautifully? She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s getting all the attention. It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard her sing myself.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes had never left Renee. The light shone on the woman, making her look dazzling and out of his reach. Meanwhile, Christopher was looking at Renee from the second floor too. His gaze became deeper. No wonder Stefan was able to let go of his past so easily! After the song, Renee gracefully stepped down from the stage. Without even looking at Stefan, she said to the others, ¡°Alright, punishment served. I have to go. You guys can continue without me.¡± ¡°If the boss is leaving, why would we stay?¡± Thewyers stood up one after another and followed after her wholeheartedly. In the booth, Stefan and Xavier sat surrounded by empty seats. It was a bit awkward. Stefan continued to sit there gracefully without a word, as if he was still immersed in Renee¡¯s song. After a long time, he said faintly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°ait, that¡¯s it?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Xavier said, ¡°Bro, what about my request? Hurry up and introduce me to thewyer called Zack Rosenwell!¡± Rosenwell.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Xavier felt like crying. He should just break his legs himself instead of waiting for his father to do it. Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Upon leaving the bar, Renee said goodbye to Zack and the otherwyers and stood alone by the roadside to wait for her ride. The cool night breeze brushed against her cheeks, making her feel refreshed. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Her figure was graceful in the white dress, her hair fluttering slightly in the wind like a waterfall. There was not much emotion on her delicate face, but there was a hint of sadness there, as if it hid many stories. Quite a few men stopped their cars and either honked or whistled at her, wanting to take her for a ride, but she scared them away with her fierce gaze. Another car stopped nearby. Renee was ready to roll her eyes again. The window slowly rolled down to show Stefan inside. Her gaze changed from a fierce one to a cold one, as if she did not even know him. ¡°Need a ride?¡± Stefan invited in a low voice. ¡°Nope, wouldn¡¯t want you to go out of your way!¡± A direct refusal from Renee. Stefan: ¡± ¡± Go out of his way? They lived next to each other. But, it seemed the woman¡¯s dislike of him was obvious. She was not even trying to hide it. What Stefan could not figure out was, if she really had no feelings for him, how could she be the author of the most popr fanfic about them? She did not seem like she had multiple personality disorder. There¡¯s only one exnation ¨C she¡¯s pretending! Uponing to that conclusion, Stefan¡¯s mood suddenly brightened. He did not even mind Renee publicly embarrassing him in the bar earlier anymore. He told himself that it was because women always acted contrary to how they really felt. With his long fingers on the steering wheel, Stefan tilted his head slightly and told Renee, ¡°Get in the car. I¡¯ll tell you some things about the Hunts & Co. Law Firm. Thew firm isn¡¯t as simple as you think it is.¡± +15 BONUS ¡°I¡¯m alright, thanks.¡± Renee smiled and lifted her chin high like a swan, aloof and proud. ¡°I think I can handle it, at least better than you can.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment. He said, ¡°You really think everything would be smooth sailing after you took care of Zack Rosenwell with some petty tricks? The one who¡¯s really difficult to deal with in Hunts & Co. isn¡¯t him.¡± Renee knew Stefan was talking about Sandra Lee, the partner she had yet to meet. The career woman with a strong attitude and outstanding abilities was the true backbone of Hunts & Co. If Renee could not get past the obstacle that was Sandra Lee, Hunts & Co. would still be like a hot potato that she could not eat nor throw away! Stefan¡¯s cold eyes were as sharp as a hawk¡¯s. He did not miss the slightest change in Renee¡¯s expression. He saw her doubts. Therefore, he generously gave her the chance to choose again. ¡°The divorce agreement hasn¡¯te into effect yet. If you¡¯re regretting it, get on the car and we¡¯ll renegotiate the distribution of assets. I¡¯ll agree to any request you have as long as it¡¯s not unreasonable. There¡¯s no need to use your uncle as a cover.¡± In Stefan¡¯s opinion, he was already doing the best he could as a future ex-husband. At the very least, he never thought of treating her unfairly in terms of money. Renee lifted her thin eyebrows slightly, her lips curled into a faint smile, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hunt, but rest assured from the moment I agreed to the divorce, every decision I made and every word I said came from the bottom of my heart. I will never regret them.¡± The arrow had already been let fly. How could a dead hearte back to life with only a few good words? Stefan narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to discern whether her words were true. At that moment, a silver sports car pulled up from behind. ¡°Sorry, my ride is here¡­¡± Renee swayed past Stefan¡¯s car. She smiled at him and said, ¡°By the way, please don¡¯t bete to the divorce certificate in a week¡¯s time, Mr. Hunt.¡± Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Chapter 80 In the silver sports car, Liam paid full attention to the road ahead. Each ounce of force he exerted on the elerator was done with deliberate care, lest he caused any unnecessary bumps for his goddess and the two little babies in her belly. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re such a naughty mother. How can you visit a bar while you¡¯re pregnant? That¡¯s bad prenatal education.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a restaurant bar. I didn¡¯t drink any liquor.¡± Renee sat in the passenger seat with her head propped up on her hand, looking absent- mindedly out of the window. Her mind seemed preupied. Liam may seem carefree, but he was actually quite observant. He could immediately tell that Renee was still feeling troubled about Stefan, so said, half teasing and half testing, ¡°Boss, since you haven¡¯t officially divorced the Iceberg yet, why don¡¯t you tell him about your pregnancy and see who he chooses?¡± ¡°Based on what I observed, it¡¯s not like he¡¯spletely devoid of any feelings for you. At the very least¡­ he¡¯s still rather possessive of you.¡± Otherwise, Stefan would not have such a terrible expression on his face when he saw Renee get into Liam¡¯s car. Based on male psychology, as long as a man was still feeling possessive of a woman, their story was not over yet. ¡°Besides, you risked your life to save him. He should repay you with his body and choose you.¡± Liam added. ¡°No way!¡± Renee stared daggers at Liam. ¡°Why should I offer myself to let him choose? What do I get for going back?¡± ¡°You want me to continue to be that meek little daughter-inw that everyone can step all over? You want me to getughed at since everybody knows my husband has a mistress? I¡¯m not a masochist!¡± Moreover, possessiveness was not love. Love was a kind of caring that seeped deep into the bone, like the way Stefan treated Briar Desrosiers¡­ ¡°Well said!¡± +15 BONUS Seeing Renee¡¯s firm attitude, Liam immediately felt relieved. ¡°Boss, after suffering four years of brain damage due to love, you¡¯ve finally recovered. I¡¯m really happy for you!¡± ¡°But the children need a father. I can cameo as one.¡± Liam¡¯s long, narrow yboy eyes sparkled with naughtiness and affection. They were very charming. Renee red at him. ¡°Are you looking for a beating?¡± Liam instantly backed down and turned into a cute little puppy again. ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll just be their uncle!¡± ¡®Sigh. I, Liam Osborne, have always been a casanova that can deal with any woman Ie across. Why doesn¡¯t my charm work on Renee though?¡¯ However, he was not discouraged. Regardless of what their rtionship was exactly, at least he knew that he was a special existence to Renee. Because they had their own little secret, a secret that even the Iceberg was unworthy of sharing. The thought of that warmed Liam¡¯s heart¡­ ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop talking about all that nonsense. Have you done what I asked you to do?¡± Renee collected her thoughts, smoothed her disorderly hair, and asked Liam. ¡°I¡¯ve made the appointment for you. Tomorrow morning, ten o¡¯clock, Floating Cloud Vi.¡± Renee nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. alone.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that. You¡¯re pregnant, so I have to keep youpany. Besides, that sly old fox is really difficult to deal with. He¡¯s very close with Stefan Hunt. If you can¡¯te to an agreement, he might cause you trouble.¡± Ever since Liam found out that Renee was pregnant with twins, he wished he could take care of Renee 24 hours a day. He would never let his goddess be at risk. Renee¡¯s decision was firm. ¡°I can handle myself just fine. You think he can cause me trouble. that easily?¡± ¡°True that.¡± Liam suddenly came to a realization. This was his boss they were talking about. Hidden inside her body was a little leopard with arp ws. Just because she was a meek little rabbit for a few years, it did not mean she had really turned into a helpless little rabbit. ¡°Be careful, then. I¡¯ll wait for your good news. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Chapter 81 R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only The next day. Renee headed for Floating Cloud Vi in a casual beige suit. Her hair was tied into a neat horsetail. She looked young, like a fresh college graduate. Floating Cloud Vi was located in a primeval forest more than 50 kilometers away from the urban area of Beach City. The ce had dense vegetation, high level of oxygen concentration, natural hot springs, golf courses, and natural fishing grounds. It was the first choice holiday destination for many wealthy people. Due to a bit of traffic on the road, Renee arrived at Floating Cloud Vi at exactly 10:01 am, she was a minutete. SO Upon arriving there, she saw a group of people enthusiastically gathered around someone who was walking out of Floating Cloud Vi. That person was Jerome South, chairman of the South Group and the person Renee was going to meet. South Group was a powerfulpany with a strong background. It was one of the top investment companies in Beach City and a loyal partner of H Group for many years. H Group¡¯s customer data leak this time resulted in a significant loss for South Group as well. Therefore, South Group had terminated their contract with H Group and was currently seeking a new partner to cooperate with. Renee walked over with quick steps to stand in front of the group of tall, powerful men. The smile on her pretty face was perfect. She said confidently, ¡°Hello, Mr. South, I¡¯m Renee Everheart. So happy to finally meet you. Can we speak privately?¡± Although her figure was slender and delicate, her aura was not weak at all. With such a strong conviction in her voice, ordinary people would find it hard to refuse. However, Jerome South was no ordinary people. Ever since South Group terminated their contract with H Group, he had been like a huge piece of juicy meat. Every day, there were countless people like Renee who woulde to him, wanting to ¡°talk¡±. He hardly ever paid attention to any of them. ¡°Renee Everheart. I know you. The daughter of the Everheart family who has fallen on hard times and the dignified daughter-inw of the Hunt family¡­¡± +15 BONUS Jerome looked Renee over from top to bottom withplicated eyes, then smirked. ¡°Looks like my good friend Stefan is really desperate. He¡¯s even sending his wife to make me change my mind. He¡¯s ruthless.¡± Renee thought that Jerome South must have misunderstood. She calmly exined, ¡°Stefan Hunt is Stefan Hunt, and Renee Everheart is Renee Everheart. I came here today on behalf of Azure Group. I have nothing to do with H Group.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯re the mysterious person that brat Liam has been pestering me to meet?¡± Jerome raised his eyebrows slightly. He was showing a bit more interest in Renee now. He vaguely remembered meeting this woman at a family party two years ago. Back then, she was just a vase standing next to Stefan Hunt, pretty but useless. She was quiet, dignified and obedient, but Stefan did not pay her much attention, so she did not leave much of an impression on Jerome. But now¡­ she looked like apletely different person! In the distance, a golf cart drove over from the Four Seasons Golf Course. Jerome told Renee, ¡°I¡¯m curious about you, but you¡¯rete. I hate people who arete. You can go home now.¡± Renee expected this. She knew that Jerome South was difficult to handle. Otherwise, Liam would have gotten the deal done long ago and she would not have had toe personally. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting for a minute, Mr. South. To express my apology, please ept this gift.¡± Renee took out a brown paper bag from her handbag and handed it to Jerome South. Everybody there looked on in disdain. Who did she think Jerome South was? Plenty of people had given him all kinds of valuable gifts. There was no way he would think much of¡­ whatever that was. Jerome South¡¯s assistant immediately stopped Renee and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. South never ept gifts from others casually. Please be mindful of your actions.¡± But when Jerome South saw the words on the paper bag, his face abruptly changed. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Chapter 82 ¡°Give it to me!¡± Jerome South grabbed the brown paper bag and pulled out the documents inside, his fingers trembling slightly due to excitement. It was a freshly-issued winning verdict for an appeal. Except for Renee, no one there knew how significant this verdict was to Jerome South. After a long time, Jerome South finally turned his gaze away from the verdict. He looked at Renee. His shrewd eyes had a hint of barely noticeable wetness in them. He said, Come with me!¡± And so, as everyone watched on in disbelief, Renee sessfully obtained the opportunity to meet with Jerome South, the chairman of South Group, alone. In the high-end luxury box, Jerome South was very emotional. ¡°The appeal is sessful. Finally, the appeal is sessful. Five years¡­ I¡¯ve waited way too long for this moment!¡± He repeatedly read the contents of the verdict. Even now, he could still hardly believe it. Jerome South¡¯s reaction reminded Renee of herte father. She sighed. ¡°Justice is always present. I believe Miss Chase can definitely feel your fatherly love in heaven.¡± ¡°Jerome South suddenly stared at Renee with vignce and asked, ¡°How did you know about this? And how did you manage to reopen a case that was already finalized?¡± ¡°Because I admire you and wish to be your most trusted partner, I spent some time trying to get to know you¡­¡± Renee¡¯s expression was calm as she said without any hesitation, ¡°Everyone knows Jerome South has a beloved daughter called Jane South, but very few people know that¡­ in a remote northern city, you have another daughter called Nancy Chase.¡± ¡°Miss Chase was two years older than Miss South. She was more outstanding than Miss South in appearance, conduct, and talent. However, as an illegitimate daughter, her destiny was very different from Miss South¡¯s¡­¡± Listening to Renee¡¯s words, Jerome South was lost in memories. His stern face now contained a bit of softness and a bit of sadness too. ¡°Yes, Nancy was much more outstanding than Jane,. She¡¯s a lot more mature too. If it weren¡¯t because she was so considerate and was afraid it might affect me, she wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± Jerome South could not go on anymore. He had a very painful expression on his face. Renee silently looked at the man without saying anything. No matter how unfairly Jerome South had treated his two daughters in the past, at least his regret now was real. His mourning was real too. This was the heaviest love in the world the love of a father for his dead daughter! Jerome South took a deep breath to calm himself down. He put the verdict back into the paper bag and put it away carefully. ¡°To get a judge to revise a wrongful verdict from five years ago, it must have taken a lot of effort. It¡¯s a bitte, but my daughter¡¯s name is finally cleared¡­¡± Jerome South looked at Renee with appreciation and gratitude in his eyes. He went straight to you want?¡± the point. ¡°Your gift has gone straight to my heart. Tell me honestly¡­ what do Renee smiled and took out the contract she had prepared along with a pen, then handed them to Jerome South. ¡°Mr. South, I told you I hope I can be your most trusted business partner. I also hope that in the next five years, South Group can be our Azure Group¡¯srgest investor and distributor.¡± ¡°Yourrgest investor and distributor in the next five years?¡± Jerome South was momentarily stunned. Then, he smiled and said, ¡°Young woman, you have a tiny body but such a big appetite. In the entire Beach City, does anyone except for H Group have the right to say something like that?¡± ¡°In five years, Azure Group will be more qualified than H Group to say that,¡± dered Renee. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Jerome South lifted his eyebrows slightly. Those were arrogant words, but spoken by the young woman, it did not feel conceited. ¡°You¡¯re Stefan¡¯s wife, yet you¡¯re speaking for Azure Group. This is rather interesting.¡± Renee decided to press the issue while she had the momentum. ¡°So, what do you think, Mr. South? Would you take the gamble and cooperate with Azure Group?¡± Suddenly, a girl¡¯s voice rose outside. ¡°Get out of the way! Let me in!¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Chapter 83 The next second, a beautiful and boisterous figure burst in. ¡°Daddy, I heard a slut is trying to seduce you, so I came to see what the shameless woman looks like!¡± Jane South was wearing ck high heel boots and carrying a limited edition bag. She was shouting and making a scene like a typical spoiled rich girl. She instantly saw Renee sitting across from Jerome South. Surprise crept into her willful face. ¡°It¡¯s actually you¡­. the woman that Stefan has hated for four years but is still shamelessly clinging onto him!¡± said Jane South through clenched teeth. She looked at Renee with contempt and jealousy. Her attitude was full of hostility. Renee¡¯s smiled faintly and extended her hand to Jane, unperturbed. ¡°Hello, Miss South. I¡¯m honored that you still remember me.¡± She had met Jane before. She knew Jane was Stefan¡¯s number one fan. Because Jerome doted on Jane, Jane had grown up spoiled and willful. Generally speaking, Renee had always tried to stay as far away as possible from that kind of person. But this time, it seemed like the encounter was impossible to avoid. Jane showed no consideration for Rence¡¯s feelings. She yelled, ¡°You shameless woman! How dare you try to seduce my father behind Stefan¡¯s back? I¡¯ll call Stefan and tell him all about it!¡± ¡°Jane, stop this nonsense!¡± Jerome frowned. He red at his precious daughter sternly, which was something that he rarely did. ¡°Miss Everheart is here to talk business. Go wait for me outside!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a housewife! She doesn¡¯t know anything about business. Did you fall for her seduction? How could you do this? Mommy¡¯s watching in heaven!¡± Jane South stomped her feet and started sobbing and shouting, ¡°I knew you didn¡¯t love Mommy! You don¡¯t love me either! I don¡¯t want to be your daughter anymore!¡± ¡°Jane, there you go again¡­¡± Jerome sighed helplessly. The more unreasonable Jane South was, the more Jerome South missed his deceased eldest daughter, Nancy Chase, and the more he felt guilty about Nancy. Jerome felt embarrassed and told Renee, ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯ll consider your proposal for the cooperation between South Group and Azure Group carefully. If you don¡¯t mind, can you give us a bit of space?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Okay, Mr. South. I¡¯ll await your good news.¡± Renee nodded and withdrew from the box without hesitation. Before she left, she cast a sympathetic look at Jerome. At the same time, from the bottom of her heart, she felt a deep pity for Nancy Chase¡¯s unjust death. That foolish woman sacrificed her own life and reputation to save the reputation of the South family, but Jane, a terrible human being, became the biggest beneficiary. What a pity! Renee did not leave Floating Cloud Vi. Instead, she waited in a coffee shop outside the private box. As long as Jerome South had not signed the contract, things could still change, so she could not leave yet. Half a day passed. The sun was setting. Renee could sit still no longer. She was ready to return to the private box to talk to Jerome South again. Jane South walked out with folded arms and a triumphant face. She looked at Renee proudly. You can stop waiting now. Daddy has left through the VIP channel. He promised me he¡¯ll never see you again!¡± ¡°Really? Let your daddy tell me that in person.¡± Before Renee had even finished her sentence, she had nimbly walked past Jane to go into the private box behind her. It actually was empty. Dammit, Jerome South was really going to throw away his principles just to please his daughter! ¡°I¡¯ve seen the contract. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re helping another man look for investors even though you¡¯re Stefan¡¯s wife. I feel so bad for Stefan!¡± Jane seemed to be defending Stefan against an injustice, but her arrogant face was filled with delight and cunning. She added, ¡°But, I can help you¡­¡± Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Gourmet Pavilion. A top ss restaurant in Beach City. The preferred ce for many businessmen to socialize and entertain guests. Currently, in their most luxurious dining hall, the Swan Hall, Stefan was sitting at the main table, receiving praises and ttery from everyone. He was undoubtedly the center of attention. ¡°You¡¯re definitely the most outstanding individual in the entire Beach City, Mr. Hunt. You repeatedly lead H Group to achieve new heights! The likes of us can only look up to you!¡± A steady stream of toasts apanied by ttery would make anyone dizzy. But not Stefan. He remained steadfast, his cold eyes unreadable. The regal air he exuded was a far cry from the crude air around the other businessmen. At that moment, a young voice cautiously said, ¡°Although Mr. Hunt is incredible, there are many rising starstely. Take Liam Osborne, the young son of Geronimo Osborne, for example. The Azure Group he runs is on a roll right now!¡± In the midst of all the ttery, the voice stood out like a sore thumb, and could almost be considered sphemy. As a result, the person who said it was mercilessly ridiculed. ¡°What the hell do you know? Liam Osborne is just a yboy. He does nothing but pick up girls all day. How can hepare to Young Master Hunt?¡± A slight frown crept onto Stefan¡¯s face. He finally opened his mouth to say something. ¡°Azure Group?¡± The young man quickly said, ¡°Yes, Mr. Hunt. My family runs a venture capitalist business, so I¡¯ve specifically studied thatpany¡­¡± ¡°Although Azure Group was only founded recently and it¡¯s not thatrge, it has been developing rapidly. It¡¯s not a shellpany that Young Master Osborne uses to pick up girls like everyone thinks it is. It has a very bright prospect!¡± The crowd was about to berate him again but Stefan said coldly, ¡°Tell me more.¡± The young man continued, ¡°My im that Azure Group has a bright future isn¡¯t groundless¡­ Do you know that their business partners are all clients who terminated their contract with I! Group some time ago?¡± This information instantly caught the attention of many sly old foxes in the crowd. They began to show interest in this emergingpany. Stefan also fell into deep contemtion. Elijah had told him about thepany before, but he did not think much of it. To be precise, he did not take that brat Liam Osborne seriously. But now, not only was that brat trying to steal Stefan¡¯s woman, he was trying to steal Stefan¡¯s clients too. Stefan was seeing him in a new light! The young man nced at Stefan and said cautiously, ¡°There¡¯s something else besides that, but I¡¯m not sure if I should say it¡­¡± Stefan coldly said, ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°This morning, your wife suddenly appeared in Floating Cloud Vi to talk to the chairman of South Group. We all thought she came on behalf of H Group¡­¡± ¡°However, she actually gave a generous gift to Mr. South on behalf of Azure Group. Mr. South was very happy and is supposedly ready to cooperate with Azure Group now!¡± This information again surprised everyone. Stefan¡¯s wife had actually helped out Liam Osborne¡¯spany. Now this¡­ was a bit awkward! Someone boldly took the initiative to soften the atmosphere. ¡°That sounds like a whole lot of nonsense. There must be some misunderstanding. Mrs. Hunt is known as a model wife. There¡¯s no way¡­¡± Stefan slightly swirled the ss of red wine in his hand. There was not much emotion in his cold, handsome face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. She can do what she wants.¡± He spoke indifferently. Right then, the young man took out his phone and typed out a sentence: ¡°I¡¯ve told him the things you wanted me to say, you cane in now!¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Chapter 85 About ten minutester, a waitress in a cheongsam led Jane South into the Swan Hall. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°I finally get to see you again, Stefan. You can¡¯t avoid me this time!¡± She went straight to Stefan¡¯s left side. The person sitting to Stefan¡¯s left was very tactful and immediately offered his seat. Everyone in Beach City knew that Jane South, the future heir of South Group and the pampered only child of Jerome South, was crazy about Stefan Hunt. H Group and South Group were strategic partners that had cooperated for many years. The two young people wereparable in age and family background. A marriage between them seemed like a matter of certainty. But a certain Renee Everheart suddenly appeared out of nowhere¡­ ¡°Stefan, you¡¯ve grown even more handsome since thest time I saw you. You have no idea how much I¡¯ve missed you. All I could dream about was you¡­¡± As soon as Jane South came in, her eyes had never left Stefan. She intimately grabbed his arm and said coquettishly, ¡°How could you be so cruel? We¡¯re childhood friends, but as soon as you got married, you stopped hanging out with me. How could you?!¡± Stefan¡¯s face was cold. His sharp gaze swept through the banquet as he asked in an unhappy tone, ¡°This is a private dinner. Who told her about it?¡± Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent. Jane South felt humiliated, her cheeks burning red with anger. ¡°Stefan, is this really necessary? I¡¯m not a monster. Why do you try so hard to avoid me?¡± A smile full of schadenfreude suddenly appeared on her face. She said hurriedly, ¡°You have the awareness of a married man, but the same can¡¯t be said for your wife unfortunately. She looks dignified and dutiful on the outside, but she¡¯s not an honest woman at all. If she hadn¡¯t admitted it herself today, I wouldn¡¯t have known she¡¯s such a promiscuous woman. It¡¯s unbelievable. I feel bad for you, Stefan!¡± Stefan asked, ¡°What did she admit?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Jane South looked at the crowd, pretending to hesitate. Everyone instantly understood. They all stood up and said goodbye. Soon, only Stefan and Jane were left in the spacious hall. Jane was very excited. She had been waiting for this moment for a long time. She wished she could just jump onto Stefan. ¡°Stefan, I finally get to be alone with you again. I¡­¡± ¡°Five minutes.¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was cold and impatient. It¡¯s not that he had anything against Jane South personally, he was just not too fond of being overly intimate with women. He especially hated to be touched by wornen. And he found Jane South, who was really clingy and liked to make all kinds of contact with him, very annoying. Jane was so mad that she wanted to curse, but she tried to calm herself down. Because she believed that Stefan¡¯s attitude towards her would do aplete 180 soon. ¡°Stefan, I have a video here. You¡¯ll understand everything after you watch it.¡± Jane took out her phone and yed the video she recorded. It was actually a video of Renee. Stefan stared at the phone screen, his eyes getting colder and colder. The Renee in the video said, ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to persuade your father to sign the contract with Azure Group, I¡¯ll agree to your request to divorce Stefan, and I¡¯ll never see him again.¡± Jane carefully observed Stefan¡¯s reaction and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Miss Everfrost was thinking. I just casually mentioned that I could help her, and she immediately agreed to film this video. She never considered how you would feel at all. This also shows how much she loves Liam Osborne. She¡¯s willing to go to such lengths for him!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was cold and he remained silent. His deep eyes showed no emotion. He just kept staring at the phone screen. Jane continued, ¡°But she¡¯s such a fool. I¡¯m not actually gonna help her. Since I like you so much, if I were going persuade my father, of course I would persuade him to keep cooperating with H Group. There¡¯s no way I would let her benefit¡­¡¯ ¡°Moreover, because I just can¡¯t stand how disloyal she is to you, I taught her a lesson. She¡¯s probably scared out of her wits right now while regretting some of her life choices!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned cold and he snapped, ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Floating Cloud Vi. During the day, the primeval forest with dense vegetation was a natural oxygen bar for the wealthy, a ce for them to take vacations and recuperate. However, during the night, it was a dangerous ce where all kinds of wild beasts roamed, At the center of the forest was a sealed underground bunker surrounded by vines and thorns. Few people came to this area. Right now, it was emitting a faint blue light which looked like ghost fire in the dark night. Rence was sitting at the bottom of the hole. The humid air carried a musty smell, and asionally mice and cockroaches would crawl past her. Her delicate little face was expressionless. She was calm. Heh, that fool Jane South thought that if she tricked Renee into this air-raid shelter and locked her in, she would be teaching Renee a lesson. However, Renee¡¯s grandfather had taught her survival skills in the wild when she was little. This environment was no doubt a nightmare for ordinary people, but for her, it was nothing In truth, Rence had a hundred ways to escape, but she did not. Not only did she not escape, she even intentionally made herself look like she was in a miserable state, like she was about to die at any moment. Renee rubbed the ground with a stone to start a fire, then made use the light to write on the wall with a stone. ¡°10, 9, 8, 7¡­¡± She counted down in her mind. ording to their n, Liam would be rushing here with Jerome South¡¯s men very soon. Rence was worried that she might not look miserable enough, so she quickly ruffled her hair even more, grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, and wiped it on her cheeks. Sure enough, Rence soon heard the sound of an SUV being driven at full speed. It was getting closer and closer to her. She quickly extinguished the fire andy ¡°dying¡± on the ground¡­ In the dark, quiet night, the metallic door of the air-raid shelter was forcibly pried open with a bang. +15 BONUS Amidst the moonlight, Renee saw a tall figure jump down from above. She cleared her throat and was preparing to tragically cry out for help. But the next second, she heard a voice thatpletely took her by surprise. ¡°Renee, are you okay?¡± The cold voice that carried a bit of nerve was so clear yet sounded so unreal in the dark. Stefan?! How could it be him?! ¡°1¡± Renee was so confused. What was Stefan doing here in the middle of the night? How should she continue her act with his sudden intrusion? Stefan tightly grasped Renee¡¯s thin shoulders with his big hands and carefully examined her whole body under the dim moonlight. After confirming that she was not injured, his tightly furrowed eyebrows rxed slightly. ¡°Jane South has gone too far! This is unforgivable!¡± His cold, stern face, outlined by the moonlight, was so perfect that Renee could not stop looking at it, as if she was bewitched. She quickly shook her head and tried to keep a clear head. ¡°Umm¡­ Mr. Hunt, I¡¯m fine. Liam will be here to rescue me soon. You can go back now. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Renee distanced herself from Stefan and said politely. After all, being alone in a space like this was inappropriate for two people who were about to get a divorce. But more importantly, Liam will be here with Jerome South¡¯s men to rescue her soon. She had a whole show nned out. If Stefan stayed, or worse, took her way, the show could not go on! ¡°That no-good pretty boy again¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face turned gloomy. He held Renee¡¯s tiny face with his long fingers and stared deep into her eyes, as if to see through her. +ID BUNIV) R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°Can you exin to me what kind of charm Liam Osborne has? How did he bewitch you to this extent?¡± Renee was frightened by how fierce he looked. She put on a docile appearance and a fake smile. ¡°Well¡­ maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s handsome? His face confirms to my sense of aesthetics.¡± It was merely a random excuse to make Stefan leave as soon as possible. ¡°That¡¯s why you can go now. Let him be the hero that saves the damsel in distress. You¡¯re just the ex-husband, so you should stay out of this,¡± Stefan¡¯s face darkened. He fought back the urge to tear her into pieces. Haha, because he¡¯s handsome? He, Stefan, was widely recognized as the most handsome man in the entire Beach City. How could Liam Osborne with his influencer-like face evenpare to him? ¡°Shut up!¡± Stefan could not be bothered arguing with her. He simply swept Renee off her feet and was prepared to carry her away from the ce. Rence was about to resist when she suddenly sensed an iing danger. She immediately froze and warned Stefan in a soft voice, ¡°Be careful¡­ Stefan, don¡¯t move!¡± Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Chapter 87 Stefan thought Renee was trying to trick him so she did not take her warning seriously. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. Looking down, he saw a ck snake spitting out its bright red tongue, looking at him menacingly. The snake was about two fingers wide. ¡°Crap!¡± Stefan frowned. He could clearly feel the muscles around his ankle bing numb. He could hardly stand anymore. He quickly moved Renee behind him to protect her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll lure it away. You look for a chance to escape!¡± ¡°Did it bite you?¡± Renee clenched her fists and said in a tense voice, ¡°The snake has a silver ring around its neck and lives in a humid ce, so it should be highly venomous. Stop moving so that the venom won¡¯t spread so fast!¡± ¡°Shut up if you want to live!¡± Renee¡¯s voice was so loud that it was giving him a headache. In his opinion, all Renee¡¯s voice would do was anger the cold-blooded animal in front of them. He had no experience in handling snakes, but under the tense situation, the snake would likely attack them again, so he had to do something! Stefan carefully took out his phone and turned slightly towards Renee who was standing behind him. ¡°Get ready. When I count to three, run as hard as you can!¡± Renee sighed helplessly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯ll go away soon.¡± Based on her past experience, this snake was not actually aggressive. Moreover, it had limited vision and could only sense rapidly moving objects, so the safest thing to do was to stay still. After the snake confirmed that they were not a threat, it would go away. However, it was clear that Mr. Stefan Hunt had his own unique insight and did not believe her. ¡°One, two, three- RUN!¡± As Stefan finished counting to three, he turned on the shlight on his phone and shook it in front of the snake, trying to divert the snake¡¯s attention so that Renee would have an opportunity to escape. Rence mmed her hand on her forehead and said, ¡°Oh no, oh no, it¡¯s over!¡± The ck snake was instantly angered. It struck continuously in the direction of the light like a chicken pecking at grain, doing everything it could to bite them. ¡°You, out of the way!¡± In the moment of crisis, Renee grabbed Stefan¡¯s arm and pulled him aside. Then, a silver gleam shed across the air. A silver dart pierced into the snake¡¯s neck, severing the snake in two and killing it on the spot! Everything happened so fast that Stefan did not see what happened clearly. He could only feel his head bing increasingly heavy and his vision bing increasingly blurry. Renee calmly walked forward, picked up both parts of the broken snake corpse and stuffed them into a bag so that the snake¡¯s venom serum could be extracted from them. She turned to Stefan and said, ¡°You¡¯re poisoned. We need to get you to a hospital to cleanse out the venom as soon as possible!¡± Stefan did not respond. His tall body shakily approached Renee, his eyes locked onto her. Renee thought his eyes looked strange, so she kindly asked, ¡°Can you walk? Do you need my help?¡± ¡°I need it!¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was low and deep. Like a towering mountain, he trapped Renee firmly between himself and the wall. His long, strong fingers forcefully raised Renee¡¯s chin. A strong possessive desire could be seen in the depth of his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re my wife, of course I need you!¡± ¡°Stefan, there¡¯s something wrong with you. What are you doing?¡± Renee leaned against the wall, not daring to move. Stefan was behaving abnormally! She suddenly remembered that the venom of the ck snake with silver ring not only attacked its victim¡¯s internal organs, it could also cause a hallucination and aphrodisiac effect. The more emotional the person being bitten was, the more severe the effect! ¡°You¡¯re a beautiful woman, but you might as well be blind. That Osborne boy is no match for me in anything except being a few years younger.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Under the influence of the snake venom, Stefan had no filter. HIS BONDS He rubbed her bright red lips with his fingers like he was rubbing the petals of a rose, and then, driven by desire, moved in and covered them with his own lips¡­ Chapter 88 Chapter 88 Chapter 88 ¡°Mhh¡­¡± The man¡¯s lips were hot like volcanic rock. Renee¡¯s mind went nk. She simply let him get the best of her as if her body had been paralyzed. This was not the first time he had kissed her, but it was the first time he was doing it so passionately and enthusiastically. So much so that she found herself immersed in the kiss and could not help responding¡­ This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. While getting lost in the kiss, Renee opened her eyes and took a peek to see what kind of expression Stefan had when he was kissing her. L Stefan¡¯s eyes were tightly closed. His slightly curled long eyshes and his pronounced facial features were truly a work of art. His deep eyes, his high nose bridge, his perfect jaw line, his thin and sexy lips¡­ If looks could kill, his face would be a weapon of mass destruction! Four years ago, she was enthralled by this handsome face. Four yearster, she found that she still had no resistance to it! ¡°Ahem!¡± In the darkness, someone coughed awkwardly. ¡°Boss, are you done kissing? We¡¯ve been here for a while now.¡± Liam Osborne, with a tinge of disappointment in his voice, greeted her. ¡°Crap!¡± Renee was flustered. She panicked and pushed Stefan away, hard. Stefan had be too emotional, so the venom had spread quickly in his body. By now, he was already barely conscious. He fell to the ground with a thud. ¡°Mr. Hunt!¡± Yorrick South, assistant of Jerome South, quickly rushed forward to help. The look of horror on his face was as if he had seen the sky copse. ¡®Oh my god, this is Stefan Hunt, the CEO of H Group. If anything happens to him because of +15 BONUS Miss South¡¯s reckless behavior, the entire South family will pay for it!¡¯ ¡°He has been poisoned by a snake. Get him to a hospital immediately!¡± Renee had no time to put on the show she had nned for Yorrick anymore. Right now, she only wanted Stefan to be safe. At the hospital. Due to the timely treatment and because they had the venomous snake¡¯s serum, Stefan¡¯s life was no longer in danger, although he was still unconscious. ¡°Thank goodness he¡¯s safe!¡± Renee heaved a sigh of relief. Her thin body slid down the wall of the corridor. Liam, with his hands in his pockets, quietly looked at her. His normally bright and sunny face was currently bleak and gloomy. He could not hold it in anymore. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you think you should be more worried about yourself? Don¡¯t you showing your future ex- husband too much concern?¡± think you¡¯re Renee voice was rational and indifferent. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m only saved me and I don¡¯t want to owe him any favors.¡± Of course, the reason he was bitten by the venomous snake was because he tried to do too much and ended up provoking the snake, but still¡­ ¡°You¡¯re still lying to yourself!¡± Liam sighed and confronted her, ¡°Did you also kiss him that hard earlier to repay him for saving your life?¡± ¡°Moreover¡­ that was so brutal of you, boss. Stefan Hunt had already been poisoned, but you still kissed him so intensely. I¡¯m not sure which one of you is the beast now!¡± ¡°You stinky brat! Are you looking for a beating?!¡± Renee¡¯s face turned bright red. She chopped Liam¡¯s head with her palm. She could not help reying the scene of her kiss with Stefan in her mind. She was indeed¡­ a bit too ¡°ferocious¡±. As if she was a thirsty person who found water. Tsk tsk, how sinful! Liam stopped teasing her. He looked at Renee with deep eyes and strong emotions and said seriously, ¡°I can see that you haven¡¯tpletely let go of him yet. In that case, have you ever considered telling him your secret to see what he thinks?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± +15 BONUS Renee reproached Liam with a stern look. ¡°It¡¯s over between Stefan and I. What happened earlier was because¡­ I was bewitched by his beauty. I¡¯ll try my best to control myself in the future and not make that kind of mistake again.¡± ¡°Try your best?¡± Liam yfully raised his eyebrows. The implication was that it would happen again in the future. Well, whatever. He knew very well what kind of person his boss was. He could not be bothered exposing her lie. Right then, a group of people appeared at the other end of the corridor and came towards them. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Chapter 89 The person in the lead was none other than the guy Renee had been waiting for all night Jerome South. ¡°Miss Everheart, my naughty daughter has gone way over the line this time. I¡¯ve already punished her by grounding her for a month. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive her,¡± d Jerome sincerely apologized, his face filled with guilt, ¡°I was lucky enough to escape unscathed, but my husband, who tried to save me¡­¡¯ Renee looked towards the ward where Stefan was, her fingers clenching slightly. Although his life was no longer in danger, the toxin had umted in his body, so no one knew if it would have anysting effect. She was somewhat worried and also felt a bit guilty. If she had not tried to put on the act to acquire South Group¡¯s cooperation, Stefan would not have been in danger. She could now take the opportunity to make the request from Jerome South, but¡­ she could not do it. Liam, however, did not have that kind of reservation. He cut straight to the point. ¡°If apologies can solve everything, why do we still need the police? You¡¯re a smart man, Mr. South. Do you really think a few words is enough topensate for all the troubles your precious daughter caused?¡± Jerome South nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought long and hard about it. As long as you agree not to pursue this matter anymore, Miss Everheart, it¡¯ll be your decision whether South Group cooperates with Azure Group or with H Group in the future!¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it! You¡¯re a smart man indeed, Mr. South!¡± Liam did not expect everything to go so smoothly. As expected of his boss. It took her only one day to deal with a sly old fox like Jerome South. He admired her so much! ¡°Time is of the essence. If it¡¯s convenient for you, Mr. South, how about signing the contract. now?¡± Liam was afraid that changes might happen if they waited too long, so he already had the contract prepared. However, Renee said, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. We¡¯ll discuss this when my husband wakes up.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liam turned his back on Jerome South and faced Renee, silently mouthing the question. They had prepared so much for this very moment. Now that they hadpleted 99.9% of the process and were at thest 0.1%, she¡¯s choosing to give up? Did she have any idea what she was doing?! Renee paid Liam no heed. She certainly knew what she was doing. Giving up the chance to cooperate with South Group was tantamount to giving up the opportunity to help Azure Group immediately take flight. But, right now¡­ she simply could not take advantage of the situation. At least, until Stefan woke she could not do it! N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. up, Jerome South¡¯s eyes went back and forth between Renee and Liam, wondering what their rtionship was. They did not look like lovers. But they seemed to be more than friends. He then looked at Stefan, who was currently lying unconscious in the ward¡­ Tsk, these three people have such aplicated rtionship! ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s wait until Stefan wakes up. Anyway, like I said, you will be the one to decide who South Group will cooperate with, Miss Everheart.¡± Jerome South then left. Liam could not find it in himself to me Renee. He believed that Renee must have her own reasons for doing so. Azure Group belonged to Renee anyway. He was just an employee. He would do as the boss said. Liam had to leave because he had some business to take care of. Therefore, Renee was the only one left at the ward. The doctor soon brought the examination report to Renee for a detailed discussion. ¡°Mrs. Hunt, Mr. Hunt¡¯s life is no longer in danger, but the ck silver-ring snake has a unique venom that will take several days topletely cleanse away.¡± The doctor pushed his sses and said mysteriously, ¡°In the meantime, Mr. Hunt will be in an unusual condition. I just want to tell you about it now so that you won¡¯t be too worried¡­ Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Chapter 90 Renee frowned and asked the doctor nervously, ¡°Please tell me.¡± ¡°Because the snake venom is too strong and can disrupt the victim¡¯s central nervous system, Mr. Hunt may experience symptoms of quadriplegia for the next few days. In other words, he won¡¯t be able to move. You and Mr. Hunt should not panic if that happens. He¡¯s not paralyzed for life. He¡¯ll be fine once the snake venom is cleansed.¡± ¡°Quadriplegia?¡± While Renee was still digesting that word, a loud noise came from the ward. ¡°Get out! Get out! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Stefan hade to. His angry voice was loud enough for the entire floor to hear him. Renee and the doctor hurried over. They saw several young nurses standing at the door of the ward, all of them afraid to go in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you people? The patient¡¯s awake. Why aren¡¯t you taking care of him? Don¡¯t you want to work here anymore?¡± The doctor said with a serious expression. The person lying inside was Stefan Hunt, the CEO of H Group! If they offended him, the hospital might be in trouble! The head nurse trembled and said, ¡°Director, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to take care of him, it¡¯s just that Mr. Hunt¡­ Mr. Hunt lost his temper and wouldn¡¯t let us touch him. He said who dares to touch him will die. We don¡¯t want to offend him.¡± anyone ¡°But¡­¡± The director was in a bit of a dilemma. He had long heard that Stefan Hunt was a difficult person to deal with, but he had no idea he was this difficult. Renee frowned and said, ¡°Let me go take a look.¡± She gently opened the door and went in. Stefan yelled again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? I said get out!¡± it to wake un +15 BONUS Rence walked to Stefan¡¯s bed and joked. Only then did Stefan realize that the person who came in was Rence. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­¡± His fierce expression softened slightly, but he still looked really upset. ¡°You get out too!¡± From the moment he woke up just now, he had tried his hardest to sit up, but his body would not move at all. He could not even move his fingers. He had no choice but to ept the cruel reality that he was paralyzed now. Think about how proud of a person Stefan was. He did not want anyone to see him in such a state! N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Renee did not get out. Not only that, she even pulled a chair up and sat beside Stefan¡¯s bed. She observed him like she was observing an endangered animal. In the past, this guy was always the one who suppressed others with his strong aura. To see him in this condition was actually¡­ pretty cute. He was like a lion that was caught and tamed, or a tiger that had been exiled from its territory. It could only roar butcked the strength to do anything. ¡°You¡¯re a man. Why are you taking it out on those young women? What did they do to you?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was cold and proud. ¡°How dare they take off my clothes. They must have a death wish!¡± Not only did they take off his clothes, they even touched his body. Stefan really hated being touched by women. If it weren¡¯t for his inability to move, he would have done more than just shout at them. ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee covered her mouth to hide her smile. She tried her best to look like a loving mother lecturing a child. She said, ¡°You¡¯re a patient. You should listen to the nurses and cooperate with them. They just wanted to give you medicine¡­¡± ¡°Besides, you have such a nice body. So what if they touch you for a bit? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re losing anything. Why are you so stingy?¡± Stefan red at her. The meaning behind that re was: I dare you to keep talking nonsense. Renee obediently covered her mouth and shut up. 2/3 If she continued to tease him, she might get assassinated! After a long time, Stefan¡¯s voice asked in a heavy tone, ¡°I¡¯m paralyzed, aren¡¯t I?¡° Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Chapter 91 N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Seeing his look of despair, Renee felt likeughing, although she knew it was terrible thing to do. Hahaha! Every dog has its day. It was rare to see the cold and arrogant iceberg wither like this. How could she easily let the chance go? Renee lowered her eyes and tried to put on a serious expression. ¡°Yes. idents happen, you know. Life is full of ups and downs. That¡¯s life.¡± Stefan closed his eyes and said, ¡°Get out. I want to be alone.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. This happened to you because you came to save me. I¡¯ll definitely share this burden with you.¡± Renee¡¯s kindness was met with Stefan¡¯s ruthless rejection. ¡°No need!¡± ¡®Are you sure?¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Stefan¡¯s words were so cold they seemed to havee from the north pole. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say the same thing twice!¡± Right then, Stefan¡¯s phone rang. It kept ringing without showing any signs of stopping, as if it would keep going as long as Stefan did not answer. ¡°Mr. Hunt¡­ I¡¯ll get out and leave you alone now.¡± Renee raised her eyes and said ¡°kindly¡±. The phone continued to ring. Stefan¡¯s handsome face had gone extremely dark. Finally, he could not stand it anymore and said in a low voice, ¡°Bring me the phone!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that, Mr. Hunt? I couldn¡¯t hear you very clearly.¡± Renee put her hands behind her ears. She looked very mischevious. ¡°I said¡­ bring me the phone!¡± Stefan clenched his teeth and forced out one word at a time. Of course he knew that she was doing it on purpose, but what could he do? He needed her help! Renee smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If you need help, speak up. If you¡¯re too proud to ask for help, you¡¯re the one who will suffer in the end.¡± +15 BONUS While saying that, she took out Stefan¡¯s phone from his suit pocket and ced it by his car. The caller was Elijah, Stefan¡¯s personal assistant. The moment the call was answered, Elijah blurted out in a rush, ¡°Mr. Hunt, where are you? We haven¡¯t been able to contact you since you left the Gourmet Pavilion restaurant. Your mother has been calling me to ask me to remind you that your grandfather will be arriving in Beach City tonight. She said you must not forget to pick him up from the airport!¡± Stefan frowned and said coldly, ¡°Tell the public that I¡¯m on vacation with my wife abroad and I won¡¯t be making any public appearances for a while.¡± ¡°A vacation abroad? You and Miss Everheart? You two¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all!¡± Stefan rudely interrupted Elijah¡¯s questioning and used his eyes to signal to Renee to hang up the phone. Renee did so obediently. ¡°Grandpa Hunt is returning home tonight? I wonder how his surgery went. Do you want to give him a call so that he wouldn¡¯t worry about you?¡± The only person Renee felt sorry for in the divorce was Grandpa Hunt, who treated her like a granddaughter. He¡¯s also the only reason why she still maintained a somewhat peaceful rtionship with Stefan. ¡°No need!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was cold, but his face was filled with pain. He¡¯s a useless quadriplegic now. He did not want to have any contact with the outside world. Seeing him so depressed, Renee¡¯s heart softened. Maybe she had taken the joke a bit too far. She was about to confess to him when she heard Stefan¡¯s arrogant voice say, ¡°From now one, you¡¯ll be personally taking care of me. I¡¯ll pay you well. You¡¯ll get at least ten times the profit of Hunts & Co. Law Firm.¡± He disliked being touched by women, but if it¡¯s Renee¡­ he seemed to be fine with it. Renee was speechless. It really was hard for a person to change. Even after bing a quadriplegic, he¡¯s still ordering people around like a CEO. He thought money could solve every problem? ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Renee said coldly. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Chapter 92 ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll share the burden with me earlier? Are you scared already?¡± Stefan sneered. ¡°If you want to leave, just leave. I might as well die than live like this.¡± Renee typically would not give in to harsh threats but was a sucker for attacks on her conscience. If she really left him now, she would feel terrible. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take care of you. But I¡¯m only doing it for the money!¡± said Renee. After all, Stefan turned out this way because he tried to save her. She hated being indebted to others. If she really left him now, how could she let her conscience rest? In any case, it would only be for a few days. It would be over in the blink of an eye! ¡°You choose to do this willingly. I didn¡¯t force you.¡± Stefan said arrogantly. ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s because I¡¯m bored and I love to get yelled at. I¡¯m bing your servant willingly. Happy?¡± Renee rolled her eyes and silently added, ¡°Arrogant bastard!¡± L Stefan truly did have the capitalist mindset. He immediately started to squeeze thebor out of Renee. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty, go and pour me a ss of water.¡± ¡°I should remind you that I only drink 36¡ãC water. Make sure the temperature isn¡¯t too high or too low.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Renee¡¯s fist tightened. She felt like hitting him! As Renee turned to get water for Stefan while cursing him, Stefan¡¯s lips curled into an involuntary smile, his deep eyes as cunning as a fox¡¯s. After that, the doctor and the nurses poured in. The doctor cautiously asked Stefan, ¡°Mr. Hunt, how do you feel?¡± ¡°You know how I feel. Stop asking the obvious.¡± Stefan¡¯s face was cold and his words were short. The doctor rubbed his hands, looking embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Mr. Hunt. We¡¯ve tried our best. What¡¯s happening to you now is normal after being poisoned by that venom. It may be a bit ufortable, but¡­¡± Seeing that the doctor was about to reveal the truth, Renee quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll take good care of my husband. Although he can¡¯t move anymore, I¡¯ll never give up on him. From now on, I¡¯ll be his hands and his feet. I¡¯ll experience the world for him!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The doctor was so confused. Mr. Hunt would only be paralyzed for a few days, not forever. Was it necessary to be so dramatic? Well, maybe that¡¯s part of the fun of a married life. Outsiders like him would not understand. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you two so deeply in love. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to look after Mr. Hunt in the next few days, Mrs. Hunt.¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. After the doctor said that, he looked towards the nurses and said, ¡°Since Mr. Hunt values his privacy and is notfortable with you touching him, we¡¯ll let Mrs. Hunt take care of things like applying medicine and wiping his body. Teach her how to do those things.¡± ¡°Apply medicine and wipe his body?¡± Renee¡¯s face was filled with fear. ¡°What do you mean? How do I do that?¡± A nurse told her gently and patiently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid and don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Hunt. It¡¯s actually very easy¡­¡± ¡°The snake venom is now spreading throughout Mr. Hunt¡¯s body, so we¡¯re not only giving him oral medication, we¡¯ll apply medicine externally too¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to rub the medicine on his ***** Dody three times a day.¡± Rence felt like crying after hearing that. She understood what she had to do, but to rub medicine over his whole body¡­ she could not do it! The CEO of H Group, who had remained quiet all this time, finally opened his mouth. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s begin.¡± Chapter 93 Chapter 93 Chapter 93 ¡°You mean¡­ right now?¡± She looked at the man on the bed who could not move, then at the doctor and nurses who had professional fake smiles on their faces. She felt like she had yed herself. ¡°Of course. Do you want to wait until the venom spreads to my heart and brain and kill me?¡± Stefan¡¯s cold words left Renee speechless. ¡°A man and a woman shouldn¡¯t have such intimate contact. I¡­ don¡¯t think this is appropriate.¡± Renee was embarrassed and wanted to run away. She never even got to hold Stefan¡¯s hand usually. Now she had to touch every inch of his body?¡­ The mere thought of it made it hard for her to breathe. The doctor was puzzled. ¡°But Mrs. Hunt, you¡¯re his wife. This could not be any more appropriate.¡± ¡°Well, I mean, I¡¯m not a nurse. My technique may not be very professional.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nothing to worry about. When you rub the medicine, try to rub it on every inch of his skin, then make sure you massage him a lot to promote absorption.¡± After the doctor said that, he ordered a nurse to pass the freshly prepared medicine and gauze to Renee. He told her, ¡°You better hurry, Mrs. Hunt. The medicinal effect will go down a lot if the medicine gets cold.¡± And with that, they just¡­ left?! Renee stood with his back to Stefan, her cheeks slightly flushed. She did not know what to do. Stefan¡¯s eyes gleamed mischievously. He stared at the graceful figure of Renee¡¯s back like he was staring at a prey. He asked, ¡°Why so shy? Are you feeling embarrassed because you like me?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Renee turned around. She clenched her fists and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to divorce you. How could I possibly like you?¡± Stefan raised his eyebrows, the emotion in his eyes unclear. ¡°Really?¡± Now who¡¯s the arrogant one? Why did he feel like she was a hundred times prouder than he was? ¡°Of course!!! Renee blushed and said in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯m not shy, I¡¯m just¡­ just worried about losing control¡­¡± ¡°Losing control?¡± Stefan did not know whether tough or be mad. ¡°Look at me. How can I still lose control? You think I can force myself on you with telekinesis?¡± ¡°Do I look so thirsty to you?¡± Renee cleared her throat and said honestly, ¡°You¡¯re too naive. I¡¯m worried about me losing control, not you¡­¡¯ ¡°After all, you have a figure like a supermodel. When I apply the medicine, it¡¯s difficult for me not to touch you here and there for fun.¡± Stefan: ¡°. She¡¯s right, he¡¯s too naive! ¡°You have a point.¡± ¡°After all, even while my body was being attacked by the venom, you would still kiss me intensely to satisfy your own desire. Now that you get the chance to rub medicine on me, who knows what kind of beast you¡¯ll be.¡± Renee¡¯s face that was already red was now flushed to the base of her neck. ¡°This is so embarrassing. So this guy remembers?!¡¯ Renee took the chance to bail out. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve seen how perverted I can be, so you should protect yourself better. You better let a professional nurse rub medicine on you instead. ¡°No one is more professional than you.¡± Although Stefan could not move, his naturally regal temperament still made him look very charming. ¡°Rather than be groped by other women, I¡¯d rather let you benefit instead¡­ Stop wasting time. You¡¯re gonna make me think you¡¯re actually attracted to me.¡± The provocation finally gave Renee the courage. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯m not scared of you!¡± With a piece of gauze soaked in the medicine in hand, she lifted the nket covering Stefan, 213 took a deep breath, and started unbuttoning his hospital gown one button at a time. His bulging muscles appeared before her eyes. There was not a trace of excess fat to be seen. He looked slender with clothes on, but without the clothes, he¡¯s actually pretty muscr. Although it was not the first time Renee had seen Stefan¡¯s body, her heart still could not help but flutter. She gulped and said, ¡°Here goes.¡± After saying that, her small hands reached out towards his body uncontrobly, pouncing on them like kitten paws. It was as if she was saying ¡°Itadakimasu¡±. It¡­ actually felt really good! When she rubbed the upper part of his body, it was still okay, but when she had to rub his lower body, it was way too embarrassing. In order to avoid the embarrassment, Renee turned her head to the side and could only do it by feel. Stefan suddenly said in a cold voice, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 Chapter 94 ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Renee quickly withdrew her hands. ¡°It was an ident!¡± Renee said with her hands raised. Stefan was still very calm. He said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like I can do anything about it.¡± ¡°What he hell¡­¡± That was so embarrassing. She had never felt more embarrassed in her life. The only thing Renee wanted to do now was to dig a hole, bury herself in it, and nevere out again! She did not notice the slight curl on the corners of Stefan¡¯s thin lips. Over the next few days, Renee slowly got used to it. Having gone through the embarrassing experience on the first day, she could now rub Stefan¡¯s body with practiced familiarity. Her thought process was, Stefan did not have any physical sensation anyway, so it¡¯s not like he could feel her touching him. In that case, why should she be so polite? So, she now touched and rubbed his body as much as she pleased. Facing a beautiful creature with perfect muscles like that every day, no straight woman could remain a nun. of course, there was no such thing as a free lunch. While she get to indulge herself in ying with the wonderful body of Stefan Hunt, Stefan had been ordering her around too. For example, he would keep asking her to bring him stuff. He also needed to have coffee every day, and the coffee powder must be freshly ground! The fruits he ate must be cut into equal-sized portions. It could not be too big or too small. That¡¯s not all. She also had to be his newspaper reader, reading domestic and foreign financial news to him at a specific time every day. The speed and intonation of her speech must be at the level of a newscaster. She could not read too fast or too slow and she could not mispronounce the words either! ¡°Dammit, I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± 1/2 Halfway through grinding the coffee beans for the day, Renee had finally had enough. She nned to end it. This job of serving the Great Demon King, even though it came with a great reward, was simply not worth it. Renee had been thinking about it. It had already been a week. He should have recovered a bit byText content ? N?velDrama.Org. now. So she lifted the nket, pinched Stefan¡¯s thigh, and asked, ¡°How do you feel? Can you feel anything?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Stefan said without any emotion, ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me I¡¯m paralyzed for life. How can I possibly feel anything?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Renee rubbed her forehead with a worried expression. Did she curse him so much that he was actually going to be paralyzed for life now? If not, why would he still feel nothing? ¡°Why, are you going back on your word?¡± Stefan lowered his eyes and said with a sad face, ¡°I knew you would do that sooner orter. It¡¯s okay, you can leave if you want. I don¡¯t me you. After all, saving you was my own choice.¡± His words moved Renee¡¯s heart a little bit. In truth, the past week they spent together did more to bring them closer to each other than the four long years before that. Some undesirable emotions seemed to be reviving. She bit her lip, summoned her courage, and asked, ¡°So¡­. do you regret saving me?¡± Chapter 95 Chapter 95 Chapter 95 The air became silent. A strange emotion filled the air between the two people. Stefan¡¯s thin lips moved, as if he was about to say something. But right then, the door of the ward mmed open. ¡°I see. So this is the so-called ¡°holiday abroad¡±. Incredible. You even lied to your grandpa!¡± Francine Milford walked in menacingly. She red at Renee, wishing she could devour Renee alive. Briar Desrosiers came in after Francine. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Her stomach had grownrger since thest time Renee saw her. The round belly was like a silent p to Renee¡¯s face, instantly waking her up. Heh, what an idiot she was. Stefan cheated on her. That was the cold hard truth. Yet she was foolish enough to test how he felt still. Considering what had happened up to this point, was it important whether he regretted saving her or not? ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯m finally free.¡± Renee calmly stood up from the chair. She gestured towards the bowl of medicine on the table and told Briar, ¡°Three times a day, rub it on his whole body. This is a task more suitable for you.¡± you, Miss Briar put on a soft, weak pretense and spoke like she was Stefan¡¯s wife, ¡°Thank you, Everheart. Sorry for all the trouble Stefan caused you in thest few days. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± The mockery in that remark was so thick that Renee felt likeughing. But she did not say anything. She simply gave Stefan a nod and turned around to leave. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go.¡± Stefan said towards Renee¡¯s back, his voice deep and cold with a domineering attitude that no one could question, ¡°Like I said, there¡¯s no one more suitable to take care of me than you.¡± This was like a p to Briar¡¯s face. +15 BONUS Briar¡¯s expression turned ugly. She secretly clenched her fists and tried to look innocent and wronged. But when she looked at Renee, she could not suppress the hatred in her eyes. Francine was angered too. She berated Stefan, ¡°Fan, do you even know what you¡¯re talking about? Briar is pregnant with your child and she¡¯ll be giving birth in a few months, while you¡¯re about to divorce this woman. Briar is the woman you¡¯ll spend the rest of your life with. How can she be more suitable than Briar?¡± ¡°You said it yourself, Renee and I are about to get a divorce, which means we¡¯re currently still husband and wife. These tasks are more suited for a wife.¡± Stefan eyes were on Renee the whole time he said that. His gaze was deep andplicated. ¡°You¡­!¡± Francine was speechless. She did not know how to deal with her son. ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you in the hospital? Is your hematophobia acting up?¡± She walked over to Stefan and looked him up and down with a worried expression. Stefan closed his mouth and chose silence. Renee was going to leave, but she suddenly turned back around to look at the three people in the ward with a weird smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Miss Francine, Mr. Hunt was bitten by a snake while trying to save me. He¡¯s now a quadriplegia and may be paralyzed forever¡­¡± She looked at Briar with a sympathetic expression and said, ¡°Miss Desrosiers, you¡¯ll have a hard life ahead of you. However, since you and Mr. Hunt truly love each other, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll mind. In the future, he¡¯ll have to rely on you as his crutch. I, as the ex-wife, wish you two a good marriage and a lasting rtionship!¡± ¡°What¡­ what?!¡± Upon hearing this, Francine almost lost her bnce. Briar¡¯s expression was even more interesting. ¡°Impossible! Impossible! You must be lying!¡± For the first time ever, instead of helping the unsteady Francine, she grabbed Renee¡¯s arm like a mad woman and said, ¡°You¡¯re lying! You don¡¯t want to get dumped, so you¡¯re trying to force me to quit, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Renee sneered and shook off Briar¡¯s hand hard. ¡°You can ask Stefan yourself.¡± Stefan, lying in bed with an unreadable expression, looked coldly at Briar and said, ¡°She¡¯s not lying. I really am paralyzed. Would you still marry me?¡± Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Chapter 96 ¡°1¡­¡± Briar stammered in slight awkwardness. She did like Stefan very much, but she liked him only when he was perfect and high-spirited. If he was a good-for-nothing who was paralyzed in bed, she would not even give him a nce, let alone marry him. Renee became slightly annoyed when she saw that reaction. She felt like Briar was being picky and disdainful toward the treasure she had cherished for so many years, so she immediately protected him. She sneered. ¡°Miss Desrosiers, didn¡¯t you im that what you had with Mr. Hunt was true love? Why are you hesitant now? ¡°Mr. Hunt is so awesome. Even if he¡¯s paralyzed, hisplexion, figure, and temperament are exceptional. If you wouldn¡¯t marry him, many people would. He¡¯s the famous Stefan Hunt. It¡¯s not up to you to be choosy!¡± Being criticized, Briar was at a loss, and she went as white as a sheet. ¡°I-I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that. I just¡­¡± Stefan, however, lookedposed as he raised his charming brows. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can understand.¡± Renee inevitably shook her head and sighed while looking at him and patting his shoulders pitifully. ¡°Take it easy. People are all very pragmatic.¡± ¡®He¡¯s indeed mean, but he has such a difficult love life,¡¯ she thought. ¡®His first love ran away with his elder brother, and he got a schematic homewrecker under the pressure of the world. However, she¡¯d run away the minute difficulties befell him. ¡®How pitiful! Many women love you, but few are willing to share your pain and sorrows, save for me. ¡®Of course, that was in the past. ¡®I¡¯m enlightened now, and I¡¯ll never go back to him!¡¯ ¡°You jinx! Shut up!¡± Francine, who had calmed down, lost her mind. Completely unhinged, she threw herself at Renee with everyst ounce of strength. ¡°You jinxed woman! I knew that Stef would get into trouble with you around. My family has never been peaceful since he married you! ¡°Tristan is dead, and now Stefan is paralyzed. It¡¯s all your fault. I¡¯ll kill you, even if I¡¯ve got to risk my life, in exchange for some peace for my family!¡± As she spoke, she picked up the vase on the table and tried to smash it on Renee¡¯s head. Renee didn¡¯t expect she¡¯d witness Francine¡¯s deranged behavior. Since she couldn¡¯t escape reduce harm by shielding her head with both hands. However, the vase did not fall on her head as expected, for she was protected by a warm embrace¡­ Renee carefully raised her head and surprisingly saw Stefan¡¯s extremely cold face. ¡°Mom, this vase is very heavy. Put it down.¡± Stefan shielded Renee with one arm while blocking the vase that his mother smashed on Renee with the other. He then spoke coldly. 1 Francine widened her eyes exaggeratedly, and she shed tears of joy. ¡°Stef¡­ You¡­ You¡¯re not paralyzed. You stood up!¡± Stefan remained cold and stated expressionlessly, ¡°How am I supposed to get paralyzed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! There¡¯s divine justice, and God won¡¯t be so cruel to my family. You scare me so much!¡± Francine wiped her tears and started talking nonsense. She might not be a good mother-inw, but she was a good mother. No one could trump her love for Stefan. Briar¡¯s expression changed quickly. When she confirmed that Stefan was standing there unscathed, handsome, and upright as before, she burst into tears. ¡°Stefan, I know that you won¡¯t make me worry. That was a terrifying joke. Don¡¯t make such a joke again. It¡¯ll worry me sick. You have no idea how much my baby was moving just now!¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Renee, still in Stefan¡¯s arms, pushed him away harshly with all her might¡­ Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Chapter 97 ¡°You tricked me!¡± Rence shot Stefan a cold re. She was indeed slightly hurt. She recalled how she¡¯d been acting like a fool these few days. She tried her best to take care of him, fearing he might catch some kind of illness. She also satisfied all of his fussy requests though he had long recovered. She felt just like a clown, her dignity trampled on by him. ¡°Think I¡¯m some kitten or puppy? Is it amusing to you?¡± Renee clenched her fists and suppressed her urge to break his bones. ¡°Enjoy yourself. I¡¯ll be gone!¡± She then left without turning around. Of course, part of the reason she ran away so quickly was that she was guilty. After all, she firmly announced his lifelong paralysis a few minutes ago. Stefan was so mean that he bickered over the smallest trifles and was extremely vindictive. If she didn¡¯t run away quickly, she was simply waiting to be ruined. Stefan attempted to pursue her, but Briar held his arm, pretending to be considerate. ¡°Stefan, you just recovered. Don¡¯t run around. It¡¯ll be better if you go lie and rest.¡± He lowered his deep-set eyes and stared at the hand she put on his arm coldly. Even though he remained quiet, his innate cold and magnificent aura terrified her so much that she immediately let go. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t get mad. I¡¯m not trying to stop you from coaxing Miss Everheart. I¡¯m just genuinely worried about you. What¡¯s more¡­¡± She bit her lips and acted like a bitch, as usual. ¡°There¡¯s something about her,¡± she muttered hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should talk about it¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face exposed no emotions. ¡°Don¡¯t say it if you¡¯re unsure.¡± After the recent series of incidents, including Briar¡¯s true reaction after she learned that he was paralyzed, he seemed to have a new understanding of her. ¡°Why did you say that?¡± Francine snarled, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Briar is still pregnant with our family¡¯s child. Be nicer to her. If she¡¯s in a better mood, the child will grow well¡­¡± Of course, Francine saw through Briar¡¯s little thoughts, but Briar was pregnant. If Renee were pregnant with a child, Francine would surely protect her to the ends of the earth. Unfortunately, that confounded thing¡¯s womb was still barren after four years. What else could she do except bring bad luck to her dearest son? Francine became angrier the more she dwelled on those things. So, she looked at Briar and urged her, ¡°Briar, of course, she¡¯s not afraid of people criticizing her since she dares to do so. Just tell us.¡± Briar swallowed briefly before she carefully took her phone out. She clicked on a photograph and showed them her phone. ¡°My friend is a paparazzo, and he managed to snap this photo and came to me. He asked if he should publish it. I felt that this photograph was bound to induce bad effects, so I asked him to delete it. However, you¡¯re her husband, and you have the right to know¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Stefan nced at the photograph on the phone coldly. His gaze turned gloomy and sinister. The photograph showed Renee and Liaming out of the obstetric department together. They looked very intimate, as though they were a couple deeply in love. ¡°Is this photograph true? Is this jinx pregnant?¡± Francine looked at the photograph withplicated feelings. She then recalled what Renee told her at the shopping mall that day. Renee imed she was pregnant with an Osborne offspring, a pair of mixed-gender twins. She thought that Renee had only said that for the sake of her pride, and she did not expect it to be real. Wasn¡¯t that a kind of humiliation for the Hunt family? Briar quickly exined, ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. I asked the doctors there, and they told me something different¡­¡± Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Chapter 98 ¡°She¡¯s not pregnant?¡± Francine breathed a sigh of relief because her family did not have to be humiliated. ¡°But why did she visit the gynecologist if she¡¯s not pregnant?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t talk about this because I¡¯m afraid that Stefan might get upset¡­¡± Briar looked at Stefan carefully and spoke pretentiously. Stefan¡¯s handsome face was as hard as a stone. ¡°Go on!¡± he said coldly. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ll tell you the truth then¡­¡± Briar was very satisfied with his reaction, so she continued eagerly, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you right away after seeing the photograph because I feared a misunderstanding. So, I went to see their attending doctor to get the truth. The doctor told me she wasn¡¯t pregnant, though she was ready to have Mr. Osborne¡¯s child. They got a lot of vitamin B¡­ This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°And¡­ It looks like she can¡¯t get pregnant easily. If a natural pregnancy fails, they may try getting a test-tube baby.¡± Of course, Briar made those things up. She indeed found the attending doctor who was responsible for Renee and Liam, but the other party denied that he had attended to them. She had nothing useful that they wanted. Hence, she took the chance to make the situation worse just to nder Renee. Besides, she had even bribed her attending doctor. Even if Stefan sent people there to investigate, he might get the same answer. ¡°Humph, I knew it! There must be something wrong with this jinx, and she can¡¯t get pregnant. Luckily, Stef was smart enough to divorce her in time¡­¡± Francine felt that her family had escaped from a disaster. As she gloated at the misfortune of others, she said, ¡°Now it¡¯s the Osborne family¡¯s turn to be unlucky. If Geronimo learns that his dearest son has found a sterile woman, he may be greatly infuriated!¡± Stefan remained silent all that while, but his handsome face was horribly gloomy. Seeing that, Francine became upset. ¡°Stef, why are you looking at it in such a way? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy? Why do I feel like you can¡¯t ept it? ¡°She even imed you got bitten by a poisonous snake just to save her. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve feelings for her now. Don¡¯t be fooled!¡± Stefan clenched his fists, but there wasn¡¯t so much as a single twitch of emotion on his gorgeous face. ¡°Never!¡± he hissed cruelly with his thin lips slightly parted. Three dayster. Renee had been staying in the house for three whole days after she came back from the hospital. She did not even walk out. She thought that Stefan woulde and deal with her when he learned he¡¯d been fooled, which was why she hid there. It wasn¡¯t a very promising prospect, though. Oddly enough, he wentpletely missing in those three days. He didn¡¯t even text her, much less go to her. She then recalled how she stayed with him to care for him during those few days. They were once so close, but now she felt like it was a lifetime away. It was as if it had not happened. Disappearing from each others¡¯ world that way would be the most suitable ending. However, they needed to get a divorce before that. Today was the day they would get divorced. None of them contacted each other as if they were deliberately setting themselves against each other and waiting for the other party to be the bad guy to ruin that stalemate. After waiting almost half a day, Renee finally could not hold herself back. She picked up her phone and sent Stefan a message. ¡°We¡¯re getting a divorce today. What time should we meet up?¡± Stefan soon sent her a reply. ¡°In half an hour.¡± Why was he so cold? Renee looked at the few words on her phone. She inevitably felt extremely resentful when she recalled how she had worked so hard to care for him during those few days. Forget it. He was naturally an extremely aloof person. She had failed to move him after four years. So, how would he change in those few days? Renee grabbed her documents and immediately hailed a taxi to City Hall. Stefan¡¯s car arrived the moment she alighted the cab¡­ Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Chapter 99 He was as handsome and elegant as ever, even though she had not met him for a few days. This was especially true for his long, perfect pair of legs-it appeared that he had recovered very well, with no residual effects to be seen. Renee breathed a sigh of relief. Atst, she could rx a little. If it turned out that he was suffering from some hidden illness, she might just be held responsible for it. Consequently, she would not be able to get a divorce. L Renee pinned the strands of her hair and cleared her throat. She felt that she should greet him, given that they were a couple. It was better to part on good terms. She waved her hand at him and revealed a fake smile that she thought looked very natural. ¡°Hi However, he pursed his thin lips tightly and wore a cold face. He ignored her and strode away with his stork-like legs. He left¡­ just like that. This left her at a loss for words. Her smile stiffened, and she felt both awkward and angry. ¡®Damn! Why is he so arrogant?¡¯ she thought. ¡®Even if we¡¯re no longer a couple, I wiped his body clean for a few days. Does he have to make it so unpleasant?¡¯ Renee quickened her steps and followed him, walking toward the divorce department on the second floor. The crowd that was seeking divorce turned out to be asrge as before, but there were only around four or five couples at the marriage registration counter today. Renee could not help as a pang of sentimentality hit her hard. As expected, people nowadays had thought things through. The marriage system would eventually fade away. Stefan managed to get into an expressne, thanks to his special identity. The staff was very ttering. After he epted their relevant documents, he poured them a drink and politely asked them to wait. Hence, they sat side by side in silence. The atmosphere was filled with a peculiar, almost palpable tension. Renee put the paper cup to her mouth and sipped on the warm water as a barrage of convoluted feelings swirled in her chest. She was about to get a divorce certificate, meaning she would no longer have any rtionship with him. If they had a tacit understanding, they might never see each other again, just like the past three days, disappearingpletely from each other¡¯s world. She had seen it through, and she had long let go, but she failed to stop a sudden wave of sorrow from engulfing her. It got worse when she thought of the two babies in her belly. Their lives would becking from the moment they were born. They would never have a father. She began to wonder if her children would me her for being reckless and selfish when they grew up. ¡°I should tell him about the babies¡­¡± persuaded a ceaseless voice in her mind. ¡°If we¡¯re no longer married, would it be perfect for us if we could raise the kids peacefully? N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°But if I tell him at this moment, will he think that I¡¯m trying to manipte the kids to emotionally ckmail him? Will he not take responsibility for them and mock me in the end? ¡°After all, he feels nothing for me. He¡¯s got Briar now. Briar¡¯s child is the one he hopes for, isn¡¯t it?¡± Amid the conflicted feelings that crashed into her like blur waves, she almost crushed the paper cup. ¡°Are you going to remarry?¡± Stefan suddenly coldly raised a question. ¡°Cough-cough!¡± Renee choked as she looked at him with confusion. What the hell? Stefan¡¯sposed face and deadpan look wereced with indescribable detachment. ¡°Will you marry Liam?¡± She widened her eyes exaggeratedly, and she became even more baffled. ¡°Why ask?¡± Stefan made no reply, and he wore an expression that she failed to decipher. He then said slowly, ¡°As your ex-husband, whoever you¡¯ll marry has nothing to do with me. However, I must give you a friendly reminder. Liam isn¡¯t the right guy for you. He¡¯s not suited for you.¡± Renee found his words rather strange. She could not tell if he was giving a sincere suggestion or just trying to mock her. ¡°Then will you marry Briar?¡± she immediately retorted. Chapter 100 Chapter 100 Chapter 100 However, she regretted it the moment she raised that question. The answer was clear. She was just embarrassing herself. ¡°I want to give you a friendly reminder, too,¡± she insisted stubbornly in an attempt to retrieve some of her dignity. ¡°Briar isn¡¯t the right woman for you. Let¡¯s not talk about her character; the moment she heard that you¡¯d be paralyzed forever, the disdain on her face was obvious. It¡¯s destined that you guys can share happiness but not sorrow. She only loves the bright and perfect you, not for who you truly are.¡± Stefan said calmly and lightly, ¡°It¡¯s not important whether she loves me or not. I just want the child to be safe and happy.¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt. You¡¯re awesome. Now that¡¯s true love!¡± Renee was deeply hurt. She felt so ashamed and awkward that she could not show herself. Humph! Did he love Briar so much that he didn¡¯t care if she loved him, as long as their child was happy? Suddenly, Renee felt lucky that she wasn¡¯t impetuous and told him that she was pregnant. She would¡¯ve been greatly embarrassed if she did. After all, the product of love was a great treasure. On the other hand, the product of lust would be but a burden. Who would want a burden? The staff waved them over. They signed the document and took a photograph before he stamped the divorce agreement with a seal. ¡°Mr. Hunt, Miss Everheart, the procedure isplete. You¡¯re no longer legally married from now on. This is your divorce certificate. Please keep it well.¡± Renee epted it and lowered her eyes, sizing the document up carefully. The legendary divorce certificate had a red cover, but its color was duller than that of the marriage certificate. Besides, the couple¡¯s photograph became a photograph with only a single Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. person. She suddenly recalled that she had once seen a divorce certificate. There was a saying on it that went: ¡®It¡¯s a valuable treasure to get married, but if youe across disputes and misunderstandings, they sould be resolved amicably. Never hate each other but part with good terms.¡¯ ¡°Goodbye!¡± Renee waved him goodbye. She had never felt so rxed. Atst, it was over. The four-year marriage was both unfortunate and lucky. She had loved, and she had hated, but she never regretted meeting him and bing his wife. Thus, she hoped that they could cease hating each other and part on good terms. She had just walked out of the city hall when she got a call from Old Mr. Hunt. ¡°Ren, I heard that you and Stef have returned from your trip abroad. I¡¯ve recovered well after the surgery. You and Stef shoulde home to eat with me. I miss you guys so much.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee heard Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s enthusiastic and kind voice, and the convoluted feelings returned. He treated her as his granddaughter during these years, and his love for her never diminished. Now she had gotten a divorce, so it meant that she no longer had a rtionship with him. Besides, she never even bid him a proper goodbye, making her feel slightly bad about herself. After hesitating for a few seconds, she said obediently, ¡°Okay, Grandpa. I¡¯lle over and see you later.¡± To patch up her lie, she headed to a nearby supermarket that sold imported goods and bought some specialties. Standing majestic like a castle, Hunt Residence was as magnificent as it always looked. ¡°Young Miss, here you are. Old Mr. Hunt is in his study, and he¡¯s been waiting for you. You can head right there!¡± Unlike the snobby servants at the Hunt Vi, the servants of Hunt Residence treated her with much enthusiasm and amicability, thanks to Old Mr. Hunt. Renee walked along the long corridor and arrived at the old man¡¯s study. The old man was writing before the desk. When he saw that she was here, he broke into a smile. ¡°Ren, come here. I ha mething for you.¡± Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Chapter 101 N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Old Mr. Hunt put down the brush pen and opened the desk drawer while saying these to Renee. Then, he solemnly took out a rosewood box and handed it to Renee. ¡°Ren, open it up.¡± Renee took the box and opened it with care. Inside the box was a medal engraved with a dove of peace and a sword. Renee turned to Old Mr. Hunt with confusion. ¡°Grandpa, is this¡­¡± ¡°Child, your grandfather gave me this before he died. This medal was dear to him and symbolized his heroic life. Now, I¡¯m passing it on to you.¡± L Old Mr. Hunt sighed as he recalled the legendary life of his dearest friend Maurice Everheart. Your grandfather was most worried about you before his death. He repeatedly told me to pass the medal to you four years after your marriage with Stefan¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s now the fourth year of your marriage. The medal carries your grandfather¡¯s blessing to you both. It¡¯ll bless you both with a happy ever after marriage!¡± Renee looked at the gold medal in her hand with teary eyes. It was as if she had traveled beyond life and death and felt the touch of her grandfather¡¯s rough but gentle palm. ¡°When Grandpa was still around, he was always worried about me. Although he¡¯s gone, soul is still watching over me. I¡¯m such a useless granddaughter. I¡¯ve always caused him trouble¡­¡± his She remembered her grandfather¡¯sst moments-he told her over and over again, urging her not to return to the dangerous andplicated circle. She did not have to be more capable or bring back the Everheart family¡¯s glory days-all he wanted was for her to spend the rest of her life as an ordinary woman. Hisst wish was for her to y the role of Mrs. Hunt well. It was only then that he¡¯d be able to rest in peace. ¡®But now, it¡¯s¡­¡¯ Renee sighed and med herself for her weakness. She couldn¡¯t even fulfill the simple last with of her grandpa. It would be hard to control one¡¯s heart. She could take revenge and restore the Everheart family¡¯s glory, but there was nothing she could do about a man who did not love her. Thus far, she had done her best. With no light at the end of the tunnel, her only choice was to give up without regret. ¡°Silly child. What are you saying? In our eyes, Renee, you¡¯re a wonderful girl. How can you useless?¡± be Old Mr. Hunt looked at Renee lovingly, his eyes full of admiration. ¡°Besides¡­ My grandson has been difficult since he was a child. The fact that you¡¯ve tamed him proves you have something in you that other girls don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Ahem,¡± Renee coughed lightly. She avoided the Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s gaze, feeling weak. She and Stefan were already formally divorced. If Old Mr. Hunt knew that, he would be enraged! Renee hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°Uhm, Grandpa. I went on vacation with Stefan and brought you some gifts. I hope you¡¯ll like them.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯re so thoughtful. Hurry up and show me.¡± Renee brought out the local specialties she had prepared ahead. ¡°We¡¯ve got you some coffee beans, fruit tea, and coconut powder. These are all the specialties from Semponia, and this¡­¡± Renee opened a jewelry box, revealing a beautiful round pearl. It seemed to be shining. ¡°This is a natural ck pearl found in the deepest part of Para Ind. The pearl took hundreds of years to develop and has absorbed the best of the earth and sea. It has remarkable healing energy. Keeping it in the room will give you a calming effect at home.¡± (1) Although the vacation was fake, getting the pearl did cost her a fortune. It was her way of giving Old Mr. Hunt a token of appreciation before she left. ¡°This is a really nice pearl. I like it.¡± Old Mr. Hunt yed with therge ck pearl in his hand, visibly pleased and amused. His granddaughter-inw was thoughtful and had good taste. This was one gift he really adored ¡°Grandpa.¡± At the same time, Stefan¡¯s cold and low voice came outside the door. As Renee turned around, their eyes met. Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Chapter 102 When the two left the Beach City Courthouse, they went their separate ways as if they would never see each other again. Who knew they would meet again in just a few hours? Without the marriage license restraining them, the way they looked at each other seemed to have changed slightly. Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s old eyes were filled withplicated emotions as his gaze traveled back and forth between the two. ¡°You two. You just came back from a vacation together. Shouldn¡¯t you be all lovey-dovey? Why did you come to visit me separately? Did you have a fight?¡± ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡± Renee bit her lips, feeling torn. She was unsure if she should be honest or keep lying. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Things were different before they were officially divorced. Renee could forge a lie without feeling the slightest guilt. Besides, she was not trying to deceive him. However, her rtionship with Stefan had changed so much that she found herself unable to pretend. ¡°We¡¯re so in love. How could we ever fight?¡± Stefan said calmly and wrapped his arm around Renee¡¯s shoulders. He behaved naturally and acted as though such intimacy had always been part of their daily routine. Any outsider would immediately think that they were deeply in love! Renee¡¯s cheeks flushed. She followed with a fake smile and said, ¡°Yes. How could we have fought?¡± ¡®We¡¯d just get divorced!¡¯ she thought to herself. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Old Mr. Hunt nodded. Then, he turned to Stefan and asked him, ¡°Tell me, Fan. Did you have a good vacation? Where did you go?¡± Renee, afraid that Stefan would let the cat out of the bag, tried to answer first. However, Old Mr. Hunt stopped her. ¡°Ren, I¡¯m asking Fan. You stay silent.¡± Stefan looked over the local specialties on the desk and was drawn to the bag of coffee beans. Then, he said with a straight face, ¡°We went to Zambawi.¡± After all, the best coffee beans in the world originated from Zambawi. Renee was speechless hearing his answer. Now at aplete loss for words, she simply gave up on him. She was never on the same wavelength as Stefan. A pristine ind like Semponia was what she¡¯d consider a dream vacation spot, while his¡­. Zambawi?! Semponia and Zambawi were twopletely unrted ces. Renee did not know how to cover up their lies. ¡°Good one! Zambawi!¡± Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s kind look was instantly gone, and in ce was a hard and stern countenance. What a good grandson. You even lied with a straight face. You two must really think I¡¯m blind and old!¡± Stefan tried to exin himself, ¡°Grandpa, I¡­¡± ¡°On your knees!¡± Old Mr. Hunt yelled in a rage. If Stefan¡¯s anger could be described as the roaring wind in a raging storm, his grandfather, Sullivan Hunt¡¯s rage would be like a nuclear bomb! Sullivan Hunt was a great hero who once fought on the battlefield. Born with power, shake the room with his roar. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Grandpa. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you.¡± he could Renee knew her mistakes and felt guilty. She almost knelt obediently out of her filial love for the elderly. Old Mr. Hunt saw her actions and quickly stopped her. ¡°Child, what are you doing? You¡¯ll hurt yourself, kneeling on the hard floor. I was telling this brat to kneel!¡± Stefan pursed his lips tightly and looked as cold as ever. He did not hesitate and knelt down immediately. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m guilty. I¡¯m willing to ept any punishment,¡± replied Stefan unflinchingly while lowering his eyes. Old Mr. Hunt had absolute authority over the Hunt family. Stefan had always looked up to his grandfather as a role model and had been respectful and dutiful to him. Ever since a child, he had always obeyed Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s orders unconditionally. However, his marriage with Renee was an exception. He had to disobey him for once. ¡°You kid. You¡¯re quick at admitting your fault. In that case, I¡¯ll give you onest chance. Be honest with me. Apart from the vacation, what else are you two hiding from me?¡± Stefan looked down coldly and remained silent. ¡°Not saying anything, are you?¡± Old Mr. Hunt took a deep breath and showed a meaningful expression. ¡°Even if you stay silent, I know what happened. I guess Ren must have suffered but dared not resist. That¡¯s why she gave me the pearl as a hint¡­¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Chapter 103 ¡°Hint?¡± Renee listened in confusion. She gave Old Mr. Hunt the ck pearl in the hopes that it might bring him health and peace. What did she hint at him? How could she not know? This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°As soon as I saw the pearl, I thought of how it symbolized fertility and childbirth¡­¡± Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s face turned grim. He sternly questioned Stefan, who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°You b*stard. Tell me honestly. Are the rumors true? Did you really knock up another woman behind Ren¡¯s back?¡± Since the matter had digressed to this point, Stefan found no reason to hide anymore. Although he was still on his knees, he kept his back straight and said with a cold and firm voice, ¡°Now that you know, I have nothing to say. The child does indeed have the bloodline of the Hunt family. It needs a legitimate identity and apetent father.¡± ¡°You!¡± Old Mr. Hunt held his chest and almost skipped a breath. Then, he mmed his cane on Stefan¡¯s back with no mercy. ¡°You fool! ¡°That child needs a legitimate status and respect. What about Ren? Have you ever considered her feelings? She¡¯s your wife! Over the years, hasn¡¯t Ren been devoted to everyone in the family, including you and me? ¡°You¡¯re the closest person to her, yet you don¡¯t care for her or love her. Fine, but how could you hurt her?!¡± Old Mr. Hunt became angrier as he spoke. With authority, he ordered, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Send the. immoral woman to the hospital right now and get rid of your illegitimate child!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only ept you and Ren¡¯s children to the family. I won¡¯t recognize anyone else!¡± Stefan kept his head down and outright refused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯tply.¡± Stefan¡¯s reply was thest straw. Old Mr. Hunt was seriously pissed. ¡°Great. You¡¯re so stubborn, aren¡¯t you? You won¡¯t even listen to me because of a woman. If this is it, I¡¯ll serve you with the family punishment!¡± Old Mr. Hunt opened the bookcase after saying that. He took out a long whip and struck it at Stefan without warning. ¡°I haven¡¯t used this whip for years. I¡¯ll let it end your life today, or I won¡¯t be able to answer Maurice!¡± Old Mr. Hunt was a soldier who didn¡¯t fool around with the whip. He hit so hard that Stefan could feel the pain shooting into the bone. Stefan remained silent as excruciating pain split his back. Even so, his lips kept themselves shut without so much as a grunt or frown. If this would ease Grandpa¡¯s anger, he was more than willing to ept the punishment! Renee stood by with no intention of intervening. After all, Stefan was a grown man towering at nearly 190 centimeters. Taking a fewshes was no big deal. He would not die from it. However, Renee did not expect Grandpa Hunt to beat his own grandson so severely. After a fewshes, Stefan¡¯s shirt was ripped open, and his open wounds bled. Even so, begged for no mercy, vowing to protect his child with Briar to death. he Renee was Stefan¡¯s ex-wife, but Stefan¡¯s deep love for Briar and their child only made her seem pathetic and redundant. Lurch, the butler, was anxiously sweating outside the study. He mustered his courage and tried to persuade Old Mr. Hunt. ¡°Master, stop it! If you continue this, he will die!¡± ¡°Master Tristan is already gone. If anything happens, that¡¯ll be the end of the Hunt family!¡± Old Mr. Hunt did not soften up and whipped Stefan harder. ¡°So be it! It¡¯s better to end such heartless blood in the Hunt family!¡± After a while, Old Mr. Hunt asked Stefan again. ¡°So, will you repent? Will you ask that woman to abort your child?¡± Stefan answered with nothing but silence. His face had turned pale because of the pain, and soon, his forehead became sweaty. When Renee saw that Old Mr. Hunt was about to swing the whip again, she hurried in front of Stefan and pleaded, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t hit him! He¡¯s not a fault. I don¡¯t me him!¡± ¡°Ren, what are you doing? Move aside!¡± Old Mr. Hunt tried to withdraw the whip, but it was slightly slow. The whip left a bloody red mark on Renee¡¯s arm, stinging her with pain. Stefan saw the situation and quickly pulled her over. He took a closer look at her injured arm and frowned at the red mark. ¡°Don¡¯t meddle in my affairs!¡± he hissed coldly. Just when Old Mr. Hunt was about to praise his grandson for not being too heartless, he saw a little red book fall out of Renee¡¯s shirt pocket¡­ Chapter 104 Chapter 104 Chapter 104 The chaos in the room instantly came to a halt. Everyone was staring straight at the little red book. ¡°Sh*t!¡± Renee quickly crouched down and tried to hide the book. However, it was toote. The divorce certificate was clearly printed on the cover. The message was ring loudly despite the silence in the room. Stefan and Renee were divorced! ¡°You¡­ You two¡­¡± Old Mr. Hunt held his chest, looking in pain. ¡°Grandpa!¡± Stefan and Renee both ran to help Old Mr. Hunt at the same time. Old Mr. Hunt, however, shook Stefan¡¯s hand away and chided coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t call me grandpa. I can¡¯t ept it. You¡¯re all grown up, and you¡¯ve stopped listening to me. How dare you sneakily divorce Ren! Are you trying to kill me?!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll do as you wish¡­¡± Old Mr. Hunt suddenly pulled open the drawer and took out a loaded pistol. He said with a sad look, ¡°This gun saved my life many years ago. Ren¡¯s grandfather gave it to me. I¡¯m too ashamed to live anymore. I better go to meet Ren¡¯s grandfather and confess!¡± After that, Old Mr. Hunt pointed the gun directly to his head and appeared like he would pull the trigger at any time. ¡°Grandpa, no!¡± Renee and Lurch were so scared that their faces turned white. They didn¡¯t dare to move an inch. Stefan appeared calmer than them. He said expressionlessly, ¡°Grandpa, stop it. I made a mistake. You can punish me as you like, but don¡¯t fool around with your life. When Grandma does this, it works. But¡­ this is really very childish.¡± When Stefan was a child, he lived with his grandparents and shared a strong connection with them. He knew his grandparents¡® personalities and tricks like the back of his hand and could easily see through their deception. ¡°Fool around?¡± Old Mr. Hunt enunciated each word slowly with a stern face and a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯ll give you three days. First, abort your child with that woman. Second, remarry Ren.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t do it in three days, you¡¯ll know how serious I can get!¡± Sullivan was not kidding. A soldier was a man of promise, not to mention it was a promise made to his sworn brother. Four years ago, he promised Maurice that the Hunt family would be responsible for Renee and that Stefan would care for her for the rest of his life. Despite that, Stefan broke his promise and made Ren suffer so much. It was only fair that he atone for his sins through death! ¡°I disagree!¡± Renee spoke before Stefan could say anything. ¡°I was the one who asked for the divorce. Remarriage is impossible.¡± ¡°Silly girl. What are you thinking? Why are you still defending this brat?¡± well. You Old Mr. Hunt said with distress, ¡°I know you loved him so much. How could you be the one to initiate the divorce? He must have been bewitched by the evil woman and forcefully divorced you. Don¡¯t be afraid! I¡¯ll back you up!¡± ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you. Although Stefen and I were married, we had no feelings for each other. We divorced to pursue our happiness.¡® Renee silently clenched her fingers, trying to stay sensible and maintain a sober look. ¡°We both have someone else now. Being tied will only do us harm, so please give us your blessings.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Old Mr. Hunt was bbergasted to discover that Renee was the one who initiated the divorce. He had always believed that this silly girl was deeply in love with his grandson. How did her feelings change so suddenly? It was simply too bizarre! ¡°Fine, forget it. This brat has been cold and unloving since young. He only cares about his work. Now that he has cheated, he probably can¡¯t give you happiness. It¡¯s good that the divorce happened.¡± ¡°However, you remain my good granddaughter despite being divorced. Come and spend time with me whenever you¡¯re free. If you need any help, just ask!¡± Old Mr. Hunt held Renee¡¯s hand with a face full of kindness. However, it immediately turned grim as he turned to face Stefan. ¡°As for you, kneel in the family¡¯s memorial chamber for three days and three nights and reflect on yourself!¡± ¡°I understand!¡± Stefan lowered his head and epted the punishment willingly. Even so, his mood suddenly turned sour for some reason.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Chapter 105 The Hunt family memorial chamber housed the altars of the Hunt family¡¯s ancestors. Kneeling in the memorial chamber was considered the most severe punishment in the family. Stefan remained silent the entire time. He knelt in front of all the ancestral tablets on the cold hard ground with his back covered with whip marks. ¡°Send someone here to watch him. I¡¯ll see how long he¡¯s going to stay without food and water for three days!¡± Old Mr. Hunt told Lurch sternly. Lurch was worried about Stefan¡¯s bloody back. ¡°Master, he is seriously injured from the whipping,¡± he boldly pleaded. ¡°He won¡¯t get through three days kneeling without food and water!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Old Mr. Hunt was relentless in his pursuit. ¡°He agreed that he should receive punishment for this mistake,¡± he ruthlessly spat without looking at Stefan. ¡°B¨Cbut Mrs. Hunt said she was the one who initiated the divorce. She¡¯s in love with someone else now. How is this considered his fault?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s stony demeanor remained, though it clearly demonstrated his double standards. ¡°Ren¡¯s feelings must have changed because of his actions. He must have hurt her. He should reflect.¡± ¡°He cheated on his wife and knocked up someone else. That in itself is a terrible mistake!¡± Lurch understood Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s temper well enough and knew this wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d tolerate. If Stefan¡¯s parents were alerted, things would only be worse. Lurch thought about it and decided that the former Mrs. Hunt was the only one who could save Stefan. The atmosphere at the dining table was peaceful. ¡°Ren, try this fish. I know fish is your favorite. We have a new chef this time. Maybe he¡¯ll suit your taste.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grandpa.¡± Renee obediently received the fish and chewed it. The food was tasteless. ¡°There are many ways to prepare fish, either by steaming, roasting, or frying it. Steaming fish takes the most skill¡­¡± Renee listened, distracted. Old Mr. Hunt seemed so rxed. His dearest grandson was still kneeling in the chamber with blood on his back, famished and freezing. Why was he so excited to discuss the different cooking methods used to cook fish with her? When dinner was over, it was time to leave. Renee looked back as she left the premises. It was as if she wanted to say something but could not. ¡°Child, go home. Remember to visit more often!¡± Old Mr. Hunt waved at Renee with a big smile. ¡°Grandpa, I think¡­¡± ¡°If you want to plead for that idiot, you better stop. He made a mistake, and he should be punished for it. This is the rule in the family. No matter who, pleading for mercy is futile. If you say anything more, you¡¯ll join him!¡± Old Mr. Hunt said, a cold sparkle gleaming in his eyes. After that, he turned around and went back to his study. Renee stood in the cold wind, not knowing what to do. After giving it some thought, she decided to forget about it. After all, she was already formally divorced from Stefan. He was just her ex¨Chusband, and his life or death no longer mattered to her anymore. Soon, Renee left the house and waited for a taxi at the roadside. Lurch rushed over, panting and anxious. ¡°Mrs. Hunt, are you leaving already? If you leave, Master Hunt will die! You can¡¯t just leave!¡± ¡°Stefan and I are divorced. Please don¡¯t call me Mrs. Hunt anymore. Besides¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one in charge. Why don¡¯t you talk to the future Mrs. Hunt about this?¡± ¡°Mrs. Hunt, aren¡¯t you just hurting us with that statement?¡± Lurch continued in distress, ¡°Old Mr. Hunt hates that woman so much. Her presence would only fuel the fire. As for Master and Mrs¡­ If they find out, things will only get messier. Old Mr. Hunt treats you as his own granddaughter. He won¡¯t me you for your actions. You¡¯re the only one who can save Master Hunt. Please!¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to change Grandpa¡¯s mind and decision on something. I can¡¯t help. You should find someone else!¡± It was not Renee¡¯s fault for being cold and heartless. After all, she was already divorced. She was done with Stefan. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be good for them to meddle in each other¡¯s affairs. The taxi approached slowly. When Renee was about to get into the car, Lurch stopped her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to change Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s mind. You just have to provide a little help¡­¡± ¡°Look. I just took this photo. Master Hunt is seriously injured. He hasn¡¯t eaten, and he won¡¯t hold on for long. If this goes on, I¡¯m afraid his life will be in danger!¡± Renee could not help but look at the photo and started feeling an ache in her chest. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Chapter 106 ¡°How can I help?¡± Renee looked helpless, the confessed, ¡°I tried to plead for him earlier, but Grandpa stopped me from saying anything. He even warned me. If I nag again, Grandpa will punish me with him. There¡¯s really nothing I can do to help,¡± Rence thought she had done enough as Stefan¡¯s ex-wife. How could she get herself into trouble for Stefan¡¯s sake? She realized that her feelings for him were not that deep after all. Lurch was d to see Renee softening up and hurriedly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask Old Mr. Hunt for mercy. You just have to help Master Hunt cheat,¡± ¡°Cheat?¡± ¡°Simply put, you just have to secretly take care of Master Hunt, Only you can help with this. Old Mr. Hunt dotes on you so much that even if he catches you, he won¡¯t punish you. If we try to help, that¡¯ll be a different story.¡± After saying that, Lurch quickly ced the medicine and dinner in a box and handed it to Renee. ¡°Mrs. Hunt. Whether Master Hunt can get through this will depends on you now. I¡¯d like to thank you on behalf of the family!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Isn¡¯t it a bad idea?¡± Rence knew she should have refused, but her action said otherwise. It was as if someone controlled her hands as she took the box. Her legs refused to listen to her, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from following Lurch to the memorial chamber. Perhaps actions did indeed speak louder than words. It was dark at night. The Hunt family memorial chamber was erected next to the Hunt Residence as a separate building standing on its own. There was dedicated staff for cleaning and maintenance during the day, but it was eerie and cold with only two lights on at night. Renee could see Stefan¡¯s figure from afar. He knelt with his back straight in the middle of the memorial chamber. His white shirt was stained with blood and looked more severe than Lurch¡¯s photo. ¡°This fool. He¡¯s too honest. His back is so straight. Does he think he¡¯s filming a movie?!¡± Renee tightened her fingers slightly. She did not want to admit it, but deep down in her heart, she was still a little worried about him. Lurch sighed, looking heartbroken. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Master Hunt has been strong-willed since young. He respects Old Mr. Hunt and has never defied him. He probably wants to use this to prove his determination to be with that woman¡­ ¡± ¡®Anyway, we¡¯ll be counting on you for the next few days,¡± Lurch said and gave a look to the man guarding the door.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The guard immediately turned away and looked up at the stars. Meanwhile, Renee carried the box and slipped into the chamber with ease. Stefan did not turn around when he heard the movement. He continued kneeling with a firm posture, seemingly unmoved. However, he was seriously injured. Without having a single drop of water and food, his forehead was mmy, and he looked frail. ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee did not know how to break the silence, so she cleared her throat awkwardly. 1 Stefan, however, maintained his firm posture, unmoved. It was as if he had guessed that Renee was coming. ¡°Get out!¡± Stefan¡¯s stony voice echoed in the empty chamber. He seemed particrly hard-hearted. ¡± Outsiders aren¡¯t allowed into the Hunt family¡¯s memorial chamber.¡± ¡°You!¡± Renee was infuriated by his words. Just listen to that. How rude! Was that even eptable? She brought him food, water, and medicine out of kindness, only to be treated this way?! How could he be so rude?! ¡°I didn¡¯t want toe. Lurch said you were dying and begged me toe and save you. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered¡­ How ungrateful!¡± ¡°What does my well-being have anything to do with you?¡± Stefan was still the same cold and heartless man, repeatedly rejecting others. ¡°Haven¡¯t you gone through so much trouble just to see me in this state?¡± he growled. ¡°Why are you pretending to be kind?¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Renee was confused. She thought Stefan was simply using her, shooting her randomly like an out-of-control machine gun. ¡°You¡¯re still faking it!¡± Stefan sneered. ¡°You deliberately gave Granpa a pearl as a hint of my child with Briar. Then, you dropped the divorce certificate to let Grandpa know we were divorced.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee was speechless, unable to exin herself. How could she have known about how imaginative Old Mr. Hunt could be? Somehow, he associated a pearl as a gift to the child. She kept the divorce certificate carefully, and thest thing she expected was for it to fall out of her hands. ¡°You¡¯ve hooked up with other men, but you¡¯re still ying the victim and pushing all the me on me¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned steelier. ¡°I underestimated you, Renee!¡± he croaked between parched lips. Renee could not argue, so she just stopped. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m devious and cunning. Believe whatever you want!¡± She ced the box with medicine and meal next to Stefan and turned around to leave. Anyway, they divorced and were strangers again. Even if this would make her look bad, it no longer mattered. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Chapter 107 ¡°You¡¯re such an ungrateful man. How paranoid!¡± Renee walked out of the chamber in a huff, unable to stop herself from cursing out loud. She must be crazy. Why bother being kind to him? She was angering herself for nothing. With this much time, she could have gone home to enjoy a bath, catch up on a show, and eat and drink. Lurch had been waiting outside, and when he saw Reneeing out of the memorial chamber, he hurriedly greeted her. ¡°Miss Everheart? Why so quick?¡± ¡°That ungrateful man is using and upsetting me. Why should I stay?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Lurch continued begging shamelessly, ¡°You know Master Hunt¡¯s nature. He¡¯s stubborn and harsh but doesn¡¯t actually mean it. Please help him. Urge him to eat and treat his wounds, or he might just not get through the night.¡± ¡°I refuse!¡± Renee gritted her teeth, her face tense. ¡°He said his life or death had nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°Oh, no! Master Hunt fell¡­¡± Lurch shouted anxiously, ¡°Miss Everheart, help! He¡¯ll die at this rate!¡± Renee shut her eyes, stomped her foot, and turned around to go back. She thought, ¡®Stefan, I¡¯ must have owed it to you in my past life!¡¯ Stefan did fall to the ground. His forehead was mmy, enduring the pain from the whipping. ¡°Why are you back? Get out!¡± Stefan was still arrogant even when he was this weak. ¡°Shut up! You idiot!¡± Renee directly stripped Stefan¡¯s clothes without saying a word more. Stefan had strong shoulders with perfectly toned muscles on his broad back. The whip marks on his slightly tanned skin gave him a kind of charm. ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee¡¯s mouth watered at the scene. She gulped and cleared her throat in an attempt to cover up her racing heart. Although weak, the sharp-eyed Stefan had a clear mind and he easily saw through Renee¡¯s attraction to him. ¡°Woman. You enjoyed touching and pinching me so much thest time. Are you trying to take advantage of me again?¡± he asked with a cold face. ¡°What a narcissist! You talk too much!¡± Renee¡¯s face changed. She was so angry that she identally spilt arge amount of ointment on Stefan¡¯s wound. Stefan frowned from the pain and was dripping sweat. Soon, a coolness surrounded him that gradually eased the pain. His wounds no longer hurt as much as they did. Renee continued treating his wounds, this time more gently than before. Stefan¡¯s furrowed brows slowly rxed. Renee¡¯s fingers were slender and soft. When she stroked his back, it felt like his feathers getting ruffled, sending a tickling sensation that went straight to his heart. ¡°That¡¯s great! Master Hunt is rarely so docile, but Mrs. Hunt always has a way!¡± Lurch, who was hiding outside the chamber, quietly peeked into the chamber and muttered to himself. In their four years of marriage, this was the first time he was seeing Master and Mrs. Hunt being so harmonious and warm. The extraordinary moment moved him to tears. Suddenly, Lurch felt an oppressive aura looming from from behind He looked back and almost had a heart attack. ¡°M-m-master¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing sneaking around in the middle of the night?¡± Old Mr. Hunt questioned with a cold face. ¡°Master, it¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s not what you think. Mrs. Hunt, she¡­¡± Lurch stammered, trying to exin himself. Old Mr. Hunt looked away and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say, but I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± After that, Old Mr. Hunt left as if nothing had happened, but he could not hide the smile on his face. Lurch then came to a sudden realization. ¡®Amazing! That¡¯s brilliant!¡¯ Lurch thought to himself. Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s tactics were clearly brilliant. As expected, the older you got, the wiser you became! Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Chapter 108 As the week went by, Renee quickly adapted to her new single life. Although work kept her busy during the day, her nights would be filled with amusement and fun. Indeed, she was thoroughly enjoying her new-found freedom. Just today, she finally signed a new contract with South Group for the next financial period. Jerome South readily agreed to Renee¡¯s request to invest 500 million in Azure Group as a research and development fund. However, Azure Group had to guarantee a profit that exceeded 8 billion in the first year, or they would have to hand South Group 30% of theirpany¡¯s equity aspensation, in ordance with the contract. The terms quickly drew Liam¡¯s ire. ¡°Jerome South is one cunning fox. After all that help from him, I thought he would have shown a modicum of sincerity for the sake of histe daughter. Instead, this contract is full of traps. I can see what he¡¯s up to!¡± Liam looked at Rence in confusion. If he could, he wanted to ruin the contract. ¡°Boss, this is such a humiliating contract. Why did you sign it? It¡¯s only worth 500 million. Can¡¯t we afford that? Isn¡¯t he looking down on us?¡± Unlike Liam, Rence seemed pleased. ¡°If we lose, we lose thirty percent of our equity. If we win, we¡¯ll get invest in us for five consecutive years, no less than 1.5 billion annually. I think that¡¯s fair and sincere.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Sincere?! Azure Group is still a business in its infancy. Thepany has no products under its name yet. Do you know ridiculous it is to make 8 billion annual profit in the tech industry?¡± Liam held his forehead, looking worried. ¡°The top three technologypanies in the world average about 15 billion profit annually. It¡¯s already a blessing that a startup like ours earns 800 million a year. How are we supposed to win? Won¡¯t we be giving up thirty percent equity to South Group for nothing?¡± a Rence raised her eyebrows slightly, still smiling confidently. ¡°Have I ever lost a bet?¡± Such confidence might appear arrogant or conceited to others, but it seemed just right for Renee. Her dazzling charisma and confidence enchanted Liam so much that he could not take his eyes off her. ¡°Right. You¡¯re my boss. All the big yers want you to serve them and are still finding for you. You¡¯ve kept a low profile for years, and I¡¯ve almost forgotten your identity. You¡¯ll never lose!¡± Liam was a long-time fan of Renee¡¯s and admired her a lot. However, he quickly added, Except for your marriage with Stefan, of course.¡± Renee was irked. Liam was so annoying. Why did he bring that up again? Although annoying, Liam was right. All her life, Renee had never lost until Stefan came, which was unpleasant and unforgettable! ¡°Anyway, our sessful cooperation with South Group would be a huge blow to H Group. Mr. Iceberg is probably fuming¡­¡± Liam could not hide his glee as he looked forward to Stefan¡¯s reaction. ¡°I wonder how he¡¯ll react when he finds out his hated ex-wife is the actual person behind Azure Group. Haha¡­ He¡¯ll probably explode!¡± At the same time, the atmosphere in the president¡¯s office in the H Group was anxious and tense. Elijah stared at the thick pile of documents next to Stefan and shook in trepidation. ¡°Mr. Hunt, we never expected Mrs. Hunt to do this¡­ she¡¯s usually so kind¡­ It¡¯s so¡­ shocking!¡± Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Chapter 109 ¡°Kind?¡± Stefan casually flipped through the pile of documents. Then, his mouth curved up into a slight and cold smile. ¡°Did you misinterpret her real character?¡± ¡°Misinterpret?¡± Elijah swallowed nervously. ¡°Over the years, Mrs. Hunt has been so nice and loyal to you,¡± he boldly exined. ¡°She was obedient at home and had always upheld a good public image. She¡¯s a great example of a good wife anddy. As for her sudden change in temperament¡­ I think the responsibility lies on you, Mr. Hunt.¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Elijah could not help but fight for Renee despite the risk of getting fired. ¡°All these years, you were cold and heartless to Mrs. Hunt. Not to mention, you even cheated on her. If you hadn¡¯t hurt her, why would she have gotten involved with a yboy like Liam? She wouldn¡¯t have established Azure Group with him to fight H Group¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve always known about Mrs. Hunt¡¯s extraordinary strength. After all, she¡¯s a top student who skipped grades and is an expert in physics and electromaic. She gave up her career and married you because she deeply loved you. However, you didn¡¯t cherish her and let that unworthy yboy Liam have her. What a pity!¡± Elijah thought of all the clients H Group had lost to Azure Group. Even South Group, a long- time customer of H Group, had turned to them. Then, Elijah came to a realization. The uing Azure Group wasn¡¯t just another leisurely pursuit of Liam¡¯s. If they continued expanding at this rate, they could possibly be equal to the H Group in the technology sector. ¡°I¡¯m more impressed by Liam aspared to Mrs. Hunt¡¯s drastic change in character. Liam is a notoriously famous yboy. He was involved with many wealthydies and actresses but willingly gave all that up for Mrs. Hunt. He even handed control of Azure Group to her. That must be true love!¡± Elijah cleared his throat and continued to provoke Stefan. ¡°If you keep doing this, I¡¯m afraid Mrs. Hunt will take off!¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned grim at that. He gave Elijah a warning look and muttered, ¡°Oh, true love?¡¯ It was just the controlling interest of a smallpany. If Stefan wanted, he could¡¯ve given away tens or hundreds of them. Looking at it again, Renee¡¯s desperation to get Azure Group and South Group together had nothing to do with Osborne. It was all for her own interest, with Osborne acting as her investor at best. Somehow, the mere thought of that made his mood brighter. ¡°Okay, anyway¡­¡¯ Elijah stopped gossiping and said seriously, ¡°The annual Global Technology Summit will be held in Beach City three dayster. Many big names and experts in the sector will attend the event. KCL Group has been cooperating closely with us and providing core chips for our popr cell phones, and they will also attend the event. H Group has held a high market share of 75 percent in the technology sector for five consecutive years. We should also attend the event. Mr. Hunt, you mustn¡¯t be absent that day.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Stefan said coldly, ¡°Of course. After all, I haven¡¯t seen that guy while.¡¯ for a Later, at the Night City Club. Renee dragged herself to the fourth floor with little interest, looking for thergest and most luxurious private room. She finally seeded in the cooperation deal between Azure Group and South Group. It was a memorable sess, and everyone suggested celebrating it. Her friend Leia told her she had a surprise for her. ¡°Ren, I¡¯ve prepared this gift for you. It¡¯s tailored. You¡¯re wee!¡± Leia said in an excited voice on the phone. ¡°Stop it. You must be up to something again!¡± As she spoke, Renee pushed the door to the private room open and was dumbfounded by the scene inside¡­N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Renee opened the door to find a row of handsome, well-dressed men standing in the room in anticipation of her. The men wore various expressions as soon as they saw Rence enter. Some were charismatic or pure, while some looked mncholic and domineering. ¡°What the¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Renee gulped nervously. It felt like she had entered right into a trap. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Leia sounded very excited and a little proud on the phone. ¡°Ren, have you arrived? Look at the gift I prepared. Aren¡¯t they all eye-catching?¡± Renee was frozen in her tracks and stood at the entrance. ¡°Leia, what the hell are you up to?¡± ¡°Did you forget what you said while celebrating your divorce at Gxy Bar? You said that Mr. Iceberg was nothing. You also said that there were plenty of handsome men out there, and you could have whoever you wanted.¡± ¡°Mwahahaha! Today, we¡¯ve spent a fortune gathering all these handsome men for you. I also helped you to get rid of my brother, so he won¡¯t bother you. You can enjoy them in peace. We¡¯re best friends forever. You¡¯re wee!¡± ¡°Leia, you¡¯re going too far!¡± Renee said as anger flushed her face. Then, she immediately added, ¡°You¡¯re throwing me into a horrible snare! It¡¯s going to be hard for me to keep my self- control¡­ Renee observed the room of handsome men while speaking to Leia on the phone. ¡°Tsk tsk, well¡­¡¯ Renee thought about how she was good friends with Leia and shared the same taste. The men inside were different, but all good-looking and charming. She could not stop staring at them. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m busy right now. Talk to youter.¡± Renee hurriedly hung up the call and could not wait to mingle in the room. ¡°Miss, hello!¡± A really young and handsome man who looked to be in his early twenties walked towards Renee enthusiastically. ¡°Miss, thank you for your hard work. We¡¯ve prepared plenty of delicious snacks and fruits. Come on in!¡± Renee looked at the familiar-looking young mand and wondered, ¡°Young man, why do I feel¡­ I think I¡¯ve seen you before?¡± This young man was not the only familiar-looking one in the room. She seemed to have seen the rest of them somewhere! ¡°Miss, you can call me handsome, or you can call me baby, but you mustn¡¯t call me young man. Otherwise, they will allugh at me!¡± Dino expressed his discontent, looking aggrieved. Somehow, his adorable face and expression reminded her of a puppy. Renee¡¯s motherly instincts kicked in as she saw his puppy eyes and almost wanted to pat him. She hurriedly said, ¡°Okay, young man, I understand.¡± The room of distinguished-looking men burst out into a roar ofughter. Dino did not get angry and exined nicely, ¡°Miss, we¡¯re all trainees from Hevlon. We¡¯ve just participated in the hottest variety show and filmed a lot ofmercials. We¡¯ve finally debuted as a group, so it¡¯s not strange if you have seen me.¡± ¡°Oh, I see!¡± Renee then vaguely remembered the advertisement she saw in the subway a while ago. This group of handsome men who were in themercials was called SK. Renee was particrly impressed by the beauty of one of the group members. As she thought of that, she hurriedly searched the room with great anticipation. Then, she found a man in a white shirt and ck tie sitting in a corner. Not as enthusiastic as the rest, the man looked down at his Switch, engrossed in a game. His cold charisma seemed to be out of ce with the sprightly environment. Dino followed Renee¡¯s gaze and immediately greeted his teammate. ¡°Julian!¡± The handsome, deep-featured man looked up at the sound of his name. The way he looked at Renee with indifferent eyes under the hazy light struck her. At that moment, Renee felt a long- lost sensation as her heart raced! Dino said, ¡°Ah, Miss, you have good taste. He¡¯s our group¡¯s favorite and the poster boy. Do you know what the fans call him?¡± Chapter 111 Chapter 111 Chapter 111 ¡°No. What¡¯s his name?¡± Renee asked, slightly dazed. Although she was speaking to Dino, she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the handsome, aloof man next to him. Throughout the years, she had only experienced this feeling with one other person. ¡°Julian¡¯s very handsome, isn¡¯t he? From a certain angle, he looks a lot like Stefan Hunt, H Group¡¯s president. That¡¯s why his fans call him Little Stefan Hunt¡­¡± ¡°Stefan Hunt?¡± Renee instantly came to her senses when she heard that, and quickly averted her gaze, gritting her teeth. Why did everyone have to bring up that man wherever she went? He was haunting her like a ghost! Dino thought Renee didn¡¯t know who Stefan was, so he started exining earnestly, ¡°Do you know what Stefan looks like? If you don¡¯t, I have a picture of him¡­ See? Don¡¯t you think he looks a lot like Julian?¡± Renee wasn¡¯t in the mood to look at the picture. The only thing on her mind was how bad her luck was! She¡¯d finally met someone she felt attracted to after getting divorced, but he ended up being her husband¡¯s lookalike. What kind of luck was that?! Julian was still ying video games and couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at Renee again, but he scoffed when he heard their conversation. ¡°Of course, she knows who Stefan is. He¡¯s her husband.¡± The room went dead silent. ¡°What? This prettydy¡­ is actually Stefan¡¯s wife?¡± Dino¡¯s face turned pale, and he quickly took a step back to distance himself from Renee. The other men stared at Renee as if she was a monster, and kept their distance too. ¡°Money really doesn¡¯te easy, huh¡­ I know ourpany wants us to spend time with clients, but I can¡¯t believe our client today is Mr. Hunt¡¯s wife! This is putting our lives on the line¡­ I don¡¯t want your money!¡± ¡°Count me out too!¡± The handsome men all took off their morous coats andined, standing up to leave. Renee quickly tried to persuade them. ¡°Hold on a minute, there¡¯s no need to be afraid. My husband is very open-minded. He has fun with other women, and I have fun with other men, so it¡¯s fair! Nothing bad will happen to you, I guarantee it!¡± ¡°Miss, I like you a lot, but I really can¡¯t take your money. Please don¡¯t tell anyone you saw us, Please!¡± The men waved goodbye as if they were sad about leaving, but right after that, they ran out of the room as if they were running for their lives. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t leave! I¡¯ll give you more money. How about it?¡± Renee tried again, but the men fled the room regardless. She was speechless. She and Stefan were not publicly divorced, so to outsiders, they were still a married couple. Who would daree between them? This wasn¡¯t the first time Renee hade out to y, but every time she did, her identity as Stefan¡¯s wife would eventually be exposed, and the fun would soon be over. Renee was devastated by how close she hade to a good time. The room that was previously full of handsome men was now empty, except for Little Stefan Hunt who was still ying his video games in the corner of the room. ¡°How boring!¡± Renee let out a long, disappointed sigh. She picked up her purse and stood up to leave. Although the man seated there made her heart race, she lost interest as soon as she found out, his nickname was Little Stefan Hunt. ¡°Hold on,¡± the man said suddenly, and stopped ying his game. He looked nonchntly at Renee. ¡°Are you this desperate for a man¡¯s attention?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Renee was dumbfounded. Julian stood up, revealing a tall and lean figure. Now Renee knew why he was the face of the boy group ¨C his attractiveness said it all! ¡°Are you sure your husband doesn¡¯t mind that you¡¯re out here chasing after men?¡± Julian asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± Rence snapped, annoyed. This man truly lived up to his nickname. Besides his appearance, his cold demeanor, arrogant. expression, and vicious tongue were very simr to Stefan¡¯s. This was definitely karma! ¡°Of course it has something to do with me,¡± Julian scoffed. The man approached Renee one step at a time, his eyes every bit as icy as Stefan¡¯s. ¡°You paid me, so I have to make sure you get your money¡¯s worth. Tell me¡­ How would you like to y?¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 Chapter 112 ¡°Umm¡­¡± Renee couldn¡¯t get any words out, no matter how hard she tried. The man was a little too close forfort. His handsome face, which reminded her of Stefan, seemed even more attractive up close. Renee¡¯s heart was beating fast, and she began to feel nervous. His eyes looked identical to Stefan¡¯s¡­ It was almost as if he could see right through her. The only difference she could see was that Stefan¡¯s eyes held a steely dominance, whereas Julian¡¯s weary gaze suggested he had been through a lot in life. Renee sighed softly. Humans were indeed creatures of habit. Four years ago, it was love at first sight when she met Stefan. Four yearster, she fell for another man who looked just like Stefan. At this point, she couldn¡¯t even tell if she was attracted to this handsome man or Stefan. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± The man murmured. He moved even closer to Renee, and she felt his warm breath on her skin. His deep voice was intoxicating and smooth, like wine going down her throat. ¡°Nothing. I should get going.¡± Renee backed away, but she moved a little too fast and nearly fell. The man reached out and easily caught her by the waist. ¡°I might look like your husband, but I¡¯m not him. What are you so afraid of?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid!¡± Renee bit out, her cheeks flushed in anger. However, she couldn¡¯t deny that he was right. Why should she be afraid? The other men ran away as soon as they heard she was Stefan¡¯s wife. Not only did this guy stay, but he even flirted with her. He clearly didn¡¯t think much of Stefan, so she ought to enjoy This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. herself. With this reasoning, Renee started feeling much morefortable. She stopped behaving shyly, and reached out to hold his chin. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, kid. I¡¯m just worried you might be afraid of me.¡± This took him by surprise, and his eyes gleamed in interest. ¡°Oh? Please exin.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t handle me,¡± Renee said challengingly. Julian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°ording to the rumors, Mrs. Hunt, you¡¯re a prim and properdy. Does Mr. Hunt know about your wild side?¡± ¡°Why should I tell him? He¡¯s a cold person who doesn¡¯t know a thing about romance. Apart from killing the mood, what else could he be capable of?¡± Renee rolled her eyes in disgust. To Renee, Stefan was trash that she¡¯d already thrown away. She¡¯d no longer reminisce about the past. The young man before her was much better, after all. She continued teasing him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did I scare you? Are you afraid to y with me now?¡± Ordinary folks would have felt intimidated in this situation, but Julian was no ordinary man. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯mcking in the looks department, so I¡¯ll give it a shot,¡± he said in a serious tone. ¡°Alright, then. You said it yourself that this ce won¡¯t do, so let¡¯s go somewhere else,¡± Renee replied brightly. She grabbed the man¡¯s tie and started dragging him out of the room. The man seemed very obedient, and there was a yful smirk on his face that suggested he might actually be enjoying himself. Xavier, who happened toe to the club to look for someone, witnessed this very scene. His jaw dropped. He wanted to stop Renee, but she had already dragged the unknown man into the elevator. The scene was so shocking that he stood there for a few minutes trying to process it. Once he regained his senses, he immediately called Stefan. ¡°Stefan, do you know who I just saw?¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°Your wife is going to book a hotel room with another man!¡± To make matters worse, Xavier added on bluntly, ¡°That man looked just like you too!¡± Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Renee hailed a taxi, and she and Julian got in together, Renee then told the driver where they wanted to go. Within twenty minutes, they¡¯d arrived at their destination. ¡°We¡¯re here. Let¡¯s go!¡± Renee led the man out of the car by his tie Before them stood dome-shaped houses with bright exteriors. They glowed dimly under the pale moonlight, making them look like little stars. The atmosphere was rather romantic. ¡°It¡¯s a big ce, and it¡¯s pretty. What do you think?¡± Renee turned around and looked at Julian proudly. ¡°This is my secret base, and it¡¯s where Ie when I feel stressed. Not many know about this ce.¡± ¡°Secret base?¡± Julian looked at the houses, and raised his brows in silent appreciation. ¡± Interesting.¡± An attendant greeted them warmly when they entered. ¡°Ms. Everheart, will you be using Room No.3 as usual? We¡¯ve already prepared everything you need.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Rence smiled at the attendant. It looked as if she was a frequent customer here. Room No. 3 was the most secluded room, but it had the best environment. It was also the quietest room, so nobody would disturb them there. Renee knew her way to Room No. 3. She entered the passcode and opened the door. ¡°Pleasee in, my ymate for the evening.¡± Julian was just wondering how love hotels were decorated these days, but when he walked into the room, he was speechless. ¡°What¡­ What is this ce?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee eagerly walked in, reaching out to touch a top-of-the-line mechanical keyboard. Her eyes were glowing with excitement. ¡°Millions of gamers have been waiting for this XF keyboard. It has a first-ss feel to it, and is equipped with a third generation optical axis and a high level of sensitivity. This, coupled with a high-end console and disy, would make it impossible for us to lose any game!¡± It took Julian five minutes to process what Rence had just said. ¡°So, this isn¡¯t a love hotel, but a ¡­ cyber cafe?¡± ¡°Love hotel?¡± Rence¡¯s eyes widened. Renee smacked Julian¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re young and handsome, but you have such a dirty mind! Of course, this is a cyber cafe. Many professional gamers train here. Gamers who don¡¯t have a high status in the esports industry can¡¯t even get in!¡± ¡°So, just to rify¡­ Did you actually mean ying games when you said we¡¯d have fun?¡± ¡°What else would it be?¡± Renee let out a long sigh. ¡°I wanted to ask you guys to form a team with me. I mean, you¡¯re all so handsome; it would have been nice to look at some eye candy after getting tired from ying games. I wasn¡¯t expecting your teammates to be such cowards, though. They ran for their lives when they heard Stefan¡¯s name. What a shame!¡± Julian didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He finally saw for himself how prim and proper Mrs. Hunt was. He shook his head slightly in amusement. ¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯vee to the right person.¡± Julian crossed his fingers eagerly and smiled a little. Aside from tinkering with electronics, I also love ying games. What do you want to y?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­We don¡¯t have enough people for online games, so let¡¯s y a ivi solo game.¡± ¡°Sure. Which one?¡± ¡°Contra!¡± Renee replied eagerly. Julian nearly choked. ¡°That game came out ages ago! You really like vintage stuff, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hah! A ssic game never goes out of style.¡± Renee switched on the hands together. ¡°Less talk, more action!¡± game and rubbed her Although Julian wasn¡¯t fond of the idea, he still yed the game with her. He thought Renee was an amateur, but she defeated him several times. After a while, he began to doubt his abilities. The battle was indeed intense¡­ Meanwhile, in the president¡¯s office of H Group. After ending the call with Xavier, Stefan continued working as if nothing happened. They were divorced, after all. He had nothing to do with his ex-wife¡¯s affairs, and he wouldn¡¯t be affected by them. However, the document he was looking at was starting to feel like Morse code. He couldn¡¯t focus enough to read a single word, and he kept recalling how Xavier said his wife was booking a hotel room with another man. ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan closed the document and dialed Renee¡¯s number. After that, something shocking happened¡­ Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Stefan heard a mechanical voice in his ear: ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service. Not in service?! Stefan tried to control his rage. Maybe Renee had changed her phone number, and she wasn¡¯t trying to avoid him. He clicked on Renee¡¯s contact, opened up the messaging application, and sent her a question mark. The message didn¡¯t go through. Clearly, he had been blocked. ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan cursed under his breath, his expression dark. That woman had cut him offpletely. She really was merciless! They¡¯d only been divorced for a week, but she¡¯d already pried away H Group¡¯s major clients, and was now spending her evenings in nightclubs with different men. Her life seemed to be full of fun and excitement, didn¡¯t it? Her ex¨Chusband¡¯s reputation was practically ruined! Stefan massaged his temples and gritted his teeth in frustration. After pondering for a moment, he dialed Elijah¡¯s number. ¡°I want information on all guests who checked into hotels in Beach City within thirty minutes, ¡± he said. Elijah was confused. ¡°Mr. Hunt, did something happen? Why do you suddenly want such information? Are you¡­ trying to catch your wife cheating?¡± ¡°Is that any of your business?¡± Stefan snarled over the phone. ¡°Absolutely not! I¡¯ll retrieve the information for you right away!¡± Elijah was very curious about the reasoning behind this. Despite being afraid, he continued to speak. ¡°Also, this is just my opinion, but¡­ Mrs. Hunt may be yful, but I truly believe she wouldn¡¯t go to a hotel with another man. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was thunderous. ¡°Get lost!¡® Thirty minutester, Elijah sent him a long message with the information he asked for. However, Renee¡¯s name wasn¡¯t on the list. ¡°Mr. Hunt, it¡¯s just as I told you. Mrs. Hunt is a prim and properdy, and she loves you so much. Why would she go to a hotel with another man? As for the photos of her being in 1/2 nightclubs and surrounded by young, handsome men, my guess is that she¡¯s only trying to make you angry!¡± As an outsider, Elijah could analyze the situation objectively. However, he was also risking getting beaten up by speaking up for Renee. ¡°After all, even the worm will turn when it has no choice. What you did was awful, and Mrs. Hunt is only expressing her dissatisfaction. It¡¯s N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. normal.¡± Knowing how proud Stefan was, Elijah figured he would surely feel offended. He thought Stefan might send him to Zambawi to dig for oil or to the Parimean Ocean to fish, but to his surprise, Mr. Hunt remained unusually silent. Finally, he spoke.¡°So, you think she¡¯s doing these things because she likes me? Do you think she¡¯s trying to get my attention?¡± Elijah almost choked. He would never have expected Mr. Hunt toe to such a conclusion. ¡°I guess you can think of it that way,¡± Elijah replied awkwardly. Stefan¡¯s cold expression gradually disappeared, and when he ended the call, he was even smiling a little. *** In the morning. Renee stretched her arms and patted Julian on the shoulder. She didn¡¯t hold back herpliments. ¡°You actually managed to tie with me, kid. You¡¯ve got potential! I want you to y with me again in the future.¡± Renee was the best of the best when it came to gaming, and she could easily kill her opponents within seconds. There were very few whose skills rivaled hers, but surprisingly, this seemingly inexperienced kid was very good. He had surpassed her expectations. Renee had to admit that she was very pleased with Leia¡¯s ¡®gift¡® this time! ¡°Mrs. Hunt, you¡¯re pretty impressive too.¡± Julian looked at Renee curiously, a grudging admiration in his gaze. He tore off a sticky note and wrote down a series of numbers on it before sticking it on her shoulder. ¡°This is my private number. Call me whenever you need me.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Renee epted heartily. ¡°Ah, just one more thing ¨C don¡¯t call me Mrs. Hunt. It¡¯s an unlucky name.¡± Julian raised his eyebrows. ¡°What should I call you then?¡± ¡°Call me Angel¡­ No. Call me Rich Angel,¡± Renee answered seriously. 5/3 When Julian heard this, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from chuckling. ¡°Alright, Rich Angel.¡± After saying goodbye to Julian, Rence happily returned to Sunup Residence, humming the entire way back. Life after divorce was fun. She had so much freedom! If she¡¯d known being divorced felt this good, she wouldn¡¯t have stayed in a loveless marriage for four years like a fool. Just as she sighed blissfully, the elevator stopped on her floor and the doors opened. A tall, handsome man stood there, and it looked like he had been waiting there for a long time. A familiar voice greeted her coldly, ¡°Finally decided toe back?¡± Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Chapter 115 Rence instantly stopped humming, and her smile died on her lips. She instinctively turned around to leave, as if she¡¯d encountered something unfortunate. move, ¡®Damn it.¡¯ She could only me herself for procrastinating. Although she¡¯d already decided to she hadn¡¯t found a suitable ce to move into yet. She lived right across Stefan, so even if she intentionally avoided him outdoors, she would have to bump into him eventually when she came home. Renee didn¡¯t step out of the lift, and the elevator doors automatically started to close. Stefan reached out to stop the doors from closing, his expression unreadable. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Weren¡¯t you having a lot of fun earlier? What¡¯s the point in feeling guilty now?¡± ¡®Guilty?!¡¯ Renee stepped out of the elevator with her chin raised defiantly. ¡°You¡¯re hrious, Mr. Hunt. So what if I was having a lot of fun? I didn¡¯t rob or kill anyone, did I? Why should I feel guilty? You, on the other hand, are the president of arge corporation. It¡¯s the middle of the night, so why aren¡¯t you asleep? You¡¯re loitering around to stalk a single woman. Shouldn¡¯t you be the one feeling guilty?¡± Stefan couldn¡¯t deny it. His eyes narrowed, and he said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t care how much fun you want to have, but be mindful of your status. This is a warning. You¡¯ve already been featured in several headlines with different men over the past two days. Are you proud of yourself?¡± Renee was furious. This man and his ego! She honestly had no idea how she had loved him for four years. She had loved him so much that she lost her identity and became the kind of irrationally romantic person she hated the most. Now, things were great. She¡¯d finallye to her senses, so she wasn¡¯t going to let him get away with insulting her like this. Renee looked at Stefan coldly. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you might have forgotten, but we¡¯re already divorced. Whether I¡¯m out having fun or not, and regardless of who I rub shoulders with, all of it is none of your business.¡± Stefan¡¯s response was unexpectedly calm. ¡°I know you¡¯re in a lot of pain after the divorce, but it¡¯s immature of you to try to get my attention through such methods. These aren¡¯t things an adult should do. Don¡¯t forget that we haven¡¯t made our divorce public yet. If you do such things, it¡¯ll only create more unnecessary gossip. It¡¯ll also make it impossible for us to get back together.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Renee was dumbfounded. What was this man saying? Frankly speaking, she did feel sad when they¡¯d divorced, but she¡¯d long gotten over it. She¡¯d moved on, and was now enjoying her life as a single woman. The only regret she had was not getting divorced sooner. ¡°Drop the act. I can see right through you,¡± Stefan insisted icily. Stefan walked up to Renee, and pinned her against the wall. ¡°There are many ways you can get my attention, but trying to make me jealous is just stupid. Why don¡¯t you try something else¡­¡± He began looking Renee up and down, and his gaze finallynded on her rose-tinted lips. ¡°Like kissing me?¡± He murmured. After that, he closed his eyes and waited for her to reciprocate. In his mind, Renee loved him so much that she¡¯d searched for another man who looked just like him. Now that he was in front of her, how could she possibly resist? Renee stared at his handsome face. For a second or two, she almost gave in, but the absurdity of the entire situation soon hit her. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. What was wrong with this man? Why hadn¡¯t she realized how self-obsessed he was in the past? ¡°Stefan, do you honestly believe that everyone adores you?¡± She growled before nting her palm on his face and pushing him away forcefully. ¡°Keep dreaming!¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Stefan opened his eyes, and impatience shed in them. ¡°Woman, you can y hard to get, but don¡¯t push me. A little bit keeps things fun, but don¡¯t go overboard.¡± After saying that, he started moving closer to Renee. He believed Renee was ying hard to get and trying to make him jealous. After all, she loved him so much in the past, so how could she have moved on so easily? Renee waspletely speechless. She took her phone out and started taking pictures of Stefan¡¯s face. ¡°Stefan, I think you need therapy. Is this your idea of revenge because I was in the news? I suggest you leave, or I¡¯ll take you to court tomorrow!¡± Stefan stopped moving and squinted at the phone in her hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± L Renee didn¡¯t answer him. After taking the pictures, she immediately called the police. She pretended to cry while she spoke, ¡°Officer, please help me! I¡¯m at Sunup Residence. A stalker followed me home, and he¡¯s trying to harass me. I can¡¯t get him to leave. Please hurry!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Stefan was speechless. He was about to retort that the police wouldn¡¯t care about a married couple¡¯s quarrel, but he suddenly recalled that they were already divorced. From a legal perspective, his behavior could definitely be ssified as sexual harassment! Renee noticed Stefan hesitate, and was pleased with herself. ¡°Mr. Hunt, the nearest police station is less than a mile away. If you don¡¯t leave, the police will soon have you in cuffs and take you to prison.¡± She began reciting something she learned from Zack. ¡°ording to Article 237 of Criminal Law, offenders who sexually harass women, in serious cases, will be sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment for more than five years. Zack is an expert in this field. Try it, if you dare.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze was cold. There was a dangerous emotion brewing inside him. So, Renee wasn¡¯t ying hard to get¡­ she was actually so annoyed by him that she wanted to put him in prison! Women were always crazy about him, so this was something totally foreign to him. Suddenly, he felt a sense of defeat and humiliation. Even if she wasn¡¯t doing it intentionally, Renee actually did make him feel possessive. ¡°Sexual harassment, serious cases¡­¡± Stefan muttered furiously. He stared at Renee like a starving wolf, and then grabbed her chin to lift her face to his. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll show you what a serious offense looks like!¡± Before Renee could protest, he leaned down and kissed her deeply. +15 BONUS ¡°Mmph!¡± Caught off guard, Renee looked up at Stefan with wide eyes. She felt like amb caught in the ws of a hungry predator. She clenched her fists, and started pushing against his shoulders to make him stop. Unfortunately for Renee, this only made Stefan more excited, and he kissed her even harder. Stefan was certain that he didn¡¯t feel any romantic love toward his ex-wife, and was only possessive of her. However, ever since he had a taste of her feminine allure, he yearned for more. If it wasn¡¯t for his rational mind holding him back, he¡¯d have done this ages ago¡­ The air was thick with tension, and Renee found it hard to breathe. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this man?!¡¯ When she was still his wife, he treated her indifferently and was never intimate with her. Now that they were divorced, he was openly flirting with her. Did he really think she was the kind of woman who would sumb to his every whim? Did he think she was that easy to manipte? As soon as these thoughts urred to her, she gathered all her strength and stepped on Stefan¡¯s foot roughly. Stefan winced from the pain, and reluctantly let her go. Renee¡¯s eyes were zing and she was bristling like an angry kitten, but that only seemed to make her more attractive. ¡°Stefan, you crossed the line! Just you wait¡­ It¡¯s over for you!¡±. Stefan still wasn¡¯t satisfied. He looked at her swollen lips and smirked. ¡°I look forward to it.¡± Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Stefan didn¡¯t take Renee¡¯s warning seriously. He figured that the most she could do was make him jealous by being with other men. The next day. Stefan arrived at Golden Tea House ording to n. He had a business meeting with Jeremy Sunder, the chairman of Sunder Group. Sunder Group was one of the four major distributors of electronic products in the country. South Group, which used to have a close business rtionship with H Group, was on the same level as Sunder Group. However, now that South Group had been pried away by Renee, Stefan had to quickly find a new partner so that H Group¡¯s electronic products wouldn¡¯t experience a drop in sales. Jeremy had been waiting for a long time in the VIP room of the tea house. As soon as he saw Stefan, he stood up and shook Stefan¡¯s hand with a smile on his face. ¡°Stefan, it¡¯s been a long time. Do you finally have time to sit down for a cup of tea with your uncle?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I¡¯d be delighted, Jeremy.¡± Stefan had an undeniable aura of authority and aloofness. After shaking Jeremy¡¯s hand, he sat down. ¡°Stefan, try this oolong tea from the west. It¡¯s very fragrant; I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it.¡± Jeremy poured a cup of tea for Stefan. He was obviously trying to y the good host. Although Jeremy had a greater negotiating power from a business point of view, H Group was far more established. Stefan was at least twenty years younger than Jeremy, but his authoritative manner put him in a superior position. Most importantly, electronic products manufactured by H Group were top- notch. They had an enormous customer base that was loyal to the brand. Anyone who became their distributor would have direct ess to thergest market of electronic products in Aeos. South Group had reaped all the benefits over the past few years. Now, it was finally Sunder Group¡¯s turn. Naturally, Jeremy didn¡¯t want there to be any mishaps. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Jerome to end their partnership with H Group. He said he wanted to work with another company that¡¯s barely known in the industry. Such a stupid move¡­¡± Jeremy sighed, sipping his cup of tea. ¡°Well, it¡¯s his loss, and Sunder Group¡¯s gain. I¡¯m looking forward to our partnership,¡± he added chirpily. ¡°Likewise.¡± Stefan nodded indifferently, seeming a little distracted. Although Jeremy was old, he was still as cunning as ever. He secretly observed Stefan for a while, then coughed softly. ¡°Since you and I have made up our minds, why don¡¯t we sign the contract today? For the next three years, H Group will distribute 80 percent of their electronic products to Sunder Group. In return¡­ Apart from the basic purchase price, Sunder Group will also distribute 10% of our profits to H Group every quarter. What do you think?¡± Jeremy was being nice, but Stefan still showed no expression. To be honest, he was still hesitant about working with Sunder Group. It wasn¡¯t because he had any particr dislike of Sunder Group, but his grandfather had, for some reason, forbidden the Hunt family from having any sort of rtionship with the Sunder family. Hence, even if Sunder Group had given a much better offer four years ago, H Group had still chosen to work with South Group. Jeremy began to feel a little anxious when Stefan still didn¡¯t respond. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Stefan? Do you have something else on your mind?¡± Stefan looked at Jeremy with a piercing gaze. ¡°Jeremy, to tell you the truth, Grandpa forbade H Group from cooperating with Sunder Group. Naturally, I¡¯m curious, so I¡¯d like to know¡­ What exactly happened between the two of you?¡± Chapter 118 Chapter 118 Chapter 118 When Jeremy heard this, he squinted a little before smiling. ¡°Stefan, it has to be a misunderstanding. Your grandfather is a great wartime hero, and I admire him. Why would there be any bad blood between us?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Stefan asked slowly. He took a sip of his tea, wondering whether Jeremy was telling the truth. In reality, he had already carried out a thorough investigation on Sunder Group before deciding to work with them, and the results hadn¡¯t given him any reason to think that there was any bad blood between the Sunder family and the Hunt family. However, Stefan also hadn¡¯t had the best rtionship with his grandfather. Thetter had refused to see him for a long time, so Stefan couldn¡¯t ask him about this in person. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true,¡± Jeremy said firmly. However, he seemed a little guilty. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to be frank. ¡°Back then, I used to be a young and energetic man, so I deceased father¨Cinw.¡± might have had a bit of conflict with your ¡°Renee¡¯s father?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°What happened between you two?¡± ¡°What else could happen between two grown men? It¡¯s either business¡­ or women!¡± Jeremy replied with a sigh. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°That was a long time ago. At the time, your father¨Cinw wasn¡¯t in a rtionship with your mother¨Cin¨C law yet. He and I had been business rivals for many years, but we also ended up falling for the same woman, and fought over her big time. In the end, that woman had us both fooled. She ended up not choosing either of us and just disappeared¡­¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes zed over in disappointment as he talked about his past. The thing that upset him the most wasn¡¯t what happened between him and Renee¡¯s father ¨C was the woman who had yed both him and Renee¡¯s father for fools. it ¡°Stefan, you might not know it, but women are good at pretending to be weak and vulnerable. They can drain you dry with their lies if you¡¯re not careful. Don¡¯t ever let a woman control you, otherwise¡­¡± For some reason, Jeremy¡¯s words instantly reminded Stefan of Renee. Renee was apletely different woman nowpared to when they had gotten married. Stefan felt that no truer words had been said¡­ Women were indeed creatures who were good at pretending. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Stefan. The Sunder family and the Hunt family don¡¯t have anything against each other. Even if there¡¯s bad blood between your father¨Cinw and I, that happened many years ago. Your father¨Cinw has been gone for four years now, so there¡¯s no point in holding a grudge against the Sunder family, is there?¡± Jeremy sounded rather disappointed. ¡°Besides, our families have not been in touch for years. You¡¯re being considerate towards your wife, but has your wife ever been considerate towards you? I heard that your wife was the one who pried away South Group and linked them up with the Osborne family. She seems to have a much more complicated rtionship with Geronimo¡¯s son than we might think. Why should you care about a traitor like that?¡± The older man scoffed. Stefan¡¯s expression turned even colder after hearing what Jeremy said, and the atmosphere became tense. Jeremy raised his brows and decided to go all out. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯m not trying to sow discord between you and your wife because I want the partnership with H Group. It¡¯s just that I think women shouldn¡¯t be given too much respect, or else they might stab you in the back! We don¡¯t have to sign the contract today, but you must take in what I said,¡± he added. After that, Jeremy started packing his things to leave. Stefan frowned. He didn¡¯t n to stay either. He could sense that the bad blood between Jeremy and his father¨Cinw wasn¡¯t as simple as Jeremy described. He needed to investigate this further before deciding to work with Sunder Group. Suddenly, Stefan received a call from Elijah. ¡°Mr. Hunt, something¡¯s happened! Are you in front of the television? Hurry up and switch it on ¡­ Has Mrs. Hunt gone mad?!¡± Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Elijah¡¯s voice was loud and panicked. Stefan frowned and immediately ended the call. ¡®What is that woman up to this time?¡¯ He thought wearily. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Stefan? Did something happen to your wife?¡± Jeremy asked. He had stood up and was getting ready to leave, but after hearing Elijah¡¯s voice over the phone, he sat down once more. Naturally, the tea house had a television, which he asked a waiter to switch on. Renee appeared on the television screen. She was wearing in clothes and had no makeup on, but she was surrounded by over a hundred mediapanies as she made an announcement sadly. years of ¡°I¡¯m sorry for using up public resources, but today, I want to announce that the four marriage between Mr. Hunt and I have officiallye to an end. We¡¯ve chosen to go our separate ways in a peaceful manner. I¡¯m thankful for having known him for the past four years, and I hope he can find his true happiness.¡± Reporters below the stage frantically raised their hands and fought to ask Renee questions. ¡°Mrs. Hunt, did you and Mr. Hunt get divorced because of an extramarital affair?¡± ¡°Mrs. Hunt, you mentioned on a livestream broadcast that Mr. Hunt has a child with another woman. Did that really happen?¡± ¡°There were also rumors that you and the sixth son of the Osborne family, Liam Osborne, frequently spent nights together outside. Did you and Mr. Hunt both have extramarital affairs? ¡± Renee looked down and sobbed softly. She seemed sad and pitiful. ¡°I can only say that Mr. Hunt and I are from two different worlds. There are many things that make us ipatible, so it¡¯s better for the both of us to go our separate ways. As for the rest¡­ I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you, and I don¡¯t have the courage to do so either.¡± Although she didn¡¯t answer the questions, the aggrieved look on her face said it all. Without a doubt, as soon as this press conference was over, negativements woulde pouring in for H Group and Stefan. In reality, even if Renee didn¡¯t say anything, a divorce case among the rich would still go when the media became involved. It was obvious that Renee was doing this as payback for what viral Stefan did to herst night! It suddenly felt very awkward. Jeremy expressed his deepest sympathies for Stefan, and quickly told the waiter, ¡°This news is rubbish. Switch it off!¡± The waiter frantically switched off the television, and everything was normal again. Stefan kept his mouth shut. His gaze was frigid, and he didn¡¯t utter a single word. Though nobody could tell what he was thinking, his aura was very intimidating. Jeremy let out a long sigh, and said sadly, ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t let it get to you. Women are all like this. Which of us hasn¡¯t been cheated on before? You¡¯ll get used to it over time. Back then, your game and father- inw and I were both fooled by that woman. She was good at ying the disappeared without a trace. Otherwise, I¡¯d have¡­¡± Jeremy was about to start ranting when he caught sight of Stefan¡¯s cold gaze, and quickly got back to his point. ¡°Stefan, since you and this woman are divorced, and she even cheated on you, let¡¯s not bother about the bad history between our families. It doesn¡¯t affect you anyway. Why don¡¯t we sign the contract now?¡± Stefan remained silent for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s sign it.¡± He¡¯d long wanted H Group to work with Sunder Group, but it never happened because Grandpa forbade it. Since that woman had eagerly announced to the world that they were divorced, and she didn¡¯t care about salvaging his reputation, why did he have to hold back? Even if Jeremy killed Renee¡¯s father, it now had nothing to do with Stefan. From today onwards, Stefan and Renee would go their separate ways! In less than half an hour after the contract was signed, Stefan received a barrage of calls from Old Mr. Hunt. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You fool of a child! How dare you work with Sunder Group? Do you know what atrocity Jeremy has committed? Come back and receive your punishment right away!¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Chapter 120 Stefan sighed helplessly and drove back to the Hunt family¡¯s residence. He knew Grandpa would be against his decision of working with Sunder Group, but he didn¡¯t expect the old man to find out about it so quickly. He figured that he¡¯d receive harsh punishment for what he did a lotter. Oh, well. He could use this opportunity to find out what exactly the Sunder family did. Before Stefan could even walk in, he could already hear Grandpa yelling. ¡°That kid has gone astray¡­ He¡¯s willing to do anything for money! I¡¯ll beat the crap out of him today, so don¡¯t you get in my way!¡± The wounds on Stefan¡¯s back had yet to fully recover, and he felt a tightness in his chest as he walked forward. It couldn¡¯t be helped, though. Grandpa had grown up in the military, so his way of disciplining the younger generations had always been harsh. That was why all his children had upright personalities, and even Stefan himself rarely went against his word. Stefan only lost control when Renee was involved¡­. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Stefan straightened his posture and walked into the living room. The housekeeper was overjoyed. ¡°Old Mr. Hunt, please calm down. Master Hunt is here!¡± Old Mr. Hunt looked up angrily at Stefan, then hurled a tea cup at him. ¡°You disgrace! How can you still face me?¡± Stefan felt speechless. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me toe back?¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve learned how to talk back! Your wings have grown strong, haven¡¯t they? You don¡¯t respect me anymore. I should never have raised you!¡± The old man was furious, and he kept yelling at Stefan. Stefan was used to this. He obediently listened with his head hung low. Was it any wonder that Grandpa¡¯s children never disobeyed him? Even Stefan¡¯s father would never fight back. Whenever Grandpa got angry, he behaved like a child that didn¡¯t care about reason. If he believed somebody was wrong, there was nothing that person could do to change his mind. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that H Group should never work with Sunder Group, and that people in the Hunt family should nevere into contact with Jeremy?!¡± ¡°Yes, you did.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°In that case, why did you still do it? You need to be taught a lesson!¡± ¡°Go ahead and hit me. My wounds from thest time haven¡¯t recovered anyway,¡± Stefan replied nonchntly, then said sarcastically, ¡°Grandpa, where ever did you find your heart? I have to commend you on its excellent quality.¡± ¡°Y-You¡­¡± Old Mr. Hunt was furious. He had no idea what to do with Stefan. After all, Stefan was the only son in the family, so he couldn¡¯t actually kill him. The housekeeper quickly stepped in. ¡°Old Mr. Hunt, why don¡¯t we let bygones be bygones? Sunder Group made a very generous offer, and they¡¯re also one of the four major distributors for electrical items. It¡¯s a win-win situation if we work with them.¡± Old Mr. Hunt sighed. ¡°I just don¡¯t want Ren to feel bad. If she found out her own husband was working with her father¡¯s enemy, how do you think she¡¯d feel?¡± Stefan sneered. ¡°So what if she finds out? We¡¯re already divorced. She wouldn¡¯t even care!¡± ¡°How could you say that?¡± Old Mr. Hunt lifted his walking stick to hit his grandson. The housekeeper quickly stopped him. ¡°Old Mr. Hunt, calm down. I think Master Hunt is right. She wouldn¡¯t mind¡­ Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have set up a press conference to announce their divorce.¡± ¡°A press conference? What do you mean? Show me!¡± Old Mr. Hunt demanded. Only then did the housekeeper realize he¡¯d made a mistake. ¡°Umm¡­ Just forget what I said. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Old Mr. Hunt was still hoping for Renee and Stefan to get back together, which was why nobody told him about the global press conference Renee set up. Once the conference was held, the entire world would find out that the two of them were divorced. They would have nothing to do with each other anymore, and it¡¯d be difficult for them to work together in the future. Stefan¡¯s gaze was steely. ¡°Stop trying to keep it from Grandpa. If he wants to see it, show him. He¡¯ll know the truth about Renee after watching it.¡± Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Chapter 121 Old Mr. Hunt remained silent for a long time after watching Renee¡¯s press conference. He seemed to be deep in thought. ¡®Now, Grandpa will finally understand that it takes two to tango,¡¯ Stefan thought in relief. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t love Renee, and he certainly had done things to hurt her. In his defense though, Renee didn¡¯t love him either. While he and Briar pretended to be close, Renee and Liam had genuine feelings for each other. They were even prepared to have children. That¡¯s why both of them had agreed to the divorce. How could she make him the sole scapegoat? ¡°Grandpa, as you¡¯ve just seen, this woman wanted nothing more than to divorce me. That way, she can officially be with Liam. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so eager to make a public announcement that we¡¯re divorced. She¡¯s not as innocent as you think she is. Everyone¡¯s just fooled by her appearance!¡± Stefan couldn¡¯t hide the anger in his voice. Old Mr. Hunt looked away from the television and turned to face Stefan with a frown. ¡°Is that how you perceive it? Hmph, that exins why you always did badly innguages. Yourprehension is terrible!¡± Stefan looked at his grandfather in confusion. ¡°How do you perceive it?¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Old Mr. Hunt punched Stefan in the back. ¡°Do you even have to ask? Ren obviously wants to get back with you!¡± Stefan sighed, beyond the point of caring if it would make his grandfather upset. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I really couldn¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°Of course you couldn¡¯t¡­ That¡¯s because you¡¯re blind!¡± Grandpa adjusted his sses, rewinded the video to a specific scene, then pointed at the subtitles below it. He began to exin as if he was conducting scientific research. ¡°Look here. The main point is¡­ Ren said she¡¯s grateful for having known you for the past four years. Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± Stefan had to will himself to not be sarcastic. ¡°It means she still has feelings for you. She¡¯s hinting that she wants to get back together with you!¡± Stefan wasn¡¯t sure whether he should feel angry orugh at how confident Grandpa was. While Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. it was true that he wasn¡¯t too good at reading between the lines, there was no way one could rte ¡®thankful for having met someone¡¯ to ¡®wanting to get back together with someone¡¯. She was clearly saying that to cate the outsiders. How could it possibly mean that she wanted to get back with him? don¡¯t ¡°I don¡¯t care! Ren has already made it very clear. If you don¡¯t do something about it, you have the right to call yourself a man. Stop yapping and get to it!¡± Grandpa barked orders at Stefan like a commander. Stefan replied helplessly, ¡°Grandpa, I know you want us to stay together, but it¡¯s impossible. Stop trying to interfere.¡± ¡°How am I interfering? I¡¯m only speaking from experience. You two are clearly in love with each other, but you¡¯re both too stubborn to do anything about it!¡± Grandpa knew how stubborn Stefan could be. He normally kept his feelings to himself, and rarely showed his emotions. However, when he had talked about Renee earlier, Stefan got very emotional. It was impossible that he didn¡¯t have feelings for her! Forget it. If Grandpa had to wait for Stefan to realize his mistake, his granddaughter-inw would be long gone by the time it happened. He had to step in to save the day! Grandpa coughed softly before speaking. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You disobeyed me, and you deserve to be punished. However, I won¡¯t punish you physically today. Stay for dinner, and I¡¯ll let you off the hook.¡± ¡®That¡¯s all?¡¯ Stefan thought in disbelief. He suspected it wouldn¡¯t be so simple, but he didn¡¯t ask anything further. Grandpa could do whatever he wanted to do as long as he didn¡¯t force Stefan to marry Renee again. However, Stefan would soon realize that the old man was indeed a cunning old fox. Stefan never would¡¯ve guessed that he could be so merciless¡­ Chapter 122 Chapter 122 Chapter 122 A feast had beenid out for dinner, with various types of poultry and seafood served. Stefan frowned slightly when he sat down. Grandpa normally had light meals, so why were there so many dishes prepared? This was no simple dinner¡­ The old man was definitely up to something. Stefan didn¡¯t ask any questions. He just picked up his cutlery and prepared to eat. Grandpa, who was sitting at the head of the table, cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯re still waiting for someone. What¡¯s the rush?¡± L Just as Stefan thought! He raised his brows slightly before silently putting down his cutlery. He figured that Grandpa probably invited Renee too. Clearly, he was trying to set them up. His tone was icy as he growled, ¡°Grandpa, I know what you¡¯re thinking, but these things can¡¯t be forced. Renee and I are over, so stop wasting your time.¡± ¡°Hah! Dream on.¡± Grandpa leisurely stroked his beard and smiled mysteriously. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t force Ren to get with a scumbag like you. That¡¯d only make her suffer!¡± Stefan was confused. He didn¡¯t expect the old man to change sides so quickly, and he kept wondering whether he was being honest. Right then, a maid cheerfully stepped forward. ¡°Old Mr. Hunt, Master Hunt, Mrs. Hunt is here! Renee was right behind the maid, and she confidently walked into the dining room. Stefan subtly straightened, looking at her coldly as if he didn¡¯t know she was going to show up. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. After that, he nearly threw up. Behind Renee was Liam, Geronimo¡¯s son! Stefan couldn¡¯t stand the sight of that man. Stefan¡¯s face was like thunder. He red at his grandfather in obvious dissatisfaction, hoping for a reasonable exnation. However, the cunning old man ignored him and continued to smile as he waved at their two guests. ¡°Come, children. I¡¯ve been waiting for you all night long. Let¡¯s sit down and eat.¡± Renee was stunned, and she had an awkward expression on her face. Clearly, she didn¡¯t know Stefan would be here. She looked around, unsure if she should sit down or find an excuse to leave. Grandpa really was good ating up with such schemes. This was so embarrassing! Liam, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to be afraid at all. Almost like a deration of war, he pulled Renee by her hand and stepped forward. ¡°General Hunt, you¡¯re my idol. I¡¯m so honored to finally meet you. This is the most exciting moment in my life!¡± He eximed, his eyes sparkling. The old man was very surprised. ¡°You actually know who I am, kid?¡± ¡°General Hunt, you probably don¡¯t know this, but I admire you a lot. During the Battle of Marsden, you led an army of 50,000 soldiers and still outnked the enemy¡¯s army of 300,000! That¡¯s practically unheard of!¡± ¡°Ah, the Battle of Marsden was nothing. My proudest moment was at the Battle of Greenwich. Looking back¡­¡± The two men, who were nearly fifty years apart, began chatting as if nobody else was around. Stefan and Renee couldn¡¯t find anything to say. Neither of them expected something like this to happen. They met each other¡¯s gaze briefly, then quickly looked away. The whole thing felt extremely awkward. After nearly half an hour, Grandpa was stillughing from Liam¡¯s jokes. He was in a great mood. ¡°Hahaha! I finally know why there were rumors of Ren being with you. I have to say¡­ Geronimo is very lucky to have a son like you!¡± ¡°General Hunt, you¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± Liam replied with a chuckle. He lifted Renee¡¯s hand, and smiled widely. ¡°Renee and I aren¡¯t rumored to be together. We actually are.¡± Grandpa¡¯s smile froze, and the joyful atmosphere suddenly became tense. He looked at Renee and asked sternly, ¡°Ren, is what this kid said true?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee suddenly felt nervous. She didn¡¯t want to lie to Grandpa, but if she denied it right now, Grandpa might think she still had feelings for Stefan. It¡¯d be even more awkward if Grandpa tried to set them up again. Stefan¡¯s gaze was cold, and his tone was arrogant as he snapped, ¡°If it¡¯s true, just own up to it. You and I are already divorced, so there¡¯s no need to pretend!¡± Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Stefan¡¯s words made Renee¡¯s blood boil. Fueled by her desire to beat Stefan, she immediately turned to his grandfather and said enthusiastically, ¡°It¡¯s true, Grandpa. Liam and I are officially dating. I hope you can forgive me and give us your blessings. He¡¯s the one who can truly protect me and make me happy!¡± Liam looked tenderly at Renee next to him. He knew this was only an act to make Stefan angry, but he still felt touched by what Renee said. After all, he wasn¡¯t even Renee¡¯s backup n. Liam suddenly felt a rush of happiness at the feeling of being Renee¡¯s boyfriend. It was like he¡¯d won the lottery! Grandpa remained stern for a few seconds before suddenly bursting intoughter. He smiled at Renee and said kindly, ¡°Silly child, of course I¡¯ll offer you my blessings. I wouldn¡¯t have invited you two over for dinner otherwise. I only wanted to see if this kid was reliable, and if he can look after you. You¡¯ve just got out of a painful rtionship, so how could I possibly let you enter another one?¡± Grandpa shot Stefan a look of disgust, and it was obvious who he was referring to. Liam was very sociable, and said earnestly, ¡°General Hunt, you can test me, if you¡¯d like. I¡¯m good at almost everything. I can even rap! Let me show you¡­ After saying that, he actually started rapping. He was as good as any professional rapper, and his skills were undeniably impressive. Liam was like a ray of sunshine who brought joy to everyone in his presence. His energy was infectious, and even the usually reserved maids wereughing watching him. Stefan was the only one with a nk expression on his face. ¡°Ugh, how boring.¡± Soon, dinner officially began. Grandpa made a toast. ¡°I¡¯m honored to have all of you join me for dinner, and I just want to say .. Ren, I hope you¡¯ll always be happy. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll always be your Grandpa, and the Hunt family will forever be your second home. Make sure youe back and visit me often!¡± Renee was so touched by his words that tears filled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa. Though Master Hunt and I will not be together anymore, nothing else will change!¡± Liam sobered up instantly and promised, ¡°General Hunt, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to protect Ren. Being with her is my life mission.¡± ¡°Good kid. You¡¯re both good kids unlike a certain someone All h ¨C angry!¡± The three of them clinked their sses together, and it felt like a wedding toast. Inparison, Stefan, who remained silent, seemed out of ce. Stefan took a sip of wine and began to feed himself. However, the food was tasteless to him. Needless to say, Grandpa¡¯s ¡®punishment¡¯ was truly cruel. He¡¯d rather Grandpa whipped him instead. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Liam reached for a slice of marinated fish. After picking the bones out, he put it on Renee¡¯s te. He did it so naturally that it looked like he¡¯d done it a million times before. ¡°Watch and learn. Liam might be Grandpa scowled at Stefan and gave him an angry nudge. younger than you, but he¡¯s a hundred times more considerate. I think Ren is lucky to have left you!¡± ¡°Anybody can do it. What¡¯s so great about that?¡± Stefan sneered. ¡°You¡­!¡± Grandpa was speechless, and felt like kicking Stefan out. Thankfully, Liam didn¡¯t seem to take thement to heart. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re rather arrogant and impolite, aren¡¯t you? Not everyone can do what I did. For example, you.¡± Liam smirked at him. ¡°Let me ask you something. You and Ren have been married for so many years¡­ but do you know her likes and dislikes when ites to food?¡± Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Stefan blinked at Liam, dumbfounded. Naturally, he couldn¡¯t answer. Although he and Renee had been married for four years, he could count the number of times they¡¯d dined at the same table. Even when they did, he never really paid attention to the food she liked. ¡°I don¡¯t waste time on pointless things like that,¡± Stefan scoffed arrogantly. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Pointless things?¡± Liam¡¯s yfulness instantly disappeared, and was quickly reced by rage L ¡°That¡¯s right. A cold-blooded reptile like you will always be selfish. Why would you ever think of someone else?¡± Liam wasn¡¯t afraid of making Stefan angry. In fact, he would have loved to teach Stefan a lesson with his fists instead! ¡°You know, I feel sorry for Ren. She poured her heart and soul into the rtionship. She knows that you like mild-vored food, not spicy food. She also knows you like your steak cooked medium rare, and learned over a hundred ways of cooking steak for you. Unfortunately, her thoughtfulness and efforts were just a waste!¡± Liam¡¯s harsh words caused Stefan to frown slightly. He subconsciously nced at Renee, trying to figure out whether it was true. However, Renee stared straight ahead with a nk expression. ¡°Liam is partially right, but he¡¯s also partially wrong. Mr. Hunt is much more cold and heartless than I am. You¡¯re all people I care about, and that¡¯s why I remember what each of you like. I don¡¯t think that information¡¯s a waste. I guess from now on, I¡¯ll just have to remind myself not to invest in the wrong people,¡± Renee said sweetly. Before Stefan could respond, Grandpa sighed deeply, his head hung low. ¡°Child, I know you¡¯ve suffered a lot. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to force you two to get back together. From now on, just be with Liam. He¡¯s a reliable kid, and he can make you happy.¡± Renee instantly sighed in relief. Thank goodness Grandpa wasn¡¯t going to force her and Stefan to get back together anymore. She had Liam¡¯s spectacr acting skills to thank for this. If she was Grandpa, she¡¯d have chosen the bright and positive Liam over the cold and indifferent Stefan too. Stefan should just stay far away from her! Renee wanted tomit fully to the act, so she inteced her fingers with Liam¡¯s as she told Grandpa sincerely, ¡°Thank you for being so supportive, Grandpa. Don¡¯t worry, Liam and I will be just fine.¡± After dinner, the old man unwillingly saw Renee and Liam off. Suddenly, therge house was quiet again. ¡°Ah, what a shame!¡± Grandpa kept sighing after Rence and Liam left. When he saw Stefan reading a magazine on the couch as if nothing happened, he was furious. ¡°Are you actually reading a magazine? Some young buck just stole your wife from you! How are you so calm?¡± Stefan looked up coldly. ¡°What am I supposed to do? Cry and beg her toe back?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± Grandpa let out a frustrated huff. ¡°I can tell you really don¡¯t care about Ren. Ren gave so much in the marriage, but she received nothing in return. It¡¯s better that you two go your separate ways. Don¡¯t disturb her¡­ I think she¡¯s better off with Liam.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you understand that,¡± Stefan replied tonelessly. He continued reading his magazine, no emotion on his face whatsoever. It seemed that Grandpa had finally epted the fact that he and Renee were divorced. He could finally have peace for a while. But¡­ could he really not care about Renee at all? Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Chapter 125 The annual Global Technology Summit was being held at Lux Hotel. Various mediapanies and reporters were waiting outside the hotel at the break of dawn with their equipment, eagerly waiting for two particr people to show up. One of them was a man troubled by his divorce, the future heir of the Hunt family, and also the president of H Group, Stefan Hunt. The other was a well¨Cknown researcher in the field of electronic chips, who also happened to be KCL Group¡¯srgest shareholder, Mr. Y. Mr. Y attracted a lot of public attention not just. because of his mysterious identity and the fact that he¡¯d never shown up in public, but also because he had a tight¨C knit rtionship with Stefan. The chips created by KCL Group were only sold to H Group, which meant that H Group upied 75 percent of the market in the electronics and technology industry. On top of that, Stefan frequently met with a mysterious man in a hotel. It was rumored that this man was most likely the enigmatic Mr. Y. The venue was spacious, and the decorations were grand. Those who showed up were all celebrities and hotshots that actively appeared on Forbes¡® list of famous people. Different areas had showrooms by differentpanies, and they each disyed their own most advanced, popr electronics and technology. Renee represented Azure Group, a ¡®new¡®pany. They didn¡¯t have their own research and development department yet, so thepany was somewhat overlooked in the Global Technology Summit where all the big names in the industry gathered. Their showroom was small and secluded, and they were very clearly snubbed by their peers. However, Renee didn¡¯t mind. The main reason she was here was to acquire thetest information in the industry, which was why she kept her mask on while she roamed around. The two biggest showrooms naturally belonged to H Group and KCL Group, with each upying an entire floor in the prime spots of the hotel. Both their showrooms were crowded and cramped, and it took Renee a lot of effort to squeeze her way into KCL Group¡¯s showroom. A tall hostess dressed in a modern and futuristic outfit was introducing thepany¡¯s newest product to the audience. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this 5A chip is an incredible creation developed solely by Mr. Y, the chief researcher of KCL Group. It uses the most advanced semiconductor materials, as well as the qubit technology, to increase the chip¡¯s operating speed to 99.7 percent. Currently, it hasn¡¯t been released to the market inrge quantities yet¡­¡± As the hostess was speaking, there were a lot of excited discussions going on in the crowd. ¡°KCL Group is amazing. They definitely have the best chip technology in the world. Mr. Y, their chief researcher, keeps a low profile, but he always produces the most amazing creations!¡± ¡°Ah, so what? Small techpanies like ours won¡¯t even be able to get ess to it¡­ They only supply their newest technologies to H Group!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because ourpanies are small. Clearly, it¡¯s because¡­¡± A few people lowered their voices to discuss something, snickering every once in a while. Meanwhile, Renee was holding her phone up to take pictures of thepleted 5A chips in the disy cabs. The chip was an amazing work of ingenuity, with its advanced technology, high¨Cquality materials,rge storage, and sleek appearance. If Azure Group could get its hand on this chip, reaching the turnover target of seven billion dors requested by South Group would be a piece of cake. Not only that, but thepany would also easily upy a majority of the market share in the electronics and technology industry. 1Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Hence, Renee was naturally drawn to what these people were discussing. ¡°I heard that Mr. Hunt and Mr. Y have already settled down in the hotel. I bet they¡¯re currently ¡°1 Renee¡¯s desire for gossip was at its peak. She immediately approached the group that was chatting and asked, ¡°What are they currently doing?¡± Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Chapter 126 ¡°What do you think two men might be up to if they¡¯re staying in the same hotel room?¡± Someone said teasingly, and the group startedughing again. This ¡®rumor¡® regarding Stefan and Mr. Y had actually started out as a funny little insult within the industry. However, a series of coincidences made it sound like it was true. ¡°Besides, I heard that Mr. Hunt didn¡¯t divorce his wife because he was cheating with another woman. That ¡®mistress¡® was actually a paid actor, hired by Mr. Hunt and Mr. Y¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Renee was dumbfounded. She immediately recalled her interactions with the man. The way he avoided women, how there were never any scandals involving him, and how he didn¡¯t smile often around her¡­ ¡®It does feel like there¡¯s some truth in this rumor, but if he really was gay, why did he¡­ do that to me the other night?¡® Renee felt immensely confused, and opened up Google on her phone. There were so many people around that Renee was squeezed out of the crowd once the search results appeared. Unfortunately, she identally stepped on someone¡¯s foot as she stumbled around, and her phone fell out of her hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Renee instinctively tried to pick her phone up, but was having a hard time bending down due to her pregnancy. The person whose foot she had stepped on reached down to pick up her phone, then handed it to her in a gentlemanly manner. ¡°Here you go,¡± the man said dismissively. As he passed her the phone, however, his gaze incidentally fell on the screen. His eyes widened slightly, gleaming with interest. ¡°Thank you!¡± Renee awkwardly responded, figuring that she should run away before she embarrassed herself any further. Despite wearing masks, the moment their eyes met, the two froze in shock. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡®It¡¯s you!¡± Both of them eximed at the same time. ¡°Julian, what a surprise! What¡¯s an idol like you doing here?¡± Renee smiled, her eyes giving away just how happy she was to meet him. but ¡°It¡¯s an honor that you still remember me.¡± Julian continued speaking in a dismissive tone, his cold eyes had visibly softened. ¡°What are you even saying? Of course I remember you! You¡¯re one of the very few people who are able to tie with me in a game! I¡¯m still waiting for a rematch, you know?¡± Renee said as she stared into the man¡¯s eyes, her heart fluttering slightly. The man¡¯s eyes were simr to Stefan¡¯s, but he seemed more tired inparison. Moreover, there was also a tiny mole next to his eyebrow. If it weren¡¯t for that, Renee would have identally mistook him for Stefan, and she wouldn¡¯t even know how she¡¯d react if Stefan had seen the contents on her phone. Meanwhile, the people behind her were still passionately discussing the rtionship between Stefan and the mysterious Mr. Y. ¡°I¡¯m telling you all, they really are dating! Don¡¯t believe me? Just go to Lux Hotel and wait a little! You¡¯d find shocking news for sure!¡± Although the suggestion was made, nobody had the courage to take the risk. After all, it was simply foolish to wait around the famous Mr. Hunt¡¯s hotel. However, Renee was brave enough to do it. She simply couldn¡¯t believe that Stefan was gay. Hence, out of curiosity, and to obtain closure for her four¨Cyear marriage, she decided that she wanted to investigate. ¡°I still have some things to settle, Julian. We can talkter!¡± Renee said as she left the crowd, heading towards the elevator to go to the suites within the hotel. Julian followed behind her calmly, teasing her with a sly smirk. ¡°Catching a paramour in the act is too much work for just onedy, you know? Why don¡¯t Ie along?¡± ¡°P¨CParamour?¡± Renee found the word choice slightly odd. ¡°Isn¡¯t your husband¡¯s male partner considered a paramour?¡± Julian asked casually as he entered the elevator. He actually looked more excited than Renee to do this Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Chapter 127 Renee was stupefied as she observed the eager Julian. She thought to herself, ¡®Hey, my ex- husband is the one cheating here, so why are you so enthusiastic about it?¡¯ However, she was able toe to a conclusion quickly. ¡°You entertainers really are quite open-minded! I bet you¡¯re so eager to catch this paramour because you want Stefan to be your sugar daddy, right?¡± Renee concluded smugly as she entered the elevator too. She felt like Sherlock Holmes for a moment, thinking she had figured out what was going on in Julian¡¯s mind. ¡°Pfft!¡± Julian¡¯s eyes widened as he nearly choked on his own saliva. This was a side of Renee he had never seen before. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re overanalyzing this?¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Renee replied defiantly, as she really didn¡¯t think she was. It was quite difficult to predict anyone¡¯s sexuality after all, especially an idol¡¯s. Some idols would interact in certain ways with the other members to maintain poprity using the fans¡¯ shipping culture, while some would be involved in scandals regarding sugar daddies. As a member of the famous SK Group, it wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising for Julian to have such intentions. ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Julian! Stefan Hunt is not a good person. You¡¯d go mad if he became your sugar daddy. You should just focus on coborating with me instead. If I¡¯m in a good mood, I might just invest some money so you get to star in some films. You¡¯d be popr in no time!¡± Although it may seem otherwise, Renee did actually n on doing so. Now that she was a single mother of two, she was thinking of investing in things that could help earn her more money. Besides, the entertainment industry was one of the most profitable industries. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ think about it.¡± Julian nodded cooperatively, the smile under his mask growing wider. He thought to himself. ¡®She¡¯s so interesting! I just don¡¯t get it¡­ How could Stefan bear to let go of such a precious littledy?¡¯ This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Soon, the elevator brought them to the top floor of Lux Hotel. It was rather easy to find Stefan¡¯s room, since it was the only room on the entire floor. ¡°Julian, keep watch for me, okay? Just cough really loudly if someonees over,¡± Renee ordered as she walked out of the elevator on her tip-toes, quickly making her way to the suite door. Julian continued following her, leaning his tall body against the wall. A casual smile was stered on his face as he asked the woman, ¡°So, how do you intend to capture them?¡± ¡°When did I ever say I wanted to capture them?¡± Renee narrowed her eyes, exining in a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯ve already divorced that man, so he¡¯s free to date whoever he wants. Call me nosy, but I¡¯m just doing this to confirm the rumors. That¡¯s why it¡¯s best if we keep a low profile!¡± After that, the woman ced her ear against the door, trying to listen for any movement inside. This action immediately made Julian, who rarely smiled, let out a chuckle. ¡°You know this is the suite of a five-star hotel, right? The soundproofing will be pretty good, so are you sure you¡¯ll get to hear anything at all?¡± ¡°They¡¯re men, so they¡¯ll definitely be rough with each other! Besides, my hearing is pretty good, so I should be able to hear something,¡± Renee said confidently as she gave the man a thumbs up. She then proceeded to listen as attentively as she could, her body practically glued to the door. ¡°You seem like you¡¯re having a hard time there. Why don¡¯t you let me help?¡± Julian asked smoothly as he reached over her head and typed a password into the lock. With that, the door to the suite flung open, causing Renee to tumble straight into the room. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Chapter 128 ¡°What the¡­?¡± Before Renee could react, Julian disappeared from her view after saying, ¡°Instead of sneaking around, isn¡¯t it better to just go inside and look for yourself?¡± ¡®Why, you little¡­!¡¯ The woman cursed him in her mind angrily. She didn¡¯t even think about why Julian knew the password to the suite, all she wanted to do was make her escape. ¡®I¡¯ll be doomed if Hunt and his mysterious boyfriend find out I¡¯m in their room!¡¯ It was fortunate that the suite was quiterge, as she didn¡¯t notice anyone around. Just as Renee got to her feet to leave, she heard a voiceing from the bathroom. ¡®Oh my god, are they¡­ showering together?¡¯ Thinking about how intimate it was, Renee couldn¡¯t help but shudder, gulping nervously. ¡®I still can¡¯t believe the man I loved for four whole years¡­ is actually gay! This is devastating¡­¡¯ up her courage and Due to her curiosity and unwillingness to ept the fact, Renee mustered walked towards the bathroom. She then pressed her ear against the ss door, just as she did before. She wasn¡¯t lying to Julian when she said she had better hearing than the average person. She could easily make out Stefan¡¯s voice amidst the running water. ¡°Are you trying to toy with me again? Where have you been for the past year?¡± ¡®What the heck?!¡¯ Renee furrowed her brows, utterly confused. She imagined Stefan cornering the other man in the bathroom, after a whole year of pursuing him. After a while, everything went silent. The coldness of the ss door faded, and it gradually became warmer. ¡®Something¡¯s off!¡¯ Renee immediately looked up, only to be met with Stefan¡¯s cold re. She froze, then waved at him andughed awkwardly. ¡°Hey¡­ What a coincidence! Fancy seeing you here!¡± She silently groaned, wishing she could dig a hole in the ground and bury herself in it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stefan asked sternly, a strong aura radiating from his very being. He had just finished showering, so his usually well-groomed hair was now wet and messy. It gave him a slightly disheveled sexiness, especially since there was only a white towel wrapped around his waist. With his muscr body, he looked especially charming in her eyes. Renee¡¯s face turned red, and she struggled to keep her eyes on his as she maintained herposure. ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hunt. Looks like I¡¯ve entered the wrong room! I hope I didn¡¯t This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. disturb your bath time with your¡­ friend.¡± Renee was once again too brave for her own good, standing on her tiptoes to get a peek inside. Her eyes widened in shock. ¡°There¡¯s no one in there?! Was this guy talking to himself just now?! Feeling like an idiot, the woman decided to run off. ¡°Have a good shower then! I¡¯ll be going now, bye!¡± Stefan reached over, using his tall build to block her way as he said icily, ¡°Do you think I¡¯d let you leave so easily after you tried to spy on me while I showered?¡± Renee¡¯s face turned redder, and she scowled angrily. ¡°What?! When did I ever spy on you showering? I didn¡¯t even see anything, okay?! I¡­¡¯ ¡®Oh god, why am I trying to exin myself? It¡¯s only making me sound more like a pervert!¡¯ ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is¡­ you¡¯re not satisfied?¡± A slow smirk spread on Stefan¡¯s face, and he dragged her into the bathroom by the wrist. ¡°How about you take a better look then?¡± Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Chapter 129 The hot mist within the shower created quite a steamy atmosphere. Stefan towered over Renee as he pinned her to the wall and murmured, ¡°Is this close enough for you? Can you see everything clearly now?¡± Renee felt light-headed, her face burning up in embarrassment. She tried breaking free from his grasp, huffing in rage. ¡°Let go of me, Hunt! I know you¡¯re a homosexual, so drop the act!¡± ¡°Homosexual?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes, visibly confused. ¡®How did this crazy womane to the conclusion that I like men?¡¯ ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± Renee decided to take this opportunity to ask more questions. ¡°Is your lover really Mr. Y, thergest shareholder of KCL Group? How long have you guys been dating? Was Desrosiers just a scapegoat for your secret rtionship?¡± Stefan stared at her incredulously, unsure if he should stay mad at her, orugh at how ridiculous she was being. He leaned down towards Renee, brushing his lips against her ear as he said softly, ¡°Do you really think I like men?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee¡¯s mind went nk as Stefan came closer. He only had that small white towel on, so most of his body was exposed. She didn¡¯t dare let her eyes wander, and averted her gaze awkwardly. She felt like she would get neck cramps if this went on any longer. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your sexuality! Just put some damn clothes on! You¡¯re making me feel really ufortable!¡± Renee said helplessly, trying to escape. ¡°So that means you have no idea if I like men or not?¡± ¡°Of course not! I¡­¡± Renee looked up defiantly to say something, and as she did, Stefan captured her lips in a searing kiss. Renee¡¯s eyes widened, and heat coursed through her body. Renee didn¡¯t have much experience when it came to kissing, but it felt like she was about to surrender to him¡­. ¡°How about now? Do you now know if I like men or not?¡± Stefan asked huskily as he N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. reluctantly pulled away, his eyes locked on hers. Renee was feeling dazed, and her heart was racing in her chest. She had never expected things to turn out this way. ¡°Are you still not sure yet?¡± Stefan asked seriously, lifting her delicate chin with a single finger, ¡°You know I don¡¯t mind showing you the answer using another way, right?¡± Rence still hadn¡¯t snapped back to her senses just yet, and she was rather confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Internally, she was kicking herself. ¡®How could I let a mere kiss mess with my head like this?!! Without any exnation, Stefan picked Renee up and carried her bridal-style, walking straight towards the The entire time, Renee was in a state of confusion. It was only when he ced her on the bed gently did she realize that the situation was getting out of hand. ¡°Listen to me, Hunt, I¡­¡± The man ced a finger over her lips, his voice thick with desire. ¡°Don¡¯t y hard to get. You¡¯re an adult, so you should know what other methods I can use to prove it to you.¡± Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Stefan¡¯s eyes were dark with desire, and it looked as if he was about to kiss her again. Rence was like a tiny littlemb who had willingly offered herself as dinner. It would be quite a waste of her ¡®efforts¡¯ if he didn¡¯t take the opportunity to ¡®teach her a lesson¡¯. Additionally, he¡¯d be able to convince her that the rumors regarding his sexuality weren¡¯t true. ¡°I¡¯ve already cut ties with you, but you keeping back to tease me. Since you want me so much, I¡¯ll just have to give you what you want, right? Otherwise, you might say that I, as your ex-husband, am being too selfish.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood!¡± Renee protested with a gasp. Her entire body felt like it was burning up from within. She did realize that her actions were quite misleading, so she couldn¡¯t put the me entirely on him for this misunderstanding. ¡°I really dide here out of curiosity, and I wanted to see just what the famous Mr. Y looked like! I never wanted to sleep with you! If I still liked you, even just a little bit, I wouldn¡¯t have divorced you, right?¡± Renee protested desperately as she tried pushing the man away. The passion in Stefan¡¯s eyes was instantly reced with frost as soon as he heard this. Still on top of her, he asked, ¡°So, do you still believe those rumors?¡± ¡°No! I don¡¯t! I don¡¯t!¡± Renee shook her head, her expression showing that she was truly convinced. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Stefan¡¯s handsome face looked extremely displeased as he continued staring at the women below him. After a while, he snapped sharply. ¡°Leave now!¡± ¡®Is he¡­ letting me go?!¡¯ The woman thought in shock. She didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately scurried off the bed and out of the suite. As soon as she was outside, she searched everywhere for Julian. ¡®I need some answers from that punk! How on Earth did he get the password to the suite? And why did he push me into that hellhole?!¡¯ Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t find the man, despite having looked through every nook and cranny. ¡®Damn that guy! He¡¯s aplete mystery!¡¯ She was actually starting to wonder if she had been hallucinating, and had imagined his presence there. After all, it was quite odd for a popr idol like him to be at such a ce. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. She had always associated idols with crazy fans and idiocy. Hence, she didn¡¯t think he¡¯d have anything to do with a technology summit at all. Renee was no longer in the mood to search for the man anymore, so she simply took the elevator and headed downstairs. As she arrived at the exhibition area in Azure Group, she noticed that there was a crowd at herpany¡¯s booth. ¡°Who¡¯s in charge here? Have them pack their bags and leave right now! They¡¯re fired!¡± Arge man in a ck suit roared at her employees. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Azure Group had only been founded recently, so they didn¡¯t have many employees. The two young women in charge of the exhibition were merely interns. They had never been to such a grand event before, and had exercised caution the whole time. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Sir. Miss Everheart is a very busy person. If you have any issues you¡¯d like to bring up, please inform us instead.¡± ¡°Fine then!¡± The man scowled. ¡°The Global Technology Summit has provided a list of mandatory requirements for participatingpanies of this annual exhibition. Not only has yourpany only been established less than a year ago, you don¡¯t even have any independently produced products! Clearly, yourpany does not meet the requirements. I¡¯m giving you three minutes to get out of this exhibition hall, or I¡¯m calling security!¡± ¡°B¨CBut we received an invitation from the summit, which means that they allow us to participate. If you chase us out now, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re going against the organizers?¡± Hearing the intern talking back to him, therge man felt so humiliated that his whole face turned red in rage. He kicked down their board and bellowed, ¡°That was before! This is the present we¡¯re talking about! If the higher¨Cups won¡¯t allow you to participate, then it¡¯s final! If you refuse to cooperate, then don¡¯t me me for taking matters into my own hands!¡± After that, the man used a walkie¨Ctalkie to summon a group of security guards, ordering them to smash up Azure Group¡¯s exhibition area in order to force them out. There were quite a few people from the industry crowded around them, but none lent them a helping hand. Instead, they seemed happy that such misfortune was dawning upon the smallpany. The truth was that the people working in internationally renowned big enterprises despised their existence. They figured that smallpanies like Azure Group would only be sullying the name of the summit. ¡°Well you can certainly try! I dare you!¡± Renee walked over to the crowd, her head held high and eyes zing. Although her lovely voice wasn¡¯t loud, her powerful aura was more than enough to compensate for it. ¡°Miss Everheart!¡± The two young interns immediately hid behind their boss. Although they¡¯d only been working for her for two weeks, they were thoroughly impressed by Renee¡¯s capabilities. They looked at Renee like she was some kind of invincible warrior, and were quick to exin the situation to her. ¡°This guy keeps saying we have no right to participate in the exhibition, and he¡¯s trying to chase us out! He even threatened to smash our exhibition if we don¡¯t cooperate!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re the one in charge, huh?¡± Therge man behaved more arrogantly when he realized that Renee was just a woman. ¡°Stop dilly¨Cdallying then! Get lost, and take your rubbish with you!¡± Renee absolutely resented bullies, especially those who stepped on the weak to feel good about themselves. Her gorgeous face was now as cold as ice, and she clenched her jaw. ¡°Apologize. On your knees, right now. Maybe it¡¯s not toote for you just yet.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The man thought he was imagining things, and his features twisted in outrage. ¡°Do you ¡°Do you know who I am? I can force you out of this industry with just a snap of my fingers if I wanted to!¡± ¡°Why would I know a nobody like you? No matter, I¡¯ll allow you thirty seconds to introduce yourself,¡± Renee said calmly, checking the watch on her wrist.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Her dismissive attitude was pure insult in the man¡¯s eyes. He grabbed Renee by the cor, scowling horridly. ¡°You have a death wish, don¡¯t you?!¡± Renee looked down at the hand in front of her neck. ¡°Take your filthy hands off me.¡± ¡°How dare you talk back to me?¡± The man intended to teach her a lesson after being humiliated in front of everyone. He raised his hand and brought it down harshly towards Renee¡¯s cheek. Suddenly, everyone heard a loud cracking noise, like a bone fracturing. ¡°Ah!¡± Everyone was silent as a horrible scream echoed through the halls. Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Everyone thought Renee was doomed, only to realize that the scream had actuallye from therge man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ah! My arm is broken! It¡¯s broken!¡± The man howled in agony, but still had the strength to continue threatening her. ¡°You wretch! You should know that I¡¯m the head of security for this summit! Anyone in the industry would know to give me the utmost respect¡­ Now that you¡¯ve provoked me, I¡¯ll make sure you and yourpany are wiped from this ne of existence if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡± He snarled, his eyes bulging in fury. Renee loomed over the man, crushing his shoulder with her foot this time. ¡°I¡¯m counting to three. Apologize to me and my employees, or I¡¯ll break your other arm too.¡± The man was quite unwilling to admit defeat at first, but as Renee stepped harder on his shoulder, he felt as if his arm was about to be dislocated. Chickening out, he yelped in pain. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry! I was wrong for behaving like that! I was wrong! Please let me go!¡± As more people gathered, the gossip and discussions increased. ¡°Who is this woman? How could she possibly dare to provoke Jason Scott, of all people?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he Stefan Hunt¡¯s employee? Is she trying to get herself kicked out of this industry?!¡± ¡°I heard the summit is going to elect a new president soon, and that person is thergest investor of this exhibition!¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard they¡¯re close to Stefan Hunt too! Looks like thispany is going to be closed down! They¡¯re done for!¡± Hearing the gossip around them, the interns trembled with fear, and whispered to Renee. ¡± Miss Everheart, this person is Mr. Hunt¡¯s employee! We can¡¯t afford to make an enemy out of him. Why don¡¯t we just apologize to him now? Let¡¯s beg him to let us go, and to not ostracize Azure Group in the industry!¡± The name ¡®Stefan Hunt¡¯ was truly a trump card in Beach City. The name itself was more powerful than thew, as no one could ever imagine offending the legendary man himself. So, logically speaking, if Jason was Stefan¡¯s employee, Azure Group was surely going to have a hard timeter on. Renee finally came to the realization as well, scoffing. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s it. I was wondering why our invitation was suddenly revoked. So, a certain someone was ying tricks behind the scenes.¡¯ The woman lifted her leg from Jason¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Tell Hunt he shoulde at me directly if he has something to say. It¡¯s childish to y tricks on me behind my back! Who does he think he is, using a public event like this to take revenge on me?¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Suddenly, the noisy hall turned silent as the crowd parted respectfully. It was obvious that a powerful figure had shown up. Jason, who was a mess on the ground, looked up with much effort. His eyes widened. It was as if he had seen his savior, and he crawled over to the figure with his broken arm. ¡°Mr. Hunt! You¡¯re here! I did as you said I tried to make them leave! But this woman has the audacity to refuse! She even openly challenged your authority! If you don¡¯t teach her a lesson, she¡¯ll trample all over you and H Group!¡± Jason figured that Stefan would stand up for him, since he had personally appointed him as the head of security. Stefan was no longer as s*y as when he had just gotten out of the shower. Wearing a neat gray suit, his hair was brushed back, enhancing his beautifully defined features. He had the potential to be a model, and was born to be a leader through and through. The man was able to strike fear in people¡¯s hearts without even saying a single word. Stefan dismissively nced at Jason, who was currently whimpering at his feet. Then, he turned to look at Renee and asked you do this to his arm?¡± riously, ¡°Did ¡°I did. He deserved it!¡± Renee said defiantly, already prepared to fight. She lifted her chin arrogantly and dered, ¡°If you¡¯d like to avenge him now, go right ahead!¡± Chapter 133 Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¡°Hah, you¡¯re in for it now! Mr. Hunt will definitely make your life a living hell!¡± Jason said gleefully as he held onto his broken arm. Despite the pain causing him to break out in a cold sweat, just thinking about Renee¡¯s horrible fate delighted him. He then turned to Stefan, trying his best to tter him as much as possible. ¡°Mr. Hunt, why don¡¯t we take this matter into our own hands? An eye for an eye, right? Let¡¯s break all her limbs so she won¡¯t tarnish our industry¡¯s good name!¡± ¡°Breaking limbs, huh?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes glinted dangerously. ¡°That does sound like a good idea.¡± Renee felt chills run down her spine. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so cruel! ¡®We used to be married! Even if it really was for the sake of hiding his sexuality, I was still his wife! He doesn¡¯t have to go this far¡­¡¯ Jason immediately started acting cockily, pointing towards the guards and shouting, ¡°What are you doing just standing there? Did you not hear Mr. Hunt? Break all of her limbs! Let¡¯s see if she¡¯ll be so arrogant then!¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Just as the guards were about to take action, Stefan strode towards Jason and kicked him right on the chest, sending him flying backwards. Stefan looked furious, not sparing Jason even the slightest nce as he ordered the security guards, ¡°Break all of his limbs.¡± Jason was terrified, and the blood drained from his face. ¡°Mr. Hunt, what¡­ What do you mean by that? What have I done wrong?¡± Therge man wasn¡¯t the was absolutely stu ¡®What is he ying at?¡¯ too. y one who was confused. Everyone at the scene, including Renee, Jason was terrified, tugging on the ends of Stefan¡¯s pants and begging for his life. ¡°What did I do wrong, Mr. Hunt?! I did what you told me to! At least give me an exnation!¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes, his gaze lowered menacingly. ¡°I told you to ask her to leave, I didn¡¯t say to kick her out. If you can¡¯t understand basic orders, you are useless to me.¡± The guards weren¡¯t foolish enough to overlook Stefan¡¯s implications, and knew what they needed to do at this point. Soon enough, Jason was dragged away, his haunting screams echoing down the hallway. The rest of the crowd didn¡¯t dare to gossip about Stefan either, so they quickly dispersed. Soon, the exhibition hall was silent again. 1/2 Stefan was still standing in ce, staring at Renee coldly. Despite not saying a word, his piercing re was very intimidating. The woman, however, pretended as if Stefan didn¡¯t exist. She quickly instructed the two interns to tidy up their exhibition area, which Jason had previously messed up. ¡°That screen is broken, so call the company¡¯s logistics department and have them send over a new one as soon as possible¡­¡± As the interns knew all about Stefan¡¯s power and status, they quickly got to work, not daring to even lift their heads. At the same time, their admiration for Renee only grew, especially since their boss didn¡¯t even care about how influential Stefan was. ¡®She¡¯s so cool! I can¡¯t believe it!¡¯ Stefan obviously didn¡¯t enjoy being ignored and approached her, grabbing Renee by the wrist. ¡± Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually serious about this.¡± Renee frowned, feeling slightly perplexed. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean, Mr. Hunt.¡± ¡°You and that Osborne kid established this shellpany, and stole H Group¡¯srgest client from us. You¡¯re only doing this to make me mad, aren¡¯t you? Well you¡¯ve achieved your goal, so why keep up the act?¡± Renee finally realized what he meant. She scoffed and said sarcastically, ¡°Stefan Hunt, do you really think Liam and I established Azure Group because of you?¡± ¡°What else would you be doing all this for?¡± Stefan demanded, staring straight into her eyes. You took mywyers and established apany to rival mine, so what could your motive be other than revenge?¡± Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Chapter 134 ¡°I¡¯m clearly doing this because¡­¡± Renee paused, then grinned mysteriously as she half joked, I want your money!¡± Stefan now looked rather speechless. He could tell that the woman was being dismissive, and her reply basically gave him no information on the situation. ¡°I told you that you can ask me for money if you need it. We were husband and wife, so I¡¯ll definitely try to satisfy your financial needs as best as I can. You don¡¯t have to beat around the bush when ites to things like this.¡± ¡°Just ask you?¡± Renee smiled sarcastically. ¡°What if I said I wanted half of the Hunt family¡¯s wealth? Would you be willing to give that to me?¡± Hearing this, Stefan¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Aw, and here I was thinking that my ex-husband was so generous. Looks like you¡¯re still going to be stingy when ites to paying up. You can¡¯t even afford this little request¡­¡± Although the man looked exceedingly upset, Renee didn¡¯t seem to be worried about irritating him further. ¡°You don¡¯t know me, okay? I¡¯m really greedy. Those few millions may be enough for others, but not me!¡± After all, she was going to be a single mother of two soon. She needed to be extremely mindful of her financial situation. She wanted to be just as rich as Stefan, so her children wouldn¡¯t regret being under her care as they grew up. Stefan had never expected his gentle and obedient wife to be this greedy and demanding. However, her ¡®greed¡¯ seemed rather motivational as well. She didn¡¯t want anything handed to her. On the contrary, she wanted to waste the time and effort to ¡®steal¡¯ from him. He wasn¡¯t quite sure how to feel about the situation, with both disdain and admiration for the stubborn woman warring inside him. ¡°You naive woman¡­ Do you really think taking mywyers, and signing a contract with South Group will make everything easier?¡± Stefan warned with a serious expression. ¡°The business industry is like a warzone, it¡¯s not like ying house. If you¡¯re not careful, you might get yourself tangled up in something you can¡¯t get out of. You haven¡¯t forgotten how your family ended, have you?¡± The man¡¯s words hurt Renee deeply, and she clenched her fists tightly. She definitely knew the dangers of the business industry. The Everheart family was once one of the Great Eight of Beach City as well. Yet, in the blink of an eye, their glorious reign had crumbled to dust before !! TIU DVnUJ her. Renee actually still remembered how their enemies would push them to the edge. However, she did not wish to relive those memories anymore¡­ Stefan¡¯s sharp eyes noticed the pain in her expression, so he spoke a bit more gently, ¡°I heard about the harsh requirements South Group asked of you. They need you to hit eight billion in sales, right? Do you know how much pressure that would be for a smallpany like yours? You can never achieve that within the given time frame!¡± ¡°I would know if I can achieve it or not, alright?¡± Renee retorted bitterly. ¡°Don¡¯t act tough in front of me. You¡¯re my ex-wife, and we aren¡¯t holding any grudges against each other. I don¡¯t want to see you fail, or you¡¯ll just be humiliating me along with you.¡± Stefan pretended to be cruel to hide the fact that he was actually concerned about her. Renee didn¡¯t realize that he was worried about her; all she heard was his arrogance and contempt. She chuckled coldly and asked, ¡°So, Mr. Hunt, what are you trying to tell me?¡± ¡°To put it simply, you¡¯re not cut out for this field, and you don¡¯t even have the basic knowledge to run a business, so stop messing around. I¡¯ll give you a generous amount of money, so you can just enjoy your life as you like,¡± Stefan replied bluntly. In his opinion, she shouldn¡¯t have entered this industry to begin with, knowing just how dangerous it could be. Back when they were still married, the Hunt family was Renee¡¯s biggest protector. No one would ever dare to cross her, let alone take advantage of her. ¡®And yet this stupid woman was so excited to officially announce our divorce! She was basically making herself a living target for the public. She should just remain a pretty little flower in a garden, and stay away from the battlefield. That¡¯s the safest option. All she needs to do at this point is enjoy life.¡¯ ¦° Renee, meanwhile, found it insulting that he proposed ¡®protection¡¯. She responded heatedly, Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover, Mr. Hunt. You¡¯ll soon see if I¡¯m cut out for this field or not!¡± ¡°You stubborn woman!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t mind ying the bad guy at this point. ¡°Then don¡¯t mind if I team up with the summit to boycott Azure Group!¡± Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Seeing that Renee refused to give up, Stefan didn¡¯t try to persuade her anymore. He just turned around and left with a cold expression on his face. When he returned to the very center of the summit forum, he instantly caught everyone¡¯s attention. Stefan turned his head slightly, speaking to Elijah who was standing behind him. ¡± Inform Wyatt Haughey to publicly announce that the summit will be cklisting Azure Group. Allpanies, and I mean allpanies, are banned from partnering with them!¡± Not only did the annual Global Technology Summit provide the toppanies a tform to promote their products, the most important section within the summit was the forum. With big shots from different countries gathered in one ce, they would all discuss the future development of the industry, simr to a conference meeting. As the CEO of H Group, Stefan¡¯s electronicspany ounted for seventy-five percent of the market, so he was definitely considered the most powerful of them all. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible.¡± Elijah gulped, replying carefully, ¡°There¡¯s a rumor circting that Wyatt Haughey won¡¯t be re-elected this year, so he might not have the power to publicly announce whichpany he wishes to cklist.¡± (1) Wyatt had been the president of the Electronics Technology Association for years, so his position granted him quite a significant amount of power as well. Allpanies had to request for approval from the association before joining the industry, and the president was the official spokesman of the association. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that one word from the president would be able to determine one¡¯s fate within the industry. For the past few years, the president of the association had always been Wyatt, who had been trained by Stefan himself. This was why H Group could receive so many permits within the field. If there had been an election within the association this year, Wyatt would have definitely been re-elected, logically speaking. Elijah¡¯s words made Stefan narrow his eyes. ¡°He won¡¯t be re-elected? ¡°Yes.¡± Elijah nodded and exined, ¡°There were many big shots who were in the running for president in the association, and Wyatt just seemed rather averagepared to them, even with H Group backing him. However, it is rumored that the newly appointed president is much more powerful, as they had received a vote from Mr. Y himself. That¡¯s how they were able to This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. win against their rivals, and emerge as the new president.¡± ¡°So that guy came to join in on the fun too.¡± Stefan raised an eyebrow, pondering to himself. Normally, all the most powerful figures within the business field would cast their votes to support the candidate they wished to have as president. Mr. V was able to be a legend within the industry through his great intelligence and abilities. With that, he had earned himself the power to make the decisive vote regarding the presidential elections in the association. Despite that, Mr. Y had always been quite mysterious, and had never involved himself in any past elections. He had also been rather low-key for the past couple of years, and no one knew where he had disappeared off to. Why is he so active this year?¡¯ Stefan thought, unable to hide his curiosity towards the newly appointed president. Elijah then continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Hunt. No matter who the new president is, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d know what to do. If you intend to cklist Azure Group, surely they wouldn¡¯t try to go against your wishes. I¡¯ll pass on your message to the new presidentter. Today marks the day Azure Group meets their demise!¡± Elijah knew exactly why Stefan was so resentful towards thatpany. Not only had his ex- wife established thispany with her ¡®affair partner¡¯, they had even stolen H Group¡¯s biggest client. ¡®If I was Mr. Hunt, I¡¯d make both of them go bankrupt! cklisting theirpany is just too light of a punishment!¡± As the forum officially started, the hall waspletely silent. After Stefan made his opening speech, the emcee announced with excitement, ¡°As you all know, recently, our association had our presidential elections. So, it¡¯s my greatest honor to wee our new president to the stage!¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136 Chapter 136 The audience started pping as soon as the emcee finished speaking. All the bosses and big shots stared at the door in anticipation, wondering who the new director of the Electronics Technology Association would be. This person would be the one guiding the industry of electronics technology for the next four years. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The spotlight shone on a figure walking through the door d in a ck power suit with her hair tied up in a high bun. a professional-looking woman ¡°What?!¡± Elijah eximed in disbelief. He was the first person to respond, Rubbing his eyes, he added, ¡°Is there a problem with my eyes? Because I think that¡¯s Mrs. Hunt!! Stefan frowned slightly. He stared at Renee¡¯s graceful figure,pletely caught off guard. Renee walked up to the podium with her head held high, her eyes scanning the audience below. She then introduced herself, ¡°Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Renee Everheart, and I am the new director of the Electronics Technology Association.¡± Renee used to either dress casually or morously, but today, she was dressed professionally in a power suit, paired with silver-rimmed sses, which lent her an air of smartpetence. Her narrow pencil skirt hugged her shapely hips, and her light colored silk stockings emphasized her long and slender legs, adding a touch of alluring charm to her slick appearance. Needless to say, the eyes of all the men in the audience were instantly glued to her as soon as she appeared. Nevertheless, although her appearance was impable, the people who participated in the summit forum were all top dogs in their fields. There was no way that they would allow an unqualified woman to take up the important position of director of the association! And so, after getting over their momentary awe over her looks, they all started grumbling in dissatisfaction. ¡°Isn¡¯t that President Hunt¡¯s ex-wife? Is she so distraught from getting dumped that she wandered into the wrong room?¡± ¡°Are the standards for the director of the Electronics Technology Association so low nowadays that they just pluck a random person off the streets to take up the position? They¡¯re clearly messing with us!¡± The emcee was beginning to feel disconcerted as they faced a tide of mockery and cynicism in the room. ¡°Everyone,¡± he implored, ¡°please calm down and listen to me. Ms. Everheart has been selected as the director of the association because she fulfilled all the requirements for the position. All the information that she submitted is alsopletely in line with the qualifications to be selected. Her academic background is also incredibly impressive, and she has published numerous papers in famous journals both in this country and abroad. It¡¯s only a shame that we¡¯ve always regarded her as the wife of Mr. Stefan Hunt in the past and totally overlooked her skills and excellence in other aspects¡­¡± ¡°But the most important thing,¡± he added, ¡°is that she is the biggest investor of this summit, and she¡¯s also the one Mr. Y personally selected as the director of the association, thus proving that she undoubtedly deserves this position!¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd quickly shut their mouths. Since she had been handpicked by Mr. Y himself, perhaps there really was something special about her. Renee smiled calmly, scanned the audience, and picked up the microphone, saying, ¡°I can perfectly understand your biases against me. After all, in your eyes, I¡¯m nothing but a pitiful, useless woman who¡¯s been discarded by a man. But that doesn¡¯t matter, because I¡¯ll use my skills and strengths to banish all of your preconceived biases!¡± After that, she proceeded to give her inauguration speech. ¡°In my view, chip technology is the core of the electronics industry, and it¡¯s also the area that presents the most challenges to ovee, namely from the development of semiconductors and microparticles¡­¡± Her speech flowed as smoothly and naturally as a river. Although the audience initially paid attention to see how she would make a fool of herself, they gradually became convinced of her capabilities and were then immersed in her eloquent speech. Stefan¡¯s gaze wasser-focused on Renee from start to finish, and he became more and more lost in her as time went on. Every move of her eyebrows, every nce, every frown, and every smile was so lively and enchanting that he felt like he was meeting her for the first time. Although he was only a few feet away from the stage where she stood, he could not help but feel as if the distance between Renee and himself had stretched out into a distance as vast as the impassable sea¡­. Renee received a thunderous apuse at the end of her speech. This signified that her position as the new director of the association had been epted without question. Meanwhile, Jake Hunt stood at the exit, right at the very edge of the venue. He leaned his tall figure against the wallzily. His dashingly wless face, which resembled Stefan¡¯s, was partially hidden under the mask, but beneath it, a wry smile had cropped up. It was clear that he had made the perfect choice. This woman was even more of a hidden gem than he expected her to be. What a huge loss for Stefan, to have let her slip through his fingers so easily! Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Chapter 137 Renee shot up to instant fame after the summit forum despite beingpletely unknown prior to it. She had be the darling of the electronics technology industry. Many people came to chat with her and wanted to take photos with her, and it was almost as if everything else was forgotten. It was customary for the sessful conclusion of the summit forum to be followed by a celebration banquet attended by all of the big yers in the industry. Naturally, Stefan and Renee were both expected to join the banquet. The two sat down at the same round table, but there were several people seated between them. Despite having been in a very intimate rtionship as husband and wife in the past, not a single word passed between them for the duration of the event. In fact, they did not even make eye contact once. Truthfully, it was Renee who did not spare Stefan a nce. Stefan, on the other hand, kept his eyes fixed on Renee, giving her the legendary ¡®Hunt Stare¡¯ the whole time. With a ss of drink in her hand and a casual smile on her face, Renee was able to interact with the big names of the industry with ease. The sight of herughing and chatting with everyone else made her look like a sessful entrepreneur who had been in the game for many years. There was not a single trace of the old Mrs. Hunt, who was always shy, reserved and submissive. Stefan wore a gloomy expression throughout the meal. It was as if he had a ¡®Do Not Disturb¡¯. sign on his face. Anytime someone came up to him to propose a toast or to congratte him, they would be scared off by his icy, piercing re. This kept everyone there from approaching him, and they resorted to merely observing him from afar. This created an interesting scenario in the banquet hall, where the people were clearly divided into two main groups ¨C on Renee¡¯s side, everyone wasughing and chatting away happily; on Stefan¡¯s side, everyone was silent and the atmosphere was gloomy. This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Elijah was standing behind Stefan, and just like him, his eyes had been following Renee very closely. ¡°Mr. Hunt,¡± he uttered in a hushed voice, ¡°I never imagined Mrs. Hunt had such a powerful side to her personality that¡¯s been tucked away for so long! Not only did she turn out to be a technological genius, she¡¯s also a masterfulmunicator too! How did we never notice this?¡± Stefan pursed his lips and said nothing in reply, but his expression turned even darker. ¡°Didn¡¯t you even say,¡± Elijah babbled on like an idiot who did not know how to read the room, that you¡¯d let the new director of the association cklist Azure Group? Well, now it looks like we¡¯d be lucky if Mrs. Hunt doesn¡¯t cklist H Group! What a p in the face! I must say, that¡¯s really impressive of her.¡± Stefan threw a chilling re at Elijah, then hissed dangerously, ¡°You should cut off that tongue of yours since it¡¯s so useless.¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt,¡± Elijah daringly continued like someone who was not afraid of death, ¡°I think you¡¯d better just set your ego aside and remarry Mrs. Hunt. She¡¯s no longer the kind of woman who¡¯s afraid to even step outside. She¡¯s now the respected director of the Electronics Technology Association. If you remarry her, both of you can form a powerful alliance that can easily conquer the world!¡± Stefan remained silent, but he stared at Renee even more intently. The Hunt family was the head of the eight most powerful families in Beach City, and H Group was so powerful that it was practically invincible, so there was no need for Stefan to be thinking about finding a wife just to make himself even more powerful. But still¡­ there was no harm in considering remarrying Renee. After all, he despised the way she surrounded herself among all those men. away from everyone All he wanted to do right now was drag her home and hide her away else! The possessiveness and jealousy that burned in him shocked Stefan himself, and the furrow between his brows deepened without him realizing it. Seeing that Stefan said nothing in reply, Elijah assumed that his boss agreed with his suggestion. Mustering up his courage, he cleared his throat and turned to Renee. ¡°Ms. Everheart, Mr. Hunt here would like to have a drink with you. He¡¯s got something he¡¯d like to talk to you about in private!¡± At the time, Renee was happily chatting away with the Minister of the Technology Industry and other prominent figures in the field, but as soon as she heard what Elijah said, the smile on her face faded abruptly. She swirled the ss in her hand, which was filled with orange juice, and turned towards Stefan. An expression that Stefan had never seen before appeared in her eyes. With an inscrutable air, she said, ¡°Since it¡¯s an invitation from Mr. Stefan Hunt himself, it¡¯s an honor I can¡¯t possibly refuse,¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Like a proud emperor, Stefan sat there and haughtily nced at the ss in Renee¡¯s hand, which was filled to the brim with orange juice. ¡°Is that how you show your sincerity towards this industry?¡± He sneered. ¡°Sincerity is measured by what I do,¡± Renee retorted coldly, ¡°not what I drink.¡± She then turned to the top figures in the room and humbly stated, ¡°Gentlemen, please forgive me for drinking orange juice instead of wine. I¡¯m allergic to alcohol so unfortunately, I can¡¯t join you for a ss. Nheless, please know that I hold all of you in the highest regard.¡± ¡°Orange juice instead of wine?¡± Stefan scoffed. ¡°Do you think this is child¡¯s y? The world of business is a battlefield where people fight to the death. No one here has any time to y with you. If you can¡¯t adapt to this world, you¡¯d better just go home now and not waste anyone¡¯s time.¡± Hearing this, the crowd immediately sensed a rivalry between them. If they did not pick the right side, their days in the field would be numbered. And so, they targeted Renee, echoing the sentiments that Stefan just made. ¡°Mr. Hunt has a point, Ms. Everheart! No one drinks orange juice at the bar. Are you making fun of us here?¡± ¡°You might be the new director of treatment just because you¡¯re a wo association, but surely you¡¯re not expecting special right?¡± ¡°As the director of the association, you will have to attend a lot of events in the future where socializing is necessary. If you can¡¯t adapt to this kind of situation, then I think you¡¯d better step down as soon as possible!¡± Stefan swirled the ss of red wine in his hand and raised his brows in satisfaction. He stared at Renee with a smug expression on his face, as if looking down at a pesky bug who should never have been there in the first ce. Renee cursed him silently. She should have known that a spiteful and vindictive man like Stefan would never miss a chance to embarrass her! The truth was that Renee could hold her liquor remarkably well. The only problem was that she was pregnant right now, so she could any alcoholic drink. not touch ¡®Fine,¡¯ she thought, ¡®since Stefan is trying to challenge me, I¡¯ll just have to teach him what regret really feels like!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve made a great point, Mr. Hunt. It is my fault that I never considered this deeply enough. You¡¯re right, I should drink some alcohol,¡± Rence said graciously, then downed the entire ss of orange juice in one gulp and picked up the wine decanter from the table. She poured herself a full ss of red wine, then, with a mysterious expression on her face, she turned to Stefan and suddenly said, ¡°But wait! What¡¯s the fun in just drinking the wine? Why don¡¯t we y a finger guessing game, Mr. Hunt? If you win, I¡¯ll drink as much as you like.¡± Stefan¡¯s icy gaze betrayed his disdain. Because of his status and reputation, he had never yed such a trivial drinking game with anyone before, much less a woman. you ¡°Are you reluctant to y,¡± teased Renee with a sly smile, ¡°because you¡¯re afraid that might lose? If you¡¯re afraid of a woman, Mr. Hunt, then I think you¡¯re even less suited for the battlefield of business than I am!¡± Everyone in the room gasped. What a bold and daring woman Renee Everheart was! It proved that you really shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. However, considering these two used to be married to each other in the past, they could not help but wonder if this was actually a lover¡¯s quarrel with a flirtatious undertone. Stefan stared at her coldly with his searching eyes and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to y this game with me?¡± ¡°Of course! And the loser must agree unconditionally to anything that the winner requests. Are you game?¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll humor you this time, but don¡¯t me me if you regret itter.¡± Stefan sped his long fingers together. It was such a rare sight to see him agreeing to y such a trivial andmon drinking game. The truth was that he had not sumbed to Renee¡¯s pressure. He was only trying to make her realize how hard the world of business was and retreat. If she could not handle a simple situation such as drinking alcohol in public, then she¡¯d be taken advantage of at every turn once she formally entered the field. Meanwhile, Elijah was so shocked at what was happening that his eyes almost fell out of their sockets. He simply could not believe that Stefan, who had always despised drinking games like this, would be willing to y one with Mrs. Hunt, and in front of all these influential figures too! If this was not a clear sign of love, he did not know what was! Still, Elijah knew that no matter what, men were always better at the finger-guessing game than women were. He could not help but worry about Renee, so he cautiously reminded Stefan, ¡°Please go easy on Ms. Everheart, Mr. Hunt. She¡¯s not been out much before, so she¡¯s definitely not experienced in this kind of game.¡± Renee put on a pitiful expression and echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Hunt! Please go easy on me¡­ I¡¯m just a girl, after all!¡± However, in her heart, Renee was saying, ¡®I¡¯ll show you who¡¯s boss, Stefan Hunt, you douchebag!¡¯N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Chapter 139 ¡°If you really are allergic to alcohol,¡± Stefan told Renee snidely, ¡°it¡¯s not toote to back out.¡± His sole purpose was to make her realize the difficulty that came with her new position and give up, not to harm her in any way. But Renee kept on pretending to be a pitiful young girl and replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I just want to prove my sincerity in front of everyone.¡± What a silly and stubborn woman! Now that his patience was exhausted, Stefan held his head high and dered, ¡°Let¡¯s begin, then.¡± Everyone held their breath and subconsciously stepped back a little to quietly observe the game. They decided on the simplest iteration of the game. In truth, Stefan, being the serious and austere man that he was, rarely ever yed the finger-guessing game. When he did, it was. only for fun when he was hanging out with Christopher and Xavier. He knew that his skills in the game were nothing to write home about, but he was sure that he could defeat a naive little N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. rabbit like Renee with ease. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Renee was miraculously holding on in the game. ¡°Five!¡± ¡°Fifteen!¡± ¡°Twenty!¡± The game kept getting more and more heated. Stefan¡¯s thick eyebrows were slightly knitted as he was forced to focuspletely on the game ¡°Five!¡± Renee was holding out five fingers in one hand and a holding out two closed fists. ed fist in another, while Stefan was Renee pped in excitement andughed like a child. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it looks like you¡¯ve lost, Mr. Hunt! Now drink!¡± ¡°I lost?¡± Stefan asked, visibly confused. It had only been seconds ago when he was contemting whether or not he should go easy on Renee, but now he had lost to her? The onlookers were all stumped, but none of them dared to utter a word. After all, they knew that it must have been humiliating for a grown man to lose to a woman in a drinking game. Emotionlessly, Stefan ordered Elijah to pour him another ss of wine. He gulped it down in one go and told Renee, ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Renee stifled a smile and pretended to be the grateful damsel in distress, telling Stefan, ¡°You really are every bit the gentleman they say you are, Mr. Hunt! Thank you for going easy on me just now, but let¡¯s both be serious this time. You don¡¯t have to go easy on me anymore, just y to your best abilities.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened, but he merely pursed his lips and said nothing. It was just a coincidence, he told himself. What happened just now must have been a coincidence! All he had to do now was concentrate and y using his true strength! The second round soon began. Unfortunately, this round proved to be even more baffling, as Stefan quickly lost after only two turns. ¡°You need to drink another ss, Mr. Hunt.¡± They then went on to y a third round, then a fourth, then a fifth¡­ By now it was unsurprising that every round ended in defeat for Stefan. Although Stefan could hold his liquor pretty well, he had almost emptied the whole decanter, and his head was starting to spin. Even Renee was getting exhausted. She yawned andzily suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we end it here, Mr. Hunt? If you drink any more, you¡¯ll certainly get drunk.¡± ¡°No,¡± refused Stefan. ¡°We¡¯ll continue!¡± He looked frustrated and confused. Left without a choice, Renee could do nothing but go along with him. She had suspected that Stefan might be pretty lousy at the game, but she never expected him to be this bad. It seemed that the man¡¯s life had been just like the man himself ¨C cold and painfully uninteresting. She could tell with one nce that Stefan was the kind of guy who never hung out in bars and nightclubs much, which was why he was so bad at ying drinking games. Renee herself never hung out in bars much either, but her best friend Leia had always dragged her out to drink in the past, and with that, she¡¯d gained the experience of ying drinking games and became an expert in the finger-guessing game. Had she been able to drink alcohol, she might have just lost to Stefan on purpose to satisfy his childishlypetitive nature. That way she would be able to go home and go to bed early! Seeing that Stefan had drunk all the wine in the decanter, Renee sighed and told the crowd, Everyone, you¡¯ve clearly witnessed that Mr. Hunt lost to me. I hope that he is now willing to admit defeat. We¡¯ve also agreed that the loser must agree to the winner¡¯s request¡­¡± you, She turned back to Stefan and said in a soft but firm voice, ¡°I only have one request for Mr. Hunt. From now on, I hope that you will not meddle in my business and hinder my entrance into this industry. We will allpete fair and square from now onwards, and we¡¯ll meet again at the top. Everyone here shall be my witnesses!¡± As she finished speaking, she picked up her handbag and prepared to leave. ¡°Are you leaving just like that?¡± Stefan¡¯s towering figure blocked Renee¡¯s way. He was exuding his eyes still looked an air of danger as he tugged at his necktie. Despite how drunk he was, menacing ¨C like those of a predator. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 Chapter 140 ¡°What else should I do?¡± As Renee looked into Stefan¡¯s bleary eyes, she was reminded of the night when he blocked her way domineeringly just as he was doing now, which led to them having sex. But after that night, he pretended that nothing ever happened, and it was precisely this kind of irresponsible behavior, like a tortoise hiding in its shell, that made her furious! ¡°Since it¡¯s clear that I¡¯m the winner,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m under no obligation to be here with you as you continue to act like a madman. Don¡¯t be a sore loser, and stop wasting other people¡¯s time!¡± With her long suppressed anger boiling under the surface, she walked away from the man with an icy expression on her face, not even looking back once as she walked out the door. Stefan stood still in the same spot, feeling like he had just been pped on the face. For a very long time, he just remained there with an emotionless expression, cold as ice andpletely inscrutable. Inside the room, the atmosphere was very strained. Everyone looked at each other in nk dismay as the chilling silence reigned. From what they had heard, the former Mrs. Hunt was famously meek and dignified. She was the kind of woman who was suited for the life of a housewife, but now that they had actually met her, how was she so¡­ ferocious? In the whole of Beach City, there was probably no one else who would dare to go up against Stefan Hunt so boldly and arrogantly. Was this the kind of brazenness borne from the knowledge that she was favored by him? Elijah knew that his boss was now drunk. Judging from past experiences, Stefan was particrly difficult to deal with whenever he got drunk. He usually caused a lot of trouble, so Elijah hastily got everyone¡¯s attention and told them that they could leave. Otherwise, his boss might lose all self¨Ccontrol in front of these people, and would not be able to be his intimidating self and deal with anyone ever again! The people there were pretty aware of the situation, so they merely said a few words and quietly left the ce. An old man, who seemed to be rather wise and experienced, went up to Stefan and patted his shoulder, earnestly urging him, ¡® Don¡¯t be discouraged, Mr. Hunt. Since your woman has run off now, all you have to do is chase after her. Good luck!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to chase after her?¡± Stefan blustered angrily, swaying like a branch in the wind. ¡°Not me! I¡¯m not taking her back even if she cries and begs me to!¡± Elijah hurriedly helped him safely to the chair and sat him down. ¡°You¡¯re a little drunk, Mr. Hunt. Let me take you home.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk!¡± Stefan protested vehemently. ¡°I¡¯m as sober as a judge!¡± Like a wilful child, he then attempted to sit upright, and pointed at the empty decanter. ¡°Get the waiter to fill it up with another bottle of wine and drag Renee Everheart back here immediately. I must beat her in the game tonight!¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt,¡± Elijah, who was sweating profusely from exhaustion, exined helplessly, ¡°Mrs. Hunt has already left, and so has everyone else. The dinner is over. Shall we go home now?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s left?¡± Stefan looked around in confusion, and realized that he and Elijah were the only ones left in the spacious room. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go and have fun somewhere else!¡± After speaking, he slowly got to his feet and walked out of the door with his head hung low. Elijah hurried after him and supported him as he stumbled around. He sighed and cautiously reminded Stefan, ¡°It¡¯s getting reallyte now, Mr. Hunt. I think I¡¯d better take you home so you can rest.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Stefan turned around and red at Elijah. ¡°I¡¯m Stefan Hunt! Do you think I need rest? I¡¯m fully charged and ready to party, and I won¡¯t go home until the sunes up!¡± Elijah massaged his temples, genuinely distressed. It was happening again, he groaned silently. It was actually happening again. His boss was so drunk that he was going to lose all self¨Ccontrol. He shuddered just thinking about it. ¡°Take me to the usual ce,¡± Stefan ordered Elijah. ¡°You know where it is!¡± Half an hourter, the two arrived at a nearby karaoke bar. The manager led them into their most luxurious private lounge before suggestively asking, ¡°Do you need any escorts to sing with you, gentlemen?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need anything. Just bring us some fruits and snacks,¡± Elijah said curtly. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need anything else at all?¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t!¡± Elijah yelled impatiently at the manager while helping thepletely drunken Stefan settle down.fortably. The manager nced at Stefan, then back at Elijah. He seemed to suddenly understand something and hurriedly added, ¡°Then have fun, gentlemen! But remember, we don¡¯t just have pretty girls here. We¡¯ve got beautiful boys too! So if you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate to tell us.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Elijah roared, wishing he could physically kick the manager out of the lounge.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. When he turned around, he saw that while Stefan waszily lying on the couch, he had also been selecting close to a hundred songs. He then turned to Elijah and demanded, ¡°Sing with me!¡± At that moment, Elijah wished dearly for lightning to strike him dead. Every time his boss got drunk, he would go to a karaoke bar and sing his heart out. Usually he would stop after a few songs, but this time, Stefan had selected more than a hundred songs. At this rate, Elijah worried that Stefan would not stop until he had scorched his throat andpletely destroyed his vocal cords. No, no, no! He had to think of a way to stop this! Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Elijah could hardly stifle hisughter as soon as he saw the ylist. The first song Stefan had chosen was one called ¡°Love Is Like A Tide,¡± while the second song was ¡°When Our Love Was In The Past.¡± The third song was ¡°Love that Came Too Late, ¡°¡­ In short, he had selected love songs that dealt with heartbreak, failed love, and regrets that came too late. It seemed like Mrs. Hunt had really given Stefan quite a blow today. Typically, Stefan led his life solely on the basis of reason and rationality, but as soon as he got drunk, he would instantly reveal the hidden side of his personality¡­. But the best person to cure his current ailment would be the one who had caused it in the first ce, which meant that the only person who could save him from this bad habit of getting drunk and singing lovesick songs in a karaoke bar was Mrs. Hunt herself and no one else! After singing a few songs with Stefan, Elijah excused himself, saying, ¡°You go on and sing, Mr. Hunt. I need to go to the restroom for a while.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Then, with his phone in hand, he slipped into the restroom. Stefan¡¯s profoundly fetching eyes stared passionately at the screen as he sang his heart out. He was in no mood to pay any attention to Elijah. Meanwhile, Elijah hid himself in the restroom and dialed Renee¡¯s number. As soon as she answered, he instantlymented, ¡± Pleasee quickly, Madam! Mr. Hunt is in big trouble!¡± By the time she picked up the call, Renee was already home andfortably soaking in the bath. ¡°That¡¯s none of my business,¡± she replied nonchntly. ¡°Please don¡¯t call again without my permission. I¡¯m hanging up now. ¡°No, please don¡¯t! Madam, you have to see him, because¡­¡± Elijah racked his brain for a way to trick Renee intoing. In the end, he agitatedly added, ¡°Because Mr. Hunt got drunk and realized that he never wanted to get a divorce. He deeply regrets letting you go, and he¡¯s causing amotion now¡­ he¡¯s attempting to kill himself! He¡¯s iming that he will jump to his death if you don¡¯t see him!¡± guy, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Boss, but this is all done for the future and happiness between you and Mrs. Hunt,¡® he thought simultaneously.¡® I¡¯m forced to ruin your impable image for now, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll thank me once you¡¯ve reconciled with Mrs. Hunt!¡® ¡°Elijah,¡± Renee rolled her eyes once she heard what Elijah had just told her. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a smart and reasonable so why are you spewing bullsh*t at me? We have no grievances, so why do you take me for a fool? How could you not realize I¡¯d know exactly what kind of guy Stefan Hunt is? Did you really expect me to believe that he¡¯d lose his mind over love?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Elijah countered. ¡°I know Mr. Hunt always appears cool and level¨Cheaded, but he loses himself the moment he gets drunk!¡± ¡°Even if that¡¯s true,¡± argued Renee, ¡°he would not lose his mind over me because there was any love between him and me. If you continue to spew such nonsense, Elijah, I swear I¡¯ll block your number.¡± She then hung up immediately without another word. She cursed herself for forgetting to block Elijah¡¯s number, even though she had already blocked Stefan¡¯s. What a silly mistake! Soon afterward, she received a text message from Elijah about the location of a karaoke bar, apanied by the following words: ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve really underestimated Mr. Hunt¡¯s feelings for you!¡± Renee turned off her phonepletely and closed her eyes. She tried to continue enjoying her warm bath but only grew increasingly restless. Judging by how he looked before she left, Stefan really had drunk a lot of wine and was getting quite drunk. She recalled how she had never seen him so drunk before, apart from that night when he lost control. What if he actually did something stupid after losing his self¨Ccontrol? Even if he did not lose his mind because of her, it would still be partially her fault¡­. As she contemted the matter for a while, Renee finally let out a long sigh and got out of the bathtub. She quickly dressed casually and headed towards the address Elijah sent her. Meanwhile, Elijah was still hiding in the restroom with his phone in his hand. He was betting on Renee¡¯s feelings for Stefan. He firmly believed that Renee¡¯s deep love for Stefan would make her drag herself out here ande to Stefan, even though she had repeatedly affirmed that she did not care about Stefan at all. In that case, if he went outside and joined Stefan now, would that not make him the biggest, most useless third wheel of all time? Hence, Elijah resolved to hold his position sitting on the toilet the whole time before Renee arrived! Not long after that, Renee arrived at the same karaoke bar. The manager asked her if she was looking for someone. ¡°I¡¯m looking for the most handsome guest you have here today,¡± she answered bluntly. The manager quickly nodded knowingly and said, ¡°We happen to have an almost supernaturally handsome guest, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the best idea to meet him now because he¡¯s really busy.¡± ¡°Busy?¡± Renee frowned. ¡°Busy doing what? Killing himself?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a funny one!¡± the managerughed. He then grinned and only answered in vague terms, saying, ¡°I won¡¯t waste your time saying much. Why don¡¯t you just go take a peek yourself? He¡¯s in Lounge V1. Also, if you need anything, just tell me! We offer our services to both men and women.¡± His answer only filled Renee with confusion, but she still proceeded towards the private lounge where Stefan was, ording to the manager¡¯s directions. From a distance, she could already hear Stefan¡¯s singing apanied by the sound ofughter. She couldn¡¯t help but clench her fists tightly, wishing they would bludgeon Elijah up to death. This was¡­ nothing like the atmosphere where someone was trying to kill themselves! Nevertheless, since she was already here, she still pushed the door open and entered the private lounge, ready to see what was really going on there. She ended uppletely dumbfounded. ¡°Stefan Hunt! You guys are¡­!¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Under the glow of the dim lights of the private lounge, Renee didn¡¯t just see Stefan, but he was surrounded by several young, exquisitely good¨Clooking men, each dressed in their own distinct style. And all those men were exhausting everyst skill in their arsenal to impress Stefan. ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee coughed awkwardly, feeling as if she really was not supposed to be there at all. Stefan did not notice that Renee was there. He was too busy singing a famous song called ¡°Ten Years Ago¡± with a microphone. in his hand. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Ten years ago¡­¡± he sang, ¡°I did not know you, and you were not mine; we were still¡­¡± Although Renee had initially nned to leave right away, she was suddenly attracted to Stefan¡¯s voice. Despite being married to him for several years, it was actually her first time hearing him sing. She never expected a man like Stefan, who was always so serious and rigid, would ever be able to sing so passionately. Sure, he had a deep and hypnotic voice, but what was more impressive was how urately he could convey his emotions through the song as if he had personally endured a rtionship that ended painfully or experienced unrequited love. But who could that lover be? Was it his first love, Cecilia Smith, who would soon be engaged to one of his best friends? Or could it be the mysterious and ever¨Celusive Mr. Y? Or was it Briar Desrosiers, now abundant with his offspring? No matter who it was, Renee was sure that it was not her anyway! Having confirmed that Stefan wasn¡¯t trying to kill himself, Renee sighed in relief and got ready to leave quietly without leaving a single trace of her presence. Unfortunately, one of the handsome young men on the couch covered his mouth and yelled, pretending to be shocked at the sight of the woman. ¡°Ah! What is that woman doing there?! How suspicious!¡± Stefan stopped singing abruptly. He slowly turned his prating gaze towards the door. The moment he saw Renee, his eyes, which had been bleary because of alcohol, suddenly brightened up, although it was unclear if it sobered him up or made him drunker. He quietly watched her like that for a long time, but his gaze was neither cold nor warm. He neither chased her away nor invited her to join him. Renee began to feel disconcerted by Stefan¡¯s stare, so she smiled apologetically to the pretty young women and told them, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you guys. Please continue with whatever you¡¯re doing.¡± Renee initially intended to leave right then and there, but as she surveyed the scene, she felt a little uneasy about leaving Stefan like this. Would he end up stered on the tabloid front page tomorrow morning if people saw him like this? No matter what, he was still the biological father of her two children. With that thought in mind, she took a deep breath and firmly decided to stay. With her head held high, she stepped into the private lounge. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind now. Tonight, I will definitely leave with this man!¡± Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Chapter 143 After speaking, she walked up to Stefan and told the handsome young man who was singing with him, ¡°Hey, do you mind scooting over a little? The ce beside him belongs to me.¡± The young man looked like he was only in his early twenties, but he had a pretty imposing attitude because he was the most popr singing escort in this karaoke bar. ¡°You¡¯ll have to get in line,¡± he told Renee. ¡°I was here first, so why the hell should I let you have my ce?¡± Renee held her head high and confidently replied, ¡°Because I¡¯m his ex¨Cwife.¡± The young man was taken aback for a while. He didn¡¯t be the most popr escort in this karaoke without going through a lot of experience. ¡°So what?¡± he snapped more confidently than Renee. ¡°Even if you¡¯re his current wife, I still won¡¯t let you have my ce. If you¡¯re unhappy, then you can go outside andin to our manager. I should warn you, though, that our establishment has some powerful backers.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Renee was left momentarily speechless. The young these days were just too bold and shameless for her to handle. She watched helplessly as the handsome young man proudly sat beside Stefan as if his butt was stuck to the couch. It was clear that he had no intention of giving in to her at all. Renee suddenly realized theughably absurd situation she had gotten herself in. The young man beside Stefan then spoke in a very effeminate manner, ¡°We¡¯re having a lot of fun with him until you get here, sis, so why don¡¯t you just go home, wash up, and go to bed? You¡¯re only spoiling the atmosphere here. We¡¯re only trying to sing with this man in peace!¡± The tone in which he spoke was so feminine that he sounded like a eunuch. It really threw her off and gave her goosebumps. She had really never seen such a thing! Almost at her limit, she turned to Stefan, who had been silent all along ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything, Stefan Hunt? If you keep ignoring me like this, then I won¡¯t care about you anymore. Don¡¯t me me for not helping you!¡± This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Stefan was indeedpletely inebriated at that point. His mind spun wildly, and he was seeing double. Ever since Renee appeared at the bar, his eyes never left her for a single second, as if he was trying very hard to ascertain whether the woman before him was just an illusion. He then stood up unsteadily and staggered towards Renee, as if approaching some food that he had been craving for a long. time. Renee gulped hard and stepped away from him. ¡°What¡­ What are you trying to do?¡± she asked in a panic. Stefan said nothing. He merely lifted up both of his scorching hands and firmly held Renee¡¯s face. Then he started to knead her face as if it was dough. ¡°What the hell, Stefan?! Let me go!¡± Stefan squished Renee¡¯s delicate and lovely face until she looked chubby. He found her heartachingly adorable like that. ¡°Okay,¡± he nodded with satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re not an illusion. You¡¯re really here.¡± He then turned around and coldly ordered the young man who had been arguing with Renee. ¡°Give her the microphone.¡± The young man, intimidated by Stefan¡¯s imposing aura, obediently handed over the microphone to Renee and quietly moved away from his seat to make space for her. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± asked Renee as the microphone was stuffed into her hands, looking befuddled. ¡°I remember hearing you sing,¡± Stefan inly answered. ¡°You sang beautifully. Sing for me again.¡± Although he was totally stered at the time, he could still vividly recall the song that Renee had sung a long time ago. +15 BONUS ¡°A long, long time ago, you were mine, and I was yours.¡± ¡°A long, long time ago, you left me and soared into the sky¡­¡± Ironically, those lyrics from the past urately described their reality. She had belonged to him back then, but he had now lost her. She was about to spread her wings, flying away into the big blue sky, far away from him. Stefan selected the song and insisted that Renee sing, before kicking out all of the young men from the private lounge. Only the two of them were left inside now. The title of the song, ¡°The Outside World,¡± appeared on the screen, and it began to y. Stefan kept staring at Renee, his drunken face looking innocent and childlike. ¡°Go on,¡± he softly urged. ¡°I want to hear you sing ¡± The rare, gentle side he was showing slightly entranced Renee. She remembered how he was exactly this gentle one night. when he was also drunk, how he gently murmured ¡°I miss you,¡± to her. She was overwhelmed by a convolutedpound of emotions. Was this guy trying to seduce a naive woman like her with his old tricks again? Renee pushed Stefan away and looked into his eyes, asking him, ¡°Stefan, do you still remember what happened that night when you were drunk?¡° Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Chapter 144 Renee and Stefan were so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breath. The warm air that Stefan exhaled reeked of alcohol. Misty¨Ceyed, he gently lifted her chin with hisnky fingers and asked, ¡± What happened that night?¡± Renee frowned, suspicion written all over her face. ¡°Have you genuinely forgotten, or are you just evading any responsibility?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me?¡± Stefan replied in a husky voice, though it was unclear if he was serious when he added, ¡°Only after you tell me will I find out what I remember and forgot.¡± ¡°That night¡­¡± Renee almost blurted out the truth, but in the end, she still chose to remain silent about it. After all, even though she rarely got drunk, she would still have the impression of what she said and did the night before when she did. She would never cleanly forget everything. So, she found it hard to believe that Stefan did not remember anything. Unless¡­ he deliberately chose to forget! Since he intended to forget it, she would only make things awkward for them if she brought it up. ¡°That night, you wentpletely insane, like a rabid dog.¡± Renee¡¯s face was beautiful as ever, but her expressions were icy cold as she mocked him, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so cocky and know your own limits next time. Don¡¯t drink too much if you can¡¯t hold your liquor. Otherwise, you¡¯ll just use the excuse of being drunk to do something weird and then pretend that you don¡¯t remember anything. That¡¯s just so pathetic!¡± Those words perplexed Stefan. Although he couldn¡¯t tell what she was angry about, he could sense that she harbored a lot of¡­ resentment towards him. But that made no sense to him because she was clearly the one who humiliated him in front of everyone that evening! He didn¡¯t even me her for that, yet for some reason; she actually got angry at him. Were all women this unreasonable? Seeing that Renee was about to leave, Stefan quickly pulled her into his arms to stop her, thanks to the influence of alcohol. He then whispered in her ear, ¡°Please don¡¯t go. Stay with me.¡± This again, thought Renee. He did not even bother to change his line! But Renee was no longer the naive girl she was, where she¡¯d fall for his old tricks. Right now, her heart was as still as water. She had bepletely numb to his advances. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Let go of me,¡± she demanded, her icy voice devoid of emotion. But Stefan remained unmoved. In fact, he held her even more tightly. ¡°I said, let me go, Stefan Hunt!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of me right now,¡± she warned, ¡°then don¡¯t me me if I resort to violence!¡± But Stefan still did not budge, nor did he say anything. Just when Renee was about to get forceful, she heard the sound of Stefan¡¯s even breathing. It was then that she realized this guy was¡­ asleep?! But that was not the problem¨Cthe real problem was that his arms were like thick ropes that tied her up so tightly that she could hardly move. After several failed attempts to break free, Renee¡¯s frustration had simmered to the boiling point, and she began cursing angrily. ¡°Stop faking it, Stefan Hunt! I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re actually sleeping! Let go of me, or else I¡¯ll bite you!¡± She had the urge to sink her teeth into the arms around her and bite him hard, but just as she was about to do it, she found herself hesitating¡­ Amid her dilemma, Elijah showed up fashionablyte. ¡°Ah, forgive me!¡± He covered his eyes with his hands and peeked through his fingers to see Stefan and Renee bound in apromising position. ¡°Please forgive me,¡± he said awkwardly, ¡°Mr. Hunt, Madam! I came at the wrong time. I really shouldn¡¯t be here! Please continue! I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± Renee felt as if she had finally met her lifesaver. She quickly shouted for Elijah toe back right before he was about to leave. ¡°Thank God you¡¯re here, Elijah! Hurry up and get over here! Tear off your boss¡¯s arms from my me¡­ NOW!¡± ¡°Your boss just fell asleep standing up,¡± she added, ¡°and he won¡¯t let me go! This man is clearly insane!¡± Elijah turned around and carefully observed them. Only then did he realize that his boss seemed to really be asleep. But still, would he hold someone so tightly as he was if he was actually sleeping? This left him to suspect that Stefan might just be faking it¡­ but if it was all an act, then his boss must be a natural actor! Elijah stepped forward and pretended to tear Stefan¡¯s arms that were glued around Renee¡¯s body. However, when he discovered that his efforts bore no fruit, he spread out his arms helplessly and said, ¡°Well, you might not know this, Madam, but my boss always ends up like this whenever he¡¯s drunk. He¡¯d grab a pole or a pir, hug it, and fall asleep. That¡¯s how he got the nickname ¡°Beach City Ko.¡± Say, could you endure it a little and stay like that while I send you both home?¡± Outrageous! Simply outrageous! Renee was so mad her face had gone dark. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re trying to make a fool of me again, aren¡¯t you, Elijah? Can you exin how I¡¯m supposed to stay in this position until we get home?!¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Elijah pushed his sses and matter¨Cof¨Cfactly told Renee, ¡°You might not know this, Madam, but whenever my boss gets drunk, he always ends up like this. In fact, you¡¯re not the first person he hugs so tightly like a bolster, unwilling to let go. Trust me, Madam. We¡¯ve been through this. I know for a fact that it¡¯s perfectly feasible.¡± ¡°So,¡± he added, ¡°if you don¡¯t mind, I must trouble you to endure it for just a while. Once my boss has sobered up, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be really grateful.¡± Naturally, everything he said was nonsense. He merely intended to give Stefan and Renee a chance to be closer, because the sober version of Stefan Hunt would never do anything that would hurt his ego or embarrass him. Despite that, women¡¯s hearts were conquered by the constant pursuit, especially a woman as perfect as Renee, now that she had be the director of the Electronics Technology Association. How else could Stefan win her heart if he refused to exert a little effort and employ a few tricks? Miraculously, Renee actually bought Elijah¡¯s nonsense. ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Hurry up and take us home then!¡± She turned around and nced at Stefan, who had been holding her tight in his arms, soundly asleep. Aplicated mix of emotions arose in her heart. She was not that surprised to find that he behaved in this strange way whenever he was drunk. After all, exactly the same thing happened on that night¨Che was also holding her tight and would not let her go, which ultimately led him to sleep with her! If she had known that he would be this crazy, she would never have yed the drinking game with him, even if her life depended on it. And so the three of them walked out of the karaoke bar in that extremely bizarre formation¨Cwith Stefan holding onto Renee tightly, while Elijah supported Stefan as he led them out of the door. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. They hailed a cab on the side of the road. Even after getting inside the car, Renee was still stuck in Stefan¡¯s arms, which were wrapped tightly around her neck. No matter how hard she struggled, she just could not break free from him, so all she could do was helplessly urge the cab driver to hurry. ¡°Please speed up!¡± They soon reached Hunt Manor. This was the house that Renee called home for thest four years, but today it was just another grand building that had no room for her anymore. If there had not been an emergency, she would never have willingly taken a step back into this ce ever again. Meanwhile, Briar, whose pregnant belly had ballooned in size, was in the grand living room, dramatically weeping andmenting about her plight to her future mother¨Cinw, Francine Milford, like a soap opera actress. ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to cultivate a closer rtionship with Stefan, Aunt Francine, but he¡¯s just always so busy with work. that I can count on one hand the number of times he spent the night at home, ever since I moved here¡­¡± ¡°What can I possibly do when I barely ever see him?¡± she added. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± replied Francine in a voice thick with concern. She was sitting on the couch, frowning deeply. ¡°It is indeed unfair to me you for not taking any initiative. I know my son very well. No one can ever force him to do anything that he doesn¡¯t want to do. As for your engagement, I think there¡¯s nothing we can do but postpone it.¡± She had initially assumed that Stefan didn¡¯t marry Briar earlier because he hadn¡¯t divorced that gold digger Renee Everheart. However, although they were officially divorced now, his rtionship with Briar hadn¡¯t improved. Seeing how her son never mentioned the subject of marriage when Briar¡¯s belly was getting bigger and bigger by the day really broke her heart! But as soon as Briar heard what Francine said, she sprang up to her feet anxiously and protested, ¡°We can¡¯t postpone it anymore, Aunt Francine! Any further dy and my baby will be born an illegitimate child! You must find a way to help me!¡± She hadn¡¯t acted so pitifully in front of Francine for the sake of apromise, but only because she wanted to put more pressure on Stefan to marry her through his mother. ¡°Okay,¡± Francine replied inly. ¡°Just give me some time, and I¡¯ll think of a way.¡± Ever since seeing Briar¡¯s disgusted face when she learned of the misdiagnosis that Stefan was paralyzed, Francine knew that this woman was not as harmless and innocent as she might seem. Nevertheless, the child in her belly was still the flesh and blood of the Hunt family, and she had to do whatever she could to help her eldest grandchild. It meant Stefan had to marry Briar without dy! Just at that moment, Stefan, Renee, and Elijah stepped out of the cab andboriously made their way into the manor in their bizarre formation. As the two groups of people bumped into each other, they were stunned and speechless for a while. It created a scene that wasically strained, yet awkward at the same time. ¡°Madam!¡± Elijah hastily broke the silence. ¡°What a coincidence to find you here! What a lively scene!¡± Renee could not help but roll her eyes. No one in this world deserved the first spot in a contest for the person most likely to create a painfully awkward scene more than Elijah Young! ¡°You¡­ what is going on with you two over there?!¡± Francine erupted in anger when she saw Stefan holding onto Renee so tightly like that, fearing that these two were back together again. ¡°You should ask your son!¡± replied Renee. ¡°Why are you guys still standing there?¡± she added impatiently. ¡°Hurry up and lend us a hand!¡± Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Chapter 146 Francine shouted at Renee, ¡°You¡¯ve already divorced Stefan, yet you still disturb him. Now you even dare toe to the Hunt. Residence and provoke us. How could there be such a shameless woman like you!¡± Elijah wanted to exin, but he was cut short by Renee, who was a step quicker. She retorted back venomously, ¡°Miss Francine, please widen your eyes and see who¡¯s bothering who. You failed as a mother, for having a son so shameless.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You¡­¡± Francine was so mad that she couldn¡¯t construct her words properly. ¡°Before this, I was your daughter¨Cinw, and I respected you. But now that I am no longer rted to the Hunt family, I will sue you for emotional harm if you offend me again.¡± After speaking, Renee tried to push Stefan away with all her strength but failed. She couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he was doing it on purpose. ¡°Stefan, are you done fooling around? Let go of me, or I will hurt you!¡± Renee had her fist clenched, and she was about to strike him. She didn¡¯t want to spend another second in that ce or see any of the people living there. When Elijah saw this, he immediately ordered the people to assist in carrying Stefan while exining Renee¡¯s dilemma to them. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve misunderstood Miss Everheart. Mr. Hunt became intoxicated and refused to let go of her, no matter how hard I tried to separate them. Miss Everheart was so concerned about hurting Mr. Hunt that she came all the way here. She had good intentions and was the real victim!¡± ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Francine was so upset that her face looked purplish. ¡°Stefan wouldn¡¯t be that shameless. She¡¯s definitely the one who wouldn¡¯t let go of him.¡± She walked towards the two angrily and wanted to separate them. However, it was true that Stefan was indeed shameless. His slender arms wrapped around Renee¡¯s neck like a knot, and he refused to let her go. Seeing this, Francine could only let her anger out on Briar as she yelled, ¡°Are you stupid? Why are you standing there? Come and help me to separate them. You can¡¯t even keep your man away from her.¡± Briar¡¯s nails dug into the flesh of her palms. She was already envious of Renee, and now she despised her even more since she caused her to be scolded. ¡°Use more strength!¡± Francine was red from trying to pull them apart as she yelled at Briar and Elijah. She was unable to wait for another second and had to separate the two, right here and now. With a few people¡¯s help, Stefan was dragged away from Renee. Indeed, he waspletely sloshed. He forgot about his noble appearance and began behaving like a kid whose favorite toy had been taken away. ¡°Renee, don¡¯t go!¡± he murmured unconsciously. ¡°Come back to me. It¡¯s dangerous outside. Faster, Seeing this, Briar grabbed on the opportunity, held on to Stefan¡¯s swaying body, and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Stefan hugged Briar like he had hugged Renee earlier and continued to mumble drunkenly, ¡°Good. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± She let him hold her while looking at Renee provocatively. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you problems, Miss Everheart. When Stefan is drunk, he likes to hug random people. I¡¯ll look after him. You may now return.¡± Renee stared at them being so close with sheer indifference, though she was a little disappointed inside. ¡®Turns out I¡¯m not that special after all. Stefan will hug anyone as he did with me,¡® she thought dejectedly. ¡°Look after your man. If hees to bother me again, I¡¯ll call the police!¡± With that, she turned and left without hesitation. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Chapter 147 After Renee left, Briar smiled satisfyingly. She carried the drunken Stefan and said to Francine, ¡°Miss Francine, I¡¯ll take Stefan to the room now. I believe my engagement to Stefan will be sealed soon after tonight.¡± Francine nodded. ¡°Yes. We need to grab hold of the opportunity.¡± Although she wasn¡¯t satisfied with Briar,pared to Renee, Briar listened to her more. She hoped that Briar could make use of tonight so that Renee doesn¡¯t try toe again. Elijah was getting anxious as he stood by the side. He felt that Stefan was in danger. He couldn¡¯t figure out how Renee would be willing to give up the man she loved to a woman like Briar. ¡®Could it be Mrs. Hunt really doesn¡¯t love Mr. Hunt anymore? If that¡¯s the case, Mr. Hunt will be in a lot of trouble!¡® he thought to himself. ¡°Stefan, I¡¯ll take you to your room.¡± Suddenly, Stefan pushed Briar away and said emotionlessly, ¡°Go away. You¡¯re not her.¡± Seeing this, Briar was a little stunned and asked carefully, ¡°Stefan, have you sobered up?¡± He didn¡¯t respond, but his body swayed slightly, and he seemed dazed. He was still drunk. Elijah quickly took the opportunity and held Stefan. ¡°Miss Desrosiers, you don¡¯t understand Mr. Hunt. He doesn¡¯t like it when women touch him, especially when drunk. So, there¡¯s no need to trouble you tonight. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± Briar felt that Elijah was troublesome as he clearly treated her like a fool. ¡°Hahaha. Stop joking, Mr. Young. You¡¯re telling me that he doesn¡¯t like to be touched by women? Then, why did he hug Miss Everheart so tightly? And how did I even get pregnant?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no idea how you got pregnant, Miss Desrosiers, but as to why Mr. Hunt was hugging Miss Everheart so tightly, isn¡¯t the answer obvious?¡± He looked at her indifferently and remarked sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s because Miss Everheart is the rightful Mrs. Hunt. They were husband and wife for four years, so he¡¯s naturally used to her touch. He, however, dislikes getting touched by a shameless. woman.¡± ¡°Mr. Young, what are you implying?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Briar had lost all patience and revealed her true self. ¡°Who are you calling shameless? Stefan had divorced Miss Everheart. I am the rightful Mrs. Hunt!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you, Miss Desrosiers. But seeing how you¡¯re panicking, you¡¯re definitely guilty.¡± Briar clenched her fist and chuckled coldly. ¡°Miss Everheart and Stefan had divorced, yet you¡¯re so protective of her. Could it be that you like her?¡± To her, Elijah was just a worker. He wasn¡¯t a threat to her, so she wasn¡¯t afraid of offending him. When she became Mrs. Hunt, she would definitely fire him. Elijah merely smiled but didn¡¯t say a word. However, Francine scolded her with a cold face. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. You can¡¯t talk to Mr. Young like that. Don¡¯t me me for being cruel if I hear you being rude to Mr. Young again.¡± Hearing this, Briar immediately kept her mouth shut as she trembled in fear. It was weird that when Elijah held Stefan, he wasn¡¯t as hostile to him as he was to her. He also didn¡¯t behave like a kid when he was holding Renee earlier. He was perfectly normal. +15 BONUS After they reached Stefan¡¯s room, Elijah slowlyy him down on the bed. Elijah faintly heard Stefan whisper, ¡°Renee¡­e back. I order you toe back! No one else can protect you besides me.¡± Hearing this, Elijah sighed. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you didn¡¯t love her when she did, but now that she doesn¡¯t love you anymore, you started to fall for her. Why are you making your life so hard?¡± Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Chapter 148 Stefan woke up the next day with his head weighing a million pounds. He looked around and saw Elijah sitting in front of the bed, observing him with a frown. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re finally awake. My mission is done. I can leave now.¡± He let out a sigh of relief and seemed excited. With Stefanpletely out of itst night, all he could do was guard him the entire night, fearing Briar, who was yearning for a chance with Stefan, would sneak in and take advantage. Stefan rubbed his temples and frowned as he tried to recall everything that happenedst night. The only memory he had was ying finger guessing with Renee. ¡°Did I get drunkst night?¡± He resumed his cold demeanor, sounding indifferent. ¡°Based on my skills, there¡¯s no way I lost control,¡± he stated firmly. Hearing this, Elijah rolled his eyes secretly. ¡®Here we go again. Every time Mr. Hunt gets drunk, he will forget everything that happened and he would deny all his actions after sobering up.,¡® he thought to himself. He knew Stefan had that habit; therefore, he never allowed him to drink to the point of drunkenness. He did, however, underestimate Renee, who caused Stefan to get intoxicatedst night. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Elijah said seriously, ¡°Yes. You didn¡¯t lose control, but you went nuts.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Stefan stared at him coldly and said with pride, ¡°I know my limits. There¡¯s no way I will get that drunk.¡± Hearing this, Elijah couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Stefan was trying to deny what he didst night! He had never seen anyone who could be as shameless and so full of themselves as Stefan. If he didn¡¯t have proof ofst night, he wouldn¡¯t even have believed his own words, about Stefan getting drunk. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you really have no memory ofst night?¡± Elijah asked cautiously. Stefan gave some thought to it before answering, ¡°All I remember is that after losing to Renee, she left, and you sent me home.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, except you left out most of the details. Do you remember dragging me to a karaoke ce and began screaming your head off? You even pestered Mrs. Hunt and refused to let her go.¡± Hearing Renee¡¯s name, Stefan¡¯s cold face softened a little as he denied it coldly. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± He could ept the fact that he screamed and sang in the karaoke room. After all, it had happened before. But pestering Renee and not letting her go was something he was certain he wouldn¡¯t do, not to mention that he was clear that he had no feelings for her. He despised the touch of a woman; thus, refusing to let go of a woman he disliked was technically impossible. Elijah knew that Stefan would deny it till the cows came home, so he cleverly came prepared. ¡°Mr. Hunt, let me show you the proof.¡± He took out his phone and opened the video he recorded of Stefanst night, and held in hisughter. ¡°Look at it for yourself. You really shocked me with how you simped over Mrs. Hunt.¡± Stefan frowned as he took over Elijah¡¯s phone. Then, he saw himself tightly hugging Renee, clinging to her like glue. The most humiliating thing about it was that several people tried but failed to pull him away. He could almost hear himself pleading with Renee to stay. ¡°Delete it now!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face was stiff as he felt a wave of awkwardness wash over him. He never thought such a thing would happen. It was so embarrassing that he wished he could run away and nevere back. ¡°Uhm¡­ Mr. Hunt, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to delete it. I was going to, but I identally uploaded it to our official website. Although I deleted it immediately, there¡¯s the possibility that some may have seen, or even downloaded it.¡± ¡°WHAT?!¡± Stefan roared so loudly that the entire house could hear him. Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Today was the day that Renee was supposed to officially move out of Sunup Residence. Although it was mainly because she wanted to avoid her ex¨Chusband, Stefan, she had also been dreaming about moving to her new ce for four years. Her new ce would be the Everheart Residence! After the Everheart family went bankrupt four years ago, the court sold off their three¨Cstory mansion. Nevertheless, since her parents had passed away at the mansion, no one dared to purchase it, even at a modest price. It was auctioned off again a few days ago. This time, Renee bought it for 1.5 billion without further hesitation. She only told Leia and Liam about her new home, who both wanted to throw her a housewarming party. Leia even said that she¡¯d be bringing a mysterious guest. Renee quickly agreed to it as she wanted the abandoned Everheart Residence to feel lively again. She hadn¡¯t stayed in Sunup Residence for long, and there wasn¡¯t much to pack. Before leaving, she gave the door onest look and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle bitterly. ¡®Stefan is probably in bed with Briar talking about their wedding,¡® she thought to herself. Her hast move did seem a little unnecessary, seeing as to how Stefan didn¡¯t seem to care one bit. She took a deep breath, shook her head, and forced herself to forget him. ¡®It¡¯s all in the past!¡® she told herself. After this, there would be no connection between them, not unless they became business rivals. The car drove past the cities before arriving at a quiet ce on the outskirts. Beach City¡¯s residents used to say that the rich flourished in the South, the poor survived in the North, the nobles resided in the West, and chaos existed in the East. True to the saying, those who lived in the West were mostly nobility. There were either high¨Cranking officials, leaders in the academic world, or an aristocrat whose ancestors had some rtion to the royal family for three generations. On the other hand, the extremely wealthy didn¡¯t live there very often. Renee¡¯s grandfather was a warrior on the battlefield, while her grandmother¡¯s identity had been a mystery, but it was said. that she was closely linked to the royals. So, when the Everheart family was at its finest and amassed almost as much wealth as the top three families of The Great Eight of Beach City, they chose to reside in the West. However, everything crumbled before they could even settle in. Thus, the once magnificent Everheart residence became a dusty, cobweb¨Cinfested shell, marred by a forest of weeds that conquered most of its grounds. The unkempt sight disappointed Renee, but she knew that it would be over soon. She knew the Everheart residence would reim its glory once again. Everything was going well until the cleaning service called to cancel their appointment. The hup quickly made her anxious. Although the house seemed sturdy on the outside, the same couldn¡¯t be said about its interior. The original housekeeper had refused toe because she didn¡¯t want to clean the entire ce on her own. Thus, Renee called several house cleaning services right away, but when they heard that the job was at the Everheart. residence, they immediately refused, making up silly excuses as they went along. ¡®The Everheart residence is haunted. Who¡¯d dare to go there?!¡± I heard that the ghosts of the husband and wife are trapped in the house. After dark, you can hear them cry and howl all night!¡®¡± After hearing the same story several times, Renee couldn¡¯t help but frown. She wondered if her parents¡® ghosts were really even trapped there. If they were, she wouldn¡¯t be the least scared. In fact, she wished that her family was with her! Renee got off the car moment it stopped in front of the Everheart residence. The house gave off a familiar yet strange feeling. The iron fence was caked in rust, and in the ce where the flower garden once was were weeds as tall as people. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Seeing this, Renee felt a wave of sadness wash over her, and tears began to roll down her face. ¡®Grandpa, Dad, Mum, I¡¯m back,¡® she cried. Just as she was about to enter the house, she saw something peculiar. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Renee noticed that the iron fence had been knocked down, and in one spot, the tall grass had been trodden on, with footprints in the wet mud. It was obvious that someone hade to the house before. The footprints, however, indicated that they went in but never came out. There was a high possibility that the person was still inside! Behind her, the man from the movingpany put down her baggage and wiped his sweat nervously. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve put all your stuff here. I¡¯m not going in there. A word of advice, get out of here as soon as possible when you can.¡± Renee turned around to look at the man and asked worriedly, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s wrong with the house? Everyone seems to be saying there¡¯s something wrong with it.¡± The man gulped nervously and stole a nce at the house. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? The couple who owned the house ended their lives there. Their ghosts are trapped there, and the house has be haunted!¡± ¡°I know the owners passed away, but I believe it¡¯s nothing more than a rumor. There¡¯s no evidence it¡¯s haunted.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s definitely not just a rumor!¡± The man shook his hand and said without hesitation, ¡°A lot of people have seen it before. I came to deliver a package around here before and saw it too! The mistress of the house walks around the window, crying in a white dress. It¡¯s so scary! If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I needed the money, I would never havee here with you.¡± After he finished speaking, he began to tremble. Then, he ran back to his car immediately and waved goodbye to Renee. ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Be careful. Don¡¯t give me a bad rating!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Renee was unshaken by the man¡¯s jitteriness. She was, in fact, hoping to see this woman in white that appeared in the middle of the night. For now, though, she needed to figure out the identity of the mystery person hiding in her house. Renee took out a baseball bat from her bag, pushed the gate open, and walked in. Every corner of the house carried memories of her past, and it quickly brought her to tears. She loved the garden the most. It used to be filled with sunflowers, and in the middle, stood a swing that her father had built for her. The swing was still there, but the sunflowers were no more. She walked past the garden and pushed the doors open. It was then that she heard a ¡®boom,¡® before rainbow confetti rained down on her. ¡°Surprise!¡± Just as Renee was about to swing the bat, she saw Liam holding a bouquet in his hand, while Leia walked out from the corner with a cake. ¡°Renee, congrattions on leaving that scum, Stefan. Your life will only get better from here!¡± It was unusual to see Liam so serious about a change. When he handed the flowers to Renee, his face was filled with sincerity; the uninitiated would have assumed he was proposing to her. He had bought her sunflowers, which were her favorite. The golden and shining petals would only grow bigger in the sun, symbolizing a strong drive to live. Leia didn¡¯t want to lose either, as if it was apetition. She immediately presented the cake. ¡°Ren, I made this cake for you. It¡¯ll bring you luck and chase away the bad from your life!¡± Renee was surprised and overwhelmed that tears began to pool around her eyes. She nced around the room and noticed that there were no spider webs or dust inside the house. The house was spotless, and there was a pleasant aroma in the air. Everything had obviously been well¨Ccleaned. ¡°You guys are too considerate. You had a surprise prepared and even cleaned the house. I have to cook today as a thanks for your efforts!¡± Liam didn¡¯t say a word, but Leia was excited. ¡°Ren, you got it wrong. We are not that hard¨Cworking, especially my brother. We¡¯re not the ones who cleaned the house.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± Leia mysteriously looked upstairs and said, ¡°Come out.¡± Chapter 151 Chapter 151 Chapter 151 A handsome man in a ck suit walked down from the second floor. ¡°Haze!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He had disappeared after letting her go when he didn¡¯t reveal her identity as Phoenix in front of Stefan thest time. She thought he¡¯d returned to Aplen. This left her to assume he must harbor a hidden motive for suddenly appearing in her house and helping her clean. ¡°Judging from the disappointed look on your face, I guess I¡¯m unwee?¡± He walked to the middle of the stairs and looked down at Renee. His smile had a sense of wickedness to it. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy since the afternoon. I¡¯m so tired that I feel like my back is going to break. If anything happens to me, you¡¯re the one responsible.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee shuddered from embarrassment. She never thought that the intelligent hacker would be this flirtatious. ¡°Stop your gloating and get down here!¡± Liam red at Haze and stated sternly. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll do all these without a price. If it weren¡¯t for my sister¡¯s wish, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed you wouldn¡¯t allow you toe anywhere near the Everheart house!¡± Haze lifted his eyebrows slightly and mocked Liam. ¡°Seeing as to how you¡¯ve sacrificed so much for Renee in the past few years, I wonder what¡¯s your motive?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not the same. I¡¯m Boss¡¯s underling. She saved my life before!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a level above you.¡± Haze lifted his head in pride, revealing his perfect sharp jawline. ¡°Phoenix and I are the Bonnie and Clyde of the hacker world. We are soulmates. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Liam lost his calm and made a childish throwing¨Cup expression. ¡°Soulmates? What a joke! Do you even have a soul? You¡¯re not worthy enough to be Boss¡® soulmate.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to determine if I¡¯m worthy. Phoenix is now single, so all of us get a shot. If you¡¯re worthy of her, then so am I.¡± The two men were like dogs and cats who couldn¡¯t stand each other, and they began to argue again. ¡°You¡¯re arguing again.¡± Leia rolled her eyes helplessly. They had been at it since the moment they met this morning, and whenever it got too heated, they would start fighting. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Leia was tired, and she regretted putting them two together. After all, both men were actually fighting for a woman. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re the underling or soulmate. To Renee, you¡¯re just backup.¡± Leia¡¯s words made the two men instantly quieten down. Haze stuffed his hands into his pocket. He put on the mysterious and wicked look that he always exerted as he said arrogantly, ¡°I admit that I admire Phoenix, but I¡¯m not going to be anyone¡¯s backup.¡± At this time, Liam said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not called backup, but profound love. People these days do not wish to be so dedicated to love.¡± His love for Renee has always been passionate and unrestrained. He was proud of the love he had for her, but if his unconditional love was seen as backup, then so be it. ¡°You¡¯re good at manipting yourself.¡± Haze grew up in a tough environment. He had never known or believed in love. Yet Liam¡¯s bravery and presumptuousness changed his impression. ¡°You¡¯re more manly than the ones who don¡¯t dare to confess their love.¡± Hearing this, Renee frowned. ¡°Who are you talking about? Who doesn¡¯t dare to confess their love?¡± She wasn¡¯t shocked that someone had feelings for her, but since Haze mentioned the person, she knew they weren¡¯t ordinary people. Haze just smiled but did not respond right away. He held his phone in his hands and muttered mysteriously, ¡°I¡¯m reminding all of you to check out the trending section on Twitter. You¡¯ll be interested!¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Chapter 152 The three of them looked confused as they opened their phones. Then, Leia began to scream. ¡°Oh my god! I can¡¯t believe this. Are Ren and Stefan trending on Twitter now?¡± At the same time, both Renee and Liam stared at their phones as they were shocked by the news. Most of the topics trending were about Stefan and Renee. ¡°Oh my! It¡¯s a video of Mr. Hunt begging his ex¨Cwife, trying to win her back!¡± ¡°How did he be a simp!¡± ¡°If a CEO can be a simp, why can¡¯t ordinary guys be one?¡± ¡°This is Mr. Hunt¡¯s first step in his attempt to win back his wife.¡± Every item she clicked on had a video of Stefan tightly clutching Renee and refusing to let her go. It was sweet but humorous, and it was really an interesting video! Netizens began a heated discussion and even made funny edits to the video. As a result, the video remained at the top of the trending searches. ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± After a long time of silence, Liam and Leia eventually burst outughing. ¡°Boss, is this video real or edited? It¡¯s too funny!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the cold and noble Stefan would be this desperate. It¡¯s a lot of fun to watch this!¡± ¡°As amazing as he is, the whole world now knows that he¡¯s your biggest simp. I can¡¯tpete.¡± Renee was embarrassed, and she felt that she was being publicly punished. Instantly, she snatched their phones. ¡°Stop watching it. He¡¯ll hold on to anyone he sees when he¡¯s drunk!¡± ¡°But he was calling your name. Could he be regretting letting you go?¡± Leia¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she realized the tragic couple¡¯s chances of rekindling. ¡°Impossible!¡± Renee was firm, exining sensibly, ¡°He¡¯s just trying to exact vengeance since he lost the finger game.¡± ¡°I would like to urge everyone to pretend you didn¡¯t see anything. He¡¯s a vindictive guy who would murder you without a blink of an eye!¡± Liam wasn¡¯t afraid of Stefan at all. Heughed, ¡°How can I pretend I didn¡¯t see it when it¡¯s trending all over Twitter? Boss, why are you scared? He¡¯s the shameless one here, and he should be ashamed. You, on the other hand, look so cool when you walk away!¡± At the mention of this, Liam wanted to watch the video again, but he realized that the app wasn¡¯t working anymore as he couldn¡¯t click on it. Not only that, but any mention of the video had also been removed from the inte. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise he¡¯s the CEO of H Group. He managed to take the video down so quickly!¡± Haze looked arrogant, saying, ¡°But I don¡¯t mind posting the video and letting the whole worldugh at him again whenever I feel like it.¡± Hearing this, Renee turned and gazed sharply at him. ¡°Where did you get the video?¡± +15 BONUS ¡°I stole it from theirpany¡¯s website.¡± ¡°Although the video was only released for 0.03 seconds, and regr people can¡¯t download it so quickly, I could,¡± he stated arrogantly. ¡°It¡¯s his misfortune that a genius like me can download it.¡± ¡°Damn! No wonder you¡¯re a genius!¡± Leia was in awe of Haze and expressed his adoration. ¡°Before this, you approached me and said you wanted to be friends with us with the condition that you pull a prank on Stefan. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to really aplish it¡­ Congrattions, you are now a member of our Anti¨CStefan Club!¡± Although Liam didn¡¯t like Haze that much, he weed anyone who disliked Stefan. ¡°You¡¯re quite the capable one. Wee to the Anti¨CStefan Club.¡± He reached out his hand towards Haze. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. They all fist¨Cbumped each other and looked to set to fight Stefan.. This dumbfounded Renee. ¡°What¡¯s an Anti¨CStefan Club?¡± ¡°Fight Stefan and protect Renee. We will fight till ourst breath!¡± Leia shouted the slogan with enthusiasm while Liam and Haze joined her. ¡°Fight till ourst breath!¡± ¡°Fight till ourst breath!¡± They seemed to be goofing around, but Renee felt a sense of warmth in her heart. Although her family had left her, she wasn¡¯t alone at all. They were now her family. Renee vowed that she would restore the Everheart family to its former glory! Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 That night, Liam and the rest left the Everheart residence reluctantly under Renee¡¯s request. Before leaving, Leia held on to Renee¡¯s hand and asked worriedly, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay living alone in the huge mansion? I heard that there are ghosts at night. Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not. This is my house. Even if there are ghosts around, they¡¯re my family, so they won¡¯t hurt me,¡± Renee said with a smile. They only left after getting her affirmation. After all, ghosts were not as terrifying as the terrible people Renee had previously encountered! After the three of them left, the temporarily vibrant home became silent, with the property¡¯s moist odor permeating the surroundings as though confirming nobody had been here for years. However, Renee was unbothered by it. She started cleaning the dishes while humming a tune to herself. She then filled the vase with water and ced the sunflowers inside before setting them next to her bed. Although the mansion looked decayed from the outside, everything was still the same as it was on the inside four years ago. She hoped she was dreaming, and when she awoke, her grandpa, father, and mother still existed. They would be sitting by her bed and gently woke her up by saying, ¡°Princess Ren, time to wake up.¡± It was getting realte. Reneey on her little bed, once her favorite, reminiscing about the past as her mind drifted off. In a daze, she heard weird noisesing from the master bedroom that once belonged to her parents. It sounded like a woman¡¯s voice. She seemed to be crying andughing. Her voice sounded scary in the quiet night. At first, she didn¡¯t really care as she thought she was either dreaming or hallucinating because of the tiredness. But slowly, the voice got louder, and she heard it through the closed door. ¡°Boohoo. I died so tragically. Who can save me? I¡¯m in so much pain¡­¡± ¡°Hahahaha. I¡¯m so bored. Does anyone want to y? It¡¯s cold down here.¡± The voice didn¡¯t belong to her mother. Renee was a realist, yet the hair on her neck stood up. Beads of cold sweat sprouted on her forehead She instantly covered herself with the nket and trembled in fear. ¡°Dear God, I never did anything bad in life. Don¡¯t let anythinge at me!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. After a while, the voice stopped. Renee breathed out a sigh of relief. She was sweating so profusely that her shirt was almost drenched. The babies in her tummy seemed to be affected as well as she felt a slight pain in her stomach. She quickly touched her belly andforted them. ¡°My baby, don¡¯t be scared. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be here to protect you. I¡¯m tough, and I won¡¯t let anything hurt you.¡± Only then did the pain subside. ¡°What a coward 1 am!¡® she couldn¡¯t help but scold herself for being scared. She still believed that humans were scarier than ghosts. With the thought in mind, she boldly came out from the quilt. Immediately, she let out a loud scream and almost peed her pants! ¡°Ghost!¡± Under the moonlight, she saw a white shadow hovering in front of her window. The sight in front of her was more terrifying. than a horror film. ¡°God help me¡­¡± She instantly shut her eyes, and with trembling teeth, she began to pray. The rumors were true! There were indeed ghosts in the house! Although it was her house, she couldn¡¯t live in an environment like this! Renee jumped down from the bed and was about to leave when a white shadow emerged in front of her. It inspected Renee with a pair of eyes before it spoke¡­. Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 ¡°Miss Ren, is that you?¡± As it got closer to Renee, the gruff voice became a little more excited. Renee was scared to death. She waved her hands around and shouted, ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t make me summon a priest to exorcise you!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Miss Ren, it¡¯s me. Your favorite, Margaret.¡± The skinny ¡®ghost¡® pulled Renee¡¯s wrist with one hand and pushed away the hair with the other to reveal her pale face. ¡°Margaret?¡± Renee instantly quieted down and carefully opened her eyes. After taking a good look at the ¡®ghost¡®, she couldn¡¯t believe her own eyes. ¡°Margaret, how? Didn¡¯t you Margaret was the Everheart residence¡¯s housekeeper and Renee¡¯s nanny. Renee was closer to Margaret than she was to her mother on some levels. . Ever since the Everheart family went bankrupt, and Renee¡¯s parents ended their life, Margaret had been guarding the house. In the end, Margaret was rumored to be beaten to death and buried. That was what Renee heard after marrying into the Hunt family. By the time she got back to the Everheart residence, it was toote. She went to the graveyard but couldn¡¯t find Margaret¡¯s body. After she went home, she got sick and was in aa for more than half a month. She seemed to be possessed, blurting out random things from time to time. It was then that Francine decided that she was bad luck. Renee had vowed that one day she would seek revenge for Margaret. Coincidentally she was looking for the few men who murdered her! ¡°Could it be that Margaret knew about it and came to see me?¡® she thought to herself. ¡°Miss Ren, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not a ghost. Touch me. I¡¯m warm.¡± Margaret was worried that she might have scared Renee, so she instantly put Renee¡¯s hand over her forehead. Her grin remained as warm as before. Renee touched her forehead carefully and found that Margaret was indeed warm! ¡°You¡¯re alive! This is amazing!¡± Renee was so happy and excited that she cried tears of joy. The joy of suddenly having a family again was overwhelming. ¡°Miss Ren, you still like to cry like when you were small. Are you hungry? I¡¯ll make you some food.¡± Margaret¡¯s sole responsibility was to look after the Everheart residence and Renee, and it gave her meaning and a sense of purpose. She had been waiting for this day for four years! ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯m not in the mood to eat. I have so many questions. I need your exnation. Otherwise, I won¡¯t sleep!¡± Renee switched on the light and pulled Margaret to sit down on the s. She wanted to know what happened after she left the Everheart residence. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you all about it.¡± Margaret gently held Renee¡¯s hand and wiped her tears as she began to speak. Chapter 155 Chapter 155 "Back then, Mr. and Mrs. Everheart passed away. Even Master Everheart left the world soon after. Meanwhile, you married into the Hunt family. Everheart Manor became empty, and many people had their eyes on it. They made away with everything they could. They''d even move the floor if they could." "I fought and guarded this ce for you but got hurt. Oftentimes, before my wound could heal, new ones would appear. Thest time I met a couple of vicious ones who beat me till I passed out. They dragged me to the graveyard and buried me." Margaret¡¯s words shocked Renee. She clenched her fists tightly in anger. "Margaret, you¡¯ve suffered so much. Don¡¯t worry. I will avenge you. I will find every single person who hurt you!" "Ms. Ren, don¡¯t be angry. All my suffering is worth it, now that I see you." The two women couldn¡¯t help but hug each other and cry. Through the shower of tears, they released all the suffering they had endured over the past four years. "How did you escape?" Renee wiped her tears away and asked curiously. "I was fortunate enough to meet a kind-hearted person. He dug me out from the ground, and I survived." As Margaret thought about thest, her eyes were filled with fear and thankfulness. "The identity of the person who saved me is very mysterious. He said that a mysterious big shot gave him orders on what to do and requested that I disappear from Beach City." "Mysterious big shot?" Renee frowned. After all, in such a critical situation, the whole world would be eager to destroy them. She wondered who would be kind enough to help them at such a time. "I¡¯m not sure either, but I want to repay them for saving my life!" Margaret added, "Could it be Mr. Hunt? Only the Hunts would dare to help the Everhearts at that point. You¡¯re his wife, and he knows that I¡¯m your nanny. He didn¡¯t want you to be sad, so he helped me." "Impossible!" Renee said confidently, "He doesn¡¯t have any feelings for me. He went abroad after our wedding. When I was in aa for half a month, not once did he ask or care about me. He wouldn¡¯t save you." Before this, she loved him with all her heart and didn¡¯t feel his indifference hard to ept. But now, as she recalled about it, she felt that she''d been too petty and that it wasn¡¯t worth it after all. Margaret looked at Renee and felt sorry for the girl. "Ms. Ren, I didn¡¯t know you had such a terrible experience in the Hunt family. Mr. Hunt treated you with malice. There¡¯s no point in a marriage if there¡¯s no love. It¡¯s good that you divorced him." When Margaret heard about the divorce between Renee and Stefan, she was worried, but now it seemed that the divorce was a freedom for Renee. "Yes. I think it¡¯s good that we divorce. I want to thank him for making me realize that and regain my freedom!" Renee didn¡¯t want to talk about Stefan anymore, so she continued asking Margaret, "Margaret, how did you live alone these few years? Why didn¡¯t you contact me?" "After I was saved, I did as my savior said and went away. I didn¡¯t want to put you in trouble, so I didn¡¯t contact you. But I really couldn¡¯t leave Everheart Manor behind, so I sneaked back and hid in the basement, pretending to be a ghost to scare the ill-intended. "This trick turned out well, because, in thest few years, nobody dared toe near Everheart Manor. Even the neighbors moved out." At the mention of this, Margaret kneeled down on the floor. "Mr. and Mrs. Everheart and Master Everheart, do you see this? I did it. I managed to guard Everheart Manor until the return of its rightful owner!" Margaret¡¯s loyalty to their family touched Renee¡¯s heart. Tears pooled around her eyes as she said, "Margaret, thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, the Everhearts would be no more."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "No. I¡¯m useless. I couldn¡¯t stop Mr. and Mrs. Everheart from¡­" Guilt was written all over her face, and she didn¡¯t dare to think of the past. She was there to witness it happen, and it was brutal. Suddenly, she thought of something and looked at Renee. "Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Everheart left a legacy document and asked me to give it to you." Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Margaret then went to the basement to fetch the letter she had been keeping with utmost care for four whole years in the old box. ¡°Miss Ren, this letter was given to me by Mrs. Everheart just before she died. But it¡¯s very strange, she said that I should never show it to you if your marriage is happy, but if you get divorced, then I should pass it to you¡­¡± Margaret solemnly handed the letter sealed in the envelope to Renee. She looked rather sad when she did so. Mrs. Everheart¡¯s anguish and desperation before shemitted suicide were still fresh in her mind. The only person Mrs. Everheart was reluctant to let go of was Renee. She must have hoped that she could have a happy marriage with Master Hunt, but who would have expected that it wouldst only four years before it fell apart¡­ Renee looked down at ¡°My Dear Ren¡± written on the envelope. It was her mother¡¯s handwriting which no one could imitate. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. Four years ago, she was in theboratory conducting experiments on the speed of electromaic waves around the majors when her parents jumped off the building. As a science prodigy, she was so obsessed with numbers and data that she would not leave the laboratory for months or have any contact with the outside world before she got the oue of the experiments. Her family had always been supportive of her scientific endeavors and never disturbed her when she was doing research. No one would have predicted that the moment she seeded in the experiment would be the time she received the tragic news about her family¡¯s bankruptcy and her parents¡® death! Hatred immediately filled her heart. She hated those who harmed her family. And she was aggrieved at her parents, who had not left a single word. She wanted revenge, but before she could identify her enemy, her intention was ruled out by her grandfather, and she was forced to marry Stefan. For four years, she suffered countless times because of her parent¡¯s choice to die without leaving a word. It led to her refusal to even visit their graves or care about the Everheart family. 1 ¡°They apparently did not leave in silence. They did leave me a message. I was too stupid, too stubborn to understand their intention!¡± Renne cried as she opened the envelope. The letter was not long. There were only a few dozen words, but each word pierced her heart as she read it. ¡°Ren, my baby, please forgive us for not saying goodbye to you. When you read this letter, perhaps you have ended your marriage with Mr. Hunt. You must be feeling very sad and helpless, right? Promise us that no matter what you find out about the Hunt family, don¡¯t me them. We have too many things to say to you, but we want to tell you that you must live a happy life, and you must not must not avenge us. The daughter of the Everheart family need not be a great person, but she should be healthy and happy. We will be a family again in the next lifetime!¡± Renee¡¯s tears rolled down like pearls, dripping on the letter and smudging the letters. Fearing that the letter would be destroyed, she quickly wiped it with her sleeve. These were her parents¡® final words for her. ¡°Father, Mother, you are so cruel!¡± She cried so hard that she nearly choked. When she came to think of it, she seemed overly calm and had never shed a single tear when she learned about the death of her parents. Everyone said that she was aloof and ungrateful, but in fact she was in so much pain that she could not even cry. Now that she could finally cry, she felt much relieved. ¡°Cry it out, Miss Ren, just cry it out.¡± Margaret patted Renee¡¯s back sadly andforted her gently. Her youngdy was a strong girl. It¡¯s devastating that she had suffered so much all these years¡­ Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. After crying her heart out, Renee gathered herself. ¡°Margaret, now that I am back, you no longer have to live in the basement. Move in with me, and we will support each other.¡± ¡°Okay, Miss Ren, I still want to care for you like I used to!¡± Margaret¡¯s pale and gaunt face finally revealed a smile. It had been a long time since shest smiled. Then, she asked. curiously, ¡°Miss Ren, what message did Mr. and Mrs. Everheart leave for you?¡± ¡°They hoped that I could live a normal and happy life and don¡¯t me the Hunt family, and they told me I must not take revenge for them.¡± She gazed intensely at the letter and answered truthfully. ¡°That¡¯s weird. It seems there is no secret in the letter, but why do they insist that it should only be given to you after you are divorced? Could it be that the people who caused the bankruptcy of the Everheart family rted to the Hunt family?¡± Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Chapter 157 Margaret¡¯s random guessing threw Renee into deep thoughts. She frowned. She examined the letter over and over again and remained silent for a long time. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Margaret realized that she must have talked too much. She quickly covered her mouth and said hurriedly. ¡°What I have said¡­ Don¡¯t take it to heart. Why would the Hunt family do that? If they were really the ones who harmed the Everheart family, why would they let you marry Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°You are right. But Father and Mother let me read this letter only after I got a divorce and emphasized that I must not me the Hunt family, so there must be something unspeakable in this matter, and it has to be rted to the Hunt family.¡± Renee squinted her eyes and had roughly got a big picture of the matter. She said, ¡°Although the Hunts might not necessarily be the ones who harmed the Everhearts, they must know something. Moreover, the people behind the fall of the Everheart family should be very influential. Otherwise, Grandfather, Father, and Mother would not repeatedly tell me not to take revenge, or force me to take away my dignity and seek protection from the Hunt family!¡± The Everhearts were the descendants of famous generals. They were never weaklings. If the other party was capable enough to force her parents tomit suicide and her grandfather to entrust her to the Hunt family, they should be more powerful than the Everheart family. However, their power should only be on par with the Hunt family. Otherwise, she would have long been eliminated and not have survived for so many years. In Beach City, there were only a few families that could be evenly matched with the Hunt family. Now that she had the information, it was easier for her to lock on to her target¡­ ¡°What do we do now, Miss Ren? Are you going to seek revenge?¡± ¡°Of course, I will!¡± She frowned as her gaze turned hostile, and continued, ¡°I will not let any of those who killed my parents go!¡± She had too many concerns when she was Mrs. Hunt. Back then, she obeyed her grandfather¡¯sst words and lived as a housewife who cared nothing about the things happening in the outside world and gave up on seeking revenge. Now, everything was different. She had divorced Stefan and had no rtionship with the Hunt family. So, she would not let the fall of her family and let her parents¡® death be meaningless. From now on, she would seal her heart in a loveless chamber and retaliate without fear! The next morning, Renee was awakened by the pleasant tune sung by the birds. ¡°Good morning, two little ones!¡± She stretched her body and patted lightly on her belly. She was still in early pregnancy, so she did not have a baby bump yet. and fetal movement would be even less likely. Regardless, she felt that the child did respond to her, and this made her feel a lot better. It was no exaggeration to say that this was the mostforting and peaceful sleep she had in the past four years. ¡°Good morning, Miss Ren. You are just in time for breakfast!¡± Margaret entered the bedroom, carrying a tray with Renee¡¯s favorite milk and handmade bread, like how she would do in the past. Looking at Margaret, who was standing in the morning sun, Renee felt as if she had traveled back to the past, back to when her grandfather, father, and mother were still alive, back to when the Everheart family was in its heydey! ¡°The weather is very fine today. Do you have any arrangements. Miss Ren?¡± Margaret asked softly, handing Renee the ss of milk. Renee took a big gulp of the milk. After thinking for a while, she suddenly looked at the sunflowers Liam gave her yesterday on the bedside table, and smiled. ¡°I want to give the backyard a good makeover. Let¡¯s nt lots of sunflowers like in the past.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯ll help you!¡± said Margaret gaily, ¡°The garden used to be full of sunflowers, and it was very beautiful during the flowering season. We should really bring the house back to life!¡± After breakfast, the two got busy tidying up the overgrown garden. They cleared the weeds and loosened the soil. Since Renee was pregnant, she could only manage simple and easy things. It was Margaret who did most of the hard work. When Margaret was shoveling the soil, she suddenly found a foreign object in the soil and threw away the shovel in shock. ¡± Miss Ren,e and take a look at this!¡± Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Chapter 158 Renee hurried over upon hearing Margaret and saw a green carved jade lying in the deep hole. She picked up the jade and brushed away the dirt to examine it more carefully. The jade was bright green and translucent. There was no trace of impurities, and it was cool to touch. Judging from the exquisite carvings on the gemstone, she knew immediately it was a priceless antique. Margaret stared at the ornament in confusion. ¡°This is strange. Since when was such valuable jade buried in the backyard? Hasn¡¯t anyone discovered this before? Could it be that someone sneaked in and buried this here after the fall of the Everheart family?¡± Renee frowned as she tried to figure out an answer, and that was when her eyes were drawn to the pattern carved on the jade. She had a feeling that she had seen this pattern before. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Margaret carefully recalled the past. ¡°I have been guarding this house diligently since the incident. It¡¯s impossible that anyone got in. Even if someone took the opportunity of my brief absence to sneak in and bury this, I would have noticed it. Anyway. who would hide such a high¨Cgrade jade in someone else¡¯s backyard? Has he nothing better to do?¡± Renee nodded in agreement. Margaret was a meticulous person. There was no way she would not have found it if someone had touched the soil of the backyard. So, a stronger possibility would be that this jade was buried in the backyard for a long time, but no one had ever found it. ¡°Margaret, I feel familiar with this pattern but can¡¯t remember where I have seen it before. Do you have any impression of it?¡± ¡°Let me take a look at it.¡± Margaret even put on her sses to see it clearly. She looked at it carefully for a while and then suddenly remembered something. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this pattern before. When you were born, you were wrapped in a quilt. The embroidery of the lining is exactly the same as this. It resembles abination of the phoenix and the red spider lily!¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, I remember it now.¡± Renee had superb visual memory. She could remember almost everything she had seen. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. She had a nce at the quilt when packing up her mother¡¯s belongings. She locked it in a box with her parents¡® stuff and carried it wherever she went. ¡°So it seems this belongs to Mrs. Everheart.¡± Margaret said. But feeling that something was off, she added, ¡°But if this belongs to her, why did she bury it here instead of passing it on to you?¡± ¡°I am not sure either. But this jade should be very meaningful. I have to keep it well.¡± Renee clutched the jade tightly in her hand, hoping to figure out what it was as soon as possible. She wanted topare the jade pattern with the quilt¡¯s embroidery to see if she could find any clue. However, when she opened the box where she kept the quilt, it was no longer there. ¡°This is weird. I clearly put it in the box. Why can¡¯t I find it?¡± Renee frowned as she tried to recall the past. ¡®Could I have left it in Sunup Residence and forgot to take it? Or is it still in Hunt manor? +15 BONUS Regardless of where it was, she had to retrieve it if she wanted to figure out the origin of the jade. This meant she had to revisit Sunup Residence or Hunt manor once more. Renee brushed away the dirt and weeds on her body and said, ¡°Margaret, I have to go somewhere, so you don¡¯t need to prepare lunch for me.¡± ¡°Where are you going. Miss Ren? Do you need me to apany you?¡± Margaret had lived in the basement for four years as a ghost, all in the name of waiting for her young mistress to return. When she heard Renee say she wanted to leave, she feared that thetter would not return. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wille back in the evening.¡± Renee put on a loose¨Cfitting purple dress and a pair of canvas shoes and tied her hair in a high ponytail. This made her look like a lively college student. And she went to Sunup Residence. Though she had moved out, she could still enter freely because she was still the owner of this ce since Liam bought it in her name. To avoid running into Stefan, Renee decided to act quickly and leave in ten minutes. However, when the elevator door opened, she coincidentally ran into Stefan getting off the elevator¡­ Chapter 159 Chapter 159 Chapter 159 The man stood in an upright position as usual. His stunning face was expressionlessly haughty. He feigned ignorance of Renee and wanted to enter the elevator. Renee raised her chin. She wanted to ignore him at first, but the image of him drinking and howling with a group of handsome. men came to her mind. Reminded of the way he acted when he refused to let her go, she burst out laughing. Stefan stiffened instantly. His tall figure turned into a freezing iceberg, and he asked, ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Renee forced herself to change her facial expression back to an indifferent one and said, ¡°Because I am in a good mood!¡± He looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, what good thing can happen to you? You are rather optimistic.¡± ¡°I am divorced and have escaped hellfire. I am certainly feeling great!¡± Renee raised her delicate face slightly and sneered gaily, ¡°I¡¯m not like you, who went drinking and cryingte at night. You did not only hire handsome men to soothe your wounded heart. You even shamelessly refused to let go of your ex¨Cwife. Have you no shame to let the whole world watch how you tantly try to get your wife back?¡± Stefan immediately lost his usual cold and arrogant temperament. He clenched his fists and wanted to refute but only to no avail because he found no words. He felt so flustered that he choked. ¡®Damn it!¡® That video of his drunken madness was simply a stain on his life. No matter how pridefully he acted, or how suave he was in front of Renee, he could no longer be able to intimidate her, since his exposed weakness had torn his godlike image. He spent a fortune topletely get rid of that disgraceful video from thework and even destroyed several media tforms that tried to hype it. However, what good did it bring? He was just deceiving himself. There was no way he could remove the memories of theizens. Now, the whole world knew that he kneeled down and begged Renee not to go. It was so damned embarrassing! Renee, believing that she would be intact no matter how much she teased him, continued her mockery. ¡°It was so unexpected of you, Stefan, that you loved me so much. Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier? I, Renee Everheart, am indeed so attractive that I could charm the picky Master Hunt¡¯s soul to the point he cried so much¡­¡± Hah! After living as a dog who always wagged its tail at its owner for four years, it was her turn to be the owner and enjoy being the center of attention. Even though she was fully aware that it was just an act of an intoxicated man, she still felt very satisfied! The more she spoke, the more excited she was. She ruffled her hair gracefully and squinted her eyes at the man. ¡°Stefan, tell me honestly. How long have you been secretly in love with me? Have you been indifferent to me all this while to attract my attention?¡± He pressed his lips and stared into her eyes with stony eyes. His aura was so overwhelming that his hostility could be felt even though he did not say a word. She subconsciously felt intimidated and gulped. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Um, I was just kidding. There is no need to be Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. so serious, right?¡± She was reminded of the thing she had to do. So, she did not want to waste her time with him anymore and prepared to leave. But he took one step ahead of her and went in. She was shocked. ¡°Stefan, what are you doing? This is my house. Please get out!¡± ¡°You have said that I have a crush on you, so I would naturally not miss such a good opportunity to spend time together with +15 BONUS you,¡± said Stefan reasonably. ¡°I told you it was just a joke!¡± She was so annoyed. She knew that she should not have provoked him. This man was like a beehive. She could not get rid of him after just a slight touch. She was indeed hoisted by her own petard. ¡°I know better than anyone that all men in the world might have a crush on me, but it will never be you, Stefan. I still have this bit of self¨Cknowledge, you know.¡± She clenched her fist and smiled self¨C deprecatingly. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Stefan said nothing. He strode to the huge floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows and looked out at the blue open sea. This scene was only visible to their two penthouses in the whole neighborhood. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. It was such a coincidence. It felt like there was an invisible thread tying him and Renee together. They might have looked at the same sea for many nights without knowing each other¡¯s thoughts¡­ ¡°Why did you want to move out?¡± After a long time, Stefan turned around and asked in a low voice. Renee was busy opening all the drawers in the living room to look for the quilt when Stefan threw the question at her, and she froze. ¡°Because I feel like it!¡± She replied perfunctorily and added a self¨Cdeprecating remark. ¡°The main reason is that I know you don¡¯t like me. If we live next to each other, we will keep bumping into each other. So, I decided to move out to keep out of your sight and not affect your mood.¡± He harrumphed. ¡°You are just ying the wise guy when you don¡¯t know anything!¡± ¡°Maybe I am. You are always busy and have little time to spend with Miss Desrosiers, so you must want to stay in Hunt Vi. Why will youe here? I¡¯ve indeed done something unnecessary.¡± Stefan was standing in the sunlight. His stony face turned slightly cheeky. He gazed at Renee¡¯s face for a long time and said. smiling. ¡°You are jealous.¡± She flushed and denied it immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I don¡¯t like you. Why would I be jealous?¡± ¡°You are,¡± said Stefan confidently. When he repeated it, it was a statement, not spection. With so many women admiring him, how could he not know if someone had feelings for him? Suddenly, he felt that he had won for once ever since the video of him going crazy was exposed. Regardless of what led him to act like a clingy man and hold on to Renee, at least now, he was certain that this woman had lingering feelings for him! The sunlight pierced through the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, silhouetting Stefan, who was standing in front of it. He looked like a tall male idol when he walked toward Renee. ¡°What do you want? Seeing the man getting closer and closer to her, blocking all the way out like a high wall, Renee subconsciously took a defensive stance. ¡®He¡¯s not going to be like the overbearing CEO of an idol drama, trying to y the awkward kabedon kiss scene, is he?¡± Stefan stood before Renee, sizing her up like an object from top to bottom, then leaned down and reached out for her waist- ¡°You rascal, I am warning you, don¡¯t try to mess with me!¡± She hurriedly sped her hands over her chest. Her reaction seemed to be a bit exaggerated. Though it was not a big problem for her to fight against Stefan with her skills, she would rather not do it unless she had to, for the sake of her babies. Stefan was speechless. He pointed to her waist in frustration and said, ¡°Your dress is unzipped.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± +15 BONUS She gulped and fumbled with the zipper. ¡®Shit, I really forgot to zip it!¡± The zipper on the side of her dress was very long. Through the open zipper, everything, whether it was her waist, or something else, could be seen clearly! No wonder everyone threw sideways nces at her when she came here. She previously thought that it was because she looked very beautiful in her outfit today. Never did she expect it to be¡­ ¡®It¡¯s so damn embarrassing!¡® Renee¡¯s face and neck immediately turned red. She wanted to find a cave and hide in it right now. Pretending to be calm, she attempted to pull the zip as if nothing happened. But it was even more embarrassing when she realized that she found it hard to pull. She could no longer fit into this once loose¨Cfitting dress! Stefan watched unsympathetically and said to the blushing Renee, ¡°Do you need help? You seem to be facing a problem.¡°. ¡®Damn! Of course I have a problem when there are two kids in my belly!¡® she thought. ¡°No!¡± Renee took a deep breath and replied in annoyance. ¡°The best thing you can do for me is to get out of here right now!¡± He raised his brows and responded ambiguously. ¡°I will go. But I want to tell you this. Although I don¡¯t like you, I don¡¯t hate you that much either. You don¡¯t have to act like a smart ass and avoid me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Renee froze in surprise. She thought that this huge iceberg hated her all along. Otherwise, he would not have always shown her a stern face and rejected her! But now he was telling her that he actually did not hate her? ¡°And you¡¯d better eat less.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes fell on Renee¡¯s waist, and he asked in a serious manner, ¡°Your waist has widened a lot. Could it be that you¡¯re pregnant?¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Chapter 161 Renee¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She put a hand on her belly awkwardly and pretended to be calm. ¡°I wish I was pregnant sol could proudly marry into the Osborne family. Unfortunately, I have been enjoying myself too much since the divorce, and I gained weight from eating too much. Anyway, thank you for your reminder, Mr. Hunt. It¡¯s indeed time for me to lose some weight. Liam is, after all, so young and vibrant. If I don¡¯t maintain a good figure, who knows when he will be seduced by another vixen, and what would happen to me then?¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned dark instantly. His eyes were like sharp des cutting through her skin. ¡°Well, I wish you good luck then.¡± The man grunted and put his hands in his pocket. Then, he left without looking back at her. Renee stood in ce for a long time. She reflected on her words just now, uncertain of whether she had gone too far with what she just said. ¡®He seemed to be very angry just now. However, what was he angry about when he did not like her?¡± She simply could not understand this man, and her helplessness made her sigh. A man¡¯s heart was like deep water. She collected her thoughts and began to search in every nook and cranny for the quilt. Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. So, there was only one possibility. Her quilt must still be in Hunt manor. She left in too much of a hurry thest time Briar moved in, so there was, indeed, baggage she had left in the vi. The quilt must be there! With this in mind, she could only bite the bullet and take a cab to Hunt manor. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. It was noon, and the sun beat down on the ground mercilessly. Briar wasying on a recliner under the sunshade like a noblewoman when she shouted at the servants. ¡°Why do all of you look sozy? Move! Get rid of all the flowers and trees Renee nted and rece them with my favorite roses. If you can¡¯t get this done before noon, don¡¯t think about getting your lunch!¡± A few servants toiled under the sun like beasts of burden, not daring to rest even a moment though they were worn, parched. and on the verge of passing out. ¡°This new mistress is such a pitiless person. She does not even treat us as human beings. The yard is so big, and there are so many nts. How can we clear them in such a short time?¡± ¡°You bet! She looks soft and gentle, but her heart is more vicious than a wicked witch. Comparing the two mistresses, the former is ten thousandfold better!¡± ¡°I really miss her. She usually listened to us and never acted cocky. She would even cook for us sometime. Should I know this would happen, I would have treated her better¡­¡± The servants who were clearing the nts in a far corner of the yard gossiped out of irritation. In the heat of the excitement of badmouthing Briar, they failed to realize her standing behind them. She angrily kicked them and shouted, ¡°I can see you are in good spirits! It seems that the task is too easy for you. Well then, runps for me, a hundredps each!¡± The servants paled. They were too terrified to even breathe. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go and run, now. If you don¡¯t want to, you can pack your stuff and get out of my house!¡± barked Briar fiercely. She was already jealous of Renee, thinking she was no match for thetter. Now, even the servants thought that she was inferior to Renee. This was something she would never allow to happen! +15 BONUS ¡°Miss Miss Desrosiers, the sun is so strong now, and we are old. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to run a hundredps¡­¡± Lydia, the housekeeper, said cautiously. ¡°Haha, you can¡¯t bear it?¡± Briar crossed her arms against her chest and said with a peevish voice, ¡°But why didn¡¯t you think of it when you were badmouthing me in secret? I don¡¯t care. In a nutshell, those who don¡¯t run enoughps today will have to get the hell out!¡± The servants were reluctant to give up such a well¨Cpaying job, so they could only start runningps. The more they ran, the more they missed the time Renee was Mrs. Hunt. There was no such thing as a master¨Cservant rtionship at that time. They even dared to walk all over her and bully her as much as they desired. Renee was never a two¨Cfaced person like Briar, domineering them on the one hand while acting like a dainty woman and The few servants were already in their forties. They could lose their lives from just running a fewps, let alone a hundred. One of them had already copsed from exhaustion. But Briar had no intention to stop this punishment. ¡°Those who copse are scums. They don¡¯t deserve to stay in Hunt manor.¡± ¡°Miss Desrosiers, we really can¡¯t run anymore. We will die if we keep on running.¡± Lydia cried miserably and begged Briar pathetically. ¡°We have worked diligently for the Hunt family for so many years. Even if we don¡¯t have many contributions, we have worked hard. You can¡¯t just treat us like objects and simply throw us away. Please, Miss Desrosiers, spare us this once!¡± As the servants copsed one by one, Briar did not feel the slightest sympathy and sneered. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said that the previous mistress was better? If you are that capable, ask her to be your savior!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Lydia¡¯s face turned gloomy. Nobody noticed that Renee was slowly approaching them. ¡°Yo, since when Miss Desoriers stopped being the b*tch and found a new hobby as the coach that forces people to runps?¡± As if seeing her savior, Lydia shouted in tears, ¡°Ma¡¯am, please save us! Please!¡± Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Briar sprang out of her recliner as if she was facing a strong enemy and shouted fiercely. ¡°What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you know that trespassing is illegal? I can call the police to arrest you, you know!¡± ¡°You want to call the police?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Renee smirked. She took out her phone and dialed 9-1-1, and handed it to Briar. ¡°Go on and ask the police toe so they can see how abusive you are.¡± ¡°When did I abuse anyone? As the mistress of this vi, I have the right to beat and scold my employees at will! These people should be punished when they make mistakes.¡± She raised her chin, emphasizing the word ¡°mistress¡± with a sense of smugness. The few servants who were beaten up from the torture cowered in a corner, not daring to say a word. ¡°The mistress of this vi?¡± Renee sneered and asked in return, ¡°How can you prove that? Is your name on the title deed?¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t prove your ownership of this vi, the employment rtionship between you and the servants will be non¨Cexistent. and your so¨Ccalled punishment can easily be constituted as a crime. As long as they want to, they can file awsuit and send you to jail. A sentence of three to five years will not be a problem.¡± Renee¡¯s casual remark, which could bring Briar big trouble, subdued thetter instantly. Briar clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. ¡°I am now pregnant with Stefan¡¯s child. This vi will eventually be mine. Everything in the Hunt family will also be my son¡¯s in the future. A few servants are nothing!¡± ¡°Hah, you are being naive again. Miss Desrosiers.¡± Renee looked at Briar as if she was an idiot and savagely poked her sore spot. ¡°First, without my agreement, this vi will never be yours, as I own half of this property. Secondly, as long as you are not married to Stefan, your child will forever be illegitimate, and his right to be the heir of the Hunt family will be uncertain.¡± This vi was a bride price given to Renee by the Hunt family back then. She was supposed to be the only owner of this vi, but she insisted on adding Stefan¡¯s name to the title deed. Though they were now divorced, she still had not transferred her ownership to Stefan. Therefore, she was still, technically, the rightful owner of this vi. ¡°Shut up, you b*tch!¡± Briar went crazy after hearing this and pounced on Renee. ¡°You are just an abandoned woman. How dare you gibber in front of me? So what if Stef and I are not married? Stef did not even want to touch you. You don¡¯t have the right to even have an illegitimate child!¡± Renee grabbed Briar¡¯s wrist and said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t fight with you simply because I am toozy. I¡¯m warning you: you better be kind to me, or don¡¯t even think about joining the Hunt family. Even the thing in your belly won¡¯t be invited, not to mention you!¡± After saying that, she flung Briar¡¯s hand away, causing thetter to stumbled and nearly fall. ¡°You!¡± Briar was stunned by Renee¡¯s cold and unyielding gaze. This was the first time she realized that the woman standing in front of her was not as weak as she appeared to be. And when she thought about the fact that Stefan still had lingering feelings for Renee, she knew that she would not have any advantage when they had it head¨Cto¨Chead. +15 BONUS Therefore, she suppressed her urge to fight and said. ¡°I know you hate me since I am the one who took everything away from you. You can beat or scold me if you want, but can you stop pestering Stef? Don¡¯t you have your next target already? Though the Osborne family is not as powerful as the Hunt family, they are still part of The Great Eight of Beach City. They are more than qualified for a person like you.¡± Renee was speechless. Briar and Stefan were ipatible in every way, save for the rather identical cockiness they both disyed. She did not bother to say anything more and pointed to Lydia, ¡°You, bring me upstairs.¡± As the housekeeper of the vi, Lydia used to make things difficult for Renee under Francine¡¯s order. But now, Renee was a heaven¨Csent savior to her, so she would be more than d to obey her. Briar watched as the two went upstairs. There was nothing she could do, so she could only take it out on the other servants. Lydia led Renee upstairs and said cautiously. ¡°Ma¡¯am, thank you very much for saving us. If you hadn¡¯t appeared in time, we would have been tortured to death, we¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Renee swept a coldnce at Lydia. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to help you. Don¡¯t get over yourself.¡± The picture of how these servants drove her away and how they curried favor with Briar was still vivid in her mind. She was not the kind of forgiving person who repaid her grievance with virtue. She did so simply because these servants were still useful to her. Lydia knew that she had mistreated Renee in the past, so she did not dare to say anything more. The two went to Renee¡¯s old bedroom. When they opened the door, Renee saw that the room was totally empty. There was not a single thing inside. ¡°Where is the baggage I left in this room?¡± Renee looked at Lydia and asked. ¡°Um¡­ Lydia stammered. She was obviously afraid of something. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Judging from Lydia¡¯s reaction, Renee knew that she remembered very clearly that she had left the baggage with the quilt in the vi. ¡°Go on, tell me where my baggage is.¡± Renee questioned with a cold face. Lydia looked troubled. After making sure that there was no one around, she said, ¡°I am not going to hide this from you, Mrs. Your belongings have been cleared away by that woman, and we don¡¯t know where they have been sent. That woman is such a troublemaker. Recently, she has been making a scene to either refurbish your room or remove all the nts you nted in the yard. In short, she does not allow anything which belongs to you in the vi. She is just so difficult to serve!¡± Right at that moment, Briar, who was proudly sticking out her belly, came and pped Lydia in the face. ¡°Traitor! Who asks you to be such a tattletale?¡± Lydia¡¯s face turned as white as a sheet, and she quickly lowered her head, not daring to breathe. Renee found it rather ironic when she thought of how high and mighty Lydia looked when thetter bullied her in the past. There was always a more evil viin to defeat another. Renee did not bother to waste time here. She looked Briar straight in the eyes and said sharply, ¡°Give me back my stuff.¡± ¡°What stuff? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± ¡°I will count to three. If you still refuse to give me back my stuff, don¡¯t me me if I hurt you.¡± ¡°Stop threatening people here. Do you think I am afraid of you?¡± Briar held her arms across her chest and said arrogantly. ¡°Let¡¯s not argue about whether I have taken your stuff or not. Even if I have, what can you do if I won¡¯t give it back to you?¡± Hah! She was now pregnant with the only heir of the Hunt family. This would be her strongest shield. She was sure that Renee would not dare to touch her! ¡°One¡­¡± ¡°Two¡­¡± Renee intensified her cold gaze. All she wanted was to get back her belongings without making a scene with Briar. But if Briar was determined to fight, she would have no reason to hold back! ¡°Three!¡± Renee finished her countdown, but Briar was still unmoved. ¡°You, throw out everything in her room!¡± Renee lost thest bit of her patience and ordered Lydia. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Briar red at Lydia. ¡°¡­¡± Lydia gulped. She felt as if she was in between Scy and Charybdis. When she was hesitating, Renee uttered slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a hundred fifty thousand dors!¡± Lydia¡¯s eyes lit up instantly when she heard the figure, and she said to Briar, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Miss Desrosiers. I don¡¯t think I can serve you anymore. I apologize in advance for offending you today.¡± Briar was so angry that her face turned red and she threatened Lydia. ¡°Idiot! You¡¯d better think it through. Who is going to be the mistress of the Hunt family in the future? If Stef knows about this, will he let it slide?¡± ¡°If you be the future mistress of the Hunt family, then I will be even more eager to leave. Otherwise, I might lose my life!¡± Lydia rebutted boldly. She finally exploded after holding back for so long. Money definitely tasted better than the suffering of working under this vicious woman. So, she threw Briar¡¯s belongings one by one no matter how thetter threw tantrums. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. All her belongings, from therge items like her expensive jewelry to the small ones like her panties, were scattered on the road in front of the door. It was so humiliating when her things were run over by the passing cars. ¡°Stop it! You traitor! Stop it right now!¡± Briar yelled and screeched to stop her. Her disheveled look was a total disgrace. It felt like a deja vu, and the only difference was that their roles had switched. Renee found it ironic as she watched. ¡°Let me ask you once more. Where are my belongings?¡± She grabbed Briar by her cor and questioned icily. Briar, who could not care less about anything anymore,ughed hysterically. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. Never. If you have the guts to hit me, or you dare to touch me, Stef will never let you go. I¡­¡± p! p! Renee flung her arms and pped Briar hard twice. Briar and Lydia were dumbfounded. They never expected that Renee would really do it. ¡°You actually hit me? Just you wait!¡± Briar fished out her mobile and called Stefan. When he answered the call, she cried, ¡°Stefan,e back quickly and save me. Your ex¨Cwife is going to beat me to death!¡± Renee, who was stony¨Cfaced, also took out her mobile and pressed three numbers. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Stefan instinctively wanted to hang up when he heard Briar¡¯s voice. But when he learned that Renee was also there, he immediately turned the car around and headed back to Hunt manor. Briar covered her swollen cheeks and said triumphantly, ¡°Just wait. Stef will be here soon. You just hit me, and the evidence is all here. I shall see what will happen to you!¡± Renee put down her mobile as well and said with a faint smile. ¡°You should also wait. The police will be here soon. It¡¯s so hot today perhaps the detention center will be cooler.¡± The numbers she had just dialed were indeed 911. Since there was no way she could beat this scoundrel, she would leave it to thew. Stefan arrived at the scene in a very short time. His grey supercar looked smart as it rumbled under the dazzling sun. The man performed a perfect doughnut with his car and pulled up in front of the door. Briar could not wait to go to him when he got out of the car. Sticking out her belly and pointing to her red swollen cheeks, she cried pitifully. ¡°You are finally here, Stefan. If you didn¡¯te, my baby and I would¡¯ve been tortured to death by Miss Everheart! I don¡¯t know what made this crazy woman suddenlye here and ask Lydia to throw my things out on the road. She told me to leave, but I refused, so she hit me. I am terrified, but my baby is as well. I can feel it moving around in my belly. Though I can tolerate this, I cannot let my baby be bullied. You must do something!¡± She cried so pitifully, and tears rolled down her little face like a fountain, making her look more miserable than Ophelia in Hamlet. Stefan frowned, troubled by her noisiness. Stealing a nce at Renee, he then looked at Briar and said coldly. ¡°Things don¡¯t just happen on their own. I don¡¯t believe that she would treat you this way for no reason. Have you thought about why?¡± His words stunned everyone. This was indeed an unusual phenomenon. Stefan¡¯s attitude toward Renee had never been good. He never stood up for her when they were still married. But now that they were divorced, he actually sided with her. Why would Briar think about her mistake when she was obviously the ¡°victim¡± with her cheeks swollen? ¡°I guess it is because Miss Everheart felt that I have taken her ce as the mistress of the Hunt family that she hated me and took it out on me.¡± Briar cried and said, ¡°I know you hate me and want to take revenge on me, Miss Everheart. But I beg you, can you let me go for the time being because I¡¯m still pregnant? I promise you that I will do anything to atone for my sins once my child is born. This is the child of the Hunt family. I cannot let him suffer any harm!¡± Stefan¡¯s face changed slightly when he heard ¡°the child of the Hunt family.¡± He seemed to realize he was being too biased, so he looked at Renee and asked deeply. ¡°Did you hit her as she said?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Renee admitted openly. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the one who asked for it.¡± Renee smiled and said, ¡°She is pregnant, after all. Her request required little effort, so I thought I could just fulfill her wish.¡± Briar was so annoyed that she gritted her teeth. She hugged Stefan¡¯s arms and tried to antagonize him. ¡°Look at how arrogant +15 BONUS she is. Stef. She¡¯spletely devoid of respect for you and the Hunt family. If this goes on, I am sure she will go crazy one day and do even crazier things. You should stop her!¡± ¡°Yeah, if you don¡¯t return my things, I will definitely do crazier things. For instance, I might send you to prison and let you give birth there.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were determined. She did not seem to be joking. Meanwhile, a siren could be heard, and a police car arrived at the vi. Two police officers got out of the car and walked toward them. ¡°Who made the report?¡± ¡°Me.¡± Renee raised her hand. She pointed at Briar and said to the police, ¡°Sir, she broke into my house and stole my valuables. She¡¯s also physically assaulted people. You should arrest her.¡± Chapter 165 Chapter 165 After listening to Renee¡¯s statement, the police cast a serious look at Briar and asked, ¡°Is what she said true?¡± Briar¡¯s face paled, and she vigorously waved her hands in denial. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. She ndered me and threw my stuff out. She is the criminal here. You should arrest her, not me!¡± ¡°You know clearly if I ndered you or not.¡± Renee¡¯s pretty face was expressionless as she spoke with logic and rity. ¡°As owner of this property. I have the right to handle any item in the house. Your words have just proved that you trespassed. And one more thing, the items in the baggage you stole are very valuable. Add that into the charges, and you¡¯re looking at at least three years behind bars!¡± ¡°What nonsense!¡± Briar hurriedly defended herself and said, ¡°There are only a few pieces of garments in the baggage, and they are not branded anyway. I bet they are worth less than two thousand. How can it be worth so much!¡± She regretted it right after she said that. Renee smiled in satisfaction and looked at the police. ¡°You heard her, Sir. She admitted it. Stop wasting time talking with her. Just take her away.¡± The police nodded and took out the handcuffs. ¡°Please cooperate with us. Missy. We need you to go to the police station to assist us in the investigation.¡± Briar¡¯s face turned whiter, and she backed up and hid behind Stefan. ¡°Don¡¯te near me. I¡¯ve been wrongly used, Stefan. Save me!¡± Just then, Lydia, who had long been holding a grudge against Briar, and happened to be a turncoat, said loudly, ¡°I can testify that Miss Desrosiers has taken Miss Everheart¡¯s belongings! Moreover, she did not treat the servants here as human beings. She has done many bad things when staying in this vi¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Lydia recounted the bizarre and brutal things Briar had done. Everything she did could easily be constituted as a crime. The more the police listened, the more serious they looked. ¡®No, I didn¡¯t. You shut up, shut up!¡± Briar behaved like a demon that revealed its true form, pouncing on Lydia with the intent to stop her from talking. She had indeed treated the servants like they were less than human and tormented them whenever she had the chance. She thought that they were just soulless beings without dignity and dared not resist no matter what. She did not expect that Lydia would be the one who exposed her! ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Stefan¡¯s face was gloomy yet dignified. The chaotic scene quieted down immediately. Lydia did not dare to continue, and Briar also did not dare to make a scene. anymore. The two police officers exchanged nces, not knowing how to settle this.. Though Briar¡¯s actions were confirmed crimes, they did not have the guts to arrest people from the hands of the president of H Group. Renee was getting tired of this. She was not surprised at how weird Briar was, nor did she care. She just wanted to get back. what belonged to her. ¡°Briar, I am going to say this onest time. Give it back to me. Otherwise, even God will not be able to save you, let alone this man!¡± Her words, though, as intimidating as they sounded, had somewhat challenged the authority of Mr. Hunt. She seemed to have overdone it. Briar wailed immediately. ¡°Just listen to her, Stef. Miss Everheart is going to kill me. You must save me!¡± Everyone thought that Stefan, as the father of the child, would protect Briar no matter what. However, the stony¨Cfaced man said calmly. ¡°In that case, you should cooperate and go to the police station.¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Renee was stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected Stefan to be willing to turn his back on his own family. If she remembered correctly, he had been very protective of Briar before this, despite the obvious fact of her being a two¨C faced bitch. He treated her like a fragile flower. touching it gingerly in fear of damaging it instead of holding it tight. Had he gotten tired of Briar so quickly? ¡®Tsk. The attention span of a man really is worse than a child¡¯s! It was the right decision to divorce him!¡® Renee thought as she quietly celebrated her correct choice. When the two policemen saw Stefan¡¯s stance, they stopped hesitating and pped the handcuffs on Briar¡¯s hands. ¡°Let go of me! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Briar cried emotionally as she begged. ¡°Stefan. I¡¯m innocent! Believe me! Tell them to release me! The baby will be terrified! You can ignore me, but don¡¯t ignore the baby!¡± Stefan furrowed his brows, his cold face not twitching the slightest as he said, ¡°Take her away!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Hunt. It¡¯s a routine taking of statements. We won¡¯t make things difficult for Ms. Desrosiers.¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Having said that, the two policemen escorted Briar to the police cruiser. Though the car had long driven off. Briar¡¯s ghostly cries could still be heard. Renee watched the cruiser fade into the distance and let out a long sigh. She never expected things to turn out this way. She had only wanted to retrieve her quilt and not send Briar to the police station. After all, Briar was still a pregnant woman. If anything happened to her, wouldn¡¯t the me fall on Renee? ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Stefan? Couldn¡¯t you tell that I was simply exaggerating? Why did you actually let the police take her away?¡± Renee groaned as she rubbed her forehead to stave off the oing headache. With a troubled look, she continued gravely, ¡°Even if you really do have a secret crush on me, you don¡¯t have to make such sacrifices. Briar is pregnant with your child, and if anything happens to her, don¡¯t come looking for me!¡± Stefan was speechless in the face of Renee¡¯s words and actions. Why hadn¡¯t he ever known how shameless and foolish this woman was? In his memory. Renee had been a budding white flower. A timid, soft¨Cspoken woman, she¡¯d surely blush whenever she looked at him. She now carried herself proudly like a queen, disying an image that was hard for him to comprehend. He suddenly thought of a saying: the first response of falling in love was to feel inferior. Did that mean¡­ that Renee really no longer loved him? Because she didn¡¯t love him anymore, was that why she felt free to be herself? With that conclusion swimming in his mind, Stefan¡¯s heart clenched, and he felt awfully ufortable. Renee nced around for a moment, and when she couldn¡¯t find what she was looking for, started to comin, ¡°Ugh. I couldn¡¯t find my stuff in the first ce, and you had to send away the one person who knew where it was. It¡¯ll be even harder to find now.¡± Stefan came out of his thoughts and coldly asked, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for my suitcase. There¡¯s something very important inside,¡± Renee replied, then let out a long sigh. It seemed like she would have to look for it herself. The entire vi spanned an area of hundreds of square feet, and finding a small box would certainly be almost impossible. Stefan crossed his arms and watched the woman go about looking for it. He didn¡¯t say a word and simply shook his head as she shuffled around. What a damn stubborn woman! What exactly was in the box? Was it worth the trouble she was going through? Thus, unable to stand the sight of Renee trundling around like a headless chicken, he summoned all the staff in the vi to help her look for it. With the abundant manpower at their disposal, they scoured all four floors of the vi, its surrounding gardens, and even under the carpets, but they couldn¡¯t find anything. ¡°Did Briar dump it somewhere outside?¡± Renee wondered out loud as she rubbed her chin, thinking about this possibility. Suddenly, a young maid came up, gasping for breath as she huffed, ¡°I I¨CI found it¡­! It¡­ It¡¯s just that it scared me a little!¡± Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Renee, overjoyed, hurriedly asked, ¡°Well, where is it? Hurry up and bring it to me!¡± The young maid looked fearful and stammered, ¡°M¨Cma¡¯am, your suitcase was in the basement. It¡¯s¡­ well, it¡¯s best if you see for yourself!¡± ¡°What? In the basement?¡± Renee parroted, caught betweenughter and tears at the revtion. They had exerted so much effort to search the entire vi, yet they overlooked where it would most likely be. How absurd was that? However, judging from the maid¡¯s expression, Renee didn¡¯t think things were that simple. Heading downstairs, she went to the basement. Stefan frowned, and he followed the woman silently. The Hunt vi basement was two floors below the ground floor, led by long, winding spiral stairs. Having mainly served as a refuge during the catastrophe of the Great War, the airflow could have been better, and the ce was dark. Usually, no one woulde down here. When he reached the basement door, he noted it was slightly open. A dark, red light emanated inside, giving off an eerie feeling. ¡°I¨Cit¡¯s inside¡­!¡± the young maid stuttered as she stood outside, not daring to go in. Renee also noticed the weird scene, but she had already lived in this vi for four years, and there was nothing here that she was afraid of. She pushed the door and went in without hesitation. ¡°Ahh!¡± The scene before her was so bizarre that she couldn¡¯t help but scream in fear as she stumbled backward, almost tripping and falling on her butt. ¡°The hell are you yelling for?!¡± Stefan had reached out to hold Renee¡¯s stick¨Clike waist in a tight grip, and his broad chest against her back gave her a sense of security. Renee jerked her head up, and her frightened eyes turned to meet the man¡¯s indifference. ¡®When did hee up behind me? He was as silent as a ghost!¡± She tried to calm herself before pointing to the strange items littered around the basement and asking, ¡°Who made these things? Don¡¯t you think they¡¯re scary?!¡± Stefan looked around the basement with cold eyes before nodding. ¡°Yes. They are quite scary indeed.¡± Therge basement glowed eerily with the dark red lights surrounding it, and several bizarre¨Clooking rag dolls were lying on the ground. The dolls were all dressed like Renee! Some had missing hands, some had broken legs, and some even had silver needles sticking out of them! At the center of the room was a skull wrapped in a piece of cloth as red as blood. The cloth was filled with curses written in dark red, which was creepy. And this piece of cloth was exactly what Renee had been looking for the entire day! Her precious quilt! ¡°Have I been¡­ cursed?¡± Renee could feel goosebumps all over her body as she took in the scene. Even though she didn¡¯t believe in this supernatural stuff, it was still ufortable to see little dolls looking like her being stabbed, and curses were written all over them. ¡°Briar has gone too far! What a vicious serpent!¡± Renee eximed as she held back the urge to throw up. She clenched her fist, so angry that her petite frame trembled. No wonder the police would rather arrest that woman than tell Renee where her suitcase had been hidden! She knew if this ce was discovered, her true nature as a crazy and cruel person would be exposed! Stefan frowned deeply and asked the maid. ¡°Was Miss Desrosiers responsible for all of this?¡± The maid warily lowered her head and replied. ¡°Um¡­ We¡¯re not sure. Miss Desrosiers only forbade us froming down here. She said if any of us dared to go against her orders, she¡¯d cut off our legs¡­¡± Well, the answer was obvious, wasn¡¯t it?! Renee calmed herself before pushing Stefan away. ¡°Seems like your little mistress has strange ways of hurting others, huh?¡± she mocked. ¡°Quite refreshing, really. I¡¯d advise you to check if she¡¯s cast some sort of spell on you for you to be so smitten. with her.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After saying that, Renee gathered her courage and stalked into the room, kicking a few of the dolls away and picking up the quilt wrapped around the skull. The skull rolled onto the floor. Now that it wasn¡¯t covered with the quilt, it was obviously a human skull, and the maid screamed when she saw it clearly. Renee ignored it and quickly checked the pattern on the quilt, but at the same time, her stomach started to hurt¡­ Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Perhaps it was because she had been running around all day that Renee was exhausted and nauseous, likely due to her pregnancy. She endured the difort in her abdomen and squeezed the quilt with curses written all over it tightly in her hand, and the fury was obvious on her beautiful face. Turning her burning eyes on Stefan, she asked coldly. ¡°How are you going to deal with this? Your little mistress has done something so vicious and disgusting!¡± Briar had repeatedly challenged her and pushed her to the limits. Before this, Renee had been toozy to bother about the woman. But this time, she had really crossed the line, and Renee wouldn¡¯t stand for it. If she did, there would be a second time. She wouldn¡¯t have the energy to deal with it if that happened! Stefan straightened up, the indifference on his face not changing as he asked another question instead of answering her. ¡°What do you want me to do about it?¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t stop the sneer from escaping her lips. ¡°Judging by your words, do I dare think you would do anything I asked? Are you willing to turn your back on your darling mistress to get justice for me?¡± Stefan tilted his chin upward, adopting a pose that indicated he was superior to Renee, and took in the anger radiating off the petite woman before replying calmly, ¡°Briar has gone too far this time. If your request is reasonable, I¡¯ll make sure it happens.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°Are you serious? Do you think ¡®gone too far¡® sums up what happened here?¡± Stefan¡¯s casualness and leniency toward Briar sparked Renee¡¯s anger even further. She couldn¡¯t understand. Was Stefan that head over heels for that woman, and that¡¯s why he would turn a blind eye to everything to protect her? When she thought about how she had ced this man on a pedestal and how deeply she had loved him for four years, she couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted at her once vulgar taste! ¡°A reasonable request, you said?¡± Renee¡¯s red lips lifted into a smirk as she sneered, ¡°Get her to apologize to me, on her knees. on international media. If she¡¯s sincere, I¡¯ll consider forgiving her.¡± Stefan furrowed his brows, and the air in the room suddenly became tense. ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard.¡± ¡°Overboard?¡± Renee repeated,ughing outright. ¡°Are you saying what she did wasn¡¯t overboard? She cursed me to die in such a disgusting way! When one does wrong, shouldn¡¯t they apologize?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get her to apologize to you, but there¡¯s no need to make a scene on the media. It¡¯ll be the joke of the day if the world sees this.¡± ¡°If she has the guts to do it, then she should have the guts to bear the consequences. What she did was a joke on its own! Shouldn¡¯t the world know what kind of person she is?¡± When it came to this. Renee refused to budge an inch. ¡°Besides, even if it bes a joke, that¡¯s your family¡¯s problem. It doesn¡¯t concern me.¡± Stefan stared at Renee, the emotion in his eyes bing conflicted and eventually hardening further. The woman before him waspletely different from the kind and dignified individual he remembered. The more he stared at her, the more he didn¡¯t recognize her. ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before,¡± Stefan said. ¡°Briar is pregnant. Does it make sense for you to be this aggressive?¡± Renee burst outughing at his words. ¡°Haha! Aggressive? Are you serious? You consider that aggressive? Since when were you so magnanimous, Mr. Hunt?¡± She took a deep breath, brushed her hair, and said harshly. ¡°You best guard your little lover well, Mr. Hunt. If she falls into my hands, I won¡¯t stop at this, and I¡¯ll make her pay what she deserves!¡± After saying that, Renee left the Hunt vi with her head held high. Everything in this vi made her feel dirty and repulsive. If she could, she¡¯d never step foot in this ce again! It was then that the pain in her abdomen suddenly intensified, and Renee gulped harshly. Beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead¡­ Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Chapter 169 Renee called for a cab and waited at the curb of the vi, her body swaying asionally. At some point, Stefan had followed her out, and his hand wrapped around her thin wrist. There was concern in his eyes as he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t look well. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pissed at your little mistress!¡± Renee replied instantly. She wanted to shake the man¡¯s hand off, but she felt too weak, and she couldn¡¯t muster up the strength to do it. ¡°Are you okay? Do you need me to send you to the hospital?¡± Stefan didn¡¯t feelfortable leaving Renee alone and was fully prepared to get his car. ¡°I don¡¯t need your false sympathy!¡± Renee shot back. Stefan was a hypocrite, and she didn¡¯t give him a second nce and sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re really ashamed, then you should advise your lover and get her to apologize to me on her knees, or the consequences will be even direr! Either way, I¡¯ll be pursuing this matter to the end. I won¡¯t let her off so easily!¡± The words were imposing, but because she said it weakly, it sounded more like a rant without any killing intent. ¡°That¡¯s fine, do whatever you want. It¡¯s your right. Just let me get you to the hospital first.¡± Stefan said, attempting to coax Renee like a three¨Cyear¨Cold. 1 He held her shaky body and gently started to lead her in the direction of his sports car. L ¡°I told you it¡¯s none of your business! Let go of me!¡± Renee eximed, struggling stubbornly with slight dampness in her eyes. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She felt aggrieved. She had clearly been the victim here, but this man was defending Briar for no proper reason, making her look as though she was aggressive and vicious. So. Stefan¡¯s sudden tenderness had broken down her defenses. Regardless, Stefan seemed to still have some conscience, so he wasn¡¯t aplete lost cause. The two were slowly walking toward his car when his phone suddenly rang. It was one of the two policemen who had taken Briar away. ¡°Mr. Hunt¡­ Y¨Cyou have toe to the station right away! Something happened to Miss Desrosiers, and we don¡¯t know what to do!¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned hard, and he asked chillingly, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Miss Desrosiers said her stomach hurt, so we wanted to send her to the hospital, but she¡­ she refused! She said she wanted to see you first. It¡¯s very urgent. Please hurry!¡± The policeman spoke loudly, and Renee could hear the conversation clearly. ¡°I got it.¡± Stefan hung up and released Renee¡¯s waist. He turned to look at Renee with his dark eyes, and even though not a word was exchanged, his meaning was clear. Renee silentlyughed at herself. What had she been expecting? How naive must she have been to even expect anything from this man! She waved her hand dismissively. ¡°What are you waiting for? Your lover is waiting for your rescue!¡± ¡°Can you manage on your own?¡± Stefan was still obviously concerned, and it showed in his eyes. ¡°Does it matter? I¡¯ve been doing it for four years, let alone now.¡± Renee replied coldly with an indifferent look. Her heart had long since shattered into thousands of pieces, and it was now numb. Whatever choice Stefan made would do little to move her. To him, Renee was an existence so insignificant that she could be tossed aside whenever it was convenient! Just then, the cab she had called arrived, so she got into the vehicle without looking back. When the car drove past Stefan, she stared ahead and didn¡¯t spare the man another nce. Stefan watched the car with a sullen face as it shrunk into the distance. It was a long time before he finally averted his eyes. When Renee arrived at Everheart Residence, located west of the city, it was alreadyte at night. The cab driver had heard rumors that the ce was haunted, and he didn¡¯t dare drive all the way in, leaving Renee about one kilometer away from the house. Her abdomen didn¡¯t hurt as much as before, but it was still ufortable. She slowly lumbered home, feeling as though she would copse with every step she took. Margaret had been waiting outside for a long time, keeping an eye out for her. She rushed forward, sick with worry, the moment she saw Renee on the ground at the gates. ¡°Miss Ren? Miss Ren! What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Chapter 170 When Renee saw Margaret, who was like a mother to her, tears of resignation filled her eyes. ¡°Margaret, my stomach hurts!¡± Like a child, she threw herself into the older woman¡¯s arms and wept uncontrobly. For four years, from the changes in her family to her grandfather¡¯s death and even her divorce from Stefan, not a single tear had been shed, and she remained as sturdy as a mountain. But it was tiring to be strong all the time. She was only a twenty¨Cyear¨Cold woman! She didn¡¯t want to be strong anymore! Margaret was confused. She rarely saw Renee in such a fragile state, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel distressed, and tears also filled her eyes. She gently stroked Renee¡¯s back infort and said, ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay. Miss Ren. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here with you!¡± Like a lost little puppy, Renee soaked in the warmth of Margaret¡¯s arms. Having not felt this peaceful in a long while, she seemed rxed and wasn¡¯t as ufortable as before. Margaret was Renee¡¯s nanny and had a lot of experience in childbirth and parenting. She looked at Renee¡¯s stomach andplexion and could hazard a guess as to what was wrong with the younger woman. ¡°Miss Ren, are you pregnant?¡± Margaret asked cautiously. ¡°I¡­ The thought of telling Margret had never crossed Renee¡¯s mind, and denial was on the tip of her tongue. However, Margeret picked up her hand and felt the pulse on her wrist, adding, ¡°And almost three months along, if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ apparently, I can¡¯t hide anything from you,¡± Renee mumbled helplessly. Margaret¡¯s family came from a long line of skilled medical professionals. Renee once heard her mother say that her grandmother had personally hired Margaret to manage all the affairs in their family and care for Renee¡¯s mother, who had been pregnant then, and her, who had been born after. That meant Margaret was more experienced than many other doctors in the field. Margaret stayed silent and continued feeling Renee¡¯s pulse. After a while, she frowned and said. ¡°Miss Ren, you ran into trouble today, didn¡¯t you? Your pulse is irregr. You should lie down. I¡¯ll prepare some medicine for you. You¡¯ll be fine once you take it.¡± ¡°Thank you, Margaret.¡± Renee obeyed Margaret¡¯s instruction and returned to her bedroom to lie down. Margaret prepared a concoction ording to the medical skills she had learned from her ancestors. Once it was done, she brought it up to Renee. ¡°Come, Miss Ren. Once you drink this, the pain will go away!¡± Renee was not the slightest bit wary of the medicine and swallowed it in one gulp. To her, Margaret was the only person in this world she could trust unconditionally, even more than Liam or Leia. A gentle sensation washed over her once she drank the medicine, and she felt better almost instantly. ¡°Margaret, my stomach doesn¡¯t hurt much anymore! You¡¯re awesome!¡± Renee gushed, her eyes filled with adoration for the older woman. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Of course! My great¨Cgrandfather was known as the famous Plum Blossom Saint, you know? As his descendent, even if I only inherited a tenth of his mantle andcked his necromancy skills, keeping an unborn baby safe is easy.¡± +15 BONUS Margaret was clearly proud of her ancestry and lineage. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the title given to the doctor who was rumored to be able to perform miracles? That¡¯s your great¨Cgrandfather, Margaret? That¡¯s¡­ Wow!¡± The admiration in Renee¡¯s heart swelled bigger. Even though she knew that Margaret came from a line of ancestors who studied medicine, she didn¡¯t know their origins were that great! Her profound heritage completely overshadowed the Everheart family¡¯s reputation! In that case, hadn¡¯t it been a waste for Margaret to be a housekeeper and nanny in this family? Renee asked curiously, ¡°Margaret, this is the first I¡¯ve heard that your great¨Cgrandfather was the Plum Blossom Saint. I heard he was the treasure of the medical world and that he could cure people who were terminally ill. If that¡¯s the case¡­ why didn¡¯t you pursue a medical career and waste your life here instead?¡± Margaret smiled. ¡°I was entrusted with this task. Besides, caring for you and your mother wasn¡¯t a waste of my life. It was my life¡¯s mission.¡± ¡°Entrusted? By my grandmother?¡± Renee was even more curious at the older woman¡¯s words. ¡°Could you tell me a little about my grandmother, Margaret?¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Chapter 171 ¡°You want to know about Madam?¡± Margaret asked, looking at Renee and sighing. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed. I don¡¯t really know her either, and I¡¯ve never met her properly.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Margaret replied as she took a trip down memoryne and answered honestly. ¡°I grew up and was homeschooled in my family. My family has always served the Schneider family, so when Madam found me and told me to apply to be a nanny. to care for your pregnant mother and eventually you, I listened to them unconditionally.¡± ¡°She was very mysterious. She never appeared publicly and always wore a veil when she met me. That¡¯s why I said I probably. never met her properly¡­¡± Even after decades, Margaret could still vividly remember the day she had met Madam Everheart. The woman had been unique. There was no word to describe her, and ¡®beautiful¡® was not enough. Even the veil she wore could not cover up her exceptional charm. When I came to the Everheart family, she had already left. As to where she might¡¯ve gone¡­ Master, Sir, and even Ma¡¯am were silent, and no one ever mentioned it.¡± Renee hung her head and said, ¡°Yeah. Grandpa and my parents never told me about Grandma. There are also no pictures of her at home, but I know they miss her a lot. I always wanted to know what happened to Grandma that made her leave her family.¡± Renee had hoped that Margaret would have some useful information, but it seemed like her nanny was also about the same level when it came to this! From various sources, she had pieced together a picture. She knew that the Schneider family, from the side of her grandmother, Lilliana, was one of the oldest and most mysterious families in the distant North City. The once glorious family had disappeared into the wind for some reason, and no one dared mention them. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°If you really want to understand anything about Madam, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to personally make a trip to North City.¡± Margaret suddenly thought of something and asked Renee, ¡°Did you find the quilt, Miss Ren? I vaguely recall Mrs. Everheart saying that Madam specially sewed this for you before she left. She also personally embroidered the pattern, so perhaps you. might find some clues.¡± ¡°I found it, but¡­ there¡¯s been a situation,¡± Renee said with a deep frown. While mentioning the quilt. Renee got so angry she wanted to p Briar in the face. She slowly pulled the quilt from her bag and handed it to Margaret, who took it eagerly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would see it again! I knew you¡¯d find it, Miss Ren!¡± Margaret was overjoyed and immediately spread the quilt open, but when she saw the curses written all over it, she almost screamed and tossed it. ¡°W¨Cwas this written in blood? Who did this? How could they?!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t believe in those things anyway.¡± Renee wasn¡¯t afraid. She only felt disgusted at the disaster on her quilt. The most important thing now was to restore the quilt to its original state. It took some effort, but Margaret quickly cleaned the words off the quilt, and the pattern embroidered on it became clear. There were two things on it, the samebination of a phoenix and flowers. Some stripes connected together to form a map. as though guiding Renee to somece. *Judging from the shape of the map, it looks to be North City. Perhaps Madam purposely left this behind so you could look for her?¡± Margaret guessed, which was also in line with Renee¡¯s thoughts. However, Renee didn¡¯t think too deeply about it as she kept the quilt and jade pendant away. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter!¡± Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Margaret looked at Renee¡¯s belly and nodded in understanding. ¡°You¡¯re right. The most important thing right now is to nurture your baby and have a safe birth.¡± The older woman didn¡¯t ask who the father of Renee¡¯s baby was, and thetter didn¡¯t say a word about it either. The two women had an unspoken understanding of the situation. Renee waspletely assured that Margaret would keep her mouth shut. As long as Renee didn¡¯t permit it, her nanny would take this secret to her grave. Renee put off all activities in the next few days and stayed in bed, nursing her baby under Margarent¡¯s meticulous care. It was clear that Margaret hade from a great line of doctors, as Renee¡¯s previous minor illnesses were cured with just a few doses of medicine. She no longer felt fatigued, and her appetite improved. She could now stomach several meals a day without feeling nauseous. Today. Margaret went out early to do some grocery shopping, and Renee slept in bed. The sun bathed her skin with warm light, and she felt at peace andfortable. Renee secretly nned to take her child and Margaret to live abroad once her business was settled. By then, she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about money and couldze around all day. Her rxed state didn¡¯tst very long, as she heard noises from downstairs. ¡°What are you scared of? Just smash all of it! I don¡¯t believe that the dead can bully the living! If you guys don¡¯t smash this ce to bits, I¡¯ll make all of you eat shit!¡± Renee¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, and she opened her eyes with an unhappy look. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The noses got louder as the minutes ticked by, apanied by the obvious crashing of things getting broken which told her it wasn¡¯t a hallucination but an actual intrusion. She silently got up and casually dressed, wearing her slippers, before going out to see what was happening. Renee came down to see a man in a white suit directing four to five gangsters holding steel pipes and smashing the furniture and appliances in the hall. ¡°They say this vi is haunted, and the surrounding people have left out of fear! Our boss doesn¡¯t believe in those things. We¡¯re trashing this ce as much as we want today, boys! We¡¯re eliminating evil for the sake of the public!¡± The man in the suit didn¡¯t notice Renee standing on the stairs as he spoke to the gangsters arrogantly. These rascals had epted payment for a job, so they naturally didn¡¯t hold back, smashing everything they could. Soon, the entire vi looked like it had just survived a hurricane. ¡°Who are you people, and what are you doing?!¡± Margaret shouted. She had returned with a basket full of groceries and was appalled to see the scene before her. Her shock soon fueled her with anger, and she screamed. ¡°The Everheart residence isn¡¯t somewhere you rascals can do as you please! Get out of here, or face my wrath!¡± When the man in the white suit saw Margaret, he froze and turned pale with fright before spluttering incredulously, ¡°l¨Cit¡¯s you! T -that fierce olddy¡­! Didn¡¯t I¡­ bury you alive?! How are you still alive? A¨C are¡­ Are you a g¨Cghost?!¡± ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s you! Ackey of the Sunders¡®, hmm? Seems our paths inevitably cross again!¡± Hatred filled Margaret¡¯s face as she stared at the man who had almost driven her to her death. She lunged at him like she waspletely deranged. +15 BONUS ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m a ghost, and I¡¯m here for your life!¡± ¡°N¨Cno! D¨Cdon¡¯te near me! Get away!¡± The man in the white suit screamed in fear and backed away on trembling legs. ¡°T¨Cthe person who wanted you dead was Jeremy Sunder! I was only following his orders! If you want to im a life, go after it! Not me!¡± The white suit man covered his head with both hands as he stammered and begged for mercy. ¡°I won¡¯t let any of you off! Not you, Jeremy, or anyone else who harmed the Everheart family!¡± Margaret hissed as she tightened her grip around the man¡¯s neck. ¡°S¨Cspare¡­ me! Please¡­!¡± The man¡¯s pants had a damp patch at his crotch, indicating he had wet himself in fear. But soon, he realized that something was wrong. Margaret¡¯s hands were warm around his neck, but¡­ ghosts didn¡¯t have physical bodies or body heat, did they? ¡°Y¨Cyou¡¯re not a ghost¡­? You¡¯re not dead!¡± At the realization, the man became enraged and yelled at the gangsters. ¡°What the hell are you doing? You didn¡¯t finish her off back then, so you better get rid of her today!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see who dares touch her. hmm?¡± Renee spoke from where she was on top of the stairs. She casually flexed her fingers. ready to unleash a killing spree Chapter 173 Chapter 173 Chapter 173 ¡°I was nning to settle the score with you when I felt better, but I never thought you would serve yourselves up on a silver tter¡­¡± Renee wore a calm expression as she walked down the stairs, her knuckles cracking as she clenched and unclenched her fists. She had discovered earlier that the person who tried to bury Margaret alive four years ago was Jeremy¡¯s close friend, Charles, and for that, she decided that the man would pay with his life¡­ And that man was standing right before her right now. Charles turned to Renee, and disdain shed on their faces. Charles mockingly said. ¡°Haha! What a bold statement! Here I was, wondering who it was¡­ Turns out it¡¯s a remaining Everheart maggot! Our boss has wanted to eradicate you for a long time, but he let you off because of the Hunts! You¡¯re just a despicable. housewife who has been demoted, and no one will protect you! I might as well take your useless life to my boss for a reward! Renee sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re a dog wanting to ask your master for a bone, you first have to have the ability to do so! If you can run your mouth so well, why don¡¯t you try taking care of your clothes first, hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve recorded how you pissed your pants, you know? I wonder what Jeremy would think if he saw how his close friend was so wimpy in a critical moment, and even worse, selling him out so easily?¡± When Renee finished speaking, she turned the volume up to maximum on her phone, repeatedly ying the video of Charles wetting himself when Margaret entered the door. ¡°Pfft¡­ Haha!¡± Some of the men couldn¡¯t help but break out in peals ofughter, holding their hurting stomachs. ¡°What a wimp!¡± Margaret couldn¡¯t help butugh too. This was probably her first timeughing so hard after suffering for four years! Charles¡® face twisted into an ugly expression, and he swung his fist at Renee. ¡°Damn you! How dare you y me for a fool! I won¡¯t stop if I don¡¯t cripple you today!¡± To Charles, Renee was just a weak little girl, and it would be as easy as stepping on an ant to kill her. His attack was quick and heavy, and Margaret was frightened as she screamed, ¡°Look out, Miss Ren!¡± Renee was quick to react and caught his fist. With a smooth motion, she easily flipped and dropped him to the ground. ¡°Ow!¡± Charles couldn¡¯t react to Renee¡¯s counter and fell straight on his ass. He looked at Renee incredulously. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°W¨Cwhat¡­? What did you just¡­?!¡± Charles was considered to be a person well¨Cversed in martial arts, and he was well aware that the skills Renee had just disyed couldn¡¯t be pulled off by someone with barely any training. She had to have at least a decade of training under her belt to have done that! How could a weak woman like her do that?! ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just taking out the trash!¡± Renee was going to continue teaching Charles a lesson when her abdomen suddenly cramped up. She immediately hunched forward and curled into herself. ¡®Tsk¡­ What a time to be naughty, little one!¡® Although she had intended to find a way to get them out of there first, it appeared that she wouldn¡¯t be solving this with force. Hence, she straightened up, kept herposure, and said to Charles, ¡°Consider yourselves lucky that I spared your life today. Hurry up and get lost, or I¡¯ll send this video to Jeremy for entertainment!¡± Charles didn¡¯t dare to do anything rash because of the move Renee had disyed, but also because he was afraid that she would really send the video to Jeremy. If she did, he would be a dead man. So, he also yed along and said, ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re also lucky. It so happens I don¡¯t have enough energy today, which is why I couldn¡¯t kill you!¡± Then, he waved his hands at his underlings. ¡°Come on! We¡¯re leaving!¡± The men dragged their steel pipes and followed him out. But suddenly, Charles realized that he might¡¯ve been tricked. Wouldn¡¯t it be safer if he¡¯d just grabbed the phone and destroyed. the video? They were big, burly men! How could they let two weak women boss them around?! ¡°Damn it! Grab that phone and kill her!¡± Charles roared. He wanted to teach Renee a lesson for deceiving him. But suddenly, a strong force came from behind him, and he suddenly felt someone kicking him so hard that he inadvertently began iling his arms as his feet left the ground¡­ Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Seeing the simple, absolutely brutal, and cool style, Renee knew instantly that she was facing the most oppressive man in Beach City, the crazy young master Stefan. But she didn¡¯t understand. Why would this aristocrate to this dpidated haunted house? Charles had just been dropped on his ass by Renee, and now someone else had kicked him so hard he felt it to the bones. He could barely restrain his anger, and he was about to start cursing when he turned to meet Stefan¡¯s burning eyes. He immediately went pale and almost wet himself again. ¡°M¨CMr. Hunt! W¨Cwhy are you here?!¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Stefan stared down at Charles, who was prostrating on the ground. His brows were furrowed, and he asked in an obviously upset tone. ¡°Are you one of Jeremy¡¯s people?¡± He could vaguely recall the man beside Jeremy from a business deal before this, where they had met. Ah, he was Jeremy¡¯s top bodyguard, wasn¡¯t he? Jeremy was very close to him too. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Sir! My name is Charles. I¡¯ve been working with Mr. Sunder for many years. Meeting you when you signed the long¨Cterm business deal with Sunder Group was a great honor. I¡¯ve always admired you, and today¡¯s formal encounter is a real privilege!¡± Charles was practically bending over backward for Stefan, and he looked like he would grovel on the ground and worship Stefan if he could. This was because he knew Stefan had a status above Jeremy, and he couldn¡¯t afford to offend him. Stefan looked indifferently, and without bothering to spare Charles another nce, he looked around the vi. He took in the smashed furniture and the mess, and his frown deepened. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± Charles gulped before stammering. ¡°B¨Cbecause¡­ Mr. Sunder heard that the Everheart vi was haunted. The neighbors around here, including his close friends, expressed their fear¡­ H¨Che¡¯s a righteous man he said we should clean up this unclean ce for everyone¡¯s sake!¡± ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡± Renee could feel her brain cells deteriorating from the man¡¯s nonsense. Was he insulting their intelligence? Enduring the pain in her abdomen, she coldly snorted, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an idiot? Or are you saying Mr. Sunder is stupid? You¡¯re boldly using his name and portraying him as a fool. You seem to be really tired of living, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, calm down. Mr. Sunder really did say¡­¡± Charles was also in disbelief at his own words, but what else could he do? He couldn¡¯t say that Jeremy knew that Renee had moved back into the Everheart residence and had deliberately sent Charles to get rid of her, right?! After all, Renee was still Stefan¡¯s wife. Even if the two were divorced, the man wouldn¡¯t stand back and watch his ex¨Cwife get bullied, that¡¯s for sure! ¡°What did Mr. Sunder send you here to do again?¡± Stefan asked nonchntly, attempting to disy an attitude of indifference. ¡°H¨Che asked us to clean up this dirty ce¡­¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that my ex¨Cwife is dirty?¡± ¡°N¨Cno! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Charles was sorely tempted to bury his head in the ground. At this moment, he was only +15 BONUS digging a deeper grave for himself. ¡°Y¨Cyou misunderstand, Mr. Hunt! I was only¡­ I just¡­!¡± Charles carefully studied Stefan¡¯s face, at aplete loss at how to answer the man. Whether they were divorced, Charles was even more insignificant to Stefan than Renee. He felt that whichever way he answered would be wrong. Renee was ufortable as she listened to the conversation. Somehow, she felt like Stefan was indirectly insulting her. Stefan looked at Charles coldly, then suddenly raised his foot to step on Charles¡® head. ¡°Go back and tell Jeremy that there¡¯s nothing I hate more than bullies! The deal between H Group and Sunder Group has been terminated!¡± ¡°Y¨Cyes, sir!¡± Charles didn¡¯t dare protest or say more. Gesturing wildly to the other men, the group scrambled and left the vi. What a mess! Charles hadn¡¯t expected that his luck was so bad that he¡¯d run into Stefan, now like a knight riding in on a white horse to save the damsel in distress. Didn¡¯t divorced couples usually not get along? What the hell was up with those two?! Was it normal to meet up so often?! On the other hand, Stefan had both hands in his pocket and a stern look on his face as he asked Renee, ¡°How are you?¡± Renee was not a fool. Even though her ex¨Chusband had just asserted his dominance, and she went starry¨Ceyed over his disy for a moment, she was clear¨Cheaded and sneered. ¡°One doesn¡¯t visit for no reason, Mr. Hunt. You came to my house with your condescending attitude, so you shouldn¡¯t expect a pleasant wee. Why don¡¯t you get to the point?¡± Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Chapter 175 Stefan didn¡¯t reply to Renee¡¯s question but proceeded to survey the vi. ¡°Theyout doesn¡¯t work. The hall is too cramped, the dome looks awful, and the staircase is too steep. It needs aplete renovation. The decorations are so ancient they look like leftovers from the Republican era. The carvings on the pirs at the entrance aren¡¯t exquisite enough, either. It¡¯s best you knock it down and start from scratch.¡± N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Stefan continued to nitpick on everything about the vi in an arrogant tone, and Renee was thoroughly confused. Was there something wrong with this man? He still thought of himself as her husband, did he?! ¡°Do you have that much free time on your hands, Stefan? Did you get a degree in interior design when I wasn¡¯t looking? You don¡¯t need to point out anything about my house!¡± Stefan was currently standing in the middle of the living room, staring hard at thendscape painting hanging on the wall and ignoring Renee¡¯s moody words. ¡°This is a nice painting. It¡¯s the famous painting of a young shepherd boy singing a song in the evening, isn¡¯t it? If this were authentic, it would be very valuable.¡± Renee was surprised at how perceptive Stefan¡¯s eyes were when it came to art. She thought he was a businessman through and through and never expected that he¡¯d be knowledgeable in literature and arts. The painting was indeed the most valuable item in the entire vi, but no one knew that. Because of that, the painting. Evening Song of the Shepherd Boy, was never taken even though the home had been ransacked many times. It was also her father¡¯s favorite painting, and Renee would think of him whenever she looked at the painting hanging in the hall. It was mystifying as she felt a sense of security she usually associated with her father when she looked at Stefan¡¯s strong back. He was like a silent, unmoving mountain. She felt that her world was safe as long as he was around. Even if the sky fell, she wouldn¡¯t need to be afraid. Oh my god. Renee was going out of her mind! What was she even thinking?! Margaret looked at Renee, then at Stefan, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. This was the first time she saw Stefan in person, and he was nowhere as cold¨Cblooded or heartless as Renee had portrayed him. Based on his heroic rescue and how he looked at Renee, it seemed this man was not as apathetic as Renee imed. ¡®Perhaps a misunderstanding led to their divorce¡­¡® Margaret thought as she watched the two. ¡°Are you done? If you¡¯re done, you should leave!¡± Renee said rudely, trying to get him to leave. Though she wasn¡¯t sure why the man had visited her, she was certain he didn¡¯t have any good intentions, so she might as well chase him away as soon as possible. ¡°Miss Ren, you can¡¯t be so rude!¡± Margaret admonished. ¡°Mr. Hunt is a guest, and he just saved us. We should at least have him stay for a meal.¡± Then, the older woman turned to Stefan and said, ¡°Mr. Hunt, it¡¯s afternoon now, so why don¡¯t you stay for lunch? What do you usually eat? I can make almost any kind of cuisine, even Western! Just spill your preferences.¡± Stefan turned and observed Margaret for a few moments. After a while, he seemed satisfied and started to make uninhibited orders. ¡°I like seafood. Do you know how to make pan¨Cfried salmon with watercress? Crab linguine is fine too. If you make soup, make sure it¡¯s not too thick¡­¡± Renee clenched her fist as Stefan continued. ¡°Have you had enough, Stefan? Do you think my house is a restaurant, ordering food like that?!¡± She wouldn¡¯t stop herself from waving her arms wildly like she was chasing flies away as she tried to usher Stefan outside. Go, leave! You¡¯re not wee here! I¡¯m going to close the door!¡± Stefan was unmoving as he said coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to wee me.¡± Then he turned to Margaret and continued, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you wee me, Madam.¡± Margaret was slightly stunned. She didn¡¯t expect the rumored cold and heartless man to have such a childish side and immediately yed along. ¡°Yes, of course! You were once the family¡¯s son¨Cinw, either way, and you¡¯ve also protected Miss Ren for many years! Let me show you what I can do for you today!¡± After saying that, Margaret picked up the forgotten bag of groceries and walked into the kitchen, leaving Renee and Stefan to stare at each other awkwardly¡­. Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Renee realized she was the only one who felt awkward. Stefan seemedfortable and acted as free as he was at home. It profoundly interpreted the quote. ¡°It¡¯s only embarrassing if you care what people think.¡± Earlier, Charles Hanns smashed the stuff in the entire living room and made a terrible mess. Only the sofa area seemed to be Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. untouched. Stefan sat gracefully on the couch and crossed his legs. He asked Renee, ¡°How are you? Have you gotten used to your new ce?¡± ¡°What do you think? This is my home. Why can¡¯t I getfortable here?¡± Renee looked around and shed a meek smile. ¡°I¡¯m finally home after four years of wandering. I have to say, home sweet home!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned slightly gloomy. He said quietly. ¡°As you said, you have half of the property rights to Hunt Vi. If you want to go back, you can move anytime. It¡¯s your home.¡± Renee almost thought she had misheard Stefan. The kind look on her face vanished, reced by disdain. ¡°Stefan, aren¡¯t you being a hypocrite? Remember when you made me move out overnight to make room for Desrosiers? That¡¯s not what you said at the time.¡± A man¡¯s dyed affection was simply worthless. Besides, Stefan was not actually in love with her. He needed her help. Renee knew why Stefan came to her, but she kept quiet and refused to discuss it. She did not want to give him what he wanted! ¡°I was wrong before. I didn¡¯t expect Briar to be so unreasonable,¡± Stefan said, his disgust visible in his eyes. Thinking back, he did not have a good impression of Briar during their first meeting. She looked soft and harmless, though herplex eyes said otherwise. They seemed to be filled with cunning thoughts. Unlike Briar, Renee¡¯s pair of bright and clear eyes looked as pure as the water of a mountain spring amid a quiet valley. Stefan had to admit. He often felt that fluttering in his chest whenever he looked into Renee¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know she would ruin Hunt Vi like this. If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed her to step foot in it.¡± Stefan rarely stayed in Hunt Vi, but he loved the sunflowers in the garden. However, the sunflowers were all gone, reced by a field of boring roses. It was not only the sunflower. All traces of Renee¡¯s presence were gone, which made him inexplicably ufortable. ¡°Ah. So what?¡± Renee no longer had the patience to waste time with Stefan. She directly exposed his intention and said coldly, ¡°You know your lover is terrible. Even so, you still came for her, begging for my mercy.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the proud and almighty Mr. Hunt? Why did youe to me? Would you lick your ex¨Cwife¡¯s boot for a woman like her? Isn¡¯t that true love?¡± Surprised by Renee¡¯s intelligence, Stefan let out a long sigh. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m here for Briar today.¡± After a short pause, he said directly. ¡°She¡¯s still in the hospital because she¡¯s still in shock. I want you to drop the case.¡± ¡®I knew it!¡® Renee thought. Stefan was only here for Briar. Somehow, her heart still ached a little at this realization. Renee took a deep breath. ¡°She stole and destroyed my belongings. The evidence is all there. Why should I drop the case?¡± With Stefan¡¯s status, he could easily get Briar out of trouble. But, unfortunately, the ruthless Renee decided to send herwyer, Zack Rosenwell. Hisw firm filed a suit, leaving Stefan no time to react. Even if Stefan had the power, he could not openly defy thew. The only way to resolve this was to get Renee to drop the case. or Briar might very well end up in jail if the court so decided! Stefan¡¯s patience was gone. He looked annoyed. ¡°Tell me. What do I have to do to make you let her go?¡± Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Renee found Stefan¡¯s sudden change in temper ridiculous. It must have been hard for an arrogant guy like Stefan to put up such a gentle facade for his lover. Renee lifted her chin and said with a half smile. ¡°Haven¡¯t I made it clear enough? All you have to do is let your lover kneel down and apologize to me in front of all the media.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go overboard.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned cold. Somehow. Renee seemed like aplete stranger to him. The old Renee was not so aggressive. ¡°I told you. Briar is still in the hospital with an unstable pregnancy. How can you have her kneel down and apologize to you?¡± ¡°Is that so?!¡± Renee silently clenched her firsts. Despite the heartache, she maintained her arrogance and mocked Stefan. ¡°She can¡¯t kneel but you can kneel on her behalf. Well, Mr. Hunt, aren¡¯t you a man who would bend over for true love? How touching!¡± Nothing mattered to Renee anymore. Just let Stefan think of her as a mean and cold¨Cblooded woman. Despite being kind and meek for the past four years, he saw her with utter contempt. In that case, she would rather be the viin! Stefan¡¯s face contorted with anger that made people shudder. Renee¡¯s unforgiving behavior angered him. He seemed to have lost all control over her, and such a feeling drove him mad! ¡°Briar was wrong, but she already had her punishment¡­¡± Stefan tried to hold his anger, hoping to reach a peaceful solution. He warned coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not pregnant, and you won¡¯t understand the pain she¡¯s going through. If you need any financial compensation, state your demands, but if you dare to hurt her, don¡¯t resent me for ignoring our past rtionship as husband and wife!¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Renee was not angry at first, but Stefan¡¯s words infuriated her. ¡°Were we really husband and wife?¡± she spat. Stefan had to be the most hypocritical and heartless man she had ever met. He rescued her just not long ago, but the next moment, he threatened her for Desrosiers. How could he? The way Stefan hurt her without knowing was iparable to the damage that Charles brought her. The damage that Stefan caused was invisible, yet deadly! ¡°I don¡¯t want the money. I want Briar to have a bad time. Go ahead and threaten me all you want. Let¡¯s see who¡¯ll win!¡± Renee¡¯s words were a formal deration of war with Stefan. She had nothing to fear. Zack Rosenwell was a top criminalwyer. If Renee wanted, she could hold Briar ountable for her crimes. was not entirely impossible to put her in jail for more than eight years or even a decade. ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn. You¡¯re going to regret this, sooner orter,¡± Stefan said, his words sounding more like advice. He left after that. Margaret had been working in the kitchen all morning. She prepared a variety of dishes, which were Stefan¡¯s favorites. She once thought that Renee¡¯s former husband was a reliable man and could bring Renee happiness. She liked him a lot and was sure that Renee¡¯ste parents would be happy with him as well. Therefore, Margaret was determined to find a way for Renee to reunite with Stefan. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Food¡¯s ready! Time to eat!¡± Margaret enthusiastically brought out the dishes and served them on the table but was surprised to see Renee alone. ¡°Huh? Where is Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°I chased him away.¡± Renee sat down as if nothing had happened and began to enjoy Margeret¡¯s cooking. ¡°You chased him away?¡± Margaret let out a long sigh. She knew Renee well enough to see she was ying it cool. ¡°Miss Ren. I know you and Mr. Hunt still have feelings for each other. Have you ever given remarriage a thought? For the sake of your baby?¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 Chapter 178 ¡°We have feelings for each other?¡± Renee stopped eating and smiled helplessly. ¡°Margaret, you¡¯re always good at reading people, but not today. Unfortunately, you¡¯ve misread the situation. Do you know the reason behind Stefan¡¯s sudden visit and all that courting?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he can¡¯t let go of you and wants to reconcile?¡± Renee shook her head. ¡°He came to plead for his lover. He¡¯s a prideful man but stripped his pride for such an awful woman. That¡¯s uneptable. I¡¯ll never forgive him for that!¡± ¡°What¡ª¡± Margaret looked at Renee, appalled. She did not expect Renee¡¯s former husband, who seemed so upright and noble. to be so dishonorable. That was a great disappointment. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that kind of man. He should be able to distinguish between right and wrong. He probably won¡¯t condone his lover and her bad character. Is there some misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Renee sneered, ¡°Margaret, youck experience in rtionships. Do you know? There¡¯s no right and wrong in love¡­¡± ¡°The favored ones always do whatever they want. I me myck of charm. It¡¯s been four years, yet I never garnered his love.¡± Renee had always been confident. However, she felt inferior and weak against Stefan and their strange marriage. She couldn¡¯t understand how a nice person like herself would lose to a pretentious woman like Desrosiers. Anyway, screw that. She was done with self¨Cdoubt and hurting herself. Margaret said nothing more. The failed rtionship had indeed hurt Renee deeply. However, seeing that Renee hadn¡¯t let it go, she secretly decided to do something¡­ Stefan left the Everheart Residence in a terrible mood. Anger swirled around his face, and his stormy aura would deter even the bravest souls from approaching him with a ten¨Cfoot pole. He frightened H Group¡¯s employees. Now, they were extra cautious and dared not even squeak. At the same time, Xavier walked into Stefan¡¯s office with a big grin. ¡°Stefan, Stefan. Are you there? Hey?¡± Xavier sensed the strange atmosphere in the office while walking. It seemed like Stefan was the cause. ¡°Hello, Mr. Stuart! How can I help you? Mr. Hunt is busy today. I suggest youe back another time!¡± Rachel, the secretary, tried to hint to Xavier about the situation. She hoped he would read the room and not get himself into trouble. Xavier, however, being the goofball he was, said with a big smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m Stefan¡¯s favorite. He¡¯ll make time for me even if he¡¯s busy.¡± Xavier proudly lifted his chin towards Stefan, who was buried in work. ¡°Right, Stefan?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The only reply he got was, ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Xavier shed an awkward smile at Rachel. ¡°Stefan seems to be in a bad mood today. What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± she whispered. Everything was fine before, but I heard he became like this after leaving his former wife¡¯s ce¡­¡± ¡°s, it must have been hard on Mr. Hunt. Now the world knows about his failed rtionship. It¡¯ll be very humiliating to lose her forever. He¡¯s probably under tremendous pressure!¡± Almost eighty percent of the people in thepany were fans of Stefan and Renee¡¯s rtionship. Rachel, one of their rabid fans, even stalked Stefan and Renee¡¯s movements. Everyone unanimously agreed that Mr. Hunt must have been frustrated with the former Mrs. Hunt again. They all looked at Stefan with awe and sympathy. There was also a sense of pleasure in knowing that life was fair. ¡°Frustrated?¡± Xavier sighed andmented, ¡°I didn¡¯t think the former Mrs. Hunt would be that aggressive. Stefan can¡¯t even deal with her. I thought he could help get me some connections, but how about now?¡± ¡°Right? Mr. Hunt can¡¯t have his way around Mrs. Hunt anymore!¡± Both Xavier and Rachel sighed long and hard with sad faces. Stefan red at them, warning them coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t you two have anything to do? Do you want more work?¡± ¡°Please, no!¡± Xavier rushed over and tried to tter him. ¡°Stefan, I¡¯m here for a reason! It¡¯s serious business!¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Chapter 179 ¡®Here for a reason?! When Stefan heard those words, he remembered his unpleasant exchange with Renee and got angrier. ¡°What business do you have? Don¡¯t bber, or I¡¯ll ban you.¡± After that. Stefan continued to bury himself in work. He had a cold aura around him, as though he was an icebergpletely. isted from the world. ¡®Gee. Stefan¡¯s really pissed!¡± Xavier thought and gulped. He finally realized Rachel¡¯s good intentions in telling him toe back another day. As Xavier turned to Rachel, trying to ask for help, Rachel obligingly smiled at him and left. ¡°Mr. Stuarts, please feel free and talk to Mr. Hunt. I¡¯m going back to work.¡± And then¡­ She just left like that! ¡°Damn! Rachel, seriously?!¡± Xavier watched Rachel as she casually locked the door and left the room. He suddenly felt a sense of despair, like he¡¯d been strategically fed to the beast. ¡®Nevermind,¡¯ he thought. ¡®I¡¯m here already. Might as carry on.¡± After all, who else would suffer here if not him? ¡°Ahem!¡± Xavier took a long time before he finally mustered the courage to talk to Stefan, whose face had been cold the whole time.¡± Stefan, it¡¯s just you and me here. If you really feel bad, just cry it out. Numbing yourself with work won¡¯t solve the problem. It¡¯s okay. Just cry. It¡¯s not embarrassing for men to cry!¡± Confused, Stefan looked up at Xavier, who looked like an idiot. He pursed his lips and said nothing. ¡°We¡¯re brothers. Rx. We¡¯ve seen the video where you knelt to beg your ex¨Cwife to stay. I never thought you¡¯d love her so much. Well, she¡¯s not really my type, but I¡¯ll ept it since you like her.¡± Xavier recalled the few times he had met Renee in person. He could not help but shake his head in disbelief. He failed to understand how Stefan could fall for a girl like Renee and love her so much. His taste in women was so different. ¡°Stefan, you need to do something. You may not have much experience in love, but you should¡¯ve been able to deal with a girl like Renee. Why does she have more control over you? That won¡¯t do¡­¡± Xavier patted his chest and encouraged. ¡°You¡¯re better than me in business, but I¡¯m better than you in love. It looks like it¡¯s time. to teach you some tips on courting women. We have to win this!¡± Stefan was arrogant and cold, ¡°I was drunk and spouting nonsense in the video. The video is irrelevant, also. She¡¯s my ex- wife. She¡¯s not your type, but does it matter? Don¡¯t get yourself involved.¡± ¡°Wait, hey! Stefan, what¡¯s with that tone? Are you showing your possessiveness over her?¡± Xavier showed a meaningful smile and urged, ¡°Stop wasting time. Just man up and be straightforward. Do you have feelings for her? Do you want to get her back? If so, I have plenty of ways to help you get her back!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be interested in her!¡± Stefan smiled coldly, his handsome face marred with disdain. Renee was not his type at all. Stefan would have done something during their four years of marriage if he had any interest in her. Instead, they were married but did not do anything normal couple would do. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Stefan was sure that he had no feelings for Renee. However, deep down, he could not avoid reacting to Renee¡¯s every move¡­ Stefan thought about it and concluded that his feelings stemmed from his unwillingness to lose. He was unwilling to lose dominion over the woman who once loved him deeply. How could she stop loving him? Therefore, he had to find a way to make Renee fall in love with him again. It wasn¡¯t unlike the feeling of a beast that wanted to conquer its prey! Stefan¡¯s anger subsided as soon as he figured out his feelings for Renee. He became more open and calmer. ¡°I don¡¯t like her. but she must love me, so¡­¡± Stefan turned to Xavier with a cold and proud look. He asked arrogantly. ¡°Do you really have a way to get her to change her mind and be deeply in love with me again?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Xavier was surprised at Stefan¡¯s sudden change in attitude. He hurriedly said, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been in so many rtionships. If you¡¯re willing to learn, I guarantee Renee to be in love with you again within a month!¡± Stefan gave him a nod. ¡°Teach me!¡± As soon as Stefan agreed, Xavier tried to negotiate a deal. ¡°I can teach you, but you must promise me one thing after the job is done.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Stefan agreed without hesitation, which surprised Xavier. Xavier could tell Stefan was serious about learning the tricks to court women and thought, ¡®Oh, dear. Stefan must¡¯ve seriously fallen in love¡ª¡± Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Stefan grabbed his notebook. With a pen, he wrote ¡°How to court a woman¡± in strong handwriting. Xavier took a nce and almost burst outughing. ¡°Stefan, oh, Stefan. Everyone says you¡¯re as cold as an iceberg. Why do I feel like you¡¯re such a dork? Learn how to court a woman by understanding, not by reading. Why are you taking notes?¡± Stefan said with a nk face. ¡°There are rules to follow for everything. Courting a woman is no different. I¡¯m not only taking notes, but I¡¯m going to do an analysister. I¡¯llpare various methods and increase the sample data to evaluate the reasonableness and feasibility of your teachings.¡± ¡°Are you serious Do you have to go that far?¡± Stefan acted as if he was performing a feasibility test on a multi¨Cbillion project, which pushed Xavier¡¯s pressure sky¨Chigh. ¡°I take everything I do seriously.¡± Stefan looked up at Xavier with a warning gaze. ¡°You better be serious at teaching. If it doesn¡¯t work, you¡¯re finished.¡± Xavier suddenly felt nervous. Knowing Stefan, he was not joking. It seemed that Stefan was really anxious this time. Xavier had underestimated Renee. He thought she was just a demure young ¡°Ahem!¡± Xavier cleared his throat and said solemnly. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll teach you everything I¡¯ve learned so far. As long as you do what I say, it¡¯s guaranteed to work.¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face lit up with expectation. He urged with a slight frown, ¡°Cut the nonsense! Hurry up!¡± ¡°Before I start, I want to state something. I¡¯ve had girlfriends of all types, so I have sufficient experience. Don¡¯t question my professionalism.¡± Xavier knew his rtionship history was not the best, but he was much more experienced than Stefan, who was in only one rtionship and was eventually dumped. ¡°There are two methods in courting a woman. You either court them with money or sincerity. With our status, most women wille to us automatically, but there¡¯ll be that remaining one percent that money can¡¯t satisfy. It¡¯ll take a lot of effort to court. them. ¡°Your ex¨Cwife Renee is clearly a kind of dreamer. She doesn¡¯t know the suffering of the world and cares about true love. You¡¯ll need to spend a lot of effort to get her.¡± Xavier could not help but shake her head again as he spoke of Renee. He feared women like Renee the most. Women like her did not care about money. They only cared about feelings. They were not only hard to satisfy, but also the most dangerous. Being trapped in love would mean disaster. Stefan was already unlike himself in the early stages of the rtionship. One could only imagine what would happen in theter stages. Therefore, Xavier would never get romantically involved with women like Renee! Stefan nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a fool living in a dream. She demands to cut ties with my family and me. Is shepletely unaware of the dangerous world outside? How do I chase this fool?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just remember this.¡± Xavier shared generously with no reservations, ¡°Cast your and make it work!¡± Although puzzled, Stefan diligently took notes. He looked up at Xavier and ordered him, ¡°borate.¡± ¡°First, let me exin step one. You have to be bold enough to make your presence fell. There¡¯s an old saying that says. constant pursuit will win thedy. Send her daily messages from day to night. Share photos of your day and asionally bring her out on a date. You can go for a meal, a movie, a concert, and so on. Anyway, hang around her at all times¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Stefan rejected the first step straight away. ¡°I¡¯m not that free.¡± ¡°Then why bother to learn the tricks? Just stay single forever,¡± Xavier said and then added. ¡°You may not have time to date, but you¡¯ll always have time to chat, don¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you do it over toilet breaks? You can send her a message saying you miss her. Will it really take so much time?¡± Stefan fell silent. ¡°You can¡¯t even do that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the main issue.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°The problem is¡­ She blocked me!¡± ¡°Huh? Renee blocked you?¡± Xavier could not stopughing when he heard this. ¡°Hahahaha! No way! Seriously? Stefan, I didn¡¯t know this would ever happen to you!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Stefan held his forehead, feeling deeply embarrassed. Xavier bit his lip and tried to hold back hisughter. Atst, he said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. We can still fix it!¡± Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Chapter 181 Xavier went on. ¡°If she blocks you, use a different number. Whenever you¡¯re free, flirt with her and make her happy. Then, you move onto Step 2 ¨C romance.¡± ¡°All women like romantic things, especially dreamers like your ex¨Cwife. If you¡¯re romantic enough, she¡¯s as good as yours.¡± Stefan pushed his sses into ce and recorded everything carefully in his notebook. He was very serious the whole time. He even raised his hand and asked, ¡°How do I be romantic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s an entirely different lesson. I won¡¯t go into that today because there¡¯s simply not enough time. You can try watching some romantic dramas, especially Korean dramas, and see what the male protagonists do. I¡¯ll find the time to make some PowerPoint slides to teach you the specifics.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Stefan nodded. ¡°Go on,¡± he ordered like he was Xavier¡¯s boss. ¡°Step 3 is rxing. After a period of fierce pursuit, you have to stop for a bit. This is called emotional push¨Cand¨Cpull. It¡¯s a very important stage. You must control how much you push and how much you pull. If you do it well, you can take back the initiative. If you don¡¯t, she might run away.¡± ¡°Step 4 is investment. You must be willing to invest your feelings. No amount of skill in the world can match this thing called ¡± sincerity¡°. When she can see your sincerity, you¡¯ve already won. Step 5 is to pull the. If you sessfully reach this stage, that means it¡¯s time to enjoy the fruits of victory.¡± Xavier breathed a sigh of relief and said. ¡°That¡¯s about it. Digest all this information and ask me if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand. The most important thing is to practice. Theory is useless!¡± Stefan browsed the notes, looking thoughtful. He was naturally cold and extremely rational, so he had no experience in courting women. He only had experience in rejecting women. Xavier¡¯s lesson sounded very practical. He felt like he had opened the door to a whole new world. He hoped the lesson would be useful! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. When Xavier saw that Stefan¡¯s mood had brightened somewhat, he decided to strike while the iron was hot. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t forget what you promised me. Now that I¡¯ve taught you the techniques of courting women, you have to do me a favor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the thing I told you aboutst time. A woman died in my club. Now, the woman¡¯s family wants me to go to jail because I¡¯m the person in charge. They wouldn¡¯t settle for money so I have to go to court. The evidence is very unfavorable against me. Only Zack Rosenwell has ever won a case like this. Can you think of a way to let Zack Rosenwell represent me?¡± Xavier said that with a worried look on his face. There¡¯s no way a person of his status and background would go to jail for something like this, but if news of it spread, his old man would lock him up, which was like going to jail anyway. Therefore, he could not lose this case. He went to many topwyers, but all of them said the case was impossible to win. He had no choice but to seek out Zack Rosenwell. He had already dyed the first hearing of the trial several times and it was impossible to dy it any longer. He must acquire the service of Zack Rosenwell, pronto! ¡°I can¡¯t help you with that.¡± Stefan said, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m no longer the boss of Hunts & Co. Law Firm.¡± ¡°I know, your ex¨Cwife is!¡± Xavier smiled bitterly. ¡°You two have such a unique rtionship. Surely you can pull some strings for me?¡± ¡°If I could do that, I wouldn¡¯t need to learn how to court women from you.¡± Stefan sighed helplessly. His ex¨Cwife was really merciless. Xavier wanted him to use his connections to pull some strings, but he had not even solved his own problem yet! If he had known that the ¡°uselesswyers¡± in Hunts & Co. Law Firm were actually that amazing, he would not have given her thew firm that easily. In less than a month, thosewyers had done a lot of things to help Renee out. ¡°Oh, right, I forgot. She blocked you. There¡¯s no way you can pull any strings. Even I would have a better chance. At least I¡¯m not blocked¡­¡± Xavier rubbed his chin and pondered seriously, ¡°Maybe I should try going after her too. If I make it, surely she¡¯ll let me borrow herwyer, right?¡± Stefan stared daggers at him and said, ¡°Piss off!¡± Stefan¡¯s murderous intent made Xavier take three steps back. He quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, man. I wouldn¡¯t dare. Besides, she¡¯s not the kind of woman I would touch. She¡¯s trouble.¡± Now that Xavier knew even Stefan could not help him, he was at wit¡¯s end. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll figure it out myself.¡± He sighed. As he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something. He turned back and said tentatively, ¡°By the way. there¡¯s something else I need to tell you about. Chris is getting engaged to Cecy next week. Are you going?¡± Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Stefan¡¯s handsome face was calm. He merely raised his eyebrows slightly and asked the cautious¨C looking Xavier, ¡°Why not?¡± Christopher and him, as well as Xavier, became sworn brothers a long time ago. They were even closer than real brothers. Now that the eldest brother was getting engaged, as the younger brother, there was no reason for him not to go. Xavier thought Stefan was just putting on a brave face. Heforted Stefan, ¡°It¡¯s okay, bro, Christ said if you don¡¯t want to go. you don¡¯t have to. He understands. After all, the rtionship between you, him, and Cecy is a bitplicated¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothingplicated.¡± Stefan said nonchntly, ¡°One¡¯s a brother, the other¡¯s an old friend. They¡¯re getting engaged. I¡¯ll definitely go to the engagement.¡± ¡°But¡­ alright!¡± Xavier heaved a long sigh with an even stronger look of sympathy on his face. In his opinion, Stefan was obviously just acting nonchnt. Cecilia was Stefan¡¯s first love. Now that his first love was getting engaged to his brother, one could imagine how painful it was for Stefan! s. Stefan had the perfect family background, career, and appearance, but in the matter of the heart, he had always been struggling. His first love ran away, his wife ran away¡­ Poor guy. Hopefully, the ¡°6 Steps in Courting Women¡± he taught Stefan today could help Stefan out. May he never suffer from love troubles again¡­ After Xavier left, Stefan flipped through the notes he had just taken with intense concentration, his thick eyebrows slightly furrowed. ¡°Step 1¡­¡± Renee and Margaret returned home in the afternoon after a walk at the nearby river. From afar, they saw a row ofrge trucks parked at the vi gate. Several men in overalls were looking around for someone they could talk to. ¡°Excuse me, who are you looking for?¡± Renee asked the men. When the men noticed Renee, one of them asked enthusiastically, ¡°Hi, are you Miss Everheart?¡± ¡°I am. How can I help you?¡± Renee looked at the trucks behind them ominously. ¡°Well, a gentleman named Mr. Hunt purchased some furniture, appliances, and ornaments for you. He bought a lot and they¡¯re pretty expensive. Please check that you¡¯ve received all the items on this list and sign here.¡± As he said that, he handed a thick stack of papers to Renee. Renee skimmed through the list and saw that there were tons of things on it, ranging from sofa to television to vases. It was no exaggeration to say that if she were to open a furniture store now, she would have more than enough products to sell. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Seeing the long row of trucks, Margaret could not help but sigh. ¡°Mr. Hunt? Could it be your ex¨C husband? How nice of him. It seems he¡¯s not as cold and heartless as you said.¡± But that just made Renee mad. ¡°Of course he¡¯s being nice. Otherwise, his lover is going to jail. He¡¯s trying his damnedest to save her.¡± Renee told the men. ¡°Take these things back. I don¡¯t want them.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The men looked hesitant. One of them said, ¡°Mr. Hunt has already paid for them. They¡¯re non¨C refundable. Please, Miss Everheart, don¡¯t make it difficult for us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure Mr. Hunt means well. These furniture and appliances are all really expensive. A single one of them could easily cost tens of thousands of dors. All the things here must cost over a million dors in total. You should just ept them, Miss Everheart.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Renee looked at the rows of trucks again. A cunning smile appeared on her face. ¡°You¡¯re right. Mr. Hunt definitely means well. I really should ept them.¡± The man was overjoyed. ¡°In that case, please check the items and sign here, Miss Everheart.¡± ¡°After I sign, these things will be mine and I can deal them as I see fit, correct?¡± ¡°Of course, of course.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Renee took the pen and signed on the paper, then told the man. ¡°Now take these things to a second¨C hand furniture shop and sell them all for 50% their original prices. If you can sell them for more than that, the difference in price is yours to keep.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The man did not expect Renee to do something like that. He seemed at a loss. ¡°What? If you don¡¯t want this job, I know plenty of other people who do. I¡¯ll call someone else.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it! Of course we¡¯ll do it!¡± The man nodded hastily. Brand new furniture, she¡¯ll only take 50% of the original price, and they get to keep the difference in price? That¡¯s a windfall of a few hundred thousand dors for them. Who wouldn¡¯t want this job? Margaret felt bad. She tried to talk Renee out of it. ¡°Is this really alright, Miss Ren? Wouldn¡¯t Mr. Hunt be mad if he finds out?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of my business. All that matters is I¡¯m happy!¡± Renee looked overjoyed. ¡°This is perfect. My heart still aches thinking of how much I paid for the vi. And now, someone¡¯s here to give me money. Of course I can¡¯t refuse his goodwill, am I right?¡± That evening, Stefan received a feedback call from the staff. ¡°She epted them?¡± Stefan smiled. Looks like she was not so stubborn after all. But after that, the staff stammered. ¡°Miss Everheart did ept them, but she immediately resold them to a second¨Chand. furniture shop. We couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± ¡°She resold them?!¡± Stefan almost passed out from anger. +15 B ¡®Such an impressive business mind you have, Renee Everheart. I¡¯ll make you pay for this!¡± Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Stefan picked up his phone and dialed Renee¡¯s number with practiced familiarity, only to suddenly remember that she had blocked him. He became even madder. ¡°Rachel!¡± He angrily summoned his secretary. The secretary walked cautiously into the office and asked, ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°Lend me your phone.¡± ¡°M¨CMy phone?¡± Although Rachel was confused, she still handed her phone to Stefan respectfully. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Without saying another word, Stefan dialed Renee¡¯s number again. The phone rang for only three seconds before it was picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± Renee¡¯szy voice, with a trace of joy, came from the other end of the phone. She just swindled hundreds of thousands of dors from him! Of course she would be happy! ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re in a good mood.¡± Stefan said sarcastically with a stiff face. Renee immediately recognized Stefan¡¯s voice. She replied, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling too bad!¡± ¡°You have such a great business mind, don¡¯t you? You made hundreds of thousands of dors just like that. I underestimated you.¡± ¡°You tter me. Thanks to your generosity, I can now renovate my house. You¡¯re wee to be even more generous if you want.¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡± He never thought the formerly subservient Renee Everheart could be so irritating. She would be the death of him! ¡°Since I just gave you a few hundred thousand dors, shouldn¡¯t you unblock me out of courtesy?¡± Stefan resisted the urge to rush over and strangle her. He calmly argued for his rights. After all, he just spent over a million dors. He could not let them go to waste. If it could get him unblocked, the money was worth it. ¡°Nope.¡± Renee refused without hesitation. ¡°The money is a voluntary gift from you. If you want it back, feel free to file awsuit. If you think you can beat me in court, that is.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Before Stefan could finish talking, the sound of disconnected call came from the other end of the phone. Goddammit, Renee actually hung up on him! +15 BONUS It would be too humiliating for him to immediately call her again. Besides, she most likely would not answer. After giving it some thought, Stefan decided to try an alternative method ¨C he would do as Xavier say and use a burner number. ¡°Rachel, get me a new SIM card immediately.¡± He ordered coldly. Rachel heard the entire conversation between Stefan and Renee. All she could think of right now was: ¡°What goes around The proud Mr. Hunt had been humbled. ¡®As expected, one should not fall in love that easily. Once you fall in love, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a pure young man or a domineering CEO, you¡¯ll just turn into a simp!¡® The Everheart Residence. After Renee hung up on Stefan, she felt inexplicably down. Her former husband was actually acting that humble in order to persuade her to withdraw her charges against another woman. It made her feel like a failure. She sacrificed so much and acted dignified and dutiful like a daughter¨Cinw of a prestigious family should. Even when she was mistreated, she merely kept quiet in order to not make it difficult for him. All she got in return was his betrayal. What made her really mad was, if he was going to cheat on her, at least pick a pick a good woman, like his first love Cecilia Smith, who Renee could ept losing to. But he actually cheated on her with a pretentious bitch like Briar Desrosiers. Not only was she pretentious, she¡¯s also evil! Losing to a bitch like that, Renee felt the love she had given for four long years was so not worth it! Because Renee was in a bad mood, she went to bed early. In the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up and could not go back to sleep anymore. She looked out the window at the moon and could not help feeling a bit sad, so she picked up her phone to listen to some songs. When she unlocked her phone, she saw a friend request on WeChat. The profile picture happened to be a pearl white moon on a vast ocean, which gave off a sense of loneliness. The verification message was: ¡°Up for a chat?¡± Renee initially wanted to ignore it, but she happened to be a bit bored right now, so she epted the request. She did a quick check of the person¡¯s friend list. It was even cleaner than his profile picture ¨C it was completely empty. This was a brand new ount. Renee wondered for a moment if it might be Stefan¡¯s burner. But she soon ruled out the possibility. Stefan was the CEO of H Group. Surely he would not do something so childish. The person did not start a covnersation. Renee¡¯s curiosity was piqued, so she asked, ¡°Do I know you?¡± The person¡¯s status became ¡°typing¡­¡°. Chapter 183 Stefan picked up his phone and dialed Renee¡¯s number with practiced familiarity, only to suddenly remember that she had blocked him. He became even madder. ¡°Rachel!¡± He angrily summoned his secretary. The secretary walked cautiously into the office and asked, ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°Lend me your phone.¡± ¡°M¨CMy phone?¡± Although Rachel was confused, she still handed her phone to Stefan respectfully. Without saying another word, Stefan dialed Renee¡¯s number again. The phone rang for only three seconds before it was picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± Renee¡¯szy voice, with a trace of joy, came from the other end of the phone. She just swindled hundreds of thousands of dors from him! Of course she would be happy! ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re in a good mood.¡± Stefan said sarcastically with a stiff face. Renee immediately recognized Stefan¡¯s voice. She replied, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling too bad!¡± ¡°You have such a great business mind, don¡¯t you? You made hundreds of thousands of dors just like that. I underestimated you.¡± ¡°You tter me. Thanks to your generosity, I can now renovate my house. You¡¯re wee to be even more generous if you want.¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡± He never thought the formerly subservient Renee Everheart could be so irritating. She would be the death of him! ¡°Since I just gave you a few hundred thousand dors, shouldn¡¯t you unblock me out of courtesy?¡± Stefan resisted the urge to rush over and strangle her. He calmly argued for his rights. After all, he just spent over a million dors. He could not let them go to waste. If it could get him unblocked, the money was worth it. ¡°Nope.¡± Renee refused without hesitation. ¡°The money is a voluntary gift from you. If you want it back, feel free to file awsuit. If you think you can beat me in court, that is.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Before Stefan could finish talking, the sound of disconnected call came from the other end of the phone. Goddammit, Renee actually hung up on him! +15 BONUS It would be too humiliating for him to immediately call her again. Besides, she most likely would not answer. After giving it some thought, Stefan decided to try an alternative method ¨C he would do as Xavier say and use a burner number. ¡°Rachel, get me a new SIM card immediately.¡± He ordered coldly. Rachel heard the entire conversation between Stefan and Renee. All she could think of right now was: ¡°What goes around The proud Mr. Hunt had been humbled. ¡®As expected, one should not fall in love that easily. Once you fall in love, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a pure young man or a domineering CEO, you¡¯ll just turn into a simp!¡® The Everheart Residence. After Renee hung up on Stefan, she felt inexplicably down. Her former husband was actually acting that humble in order to persuade her to withdraw her charges against another woman. It made her feel like a failure. She sacrificed so much and acted dignified and dutiful like a daughter¨Cinw of a prestigious family should. Even when she was mistreated, she merely kept quiet in order to not make it difficult for him. All she got in return was his betrayal. What made her really mad was, if he was going to cheat on her, at least pick a pick a good woman, like his first love Cecilia Smith, who Renee could ept losing to. But he actually cheated on her with a pretentious bitch like Briar Desrosiers. Not only was she pretentious, she¡¯s also evil! Losing to a bitch like that, Renee felt the love she had given for four long years was so not worth it! Because Renee was in a bad mood, she went to bed early. In the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up and could not go back to sleep anymore. She looked out the window at the moon and could not help feeling a bit sad, so she picked up her phone to listen to some songs. When she unlocked her phone, she saw a friend request on WeChat. The profile picture happened to be a pearl white moon on a vast ocean, which gave off a sense of loneliness. The verification message was: ¡°Up for a chat?¡± Renee initially wanted to ignore it, but she happened to be a bit bored right now, so she epted the request. She did a quick check of the person¡¯s friend list. It was even cleaner than his profile picture ¨C it was completely empty. This was a brand new ount. Renee wondered for a moment if it might be Stefan¡¯s burner. But she soon ruled out the possibility. Stefan was the CEO of H Group. Surely he would not do something so childish. The person did not start a covnersation. Renee¡¯s curiosity was piqued, so she asked, ¡°Do I know you?¡± The person¡¯s status became ¡°typing¡­¡°. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Chapter 184 However, even after a long wait, no new dialog box appeared. Renee¡¯s curiosity was piqued even more. She asked, ¡°Are you new?¡± +15 BONUS Now, even the ¡°typing¡­¡± status was gone. The person was ying dead now. No reply?! Renee was originally not interested, but she now had a strong desire to conquer this challenge. The guy was quite the character. He was probably a handsome young man that was used to women¡¯s adoration. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so arrogant. Renee happened to be in a bad mood and wanted to pour out her negative emotions, so she simply treated the person as a tree hole. After all, a tree hole only had to listen and never had to speak. That¡¯s its function.. The phone lit up with a faint light in the dark room. Renee typed a wall of text into the chat. ¡°Lil bro, is there anyone who really annoys you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re young, so probably not, but big sis does know someone like that. The most ironic thing is, this person I hate is someone I used to deeply love.¡± ¡°I swear, I¡¯ve never seen a bigger fool, so let¡¯s call him The Fool from now on!¡± On the other end of the phone, Stefan sat in the brightly lit CEO¡¯s office, looking out the window at the shing neon lights with mixed feelings. Renee¡¯s messages kept popping up, which forced him to put down his work temporarily. He frowned when he saw the word ¡°fool¡°. It made him so mad that he felt like hitting someone. Could she have guesses that it was his burner number so she was ming him on purpose? He did not know what to reply, so he simply did not reply anything. Meanwhile, Renee¡¯s bitter words poured out of her continuously like flood water. ¡°How annoying is this fool, you ask? He pretends to be as emotionless as an ice cube, but he¡¯s actually ame guy with extremely poor taste. He knows that the other woman is rotten to the core, but he still indulges her unconditionally. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s blind? I¡¯m really ashamed of the fact that I once liked a person like that¡­¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡± He¡¯s now even more suspicious that she knew it was him and she¡¯s mocking him! Stefan was about to reply something when Renee sent another message. ¡°But it¡¯s strange. Obviously, I don¡¯t like him anymore, but why do I still feel sad? Does love have a residual effect?¡± Stefan stared at the chat for a long time. A trace of pain inexplicably emerged from the depth of his heart. Perhaps he was indeed too cruel in the way he handled the matter with Briar, but he had no choice. Briar was the woman the elder brother he respected the most asked him to take care of before his brother¡¯s death. The child in Briar¡¯s belly was the only offspring his brother left behind. His brother sacrificed his life to save him. He must keep his promise and take care of Briar and her child no matter what. If he had to choose a person to disappoint, that person could only be Renee or, more precisely, it could only be himself! Stefan felt like he had a lot to say to Renee, but in the end, he did not say a word. He looked out the French window at the full moon that shined like jade, took a picture of it, sent it to Renee, then put away his phone. When Renee saw the picture of the moon, it warmed her heart for some reason, even though there was no word attached to the picture. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°The moon is beautiful, isn¡¯t it? I hope he sees it too.¡± After sending that message, she put away her phone too. Her sense of loneliness had subsided a bit. She closed her eyes and easily fell asleep. ¡°The moon is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± is a famous phrase by Japanese author S¨­seki Natsume, usually used to express ¡°I love you¡± indirectly! Renee kept this little secret hidden in the deepest part of her heart and would never let anyone else know about it! Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Chapter 185 In the Obstetrics and Gynecology ward at the hospital. Briar was lying on a hospital bed, looking very anxious. There were sufficient evidence and witnesses to charge her with stealing. She was currently on bail, pending trial. There were police officers outside the door watching over her. In other words, if Renee refused to drop the case, Briar would go to jail for at least three years. Although she did not have to stay in jail during the pregnancy and breastfeeding period, she would be after that. More importantly, once she was convicted of a criminal offense, her life would bepletely ruined! Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. If she had known that Renee was such a tough opponent, she would have kept low and stayed far away from Renee! Briar had tried calling Stefan many times, but he did not answer any of her calls. It was obvious that he did not want to talk to her. She did not know if he would even save her. She had really made a mess of things this time! At that moment, her attending physician came in. He closed the door behind him and looked at her with a sad expression. ¡°Miss Desrosiers, your examination results are out. The situation is a bitplicated. I need to have a word with you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is something wrong with my baby?¡± ¡°There is indeed a problem. Maybe we should wait for Mr. Hunt and discuss a solution together?¡± Briar frowned and pondered for a few seconds, then said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can tell me first. After all, I¡¯m the one bearing the child. I can handle any issues and make my own decisions.¡± ¡°Alright then!¡± The doctor sighed and handed the newly issued examination report to Briar, saying. ¡°Miss Desrosiers, we¡¯ve detected a gic defect in your baby. If you give birth to it, it¡¯ll most likely have a mental disability, so we suggest¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean, mental disability?¡± Briar was very emotional. She said, ¡°There¡¯s no way! My baby has always been doing fine. The baby¡¯s parents are also very normal. How can it suddenly be mentally disabled? You must have made a mistake!¡± ¡°Calm down, Miss Desrosiers¡­¡± The doctor consoled Briar and exined, ¡°Because it¡¯s a gic defect, it¡¯s impossible to detect it in the early stage of pregnancy. You¡¯re now in the second trimester of your pregnancy, so your fetus has developed more, and that has revealed many hidden conditions. We rmend performing an abortion as soon as possible before you reach the third trimester of pregnancy. That¡¯s the safest option for you!¡± ¡°No!¡± Briar eximed, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone touch my child. It carries the Hunt blood. If you dare to touch it, you¡¯ll be messing with the Hunt family. Can you bear the consequences?¡± The baby was herst hope. If she lost the baby, it would be all over for her. But to be honest, she was actually unsure if the baby¡¯s biological father was Tristan Hunt. Briar vaguely remembered that she had not only had sex with Tristan that day. She had gone to a bar in the evening and got drunk with a bunch of friends. She could not remember clearly whether she had sex afterwards. ¡°Miss Desrosiers, aborting the baby now is the best solution because the baby has a gic defect and may stop developing altogether in theter stages of pregnancy ¨C in other words, it¡¯ll be a stillborn. That will be very harmful to your health!* Upon hearing the doctor¡¯s exnation, Briar¡¯s face turned deathly pale. She was in despair. ¡°You¡­ are you trying to scare me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± The doctor looked sympathetically at Briar. This kind of thing was an extremely painful experience for any mother to go. through. ¡°Maybe we should ask Mr. Hunt toe over and hear what he thinks.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t call him over!¡± Briar grabbed the doctor¡¯s hand and pleaded in tears, ¡°Doctor, I beg you. Stefan loves the baby very much and looks forward to having a child. You can¡¯t tell him about this. I want to take the risk and give birth to the baby anyway. Even if the baby has a mental disability, I think the Hunt family will still ept the baby and Stefan will still be happy!¡± ¡°This is not a matter of taking the risk or not. It¡¯s that, nine times out of ten, the baby might not even live until the third trimester of pregnancy. In just a month or two, it¡¯ll stop developing¡­¡± ¡°Say no more, doctor, I¡¯ve made my decision. If it sessfully gets born, it¡¯s a miracle. If it doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s an ident.¡± 1 Briar already had a solution in mind. She warned the doctor, ¡°You better not tell anyone else about this. If news get out that the Hunt family¡¯s baby is mentally disabled, your career, and maybe even this hospital, will suffer!¡± The doctor suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He gulped and said, ¡°I understand, Miss Desrosiers. I should have been more thoughtful. Don¡¯t worry, the secret is safe with me!¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Chapter 186 After the doctor left. Briar rubbed her belly, angry and disappointed. She said, ¡°You should have done better. God gave you the chance to be born into the Hunt family, but you actually have a gic defect¡­ You¡¯re gonna stop developing anyway, so don¡¯t me me for being cruel!¡± What the doctor meant was obvious. Regardless of whether the baby was aborted or not, it would not survive. In that case, she would much rather let the baby die in a miscarriage so that she would not be held responsible. As for how the miscarriage would happen¡­ Briar¡¯s eyes became poisonous. Didn¡¯t that bitch Renee despise her? In that case, it¡¯spletely possible for Renee to ¡°lose control of her emotions¡± and kill her baby. When that happened. Stefan would definitely make the person who killed his dead brother¡¯s child pay. Briar would not even have to do anything else and Renee would die a miserable death. Thinking of that, a content smile crept onto Briar¡¯s face. Her touch on the belly became a lot gentler. ¡°Give them a good show, my baby. This is thest thing you can do for mommy!¡± *Briar Desrosiers, there¡¯s someone here to see you.¡± The police officer standing guard outside knocked on the door and informed her coldly. ¡°Someone¡¯s here to see me?¡± Briar was overjoyed. It must be Stefan! Stefan hade to see her! She tidied herself in the mirror excitedly and opened the door with a smile. Standing outside was a middle¨Caged woman she had never met before. Her face immediately cooled. She asked angrily, ¡°Who are you? Do I know you?¡± ¡°Hi, Miss Desrosiers. I¡¯m the Everheart family¡¯s nanny. You can call me Margaret.¡± Margaret said politely with a smile. ¡°The Everheart family¡¯s nanny?¡± Briar¡¯s expression got even darker. She snapped, ¡°Did Renee ask you toe here?¡± ¡°No. I came to see you on my own. Miss Ren doesn¡¯t know about this.¡± Margaret went straight to the point. ¡°I came to see you today because I hope that I can convince you to do what¡¯s best for everyone, which is to leave Mr. Hunt. Mr. Hunt and Miss Renee are still in love. You won¡¯t be happy being with Mr. Hunt.¡± ¡°Hah. You¡¯re just a servant. Know your ce!¡± Briar did not expect Margaret, who looked gentle and kind, to be so aggressive. As expected of Renee Everheart¡¯s dog. She was just like Renee. Briar had intended to give Margaret a piece of her mind, but suddenly she had a clever idea and Immediately changed her attitude, putting on a helpless expression. ¡°Actually, I know that Stefan doesn¡¯t like me, but what can I do? I¡¯m pregnant with his child. I can¡¯t let my baby be born without a father, can I?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Margaret originally wanted to confront Briar on behalf of Renee. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. After all, Renee was also pregnant with Stefan¡¯s child. If it weren¡¯t for Briar¡¯s shameless intervention, Stefan would not have divorced Renee. But she swallowed the words that came to her lips. Renee forbade her from telling anyone about the pregnancy in order to protect the baby. Margaret would naturally keep her secret safe. Briar nced at Margaret and continued acting. ¡°You don¡¯t have to remind me. I know very well that a marriage without love is a tragedy for a woman. It¡¯s a life without happiness!¡± ¡°As if I don¡¯t want to leave Stefan? I¡¯ve even thought of aborting the baby so that I can search for my own happiness again, but at this point, the matter is already out of my control. Stefan would never let me abort the baby¡­¡± Margaret now had aplicated look on her face. She asked tentatively. ¡°Are you sure you want to abort the baby?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do it for a long time. It¡¯s just that Stefan¡¯s keeping a close eye on me and no hospital dares to perform the operation. I don¡¯t know how I can get an abortion!¡± Margaret took a deep breath and said in a serious tone. ¡°If you really want to, I know a way.¡± Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Margaret came from a family that practiced medicine. She knew how to take care of pregnant women and also how to get rid of a pregnancy. However, due to moral considerations, she had never done such a cruel thing. But if it could help Renee and Stefan get back together, she would do it even if she would go to hell for it! Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Desrosiers, are you sure? If you really don¡¯t want this baby, I can make a medicine for you to get rid of it without any pain. It won¡¯t have any impact on your fertility either.¡± Margaret confirmed with Briar again. She would only do it if Briar truly wanted to abort the baby. She would not force Briar. After all, only a mother could decide the life and death of a baby. Others could only contribute their opinion at most. ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡± Briar nodded earnestly and said. ¡°I wish my child can be born into a loving family. I wish that his father not only loves him, but also loves his mother. Otherwise, there¡¯s no happiness to speak of. Obviously, this child came at a bad time. It¡¯s for the best!¡± ¡°Miss Desrosiers, you¡¯re a very reasonable person. You have great wisdom.¡± Briar¡¯s answer eased any mental burden Margaret had. She thought Briar was actually not as wicked as Renee said. She¡¯s pretty reasonable. As expected of a woman that Stefan chose. She could not be that bad. ¡°Please wait for a moment, Miss Desrosiers. I¡¯ll go make the medicine right now.¡± After that, Margaret went to a nearby traditional medicine pharmacy to prepare the abortion medication for Briar. Before long, Margaret was back in the ward. She had brought the medicine in a thermos. She handed it to Briar. ¡°Miss Desrosiers, here¡¯s the medicine. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s safe to drink. Your stomach may hurt slightly, but it won¡¯t be too bad. You only have to go to the bathroom once and problem solved.¡± ¨C Margaret consoled Briar. Her family had superb medical knowledge. She could guarantee the medicine¡¯s safety with confidence. Briar looked at the thermos but did not take it. Instead, she suddenly raised her voice and asked, ¡°If I drink it as you say, you promise Renee will drop the charges and let me go?¡± Margaret was slightly taken aback. She could not understand why Briar was suddenly talking so loudly, but she patiently said.¡± Don¡¯t worry, Miss Desrosiers. I believe you¡¯re not a bad person. You only became a homewrecker due to a moment of confusion. Jealousy made you do irrational things. You¡¯re not so bad that you deserve to go to jail. As long as Mr. Hunt and Miss Ren get back together, I¡¯m sure Miss Ren won¡¯t pursue the matter.¡± Briar nodded and gave the clock on the wall a casual nce. Seeing that the time was almost right, she said to Margaret, ¡°I¡¯m scared. Can you feed me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Margaret understood Briar¡¯s despair as a mother who was about to kill her own child. She unscrewed the lid of the thermos and got a bit closer to Briar while telling her, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. The medicine¡¯s not bitter. Drink it with your eyes closed. You¡¯ll be free of your pain and dilemma.¡± However, Briar¡¯s expression suddenly did a 180. She looked frightened and shrunk back, screaming, ¡°Margaret, stop! Don¡¯t hurt my baby!¡± ¡°Take the medicine away, I beg you! I¡¯ll never drink it¡­¡± Margaret was confused. She walked forward and said. ¡°What do you mean, Miss Desrosiers? Did your nerves get the better of you? I can feed you. I¡­¡± ¡°Go away! Help! Help! This woman is trying to kill my baby!¡± After that, Briar sprinted past Margaret towards the tall figure standing outside the door. ¡°Save me, Stefan! Renee sent her! She wants to force the abortion medicine down my throat!¡± Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Margaret turned around and found Stefan standing at the door of the ward, staring at her coldly. ¡°Mr. Hunt. I¡­¡± She intended to exin herself, but the abortion medicine in her hand was still steaming hot. She could not immediately think of a good exnation.. Briar hid behind Stefan, acting like a weak, helpless woman. She cried and said, ¡°Margaret, I told you, I know I¡¯ve done something wrong, so I promise I¡¯ll leave Stefan, but the baby is innocent¡­¡± ¡°The baby is my life! I won¡¯t let anyone hurt it! Please go back and tell Miss Everheart that if she has any grudge against me. she can take it out on me, but don¡¯t hurt my baby!¡± Briar¡¯s words made Margaret flush with anger. She said emotionally, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Miss Desrosiers? That¡¯s not what you said just now. Aborting the baby was your idea too. Why are you pretending to be the victim now? You¡¯re tantly lying!¡± ¡°The one who¡¯s tantly lying is you! I love my baby so much, how could I bear to abort it? You were threatening me, saying that if I don¡¯t abort the baby like you said, Miss Everheart will make me go to jail. I refused to take the medicine, so you tried to force it down my throat! The police officers outside and Stefan saw it!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Margaret had never seen a better actor than Briar. She was so angry that she felt like she was getting a heart attack. She now knew that Renee was not exaggerating at all. Briar Desrosiers really was evil down to the core! She quickly told Stefan, ¡°Mr. Hunt, please don¡¯t listen to Miss Desrosiers¡¯s nonsense. That was not what happened at all. I did not say those things, I¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Stefan¡¯s perfect face was icy. He red at Margaret with extremely oppressive eyes and asked, ¡°Was it Renee¡¯s idea?¡± ¡°No, I came here on my own. Miss Ren knows nothing. She doesn¡¯t even know that I came here. Mr. Hunt, please don¡¯t misunderstand Miss Ren, she¡­¡± ¡°So it was your idea?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes became even colder, carrying a dangerous intent. He asked sharply. ¡°In other words, it¡¯s true that you tried to get rid of a Hunt child? That part¡¯s not a lie?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Margaret gulped. She did not know how to deny that. The purpose of her visit to today was to persuade Briar to get an abortion. Briar was not lying about Margaret¡¯s motive. ¡°I did ask Miss Desrosiers to get an abortion, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough.¡± Stefan turned to the police officers next to him and said, ¡°You heard that. She made a deliberate attempt to harm a child of the Hunt family. She has the motive, and we have eyewitnesses and evidence. I don¡¯t have to tell you what to do, do I?¡± The two police officers were very respectful towards Stefan. They immediately handcuffed Margaret and told her with a serious. expression, ¡°You voluntarily tried to hurt someone. This is a criminal offense. You¡¯re now under arrest. Please follow us back to the police station.¡± ¡°Criminal offense?¡± Margaret looked down at the cold handcuffs, confused. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. She did not expect things to turn out this way. She had only wanted to persuade Briar to give up. How did ite to this? ¡°No, no, Mr. Hunt, this is a misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t try to hurt anyone. I only tried to persuade Miss Desrosiers to get an abortion so that she can seek her own happiness again!¡± ¡°I can see that you and Miss Ren still have feelings for each other. You only got a divorce because of a homewrecker¡¯s intervention. Your marriage can still be saved. I¡­¡± ¡°Take her away!¡± Stefan said with a frown. He had no interest in hearing what Margaret had to say. Margaret¡¯s passionate plea gradually turned into disappointment. Sheughed bitterly and said. ¡°Now I know why Miss Ren is so adamant to divorce you even though she¡¯s under great pressure. Someone like you doesn¡¯t deserve her love!¡± After Margaret was taken away, Briar smiled triumphantly. 1 She grabbed Stefan¡¯s hand and whimpered, ¡°Stefan, thank god you got here in time. If you had arrived even a bitter, the baby would have been in danger. I can¡¯t believe Miss Everheart¡¯s desire for revenge is so strong that she actually tries to harm the innocent baby. She¡­¡± ¡°You can stop acting now.¡± Stefan said coldly, ¡°I know what happened. Your pretentiousness is starting to disgust me.¡± Although he had only met Margaret once before, he knew very well that Margaret could never have done such a cruel thing. ¡°What do you mean, Stefan?¡± Briar¡¯s face was stiff. So Stefan knew that Margaret was innocent, but he had her arrested anyway? Why? Stefan saw the question in Briar¡¯s eyes and asked coldly, ¡°You want to know why?¡± Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Everheart residence. Renee was sitting beside a window on the second floor. She had been staring out of the window for a long time, but she had not seen Margaret at all. She took out her phone and tried calling Margaret again, but her call still could not get through. ¡°That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s getting dark. Why isn¡¯t Margaret back yet? Where is she?¡± When she woke up this morning, Renee saw a note Margaret left on the dining table, saying that she was going to take care of some personal matters and would be back soon. She told Renee not to worry. But an entire day had passed and Margaret still had note home. She could not even be contacted. Something was wrong! Renee was worried that Margaret might have ran into trouble. Considering her recent situation, there were many people who were waiting for an opportunity to get back at her. Seeing that the sun was about to set, Renee could not sit still any longer. She grabbed a jacket and went out to look for Margaret. The moment she stepped outside, Renee saw a familiar silver sports car parked at the gate. A slender man was casually leaning against the car, his shadow drawn long under the dim yellow street lamp. He held a cigarette between his long fingers. He gave off a cold, aloof aura, deadly attractive. Renee¡¯s heart throbbed despite herself. She could not move her eyes away. The man was Stefan, a man she did not want to see at all! ¡®That¡¯s weird. What¡¯s he doing here?!¡± ¡®And judging from the remaining length of the cigarette between his fingers, it seems like he¡¯s been here for a long time?¡± Although Renee was curious, she walked straight past Stefan with a deadpan face, as if he was invisible. Stefan raised his eyebrows, but he was not mad. He casually put out the cigarette and threw the butt into a trash can next to him, then quietly followed behind Renee. He was tall, so he had a long shadow, and the shadow soon ovepped with Renee¡¯s, as if they were hugging each other. There was an ambiguous feeling in the air. Renee noticed Stefan following her. At first, she tried to ignore him, but she had already walked for nearly a kilometer and Stefan was still following her. It made her mad for some reason. She suddenly stopped and turned around. ¡°Are you a sex offender? Why are you following me? What do you want?¡± Stefan and Renee were walking very close together. When she suddenly stopped and turned around, they almost ran into each other. But it was precisely this tiny, awkward gap between them that made both of them feel a bit unnatural. Stefan cleared his throat and tried to put on his usual cold and aloof face. He smirked and said. ¡°Why are you wandering. around alone in the middle of the night? You¡¯re making yourself the perfect victim for a sex offender.¡± His words made Renee really angry. ¡°What kind of stupid logic is that? Are you saying that it¡¯s the victim¡¯s fault? Why have I never noticed before what a terribly crooked moral view you have?¡± +15 BONUS Renee retorted sharply. ¡°But, honestly, it¡¯s no surprise. Can¡¯t expect someone who lets himself get mixed up with a wicked woman like Briar Desrosiers to have a good moral view. I must have been blind to actually marry a man like you!¡± Stefan was not angry. Instead, his thin lips curled into a meaningful smile. That was because he could clearly hear a strong feeling of jealousy in Renee¡¯s words. It made him feel good. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered, why do you always get emotional when you talk about Briar?¡± ¡°Duh. Of course it¡¯s because I hate her!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Stefan¡¯s raised his eyebrows slightly as he continued to ask, ¡°Do you actually hate her or do you hate her for ruining our marriage?¡± ¡°You¡­ What the hell are you trying to say?¡± Renee involuntarily took a step back. Stefan felt strange tonight, as if he was possessed. ¡°If I say that my feelings for Briar are not what you think they are, and I¡¯m protecting her for some other reasons, would you let N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. her off the hook?¡± ¡°Some other reasons?¡± Renee frowned and immediately asked, ¡°What other reasons?¡± Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Chapter 190 ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± Stefan did not answer. ¨C Some secrets he must carry to the grave for the good of everyone. ¡°You just have to know that my rtionship with her is not like what you think. You don¡¯t have to make her life hell out of jealousy.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± That made Reneeugh. She wasughing at the man¡¯s arrogance, as well as his cruelty. How could a man say such a shameless thing to his ex¨Cwife? Briar Desrosiers was obviously the one who had done horrible things, but since the beginning of the conversation, he had been defending Briar and making Renee out to be the bad guy instead! ¡°You¡¯re really funny, Stefan. You think I¡¯m sending Briar to jail because I love you and I¡¯m jealous that he took you away from me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Stefan asked coldly. He believed that, although he had little experience in love, he had met a lot of women, so he could tell women¡¯s intentions towards him. ¡°No, no, no, it has nothing to do with you. I¡¯m just petty and I always get my revenge. Briar Desrosiers repeatedly provoked me. so of course I want to teach her a lesson.¡± Renee replied honestly. Renee was neither a saint nor the Virgin Mary. If she was bullied, of course she would retaliate. Stefan¡¯s gaze becameplicated. He said in a low voice, ¡°You weren¡¯t like this before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I was blind, I was stupid, and I¡¯m a good actor.¡± Renee did not care what kind of person Stefan thought she was anymore. She continued, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of being a daughter- inw of the Hunt family. I hate pretending to be gentle and dignified and acting like a loving couple with you. I hate your mean mother, I hate your mansion that feels like a prison, and I hate humbling myself to wait for you toe home every night!¡± In those cold, dark days, she could not even feel a hint of warmth. It was a period of time she did not want to remember. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I¡¯m not a kind person. When the monster in mees out, I might eat your little lover alive. Rather than wasting your time chatting with me, you should use it to find a goodwyer to try to reduce her sentence!¡± Renee¡¯s words were filled with provocation. She wanted to see how far Stefan would go in order to protect Briar Desrosiers. Stefan¡¯s face became increasingly colder. The woman in front of him looked like a little leopard waving her sharp ws. She was something he could not control, and that irritated him. He frowned and said coldly. ¡°So you¡¯ll definitely send her to prison? Is there no room for negotiation?¡± ¡°None whatsoever!¡± Renee nodded confidently and snorted. ¡°I¡¯ve already offered you a chance. You only had to kneel down and apologize in public. But, you pushed your luck instead. In that case, I can only show you my true nature ¨C I¡¯m a petty, vicious woman!¡± Renee knew all too well how to deal with people like Briar Desrosiers. If she let Briar off the hook this time, Briar would definitely retaliate even harder next time. Renee was not foolish enough to give Briar that opportunity. Stefan¡¯s expression turned even darker. His gaze fell on their ovepping shadows. He said coldly, ¡°In that case, you¡¯d better ask yourwyer to figure out how to reduce your nanny¡¯s sentence too. After all, murder is a much heavier crime than burry!¡± Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Upon hearing that, Renee¡¯s face instantly changed. She questioned him. ¡°So it¡¯s you¡­ what have you done to Margaret?¡± ¡°You should ask your nanny what she did instead.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was still extremely dark. He said coldly to the emotional Renee, ¡°Your nanny tried to force Briar to get an abortion. Are you gonna tell me you know nothing about it?¡± He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s each take a step back. I¡¯ll let Margaret go, and you let Briar go.¡± Stefan felt he was being generous enough to Renee. Briar¡¯s child was his brother¡¯s only descendant in the world. If it had been someone else doing what Margaret had done. Stefan would have made sure that person disappeared without a trace! ¡°Impossible!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Renee shook her head and said firmly. ¡°I know Margaret very well. She wouldn¡¯t do such a thing!¡± ¡°As for me¡­ although I can¡¯t wait to see Briar go to prison. I never thought of harming her child. Even if a pregnant woman is found guilty, she won¡¯t be put into prison immediately. She¡¯ll only serve her sentence after she gives birth and get past the breastfeeding period. The child won¡¯t be harmed.¡± Renee herself was a mother. There was no way she would be cruel enough to hurt the baby. Her words made Stefan¡¯s cold face rx slightly. He knew Renee was not as vicious as she imed. She was just trying to make him mad. ¡°I believe you and I believe your nanny, so let¡¯s put an end to this matter.¡± Stefan once again stated his terms. ¡°You withdraw the charges, and your nanny will regain freedom.¡± Renee¡¯s expression was one of overwhelming disappointment. She could not help but sneer at the man and said, ¡°How generous of you, Stefan. You make it sound like you¡¯re such a big man for letting us off the hook!¡± ¡°Since you believe that my nanny and I are innocent, why don¡¯t you just let her go? Why do I have to withdraw the charges in exchange?¡± ¡°Stop being so stubborn!¡± Stefan felt that his patience was about to run out. How did he not realize before how difficult this woman was to handle? She simply would not listen. He did not know how to deal with her! ¡°There¡¯s nothing that I. Renee Everheart, hate more than being threatened, yet you¡¯re actually threatening me for a bitch like that? Now you¡¯ve made me really mad!¡± Renee clenched her fists, red at the man, and spat out some harsh words. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in court. Let¡¯s see what the judge decides!¡± Once again, the two parted ways unhappily. After Renee had calmed down a bit, she called Zack Rosenwell. After listening to Renee¡¯s story. Zack said confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss, I¡¯ll take care of this. I promise I¡¯ll find a way to get Margaret out, but¡­ I need to see her first to ask for the specifics.¡± Therefore, half an hourter. Renee and Zack met at the detention center where Margaret was being kept in. +15 BONUS The prison guard led them to Margaret¡¯s cell and said impatiently, ¡°You have ten minutes.¡± Margaret was in her fifties, about to turn sixty. She was squatting helplessly in a corner, looking particrly feeble. ¡°Margaret, how are you doing?¡± Renee came to the metal door and cried out through the gap in the metal bars. Margaret looked up with a jolt and ran over with a worried face. She grasped the metal bars and told Renee. ¡°What are you. doing here, Miss Ren? The environment and the venttion here is bad. You need to go back now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Margaret. We don¡¯t have much time. You have to tell me and Zack everything that happened in ten minutes.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Margaret hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she decided to tell Renee the whole story. ¡°So you really did make abortion medicine for Briar Desrosiers?¡± Renee could not believe that Margaret would do such a thing. She asked again just to confirm. ¡°I did. I hoped that you and Mr. Hunt could get back together, in which case, the child could not exist.¡± Margaret closed her eyes and put on a brave face like she was prepared to die. ¡°As long as you can find happiness. I¡¯m willing to sacrifice this old life, let alone go to prison!¡± ¡°Margaret, oh Margaret, you¡¯ve made a terrible mistake!¡± Renee¡¯s brows furrowed with anxiety, but she could not find it in herself to yell at Margaret. Zack pushed his sses up his nose and said with confidence. ¡°The situation¡¯s not that bad. There¡¯s still a chance we can win. Leave it to me. It¡¯s not a big problem.¡± Zack¡¯s words made Briar heave a sigh of relief. If any otherwyer said that, they may be bragging or bluffing to earn legal fees, but if Zack said so, he definitely had a way to win! ¡°How soon can we get Margaret out? Can we apply for bail?¡± Renee looked at Zack anxiously. ¡°Judging by the nature of the case, no. We must be patient¡­¡± Zack asked Renee with raised eyebrows. ¡°Do you want to extend Briar Desrosiers¡¯s sentence by three to five more years?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to mess with her. Right now, I just want to get Margaret out!¡± ¡°If you do as I say, not only will Margaret be safe and sound, Briar Desrosiers will also be finished!¡± Zack snapped his fingers, as if everything was under control¡­ Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Renee and Zack walked out of the detention center. Renee could hardly wait to ask Zack, ¡°You said that there¡¯s a way to clear Margaret¡¯s name and also give Briar Desrosiers a heavier punishment? What exactly do I have to do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually quite simple.¡± Zack said, ¡°If Margaret isn¡¯t lying, then her subjective motivation to harm Briar Desrosiers cannot be established, and it naturally wouldn¡¯t constitute a criminal offense. In that case, she can even sue Briar Desrosiers for defamation.¡± ¡°If Margaret is in a bad health condition during this period, and it so happens that Briar¡¯s nder causes her emotional trauma, then Briar can also be charged with a criminal offense. Under the criminalw, the penalty for emotional trauma is no less severe than physical trauma.¡± Renee listened very attentively to every word he said. She instantly asked, ¡°So, as long as I can find a way to prove that Margaret didn¡¯t lie, or that Briar lied, we can win the case?¡± ¡°Correct!¡± Zack continued, ¡°My suggestion is to find evidence that Briar lied, so as to counter sue her for defamation. Although there are those two police officers as witnesses, from a legal perspective, witnesses contain subjectivity and carry less weight than physical evidence. If you can obtain physical evidence, we can definitely win the case!¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy. I know what to do.¡± After hearing that, Renee could not help but give Zack a thumbs up. ¡°As expected of Zack Rosenwell. What a brilliant move!¡± She was now really d she asked for nothing but the Hunts & Co. Law Firm when she divorced Stefan. With thew firm¡¯s Big Three helping her, she would be able to ovee any obstacles, be in in the administrative, civil and The next day. Renee arrived at the hospital where Briar was kept in early in the morning. As usual, there were two police officers guarding her ward. Briar felt like she was about to regain freedom, so she was humming happily, and so loudly that she could be heard in the hallway. ¡°Someone seems to be in a good mood.¡± Renee¡¯s leaned against the door of the ward with folded arms and asked with a weird smile on her face. Briar was sitting in front of the dressing mirror, putting on makeup on her eyes. When she suddenly saw Renee in the mirror. she reacted like she had just seen a ghost. Her expression changed sharply as she turned around and asked, ¡°It¡¯s you! How did you get in here?¡± ¡°Why do you look so scared? We¡¯re good friends. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to visit you?¡± ¡°Stop pretending!¡± Briar got intobat mode and red at Renee as if Renee was a ferocious wild beast. She snapped. ¡°We¡¯re mortal enemies. One of us will definitely die in the hands of the other. Why are you here?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s not that serious. You¡¯re Stefan¡¯s new love and I¡¯m his ex¨Cwife. In ancient times, we would be considered sisters. There¡¯s no need to fight all the time! Where¡¯s the love?¡± +15 BONUS Renee smiled and said sarcastically. ¡°Hah, love?¡± Seeing Renee being so polite, Briar guessed that Renee must havee to beg her to withdraw the charges. She said arrogantly. ¡°Now you want to talk about love? Why didn¡¯t you talk about love when you mercilessly had me arrested the other day?¡± ¡°Are you worried that your horrible nanny might die in the detention center because she¡¯s too old, so you¡¯vee to beg me for mercy?¡± Renee smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just came out of kindness to inform you that I¡¯ve found the evidence to prove my nanny¡¯s innocence. Your charges now include not only burry, but also defamation. The result of my nanny¡¯s psychological evaluation is out. She has level 3 emotional trauma. If you¡¯re found guilty for all the charges, you¡¯ll be in jail for at least 5 years!¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Wh¨CWhat?¡± Briar¡¯s face suddenly turned pale. She stepped back and said, ¡°You¡¯re trying to scare me, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s no way you have evidence to prove your nanny¡¯s innocence. The only ones present at the time were the police officers, and they heard your nanny threatening me with their own ears!¡± ¡°You have witnesses while I have physical evidence. From a legal perspective, physical evidence carries much more weight than witnesses.¡± Renee seemed very confident. Briar¡¯s face turned even paler. She gulped and asked. ¡°What¡­ what physical evidence?¡± Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Renee pointed to the surveince camera on the wall and said, ¡°No secret stays buried forever. Thank god the entire process of your heinous crime was recorded.¡± Briar was momentarily stunned, then she burst outughing. She said smugly. ¡°That¡¯s the evidence you have? The surveince footage? Go ahead and take it to court. We¡¯ll see who the judge finds guilty.¡± Renee did not expect Briar to be so smug. She guessed Briar must have dealt with the surveince footage already. However, this would not be a problem for Renee and her amazing hacking skills. It did not matter if Briar had deleted or destroyed the surveince footage. As long as it once existed, Renee could recover it in minutes. ¡°Since you¡¯re so confident, let¡¯s see what happens in the trial three days from now.¡± After saying that. Renee turned around gracefully and left.. In three days, everything would be over. She swore she would make Briar pay a heavy price for her ignorance and wickedness! When she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Stefan and her former mother¨Cinw, Francine Milford, who hade to visit Briar. Stefan¡¯s and Renee¡¯s eyes met. Both of them were slightly surprised. Countless emotions flowed between their eyes¡­ Francine was very emotional. She looked at Renee like she was looking at a disgusting bug, wishing she could squash Renee to death. ¡°What are you doing here, you harbinger of misfortune? Are you trying to finish the job your wicked nanny failed to do?¡± ¡°Is this your family¡¯s hospital? Am I obligated to tell you what I¡¯m doing here?¡± Renee asked tly. ¡°You¡­!¡± Once again, Francine was rendered speechless by Renee, so she decided to teach her sharp¨Ctongued former daughter¨Cinw a lesson physically instead. ¡°Now that Stef has kicked you out of our family, you have no obligation to tell me anything, but since you dare toy a hand on the Hunt family¡¯s baby, I¡¯m obligated to teach you how to behave!¡± With that, she pulled her hand back and flung it at Renee¡¯s face. Stefan grabbed Francine by the wrist and said, ¡°Mom, stop it.¡± ¡°Stop it?¡± Francine flushed red. She tried to free her hand from Stefan¡¯s grip, but Stefan would not let go. She was so angry that she yelled, ¡°Stef, is something not right with your head? Why are you still speaking up for this woman? The trial will be held in a few days. Are you really gonna want to watch your son get born in prison?¡± ¡°I can handle this problem, Mom. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°How? If I were you, I would have dealt with this wicked woman a long time ago! I would never have let her step on us again and again without doing anything!¡± ¡°Let go of me! I said let go of me!¡± Francine was getting angrier and angrier. She must teach Renee a lesson today to vent her anger. But Stefan would not let go. He held the furious Francine back and coldly said to Renee, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Go.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Renee did not expect Stefan to protect her like this after they¡¯ve divorced. Maybe him and Francine were putting on this act so that she would drop charges? But it did not matter because she would not do that no matter what. ¡°See you in court in three days.¡± Renee dropped those words and left without looking back. Only after making sure that Renee was far gone did Stefan release Francine¡¯s hand. ¡°You brat! You¡¯re gonna be the death of me!¡± Francine originally wanted to p Stefan, but she could not bear to do it. In the end, she heaved a long sigh and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? After you divorced that harbinger of misfortune, you¡¯re taking her side in everything, as if you¡¯re possessed by the devil. Is she ckmailing you?¡± Stefan said, ¡°Briar¡¯s the one who crossed the line in this matter. It¡¯s understandable that Renee would retaliate. We can¡¯t force her to do as we say anymore; she¡¯s no longer the Hunt family¡¯s daughter¨Cin¨C law.¡± ¡°Mrs. Hunt is Mrs. Hunt, and Renee Everheart is Renee Everheart. It¡¯s time we know the difference.¡± Stefan¡¯s words left Francine speechless. She suddenly realized that her son¡¯s words made sense. After leaving the Hunt family, Renee had been like a woman reborn. Not only did she be the behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes boss of a technologypany, she also became the chairman of the Electronics Technology Association and was managing the Hunts & Co. Law Firm to great sess. The timid and obedient daughter¨Cinw Francine knew was long gone. If she had known that Renee was this capable, she might not have let Stefan divorce her¡­. Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Chapter 194 After leaving the hospital, Renee grabbed a cab back to the Everheart residence. In her hand was a USB sh drive that contained the hospital¡¯s surveince footage she downloaded. Renee transferred the data into herputer and quickly skimmed through the surveince footage of the day of the incident. Sure enough, what should have been a video of more than ten hours had only less than an hour remaining, the rest deleted. All that remained was footage that disadvantaged Margaret. It seemingly reinforced Briar¡¯s im that Margaret forced and and threatened Briar to get an abortion. ¡°How cunning of you. Briar Desrosiers!¡± Renee did not panic. She pushed her rimless sses up her nose and started typing a long string of codes, attempting to hack into the hospital¡¯s cloud storage system. Generally, public ces such as hospitals, schools, and shopping malls would have cloud storage systems. These systems would back up video data such as surveince footage. In other words, any video data that existed in the systems could be repaired and could be stolen. However, the encryption of the hospital¡¯s cloud storage system seemed to have been deliberately strengthened with the most advanced encryption technology. Even after trying for half an hour, Renee could not hack into it. In the end, the system even locked on to her IP address and attempted to locate her. ¡°Damn it!¡± The quiet room was filled with the sound of incessant typing. It was a war without gun¨Csmoke. The situation was very tense. This encryption technology was obviously the work of a top ss expert. It was no doubt meant a prevention measure against her. There was no way a bimbo like Briar Desrosiers could have prepared something thisplex. That meant it must have been Stefan¡¯s idea. The only source of light in the dark room was theputer¡¯s faint fluorescence glow. It illuminated Renee¡¯s face, making her look particrly sad and disappointed. Hah, Stefan Hunt, so you would use any underhanded method to protect your little lover! Renee felt a little defeated now. If she could not obtain the full surveince footage to prove Margaret¡¯s innocence in three days, Margaret would be in a very precarious situation¡­ After pondering for a moment, Renee dialed a number. Half an hourter, Haze appeared at her door. Haze¡¯s slender figure was dressed in ck. He seemed like a handsome vampire in the dark night, mysterious and full of charm. ¡°You finally remember me, my Bonnie?¡± Haze joked with a half smile. People online jokingly referred to Phoenix and Haze as ¡°Bonnie and Clyde¡°. Renee rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop it with the jokes. You know how silly onlinements are. Don¡¯t call me Bonnie. I don¡¯t even like her.¡± ¡°Okay. How ¡®bout I call you Marilyn Monroe, then?¡± Renee released a flurry of punches at Haze. The distance between the two became much closer in an instant. It¡¯s weird. She had actually not met Haze that many times before, but she felt rxed around him. Unlike being around Stefan, which always made her feel tense and ufortable. Perhaps you could only truly be yourself around someone if you did not have feelings for that person! ¡°Alright, enough chit chat. I asked you over because I need your help. It¡¯s kinda urgent.¡± Without wasting any time. Renee took Haze to herputer. She pointed to the hospital¡¯s cloud storage system and said, ¡°Can you see if you can crack this hospital¡¯s cloud storage system?¡± Haze and her were the ceiling of the hacker world. If she could not crack the system, then she could only ask Haze to give it a shot. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Haze took a nce at the screen and said with an evil smirk, ¡°Of course I can. But if I help you crack it, what do I get?¡± Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Renee held her chin in both hands like she was a flower, then said cutely. ¡°You get to receive the heartfelt gratitude and adoration from this beautiful flower!¡± ¡°Nope, I need you to show more sincerity than that!¡± Haze waved her away, obviously disinterested. He casuallyy down onto the couch and said while leisurely shaking his leg.¡± The price for my service usually starts at 100 million dors. You obviously want me to do it for free. No way, Jose.¡± Renee was pissed off. The guy had such a punchable face right now. However, she needed his help, she could only put on her best fake smile and asked, ¡°Okay, tell me, what do you want?¡± Haze suddenly became interested. He sat upright and said seriously. ¡°You know, I¡¯m going to be thirty in another year or two. My family is worried about my personal life, so¡­¡± ¡°I refuse!¡± Before he had even finished speaking. Renee had made a cross with her hands, her expression filled with unwillingness. ¡°I¡¯m off limit. I¡¯ve already sealed away my heart. The only thing I care about now is my career. It¡¯s fine if you want to be friends with me, but husband and wife? Absolutely impossible!¡± There was a yful glint in Haze¡¯s eyes as his thin lips curled into an evil smile. He said, ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind. Yes, I find you rather pleasant, but not to the point where I want to marry you. I don¡¯t believe in marriage.¡± ¡°Ahem. Is that so?¡± Renee¡¯s face was a little red. How embarrassing. Since when did she be a narcissist like Stefan Hunt? Did she think everyone was interested in her? She had really made a fool of herself this time. ¡°So what do you want me to do?¡± Renee pretended like nothing happened and asked Haze again. ¡°My grandfather is pressuring me hard. He¡¯ll be celebrating his 80th birthday soon, and he said I must bring home a girlfriend then. I¡¯ve been thinking about it ¨C you¡¯re the only woman in my social circle, so¡­¡± ¡°You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Renee thought hard about it, then patted her chest and said. ¡°Leave it to me. I have lots of burner ounts but none has ever been exposed, and that¡¯s all thanks to my superb acting skills.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a deal!¡± The two high¨Cfived and happily agreed to the cooperation. Haze sat down in front of theputer and casually typed a string of codes. Not long after that, he miraculously cracked the hospital¡¯s cloud storage system and sessfully stole the missing surveince footage. The entire process took less than ten minutes! Renee, who was looking from the back, was stunned. She gave him a thumbs up and said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing, Haze. You¡¯ve be so skilled over the past few years. You actually cracked this S+++level encryption technology in less than ten minutes. Looks like the International Hacker Competition this year is yours to lose.¡± ¡°But of course!¡± Haze leaned back on the chair and looked up at Renee. His face, which had striking facial features, was perfect. For an instant, seeing this unruly handsome face, Renee¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Haze was different from Stefan. He was not as cold and aloof as Stefan was. He seemed to be friendly, but he actually kept a safe distance from everyone and was full of mystery. This kind of man was like a gust of wind. No one could see through it, let alone grab hold of it! After that, Haze¡¯s words almost made Renee cough up blood. ¡°Because this encryption was made by yours truly. Your ex¨Chusband contacted me and asked me to reinforce the system security overnight!¡± Haze¡¯s lips curled into a yful smile. ¡°I¡¯m just cracking my own encryption. Of course it was fast!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Renee¡¯s face suddenly stiffened. That meant Stefan knew that Margaret was framed, but instead of letting Margaret go, he destroyed the evidence that could prove Margaret¡¯s innocence! That¡¯s so ruthless of him! Fortunately, there was still justice in this world. She had now got her hands on the full surveince footage. To ensure that nothing went wrong, Renee asked Haze, ¡°Will he know that you cracked the encryption?¡± ¡°If you want him to know, he¡¯ll know. If you don¡¯t want him to know, he won¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You definitely can¡¯t let him know!¡± Renee emphasized. She was looking forward to what expression Stefan and Briar would show when they saw the full surveince footage in the trial three days from now. ¡°You two are really something. Your ex¨Chusband gave me 40 million dors to reinforce the hospital¡¯s cloud storage system to prevent you from breaking in, and now you use your charm to break in anyway. Come to think of it. I¡¯m the biggest winner of this whole thing because I get paid by both parties!¡± Haze¡¯s expression became even more smug. Interesting, how interesting! Initially, he only wanted to look on as a ¡°bystander¡°, but now he suddenly felt like ¡°joining the game¡°¡­ Chapter 196 Chapter 196 Chapter 196 After Haze left, Renee was left alone once more in the huge vi. Like she had done for many nights, she stood at the window, gazing out at the moon. The moon tonight was round and bright, hanging like a luminous pearl in the dark night sky. ¡®The bright moon sends a message of love¡­¡® For some reason, Renee suddenly recalled the stranger she chatted with the other night. His profile picture was also a moon. The only message he sent her was also a picture of a moon. Renee subconsciously took out her phone, clicked on the picture of the moon, and zoomed in to take a closer look. Based on the angle, the picture should have been taken through the french window of a certain office. Perhaps the guy was a sryman that had to work overtime untilte at night, getting his value squeezed dry by his capitalist Renee smiled, casually took a picture of the moon and sent it to him. It¡¯s weird. Although she had not chatted with the guy much, and most of the time it was just her comining about her problems, she had a feeling that the guy was definitely reading attentively no matter what she typed. Even if he did not offer any word offort, he could definitely understand her feeling. This made her feel warm inside¡­ After a few minutes, she received a WeChat notification on her phone. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Two simple words. She could not help but feel like the person on the other end should be a calm, quiet and reliable man. ¡°Yeah, lots of stuff going on.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°For example, there¡¯s a very annoying man who¡¯s always messing with my mood. For example, my only rtive in this world. was framed and imprisoned. For example, I want to leave this ce, but I can¡¯t. Everything¡¯s going terribly!¡± Renee typed this message with a gloomy face, pouring out her grievances. The guy must be so annoyed with her constantining by now. So she quickly sent another message. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t treat you as an emotional trash can, but I haven¡¯t had anyone to talk to for a long time. Talking about it makes me feel better. You can just ignore what I said.¡± The guy remained silent for a while before sending out a few concise words. ¡°Why do you want to leave?¡± ¡°For personal reasons.¡± She was currently pregnant with twins and it would show soon. She must leave Beach City to give birth to the babies in secret. Before leaving, however, she needed toy out the necessary ns for her business empire as soon as possible so that her babies and her could live without any worries in the future, free of anyone¡¯s control. Renee did not tell the guy what her ¡°personal reasons¡± were. The guy was also very polite and did not ask. After a long time, he finally replied. ¡°It¡¯ste. Go to bed. Maybe when you wake up tomorrow, your problems will no longer be problems.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Renee exhaled. She felt much better. In this fast¨Cmoving world, was there a warmer thing than someone urging you to go to bed? The stranger¡¯s concern gave her strength in this lonely night. She believed that everything would gradually get better. Renee put away her phone and fell asleep peacefully. The next day, she woke up early, washed herself a bit, took the USB sh drive containing the surveince footage, and headed out to meet Zack to discuss tomorrow¡¯s trial. But the moment she opened the door, she bumped into Margaret head¨Con! Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Margaret, is it¡­ really you?¡± Renee rubbed her eyes. Her first thought was that she¡¯s still not fully awake yet and she¡¯s seeing things. ¡°Of course it¡¯s me, Miss Ren.¡± Margaret held Renee¡¯s hand excitedly and said, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Miss Ren. You told me you¡¯re gonna get me out, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to do it so quickly. If your parents in heaven knew that you¡¯re this capable, they would be so very pleased! ¡°But¡­¡± Renee was even more confused now. She was trying to get Margaret out, but she had not made a move yet! ¡°Miss Ren, what did you do? The prison guard said a scared¨Clooking Briar Desrosiers withdrew her charges early this morning. and that¡¯s why I was released!¡± Margaret asked curiously. Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Chapter 197 ¡°¡­¡± Renee was stunned. She did not know what to say. Based on her understanding of Briar Desrosiers, there was no way the wicked woman would withdraw the charges due to her conscience. Then, it was most probably Stefan¡¯s order. But the heartless man was supposed to use Margaret to threaten Renee. Why would he back out of the war first? Did he find out that Haze hacked into the hospital¡¯s cloud storage systemst night? Thinking of that, Renee quickly gave Haze a call. Haze answered the phonezily. He was obviously still sleeping. ¡°You miss me already. Bonnie?¡± ¡°Cut the crap. Tell me, did anyone find out about you hacking into the cloud storage systemst night?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why do you sound so anxious?¡± ¡°Cut the crap and answer me!¡± ¡°No one found out.¡± Haze said confidently. ¡°I coded the encryption. As long as I don¡¯t tell anyone, no one would know.¡± Renee fell silent. She frowned and thought for a while, then said. ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡­¡± Haze still wanted to ask Renee something but Renee had already hung up. ¡°So heartless?¡± Hazey on therge bed. His arm that was showing outside the nket had perfect muscle lines, more defined than that of international male supermodels. ¡°The wild kitten has quite the personality,¡± he said with a smirk. Meanwhile, Renee was biting her nails as she carefully analyzed what happened. Since her theft of the surveince footage had not been found out, there should be no reason for Stefan to let Margaret off the hook. What was he nning? ¡°Miss Ren, I¡¯m sorry I made you worry. I knew I was gonna be alright, so you didn¡¯t have to worry about me¡­¡± Margaret¡¯s consoling words suddenly reminded Renee of the stranger¡¯s wordsst night. ¡°Maybe when you wake up tomorrow, your problems will no longer be problems.¡± This statement was so timely that she had to wonder if the guy could predict the future. Or, perhaps, this stranger was actually Stefan in disguise? Based on the picture of the moon, it did look suspiciously like the picture was taken from the French window in Stefan¡¯s office! Thinking of that, Renee rushed upstairs and turned on theputer to track the stranger¡¯s IP address. After typing a long string of code, the IP address quickly locked on to a location, and the person¡¯s information was obtained. ording to the information, this guy was just an ordinary working man in his twenties in a neighboring city. All the information showed that he had nothing to do with Stefan. It was both expected and logical. Renee heaved a sigh of relief, but also felt a bit disappointed. ¡°Renee, oh Renee, you think too highly of yourself. Who do you think you are? Why would he waste his time chatting with you. on a burner ount?¡± She chuckled to herself. In any case. Stefan¡¯s sudden ¡°truce¡± could only mean that he was nning something big! ¡°Margaret, don¡¯t go anywhere in the next couple of days. Just stay at home. I¡¯m worried Stefan might y dirty!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Renee told Margaret. ¡°Miss Ren, I don¡¯t think Mr. Hunt is as bad as you think. Maybe he simply doesn¡¯t want to hurt you. After all, he can see how close we are. If we really go to court, there might be no way back for you two¡­¡± Margaret persuaded, ¡°Miss Ren, don¡¯t be so angry. I think you should withdraw the charges against Miss Desrosiers too so that your rtionship with Mr. Hunt doesn¡¯t be irreconcble!¡± Renee sneered. ¡°Hah¡­ so he¡¯s ying mind games in order to make me withdraw charges willingly. Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t understand what kind of person I am!¡± After she said that, she headed straight for H Group, bringing the solid evidence with her. Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Renee arrived at H Group. As usual, she was not stopped by anyone and was warmly weed by all the employees. Rachel Stefan¡¯s secretary, was the biggest stan of the Renee¨CStefan ship. Her eyes filled with excitement, she received Renee enthusiastically. ¡°Mrs. Hunt, Mr. Hunt is in a meeting right now. Do you want to wait for him in his office, or should I go urge him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait in his office!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Rachel nodded repeatedly. Generally, one could not go to the CEO¡¯s office without permission. But this woman was the CEO¡¯s wife. The rules did not apply to her. Renee entered Stefan¡¯s office and sat down in his chair. She turned left and right in the chair, feeling veryfortable. Her eyes suddenly fell on a crystal ashtray on the desk. She thought it looked kind of familiar. ¡°Rachel, could this ashtray be¡­ the one I gave him a while ago?¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes instantly brightened. She quickly replied. ¡°Yes, Mrs. Hunt, you sure have a good memory. This ashtray was the Christmas gift you gave Mr. Hunt a year ago. Mr. Hunt likes it very much!¡± ¡°And this sulent. Mr. Hunt also likes it very much. He takes care of it every day. Sometimes he would even take pictures of it¡­¡± ¡°And this mechanical keyboard. Mr. Hunt loves using it. One of the key¡¯s broken, but he still refuses to rece the keyboard!¡± ¡°No way.¡± Rachel¡¯s words shocked Renee. ¡°How could a picky guy like Stefan Hunt possibly like the presents I gave him? These presents look so childish to me now. Even I feel embarrassed by them!¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t like them before, but recently, he kept asking us to bring out the things you gave him, especially the coffee¡­ He would only drink the brand that you once bought for him. We¡¯re so troubled by it. Maybe he loves you, so he loves the things. you gave him too!¡± *Cough!¡± Renee almost choked on her own saliva. These fangirls sure are delusional. Stefan and her were almost mortal enemies now. There was no love to speak of between them! After Rachel left, Renee could do nothing but wait. Out of boredom, she looked out of the french window. Be it the window¡¯s material, angle, or the scenery outside, it really did look like the window in the picture the stranger sent her. So, she took out her phone, erged the picture of the moon again, andpared it to the french window in front of her¡­ ¡°What are you doing?¡± Renee suddenly heard Stefan¡¯s cold voice. She was startled. Her phone dropped to the ground with a thud. She quickly picked it up and replied with a straight face, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± ¡°Who gave you permission toe into my office?!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face was very unhappy. He slowly walked towards Renee and said with a frown. ¡°You even dare to sit in my chair? Do you want to die?¡± He had had a strong sense of boundaries from an early age and disliked others touching his things. ¡°So what if I sit in your chair for a moment? You¡¯re so stingy. See, I even gave you all these things!¡± Renee casually nced around and saw about seven or eight old presents he gave Stefan. ¡°You wanted to give me those things yourself. I don¡¯t even like them.¡± Stefan¡¯s face was cold and his voice was haughty. ¡°You don¡¯t like them?¡± Renee raised her eyebrows. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll take them all back right now so that I can give them to my future boyfriend. It¡¯s called recycling!¡± Stefan red daggers at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Renee¡¯s pursed her lips and murmured, ¡°You don¡¯t like them, but you still want to take possession of them. What a tyrant!¡± Stefan made no reply to that. He simply picked Renee up from his chair and said coldly, ¡°Why do you want to see me? Get to the point!¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Renee¡¯s expression turned serious. She asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly let Margaret go? Did you do it out of conscience?¡± Stefan looked up with his cold eyes and stared at Renee for a long time before he tly said, ¡°If I say it¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to make you sad, would you believe me?¡± Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Chapter 199 ¡°Pfft!¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Renee burst outughing despite herself. If anyone else had said that, she would not have felt that there was anything wrong with those words, buting from the giant iceberg, it felt like a big fat joke. ¡°Hahahaha! Mr. CEO, did a ghost possess you or something? How could those wordse out of your mouth? Oh, that¡¯s a good joke!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face grew colder and colder. He pursed his thin lips, looked expressionlessly at the woman who had bent over withughter, and said slowly. ¡°Is it really that funny?¡± ¡°Damn right it is.¡± Renee tried to contain herughter and looked at Stefan mockingly. ¡°You really are trying everything in the book to get me to withdraw charges, aren¡¯t you? Unfortunately, even though we¡¯ve been married for four years, you still don¡¯t understand what kind of person I am¡­¡± ¡°You think if you say something nice to me, I¡¯ll do anything you say, just like old times?¡± Renee shook her head andughed at Stefan¡¯s arrogance. ¡°Before, you were my husband. I listened to what you said because I cared about you. But now, you¡¯re just my ex¨Chusband. Your requests are nothing to me now. Why should I do what you want me to?¡± Renee¡¯s words pierced into Stefan¡¯s heart like a sharp knife. Although it did not make a big wound, the empty feeling it left behind was still unpleasant. He only realized now that he seemed to have lost a very good woman¡­ Stefan smiled self¨Cdeprecatingly. His voice was clear and chilly as he asked, ¡°Am I really that kind of person in your eyes?¡± Renee shrugged, ¡°Obviously?¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re too full of yourself!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes became even colder and more aloof. His voice was cold and sharp. ¡°If I want to save Briar, I have a hundred ways to save her. The reason I spent so much time negotiating with you is because I hope you can quell your anger. But now¡­ I¡¯m running out of patience. I¡¯m done with this!¡± Renee felt that there were other meaning behind those words, so she said, ¡°I knew it, you really are nning something big in secret. Face me head on if you¡¯re a man!¡± Stefan did not answer. He opened the document before him and said coldly, ¡°You can leave now!¡± ¡°Stefan Hunt, I warn you, you better not y any dirty tricks. I¡¯ll make you pay if you do!¡± Renee¡¯s fist smashed onto the desk in front of Stefan to emphasize her fierce warning. Stefan did not say anything else to her. He simply picked up the phone and told the security toe escort her out. Renee was fuming. She left reluctantly. She hade all this way but did not get any useful information at all. What a waste of time! She desperately needed to vent all the negative emotions, so she opened the chat with the stranger again and sent a row of ?? +15 BONUS angry emojis. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she also sent another wall of text. ¡°I¡¯m so mad! SO MAD! My ex¨Chusband is so annoying!¡± ¡°He¡¯s already your ex¨Chusband but he still makes you mad. Maybe you¡¯re still in love with him?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Renee gritted his teeth and typed a new message. ¡°My hate for him just hasn¡¯t subsided yet. If I could, I really wanted to chop him into pieces and feed him to the fish.¡± ¡°Good idea. I¡¯ll buy you a knife if you need it.¡± The guy¡¯s reply made Reneeugh out loud. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Mr. Moon.¡± Looking at the his profile picture of the moon on the sea, she could almost feel the breeze blowing against her hair. She instantly felt less angry. She strode out of the H Group building with light steps. What Renee did not realize was that Stefan was currently staring at her petite, nimble figure. He leaned in front of the shiny French window, his deep eyes locked onto Renee¡­ She seemed so small, just a tiny ck dot in his vision, but he felt like he could not deal with her at all! The reason why he released her nanny was really because he simply did not want to make her sad. Why wouldn¡¯t she believe him? At that moment, Stefan¡¯s phone rang. With a slight frown, he said, ¡°Okay, do it!¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Under the night sky, a white private jet was parked in a private hangar a distance away from the city center. Briar, escorted by several strong¨Clooking men, boarded the ne with trepidation. ¡°Stefan, I knew you would save me!¡± At the sight of the dignified man sitting inside the jet, the originally uneasy Briar excitedly threw herself at him. However, Stefan¡¯s expression was cold, maybe even slightly annoyed. ¡°Tonight, the jet will send you to Cyseal City, where you¡¯ll stay for the rest of your pregnancy. You will not make any contact with the outside world until the baby is born.¡± His voice that was devoid of emotion flustered Briar. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Stefan? Are you trying to hide me away? How¡¯s that any different from going to jail?¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face was expressionless as he coldly snorted, ¡°You can choose to go back and go to jail if you want!¡± ¡°No!¡± Briar was very emotional. She immediately transformed into a weak, helpless girl with tears streaming down her cheeks. She said pitifully, ¡°Stefan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you being so cold to me?¡± ¡°You know I¡¯m innocent! Shouldn¡¯t you help me clear my name? Instead, you¡¯re hiding me out of sight like I¡¯m some kind of embarrassment! Don¡¯t you think this is really unfair to me?¡± ¡°Unfair?¡± Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Stefan coldly said, ¡°You want to talk about fairness in front of Renee Everheart? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s the biggest unfairness of all?¡± Briar was shocked by his cold attitude. She swallowed hard and said cautiously. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± She could clearly feel that the man was no longer as easily fooled as before. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant with my brother¡¯s child. That¡¯s his only descendant. For the sake of his bloodline, Renee could only Stefan¡¯s eyes were sharp and piercing. ¡°You use this to usurp Renee from the position that rightfully belonged to her. You think this is fair?¡± ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Briar lowered her head and had no reply. ¡°If you had simply kept to yourself, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything, and you could get everything that you want. Unfortunately¡­ you¡¯re too greedy, too malicious. I won¡¯t let you do as you please anymore!¡± Stefan was utterly disappointed with Briar. He could not figure out how his excellent and upright elder brother could have fallen for a woman like her and even had a child with her. Even before he died, hisst words to Stefan was to take care of Briar and their child¡­ ¡°Enough talking. Just go!¡± Stefan finished speaking and got up to leave. Briar cried and blocked his path. ¡°You misunderstood me, Stefan! I¡¯m not greedy! I just want to give birth to Tristan¡¯s baby safely and give him a legitimate identity! It was your idea to divorce Miss Renee and marry me! Howe in the end, it¡¯s all my Briar¡¯s words made Stefan fall silent. He suddenly wondered, if there was no Briar and no baby, would he have divorced Renee? He probably would have. After all, the marriage between him and Renee was only a contractual marriage. There was no love between them. A divorce was probably only a matter of time. ¡°Stefan, I know I¡¯ve made a mistake. I promise you I¡¯ll behave myself from now on. I¡¯ll stay far away from Miss Renee. All I want is to be with you and raise Tristan¡¯s only child well. Please, give me another chance.¡± Briar grabbed Stefan¡¯s arm and begged hard. ¡°The baby will be born in a few months. Do you really want him toe into this world in hiding as an illegitimate child? Do you want him to have no father, no legal identity?¡± Briar¡¯s round of questioning made Stefan frown. His looked coldly at Briar¡¯s slightly bulging stomach. In the end, he relented. ¡°We¡¯ll talk again after the baby is born!¡± ¡°Okay. I trust you, Stefan. I¡¯ll do whatever you ask of me!¡± Briar knew when to push her advantage and when topromise. She said pitifully, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you, wherever I am. The baby and I will be waiting for you!¡± The private jet roared into the sky. Sitting inside his limousine, Stefan stared with a gloomy expression at the ne that gradually turned into a tiny dot. ¡®Brother, you won¡¯t me me for doing this, will you?¡± The next day. Before the trial, Renee received news that Briar hadmitted suicide¡­ Chapter 201 Chapter 201 Chapter 201 ¡°What? She killed herself?¡± Renee received the call on the way to the court. She was shocked. Zack was sitting next to her. Seeing her reaction, he immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°The court said Briarmitted suicide early this morning. Her remains have been sent to the crematorium.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Zack said confidently, ¡°Briar is a suspect in a court case and the case hasn¡¯t reached a verdict yet. Even if she really did kill herself, ording to thew, her corpse can only be dealt with after the legal investigation period is over. There¡¯s no way the corpse would be cremated this quickly, unless¡­¡± ¡°Unless someone wants to destroy the corpse to hide evidence or to substitute it with another person!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zack had handled a lot of criminal cases and had encountered all kinds of bizarre situations before. It was not the first time he had encountered a situation where the suspect suddenly mitted suicide¡± right before a trial. Renee thought hard about it and instantly understood everything. ¡°Hah, I knew it! So that¡¯s why Stefan was willing to let Margaret go yesterday. This is what he had nned.¡± ¡°Honestly, this kind of trick is some. Instead of looking for a goodwyer to defend her in court, he chose to use his power to put himself above thew instead. What a coward!¡± For the first time, Renee was looking down on Stefan. She could not believe he would actuallye up with an idea like faking death in order to protect that bitch, Briar Desrosiers. He had abandoned all dignity. Renee felt ashamed for him! ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, boss. The old boss¡® power and background are simply too strong. From the judge to the police, everyone have to show him some respect.¡± Zack shrugged helplessly and said: ¡°However, if you want to continue pressing charges, I can still get you the win. Do you still need it?¡± Renee thought for a moment, then shook her head, ¡°No, there¡¯s no need!¡± She had only made such a big deal out of the situation to make Briar suffer. Now, Briar had been forced to fake her death to get out of her predicament. From now on, she could only use another identity to live in disgrace. It was enough payback. As long as she behaved herself from now on and stop messing with Renee, Renee would not drive her into a dead end. After all, they were both mothers. Even if the mother was guilty, the child was innocent. Renee was not so ruthless that she would let the child suffer too! ¡°Understood. You have such a big heart, boss. You¡¯re like Mother Teresa born again. Working for a kind boss like you, ourw firm¡¯s employees will surely have an easy life until our retirement!¡± Zack took the chance to lick Renee¡¯s boots. Although he hated Renee in the beginning. Renee had made him her underling now. He absolutely admired her! ¡°In your dreams!¡± Renee red at Zack and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t done any work yet and you¡¯re already thinking of retirement? I¡¯m not the H Group. I¡¯m the evil demoness Renee Everheart, and I¡¯m gonna squeeze all your value out of you!¡± Zackughed helplessly. ¡°Yeah, I noticed. Boss, you¡¯re even more difficult to deal with than the old boss. We might not even help the old boss do things if he paid us money, but we would do things for you even if you don¡¯t pay us! That¡¯s charisma!¡± Renee felt like throwing up. Zack¡¯s boot¨Clicking was really something else! ¡°Anyway, back to business. The matter I discussed with you before, can it be done?¡± Renee asked Zack with a serious expression. Zack instantly became serious too. ¡°Boss, you have such a big appetite. A case that involves a multinational enterprise like that is usually really tough.¡± ¡°Of course I know it¡¯s tough. That¡¯s why all I asked for in my divorce was the Hunts and Co. Law Firm. More precisely, I wanted you three gold¨Cstandardwyers.¡± ¡°You said it yourself, THREE gold¨Cstandardwyers. John and I might be willing to give it a try for your sake, but Sandra hasn¡¯t said anything yet.¡± Zack continued. ¡°I¡¯m good at criminal cases while John is good at administrative cases. As for civil and commercial cases¡­ Sandra¡¯s one of the best in the world. But you haven¡¯t even met with her yet. Are you sure you can convince her?¡± Renee raised her eyebrows. ¡°Sandra and I are both women. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll support me.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure!¡± Zack told her a piece of gossip, ¡°I heard Sandra and the old boss are abnormally close. Sandra has helped the H Group settle a lot of business disputes over the years. Now that the Hunts and Co. Law Firm has changed hands, she¡¯ll very likely leave thew firm to be the H Group¡¯s legal advisor. If that happens¡­ who knows, maybe you¡¯ll end up getting devoured alive by the H Group instead!¡± ¡°She won¡¯t do that!¡± Renee dered confidently. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Zack did not understand why Renee felt so confident, but a confident woman was so charismatic! ¡°Actually¡­ I received a text from Sandrast night. She¡¯ll be arriving in Beach City from Calley today. Why don¡¯t you meet up with her?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes instantly brightened. ¡°Good idea!¡± Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Since she learned that Sandra would arrive back at Beach City at eight o¡¯clock that evening. Renee had been very excited. She had been waiting to meet Sandra for a long time. As Zack said, when it came to handling corporatewsuits, even on a global scale, Sandra was at least in the top five, perhaps even top three. Renee happened to need Sandra¡¯s help in awsuit involving the change of management rights. It would be no exaggeration to say that, if Renee won this case, her children and her would have nothing to worry about financially for the rest of their lives¡­. That was why she asked for nothing but a tinyw firm during the divorce. ording to Zack, Sandra had been in Calley for thest six months, dealing with a family business inheritance case. Coincidentally, it happened to be somewhat simr Renee¡¯s case. Now, Sandra had finally returned after winning the case, and Renee also saw the light of victory¡­. Of course, this was assuming that Sandra would help her like Zack did! ¡°Zack, I¡¯m going to pick up Miss Lee this evening. What flower does she like? I¡¯ll prepare a bouquet for her as a gift.¡±N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Renee asked Zack excitedly. There was no longer any trace of unhappiness caused by Briar Desrosiers on her face. ¡°I seem to recall that she likes carnations, especially purple carnations.¡± Zack sighed and tried to persuade Renee again. ¡°Boss, I advise you to give up, Sandra¡¯s a tough nut to crack. You can win me over with just a couple of video game matches, but not her¡­ The reason she¡¯s returning is most likely to terminate her contract with the Hunts and Co. Law Firm. You¡¯re just gonna get rejected.¡± ¡°Besides, even if she¡¯s willing to help you with that case, ording to my analysis, the chances of winning are still very slim.¡± Zack was not trying to pour cold water on Renee¡¯s enthusiasm to do business, but Renee¡¯s n was simply too ambitious. What she wanted to do was really hard to achieve. ¡°I have to try no matter how slim the chances are. Remember when I ran for president of the Electronic Technology Association before? None of you guys were optimistic about my chances either, but¡­ I still managed to do it!¡± Renee felt proud saying that. At the same time, she became even more determined. She would not give up easily on the decisions she had made! ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Zack looked at Renee with even more admiration. ¡°Our boss has unlimited potential! Go for it!¡± Renee was already waiting at the airport by six o¡¯clock in the evening. Holding a beautiful bouquet of fresh purple carnations in her hand, she stood at the most conspicuous spot at the exit, holding a sign that said ¡°Sandra Lee¡°. She looked full of sincerity, like a fangirl waiting for her idol at the airport. After waiting for two hours, Sandra¡¯s flight finallynded. A short¨Chaired woman in khaki silk shirt, white suit pants, and ck sunsses walked out of the VIP lane with confident steps. Renee had no doubt that this eye¨Ccatching woman was definitely the famous Sandra Lee. ¡°Miss Lee, Miss Lee, over here!¡± She waved her bouquet and shouted, paying no heed to the people around her. The woman in sunsses looked towards Renee. She emanated coldness, and it was a coldness that was very familiar to Renee. It was almost exactly like the coldness Stefan exuded! Were incredible people all ice cubes in nature? If that was the case, Renee wanted to melt them even more! ¡°I finally get to meet you, Miss Lee! I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. This bouquet is for you!¡± Renee enthusiastically handed the flowers to Sandra. ¡°Renee Everheart?¡± The woman stopped and asked coldly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m your new boss.¡± Sandra pulled her sunsses down a bit, looked Renee up and down, and said disdainfully, ¡°I hate carnations!¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Chapter 203 ¡°You don¡¯t like them?¡± Renee¡¯s hand froze in mid¨Cair. She looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°Zack said purple carnations are your favorite. Looks like that guy doesn¡¯t know you at all. I¡¯ll punish him when I get back!¡± ¡°Then what flower do you like? I¡¯ll get a new bouquet for you immediately¡­¡± Sandra pushed her sunsses up, lifted her chin, and said in a condescending tone. ¡°No, he¡¯s right, I used to like purple carnations, but when I saw you holding them, I started to hate them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was like a p to Renee¡¯s face. Renee felt so embarrassed that her curling toes could make holes in the ground. If it was anyone else being so rude, Renee would have long retaliated. But the person was the elite beauty of the legal industry, Sandra Lee. Renee only felt that she was so cool, so arrogant, so dashing! She loved it! Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can hate me, but the flowers are innocent, so please don¡¯t hate the flowers. These beautiful carnations will cry if you hate them¡­¡± Renee shamelessly continued to hand therge bouquet of carnations to Sandra. The pair of beautiful eyes hidden under the sunsses currently had aplicated emotion in them. After a long time, she disdainfully pursed her lips. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Stefan¡¯s ex¨Cwife has such thick skin. Do you not understand rejection? Can you not see when someone hates you?¡± ¡°Let me make things clear. I don¡¯t like flowers, and I sure as hell don¡¯t like you. Your behavior can already be considered harassment. I¡¯ll pursue legal action if necessary.¡± After saying that. Sandra walked past Renee with her chin up like a proud peacock. Seeing the woman walk away, Renee was not mad at all. She merely shrugged helplessly. The look on her face could only be described as¡­ ¡°loving¡°! ¡°What about Jane?¡± Renee suddenly raised her voice and asked. Sandra¡¯s tall figure paused for a while before turning back to Renee. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Do you hate Jane too?¡± Renee asked again. Sandra took off her sunsses and red at Renee with hostile eyes. She asked coldly, ¡°You investigated me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Renee admitted honestly. ¡°You¡¯re mywyer. Of course I investigated you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not yourwyer. I came back to cancel my contract. From now on, I no longer have any rtionship with the Hunts and Co. Law Firm, and I definitely won¡¯t be working for you.¡± Sandra¡¯s attitude was firm. She only joined the Hunts and Co. Law Firm because of Stefan Hunt in the first ce. Otherwise, there was no way a person of her talents would work in a ce like that. Now that the firm had changed hands, she naturally would not stay. Although she had to pay a huge contract termination fee, the amount was a piece of cake for her. Renee nodded calmly. ¡°We all have our ambitions, so I respect your choice. But before you terminate your contract, I, as your current boss, would still like to do something for you¡­¡± As she said that, she took out her phone, yed a video and handed the phone to Sandra. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± Upon seeing the video¡¯s content. Sandra¡¯s cold eyes actually softened.. ¨C Renee said, slowly, ¡°This video was taken on your daughter¡¯s sixth birthday. It should have been a long time since youst saw her. I heard she¡¯s very talented. She¡¯s good at all sorts of things the piano, chess, calligraphy, painting¡­ She¡¯s also inherited your talent as awyer. She¡¯s read variousw books at a young age and is something of a little legal specialist at her school. She¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Sandra looked away, her eyes regaining their former indifference. She looked forward expressionlessly. ¡°I gave her up for adoption, so she has nothing to do with me anymore. How talented she is doesn¡¯t concern me.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re surprisingly resourceful. To think that you managed to find out about my personal secret¡­ You can expect a legal letter from me soon!¡± Renee ignored Sandra¡¯s fierce threat. She was also about to be a mother herself, so she knew better than anyone that there was no mother in the world who did not love her child. The more indifferent and heartless Sandra Lee appeared to be, the more it showed that the child had a soft spot in her heart¡­ Renee¡¯s lips curled into a smile absentmindedly. She could definitely win over Sandra Lee! She slowly walked closer to Sandra and asked, ¡°Miss Lee, aren¡¯t you curious what Jane¡¯s birthday wish was?¡± Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Sandra¡¯s expression changed slightly, but it was quickly reced by cold indifference. ¡°The birthday wish of a person who has nothing to do with me naturally has nothing to do with me too. Don¡¯t think you can get. me to work for you by using these petty tricks.¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± Renee said with a meaningful smile, ¡°I just have a better understanding of how a mother thinks, that¡¯s all¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not curious about Jane right now. Feel free to ask me anytime you¡¯re curious.¡± Renee raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Jane and I are practically besties. We get along really well!¡± ¡°Besties?¡± Envy shed across Sandra¡¯s eyes for a split second. But it was soon gone, like she had woken up from a dream. She said disdainfully. ¡°How childish!¡± Renee was not angry. On the contrary, she could understand Sandra¡¯s feelings. Because she had used some special means to find out private information about Sandra that no one knew. Six years ago, Sandra Lee was just a small timewyer. No one was willing to entrust her with a case. She was often too poor to even pay for food. But at such a difficult time, she suddenly got pregnant. No one knew who the father was. Sandra quietly gave birth to the baby and took on the role of both the father and the mother. She did her best to raise her daughter until the age of one, but in the end, she steeled her heart and gave the child to a family of intellectuals to raise. After that, she vanished¡­ When she reappeared yearster, she was already a famouswyer. She worked in the Hunts and Co. Law Firm and her main job was to handlemercialwsuits for the H Group, and she was incredibly good at it! There were rumors that Stefan and her had an unusual rtionship. Some even said Stefan established the Hunts and Co. Law Firm just for Sandra. If that was true, it could be said that Sandra rose to prominence thanks to Stefan¡¯s backing. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. If Sandra wanted to further her rtionship with Stefan, she naturally could not expose the fact that she had a child, so she ruthlessly pretended that the child had never existed¡­ Of course, all of this was just Renee¡¯s spection. She hoped the outstanding Sandra Lee was not someone who would be blinded by love like that. Even if she was, she should switch target because Stefan Hunt was not worth it! The next day. BC University¡¯s specialist residential area. The sophora trees here bloomed more densely every year. Whenever a breeze blew past, the white sophora flowers would fall like snow, filling the air with a fresh aroma. This area was made popr by Tik Tok and had be a hotspot for taking pictures. Lots of people woulde here to take pictures every day, many of them not even from the University. Today, Renee wore a yellow dress and tied her shoulder¨Clength hair back with a ck¨Cand¨Cwhite checkered hairband. When +15 BONUS she walked across the Sophora Road, her dress and her hair fluttered, adding to the beautiful scenery. Many college students there marveled at her beauty and secretly took photos of her¡­ Renee walked up to a house and gently knocked on the door. The door soon opened. The owner warmly weed her into the house. ¡°You came so early today, Renee. Anthony is out doing grocery because you¡¯reing! He¡¯s not back yet!¡± The person who spoke was a middle¨Caged woman who looked very kind and elegant. She was Sophia Zimmer, the wife of Renee¡¯s former doctoral supervisor, Anthony Wood. Renee said, ¡°Aww, he shouldn¡¯t have. Ie here for free meals all the time, so you guys should just feed me leftovers. There¡¯s no need to buy extra food just because I¡¯ming.¡± ¡°No way. Anthony talks about you a lot, saying that of all the students he¡¯s taught, you¡¯re the one with the most talent in physics. Of course he has to give you special treatment.¡± ¡°Besides, Jane is growing, so she needs to eat more anyway.¡± Sophia¡¯s face lit up at the mention of Jane. She continued to ramble on. ¡°Jane is really fond of you. When she heard that you¡¯reing, she got up early today and said she wanted to go do grocery with Anthony so that she could buy your favorite food for you!¡± ¡°Mm¨Chmm, I like Jane too. That kid is clever!¡± That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a small world. The intellectual couple that adopted Jane from Sandra Lee years ago was none other than Renee¡¯s college mentor Anthony. Wood and his wife Sophia Zimmer. After the divorce, Renee gradually resumed contact with her mentor and ended up growing close to Jane too. It was not an exaggeration to say that they were besties. ¡°Oh, Anthony also said we¡¯ll have another special guest today, so he asked me to make more food.¡± Sophia added. ¡°A special guest?¡± Renee could not help being curious. ¡°Who could it be?¡± As she said that, Anthony Wood led a bouncing Jane and the special guest into the house¡­ Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Chapter 205 ¡°Stefan Hunt!¡± eximed Renee in surprise. When Renee saw the tall figure standing behind Professor Wood and Jane, she was so shocked that her eyes almost fell out. Stefan Hunt was a businessman through and through. What did he have to talk about with Professor Wood, a famous schr? Was he also here for Jane? ¡°Big Sis Renee, you¡¯re here! Jane missed you so much!¡± Jane, who was wearing a yellow skirt and had her hair tied into twin braids, fluttered like a butterfly to Renee¡¯s side. She smiled sweetly at Renee, her face as smooth and as fair as ceramic. ¡°I missed you too, Jane. It¡¯s only been a few days but you¡¯ve grown even prettier. Let me kiss you!¡± Renee held Jane¡¯s face in her hands and gave her a few big kisses. This warm sight pleased Anthony and his wife greatly. ¡°They get along so well. Makes me wonder if they were actually sisters in their past lives¡­¡± Sophia said with a smile. Anthony exined to Stefan, ¡°Sophia and I don¡¯t have children of our own. Before this, we treated Renee as our daughter, and weter adopted Jane. They haven¡¯t known each other for long, but they¡¯re really close. They¡¯re like real sisters!¡± Stefan gave Renee a nce and, as usual, said without any expression, ¡°Sisters? The age gap is too big.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡± Her fists hardened. She wanted to hit him! Was this guy implying that she was old? But he himself was a few years older than her. If she¡¯s old, then he¡¯s old too! Renee was about to get back at him when Jane said sweetly. ¡°Uncle Stefan, this is the Big Sis Renee that I told you about. Isn¡¯t she beautiful?¡± Stefan¡¯s face was cold. He did not respond, obviously very unhappy. Anthony quickly said, ¡°No, no, you can¡¯t call him uncle if you call Renee big sis. Jane, you must remember, if you call Renee big sis, you should call Stefan big bro¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Because Big Sis Renee and Uncle Stefan used to be¡­¡± Professor Wood was a little embarrassed. He did not know how to exin to Jane that Stefan and Renee used to be husband and wife. Sophia chimed in. ¡°The two of them used to be like mommy and daddy, so they should be in the same generation. Do you understand?¡± Jane blinked. She looked at Renee, then at Stefan, and then said with a confused expression, ¡°But Big Sis Renee looks so much kinder than Uncle Stefan. Uncle Stefan looks really scary¡­ Jane has never seen a big brother this scary!¡± ¡°Pfft hahahaha!¡± Jane¡¯s words made Renee burst out withughter. ¡°You hear that, Stefan Hunt? Kids don¡¯t lie. She¡¯s saying that you look old. You¡¯ll be thirty soon. It¡¯s about time you start doing. some skin care. You¡¯re almost in Professor Wood¡¯s age group now. Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Stefan looked at theughing Renee like he was looking at an idiot, and then said to Anthony, ¡°Professor Wood, let¡¯s talk in the study.¡± Anthony nodded, his expression serious. ¡°Okay,e with me.¡± When the two went into the study, Renee was stillughing. When she finally managed to stopughing, she finally realized that something was wrong. What did Stefan have to talk about with Professor Wood? ¡°Sophia, do you know why Stefan Hunt came to see Professor Wood?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know these things. Ask Anthony yourself after this.¡± Renee yed with Jane for a while before she sneaked over to the study to try listening to what they were discussing. Just as she was putting her ear to the door, it opened. She instantly lost her bnce and fell into a man¡¯s arms. Stefan¡¯s chest was really broad. Lying in it felt super safe. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s bad manners to eavesdrop?¡± Stefan asked coldly as his eyes lowered onto the woman who was lying in arms without moving. Renee awkwardly stood back up and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s bad manners to eavesdrop, so I¡¯m not gonna eavesdrop, I¡¯m just gonna sit in and listen. Can I?¡± Stefan continued to look at Renee like he was looking at an idiot. ¡°What do you think?¡± Renee red at him and said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you. I was asking Professor Wood!¡± ¡°Professor Wood, can Ie in and listen to what you¡¯re discussing?¡± She was like a daughter trying to charm her father. Professor Wood had always been fond of her. Surely he would agree, right? Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Professor Wood, however, did not go along with Renee¡¯s wish this time. Instead, he said, ¡°This is a secret between us two, so it¡¯s not that convenient. But we¡¯ve finished talking now. I¡¯m going to go cook something delicious for you. Why don¡¯t you two take Jane out for a walk?¡± ¡°Huh? But¡­¡± Renee was about to say that its ¡°not that convenient¡°. But Stefan was faster than her. He said expressionlessly, ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a famous ce called the Sophora Road in BC University. I don¡¯t mind going out for a walk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Sophora Road is a famousndmark of BC University. The sophora flowers happen to be blossoming now too. When the wind blows, the white petals fall like snow. I remember there¡¯s a legend about the Sophora Road¡­¡± Professor Wood looked at Stefan, then at Renee. ¡°It¡¯s said that when a man and a woman walk along the Sophora Road holding hands, they¡¯ll grow old together. Sophia and I, as well as many of the lecturers living in the specialist residential area, are loving couples. Maybe it¡¯s because we walked along the Sophora Road every day.¡± Renee said, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. But that means you have to be careful who you walk down that road with. What if you have to grow old with a man you hate? That would be terrible¡­¡± ¡°How scary. I think I¡¯ll take Jane out to y!¡± She deliberately red at Stefan with a disgusted face on the way out. Stefan: ¡°¡­¡± He pursed his thin lips, his eyes murderous! That woman was clearly insinuating something about him just now. How dare she? Professor Wood could not help butugh. He told Stefan, ¡°See? I told you. Renee is a mischievous girl. All those years she was married to you, she had been suppressing her own nature a little¡­¡± Stefan kept quiet. He thought ¡°a little¡± was an understatement. She had be apletely different person after the divorce! So much so that he sometimes wondered if she had multiple personality disorder. ¡°Jane, let¡¯s go out to y!¡± The two girls went out happily like sisters. BC University was still the same as Renee remembered it. It was both artistic and schrly. When Renee was studying here, she was a legend due to her outstanding appearance and genius¨Clike learning ability. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, the legendary figure chose to marry into a rich family when she was shining the brightest. And thus. a rising star in the physics world fell. It was such a pity¡­ The sophora petals fell on Renee¡¯s face and hair. It was beautiful and romantic. Renee grabbed one and lowered her head to smell it as sunlight caressed her fair porcin face. She looked so beautiful, like there was a filter on her. She looked like the lead actress in a Korean drama. With a sweet smile on her face, she gently blew petal away. ¡°It¡¯s snowing! It¡¯s snowing!¡± Jane danced and spun with her arms spread wide amidst the falling flower petals. She caught sight of Stefan walking towards them. ¡°Uncle Stefan, Uncle Stefan! Over here! Let¡¯s y together!¡± Jane dashed over to Stefan, took the man¡¯s hand and pulled him towards Renee. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Why are you following us?¡± Renee suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Had he been quietly walking behind them the whole time? Then he would have seen her acting like a Korean drama¡¯s lead actress just now. How embarrassing! Stefan¡¯s handsome face was emotionless. He coldly said, ¡°Does this road belong to you? Why can¡¯t I come here?¡± Stefan¡¯s words rendered Renee speechless. This guy was so annoying! Renee crossed her arms and raised her chin somewhat proudly. ¡°Actually, this road¡­ was made for me!¡± ¡°?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were full of doubt. ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± Renee casually grabbed a passing student and asked, ¡°Hi! Do you know the history behind the Sophora Road?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± That student was very enthusiastic and started to talk endlessly. ¡°Years ago, this road¡­¡± Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Chapter 207 ¡°Years ago, this road was built by the Schrship Foundation to honor the legendary figure of BC University and the goddess in the heart of countless BC University students, Renee Everheart. Apparently, the road was supposed to be called the Renee Everheart Road at first, but Renee felt that it was too high¨Cprofile, so it was named the Sophora Road instead¡­¡± The college students got more and more excited as he spoke. In his narrative, Renee was like a mythical goddess. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know how amazing Renee Everheart was. The experimental group she led won numerous international physicspetitions. Some of the academic papers she published in international journals even made it into the textbooks of foreign universities¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± To Renee¡¯s surprise, she still had quite the reputation in BC University after all these years. The boy¡¯s praise of her was making her feel a bit embarrassed. She quickly stopped his gushing and said, ¡°Alright, alright, we get it, she¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°She really was. Unfortunately, she has bad judgment!¡± The student sighed with a face full of regret. ¡°During her peak years, rather than focusing on her career, she actually quit to get married. What¡¯s worse, the person she married was Stefan Hunt, a guy who anyone could tell was a scum with one look. My friends and I never believed that the marriage would last.¡± ¡°As expected¡­ he cheated on her. I heard that they¡¯re now divorced. I sincerely hope that Renee Everheart can leave the suffering behind her and reach another peak in her life!¡± The handsome face of the CEO was looking really terrible by now. Renee quickly sent the student on his way. It would be bad if the petty Stefan Hunt decided to put him on a cklist! ¡°See? I wasn¡¯t lying. This road really was made for me. If I forbid you from using this road, then you can¡¯t use it!¡± Renee looked smugly at Stefan with raised chin. Stefan was surprised. Renee Everheart, who always looked like an idiot, was actually a physics genius? After hearing about her history, even he felt that it was a pity for her to marry him at the time¡­ ¡°Sure, the Sophora Road was built for you by the Schrship Foundation, but do you know who sponsors the Schrship Foundation of BC University?¡± Stefan suddenly asked Renee with a weird smile. ¡°That, I actually don¡¯t know.¡± Renee frowned and recalled, ¡°I remember I had a few chances to meet with the Schrship Foundation¡¯s sponsor because I won awards for my academic research, but that sponsor was very mysterious and never showed himself in public. Don¡¯t tell¡­ you¡¯re the sponsor?¡± Stefan¡¯s lips curled up even higher. He elegantly raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Surprised?¡± The Hunt family, being one of the eight major families of Beach City, had immense power and wealth. Meanwhile, BC University was the number one university in Beach City. Therefore, it would not be surprising at all for Stefan Hunt to be the sponsor of BC University¡¯s Schrship Foundation. Having had the tables turned against her, Renee did not want to continue the conversation any longer. She said ¡°boring¡± and walked away with Jane. Jane was not only cute and lively, she also had a kind heart. When she saw that Stefan was being left behind, she grabbed Renee with one hand Stefan with the other and said innocently.¡± Daddy said that people who walked on Sophora Road together will grow old together. That means the three of us will grow old together! N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Renee was initially going to refuse, but seeing Jane being so happy, she could not bear to spoil the child¡¯s fun. Stefan had also seemed to ept it. He held Jane¡¯s tiny hand in his big palm and did not seem like he had any intention of letting go. So, with one of them holding Jane¡¯s left hand while the other holding her right, they walked down the beautiful Sophora Road. From afar, they looked just like a happy family of three. The man was handsome, the woman was pretty, and the child was cute. It was a warm and harmonious sight. ¡°Excuse me!¡± Suddenly, a person called out to them. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Chapter 208 A man with arge SLR camera hanging around his neck walked towards them and said politely. ¡°Hi, my name is Chad. I¡¯m a popr online photographer. I¡¯ve been taking pictures focusing around the theme of family recently. The sight of your family. walking hand in hand just now was so heartwarming that I couldn¡¯t help snapping a few photos. I just want to ask if I can publish these photos online?¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Stefan coldly refused, his icy gaze as sharp as a knife. The photographer could not help but swallow hard. He quickly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll delete them now.¡± He turned on the camera, preparing to delete all the photos he had just taken with a pained look on his face. Sigh. The photos were so heartwarming and aesthetically pleasing. The people in them all look so incredibly good too. He snapped a dozen or so photos in a row, and each one was perfect. If he could post them on his TikTok, they would surely go viral. But now, he had to delete these masterpieces. It was even more painful than cutting his own flesh! Stefan nced at the man¡¯s camera and said coldly. ¡°Before you delete them, send them to my phone first.¡± ¡°Wh¨Cwhat?¡± The photographer had an awkward look on his face. Because in that case, it would be like they were getting his photography skills for free. Stefan¡¯s sharp eyes immediately saw through the photographer¡¯s thoughts. As usual, he generously said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you whatever you want.¡± Hearing that, the photographer¡¯s eyes lit up. He quickly said, ¡°Okay, okay. Could you please turn on Bluetooth on your phone? I¡¯ll transfer them to you right away.¡± The two started to transfer photos in the middle of the road as if no one else was there. As one of the models in the photos, the more Renee thought about it, the more annoyed she felt. Between the two men, one of them took pictures of her without her permission, while the other was going to keep her pictures without her permission. They had even reached a deal without even asking her. She was right there! ¡°I object!¡± Renee grabbed Stefan¡¯s phone, taking him by surprise. She was so angry that her cheeks swelled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take any more pictures with someone like you. Delete all of them!¡± ¡°Give me back my phone!¡± Stefan tried to snatch his phone back with an unhappy face. Like a child fighting over a toy, Renee and Stefan fought over the phone in full view of everyone there. The situation could only be described as ¡°intense and exciting¡°! When the photographer saw that they were about to fight, he quickly left with his camera, not even caring about the money anymore. Ren¨¦e opened the photo gallery of Stefan¡¯s phone. Originally, she only wanted to delete the photos taken by the photographer earlier, but besides those photos, she identally saw that there was another photo of her! It was a photo of her blowing the petal of a Sophora flower like a Korean drama¡¯s lead actress earlier. To be honest, it was pretty well taken, on par with the ones taken by the photographer. Renee did not know she could look so good! But knowing that Stefan had a photo of her in his phone, it felt¡­ a bit weird! ¡°Why did you secretly take a picture of me? Since when did you get a habit like that? Let¡¯s see how many people you¡¯ve secretly. taken pictures of!¡± Renee started looking around in his photo gallery. What she discovered was that Stefan was a really strange person. She was the only human in the gallery. All the other photos were pictures of sulents, taken from various angles! They were sulents that Renee gave him. After a while, she came across a photo that surprised her. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How could you have this¡­¡± Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Chapter 209 It was a photo of a full moon, hanging in the dark night sky as bright as a piece of jade. It was the exact same one that the stranger sent to her that night! So Stefan really was ¡°Mr. Moon¡°?! Renee was stunned. She could not understand why Stefan Hunt, the heir of a prestigious family and the CEO of a multinationalpany, would use a burner ount to send a picture of a moon to his ex¨Cwife in the middle of the night? While she was still stunned, Stefan took the opportunity to seize his phone back. He immediately locked it. His cold eyes. red at her with an intense pressure as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at things that you shouldn¡¯t be looking at!¡± Renee¡¯s mind was in a mess. She already found it bizarre that Stefan would secretly take her picture. Now she found out that he had used a burner ount to add her as a friend on WeChat. That was not just bizarre, it was scary! ¡°You¡­ are you really Mr. Moon?¡± Renee asked him again because she could not believe it. She could not figure out why he would want to chat with her using a burner ount. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± His voice was cold, as if Renee was talking nonsense. ¡°There¡¯s no way you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about. The picture in your gallery is exactly the same as the one Mr. Moon sent me¡­¡± ¡°The moon is the moon. It looks the same everywhere!¡± Stefan retorted, unperturbed. ¡°You¡­!¡± Stefan¡¯s reply rendered Renee speechless. ¡°Fine. You won¡¯t admit it? I¡¯ll make you admit it.¡± Renee took out her phone, opened up WeChat, found Mr. Moon¡¯s profile picture, and clicked on the video call button. Stefan¡¯s phone immediately rang. ¡°So?¡± Renee raised her phone and smiled triumphantly. Stefan remained as calm as a mountain. He said coldly. ¡°So what if it was me? Xavier taught me the techniques of courting women, so I experimented with you. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so chatty. You confided everything to a stranger. It wasn¡¯t even challenging.¡± Renee was about to lose it. She recalled the way she had told everything to ¡°Mr. Moon¡± night after night. She recalled the dependence she formed on him. and the sense of security she found in him¡­ She felt so humiliated that she wanted to p herself in the face! ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Stefan Hunt!¡± She was extremely furious, and arge part of that was due to her being ashamed of herself. She quickly walked away with Jane. ¨C Stefan stared at Renee¡¯s disappearing back. He stayed where he was and did not chase after her. Hah. That¡¯s right, Stefan Hunt, you might actually be crazy. Renee was not the only one who could not understand why he did that. He himself could not understand why he did that. He must be crazy! Renee took Jane back to Professor Wood¡¯s house. Professor Wood had prepared a table of food. When he saw that only the two of them hade back, he asked curiously. ¡°Only you two? Where¡¯s Mr. Hunt? I thought he went out for a walk with you? Why didn¡¯t youe back together?¡± ¡°He died!¡± Renee was still mad.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She turned on her phone to delete Mr. Moon from her friend list, but in the end, she simply could not do it. Looking through the chat history between them, his words seemed indifferent at first, but he was actually showing concern for her¡­ She did not know how to feel about that! Professor Wood could guess that they must have had an argument. He sighed and said, ¡°Both of you are outstanding individuals and are strong in your own right. That¡¯s why your rtionship is bound to be bumpy.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rtionship. We¡¯ve already divorced!¡± Professor Woodughed and said meaningfully. ¡°Emotions aren¡¯t stagnant. It has nothing to do with marriage. Didn¡¯t you want to know why Mr. Hunt was here looking for me? I can tell you now¡­ Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Renee¡¯s interest was piqued. She looked at Professor Wood expectantly, holding her chin like a student. Professor Wood pushed his sses up and told her the truth, ¡°Mr. Hunt came today to discuss with me his intention to acquire half of the management rights of BC University¡­¡± Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°What? He wants to acquire BC University?¡± Renee was still emotional and felt that it was ridiculous. ¡°BC University is one of the top public universities in the country. especially its engineering majors. It¡¯s a well¨Cknown university even on a global scale. Stefan actually dares to mess with a public university?!¡± Professor Wood shook his head and said, ¡°No, no, how can you call it messing with us? He¡¯s doing it so that BC University would have a brighter future. You know how it¡¯s like for public universities these days. With limited funding for scientific research, many experimental projects have not made any progress for years¡­¡± ¡°If the H Group really acquires half the management rights of BC University, it would make BC University a semi public and semi private university. BC University will not have to worry about scientific research funding anymore and still maintain its authority. Isn¡¯t that the best of both worlds?¡± What Professor Wood said sounded reasonable. It must be a very persuasive proposal for the staff and students of BC University. But Renee knew Stefan very well. He was a businessman through and through. Since he was a businessman, he would never do a losing trade. There must be a deeper conspiracy behind the massive funding! ¡°Professor Wood, I don¡¯t think things will be that simple. Stefan is a shrewd person. I don¡¯t believe he¡¯ll selflessly fund BC University without expecting any returns. He must have some harsh conditions, right?¡± Professor Wood nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Hunt did state some conditions, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re that harsh. I find them eptable.¡± Renee quickly asked, ¡°What are the conditions?¡± ¡°After Mr. Hunt acquires BC University, he¡¯ll provide unlimited funding to BC University, including construction funds, experimental funds, incentive funds, etc. However, his condition is that all future research achievements of BC University will immediately be shared with the H Group, and the scientific research achievements in the fields of physics and electronics will be owned by the H Group¡­¡± ¡°In his dreams!¡± Renee immediately became furious upon hearing those conditions. ¡°He¡¯s way too greedy. The physics and electronics disciplines of BC University are world¨Crenowned. Any of their scientific research achievements could change the industry. He wants to own their rights with only a bit of investment? That¡¯s daylight robbery! Why not let me do it?!¡± Professor Wood said, ¡°You can also purchase the management rights of BC University if you want, provided that you have the financial power.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee fell silent. She was now only in the early stages of starting her own business. She was already thankful enough that she had no debt. There was no way she would have the financial power to be a capitalist. However, things would be different after a few years. She might even be more powerful than Stefan in less than five years! ¡°Renee, I know what you¡¯re dissatisfied about. All of us who engage in scientific research think very highly of ourselves. None of us want to bow down to the capitalists. But you don¡¯t know how much human and financial resources need to be invested to research something now. Without major backing, the researches will not bear fruit!¡± Professor Wood sighed with a heavy expression and said, ¡°In recent years, BC University has been under great pressure. Many universities have overtaken us now. Without seeking breakthroughs, our future is bleak!¡± Renee did not know what to say. This was the harsh reality faced by today¡¯s universities, especially domestic ones. Without high research funding, many researches simply could not produce results. There were a lot of research breakthroughs made by foreign universities that their country¡¯s domestic universities could have made first, but they were unable to do so due to insufficient funding. Sometimes, it was less ack ofpetence than it was ack of investment. Putting aside her prejudice against Stefan, she could actually understand Professor Wood¡¯s reasoning. ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s not talk business at the dinner table. Let¡¯s have dinner first!¡± Sophia came out with more dishes, interrupting their argument. At that moment. Stefan opened the door and walked in. ¡°Come, Mr. Hunt, we¡¯re waiting for you!¡± Renee¡¯s face darkened. Why was he still here? Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Sorry to keep you all waiting.¡± Stefan wore a faint smile as he sat down beside Renee, as if they hadn¡¯t just argued. Renee red at him, but could not do anything else since they were both guests there. Finally, she just sighed in annoyance. and started eating. The atmosphere at the dining table was surprisingly warm and pleasant. Jane was nibbling a chicken drumstick, and both her hands and mouth were stained with sauce. She looked adorable. Renee¡¯s heart softened when she looked at her. She was about to take a tissue paper to wipe Jane¡¯s hands and mouth for her. but Stefan beat her to it. He gently wiped her mouth and said affectionately. ¡°Greedy girl. Your mouth is dirty.¡± Renee was slightly stunned as she looked at him, a strange emotion stirring in her. She had never seen him so gentle and patient before. He didn¡¯t look like the superior and aloof Stefan ¨C he seemed quite caring now. Her anger towards him instantly faded. Jane broke into a smile as she looked up at Stefan and said childishly. ¡°Uncle Stefan, you¡¯re more handsome than a celebrity. I¡¯d better call you Brother Stefan instead so you¡¯ll be a better match for Sister Renee!¡± ¡°Hah! She definitely got that right!¡± Anthony and his wife burst intoughter, amused at how clever their daughter was. ¡°Mr. Hunt, it seems like you love kids too. Would you rather have sons or daughters?¡± Anthony took a sip of his wine and asked Stefan warmly. Surprisingly, Stefan seemed quite rxed, and his Mr. Iceberg persona was nowhere to be seen. He replied honestly.¡± Daughters are cuter and more considerate. If I had a daughter as cute as Jane. I¡¯d spoil her terribly. But sons are good too¡­ They can hike, ski, y basketball, and do business with me, but most importantly I can beat them up!¡± There was now at faint smile on his face, as if he was imagining himself with his future children. Sophia said brightly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ve got to have two children. Women need a few years to get pregnant and give birth, so you guys need to hurry up!¡± Anthony chimed in. ¡°Technically, they can try to get a pair of twins of mixed genders, so they¡¯ll have both a son and a daughter at the same time.¡± Sophia rolled her eyes at Anthony. ¡°Do you think people can get twins if they wish for it? It¡¯s such a small probability, and you¡¯ve got to have the genes for that¡­¡± She then looked at Stefan and asked, ¡°Mr. Hunt, does that kind of gene run in your family?¡± Stefan shook his head. ¡°No, not that I know of.¡± Suddenly, Anthony smiled, his eyes lighting up. ¡°Ah, what a coincidence! I remember that gene runs in Ren¡¯s family!¡± Sophia also nodded immediately. ¡°That¡¯s right, Ren had a twin elder brother, but he died from strangtion of the umbilical cord around his neck right after he was born. Poor thing¡­¡± Stefan was slightly surprised, and he looked at Renee and asked, ¡°You had a twin brother?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not something my family tells outsiders.¡± Renee could not help but sigh. That incident had hurt her parents very much, so her family pretended that her brother never existed. They never mentioned him ever since then. Renee only ever talked about it with Sophia, who was a former lecturer of Biology, for the purpose of academic research. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a high possibility for Ren to have a pair of mixed¨Cgender twins. Mr. Hunt, maybe you could give it a shot with Ren if you want both a son and a daughter?¡± Sophia suggested, eagerly trying to set them up. ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee felt extremely awkward, so she quickly ducked her head and focused on eating. However, Stefan appeared unaffected and said lightly, ¡°I¡¯ll take it into consideration.¡± ¡®What the hell?!¡® Renee silently cursed him. ¡°Who do you think you are? Are you a king trying to pick your queen? Did you even ask for my consent?¡® Anthony subconsciously nced at Ren¡¯s slightly swollen belly and asked cheekily, ¡°Ren, I feel like your belly is getting bigger. Are you perhaps already pregnant with a pair of twins?¡± Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Chapter 212 ¡°Pift!¡± Renee spat out the soup in her mouth, face flushed and eyes wide. ¡°Professor Wood, what are you saying?! It¡¯s not that easy to get pregnant! People will surely get the wrong idea if they heard that!¡± Sophia tilted her head and observed Renee¡¯s belly. She then frowned and said. ¡°I get where he¡¯s coming from. Your belly does. look a bit bigger now¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Wood, don¡¯t side with your husband!¡± Renee groaned, then said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just too happy after getting the divorce, so I¡¯ve let myself go a little. I¡¯m not watching my weight like I did when I was still married. I never ate enough back then, and that¡¯s why I was slim!¡± Mr. and Mrs. Wood found her exnation reasonable. Mrs. Wood nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. If women don¡¯t watch what they eat, they can put on weight very easily.¡± Stefan, however, was staring at her intently. Renee seemedposed now, but he had noticed her initial panic that she had quickly stifled. People always said that when one tried very hard to exin the situation, they were usually attempting to cover something up. Was there really something unusual with her belly? However, he did not ask anything further. He just grabbed a tissue paper and handed it to her. ¡°Wipe your mouth.¡± It was still early after the meal. Stefan nned to leave, but Jane didn¡¯t want him to. She insisted on going out with him and Renee. ¡°Brother Stefan, Sister Renee, let¡¯s go out and have fun! Dad and Mom get tired easily, so they can¡¯t take me out. I¡¯m so bored at home!¡± The little girl whined. Mr. and Mrs. Wood nodded in agreement, looking at their daughter sympathetically. ¡°She¡¯s right. We¡¯re old, and usually busy doing research. She always stays alone at home to read. She¡¯s not like other kids whose young parents take them out to experience all kinds of new things¡­¡± Both Stefan and Renee were left with no options; they could only agree and take Jane out. They drove to a nearby shopping mall, and once they entered the building. Jane rushed towards the arcade. ¡°Brother Stefan, Sister Renee, I want to shoot zombies!¡± The little girl said excitedly, and ran to a machine with a zombie game. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Stefan strode over, but Renee was standing outside ufortably. There were many people in the arcade, and it was quite noisy. She was pregnant now, so it seemed quite unsuitable for her to enter the ce. ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± Stefan turned around to look at Renee. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee thought hard, then eventually said, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, and it¡¯s stuffy in there. I¡¯ll get dizzy if I go in.¡± Stefan stared at her for a while, but didn¡¯t say anything, and eventually made his way into the arcade. After a while, it was clear that the two of them were having fun or more urately, Jane was having fun. ¡°Sister Renee, Brother Stefan is great at these games! He won many gift coupons for me, so I got a lot of gifts in exchange!¡± Carrying a pile of gifts, Jane handed a toy panda to Renee. ¡°This is Mama Panda, and it¡¯s for you. This is Papa Panda, and it¡¯s for Brother Stefan. As for this Baby Panda¡­¡± She paused for a while before she pointed at Renee¡¯s belly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the baby first, and give it to the baby in your belly in the future!¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Renee felt awkward again as she patted Jane¡¯s head and said, ¡°Hate to break it to you, but I¡¯m not pregnant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ll get pregnant sooner orter,¡± the little girl said cheerfully. Renee was speechless. She nced at Stefan anxiously, and breathed a sigh of relief when she found that he wasn¡¯t listening to them. The three of them headed somewhere else, not noticing that someone was following them from afar¡­ Chapter 213 Chapter 213 Chapter 213 ¡°Brother Stefan, Sister Renee, it¡¯s been a long time since I watched a movie. Let¡¯s go see one!¡± Jane chirped energetically, and held their hands as they walked towards the cinema. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Renee stole a nce at Stefan. She figured that watching a movie would be a boring activity for Stefan given his status and position surely he would refuse Jane¡¯s request. However, he said indifferently, ¡°I haven¡¯t watched a movie in a long time too. The new animation called Soul Travel should be nice.¡± ¡°You know about Soul Travel?¡± Renee asked immediately, her eyes lighting up. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to watch that movie! I heard it¡¯s good, but not many wanted to watch it, so they don¡¯t y it much. If we don¡¯t watch it now, it¡¯ll soon be out of theatres.¡± Stefan nodded. ¡°True. It¡¯s about saving one¡¯s soul. My Grandma Coco, which is produced by the same company, is pretty good too.¡± ¡°Yeah, I liked that one. I watched it when it was first released, and cried like a baby in the cinema¡­¡± Before they realised it, they were chatting with each other like old friends. They found that they were both film enthusiasts, and had watched almost the same movies as the other. Theirments and understanding of the movies were oddly simr too. Both of them felt that they had finally found someone else with the same taste, and they regretted not finding out sooner. In the end, Renee chuckled and said, ¡°Stefan, I always thought that you were just an emotionless capitalist who only cares about money, but it turns out that you¡¯ve got a soul too!¡± Stefan raised his brows and scoffed, ¡°Likewise. I always thought that you were just a dumb and gullible pretty girl.¡± The movie was about to start. They held their tickets and went to line up to enter the hall. The line was long, and Stefan stood behind Renee in the line. They were both quite eager to watch the movie. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. As they were lining up, Renee suddenly felt like something was amiss. ¡°Stefan, do you feel like something¡¯s missing?¡± He tilted his head slightly and inquired. ¡°What¡¯s missing?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened and she gasped, Jane! She¡¯s gone!¡± Stefan looked around, his eyebrows raised in surprise. They looked at each other anxiously, realising how serious the situation was. ¡°Jane! Jane!¡± Renee panicked and shouted Jane¡¯s name. She was so nervous that her voice was shaky. Jane was Mr. and Mrs. Wood¡¯s beloved daughter, and even Renee loved her like she was her own child. Jane was missing due to their own carelessness. What if she had been kidnapped by a human trafficker? It was too horrible to even contemte, and Renee prayed it wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Jane, where are you? Come back now! Don¡¯t scare me, Jane!¡± Renee scurried around the crowded cinema, panicked and desperate. Her eyes soon became red and watery as she held back tears. Seeing her like that made Stefan¡¯s heart ache, and he rested hisrge palms on her shoulders reassuringly. Stefan¡¯s voice was calm and steady as he told her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s probably still in the mall. I¡¯ll ask people to block all the exits here. We¡¯ll find her!¡± Renee was at a loss for words. She nibbled her lip unsurely, her eyes full of tears as she looked up at him. Even though she hated Stefan, she felt like as long as he was here, the issue would be solved. Even if things got out of hand, he would definitely figure a way out. They looked at each other intently, emotions whirling in their eyes. Suddenly, they heard a chilling scream from nearby. ¡°Ah! He¡¯s going to kill her! Run!¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Chapter 214 Renee knitted her brows tightly and grabbed a woman who was running away. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°A¨CA crazy man kidnapped a girl in the hall on the first floor. He¡¯s a suicide bomber!¡± ¡°A girl?¡± Renee felt sick to her stomach, and quickly asked thedy, ¡°Is that girl around five to six years old and wearing a yellow dress?¡± Thedy looked bewildered, but nodded slowly.¡°I think so! You both should leave¡­ Everyone in this mall will die if that bomb goes off!¡± After that, she hurried away, along with many others from the first floor. Renee immediately wanted to go downstairs, but Stefan stopped her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Renee looked at him desperately. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m trying to save her! A madman kidnapped Jane. If I don¡¯t save her, she¡¯ll die!¡± Stefan pointed at the emergency exit that everyone was rushing to, then said urgently, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous here. Go to the emergency exit with the others and leave this ce.¡± After that, he pushed past the panicked people, running towards the scene without turning around. Renee watched his tall and resolute frame move through the crowd, slightly stunned. She hated that scumbag so much, but right now, his selflessness was oddly moving. Almost all the civilians had evacuated the first floor, leaving only the armed police officers. A middle¨Caged man was standing in the centre of the mall with arge knife in his hand. He held it against Jane¡¯s neck and barked at the negotiator, ¡°Don¡¯t try to persuade me. I¡¯ve made up my mind! I don¡¯t want to live, and I want all of you to die with me!¡± He wore a series of string bombs around his waist. If he even yanked at the string slightly, the explosion would be enough to destroy the entire mall. It was a critical situation, and everyone there was scared. The negotiator tried to reason with him. ¡°Sir, please calm down. You can¡¯t resolve anything this way. Just tell us if you¡¯re facing any problems, and we¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t help me. All of you are crooks!¡± The man yelled, then added piteously, ¡°My house was forcefully snatched away to build a mall. Both my wife and child were reluctant to leave, so they were buried in the ruins. I couldn¡¯t even find their bodies¡­¡± The man¡¯s eyes turned wild with rage. ¡°You all love this mall very much, don¡¯t you? Blood for blood!¡± The middle¨Caged man nearly cut Jane¡¯s skin with his knife because he was so worked up. Jane was terrified, and she sobbed helplessly, ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t hurt me. Just let me go, okay? Please¡­¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The man looked down at Jane, sadness clouding his gaze. ¡°This world is so unfair¡­ My daughter was around your age when she died. She had a difficult life from a young age, but you¡¯re very different from her. You have an easy life, and your parents are honourable and rich. You grew up in a nice environment¡­¡± His eyes turned steely as he sneered, ¡°I saw you and your parents just now. I truly understood how pitiful my family was when I saw your family so happy together¡­ My poor daughter was buried alive, so you can go join her soon. You can serve her and let her enjoy a good life. Suddenly, Stefan approached the man and said coldly, ¡°You pretend to be righteous, but you actually just want money, don¡¯t you? Such a thing can be easily resolved.¡± ¡°Money?¡± The man was infuriated by Stefan¡¯s words, and scoffed, ¡°Back then, I did want money to give my family a better life but there¡¯s no point now. They¡¯re all dead, so there¡¯s no need for money. I just want all of you to suffer the same fate as them!¡± ¡°You can kill us¡­¡± Renee¡¯s soft voice came from another corner as she slowly walked towards the man and Jane. Seeing her, Stefan knitted his brows tightly and uttered icily, ¡°I asked you to go. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± However, she ignored Stefan and said to the man seriously. ¡°But do you know what kind of consequences you¡¯ll face if you hurt that girl?¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215 Chapter 215 The man¡¯s eyes were fierce as he snarled, ¡°Everyone will die with me. I don¡¯t care about the consequences!¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t care about the consequences, but what about your wife and daughter? Did you ever consider what might happen to them?¡± Renee asked him calmly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?! They¡¯re dead, so I want all of you to die with them!¡± The man shouted at her. ¡°Heh! You¡¯re too naive. Death is not the end¡­¡± Renee shook her head, smiling as she approached him slowly. Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Everyone there was shocked to see her approach him. The man¡¯s body was covered with bombs, so going closer would only mean courting death! Stefan clenched his fists so tightly they turned white. He desperately wanted to carry the fearless Renee away, but he was afraid of agitating the madman in front of them. His handsome face turned frighteningly cold. However, Renee appeared very rxed as she slowly approached the man, talking to him as if they had been friends for many years.¡± People go to hell after they pass away, and they¡¯ll need to go through a cycle to make up for their past sins. Those who are sinful can¡¯t be reborn forever, and will have to endure endless torture¡­ ¡°You¡¯re aware that this girl is from a wealthy family, and has a very good life and fate, but you¡¯re trying to hurt her for your wife and daughter¡¯s sake. So, basically, you¡¯re just adding more sins to their name. They might be reborn into a better life, but they¡¯ll never be free because of you. Do you think that¡¯s what they want?¡± Some of the people there felt that Renee¡¯s mysterious words were nothing but old¨Cfashioned superstitions, but the man seemed to be affected by her words. His lips trembled as he whimpered, ¡°But what can I do? My wife and daughter are dead because of those selfish people, and I couldn¡¯t even find their bodies to give them a burial. Do you want me to do nothing about it and let their deaths go just like that? I¡¯m not that merciful. In the end, good people only suffer while bad people live comfortably. If that¡¯s the case. I don¡¯t want to be a good man anymore!¡± Renee replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to be a good man, but you should never involve innocent people in your disputes. Instead, fight thew and sue those who caused your wife and daughter¡¯s death. You can¡¯t resolve anything by killing innocent people!¡± The man shook his head in despair and chuckled bitterly, ¡°Hah! If thew was useful, my wife and daughter wouldn¡¯t have been killed. Stop trying to change my mind. If they can¡¯t be reborn, then my family can be with me forever¡­¡± When Renee noticed that he had be agitated again, she knew that she could not dissuade him. ¡°Alright, but just know that this girl¡¯s life is special so you can¡¯t harm her. Why don¡¯t you take me instead? I¡¯ve been researching philosophy and beliefs for many years, so I know a bit about the underworld. I can even lead the way for you and your familyter¡­¡± Her statement made him waver, and he eventually said to Renee firmly, ¡°Fine. Come to me with your hands behind your back.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She nodded obediently. This was her original n. If she could not change his mind, she would be the hostage instead. After all, she could react faster than Jane, so Jane would survive. Suddenly, Stefan roared, ¡°Stop!¡± His eyes were zing as he growled, ¡°Renee, don¡¯t be stupid. Get back here!¡± However, she ignored him and sessfully exchanged her position with Jane¡¯s. She was now the hostage, and the man was holding a knife to her neck. Meanwhile, a news station had made their way to the ce, and everything was being broadcasted on TV. Everyone watching was moved by Renee¡¯s selfless sacrifice. Stefan strode towards the man, his body tense. He red at the man and threatened him menacingly. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. Let her go now, or your head will be blown off!¡± He hadmunicated with the snipers outside through subtle hand gestures earlier, and they were prepared to fire on hismand. However, he had been thrown off by Renee¡¯s actions, and his mind just shut down. Thoughts of the crazy man losing control and shing Renee¡¯s neck flooded his mind, and he couldn¡¯t think rationally. Only now did Stefan realise how much he cared about Renee; he could not bear to see her harmed. ¡°Hah! You want to shoot me? Why don¡¯t I cut your woman¡¯s head off first?!¡± The man sounded hysterical and was about to sh Renee¡¯s neck. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Chapter 216 However, Renee was much faster. She lifted her hand and forcefully hit the man¡¯s chest. The man doubled over in pain and stumbled back, and Renee managed to free herself. Everyone couldn¡¯t believe what they¡¯d just seen. ¡°How dare you? This is your fault, girl! Now, you¡¯ll all die!¡± The man screamed and yanked the bomb¡¯s safety string. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Everybody screamed in fear. ¡°Watch out!¡± Renee was pulled aside, and was soon buried in a warm chest. Confused, she looked up and found herself in Stefan¡¯s strong arms. It was strangelyforting, like an imprable wall against the dangers outside. It felt like they were in an apocalypse drama. The two of them had never been so close to each other before! However, the explosion they expected never happened. A white puff of smoke appeared, signaling that the bomb had failed to explode. ¡°W¨CWhat¡¯s going on? Why didn¡¯t it explode?¡± The man looked at the bomb strapped to his waist in confusion. The people around him looked at each other, equally perplexed. Renee calmly pulled away from Stefan and looked at the man with a victorious smile on her face. ¡°Your bomb was well¨Cdesigned, but the safety string wasn¡¯t firm enough. When you caught me earlier, I only needed to gently touch it to remove it. The gunpowder already leaked through the gap, so of course it didn¡¯t explode!¡± ¡°H¨CHow do you know how to defuse a bomb?¡± The man asked in disbelief. ¡°I know enough for me to deal with simple toys like yours,¡± Renee said with a smirk on her face. The bomb was clearly homemade and of the lowest quality; she could¡¯ve defused it with her eyes closed. ¡°You really are impressive, youngdy.¡± The man was quickly subdued, but he sincerely admitted his defeat. The people around them were also full of praise for Renee. Nobody expected a girl who seemed so vulnerable to actually know how to defuse a bomb! Renee lifted her chin in Stefan¡¯s direction, a cheeky smile on her face. ¡°What do you think? I rescued you again!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t speak. He just turned around and left, a somewhat weary look on his face. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not very grateful, are you? How can you treat your savior like this?¡± Renee didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d done to offend the man, and was about to go after him and find out. Suddenly, a woman charged through the crowd and hugged Jane. ¡°Jane! Oh, my dear Jane!¡± Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Chapter 217 Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. The woman was none other than Jane¡¯s biological mother, Sandra. ¡°Jane, are you alright? I think your neck is bleeding! Does it hurt? I¡¯ll take you to the hospital right away!¡± Sandra picked Jane up and looked her over anxiously, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had been reading a dossier when she saw the live broadcast on TV, and was shocked when she realized that her precious daughter had been kidnapped. She immediately dropped whatever she was doing and drove as fast as she could to get to the mall. Fortunately, her daughter had only suffered some minor external injuries, thanks to Renee¡¯s selfless act. Initially, Sandra couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look Renee in the eye, but now, she felt nothing but gratitude towards her. ¡°Thank you so much. If it weren¡¯t for you, I can¡¯t imagine what would¡¯ve happened. You saved Jane¡¯s life, and that makes you my savior too. I owe you my life!¡± Renee waved her off awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I would¡¯ve done the same for anyone. Thank you for the compliment, though!¡± Sandra chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of it. I still don¡¯t like you, but if you want anything in return, I won¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°Fine Renee couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Sandra was really a tough nut to crack! However, Jane suddenly pushed Sandra away and ran behind Renee. ¡°Who are you? I don¡¯t know you! My parents told me not to let strangers touch me. You¡¯re a bad person¡­ I¡¯ll ask the police to arrest you!¡± ¡°Jane, you.¡± Sandra¡¯s face crumpled. It was hurtful that her own daughter thought she was a bad person and wanted the police to arrest her. Renee held Jane¡¯s hand and said gently, ¡°Jane, this woman isn¡¯t a bad person. Look, she¡¯s so worried about you that she¡¯s almost in tears. She clearly loves you!¡± Only then did Jane rx. She curiously studied the tall, imposing woman before her. ¡°Who is she? I don¡¯t recognize her, but she feels familiar. I think I¡¯ve seen her in my dreams¡­¡± ¡°Jane, she¡¯s actually your¡­¡± Renee wanted to tell Jane the truth. Jane knew that Professor Wood and his wife weren¡¯t her biological parents, and she¡¯d always wanted to know who her real parents were. In fact, her wish for her sixth birthday was to meet her biological parents. If Renee told Jane that Sandra was her biological mother, she¡¯d at least have half of her birthday wish granted. However, Sandra cut Renee off. She looked coldly at Jane and said softly. ¡°You¡¯re right for hating me. I¡¯m not a good person, so you¡¯d better stay away from me. Otherwise, I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± She then turned to face Renee. ¡°Take her to the hospital, and don¡¯t tell anyone what happened here. I won¡¯t forget what you did today. I always return the favor!¡± With a final nce at Jane, Sandra strode away coolly. Renee watched her leave. The woman probably had many secrets she didn¡¯t want other people to find out¡­ Jane tugged at Renee¡¯s hand. ¡°Renee, you haven¡¯t told me who that woman was. I want to be her friend. Why did she suddenly leave?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± In the end, Renee didn¡¯t tell Jane that Sandra was her biological mother. ¡°That woman is very capable and selfless. Jane, don¡¯t forget ¨C whatever happens in the future, you cannot me her. You have to forgive her, okay?¡± Jane wasn¡¯t sure what Renee meant, but she nodded obediently. ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Chapter 218 The crowd gradually dispersed, and the mall became peaceful again. Renee looked at Jane¡¯s neck worriedly. ¡°Although the wound isn¡¯t deep, it still needs to be looked at. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡± Renee looked around for Stefan, but he was nowhere to be found. She felt very upset. The man was so selfish and heartless! They had barely survived a dangerous situation, but he had just upped and left! Renee brought Jane to the shopping mall¡¯s entrance to hail a taxi. Immediately. Stefan¡¯s silver car slowly moved towards them and stopped in front of them. Renee¡¯s tense expression rxed slightly. Looks like he still had a shred of humanity in him! She opened the door to the backseat and got in after Jane. Stefan sat in the driver¡¯s seat, wearing sunsses. ¡°Jane can stay. You, get out,¡± he said to Renee coldly. ¡°Huh?!¡± Renee was in shock. Was the man serious? ¡°The weather is scorching hot, and I narrowly escaped death earlier. How could you ask me to get out? Are you trying to kill me?¡± Renee asked incredulously, her hand still on the car door. ¡°Kill you?¡± Stefan sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t need to, you seemed eager enough to end your life yourself earlier. Clearly, you don¡¯t care much about your life anyway.¡± ¡°You!¡± Renee clenched her jaw in anger. What did Stefan mean? She¡¯d risked her life to save so many people, and he didn¡¯t even thank her for it. Instead, he was being mean and cruel! ¡°Stefan, are you jealous of me?¡± Renee demanded. ¡°Jealous of you?¡± Stefan frowned a little. He didn¡¯t understand her. ¡°I single¨Chandedly rescued everyone in the shopping mall, and in contrast, you seemed like a useless idiot. You¡¯re probably jealous I stole the limelight, right?¡± Renee said, bristling. Stefan was speechless. He tried to hold it in, but couldn¡¯t stop the amused smile that bloomed on his face. He had to admit that Renee¡¯s train of thought was rather unusual. It wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, though. It was better for her to think he was angry because he was jealous rather than because he was worried about her. Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Stefan found it hard to admit to himself that he was worried about Renee earlier. He knew, without a doubt, that he would haveid down his life to protect her, and it was a terrifying thought. For once, Stefan had lost his control andposure, and it was all because of how deeply Renee affected him. That was why he got angry and took it out on Renee. He felt like he might be sick at the thought of it! Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Soon, they arrived at a nearby hospital. After the doctor tended to Jane¡¯s wound, he turned to face Stefan and Renee. ¡°The wound is just on the surface, so it¡¯s nothing serious. She just has to make sure the wound doesn¡¯t get wet, and she¡¯ll have to apply ointment on it once in the morning and once at night.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Renee finally felt rxed. She held Jane¡¯s hand and told her regretfully, ¡°Jane, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault for not looking after you well enough. Can you ever forgive me?¡± Jane blinked at her and patted Renee¡¯s head like Renee was the child. ¡°Renee, don¡¯t be silly. You¡¯re so cute and brave. You saved all of us. so of course I¡¯ll forgive you!¡± Jane then turned to look at Stefan. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t you think Renee is extremely cute and brave?¡± Stefan harrumphed and muttered darkly. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I do know that there¡¯s something very wrong with her brain.¡± He still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the fear he experienced at the shopping mall. If that man had been quicker with his knife, or if she had failed to defuse the bomb, the consequences would¡¯ve been unimaginable! ¡°Since we¡¯re at the hospital, why don¡¯t we let the doctor check if there¡¯s something wrong with your brain?¡± Stefan then turned to look at the doctor in a serious manner. ¡°Get a checkup done for her.¡± Renee scowled angrily and snapped, ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t push it. I saved your life! Not only did you not thank me, you¡¯re saying such mean things to me too! Do you even have a shred of emotional intelligence? You¡¯re worse than a six¨Cyear¨Cold!¡± Stefan pretended not to hear her. His expression was nk as he continued speaking to the doctor. ¡°Make sure you check her thoroughly. I think there are issues with her from head to toe.¡± Renee might have escaped the bomber unscathed in the shopping mall, but Stefan was still worried. He felt it was better if she received a thorough check¨Cup. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary!¡± Renee crossed her arms and looked at the doctor stubbornly. ¡°Doctor, don¡¯t listen to that crazy man ¨C I¡¯m perfectly fine. He¡¯s just jealous that I saved the day while he did nothing¡­ Thanks for tending to Jane¡¯s wound. We¡¯ll be leaving.¡± With that, she pulled Jane along. To her surprise, Stefan walked even faster than them and growled at her, ¡°Clueless. Extremely idiotic.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Renee was confused. Had the man lost his mind? Shouldn¡¯t she be the one saying that to him? He was the one who¡¯d insulted her for no reason. Stefan made it to the elevator before them. He walked in, turned around and said to Renee icily. ¡°From now on, don¡¯t appear in front of me. I don¡¯t ever want to see you again.¡± He then pressed the button to close the elevator doors. Renee was stunned. Had he actually left? She didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°Jane, don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something wrong with him? I didn¡¯t do anything to piss him off. Why was he throwing a tantrum? Are all men so egotistical?¡± Renee asked incredulously. Jane looked up at her and thought for a moment. ¡°I think Brother Stefan asked the doctor to check you because he was worried about you, but you refused to cooperate, and that¡¯s why he got mad!¡± ¡°When I got sick in the past, my parents would always take me to the hospital for checkups. I¡¯d always cry and refuse, and that¡¯s when they got mad. She added wisely. ¡°Worried about me?¡± Renee murmured absently. Jane¡¯s innocent observation had given Renee an epiphany. Stefan had indeed been acting strangely towards her these past few days. However, he probably wasn¡¯t worried about her. There had to be an ulterior motive!Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Yes, that had to be it! The next day, at Hunts & Co. Law Firm. Zack rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Renee had actually managed to handle Sandra, the most difficult lawyer in the firm, within three days Not only did Sandra not cancel her contract, she¡¯d also begun epting cases for thew firm. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Zack slipped into Renee¡¯s office and gave her a thumbs up. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Renee, however, was focused on the document in her hand. She didn¡¯t even look up as she said, ¡°Mr. Rosenwell, do you have too much free time on your hands? If you don¡¯t have any cases to work on, I can assign some to you.¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Zack waved his hands quickly. He walked around Renee with a look of admiration in his eyes. ¡°Boss, everyone saw how you defused the bomb¡­You¡¯re amazing! Who taught you that? Do you have a secret identity? Or do you work for the special forces maybe? Renee rolled her eyes at Zack. ¡°My grandfather was Maurice Everheart, a famous general back then. I learned how to defuse a bomb when I was in kindergarten.¡± ¡°Whoa! That¡¯s amazing!¡± Zack seemed impressed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe my boss is actually a great general¡¯s granddaughter. Does that mean you have many other skills apart from knowing how to defuse bombs? What about martial arts and dismantling guns?¡± ¡°Those are easy ¨C I could probably do them with my eyes closed.¡± Renee grinned proudly. ¡°If you want to learn, I can teach you when I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°Yes, please!¡± Suddenly, a group of employees who were eavesdropping outside barged in. Everyone was waiting eagerly to see her. They looked up to her like she was a deity. If these employees hadn¡¯t respected Renee in the beginning, it was only because of her rtionship with Stefan. However, they now respected her from the bottom of their hearts, and would willingly sell their souls for her. Their boss was a general¡¯s daughter, and knew how to defuse bombs, dismantle guns, and do martial arts¡­ It was way too cool! ¡°I can teach you all, but let me prepare the equipment first. I¡¯ll spend one day a week teaching you all these skills,¡± Renee offered generously. ¡°Equipment?¡± Nobody understood what Renee meant, but they were still very excited about it. They began to talk among themselves, and it became very lively. Suddenly, the room fell silent as Sandra walked into Renee¡¯s office with arge pile of documents. Apart from Zack, all the otherwyers quickly left. Nobody dared to say a word. It was evident that Sandra was very powerful as one of the three main partners of thew firm. ¡°I found a way to tackle that case you brought in. Do you have a minute?¡± Sandra asked directly. She was dressed very professionally. ¡°Of course. Come in, I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± Renee had finally seeded in getting Sandra on board, and she was overjoyed. Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Chapter 221 ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± After listening to Sandra¡¯s n, Renee¡¯s eyes glowed with excitement. ¡°Ms. Lee. I¡¯ve got to hand it to you. You actually found a solution for such a tricky case. I knew I needed you to join my firm! With the three of you around, I can do whatever I want. The entire Beach City No, the entire world is mine!¡± Renee dered gleefully. Zackughed. ¡°Boss, you¡¯re exaggerating. You might not be able to get the entire Beach City, but I think you can acquire thirty to forty percent of it.¡± Clearly, Renee wasn¡¯t satisfied with that amount. She frowned. ¡°Why only thirty or forty percent? What about the rest?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Zack brought Renee crashing back to reality. ¡°Naturally, the remaining sixty to seventy percent belongs to your ex- husband, aka our ex¨Cboss, Stefan Hunt.¡± The Hunt family was one of the eight most powerful families in Beach City, and the other seven families were also not to be underestimated. The Everheart family wanted to return to its peak position, but the challenge would not be an easy one. Being able to upy thirty to forty percent of the market would already be amendable feat. Sandra, whose presence dominated the room, finally said something. ¡°You don¡¯t have to belittle yourself. If you win this case, the Hunt family will be the Everheart family¡¯s money¨Cmaking tool. It¡¯s not impossible for the Everheart family to surpass the Hunt family.¡± ¡°Exactly. The Everheart family used to be on the same level as the Hunt family, it¡¯s just that we made a few mistakes along the way and fell behind¡­¡± Renee took a deep breath, then continued softly. ¡°I¡¯m the only remaining descendant of the Everheart family ¨C I can¡¯t afford to make any more mistakes.¡± Zack shook his head. ¡®These women are way too ambitious. They expect the Everheart family to surpass the Hunt family, the strongest family in Beach City, just by winning a single court case. They¡¯re too naive!¡± At night, in Sporadic Stars Bar. Stefan, Christopher, and Xavier sat in the VIP section drinking ss after ss of whiskey, each with their own troubling thoughts. Since the three of them looked distinguished and exuded different vibes, nearly all the women who came to the bar were eyeing them. Xavier opened another bottle of whiskey and filled everyone¡¯s sses enthusiastically. ¡°Stop looking so down. This is thest night all three of us will celebrate as single men! After tonight. Christopher will be trapped in marriage forever Cecelia isn¡¯t someone you can easily fool so if you don¡¯t have your fun now, when will you?¡± Christopher picked up his ss and silently watched the bubbles rising to the surface of his whiskey. There wasn¡¯t even a hint of joy on his face despite knowing he would soon be married. He let out a long sigh, swirling the whiskey in his hand absently. Xavier couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Christopher, you¡¯re about to get married to your soulmate. Why are you sighing?¡± Christopher didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, he looked at Stefan, who also had a gloomy expression on his face. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re the only one among us who¡¯s been married. Tell me, how did you feel at the time? Did you also have cold feet like me?¡± Stefan stared at the alcohol in his ss, deep in thought. After a long while, he shook his head. ¡°I forgot how I felt the night before my wedding. I can only recall feeling disgusted.¡± ¡°Disgusted?¡± Christopher frowned. ¡°Were you disgusted by the person you were marrying or by the idea of marriage itself?¡± Stefan shook his head again. ¡°I don¡¯t know maybe both.¡± Stefan and Renee had gotten married four years ago. It was such a long time ago that all his memories had turned blurry. He¡¯d forgotten many things, but the only thing he could clearly recall was that Renee looked gorgeous on their wedding day. She¡¯d worn a blue and white wedding dress. Her cheeks had been a little flushed, and she looked like a shy, young girl. In fact, she didn¡¯t even have the courage to look him in the eye that day. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Back then, she¡¯d been adorable and demure, and he had felt the urge to protect her, but now, she was fierce like a tiger. Whenever they met, she¡¯d w at him as if she wanted to kill him! ¡°Of course he¡¯d be disgusted!¡± Xavier uttered as if he¡¯d gone through a simr experience. ¡°Stefan was forced to marry his wife, so of course he wouldn¡¯t be happy¡­¡± ¡°Christopher, it¡¯s different for you and Cecelia. You two are getting married because you love each other. You¡¯ve been through so much as a couple, and you can finally be together now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be very happy. Don¡¯t you look forward to your life as a married couple?¡± Xavier asked curiously. Stefan and Christopher looked at each other and said nothing. They smiled bitterly and clinked their sses together. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m marrying Cecilia out of love, so I should be happy. Stefan and Ms. Everheart are getting divorced because they don¡¯t love each other, so he should be happy too, but Why do we both find it so hard to be happy?¡± Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Christopher¡¯s question instantly killed the mood. Xavier couldn¡¯t resist letting out a sigh. ¡°I admire you two for even wanting to talk about whether you love someone. I¡¯ve never faced this kind of issue. I don¡¯t love women enough to give up my freedom. However, if I lose that darned case, I¡¯ll have no freedom to speak of!¡± After saying that, he downed his ss and pped his hands. ¡°Alright, alright. We need to stop moping around. Why don¡¯t we y something fun?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Christopher perked up. ¡°Let¡¯s y a drinking game. Whoever loses will have to ept whatever punishment we impose. What do you think?¡± ¡°Boring.¡± Stefan said indifferently. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t interested. However, something suddenly urred to him. ¡°Is it a counting game?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°Sure. I can y any drinking game.¡± Xavier shrugged. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s y that.¡± Stefan suddenly seemed eager to y. Truthfully, he couldn¡¯t ept that he had lost to Renee every time they yed. He wanted to use this opportunity to find out whether he was really bad at it, or if that woman was just too good at it. The three of them began ying the game. Stefan was a workaholic and rarely came out to y, so unsurprisingly, he was the worst at the game, and Christopher and Xavier easily beat him. Stefan kept his word and waited for their punishment. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± Xavier eximed. ¡°Stefan, I want you to call your wife right now, and talk to her for at least ten minutes.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Stefan instantly refused. However, Xavier wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. ¡°It¡¯s only a phone call. You¡¯re a coward if you can¡¯t even do this much!¡± Feeling triggered, Stefan took his phone out and dialed Renee¡¯s number. After a while, he realized Renee had actually blocked his number ¨C his call couldn¡¯t even go through. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Xavier and Christopher burst intoughter. This was what they wanted to see. ¡°Alright. My turn.¡± Christopher finally managed to stopughing. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make this one easy¡­¡± He looked at the bar¡¯s entrance. ¡°Ask the second person who walks in to dance with you. What do you say?¡± Stefan raised his brows. ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± All he had to do was dance with a stranger. He believed any man or woman would ept his request. The first person who walked in was a handsome guy.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. After that, a beautiful woman in a white dress slowly walked in Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Chapter 223 The girl had a pretty face, with big, soulful eyes. She looked like a college student who was new to the scene. Under the three men¡¯s watchful gazes, the girl walked to the bar counter and sat down. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Xavier patted Stefan on the shoulder. ¡°Stefan, you sure are lucky that girl¡¯s really pretty. Meanwhile, my luck is so bad that I only ever encounterrge men or women in their fifties. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go dance with her.¡± Christopher nodded. ¡°She is. She reminds me a little of Ms. Everheart, actually, but with less bite. Ask her to dance with you. I doubt she¡¯ll say no.¡± Stefan pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything as he stared at the girl in the white dress. She sat at the bar alone, seemingly waiting for someone. Her anxious demeanor suggested it was her first time in a ce like this. Her innocence certainly reminded Stefan of Renee the Renee of the past. Stefan stood up and walked towards the girl. Due to his imposing aura, the girl noticed him from the very beginning. The closer he got, the more nervous she felt. Her cheeks were flushed, and she quickly averted her gaze and drank her beverage. ¡°Are you here alone?¡± Stefan asked indifferently as he stood in front of her. ¡°Umm.. Are you talking to me?¡± The girl met his gaze shyly and then looked around. She couldn¡¯t believe that such a handsome man was flirting with her. Stefan raised his brows. He found her response rather adorable ¨C like Renee when they first met. ¡°Are you hoping that¡¯s not the case?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I did hope¡­¡± She blushed, then shook her head. ¡°What I mean to say is. I¡¯m honored I caught your eye!¡± ¡°In that case, will you dance with me?¡± Stefan held out his hand expectantly. ¡°O¨COf course!¡± Clearly, the girl was surprised by the attention she was receiving. She shyly stood up and ced her hand in Stefan¡¯s. Christopher and Xavier watched in admiration as Stefan and the girl walked to the dance floor. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is the first time Stefan flirted with a girl. Looks like he¡¯s seeded.¡± Christopher said in disbelief. ¡°Obviously! If I had his looks, I could easily do the same!¡± Xavier said excitedly. ¡°Christopher, you won¡¯t believe this, but Stefan actually asked me to teach him how to pursue women. I taught him a bunch of theories. but it looks like he didn¡¯t need any of those things. I guess I just made a fool of myself!¡± Xavier added with augh. Christopher looked at the two people on the dance floor. He smiled. ¡°That might not be the case¡­ After all, didn¡¯t he get blocked by a certain someone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Stefan¡¯s wife seems to have changedpletely. She used to be humble and submissive, but now she¡¯s the one messing with him. The tables have turned!¡± Xavier smirked, his eyes gleaming. While the two were talking, Renee, Liam, and Leia walked in. They seemed very happy. ¡°The ambience here is good. It isn¡¯t too loud, and the singers are good. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a good time!¡± Liam said enthusiastically as he led the way. He frequently came to Sporadic Stars Bar to rx. Since it didn¡¯t open its doors to just anyone, people who frequented this ce were mostly all socialites or big shots. It was a good ce to hang out. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Renee also happened to be wearing a white dress. She didn¡¯t have much makeup on, and her hair was brushed to one side. Despite appearing innocent, there was something very alluring about her. She smiled in satisfaction. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t too shabby. I think we should definitelye here more often. Having Ms. Lee on the team has definitely lifted a weight off my shoulders. We should celebrate¡­¡± Renee trailed off when she noticed Leia staring at something in the distance. ¡¯Renee, doesn¡¯t that handsome guy on the dance floor look a little like your husband?¡± Leia tugged on Renee¡¯s arm and asked cautiously. Renee looked in the direction Leia was pointing, and to her surprise, it was indeed Stefan. Liam and Leia looked at each other worriedly, wondering how Renee would react. However, Reneeughed it off. ¡°He¡¯s not my husband, he¡¯s my ex-husband. Get it right, guys.¡± ¡¯Boss, if you¡¯re notfortable with this, we can go somewhere else. Why don¡¯t we go to-¡° ¡¯Why should we go somewhere else?¡± Renee interrupted indignantly, holding her head up high as she walked across the dance floor gracefully.¡¯ This bar doesn¡¯t belong to him. If he can be a customer here, why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ We¡¯ll just have to have more fun than he¡¯s having!¡± Liam dered as he led Renee and Leia to the table he¡¯d reserved. Coincidentally, their table was across from Stefan¡¯s, since they were both in the VIP section of the bar. Christopher and Xavier noticed Renee, and felt a little awkward, wondering whether to greet her or not. Renee, however, raised her ss in their direction. It was an elegant and amodating gesture. Christopher returned the gesture, a look of excitement in his eyes. Xavier ignored Renee and turned to look at Christopher in disbelief.¡± Christopher, why did you respond?¡± ¡°Xavier, what do you have against Ms. Everheart? She and Stefan are no longer married. As the victim in their marriage, Ms. Everheart is a lot more gracious than she needs to be. I think she has a kind heart,¡± Christopher sighed. ¡°No way! Stefan is the real victim in the marriage. He was forced to marry her. If she was so kind- hearted, she wouldn¡¯t have blocked him!¡± Xavier argued. While the two fought about who the victim in Stefan and Renee¡¯s marriage was, Renee started drinking. Renee was drinking a fruity wine that had a low alcohol percentage, which meant that it was safe for pregnant women to drink. ¡®Where are your phones? Come on, let¡¯s y!¡± novelxo Renee urged Liam and Leia impatiently. She wanted to y a mobile game that¡¯d been very poprtely. The whole time she¡¯d been there, she hadn¡¯t even looked at the dance floor. It was as if she didn¡¯t even recognize Stefan¡­ However, Liam and Leia carefully nced at each other. ¡¯Renee, do you really not care at all? You don¡¯t have to pretend in front of us,¡¯ Leia said hesitantly. ¡¯Huh?¡± Renee rolled her eyes. ¡°I already said he¡¯s my ex-husband. Why should I care?¡± Renee waspletely focused on the game. ¡°Enough talking. Let¡¯s form a team of four and take down our enemies!¡± Liam stopped talking, but he stared at her dubiously. Had Renee really moved on? ¡°Aren¡¯t there only three of us? How are we going to make a team of four?¡± Renee smiled mysteriously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ I¡¯ll introduce you guys to a pro!¡± Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Chapter 225 ¡®What pro? Is it a guy or a girl? Is he handsome? What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡¯ Leia could smell gossip from a mile away, and her eyes lit up immediately. Renee smiled mysteriously. ¡°It¡¯s a guy, and yes, he¡¯s very handsome. You know him.¡± ¡¯A guy?¡± Liam wasn¡¯t too happy to hearthat. ¡°Who is he to you?¡± He asked, unable to hide the jealousy in his voice. Renee didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, she made a call. ¡®Yes, just keep walking¡­¡± Renee said after a while on the line. At that moment, a tall, handsome man appeared at the bar¡¯s entrance. He had a ck mask on, and his eyes were dark and calctive. Renee quickly stood up and waved at him. ¡°Over here!¡¯ Liam, Leia, and even Christopher and Xavier, all looked in the same direction. The man walked to where Renee was, then removed his mask. Leia was momentarily stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t he¡­ a younger version of Stefan?¡¯ ¡®What do you mean? He¡¯s nothing like that jerk. This guy¡¯s name is Julian, and you introduced him to me as a gift. Have you forgotten?¡± Renee said in annoyance. She asked Julian to sit next to her. ¡°Was it a long drive? Are your hands sore? I hope they¡¯ll be okay when you yter. The four of us will have to take down the enemy¡¯s crystal, and these two are hardly useful. It¡¯s up to the both of us!¡± Julian sat down, a cool expression on his face. Calmly, he retrieved his phone and unlocked the screen. ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± ¡® Alright then, let¡¯s cut the small talk and get to it!¡± Renee said excitedly, and ushered everyone into the gaming zone. Liam was initially a little jealous of this handsome guy who looked like Stefan, but seeing Renee focusing entirely on novelxo the game with no romantic interest in the guy whatsoever, Liam didn¡¯t ask any questions. He entered the gaming zone. ¡®I have to show off my skills and win her over!¡¯ Liam thought to himself determinedly. The four of them, each holding their phone, began ying as if nobody else was around. It was a pretty odd sight in a bar¡­ Christopher and Xavier couldn¡¯t look away from Renee and her friends. ¡¯Julian?¡± Christopher frowned, a little surprised. ¡°The guy rarely appears in public, but he actually knows Renee?¡± Xavier was confused. ¡°Who is Julian? Why does he look like Stefan? It¡¯s obvious that Renee still can¡¯t get over Stefan, so she found someone who looks just like him.¡± ¡®Of course he¡¯d look like Stefan ¨C Stefan is Julian¡¯s uncle,¡± Christopher exined. Xavier¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°I never knew Stefan had a nephew. He even looks so much like him! Why hasn¡¯t Stefan ever mentioned him?¡± ¡®That¡¯s because the Hunt family kicked Julian¡¯s family out. They don¡¯t acknowledge them. However, Julian is very capable, and is a genius in developing chips. The famous chief engineer and thergestProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. shareholder of KCL, Mr. Y, is Julian!¡± Christopher said softly, his eyes gleaming. ¡°So he¡¯s the famous Mr. Y!¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes were wide in shock. There were plenty of rumors that Mr. Y had an ¡®unusual¡¯ rtionship with Stefan. In fact, some even imed that they got married abroad. Surprisingly, this ¡®unusual¡¯ rtionship was actually a familial one. That exined why KCL Group only supplied their chips to H Group. These twopanies had aplementary rtionship. Without KCL¡¯s chips, H Group wouldn¡¯t have been as sessful, but without H Group¡¯s financial support, KCL wouldn¡¯t have been able to make the technological breakthroughs they always did. Thus, they were inseparable. ¡¯The dude looks like an extreme nerd though. He¡¯s actually ying games with Renee. Huh, I always thought Mr. Y was a sophisticated elite. I bet he¡¯s only taking the credit of being KCL¡¯s chief engineer¡­ He probably hires someone else to do the work.¡± Xavier watched the four of them, still unable to associate Julian with Mr. Y. ¡®A chief engineer is still human. He¡¯d also have to eat, sleep, and do all the things we usually do. Besides, science freaks are normally gaming addicts. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be surprised by his other identity¡­¡± Christopher said cryptically. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 Chapter 226 ¡®What do you mean?¡± Xavier asked curiously. ¡®He¡¯s the most handsome member of SK Group, a new idol group. People even call him ¡®Mini Stefan Hunt¡¯,¡¯ Christopher said with a grin. ¡¯Pfft!¡± Xavier almost spat out his drink. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Stefan¡¯s nephew was a chief engineer, a gamer, and the most handsome member of an idol group? Julian really was an interesting person! ¡¯If he¡¯s a member of an idol group, why is he still developing chips?¡¯ Xavier asked. ¡¯How am I supposed to know? Maybe he got sick of researching and wanted a different lifestyle.¡± Christopher observed Julian from afar, admiration in his eyes. He and Xavier could only dream of living this kind of life, where one did whatever they wanted and chose their own lifestyle. Stefan was dancing with the girl in the white dress, but he was distracted. He had noticed Renee and the others as soon as they walked in. In the beginning, he felt a little guilty. He was worried Renee might misunderstand his rtionship with the girl, so he intentionally kept his distance from her. However, to his surprise, Renee didn¡¯t even look at him. She walked past him as if he was invisible. Her nonchnt attitude pissed him off, but the most annoying thing was that she had somehow be acquainted with Julian. Stefan was angry enough with Liam¡¯s presence, and now, his nephew had somehow joined the mix. Renee certainly was having a good time with two men by her side! He felt that if he approached her and questioned her now, he would look crazy. Left with no other choice, he just continued dancing with the girl in the white dress. Stefan recalled the rule Xavier taught him about pursuing women: After getting your way with a woman, novelxo it was time to let her go. Therefore, Stefan shifted his focus away from Renee and paid attention to the girl in front of him. ¡®What¡¯s your name?¡± He asked in a deep voice. ¡®M-My name¡­¡± This was the first time he said something to her after they had danced together for so long, and the girl was so nervous that she couldn¡¯t speak without stuttering. ¡°My n-name is Shirley White.¡± ¡¯Shirley White?¡± Stefan looked at her fair skin and couldn¡¯t help butugh.¡± You certainly are fair.¡± The two began chatting aimlessly, but under the bright lights, it seemed very intimate. ¡®Hey, Boss, why aren¡¯t you moving? Watch out! Behind you!¡¯ Everyone was shouting. Their team lost because Renee¡¯s champion was killed. Panic-stricken, Renee looked away from the dance floor. She tried to calm herself down and apologized to the rest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I got distracted earlier.¡± ¡®We almost won. You¡¯re the best of the best, so how could that happen?¡± Leia looked confused. Julian¡¯s expression was contemtive. He nced at the dance floor, and then looked at Renee, putting down his phone. ¡°Would you like to dance?¡¯ Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Chapter 227 ¡¯Dance?¡± Renee cleared her throat awkwardly, and pretended to be uninterested. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of dancing.¡± Julian smiled, a knowing look on his face. He stared into Renee¡¯s eyes challengingly. ¡°Is that the truth, or are you just scared?¡± ¡® Are you kidding me? Why would I be scared?¡± Renee scoffed, but she couldn¡¯t meet Julian¡¯s gaze. Julian¡¯s piercing eyes reminded her of Stefan. When he looked at her, it was as if he could see all her secrets. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Truthfully, how could she not care that Stefan was dancing with another girl? She was only pretending not to care, but unfortunately, her acting wasn¡¯t good enough. As soon as she saw Stefan chatting and laughing with that girl, her walls came down¡­ She got so distracted that she forgot about the game and dragged her team down. ¡®If you¡¯re not afraid, then dance with me. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel much better after we dance,¡± Julian insisted, and offered his hand to Renee again. Although he was Stefan¡¯s nephew, he was only one and a half years younger than Stefan. He had grown up abroad where there was more freedom, so he was a bit more carefree and transparent compared to Stefan. Renee nibbled her lip and hesitated. It would be too obvious if she danced, but if she didn¡¯t, she¡¯d seem like a coward. Liam had also noticed that Renee hadn¡¯t really moved on from Stefan ¨C she wouldn¡¯t have gotten distracted at her best game otherwise. Stefan clearly knew his wife was here, so why was he dancing so intimately with another girl? Clearly, he was trying to provoke Renee! As Renee¡¯s number one guardian, Liam couldn¡¯t let her lose! Liam offered his hand to Renee too. ¡°Boss, if you want to dance, it¡¯s best that you dance with me. After all, we¡¯ve known each other for years, so we¡¯d be better dance partners.¡± Julian and Liam¡¯s behavior attracted a lot of attention in the bar, especially from the women. They began whispering to each other, directing envious nces at Renee. After all, being asked to dance by two handsome men was a major aplishment¡­ ¡°You two are terrible. You¡¯re just trying to mess with me!¡± Renee felt extremely awkward with everyone watching her. She didn¡¯t want to choose either of them, but she suddenly noticed that Stefan seemed to be looking her way. It was an extremely unfriendly stare that almost seemed like a warning. At the same time, Stefan also whispered something to the girl in the white dress. Ugh, he was such a jerk! Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Chapter 228 Renee immediately stood up. She touched Liam¡¯s face, then patted Julian on the head. It looked like an emperor choosing his consort. ¡¯One is handsome and positive, while the other is quiet and thoughtful. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll dance with both of you!¡¯ ¡¯I¡¯ll dance with Julian first since he came from far away. Liam, wait for me like a good boy!¡± Liam was extremely jealous. He could easily get any woman he wanted, and the look in his eyes said he knew it. However, he still nodded obediently. ¡°Alright. Boss, you can dance with the fake Stefan first. I¡¯ll join you once you¡¯re ready for the grand finale.¡¯ ¡®Good boy.¡¯ Renee smiled and touched Liam¡¯s face again. She reached for Julian¡¯s hand, and he led her confidently to the dance floor. All the women in the bar sighed, their chins on their palms. ¡®That woman is so lucky! She has two handsome men by her side¡­ it¡¯s really the best of both worlds!¡± ¡®I¡¯m curious how she managed to do it. I¡¯m sure her family must be rich. Either that, or she rescued the gxy in her past life!¡± Christopher and Xavier, who sat on the opposite table, had witnessed this scene too and were also impressed. ¡¯I knew it! That woman isn¡¯t as innocent as she appears¡­ She definitely has a few tricks up her sleeve! Neither Liam nor Julian are easy to win over, but she has both of them under her control. How could Stefan be her match? He¡¯s too naive,¡± Xavier scoffed, feeling sorry for Stefan. Christopher raised his brows before taking a sip of his whiskey. ¡¯Stefan isn¡¯t going to like this.¡± When Renee and Julian walked onto the dance floor, the spotlight just happened to be shining down on them. Everyone looked their way. Stefan and Shirley were right next to them, so they were also under the spotlight. Stefan¡¯s gaze was terrifyingly cold when he looked over at Renee. ¡°I had no idea you were so popr. I can understand why a kid like Liam would fall for you, but I¡¯m truly impressed that you even managed to win my nephew over.¡± His nephew? Julian was his nephew? Although Renee was taken aback, she didn¡¯t let it show. She refused to let Julian see her waver. She kept her head held high and wrapped her arms around Julian¡¯s shoulders. They began dancing slowly to the music. ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Mr. Hunt. I¡¯m sure you think I have no value whatsoever, but I¡¯m actually pretty popr¡­ I¡¯m sure you saw how they fought to dance with me.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Stefan¡¯s expression turned gloomy, and he was clearly pissed off. He then turned to Julian with a re. ¡°When did you start hanging out with her?¡± Julian knew how to y his cards, so he answered nkly, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything ¨C I¡¯m just here to dance.¡± Meanwhile, Shirley, who was in Stefan¡¯s arms, was like an innocent bystander who had been dragged into a fight. She had a frantic expression on her face, and all she wanted to do was escape. ¡¯M-Mr. Hunt, I think I¡¯ve caused some sort of misunderstanding. Should I leave?¡± Shirley asked carefully, her eyes wide. Stefan¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°I carefully selected you as my dance partner, and you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve danced with who can keep up. I haven¡¯t had enough fun yet. Are you getting bored?¡¯ ¡¯Not at all!¡¯ Shirley was ttered. ¡°I¡¯m having a good time too. Although I¡¯m from a dance academy. I¡¯ve never met a dance partner as good as you!¡± The two of them danced wlessly, and their movements became increasingly intimate. Renee heard everything they said, and she thought to herself bitterly, ¡®Why don¡¯t you both just get a room?¡¯ In the next second, she heard a pained shout. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Renee looked down and saw her foot on top of Julian¡¯s. Her face burned in embarrassment and she mumbled awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I wasn¡¯t paying attention.* ¡®You¡¯re dancing with me. If you¡¯re not paying attention to me, who are you paying attention to?¡± Julian asked her casually. Renee stepped on Julian¡¯s foot out of anger this time, and hissed, ¡°Why did you have to say that? I¡¯m already in a tough spot here!¡± Wasn¡¯t it obvious? Of course, she had been focusing on Stefan. She felt like a thief prying into other people¡¯s business when Julian called her out like that. After a while, the song came to an end, and the lights went out. Julian suddenly let go of Renee¡¯s waist. He spoke just loud enough for Stefan and the others to hear them. ¡°Since we aren¡¯t good dance partners, why don¡¯t we try exchanging partners?¡± *What?! Exchange partners?¡± Renee sputtered, but before she could react, Julian started walking towards Shirley. He reached out to her. ¡°Shall we dance?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Shirley¡¯s cheeks turned red as she looked at Julian, who resembled Stefan. She was ttered by the attention. They were both extremely attractive men, and each had their own unique traits ¨C it was honestly hard to choose. Shirley instantly reced Renee as the most envied woman in the bar. Suddenly, Stefan spoke up. ¡®I think exchanging partners isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± After that, he let go of Shirley and walked up to Renee, staring deeply into her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s dance.¡± Although Renee wanted to refuse, she subconsciously put her hand in his. The music that came on next was known as a freestyle waltz. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Renee¡¯s dancing wasn¡¯t too bad. Almost like a conditioned reflex, she straightened her spine, and she and Stefan began dancing effortlessly. This actually wasn¡¯t the first time they had danced the waltz together. Although they didn¡¯t like each other, they danced very smoothly together. From afar, they looked like a match made in heaven. The waltz was a rtively romantic dance, so their bodies were practically melded together. They could even feel the other¡¯s warmth. Renee¡¯s nose was near Stefan¡¯s chest, and she could smell his unique peppermint scent. For a moment, she indulged in it. ¡®Mr. Hunt, are you feeling lonely? We divorced not that long ago, but you¡¯ve already moved on to a college student?¡± Renee immediately regretted asking him. As his ex-wife, she was in no ce to ask him that question. Stefan, meanwhile, was enjoying dancing with Renee under the spotlight.¡± How do you want me to answer that?¡± He asked slowly. ¡®I don¡¯t really care.¡± Renee pretended to be indifferent. ¡°The girl looks quite naive, so I just felt sorry for her. If you want to y around, I suggest you try with someone on your level. Don¡¯t hurt her, or she¡¯ll be scarred for life.¡± ¡°She is certainly naive, just like you were four years ago¡­¡± Stefan murmured, looking down at the woman in his arms. He tightened his grip around her waist and studied her face intently. ¡°So, have you not moved on?¡± Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Renee¡¯s face turned red for some reason, and she avoided Stefan¡¯s gaze. Her mind went nk, and she didn¡¯t know how to answer him. Fierce pride rose in Stefan and he continued triumphantly, ¡°Your silence tells me that I¡¯m right. You still have feelings for me, don¡¯t you? You can¡¯t move on.¡± Renee had nowhere to hide. She made several mistakes while dancing and Stefan¡¯s feet suffered the consequences, i She was a coward! Renee was furious at herself, and gathered the courage to speak. After taking a deep breath, she looked up daringly into his eyes.¡± Mr. Hunt, it seems to me that you¡¯re very self- obsessed. I had never fallen for you to begin with, so how can I move on?¡± ¡®You¡¯re acting tough again¡­¡± Stefan sighed, then leaned down to murmur in her ear, ¡°You know very well that you¡¯re in love with me.¡± Renee¡¯s face turned even redder. She wanted to deny it. but the song suddenly came to an end. Stefan immediately went back to his indifferent self, and let go of Renee. Though they had both been dancing intimately a moment ago, they were now behaving as if they didn¡¯t know each other. They both kept their distance from each other. Much to Renee¡¯s disappointment, Stefan turned around and looked for Shirley again. Once he found her, he walked up to her and asked, ¡°Do you want to have a drink with me?¡± Shirley had been distracted when she danced with Julian earlier. Her eyes had only been on Stefan and Renee. Although Julian was also very charming, her feelings for Stefan were stronger. It had been love at first sight. Shirley didn¡¯t want things to end between her and Stefan and was hoping he would take things further. Hence, when Stefan asked her that, she felt excitement bubble up in her. She nodded hastily and said, ¡°Sure, it¡¯s an honor.¡± The two of them walked past Renee, not even sparing her a nce. Renee, meanwhile, felt as if a car had just run her over. Her heart ached and her face crumpled. Stefan Hunt was pure evil! Julian shrugged nonchntly, a little upset that his n didn¡¯t work. ¡°I tried my best.¡± Renee and Julian returned to their seats. Liam was a little worried when he saw Renee¡¯s crestfallen expression. He asked with a frown, ¡°Boss, are you alright? Did that jerk say something mean to you when you danced together earlier? You seem to be in a bad mood.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that expected of him? There¡¯s nothing surprising about it.¡± Renee picked up her ss of fruit wine and finished it in one gulp. ¡®You¡¯re already divorced, and yet, you still let that jerk affect you,¡¯ she thought to herself angrily. Liam felt sorry for Renee, especially since he knew she was pregnant with Stefan¡¯s children. That scumbag had actually openly flirted with another woman! Liam clenched his fists tightly. ¡°Boss, what did he say to you? Tell me! I¡¯ll beat him up!¡± Renee looked up and smiled bitterly. ¡°Sure, go ahead. Come back to me once he¡¯s dead.¡± Renee was only joking. She knew full well that Liam might look like a rebel, but he was way smarter than he looked and wouldn¡¯t do anything rash. To her shock, Liam picked up a wine bottle and began walking furiously toward Stefan¡¯s table¡­N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Chapter 231 Renee gasped. She was afraid that Liam might actually lose control and beat Stefan up. There were so many people around, and they were both from respectable families ¨C it wouldn¡¯t look good if anything happened. Renee quickly stood up to drag Liam back, but Leia stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Renee, you know my brother won¡¯t do anything stupid. Just wait and see.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Only then did Renee sit down. Liam was Master Osborne, a famous elite in Beach City. He was known for his intelligence, and many bigshots had been punished by him for misbehaving. He definitely wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid! When Stefan saw Liam walking over, his expression remained nk and he acted as if he couldn¡¯t even see Liam. Xavier, who was much more straightforward, stood up and red at Liam.¡± What¡¯s your problem?¡± He asked in an unfriendly tone. Liam smiled. ¡°No need to get riled up, mate, I mean no harm. On the contrary, since you¡¯re all older, I¡¯ve always looked upto you. Fate brought us together today, so I was thinking of having a few drinks together and making some new friends.¡± Xavier was very annoyed. ¡¯Don¡¯t make it sound like we¡¯re that much older. We¡¯re barely a few years apart.¡± On the other hand, Christopher was much friendlier. He pointed at the empty seat next to him. ¡°Master Osborne, you have a good reputation. You¡¯ve managed to elevate the Osborne family to greater heights, and my father always has good things to say about you. I¡¯ve long wanted to make your acquaintance. Please take a seat.¡¯ ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jacobs. It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Liam sat next to Stefan with the bottle of wine in his hand. It was undeniably an awkward situation. Everyone knew that Liam had been closest to Renee after she and Stefan got divorced. In fact, the two had even been photographed together at the gynecology department, and people suspected they were getting ready to have children together. Now, Renee¡¯s ex-husband and current boyfriend were sitting next to each other¡­ It felt somewhat like a battlefield. Xavier continued to defend Stefan. ¡°Christopher, why are you being so nice? He¡¯s Renee¡¯s boyfriend, and he probably made her cheat on Stefan. It¡¯s taking all my willpower to not beat him up!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t make jokes like that,¡± Christopher scolded Xavier, then turned to face Liam. ¡°I¡¯m sure you and Renee are purely a couple. It¡¯s not asplicated as we imagine, right?¡¯ Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Liam chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re funny, Mr. Jacobs. We¡¯re a couple¡­ How can anything be pure? I¡¯ve made my feelings for Renee very obvious, and there¡¯s nothing pure about it!¡± After Liam said this, everyone looked at Stefan. However, Stefan took a sip of alcohol without saying anything. He didn¡¯t seem to care at all. ¡°Christopher, you heard what he said. He¡¯s clearly here to provoke us. I think you-¡± Xavier started heatedly, but stopped when Christopher sent him a warning re. Christopher might seem like a handsome and quiet person, but he was ten times more aggressive than Stefan when he was angry. Although the Jacobs family wasn¡¯t one of the eight most powerful families in Beach City, the family had been involved in politics for generations. They had connections that spanned far and wide in the country¡¯s politics, so he was definitely someone you didn¡¯t want to piss off! Since Christopher had weed Liam to the group, Xavier would be disrespecting Christopher if he kept threatening Liam. Finally, Xavier decided he would just shut his mouth and watch the show! Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Liam picked up two sses and filled them up ¨C one for him, and the other for Stefan. ¡°Here¡­ a toast from me to you. Thank you for giving Renee her freedom. It¡¯s a new beginning for her, and she¡¯s so much more confident than before. You¡¯re a living saint!¡± Liam downed his ss after saying that. He didn¡¯t just say that to be polite ¨C he really did mean every word. If Stefan wasn¡¯t such a jerk and forced Renee to get divorced, she¡¯d probably just be seen as ¡®Stefan¡¯s wife¡¯. Stefan looked at the ss Liam handed him, emotions whirling in him. Anyone could tell that Liam didn¡¯t have good intentions, but deep down, he actually agreed with what Liam said. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Stefan epted the ss from Liam and chuckled. ¡°Indeed¡­ She¡¯s changed after leaving me. She¡¯s like a fish that¡¯s returned to the ocean and a bird that¡¯s taken off to the sky. She¡¯s found her own haven.¡± ¡®I thought a boring woman like her would suffer without the Hunt family¡¯s protection, and not many men would like her, but now¡­¡± Stefan looked at Liam before shifting his gaze to his nephew, Julian. He then shook his head with a half-hearted smile. ¡°She¡¯s doing much better than I thought. I genuinely hope she can be happy.¡± Liam nearly choked on his drink. He suddenly didn¡¯t know what to say. He never expected that heartless man to say something so emotional¡­ He sounded genuine too. What Liam said next made him seem a little petty inparison. ¡°Well, Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re certainly very diplomatic. Renee is doing great, and I bet there are people lining up all the way to Fraser just to pursue her. It¡¯s a lot of pressure for me! However, you seem to be doing pretty good yourself¡­ You¡¯ve only just ended things with Renee, but you¡¯ve already found yourself a new woman. It seems you change women like you change clothes!¡± Liam thought Stefan might deny it. From what he observed, Stefan didn¡¯t seem particrly close to this fake version of Renee. They looked like strangers. However, Stefan pulled Shirley into his arms. ¡°She¡¯s very naive and adorable. I do like her.¡± Everyone was shocked. Although Xavier didn¡¯t know why Stefan was lying, he was loyal to him. ¡°I bet you¡¯re surprised. Stefan can¡¯t help it when he falls for someone¡­ it was like love at first sight for these two!¡± ¡°Love at first sight?¡± Liam sneered. ¡°Why does this girl look so much like Renee then? Are you telling me you never fell for Renee, but you fell for this fake version of her instead?¡± Stefan didn¡¯t say anything. Xavier, on the other hand, did. He leaned over menacingly and growled, ¡°I knew you were here to cause trouble. What is it you want?¡± Liamughed. ¡°There¡¯s no need to get riled up. I told you¡­ I just want to have a few drinks. Do you have the guts to drink with me, Mr. Hunt?¡± Before Stefan could answer, Xavier scoffed, ¡°Why would Stefan be afraid? I¡¯m on your side, Stefan. Drink until he drops!¡± Stefan rolled his eyes at Xavier. ¡®Thank you for sending me into his trap.¡¯ Liam filled two more sses with alcohol. ¡°Join me¡­ if you dare.¡± Since Stefan was brave enough to act like a scumbag in public, Liam felt what was doing was reasonable.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Chapter 233 Renee once told Liam that Stefan wasn¡¯t good at drinking, and that he was like an elementary school kid when it came to drinking games. That was why Liam had prepared a bottle of the strongest vodka he could find. He wanted to y a drinking game with Stefan until he became drunk. Liam would then humiliate Stefan and avenge Renee. Liam felt that Stefan was a proud person. With some encouragement, he would certainly ept the challenge. However, to Liam¡¯s surprise, his n didn¡¯t work. Stefan didn¡¯t n on epting the challenge at all. He stood up and turned to face Christopher and Xavier. ¡°Something came up. I¡¯ll catch youter.¡± After that, he turned to Shirley. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡¯Huh. I¡­ Can I?¡± Shirley¡¯s eyes were wide in disbelief. She was an ordinary college student, and it was her first time working in a bar as a part-timer. Everything that had happened tonight felt like a dream to her. Stefan didn¡¯t answer her, and just walked towards the bar¡¯s exit. ¡¯W-Wait for me!¡± Shirley grabbed her purse and mustered the courage to follow him. From her perspective, Stefan was more than a knight in shining armor. Even if there was a sliver of hope, she¡¯d grab onto it tightly and not let go. The two of them walked out one after the other, and everyone else was in shock. Even Xavier, who had been unconditionally supporting Stefan, couldn¡¯t resistining. ¡°Damn. He didn¡¯t drink much today, so what the hell is he thinking? Does he really have feelings for that girl? That girl really does look like his ex-wife. He¡¯s leaving the real thing behind and going for the fake version¡­ What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Christopher nced in the direction where Stefan and Shirley had gone, then looked at Renee. A yful smile appeared on his face. ¡°Stefan is serious this time.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡®Serious? About that girl?¡± Xavier shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± Christopher chuckled. ¡°I didn¡¯t say he¡¯s serious about that girl.¡± ¡¯This is some. Today¡¯s supposed to be your bachelor party, so why did Stefan leave on his own? Even if he does have feelings for that girl, can¡¯t he just resist them for a while?¡± Xavier asked. A man and a woman meet at a bar, and they then leave together. Even a fool knows what¡¯s going to happen next. Liam hurled his ss onto the floor and snarled, ¡°Stefan is a heartless scumbag! He¡¯s ying with someone¡¯s feelings. He¡¯ll get his karma soon enough!¡± Liam returned to Renee¡¯s side with his head hung low. ¡°Sorry, Boss¡­ I didn¡¯t avenge you. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to be such a jerk!¡± Renee didn¡¯t react to his words. In fact, she smiled as she shuffled the tarot cards she was holding. It seemed like she didn¡¯t care about what happened earlier at all. Boss, don¡¯t be sad. You¡¯re divorced already. He can find someone new, and so can you. If he¡¯s going for someone younger, you can go for someone younger too!¡± Renee didn¡¯t say anything, and slowly ced the shuffled cards on the table. She then randomly picked one and smiled. ¡°The sun card¡­ It represents freedom and sess. My luck is about to change, so there¡¯s nothing to be sad about.¡± Liam and Leia looked at each other. They felt sorry for Renee. When a girl started believing in superstitions and mystic arts, that meant she had been hurt badly and was hoping to heal. Although Renee appeared to be very carefreetely, she was probably struggling on the inside¡­ ¡°I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s go home!¡± Renee said suddenly and stood up. When she walked past Christopher¡¯s table, he called out to her. ¡°Ms. Everheart, do you have a minute?¡± Renee stopped walking and turned to look at him. Christopher smiled apologetically. ¡°Stefan is the emotional equivalent of a rock when ites to rtionships. He doesn¡¯t know how to express how he truly feels, so please don¡¯t mind his childish behavior.¡± Renee shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We have nothing to do with each other now, so he can do whatever he wants. I don¡¯t care.¡± Christopher shook his head and didn¡¯t say anything. After that, he retrieved an invite from his bag. ¡°Cecilia and I are getting married tomorrow. I wanted to ask Stefan to pass this to you, but it seems like a better idea for me to personally hand it to you. I hope you¡¯lle tomorrow.¡± Renee was a little surprised. She and Christopher had only met on two or three asions, so she wasn¡¯t expecting an invitation to such a private event. However, after thinking about it, the Jacobs family was very powerful in the realm of politics. Being on good terms with them would be very helpful for the Everheart family¡¯s future developments. Renee epted the invite with a grin. ¡°Thank you for inviting me. I¡¯ll make sure to show up in style.¡± After Renee left, Christopher grabbed hold of Julian. ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve got some exining to do. Why are you so close to your aunt-inw?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? They¡¯re already divorced. She¡¯s not my aunt-inw anymore,¡± Julian answered casually. ¡® Don¡¯t mess around. Your uncle is serious this time,¡± Christopher said sternly. ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t tell.¡± Julian¡¯s arrogant demeanor was very much like Stefan¡¯s. ¡°I already gave him a chance. He didn¡¯t appreciate it, and he even made things worse. He can¡¯t me me for giving it a shot now.¡± Over the years, Julian had met all kinds of people through his carefree way of living, but he hadn¡¯t met someone as interesting as Renee for a very long time¡­ Julian wasn¡¯t sure if his feelings for Renee were romantic, but he certainly was interested in her. Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Stefan looked coldly at Shirley. He didn¡¯t answer her. Shirley realized she had overstepped a boundary, and she frantically apologized. ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked you that. I think you might find me useful in the future, so¡­ can I have your number?¡± This was the bravest thing that Shirley, who had been naive and conservative for many years, had done. Her careful attitude reminded Stefan of Renee when he met her four years ago, and his heart softened a little. ¡°Give me your phone.¡¯ ¡°O-Okay!¡± Shirley quickly handed him her phone. The two stood very close to each other in front of the taxi, and to anyone watching, it seemed like a very intimate scene. At the same time, Renee and Liam walked out and happened to see this. Renee felt her heart ache. She wanted to pretend she didn¡¯t see anything and leave right away, but coincidentally, Stefan looked up, and their eyes met. His gaze was cold as usual, but there seemed to be an aura of superiority about him. He didn¡¯t feel awkward or bad at all, and this infuriated Renee for some reason. Impulsively, Renee wrapped her hand around Liam¡¯s arm and asked him sweetly, ¡®Where are we going next? I think the hotel next to the sea we went tost time wasn¡¯t too bad. Should we go there again?¡± ¡¯Umm¡­¡¯ Liam didn¡¯t dare move at all. Was Renee really willing? If she was, there was no way they could maintain their ¡®pure¡¯ rtionship! Stefan¡¯s expression became several degrees colder. He went even further by opening the taxi door. ¡°Go to this hotel,¡± he said to the driver. After that, he and Shirley got into the same taxi, and the car drove past Renee. Needless to say, Renee knew what would happen between them next¡­ She stood still for a long time and didn¡¯t say anything. Her gaze was fixated on the taxi until it disappeared from view. Liam knew Renee was sad. ¡°Boss, I really do know a hotel by the sea. Would you like me to take you there for a walk?¡± He asked carefully. ¡®No, thanks.¡± Renee pulled away from Liam and smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m letting him hurt me for thest time. Once Ms. Lee wins that case, I¡¯ll leave for good. He won¡¯t be able to hurt me anymore.¡± It was gettingte. Liam and Leia wanted to send Renee home, but she insisted she didn¡¯t want them to. She said goodbye to them, and quickly left. She didn¡¯t want to go home, and she didn¡¯t want to talk. She didn¡¯t want to deal with anyone. All she wanted was a quiet ce where she could be by herself. She wanted to go somewhere she could let out her true emotions, where she didn¡¯t have to pretend to be strong¡­ She had to admit that she was feeling really hurt. The thought that Stefan might be sleeping with that girl right now made it hard for her to breathe. It felt like someone was driving a knife into her heart and twisting it. Stefan had never fallen for her despite being married for four years, but now, he had fallen for a fake version of her at first sight! It wasn¡¯t fair! She walked aimlessly until she somehow arrived at the shopping mall she went to with Stefan and Jane the other day. Coincidentally, the movie she¡¯d been wanting to watch, Soul Travel, was still avable in the cinema. Renee didn¡¯t hesitate. She bought the earliest show and silently walked into the dark cinema hall. Since it was a midnight show, there were very few people there, all of whom sat sparsely across the hall. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Renee suddenly felt a sense of security she¡¯d not felt for a long time. Where else could a person cry to their heart¡¯s content than a cinema hall where nobody knew them? Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Soul Travel was about an unsessful pianist who identally died just as his dream was about to come true. He met Soul Number 22, who hated life, and they helped each other find the meaning of life. It was a story of mutual redemption¡­ The screen emitted a gentle glow. The graphics were beautiful, and the story was heart-warming. While watching, Renee silently began to weep. It wasn¡¯t because the story was particrly touching or that Stefan hurt her¡­ She just felt like crying at that moment. ording to the books she read, pregnant women tended to be very emotional due to fluctuating hormones, so it was very easy for them to get upset. Renee believed she was going through this phase, and so, she didn¡¯t want to hold it in. She began sobbing profusely¡­ She gently ced her hands on her belly. ¡®Hang in there, my little ones. I¡¯ll be able to leave with you very soon!¡¯ After crying, Renee felt much better. Her mood lifted significantly. Coincidentally, the movie had also ended. The dark cinema hall suddenly became bright again, and several members of novelxo the audience stood up. When Renee saw Stefan standing up several rows in front, she was stunned. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be sleeping with a college girl in a hotel? Why was he here? Renee was afraid he might notice her, so she intentionally slowed down and turned the other way. However, it was toote. When Stefan made a turn at the corner, he happened to turn around. His cold gaze met Renee¡¯s, and he didn¡¯t seem surprised. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Suddenly, everything became still around them. They both looked awkward, as if they¡¯d been caught red-handed. ¡°You¡­¡± Stefan tried his best to appear cold, and cleared his throat. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the beach with your boyfriend? Why are you here?¡¯ ¡®Oh, about that¡­¡¯ Renee quickly thought about her reply. ¡°Who¡¯d go to the beach at night? We postponed it.¡¯ Immediately after that, she shot back, ¡°What about you? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be having fun with that college girl? Why are you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote. We postponed it too.¡± Stefan scratched his nose and mumbled. Renee wanted to call him out on his stupid excuse, but resisted the urge. After all, her excuse wasn¡¯t any better. They both knew the other person was lying through their teeth, but neither of them called the other¡¯s bluff. People in the cinema hall gradually left. Stefan and Renee kept a small distance from each other and walked behind the rest. Although neither of them spoke, something seemed to have melted away. They no longer felt as tense around each other. After leaving the cinema hall, it seemed they would soon part ways. Stefan lifted his wrist and looked at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s still early. Do you want to get supper?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Renee was confused. He just said he had given up on having fun with that college girl because it was toote, so why was he saying that it was early now? Renee felt that he must have an ulterior motive! Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Seeing how she wasn¡¯t replying, Stefan felt slightly annoyed and muttered coldly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I have other things to do anyway.¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m free!¡± Renee instantly blurted out, then inwardly kicked herself for being too eager. She awkwardly brushed her hair to the side of her face and stammered, ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m actually really busy, but it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have time for supper¡­ Stefan felt rather amused with her bashful attitude, smiling to himself as he thought, ¡®She¡¯s actually kind of cute when she¡¯s like this.¡¯ The two exited the cinema and headed straight to a famous ce known fortheir street food. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°What would you like?¡± Stefan turned around, asking the woman standing behind him. ¡°Anything, just make sure it¡¯s not too savory.¡± ¡®Did I hear you right?¡± Stefan frowned. ¡°I thought you used to love savory foods. What changed?¡± Renee naturally couldn¡¯t tell him that she was pregnant and had to monitor her diet, so she replied casually, ¡¯People change all the time. What¡¯s so weird about changing taste when people can change their partners?¡± She was obviously trying to describe her feelings towards the man right now. However, Stefan did not bother to continue the topic, pointing towards a nicely furnished restaurant. ¡°Then we can have some minestrone soup. It¡¯s not that savory, and it¡¯s good for digestion too.¡± Renee nodded. ¡°That does sound nice.¡± The weather was rather breezy, after all, so it would be nice to warm up with a fresh bowl of minestrone soup. The two then proceeded to choose a seat next to the window, sitting opposite each other. None of them spoke for quite some time, which made the atmosphere a little awkward. ¡°Umm¡­ Would you like to have anything else? Maybe some milk tea?¡± Stefan broke the silence, showing rare gentlemanly behavior. Renee waved dismissively, speaking politely. ¡°No need. I ordered soup anyway, drinking too much liquid might be bad for my stomach.¡± ¡¯Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± After that was yet another few moments of awkward silence. The two seemed like a teenage couple who had just started dating, hiding their true feelings by acting exceedingly polite to one another. Renee had never thought she would ever have a peaceful meal with Stefan. It was even stranger how he was being so thoughtful to her, as if he was her boyfriend. She had never once dared to dream of his kindness during their marriage, yet he expressed it so easily after their divorce. In a way, it was rather ironic to experience all this. ¡®Here¡¯s your freshly made minestrone soup, made with the finest vegetables, along with our specially handcrafted pasta. One bowl of this will surely bring warmth to one¡¯s heart and soul! Feel free to order some more if you¡¯re up for it!¡± The waiter had finally served their food, and his enthusiastic exnation of the dish was somehow able to ease Stefan and Renee¡¯s tension. He lifted the lids on the bowls of soup, and a gust of steam and an enticing aroma emerged from the bowls. The waiter then ced the bowls in front of them, smiling before leaving their table. ¡°Bon appetit! You won¡¯t be disappointed, I promise.¡± Renee quickly tried the soup, and her eyes soon widened with surprise.¡± Ah! Oh my gosh, this is amazing!¡± After that, she even started drinking from the bowl. Stefan took a small sip as well, but found the dish rather in. However, seeing how happy Renee was, he didn¡¯t intend to spoil her mood by saying so. With that, the two seemed to have bonded through the meal. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Stefan looked at Renee and asked casually, ¡°So, what are your ns?¡± Renee drank another mouthful of soup, then asked, ¡°What ns?¡± ¡®You can¡¯t really stay in the business field forever, right? It¡¯s aplicated and dangerous world, you won¡¯t be able to handle it for long,¡¯ Stefan exined, as he had experienced the struggles within the industry as well. He figured that a woman like her wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the stress of managing a business. Although they were divorced, he didn¡¯t wish such an uneasy life on her. ¡¯How would you know if I can¡¯t handle it?''¡± Renee looked towards the man, a confident smile appearing on her face. ¡°Just look at me now, aren¡¯t I doing well? Azure Group has only been established for a few months, and we were able to sign a big contract! I even became the president of the Electronics Technology Association! Everything is going well as of now, so sorry for not seeing the dangers in this field, I guess.¡± ¡®You¡¯re too naive!¡± The man shook his head, replying in a serious tone.¡± First, South Group is clearly a bomb waiting to explode. Jerome South may have offered you a lot, but wait till it is time to reap profits. You¡¯ll see just how heartless he can be then! Besides, there is just so much power you can have in this industry. After being appointed as president all of a sudden, others may find it unfair, even if I don¡¯t! Being in the spotlight has consequences, you know? I advise you to leave this industry as soon as possible, or you might have to face unthinkable consequences.¡± Everything he said was based on his personal experience, and he genuinely hoped Renee could step out of this incredibly painful path. ¡®If you ever need money, just ask. We used to be husband and wife, alright? I will take responsibility in taking care of you for the rest of your life,¡¯ Stefan said sincerely, but was only met with Renee¡¯s scoffing. ¡® Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s toote to be the nice guy now, Mr. Hunt? Besides, it¡¯s pretty arrogant of you to assume that I won¡¯t survive in the industry. You think I have topletely rely on you to survive, don¡¯t you?¡¯ Stefan turned cold. ¡®That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡¯So what do you mean, huh?¡± ¡®I just¡­¡± Stefan wanted to say something, but paused. His expression was cold as ice. ¡®Don¡¯t you remember how your parents died? Don¡¯t you remember how the once renowned Everheart family met their downfall? Do you think you are stronger than your parents were, or do you think you¡¯re even stronger than me? Did you know that my brother died right before my eyes? Did you know I couldn¡¯t do anything to save him? Did you know I was forced to watch him take hisst breath?!¡± While speaking, Stefan clenched his fists, his eyes red as tears started welling up in them. Tristan would always be the main source of his pain and grief. His brother¡¯s death was a constant reminder as to how weak and ipetent he was. Hence, he really did not hope Renee would feel the same pain he did. The woman finally realized that he was genuinely concerned about her, which made her feel quite guilty. ¡°Umm, hey, you don¡¯t have to worry about me¡­¡¯ She then took a deep breath and continued. ¡¯I¡¯ll just be honest with you. I actually never intended to make my mark on the business industry either. It¡¯s too tiring, and I just don¡¯t have the energy to deal with everything.¡± ¡®I just want to follow my n and earn enough to livefortably. Once my n seeds, I¡¯m out of here.¡¯ ¡¯Out of here?¡± Stefan stared at her and questioned further. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡¯Now, that¡¯s confidential! All I can say is I¡¯m not going to be in Beach City, that¡¯s all.¡± The woman replied. She¡¯d actually hoped to leave in secret, but she didn¡¯t minding clean at this point. Stefan was visibly conflicted after hearing this. After a brief pause, he said frostily, ¡°If you think leaving will make you happier, then you should go.¡± Even though he was unwilling to let Renee go, he knew that he was in no ce to ask her to stay. Their meal had been exceptionally peaceful. There wasn¡¯t any resentment, arguments, or sarcasm this time. The two simply looked past their past, and had a long conversation with each other, as if they were old friends¡­ As they were about to leave, Renee suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, with an odd scene ying before her. She immediately grabbed Stefan¡¯s arm, sounding rather nervous. ¡°Stefan Hunt! Wait!¡¯ Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Stefan lowered his gaze, staring at the hands around his arm with narrowed eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡®People! There¡¯s so many people!¡± Renee looked around anxiously, then tried pulling Stefan into the backseat of the car. As she continued to squeeze in, she mumbled under her breath, ¡°There¡¯s so many of them! They¡¯reing for us! Oh god, this is so scary¡­ Let¡¯s hide in the car!¡± ¡°Many people?¡± Stefan looked around, the confusion on his face evident. It was midnight by the time they left, and they were the only two in the parking lot at the time. ¡®What is the talking about?¡¯ ¡®Hey, why are you being so stubborn? They¡¯re right behind us! Do you have a death wish? Hide in here, quick!¡± Renee was so panicked that her face was red. As if they didn¡¯t have much time, she used all her strength to drag Stefan inside. Helpless, Stefan could only listen to her demands, getting into the backseat with her. It was fortunate that there was a lot of space in the back, considering that it was an incredibly expensive coupe. The seats were made out of pure leather as well, which provided them with comfortable cushions. Hence, it wasn¡¯t all that bad staying there. ¡¯So¡­¡± Stefan was going to ask what they were supposed to do next. ¡®Shush!¡± Renee leaned over, covering his mouth with her hands as she nervously looked out the window. She then whispered into his ear, ¡°Speak softer! They¡¯re patrolling outside the car! We can¡¯t let them find us.¡± This only made Stefan more dumbfounded, as he wasn¡¯t seeing any of these ¡®people¡¯ she was talking about, let alone the ones ¡®patrolling outside¡¯. Was Renee trying to pull a prank on him? He thought incredulously, ¡®Could it be¡­ that she¡¯s trying to flirt with me? Our position is pretty¡­ intimate right now.¡¯ Stefan had spread his legs apart, while Renee covered his mouth with both hands. Due to her eagerness to shut him up, she had pressed her entire torso onto his, making their thin clothing the only thing between them. The man¡¯s senses were soon attacked by the faint scent of flowers, along with Renee¡¯s warm breath against his neck. It felt like his heart was being pawed at by a little kitten¡­ ¡®Damn it, this woman is killing me!¡¯ ¡°Ahem!¡± Stefan¡¯s breathing became faster, and hisrge body shifted out of difort. He then moved Renee¡¯s hands away roughly, staring back at her with passionate eyes. His voice sounded husky as he growled, ¡°What are you doing, Renee Everheart?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡®Hey! I told you to stop talking!¡± The woman¡¯s expression was serious, and her beautiful eyes shed. ¡°I may hate you, but I don¡¯t want you to die¡­ Those people outside are so scary, and they¡¯re holding spears in their hands. We¡¯re no match for them, so it¡¯s best we keep a low profile.¡± ¡®Are you still going to mess around?¡± Stefan raised an eyebrow. ¡¯Fine, I¡¯ll y this game of yours.¡± Stefan then grabbed Renee by the waist with hisrge hands, cing her onto hisp. He cupped her little face, speaking coldly, ¡®If you were trying to seduce me, then congrattions, you seeded!¡± His eyes were dark with lust, as if they were mes trying to engulf the woman in his arms. ¡°We may have been married before, but it¡¯s a shame that we¡¯ve never done certain things properly. Why don¡¯t we try everything today then?¡± He murmured, then closed his eyes, slowly going in for a kiss¡­ He initially thought Renee would go along with his advances, as it seemed to him that this was her goal, but to his shock, he was met with the woman¡¯s horrified screams instead. ¡°Ah! They¡¯re inside! The little people crawled into the car! They¡¯re all over you!¡± ¡¯Enough!¡± Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Stefan opened his eyes, and yelled furiously at the shocked Renee, ¡®Do you think this is funny?¡± ¡®No, there really are a lot of little people on you, they¡¯re crawling around your hair now¡­¡± Renee said desperately as she pointed towards his head anxiously. ¡°And there¡¯s so much weed growing out of your head! Let me pluck it out for you¡­¡¯ After saying that, she really did start yanking on Stefan¡¯s hair lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pluck it all out for you! One, two, three¡­¡± ¡®This is getting ridiculous!¡¯1 Stefan was speechless. Eventually, his anger subsided and was quickly reced with helplessness. Leaning against the backseat dejectedly, the man allowed Renee to yank on his hair continuously, as if he were putting up with a naughty child. ¡®Fine, if she wants to y it this way, she can do whatever the hell she wants! I¡¯d just like to see how long she¡¯s going to keep this act up!¡¯ With that thought, the two could be seen pressed against each other in the backseat of the car, as Renee seemed focused on yanking on Stefan¡¯s hair. Stefan, on the other hand, was still and silent, giving herplete freedom to finish the job. The situation was rather odd, but it felt somewhat heart-warming at the same time¡­ ¡®Phew! I¡¯m finally done!¡± Renee let out a long sigh of relief, smiling happily as she cupped Stefan¡¯s face. The man had nearly dozed off during the entire ordeal, but he quickly opened his eyes and sat up straight. ¡®So, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡¯Jelly!¡± Renee pointed towards his lips. ¡°Pink jelly! I¡¯d like to have some jelly! To Stefan¡¯s utter shock, the woman smashed her lips onto his. This action made him freeze up, and he didn¡¯t dare move a muscle. ¡®Mmm¡­ This jelly is so sweet, so soft!¡± Renee continued kissing the man and praising him, as if she really was eating some kind of delicious snack. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Meanwhile, Stefan¡¯s mind had gone nk. This was the first time the woman had ever been so bold, and he simply didn¡¯t know what to do. She was very passionate, but her skills were somewhatcking. For a moment, he wondered if she really had started viewing his lips as jelly, which could exin the reason why she was sucking and biting so much. The man was soon unable to endure her teasing any longer, so he decided to turn the tables and ced his hand on the back of her head. His voice was deep as he growled, ¡°You idiot, that¡¯s not how kissing works!¡± He then closed his eyes once again, gently kissing the woman, and spoke softly, ¡°This¡­ is how a real kiss should feel like¡­¡¯ Seeing how loving the man¡¯s gaze was, Renee calmed down as well, and concentrated on kissing him properly. As some time passed, Stefan found himself feeling quite light-headed and his vision turned slightly blurry. ¡®Wait, what¡¯s happening? There¡¯s so many little people here!¡± He then pushed Renee away and observed her with a stern expression. ¡°Doni move, let me chase away all those little people on you!¡± ¡°See? I wasn¡¯t lying! You finally noticed them! There¡¯s so many, and there¡¯s still some crawling on top of you!¡± The two immediately got busy trying to brush off the ¡®little people¡¯ on their bodies. After a few minutes, they were exhausted, and snuggled up against each other as they fell into a deep slumber together¡­ The next day, Renee felt groggy as she woke up in the car. To her horror, a man¡¯s arms were wrapped around her waist, and her clothes had been messily thrown on the car mat¡­ ¡®Ah!¡± Renee screamed hysterically as she noticed that she was in her underwear. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Stefan was awoken by her shouting, and sat up with a frown. It seemed that he had taken his shirt off as well. His tanned skin was exposed for all to see, along with his muscr build. It was as if God had taken extra time to create this man, blindly giving him the gift of charm since the moment he was born. The intimacy of their current state surprised him so much that he was wide awake in seconds. The man sat up immediately, his eyes fixated on Renee as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You scumbag! You know what¡¯s wrong!¡± Renee immediately grabbed a jacket to cover her body, punching Stefan on the arm. ¡°You¡¯re such a monster! How could you do this to me?! Just look at my stomach! If something happens to me, I¡¯ll make sure you rot in hell!¡± She really had no idea what happenedst night, but she could put the pieces together. She thought, ¡®A man and a woman half naked, cuddling each other?! What else could have happened?!¡¯ ¡®Wait!¡± Stefan forcefully stopped Renee from hitting him, trying his best to recall what happened. He then said confidently, ¡°I can guarantee that I have not done anything inappropriate to you. I have some self-restraint, okay?¡± He knew his body well, after all. In fact, his memory was quite strong, and he remembered what happenedst night. Last night, Renee had behaved as if she had a screw loose. Not only did she try to capture ¡®little people¡¯, she¡¯d even yanked on his hair thinking it was weeds, and sucked on his lips like it was jelly. Everything was just too ¡­ absurd. ¡°You should be the one exining yourself. If you want to seduce me, just do it. You didn¡¯t have to y so many tricks.¡± Stefan pulled Renee closer, his eyes sharp as a knife. ¡¯Me? Seducing you?¡± Renee scoffed. ¡¯You must be dreaming. I¡¯m not blind, okay? Why would I ever seduce someone like you?¡± ¡®You jumped into my arms, then bit and sucked on my lips like you were some kind of vacuum cleaner. How is that not seduction?¡± ¡®There¡¯s no way something like that happened!¡± Renee crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve gone mad! Why would I ever do that? I¡¯d rather bite a pig than bite you!¡± ¡¯Fine then!¡¯ Stefan nodded. ¡°If you refuse to admit it, we should show some proof to support our ims.¡± ¡°Show your damn proof then, if you even have any! Don¡¯t just insult my character like that!¡± Renee sounded rather agitated. Although she felt as if she had cked out, she knew herself well enough to know that she wasn¡¯t such a shameless person. Stefan remained silent as he got out of the car, then sat back down into the driver¡¯s seat. This made Renee misunderstand his intentions. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d let you off so easily after you¡¯ve insulted me?! Careful or I might sue you for defamation!¡± Stefan was still not speaking a word, instead reying the dashcam footage fromst night on arge screen¡­ ¡¯Ah!¡± Renee¡¯s face turned red as she covered her eyes with both hands, visibly embarrassed. ¡¯Turn it off right now! This is so awkward!¡± She really hadn¡¯t expected herself to voluntarily ¡®seduce¡¯ Stefan at all, and she couldn¡¯t stand watching herself so brazenly biting the man¡¯s lips, her hands all over him. In actuality, Stefan did seem like the ¡®poor¡¯ victim in this case. At the end of the footage, the man started behaving like Renee as well, doing his best to capture the ¡®little people¡¯, and plucking the ¡®weeds¡¯ out of each other¡¯s hair. They seemed extremely focused on their task, to the point they started stripping each other. Not long after, they seemed tired, and slowly dozed off. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Once the ¡®torture¡¯ was done, Stefan switched off the screen with a nonchnt attitude. Renee, on the other hand, had curled her body up, hoping to bury her head in the seat like an ostrich. She didn¡¯t want to face Stefan at all. ¡°This is so embarrassing! Oh god, please just kill me, I don¡¯t want to live anymore!¡± She whined like a child. For some reason, Stefan found her current state quite adorable, a light smile appeared on his face. ¡°So how do you intend on taking responsibility for this?¡± Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Chapter 241 The man lookedpletely serious. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I must¡¯ve been possessedst night or something. I have no idea why I would do those things¡­¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks were still flushed. She didn¡¯t dare to look directly at Stefan. Her voice was soft. ¡®If you don¡¯t mind, we can just pretend nothing ever happened. I¡¯ll pay youpensation, and you delete that footage. What do you say?¡± Stefan retorted. ¡°Do I look like I need any more money?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± ¡®So give up on that thought. You should think about how you canpensate me in other ways instead. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be deleting this any time soon,¡± Stefan said in a nonchnt tone. ¡°What else can I possiblypensate you with? Don¡¯t get greedy here!¡± Renee sat up, warning Stefan. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I have a video of your antics while you were drunk too! If you dare to leak that footage, dont me me for doing the same! We¡¯ll just have to go down together then!¡± Stefan seemed to yield to her threats, and he didn¡¯t push her any further. Hence, the two tidied themselves up, trying hard to forget about everything that happenedst night. ¡°But, honestly, I¡¯m pretty curious as to what happened to me. Why would I have done such ridiculous things?¡± Renee scratched the back of her head, confused. Stefan raised an eyebrow and replied, ¡°It¡¯s likely due to the soup.¡± ¡°The soup?¡¯ ¡°I suspect that the minestrone soup contained a certain type of mushroom that could cause hallucinations ifrge amounts are consumed. Since you had so muchst night, you were probably hallucinating all those little people¡­ the weed¡­ the jelly.¡± ¡¯That¡¯s not right. Didn¡¯t you have some too? You seemed fine, though?¡¯ ¡¯I only took a few sips.¡± ¡®Then why were you hallucinating with me by the end of the footage?¡± ¡®Why else?¡± Stefan nced at her coldly. ¡°The kisssted too long.¡± ¡®Uhm!¡± Renee¡¯s face flushed red instantly, and she covered her face again. She really wished she had a way to disappear right there and then. Stefan then started the engine and drove off, the fleeting scenery visible on both sides of the windows. He then observed the woman in the back through the rearview mirror, suddenly asking, ¡°Hey, uh¡­ What did you mean by that just now?¡± ¡¯What?¡± ¡¯You said something about your stomach, and how you couldn¡¯t believe I¡¯d still do that to you¡­¡± Stefan paused, as his gaze turned sharp. ¡¯So what happened to your stomach?¡± ¡®Oh, that¡­¡± Renee gulped, her eyes darting around as she came up with a bad excuse. ¡°Dont you see how chubby I¡¯ve be? How could you still be attracted to this?¡¯ ¡¯So that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Stefan let out a sigh of relief. He thought something was growing within Renee¡¯s belly, especially since paparazzi had once captured her and Liam meeting a gynecologist to prepare for pregnancy. ¡¯You really have be quite chubby. You could lose a few pounds.¡± ¡¯Hey!¡± Renee huffed, but couldn¡¯t retort in the slightest. All she could do was angrily re out the window. Noticing the unfamiliar scenery, she leaned back and anxiously asked the man, ¡°Where¡­ are you taking me?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Stefan remained silent; lips pursed as he focused on the road. The car lumbered towards a ring road, with the vast blue sea surrounding both sides of the road. Everything seemed especially bright and cheery. However, Renee found this quite terrifying, not daring to move a single muscle. She wondered, ¡®What is he doing bringing me to the seaside? Is he still holding a grudge against me for biting his lipsst night? Is he trying to murder me and throw my corpse into the sea?¡¯ ¡®Hey, Stefan, calm down! Don¡¯t resort to such extremes, okay?¡± Renee said, sounding as if she was trying to manipte her victim. ¡®I know I may have been inappropriate to you, but I didn¡¯t mean to! You¡¯re out here looking like a whole snack, and you were dressed so sexily! ¡°You looked like an incubus, honestly! I just made a mistake that any other woman would make! So please just forgive me, just this once! ¡®I promise I¡¯ll never make the same mistake ever again! I won¡¯t ever bite you even if you did everything to seduce me!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face was initially expressionless, but hearing her made him chuckle lightly. ¡°So, ording to your logic, I can bite you however I wish, as long as I view you as a snack? And I don¡¯t even have to take responsibility for it?¡± ¡°No way!¡¯ Renee spoke in a justified tone. ¡°I did it by ident! But if you did it, you would have been plotting it all along! So, in the face of thew, you¡¯d bemitting a crime, while I¡¯d be innocent!¡± Stefan was speechless, realizing just how bizarre this woman was. She was clearly holding a double standard in this case and was starting a blind argument. As the two continued with their banter, they soon arrived at the most famous church within Beach City. It was located in the middle of the ocean, with a blue roof and white walls. With that, it looked extremely beautiful and romantic from afar, with the seaplementing its colors. Normally, the church wasn¡¯t open to the public, so newlyweds who were able to hold their wedding in such a ce would naturally have to be of rich families. It was rumored that if the couple exchanged rings before sunset, they would receive the blessing of the sea goddess. Their fates would then be bound forever, and they would be able to spend the rest of their married lives peacefully. The luxurious car was pulled into the church¡¯s front parking lot, after which both Stefan and Renee got out. ¡®Christopher and Cecilia¡¯s wedding is today, isn¡¯t it? Didn¡¯t he invite you too? Let¡¯s go together then.¡± Stefan said, striding forward with his hands in his pockets. After taking a few steps, he noticed that Renee wasn¡¯t following behind. Instead, she was staring at the majestic building with a gloomy face. ¡°Why aren¡¯t youing?¡± Stefan turned back to ask the woman. ¡°You should head in first. We¡¯re divorced, remember? It would affect our reputations negatively if we showed up together.¡± Renee replied indifferently. Only now did she realize how far apart she was from Stefan. Their emotional void wasn¡¯t about to decrease in an instant just because they had spent one peaceful night together. She had once naively imagined holding her wedding in this church with the man she loved back then. She wished to exchange rings right before sunset, receiving the blessings of the sea goddess. However, despite being the bride, she had absolutely no say in her own wedding, as the Hunts made all arrangements. In the end, the wedding was held in a five-star banquet hall. It was indeed very luxurious and generous of them, but it was too in. That wasn¡¯t her dream wedding at all. Many viewed her as a rich littledy who had fallen from grace, an essory that married itself into the Hunt family. They thought she was just a soulless puppet, and what she would have wanted naturally never crossed their minds. She never wanted to return to that life, to be ignored all over again. Thus, she made sure to stay clear- minded at all times and to distance herself from Stefan. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡®Reputation?¡± Stefan raised a brow, his expression conflicted. Hethen let out a cold scoff and said, ¡°Fine, do what you want.¡± The church was amazingly decorated, with pink roses lined along both sides of the red carpet. The Jacobs family was rather renowned within the city, after all. Despite not being within the Great Eight, the Great Eight themselves would usually show quite some respect towards them regardless. Undoubtedly, many rich and powerful guests were present. These were individuals who could even steal the spotlight away from famous celebrities. Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Chapter 243 ¡®Oh my god, Stefan, you¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ve called you hundreds of times! You didn¡¯t even pick up a single call! Chris was that close to sending his special forces, just to find you!¡± Xavier eximed. Waving towards Stefan, he had donned a dashing suit, with his hair neatly slicked back. Stefan, however, was expressionless and calm. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the wedding start in the evening? What¡¯s the rush?¡± ¡¯Of course, we¡¯re in a rush! We¡¯re his groomsmen! We have to wee the bride, and we need to take a group photo together too! We have so much to prepare!¡¯ Xavier gushed as he impatiently dragged Stefan backstage. ¡¯Go clean yourself and change into a better suit! Your current look is too casual. It¡¯s like you¡¯re just here for a vacation!¡± As the two reached the dressing room, Christopher could be found facing away from the door, staring at the beautiful scenery outside the window. He was wearing a white suit, his dashing features enhanced by a light touch of makeup. His gentle and elegant aura also made him look like a fairytale prince. However, he seemed to be frowning slightly, as if he was deep in thought. This was no emotion of a groom-to-be. It was as if he felt not the slightest happiness or excitement toward this event. ¡¯Chris! Stefan¡¯s here! You can rx now!¡± Xavier screamed as he approached the groom. Christopher immediately turned around, his eyes lighting up in an instant.¡± That¡¯s great! You¡¯re finally here, Stef! I thought you weren¡¯ting today!¡± Stefan asked softly, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡¯ ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s still a littleplicated between you, me, and Cecilia. So it¡¯s probably quite upsetting for you to attend our wedding. Even if you really didn¡¯te in the end, just know that we never intended to hold any grudges against you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset at all.¡± Stefan¡¯s calm response expressed his honesty to his friend. ¡°What Cecilia and I had is the past, and it will stay that way. She¡¯s just a close friend to me now. I¡¯m truly happy that both of you finally get to tie the knot.¡± ¡®Good then!¡± Christopher took a deep breath. For the past few years, the couple had basically gone no contact with Stefan, even going as far as to not attend Stefan¡¯s wedding. In their point of view, they believed Stefan had been deeply hurt by him and Cecilia, which made him choose to marry a woman he didn¡¯t even love in an attempt at self-destruction. The conscience of guilt thus weighed upon them for many years, and they were slowly getting consumed by it¡­ ¡¯I can tell that your rtionship with Miss Everheart isn¡¯t all that simple. You may be divorced now, but I have a feeling that you will be able to find each other again, no matter where you run off to¡­¡± After that, Christopher looked out the window again, curious. ¡°Did Miss Everheart note with you? I made sure to personally send her an invitationst night, though.¡± ¡¯We¡¯re separate people, so don¡¯t make us out to be a pair,¡± Stefan replied coldly. He thought to himself, ¡®If that woman wishes to avoid me so much, I wouldn¡¯t want to be viewed as a pair with her either!¡¯ Christopher and Xavier looked at one another, figuring that Stefan must be having a hard time winning Renee¡¯s heart. ¡¯ Alright, alright! Let¡¯s not overthink this. You still have to change, you know? And we have to pick the bride upter!¡± Xavier quickly urged them to stay on schedule. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Although he was usually quite a slipshod, he would still get his act together when it came to matters rted to Cecilia. For umpteen years now, he had always had a crush on her. Hence, it wouldn¡¯t be far- fetched to say that he was the one who was hurt the most by attending this wedding. After getting changed and having their makeup done, the group immediately went to pick Cecilia up. Coincidentally, they bumped into Renee, who was just entering the church. Seeing that she was all alone, Christopher invited her with a friendly smile. ¡¯ Miss Everheart, you seem bored. So why don¡¯t you join us in picking up the bride?¡± Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Having paced around the dessert section for quite some time, Renee began to feel her stomach rumble. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything yet. At the time, she was scarfing down a piece of mousse cake, as if she intended to join an eating competition. There was even still some cream stuck to the corner of her mouth, which made her look somewhat adorable. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. When someone called out to her out of nowhere, she lifted her head, and her eyes met Stefan¡¯s gaze that loomed over her. She found her current state rather embarrassing, so she quickly tidied herself up, putting on an elegant act. ¡°They forced me to take this cake. I didn¡¯t really want to eat that much¡­¡± Christopher smiled, seemingly fond of this side of her. ¡°Looks like our employees are pretty responsible¡­ Don¡¯t worry, though-we¡¯ve hired the best bakers, the best of the best, to make these desserts. They made sure to choose the ingredients well so it wouldn¡¯t be too fattening either!¡± Stefan¡¯s hands were snug in his pockets. He stared at Renee with a cold gaze as he blurted, ¡® And here I was wondering why your stomach grew so much.¡± ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Renee was so mad that she wished she could m the cake into the man¡¯s face. ¡®He needs to shut it if he has nothing good to say! He¡¯s so annoying!¡¯ However, her current self would not easily back down after feeling offended. ¡® Oh? Well, I guess it¡¯s fairing from you, Mr. Hunt, since you have no excess fat around your waist. But I do wonder if you¡¯ve done any¡¯ adjustments¡¯ to achieve those fake-looking muscles.¡± Renee spoke in a sarcastic tone. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t you know if they¡¯re real or not?¡± Stefan remained expressionless. ¡°Especially when you¡¯ve had so many chances to feel me up.¡± Renee¡¯s face immediately turned as red as a rose, feeling slightly embarrassed. ¡®I¡¯ll have to admit, I did get to touch his abs lots of times! It¡­ felt pretty good, and I know for sure¡­ that they¡¯re real!¡¯ ¡®Hold on!¡± Xavier turned to look at Stefan, then towards Renee. His gut was telling him that something was up, so he asked, ¡°How would you know what your stomachs look like? Could something have happenedst nigh¡­¡± ¡®No!¡± The two denied at the very same time. This made their thoughts wander off even more, which made Christopher grin. He pondered for a brief moment, ¡®Looks likest night was quite¡­ interesting for them. Stef finally did something good this time round.¡¯ With that, the guilt in his heart was once again lifted. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not dawdle any longer. We should go!¡± Christopher said to everyone. Xavier quickly agreed. ¡°Mhm, mhm! The main characters are Chris and Cecy today! You two can show your love story sometimeter! We¡¯re going to bete if we keep staying here!¡± Scanning everyone, Christopher pointed towards the expensive wedding car and made arrangements on his own. ¡°Let¡¯s ride in the same car. Xavier, you¡¯re driving.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon¡­ Don¡¯t we have a chauffeur? Why should I dri¡­¡± Xavier whined but stopped as soon as he understood Christopher¡¯s intentions. Nodding, he replied. ¡®Alright, I¡¯m great at driving! So count on me, y¡¯all!¡± Thus, Christopher and Xavier quickly sat down in the front, forcing Renee and Stefan into the backseat. Renee took a cupcake from the tray while speaking awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should go. I¡¯m not that close with you guys anyway.¡± Putting that aside, all she really wanted was to try every dessert avable since the bakers Christopher hired were extraordinarily skilled. She¡¯d rather happily enjoy these delicacies at the seaside than pick up the bride with these men, forcing herself to endure the awkwardness between them. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You might not be close with us, but you¡¯re close with Stef. That¡¯s enough for us to bring you along!¡± Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Christopher continued showing enthusiasm in inviting the woman. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Renee thought to herself. ¡®It is his big day. It¡¯d be rude of me to kill his joy.¡¯ Hence, she decided to agree. ¡°Alright then!¡± At the same time, she turned to look at the lovely desserts lined on delicate tin trays. She gulped as she thought. ¡®Goodbye, my delicious desserts. I¡¯lle back to you for sure! I promise!¡¯ Stefan noticed this, making the corner of his thin lips curve slightly. ¡®Wait.¡± Stefan turned to Xavier, who was starting up the car. ¡®What¡¯s up, Stef? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not close with your ex-wife now, of all people?¡± ¡®I¡¯m just a little hungry. Let me get something to eat.¡± The man responded coldly and strode towards the dessert section in the garden. After a short moment, Stefan brought a tray full of different desserts. There were milkshakes, cream puffs, mousse cakes, strawberry pudding, and more. Christopher and Xavier looked utterly shocked, their eyes widening and their mouths agape. Xavier teased the man with a sly grin. ¡°Hey Stef, don¡¯t you hate desserts? When did your tastes change, huh? You took so many desserts!¡± Stefan shot Xavier a dirty re, ordering. ¡°Focus on driving.¡± After that, he acted aloof while speaking to Renee, who was sitting next to him. ¡°Take some if you want any.¡± Renee was practically drooling at the sight of the tray of desserts already, nodding profusely. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Hunt! Don¡¯t mind if I do!¡± After that, she took one of the puffs and bit down on it gleefully. The soft and crispy texture on the outside, with sweet greek yogurt wrapped inside, the vors were just bursting in her mouth! The woman actually intended to eat politely at first, but the desserts were just so delicious that she didn¡¯t care about her image any longer. She started scarfing down everything on the tray, with cream all over her mouth. All three dashing men in the car were absolutely stunned, especially Xavier. He had always viewed Renee as a gentle, elegant woman. Despite her beauty, he found her rather boring in the past. However, ever since she got a divorce from Stefan, all her actions made him see her in apletely new light. ¡®I didn¡¯t think you were a foodie! Looks like we have another thing inmon, apart from gaming!¡± Xavier couldn¡¯t help but giggle, slowly warming up to Renee. As a foodie himself, he knew that foodies were usually simple-minded, so they wouldn¡¯t be much of a bad person in the first ce. Stefan expressed disdain. ¡°How is that something inmon? Any young person would love gaming and food!¡¯ Xavier somehow didn¡¯t notice Stefan¡¯s jealousy and started debating with him instead. ¡°That¡¯s not right, though! You don¡¯t like gaming, and you¡¯re not a foodie, Stef! Does that mean you¡¯re an old man now?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened as he took a cream puff and handed it to Christopher. ¡°Shove it in his mouth. He¡¯s being too noisy.¡± Renee was still fixated on the desserts, acting as if this had nothing to do with her. She mumbled to herself. ¡°Dang, this cream puff is so good! I must take some for Margaret when we return to the church!¡± Now that she was pregnant, her appetite as a foodie only grew. Every time she had desserts, it was as if she could hear the little ones in her womb cheering with joy. Suddenly, Stefan blurted out. ¡°Are those better than my lips?¡± Hearing this, the entire car was quickly engulfed by an awkward atmosphere. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Chapter 246 The cream puff in Renee¡¯s hand fell, as her face was painted in ayer of red. She wondered, ¡®Is this guy okay? What the hell is he even saying?!¡¯ Stefan, however, looked calm and serious as he gazed upon her. ¡°You said the same thing when you were biting on my lipsst night, you know?¡± Xavier let out a dry cough, reminding them. ¡°Oh my god, Stef, in broad daylight?! Rein in that wild side of yours, will you?!¡± Christopher smiled softly and added. ¡°Could it be that you two have been pretty ¡®wild¡¯ with each other last night?¡± Stefan shrugged nonchntly. ¡°She¡¯s the one who was being ¡®wild.¡¯ I¡¯m the victim here.¡± ¡®Stefan Hunt!!¡± Renee yelled, feeling so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into thin air right this minute. She wanted to deny it, but she couldn¡¯t, especially with the solid evidence the man had on her. ¡®If this guy were to expose that dashcam footage out of spite, I¡¯ll be doomed!¡¯ ¡®Ah, whatever! I¡¯ll just keep quiet! I¡¯m not going to fuss over such a small thing with this punk!¡¯ Deep in her thoughts, Renee decided to close her eyes, leaning towards the window as she tried to take a nap¡­ It was likely due to residual fatigue fromst night that she fell into a deep sleep. As her mind was being conquered by drowsiness, she felt her body being shifted by arge hand, and her headnded on someone¡¯s shoulder. It was warm and gave her a sense of security. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Stefan, on the other hand, looked towards the sleeping woman in his arms, his eyes filled with an endless amount of affection, an emotion that he hadn¡¯t even realized he felt towards her. There was still a little bit of white cream left on Renee¡¯s mouth. Without her aggressiveness, while she was awake, he found her cuter when she looked rxed. His heart was starting to melt, as he took a handkerchief out of his suit, wiping the cream around her mouth. His loving behavior was simr to an enthusiast taking care of his precious jewels. ¡°Tsk tsk!¡± Xavier seemed amused as he looked into the rearview mirror. ¡°I still had my doubts thest time, Stef. But this time? I believe you¡¯ve fallen deep!¡± Stefan had also noticed how overly considerate he was to Renee and immediately pulled the handkerchief away. ¡°Don¡¯t spew such nonsense. I¡¯m just a clean freak,¡± he replied coldly. ¡°Clean freak?¡± Xavier continued teasing the man. ¡°My mouth has cream on it too! So why aren¡¯t you wiping it off, huh?¡± Stefan had nothing to retort, so he just handed Christopher another cream puff. ¡°Shut him up!¡± Christopher smiled gently. He stole a nce at the two in the backseat, leaning against each other, and his eyes seemed to glint with envy. ¡°Stef, I can tell that Miss Everheart is special to you. It¡¯s not embarrassing to feel this way, so you don¡¯t have to deny it, you know?¡± ¡®In fact, I envy you a lot¡­ Do you realize how lucky you have to be to find someone you care about in this big big world, and for them to care about you just as much?¡± This would sound normaling from anyone else, but it was odding from Christopher, who was the groom. Stefan frowned and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± However, the groom merely shook his head. Nothing. I¡¯m just thinking out loud. I just know it¡¯s difficult, but also a blessing, to be able to marry for love. And I think everyone should cherish that love as soon as they meet that special person¡­¡¯ Xavier started teasing him as well. ¡°Hey, Chris, why would you even envy someone else¡¯s rtionship? You and Cecy are the perfect example of marrying for love!¡± Hearing this, Christopher merely answered him with a sad smile. Soon enough, the four of them arrived at the hotel the bride was staying at. Although the Jacobs were very powerful within the city, they preferred keeping a low profile, especially regarding their private lives. Hence, the wedding wasn¡¯t all too grand. Their wedding was the same as anyone else¡¯s. However, they did organize a series of games to show the groom¡¯s devotion to the bride. Since Christopher was from a family of intelligent schrs, these games were set to be rted to different types of knowledge as well. There were a total of 18 challenges the groom and his groomsmen would have to go through before reaching the bride¡¯s room. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Chapter 247 As knowledge and strength were both valued; the challenges included martial arts, mathematics, physics, chemistry, literature, history, philosophy, etc. The first challenge was rted to literature, as the bridesmaids requested the men to recite the entirety of Act 2, Scene 2 in Romeo and Juliet. They chose this because it was a touching and well-known love story fitting for a wedding. The groomsmen consisted often handsome, smart, and wealthy heirs, some of whom hadpleted their postgraduate studies abroad. Yet, everyone was utterly dumbfounded upon hearing the challenge. ¡®What the heck? Who would randomly memorize an entire y for no reason?!¡¯ They all thought in their heads. *So none of you can do it?¡± One of the bridesmaids smiled cheekily. ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll give you the option to bribe us. Starting from eight thousand dors!¡± ¡°Yep, yep! Right away!¡¯ Xavier took his phone out, eager to participate. ¡°You should have said so earlier! Why would we waste our time on something we can solve with money?¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Renee suddenly stood up. ¡¯I can do it!¡± ¡®Romeo and Juliet is a y written by William Shakespeare in the 1590s. Act 2, Scene 2, Romeo enters the Capulet¡¯s orchard¡­¡¯ The woman started reciting the y all on her own, loudly and clearly. Everyone turned to look at her, with sheer disbelief stered all over their faces. Xavier whispered under his breath to his close friends. ¡°I thought she was joking, but I didn¡¯t think she would actually do it! This is way too impressive! ¡ö Stefan, however, didn¡¯t seem all that surprised. He replied in a slightly prideful tone, ¡°She¡¯s alright, I suppose. And didn¡¯t I tell you she was an honors student?¡± After ten or so minutes, Renee was finally finished reciting the entire scene, which earned her a big round of apuse. ¡®That was amazing!¡± The bridesmaid gave high praise as well. ¡°As expected of the Jacobs¡¯ family and friends. You truly are amazing, Miss. Looks like you have a hunger for knowledge, unlike those who only wish to gain power and status. ¡ö Renee humbly waved her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not that great. I just like to recite ys or poems whenever I¡¯m bored!¡¯ However, the woman couldn¡¯t help but feel irked in her heart. ¡®Isn¡¯t Romeo and Juliet a tragedy where both of them died? Wasn¡¯t it inappropriate to include this in a wedding?¡¯ With that, the groomsmen team was able to pass the first challenge. ¡°Miss Everheart, thanks for the help. You¡¯ve opened my eyes once again.¡± Christopher thanked her, his eyes filled with an unnoticeable admiration for the woman. Renee chuckled and joked. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal! If you really want to thank me, though, just transfer me eight thousand dors, like what they asked.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Christopher was very generous, taking his phone out. ¡°Show me the QR code.¡± Renee didn¡¯t refuse the offer, showing the QR code and receiving the money within minutes. At that moment, she realized that the wedding turned out to be absolutely worth her time. The remaining seventeen challenges were simr to the first, and the groomsmen relied on Renee to solve most of them as well. The woman, able to receive quite a lot of money, grinned from ear to ear. The group then reached the final mission, and that was to convince the bride to open the door for them. However, the door stayed shut no matter what the groomsmen said. Not even Christopher, the groom, was able to persuade her. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Renee shrugged as well, indicating that she couldn¡¯t help them this time. Just then, Xavier nudged Stefan¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Hey Stef, why don¡¯t¡­ you try?¡± Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Everyone turned to look at Stefan, expressing disbelief. Most knew about the messy history between these three, after all. It was already quite surprising that Stefan attended the wedding in the first ce, but now that he even took part in these wedding games, it resulted in everyone finding the man rather forgiving. Stefan pressed his lips together, remaining silent and standing still. He looked like he wanted to refuse. The atmosphere felt tense and extremely awkward in an instant. Realizing that they were going to bete, Xavier started panicking and sighed deeply. ¡°Stef, we know this is crossing your boundaries¡­¡¯ ¡®But we have no choice. Didn¡¯t Cecy say she feels guilty about wronging you? That¡¯s why she wishes to hear your blessing! I¡¯m guessing she¡¯ll be leaving the door shut till you speak up. Why don¡¯t you just¡­ fulfill her wish. Just this once?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Christopher furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Xavier, don¡¯t push Stef. He should be thest person to ever do this!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Before Xavier could continue, Stefan opened his mouth, interrupting him dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s fine. If this is really needed, I¡¯ll do it.¡± He then knocked on the door in front of everyone, frowning lightly. ¡®Cecilia, don¡¯t worry, and just open the door. I¡¯ve already moved on, and I really do wish both you and Chris the best.¡± Soon, Cecilia¡¯s soft and regretful voice could finally be heard from within the quiet room. ¡°Stef, Chris, and I are deeply sorry! We know we¡¯ve done you wrong. I¡¯ve been waiting for your forgiveness for so, so long¡­ Thank you, truly¡­¡± After that, she opened the door slightly. Seeing this, the groomsmen immediately attempted to barge inside, with the bridesmaid trying their best to stop them. Thus, the event once again broke into a chaotic, lively atmosphere. Stefan¡¯s tall figure was currently standing at the side of the crowd, observing them silently instead of participating. His eyes were visibly filled with an endless swarm of sadness¡­ Out of safety, Renee was standing at the very side too. She snuck a nce at Stefan, only to be met with his depressed expression. This immediately aroused her sympathy and made her heart ache for him. ¡®Dang, this is too much for him, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®His first love ended up dating AND marrying his best friend. Yet, for some reason, the victim had to be the one to heal her heart¡­ Poor Hunt¡­¡¯ ¡®He must be so sad now. Could it be that¡­ he was never able to move on from Smith?!¡¯ ¡®Oh god, it must be so hard to watch his one true love marrying his best friend!¡¯ As Christopher was finally able to meet his bride, everyone started cheering loudly. ¡°Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!¡± Renee took another nce at Stefan again, noticing that he was narrowing his eyes further. ¡®Seeing this is definitely torture to him¡­¡¯ She thought, slowly moving towards the man. For some reason, she decided to hold onto his hand. The man froze up and turned to look at her, his face filled with sheer confusion. Renee winked at the man, whispering under her breath. ¡®No need to thank me, I¡¯m just repaying you for the dessert! Don¡¯t worry! I have your back! You won¡¯t look like a loser with me around today!¡± Hearing this made Stefan frown even deeper. ¡®What¡­ does she even mean?¡¯ Renee could tell that he was stupefied, and this got on her tiptoes, whispering into his ear. ¡°I know you¡¯re still in love with Smith, and it¡¯s hard to watch her get married to another man.¡± ¡®You were frowning so much, you know? I can¡¯t believe they even made you congratte their marriage! How inconsiderate¡­¡± Chapter 249 Chapter 249 Chapter 249 This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Realization finally dawned upon Stefan, and he found himself not knowing how to react. ¡®How did this woman draw the conclusion that I¡¯m sad?¡¯ ¡¯I did look gloomy just now, but it wasn¡¯t because of Cecilia.¡¯ Instead, he was simply reminiscing about his marriage with Renee. He realized that the entire event was too rushed and dismissive. There wasn¡¯t a single thing that could be considered a good memory. Regretting hisck of attention then, he even went as far as to n a whole new wedding in his head, hoping that he could get back together with the woman someday¡­ However, he obviously wouldn¡¯t tell her the truth. On the contrary, he took the chance to mess with Renee. Putting up a perplexed face, he said,¡¯ Yeah, I¡¯m so upset that my heart hurts, and I¡¯m so angry at the fact that they would do this to me! What do I do?¡± This made Renee sympathize with the man even more, patting him on the head asfort. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, cheer up¡­ In my opinion, the best revenge is to live a better life than them, and to experience a sweeter love than them!¡± But I don¡¯t have that¡­¡± Stefan pouted. ¡® My rtionship was aplete failure. Everyone knows we¡¯re divorced, and that you¡¯ve been fooling around with that Osborne kid! I¡¯m so embarrassed; it¡¯s like I came here to beughing stock!¡± ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I promised I¡¯d help you out today! As my ex-husband, your image affects mine too. I can¡¯t have you looking like a loser¡­¡± Cecilia was watching the whole time as the two whispered into each other¡¯s ears. Although she was smiling sweetly while ying bonus games with Christopher, her heart felt bitter. ¡®Didn¡¯t they get a divorce? I heard it ended quite badly too! Why are they still so intimate with each other? How could they hold hands at a time like this!¡¯ She thought, yet was unable to express her frustrations. ¡®Stef, don¡¯t just stand so far away! You know how much we longed for your blessings¡­¡± Cecilia called out to the man. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the group photo. I hope the three of us can take a picture together.¡± Everyone looked rather ufortable when they saw the bride being so reckless, as if she just couldn¡¯t read the room. ¡®Of course she¡¯d have a chokehold on her ex and her fiance! They¡¯ve been pampering her throughout their entire friendship, after all!¡¯ Stefan raised a brow, not showing much emotion as he responded. ¡°Sure.¡± Just then, Renee raised her hand and eximed. ¡®I¡¯d like to join in too! I¡¯m quite close with Stef, after all! How could I miss out on such a happy moment?¡± Cecilia clenched her fists, putting up a fake smile as she indirectly tried taunting the woman. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be inappropriate for ex-spouses to take a photo together?¡¯ ¡®So what if we¡¯re divorced? We¡¯re just switching up our rtionship! Honestly, our bond has only gotten stronger. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll go wherever he goes!¡± Renee said as she pridefully looked toward Stefan. She was trying to show him that she was a woman of her word and that she had her ways of saving his dignity. Cecilia was visibly annoyed now, replying. ¡°We have a special rtionship with Stef, and we¡¯ve known him for much longer. That¡¯s why I still hope just the three of us can have a photo together. I¡¯d like to keep it tomemorate this da¡­¡± ¡®There¡¯s no need for that,¡± came Stefan¡¯s cold interruption. This made Cecilia¡¯s eyes redden, as she gazed into the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Stef, do you still hate Chris and me? Is this why you¡¯re saying this on purpose?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been able to move on from this, haven¡¯t you?¡± Her questioning only made the tense atmosphere worsen. Xavier quickly moved closer to Cecilia, whispering under his breath. ¡¯Cecy, everyone¡¯s watching! Please don¡¯t be like this!¡¯ The groom, however, seemed rather calm in this situation. A mysterious smile was nted across his face, as Christopher spoke up. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all take a group photo? That¡¯d be more memorable, right?¡± Now that Christopher had stepped in, Cecilia realized she was acting out of line. Hence, she merely tightened her grip, not daring to say anything more. The photographer then instructed everyone to pose, mostly focusing on the newlyweds. ¡°Don¡¯t be so shy now, you little lovebirds! Come on, show us some love! It¡¯ll be even better if you could kiss for the camera! Then this photo would be all the more unforgettable!¡± However, the two looked as if they harbored resentment towards each other, and refused to do as advised. Just then, Stefan suddenly cupped Renee¡¯s face with both hands¡­ ¡®Like this¡­?¡± ¡­ and started kissing her deeply. Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Everyone was utterly shocked. His action was simr to a bomb, causing an explosion in everyone¡¯s heads. That was because the rest had always known Stefan as a cold, calcted, and low-profile person. They thought he would never even dream of participating in a public disy of affection, let alone disying a kiss in public. ¡®Mmh!* Renee¡¯s eyes widened as her mind went nk. She instinctively tried to push him away but remembered she was supposed to help the man out. ¡®If I struggle my way out, I¡¯d be humiliating him, right?¡¯ With that, she chose to ept it, despite her initial unwillingness¡­ Stefan¡¯s focus and burning passionpletely disrupted her once-cid heart. As though she had been thrown into an oven, her face burned up as she started reciprocating his advances¡­ ¡®Yes! Exactly! So sweet! So sexy! You two should be an example to all the couples here!¡± The photographer was excited, to say the least, greedily capturing the moment as rabidly as he could. The crowd seemed mesmerized; their hearts fluttered like they were enjoying a free romance movie ying out before their eyes. Even Xavier, who was rather ¡®experienced¡¯ in this field, started pping in awe. ¡°Stef is so skilled! Who could possibly resist his charms? Looks like he has a talent for romance, too, huh? Ah, this lucky b*stard!¡± Christopher was watching the entire time as well. His smile seemed rather ambiguous, but his rather jealous tone gave him out. ¡®So that¡¯s what it looks like when the feelings are mutual. Stef has finally realized this¡­¡± The bride, Cecilia, seemed to be the only one who was devastated by this. No matter how much she tried to hide it, even balling up her fists with all her might so she could suppress her emotions, it was to no avail. Out of nowhere, she suddenly yelled. ¡°ENOUGH, OKAY?!¡± Her shout came so suddenly that it instantly turned everyone¡¯s attention to her instead. Cecilia¡¯s lips were quivering at this point, while she tried putting up a smile. Her eyes were downcast, yet she chose to speak in a lighthearted tone.¡¯ It¡¯s our wedding day, you know? It¡¯d be inappropriate for someone to take our spotlight! Chris and I are just so envious of you!¡± It was only then that Stefan let go of Renee, though his expressions indicated that he wished to continue. He smiled lightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. We should leave matters like these to the bedroom¡­¡¯ ¡®Since we are at fault for seizing your limelight, we¡¯ll be taking our leave. See you at the wedding venue later.¡¯ After that, the man dragged Renee, whose cheeks were still flushed, out of the room in front of everyone. As the two arrived at the exit, the beautiful greenery and sea view came into their field of vision. Stefan took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh air into his lungs, feeling a great sense of rxation he had never felt in the past. He then turned to the woman next to him. ¡°There¡¯s still time till the wedding ceremony starts. Would you like to take a walk on the beach?¡± Renee felt like she had just awoken from a dream. She flicked Stefan¡¯s hand away and teased, ¡°How was that, Mr. Ex-husband? Didn¡¯t I do well as your paid actor? You feel like a winner now, don¡¯t you?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Stefan¡¯s expression darkened, his tone upset. ¡°Who said I was treating you like a paid actor?¡± ¡°Were you not?¡¯ Renee asked, acting nonchnt despite feeling quite bashful a while ago. ¡°You were just trying to annoy your first love by kissing me anyway.¡± ¡®From an objective point of view, I¡¯ll rate your kiss at a 9.5 out of 10! I¡¯m sparing you the 0.5 because I don¡¯t want you to get too smug, you know?¡± Stefan huffed coldly. ¡°You¡¯re so smart; it¡¯s like you understand the entire situation.¡± ¡®Of course I do!¡± Renee lifted her chin, seemingly proud of herself. ¡°I can tell that you have yet to move on from your first love, and nor has she! But I¡¯m guessing she¡¯s not willing to let go of Christopher either!¡± ¡¯Honestly, you have to give it up to her! I¡¯m impressed she has both of you in a chokehold like this!¡± Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Really now?¡± Stefan seemed conflicted, his lips curving upwards. ¡°What should I do then? Should I crash the wedding in the name of love?¡± Renee¡¯s expression turned stiff for a moment, as mixed emotions welled up in her chest. ¡®So that means he really hasn¡¯t moved on from Cecilia Smith.¡¯ In a way, her heart was aching for both him¡­ and herself. She realized that their four-year marriage truly was a mistake from the start. Even without Briar driving a wedge between them, there was no way that she could¡¯ve won his heart over. His first love had already taken over his entire heart, leaving nothing for her. ¡°If you really can¡¯t let her go, then have a good talk with Miss Smith about your feelings. As long as you do that before the ceremony, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to change her mind¡­¡± Renee said, suppressing the bitterness in her heart. She acted as if she wasn¡¯t affected in the slightest, even going as far as to give him advice. ¡°Oh, and, if you really do love her, don¡¯t use such childish methods to annoy her. I could tell that she was very upset when we kissed. You may think you¡¯ve won, but you could¡¯ve lost her there.¡± Stefan nodded with a serious face. ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you, I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡± ¡°But¡­ this beach does look really beautiful, especially during the ebb tide. And there are a myriad types of seashells lying around in the sand. Why don¡¯t youe with me, and we¡¯ll go find some?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one who knows about my true feelings. That¡¯s why I need your help. I¡¯d like to give her a surprise,¡± Stefan said. The arrogant undertone in his voice, however, did not sound like he was asking for help at all. Renee was extremely frustrated by this. ¡®What the heck?! Do I owe you anything, my man? Why would I ever go find seashells with you?!¡¯ she thought. However, she still agreed to his request. ¡°I can help you¡­ for a price. Fifteen hundred dors for each minute, and I¡¯ll give you a twenty percent discount if we take more than an hour. And you¡¯ll have to transfer the money to me right after, deal?¡± After hearing this, Stefan chuckled lightly at the sheer ridiculousness of this. ¡®When did this woman much? She keeps talking about it no matter the conversation! Does she need money that much?¡¯ With the amount of wealth he possessed, Stefan was more than happy to use money to get this woman to ¡®obey¡¯ him. ¡¯Deal!¡± The two then immediately headed towards the beach opposite the hotel. This beach was known for its clear blue seas. Anyone who stood before it would feel as if they had been cleansed by the sea breeze, all their troubles dissipating in an instant. ¡°Hi, o¡¯ beautiful sea! How are you?¡± Renee eximed as she spread her arms wide. She loved the sea very much, and her mood was instantly boosted by the fact that she¡¯d be earning money while enjoying a beautiful sea view. Although the sun was shining bright above their heads, the sea breeze was cool to the touch. The temperature wasn¡¯t all that hot at all. Renee danced around the mild tides, feeling slightly guilty about this deal they had made. She turned to look at the man and grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss! I heard this beach has a seashell called the ¡®Heart of The Sea.¡¯ People who find it will be blessed with happiness!¡± ¡®Til make sure to turn this entire beach inside out to find it for you and Miss Smith. Then you can just ask her to get back together with you by presenting her with the seashell! You¡¯ll seed for sure!¡± Stefan raised an eyebrow. ¡®Then you must find it for me. I really wish to start over.¡± Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Sticking to her principle of working hard for the one who paid, Renee started looking for seashells with a serious face. Stefan, on the other hand, followed behind the woman from a short distance, as if he was her secret guardian angel, protecting her from afar. With the light wind breeze, the two walked around the warm golden sand, leaving their footprints behind as their shadows danced over each other. The scenery was just wonderfully romantic, as though it hade straight out of a teenage romance film¡­ ¡°Oh my god! I found it! I found it!¡± Renee cheered excitedly after digging behind a reef. Stefan seemed amused and dumbfounded at the same time. ¡®So it really exists?¡¯ He was someone who was solely aligned with materialism, and normally viewed things in aplete logically way. Hence, he didn¡¯t believe in myths at all. Despite this, he somehow didn¡¯t intend to undermine the woman¡¯s efforts, seeing just how exhrated she seemed. He even approached her, acting as if he was just as interested. ¡°What does it look like? Let me see.¡± ¡¯Look! This is the ¡®Heart of The Sea¡¯! Doesn¡¯t it look like a heart? And it¡¯s pink too!¡± Renee washed the sand off of the heart-shaped seashell. She then smiled very widely as she carefully held it up to show Stefan what she found. Under the sunlight, the pink seashell seemed to emanate a dreamy glow. The colors triggered a magical atmosphere that was filled with love. ¡°Ahem!¡± Stefan cleared his throat, hoping that he could tell the woman that he¡¯d seen seashells like this all over the ce when he was on a vacation in Alnwick. It wasn¡¯t something she should cheer over. However, he managed to hold in the urge to reveal this truth, going against his usual mindset, and replied softly, ¡°Mhm, it¡¯s alright, I suppose.¡± He himself had no idea why he had suddenly be ¡®kind and considerate ¡® when he usually would just do whatever he wanted. Stefan then figured it was because the woman had rarely shown such a soft side, considering they always fought every time they spoke. He simply wished to preserve this moment for the time being¡­ Just then, Renee quickly went into professional mode and took her phone out, calcting the total time they spent. ¡°So it took us an hour and thirty-seven minutes to novelxo find this seashell.¡± ¡°ording to what we agreed, you¡¯ll have to transfer 145500 dors. With the discount, your total amount will be 116400 dors. I¡¯ll round the number down to 116 thousand, then. Pay up!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After tapping on her phone several times, Renee lifted her chin and shed him a big smile. ¡°How was that? Money well spent, right? Just get on one knee and present her with this seashell at the wedding! No woman could possibly resist this!¡± Stefan was speechless. ¡®Damn it. I was too careless.¡¯ This woman is so calctive she can throw someone under the bus at any time! How could she possibly be a soft, adorable sweetheart?!¡¯ Stefan¡¯s dashing facial features were now stered with ayer of frost. Just as he was about to leave, Renee grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go just yet! Take the ¡®Heart of The Sea¡¯ with you!¡± She then pried the man¡¯s hand open, cing the pink seashell right onto his palm. ¡°You spent a lot just to get this love charm. It will definitely bring you luck.¡¯ Stefan fell silent. He wondered if the woman was being sarcastic, and at that moment, he felt like lashing out at her. The wedding ceremony was extraordinarily lively, with almost all the guests present in gorgeously tailored apparel, chattering around the church. Christopher and the group had finally brought the bride over, and they were merely waiting for the ceremony to begin. Stefan and Renee had arrived at the venue too, but their appearance together attracted quite some gossip. ¡°Hasn¡¯t your cousin divorced her? Why did they show up together? And why do they still seem pretty close?¡± Chapter 253 Chapter 253 Chapter 253 A famous celebrity, Ruby Chisholm, was shooting daggers at the two with her eyes, her expression visibly filled with jealousy. She had had her eyes on Stefan even before she joined the entertainment industry, promising herself that she¡¯d work hard to get his attention and subsequently be his wife. Unexpectedly, he married someone else before she got to make a name for herself. Yet after a long while of waiting, waiting for her dream man to get a divorce, it seemed that it would be to no avail. ¡°Who knows? I just know my cousin dislikes her, so I¡¯m guessing she was the one who¡¯s pestering him!¡± Charlotte said as she looked towards Renee with disdain, patting Ruby on the shoulder. ¡®You¡¯re just too modest, Ruby. You won¡¯t even make a move on him! Now that they¡¯re divorced, you should just go for it¡­ My cousin is literally avable now! Do you know how many people want him? How can you be so rxed?¡± Ruby was visibly frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, but I am at the peak of my career now. My new movie is going to premiere soon too. I just can¡¯t afford to get into a scandal!¡¯ ¡® But my cousin is single. People would praise you for winning his heart! How could that be considered a scandal then¡­¡¯ Just then, Charlotte let out a sigh. ¡°Though, you have to be careful around that witch, Everheart. Don¡¯t be fooled by her nonchnt act. She actually has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, you know?¡± ¡® Back then, when Briar Desrosiers was pregnant with Stefan¡¯s child, Everheart went as far as to destroy her! So I don¡¯t dare to provoke her either. I¡¯m avoiding her at all costs!¡± Ever since Briar lost her ce in the family, Charlotte had been meaning to find someone in her circle as a recement, and Ruby was definitely her best option as of now. Ruby¡¯s beautiful face was brimming with pride and confidence, smiling slyly. ¡°Her tricks are child¡¯s y compared to the entertainment industry! You should know that I managed to work up from the bottom to where I am today, so how could I possibly lose to her?¡± In order to prevent more gossip, Renee quickly separated from Stefan and headed straight for the dessert section. She had been starving during their quest to find the seashells and wanted to reward herself in some way. Seeing how the woman was rushing off, Stefan felt upset but didn¡¯t stop her this time. Instead, he walked backstage to meet with Christopher and the others. From afar, a figure in white appeared before him. Surprisingly, it was Cecilia in her wedding gown. Stefan furrowed his eyebrows slightly, his expression distant. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Cecilia seemed depressed, on the verge of tears, as she said, ¡°Stef, can we go somewhere private for a bit? I have something to say to you.¡¯ ¡°Just say it here.¡± Stefan remained cold, keeping his distance from the woman. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°I need to speak to you in private. Please, I¡¯m begging you, or else this wedding can¡¯t go on¡­¡± Stefan looked rather hesitant. Many famous figures were present at Christopher¡¯s wedding, and it would be humiliating for the Jacobs if something were to go wrong. ¡°Stop hesitating, okay? Just take it as a sacrifice for your precious little Chris! I¡¯ll move on after our conversation is done!¡± Cecilia chewed on her lip as she grabbed Stefan by the arm, heading straight to the VIP room at the side. Out of consideration for the bigger picture, Stefan reluctantly agreed to follow. Cecilia shut the door and instantly pounced into the man¡¯s arms. It was as if she had been suppressing all her emotions up till now, sobbing hysterically. ¡°Stef, I regret everything! I really do! I don¡¯t love Christopher at all. It¡¯s always been you!¡± ¡°After breaking up with you, I¡¯ve always dreamed of getting back together with you. I just didn¡¯t think you¡¯d marry so soon! Thank god you¡¯ve divorced now¡­¡± Tears continued welling up in Cecilia¡¯s eyes, her expression pitiful as she stared back at Stefan, carefully asking, ¡°What if I told you I wanted to start over? Would you take me away from this wedding?¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Chapter 254 ¡°No/ Stefan quickly replied, his voice dismissive. ¡°Impossible!¡± Cecilia broke down, wailing at this point. She wrapped her arms around his neck, rubbing her cheek against his as before, hoping to rekindle his love. ¡°You¡¯re worried about hurting Christopher. You¡¯re holding back your love for me, right? You¡¯ve never forgotten about me, right?! You feel the same, don¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with Chris.¡± Stefan looked frostier now, pushing her away. ¡°Even if you never ended up with Chris, there¡¯s just no hope between us. Please understand that.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± Cecilia yelled at Stefan, unable to ept the fact that the man no longer loved her. ¡°You used to love me so deeply!¡± she moaned. ¡°I remember how you confessed to me under the sakura tree, how you kissed me softly! I know you genuinely loved me!¡± ¡°You were willing to give up your position as an heir for me! You would follow me overseas when I was nning to further my studies! How could you give up on love as deep as that?!¡± ¡°I admit I once loved you deeply, and that love was genuine too, but that¡¯s all in the past now. Both of us have to cherish other people in our lives now. ¡± Stefan replied with hidden implications. He did indeed fall for Cecilia back then, to the point he mistakenly thought he still held feelings for her during his entire marriage. Only after Renee divorced him did he finally realize that he missed the genuine love he once provided. It definitely wasn¡¯t Cecilia. With his current single status, he felt like he was just reminiscing about that pure, innocent rtionship they once had. ¡°Hah¡­ cherish others? Who are you talking about, huh?!¡± Cecilia huffed sarcastically. ¡°You might not know this, but your precious little Chris is such a fake person! He doesn¡¯t even love me. He just thinks my status and background make me a suitable candidate to join the Jacobs family!¡± ¡°They¡¯re involved in politics, so, of course, they have to find someone with a schrly family too¡­¡± ¡°Would you believe me when I say he¡¯d be relieved if I were to be a runaway bride?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes. He had never noticed Christopher and Cecilia encountering problems in their rtionship. They¡¯ve been so lovey-dovey for the past few years, though¡­¡¯ ¡°Christopher is a logical man. He normally shows his love through his actions. He might not be expressive, but that doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t care about you,¡± Stephan responded. He didn¡¯t wish pain on Cecilia. He then patted her on her shoulder for extrafort. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Chris does love you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try tofort me. You don¡¯t know anything¡­¡± Cecilia took a deep breath, her expression bitter. ¡°So you¡¯re rejecting me because you have someone else you¡¯d like to cherish, don¡¯t you?¡± Stefan pressed his lips together, staying silent. He wondered, ¡®Do I have someone else? I¡¯m not sure either.¡¯ However, the first person who came to mind was Renee. ¡®But we¡¯ve already ended things¡­¡¯ ¡°I understand. I lost.¡± Cecilia shed him a soft smile, then looked upon him with endearing eyes. ¡°Miss Everheart is an amazing person, and I can tell that she really loves you. I wish only the best for you both. I admit defeat now.¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m fine. You should leave now. If you stay here any longer, others might really misunderstand¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really!¡± ¡°And about the wedding¡­¡± ¡°The wedding will go as nned.¡± Cecilia shrugged, still smiling. ¡°I¡¯m not a little kid anymore. I just needed to let out some steam. I still have responsibilities../ ¡°Chris might not love me, but he treats me well. I think I¡¯m considered luckier than most to be able to marry him. I¡¯ll definitely cherish him.¡± ¡°Good.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Stefan nodded while opening the door to exit with Cecilia. Suddenly, they bumped into Renee, who was holding a piece of cake. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± The two of them met eyes, yet Renee was the one feeling embarrassed, despite having nothing to hide. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t bother your conversation, right?¡± She asked awkwardly. Stefan didn¡¯t reply, merely staring down at her with an arrogant gaze. Renee, however, continued asking, ignoring the awkwardness. ¡°Did you seed? Did the ¡®Heart of the Sea¡¯ work? Are you guys nning on running away now?¡± Hearing this made the man colder. He merely whispered something to Cecilia before walking past Renee. Acting as if they wereplete strangers, his arrogance practically seeped out of his aura. ¡°That petty bastard! I just asked for some money! What¡¯s with the attitude?! ¡° Renee mumbled angrily to herself as she watched him leave. She actually wanted to find a ce for a nap due to a wave of exhaustion from earlier events. She never would¡¯ve expected to bump into the two as they were in the middle of a ¡®date.¡¯ Although she strongly encouraged Stefan to steal the bride, she couldn¡¯t help feeling upset, knowing that he actually went through with it¡­ As Renee was about to look for another resting area, Cecilia called out to her. ¡°Miss Everheart, may I have a few words with you?¡¯ ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± Renee refused. That was because she didn¡¯t understand what Stefan¡¯s first love could possibly want to tell his ex-wife, who was considered a failure. ¡®Is she trying to one-up me? I don¡¯t have the time or energy!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Everheart. It won¡¯t take long. I¡¯ll be able to get closure after saying this, so please fulfill my wish.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Renee found Cecilia to be forting and didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m listening.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. I just found out that you¡¯re very important to Stef. That¡¯s why I hope you can take good care of him¡­¡¯ Cecilia seemed even more saddened after saying this. ¡°We¡¯ll never be able to get back together, but I really wish him happiness. He actually prioritizes love a lot, so he¡¯d give his all as soon as he falls for someone. Back then¡­¡± Renee spent ten whole minutes listening to Cecilia¡¯s description of their love story and how the man was willing to give up everything for her. ¡°You should know this since you¡¯ve slept with Stef before. He has a scar around his waist. He got that from protecting me, which is why I could never move on from him¡­ Never¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m getting tired¡­¡± Renee was quickly able to interrupt her with a smile. ¡°You know, if you have so much to say, you could write it all into a book and publish it. You might even earn some extra cash from that.¡± ¡°Are you jealous, Miss Everheart?¡± Cecilia smiled. It was exactly what she wanted to achieve. ¡°This is a ne, the token of our love. I¡¯ve always had it with me, and now. I¡¯m giving it to you. Take it, or just throw it away, it¡¯s your choice. It symbolizes the ending to me and Stef¡¯s rtionship as well.¡± Cecilia said and shoved the ne into Renee¡¯s hands. The woman had obviously refused to take it, so the two looked as if they were fighting with each other. Cecilia even fell to the ground from this, making the entire atmosphere really glum and hopeless. Yet, the scene was also coincidentally captured by a person with certain intentions¡­ Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Chapter 256 In the end, Renee didn¡¯t feel like keeping this up, so she took the ne begrudgingly. She then held her hand out to Cecilia, who was still on the ground. She sounded rather helpless as she said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take it. But you gave me the freedom to deal with it however I want, did you? So I¡¯ll just be throwing it into the trash.¡± Cecilia didn¡¯t seem mad and still showed a bittersweet smile. ¡°Sure, throw it away. I can¡¯t do it myself anyway, so you can help out instead¡­ Just as I told Stef earlier, I admit defeat if you were the one I lost to.¡¯ The woman¡¯s words made Renee extremely confused. ¡®Huh? Aren¡¯t they nning to elope? Why did they include me in this? And the whole admitting defeat thing¡­ What does she even mean?!¡¯ However, she didn¡¯t intend to ask any further questions. With Cecilia being the bride, she should be able to have the choice of eloping or going through with the wedding. ¡®She can think about it on her own. Prying would only make it seem like I care about this a lot when I don¡¯t care about their issues at all! Hmph!¡¯ Seeing how the sun was setting, the sea and the skies were painted in a lovely shade of reddish orange. Since the church was built with french windows, people inside were able to admire the incredibly romantic and gorgeous lighting. Just then, the bell rang, as it was time for the ceremony. The priest held up his cross, getting ready for the rituals while the guests took their seats. Everyone seemed exhrated about the bride and groom¡¯s appearance. Renee, on the other hand, didn¡¯t understand if the person in charge of arranging seats had something against her. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡®How could they arrange for Stefan to sit next to me when everyone knows we¡¯re divorced.¡¯ To make things worse, her old nemesis, Charlotte, was on her left. ¡®Isn¡¯t this giving me trouble both left and right?¡¯ She turned and looked at the cold iceberg next, then looked towards her ex -cousin-inw, who seemed to be putting up an attitude. As she was trying to get up, the priest announced the groom¡¯s entrance, so she had no choice but to awkwardly sit back down. With that, Christopher entered the venue in a white suit, holding a bouquet of red roses in his hands. He then slowly walked to the holy statue elegantly. The women started cheering and screaming at the top of their lungs, absolutely in awe over the groom, as if he were their prince charming. ¡®Oh my god, Christopher looks so good!¡± Renee was stunned as well, nearly getting up to her feet and pping profusely for the man. She thought to herself, ¡®Dang, a bouquet of flowers? With this beautiful sunset? And a handsome man sincerely waiting for his bride to appear¡­ What a wedding!¡¯ Just then, Stefan shot her a dirty re, despite having ignored her the entire time. He coldly said, ¡°Why are you so excited about someone else¡¯s wedding?¡± He wasn¡¯t being loud, but he wasn¡¯t exactly soft-spoken either, which resulted in the people nearby clearly hearing him. Renee blushed, and she clenched her fists angrily, retorting, ¡°Why are you being like this, Mr. Hunt? I¡¯m just trying topliment someone! If it makes you so unhappy, get on stage and fight him! Let¡¯s see who the bride would pick at the end of the day!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish!¡± Stefan looked like he was about to explode, turning to the stage and swearing to himself that he¡¯d just ignore the foolish woman. ¡°Hah! Look at how upset you are. I¡¯m just telling the truth!¡± Renee said, not understanding why the man was getting annoyed at this time. ¡®He doesn¡¯t have the courage to steal the bride, and he¡¯s jealous of Christopher! So why is heshing out at me?! He only knows to take his anger out on the weak, like me!¡¯ Underneath the holy symbol, the priest was wearing a ck robe, with a vow book in his hand. He then spoke out to the other end of the church,¡± The groom has arrived, so it¡¯s time to wee the bride!¡± Just then, solemn music resounded, and all the guests followed the priest¡¯s signal, looking towards the bride¡¯s supposed entrance. Yet, the bride didn¡¯t show even after the music had stopped. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t the bride here? Is this a test for the groom?¡± Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Everyone started gossiping among themselves. The priest had never handled such a situation but cleared his throat and said, ¡°Love may bete, but it¡¯s worth the wait. Let¡¯s wee the bride once more!¡± Once again, the music echoed through the halls, but when that ended, Cecilia was still nowhere to be found. Both parents of the families were panicking at this point, ordering their employees to investigate this matter. All of the guests were making their own assumptions as well, and the entire event fell into a state of chaos. Renee couldn¡¯t help her urge to nudge Stefan with her elbow, whispering.¡± Hey, is this your doing? Did you hide her somewhere?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened, his voice frosty. ¡°Mind your tongue if you¡¯d like it to stay intact.¡± Renee gulped and instantly shut up. ¡®Well, was I wrong? Why did he have to be so mad?! Petty b*stard!¡¯ Xavier was panicking the most out of everyone, rushing up the stage and calming the guests down as much as he could. No need to panic, everyone! Our Chris and Cecy are no doubt each other¡¯s true love, so this is definitely some kind of surprise to their wedding! Please just wait a little longer!¡± He said. Xavier had been crushing on Cecilia for years, and he was the standard simp for her at this point. He worked hard throughout the entire day, just so the wedding could go smoothly. He just hoped that his muse could marry a good man, and enjoy a happy marriage for the rest of her life. This sudden situation caught him rather off guard and left him feeling quite uneasy. Compared to Xavier, Christopher, who was expected to panic most, looked rather calm as the groom. He stood there emotionless as if this incident had nothing to do with him. ¡°This is bad! Miss Smith is gone! We could only find her wedding gown in the waiting room!¡± Someone came delivering the news after a short while. ¡°Gone?¡± Xavier grabbed the person by the cor, angrily shouting. ¡°Don¡¯t spread lies! Cecy is the bride here! How could she have gone missing? And she would never take her wedding dress off for no reason!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! If you don¡¯t believe me, just go to the waiting room and see for yourself!¡± Xavier then turned to look at Christopher, visibly anxious. ¡°Chris, what are you doing just standing there? This must be a test from Cecy. Let¡¯s go look for her together!¡± However, the groom seemed uninterested. ¡°These tests have gone on for an entire day. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s chosen her answer, and I won¡¯t force her to do anything she doesn¡¯t like.¡± ¡°Oh man, what are you even saying? She chose you! You¡¯ve been together for so long! You¡¯ve been through so much already, so don¡¯t just give up at the veryst second!¡± Christopher still didn¡¯t intend to get a move on. Instead, he seemed rather optimistic as he consoled Xavier. ¡°Calm down. She¡¯s an adult. She knows how to take care of herself.¡± Hearing this, Xavier found himself speechless. Christopher then turned to the guests, who were still gossiping amongst each other. ¡°As you can see, it seems that the bride changed her mind about the wedding and chose to leave. I deeply apologize for having wasted your time, so let¡¯s treat this as a simple gathering hosted by the Jacobs! Please do enjoy yourselves!¡± ¡°These youngsters are still too immature. We are truly sorry, everyone.¡± Christopher¡¯s parents maintained a humble demeanor as they bowed toward the guests, despite feeling absolutely ridiculed in this situation. With this, the chaotic mess soon subsided. Suddenly, someone stood up from the crowd, announcing. ¡°The bride didn¡¯t leave on her own! Someone else is behind this!¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Chapter 258 The guests gasped in shock as they looked toward the person who was speaking. It was Ruby, the woman who had managed to win the best actress awardst year. At the time, Ruby was sitting right next to Charlotte, which meant that she was sitting in the same row as Stefan and Renee. She kept a low profile the whole time, silently sitting next to them without causing a ruckus. Hence, she was able to watch as the two interacted with each other. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, Stefan and Renee acted as if they were sworn enemies. However, Ruby¡¯s sharp observation skills allowed to notice the special rtionship between them, which made their banter seem rather flirtatious. She was consumed by jealousy, which strengthened her determination to take Renee down. Xavier quickly dashed towards Ruby, asking hurriedly, ¡°What the hell are you saying? Do you know where the bride is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t exactly, but I can make a wild guess as to who is responsible for her disappearance¡­.¡± She then used her best acting skills, ncing at Renee nervously, pretending as if she had something she couldn¡¯t say out loud. Despite this, it was clear that she was trying to use Renee, which made everyone turn to look at the woman. Renee was initially part of the crowd, so she was confused when the spotlight was turned upon her instead, ¡°What? Why are you all looking at me? I don¡¯t know anything about this!¡± Ruby replied, ¡¯Stop acting, Miss Everheart. I¡¯ve already taken a few photos of your conflict with Miss Smith earlier¡­¡± Upon receiving this new information, the entire hall broke out in a heated discussion. Xavier, visibly agitated, further questioned Ruby. ¡°Show us the proof, then! We can afford to waste time! If something were to happen to our bride, we might still have time to save her!¡± He also thought to himself, ¡®I knew that my gut was right! Cecy only disappeared because she was in trouble all along¡­¡¯ Renee was furious, especially after she was used of such a heavy crime out of nowhere. However, she remained calm and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, show us the proof. But I¡¯m warning you, if your so- called proof isn¡¯t enough to show that I am responsible for this, or if your words have the intent to defame me, I will take legal action against you, and make sure you pay for what you said.¡± Ruby¡¯s eyes were now wavering with slight fear. She hadn¡¯t expected a divorcee to behave in such an aggressive manner. ¡®Looks like Charlotte was right¡­ she is a tough one.¡¯ ¡®But I¡¯ve been in the industry for as long as I can remember! I didn¡¯t receive the title of best actress for nothing!¡¯ Ruby then showed her phone, revealing the photos to everyone in the hall.¡± When I was passing by the waiting room, I noticed Miss Everheart in an argument with Miss Smith.¡± ¡® Miss Everheart was trying to snatch a ne from Miss Smith, to which she refused to hand over! So the two ended up fighting.¡± ¡°Miss Everheart even went as far as to push Miss Smith to the ground, swearing that she wouldn¡¯t allow her to go through with the wedding¡­¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. In an instant, everyone cussed profanities at Renee, pointing at the image in Ruby¡¯s phone. ¡°This b*tch! How cruel must she be to have to fight a bride on her wedding day?!¡± ¡°Is it because she got f*cking ditched? Is that why she can¡¯t bear seeing others happy? She must be evil!¡± Even Xavier started angrily questioning her. ¡°Did you say something to Cecy to have made her so angry that she ran off?!¡± Facing the endless amounts of insults, Renee calmly exined herself. ¡°I did meet with Miss Smith just now, but we weren¡¯t arguing. She was the one who forced me to take the ne. She wouldn¡¯t let me refuse, and that¡¯s how the photo came to be.¡± ¡°Besides, I have absolutely no clue as to where she is now.¡± The guests seemed doubtful about her exnation. Sensing opportunity, Charlotte decided to fuel the fire. ¡°Stop pretending like you¡¯re an innocent bystander, Everheart. Everyone knows just how heartless you can be.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even let go of Briar, who was pregnant! How could you possibly resist letting go of my cousin¡¯s first love?¡± ¡°You definitely knew how my cousin couldn¡¯t move on from Cecy. That¡¯s why you took this chance to take revenge on her!¡¯ Charlotte smiled. ¡°Cecy and Stefan really did love each other then. It¡¯s amonly known fact! So why would she ever give you such an important ne? Besides, how are we supposed to just brush off the fact that there¡¯s a photo of you pushing her to the ground?¡± Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Charlotte¡¯s instigation immediately made the people who were on Renee¡¯s side immediately switch stances. With that, Renee turned into a criminal in their eyes. Everyone began calling her a cruel witch, apart from¡­ Stefan and Christopher. ¡°Silence!¡± Christopher put up a serious face and approached Renee. He then brought out the ring he had prepared for Cecilia, handing it to Stefan. ¡°Stef, put this ring on Miss Everheart.¡± The intelligent Stefan instantly understood what Christopher was trying to do, and he nodded gently. He grabbed Renee¡¯s hand without saying anything, attempting to put the ring on the woman¡¯s finger. Renee started backing away out of anxiousness. ¡°What are you doing? You can¡¯t just put a ring on anybody! Get it off me!¡± ¡°Wear it!¡± Stefan demanded. Hence, the two started struggling to achieve their individual wishes, looking as if they were in a fight. Ding ding ding¡­ The bells started chiming again, as it was the perfect time to watch the sunset. As the golden ball of fire slowly descended into the horizon, the famous prophecy was once again announced within the church¡­ ¡°As the sun sets, the couple shall be blessed by the goddess of the sea, as long as they exchange rings. They will be forever bound to each other, and live the rest of their lives in peace!¡± Stefan managed to put the ring onto Renee¡¯s ring finger by this point, but had also stumbled backward due to the woman¡¯s sheer strength. Taking this chance, the man pretended to trip and fall, and the moment was captured with Christopher¡¯s phone. The photo was able to prove that Renee¡¯s words had some truth in them, as it looked uncannily simr to the photo of her and Cecelia¡¯s ¡®fight.¡¯ ¡°As you can see, it might not have been a fight at all. It might really be due to the fact that Miss Everheart was refusing to ept something. So, this shows that she could be telling the truth.¡± Christopher said, clearly defending Renee. Only then was the woman able to realize their efforts. She looked towards Stefan with eyes filled with gratitude but was somehow unable to say a single thanks. However, Stefan still looked rather smug. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. If the myth is true, then we¡¯d be bound for life. You¡¯ll have plenty of chances to thank me.¡± Renee was speechless. ¡®Oh god, I need to get myself checked. Why the heck would I ever expect anything good from him?!¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s basically just a big sly fox. He can dream on if he thinks he can trap me with a mere ring!¡¯ Ruby had not expected Stefan to step in and defend Renee, let alone the groom himself. For a moment, her mindpletely ran out of tricks. After falling silent for a few seconds, she spoke up once more. ¡°But I saw Miss Everheart throwing that ne into the sea! She might really hold resentment towards Miss Smith, which gives her the motive to harm the bride!¡± Renee nodded. ¡°I did throw that ne away because Miss Smith told me I could deal with it however I wanted. I didn¡¯t want to hold onto it anyway, so I just threw it away.¡± Xavier snapped. ¡°So you admit it! Do you know how important that ne is to Cecy?! You god- damned witch!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Renee shrugged. ¡°I have no idea.¡± She then thought to herself, ¡®It¡¯s just some token of their love, right? If it really was that important, why would she force it onto me then?¡¯ Stefan¡¯s expression grew colder as well. ¡°How could you throw it away?!¡± Just as Renee was about to retort, one of the employees came running over, audibly distressed. ¡°Help! Help! This is bad!¡± Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Chapter 260 Everyone immediately looked toward the employee. The male employee¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat, as he tried his best to catch his breath. ¡°The¡­ winding bank¡­ We found Miss Smith¡¯s shoe around the cliffside of the winding bank! She must¡¯ve fallen into the ocean!¡± The winding bank was quite a famous sightseeing spot within the area, as it was formed by a short mountain range in the shape of the letter ¡®C.¡¯ Moreover, it was known for its treacherous terrains as well. ¡°She fell into the sea?!¡± Xavier howled. ¡°But Cecy doesn¡¯t know how to swim! We need to save her right now!¡± He was the first to rush out, with Christopher and Stefan following behind. Renee, on the other hand, froze slightly. She then followed a group of curious guests to the site. The tides around the bank were actually rather calm. However, with the sun already set, there wasn¡¯t enough light for them to locate Cecilia well. Renee observed the heels ced neatly at the edge of the cliff and tried analyzing the situation. ¡¯Could it be that Miss Smith found her shoes too tiring to walk in, and intentionally ced them here while she went somewhere else to have some fun?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Ruby acted as if she were superglue, sticking by Renee¡¯s side as she spoke in a haughty tone. ¡°Everyone knows how considerate Miss Smith is. Why would she not attend her own wedding just to fool around? Do you think she¡¯d ever make everyone panic like this?¡± ¡°Are you feeling guilty about your actions, Miss Everheart? Are you trying to stall some time and divert our attention away from the truth, just so you can achieve your hidden goal?¡± Renee was about to explode right then and there, her expression as cold as ice. ¡°Hmm, I wonder why I myself have no clue what these hidden goals are!¡± ¡°If I were to guess, you must¡¯ve pushed Miss Smith off the cliff with your own two hands! If something were to happen to her, you¡¯d be the biggest suspect!¡± Ruby used, her words leading to an uproar. ¡°That¡¯s right. It must¡¯ve been her!¡± Cecilia¡¯s mother lunged at Renee, her eyes reddening as she tried to attack her. ¡°You heartless wench! Why would you ever do this to my daughter? Give her back!¡± Renee understood how a mother would feel rageful in such a situation, so she wasn¡¯t mad at her reaction at all. She didn¡¯t even try to dodge but instead shrugged helplessly. ¡°Yeah, Mrs. Smith. I have no idea why I¡¯d have to do this to your daughter too. I have no reason to! Do you think I¡¯d be a murderer overnight just because I felt like it?¡± Cecilia¡¯s mother had lost all sense of rationality then, unable to converse in a reasonable way. All she did wassh out at the woman uncontrobly. ¡¯I dont care! I know you did this to her! There are photos as proof! Not only did you hit my daughter, but you pushed her off a cliff¡­ You have to pay! I¡¯ll make you pay!¡± A barrage of punches came raining down on Renee, so she instinctively protected her stomach with her hands. This time, however, she mounted a counterattack. ¡°I¡¯m going to fight back if you keep this up! I¡¯m warning you!¡± This reaction brought her right back into the spotlight again. Everyone seemed certain that she was novelxo the viin of this story, and continuously insulted her. Some even came to help Cecilia¡¯s mother out by swinging toward the woman as well. ¡°Call the cops right now! We have to throw this wretched woman in jail!¡± ¡°What are we waiting for?! Let¡¯s beat her to death!¡± Many of Cecilia¡¯s family and friends started joining in, having set their minds to take matters into their own hands. They wanted her to pay with her life. Renee couldn¡¯t handle such discrimination anymore. She balled her fists up, intending to teach these people a lesson. ¡°Try hitting her. I dare you!¡± Stefan dragged Renee backward and shielded her with his own body. He then red coldly at those who jumped in for a fight, his chilling aura clearly frightening them. Cecilia¡¯s mother was on the verge of a breakdown, wailing. ¡°Step aside, Stef! You¡¯ve once dated our beloved Cecy. You mustn¡¯t protect her murderer!¡± Stefan¡¯s perfectly sculpted face was painted with ayer of frost. ¡°You have no proof, so don¡¯t falsely use someone of such a serious crime. She¡¯s mine, so don¡¯t you even think about harming a single hair on her head. ¡ö Xavier, also convinced that Renee was Cecilia¡¯s murderer, red at Stefan with a furious gaze. ¡°The truth is as clear as day! What more proof do we need?! Besides, you¡¯re divorced! What does she have anything to do with you? Why are you defending her so much?!¡± Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Chapter 261 ¡® We were married for four whole years! How could she possibly have nothing to do with me?¡¯ Stefan sounded determined, making it seem like his absurd statement was reasonable. Renee stood behind him with mixed feelings stirring up in her chest. 2 She had never expected Stefan to defend her in front of this many people, nor had she expected him to say all those things. 1 ¡®Isn¡¯t he supposed to be the coldest and harshest person regarding our past marriage? Shouldn¡¯t he be expressing his disdain more than anything? What is he doing acting as if he cared?¡¯ This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Christopher spoke up too. ¡°Stef is right. We have no proof pointing to Miss Everheart pushing Cecilia off the cliff, so please do not make any hasty assumptions or use violence against her.¡± ¡¯Instead, we should split up into groups and look around the area¡­ find Cecilia as soon as we can!¡± Everyone found his words quite understandable, and they started calling out to Cecilia, covering more ground as they tried to look for her. Stefan also joined the search party, with Renee sheepishly following behind the man. His heroic actions a while ago touched her, and she wanted to take this opportunity to thank him properly. However, it seemed that he was in a state of panic as well, rushing around as he scanned his surroundings anxiously. ¡®I knew it. Smith does have a very special ce in his heart. Even though he didn¡¯t try to elope with her, he clearly hasn¡¯t moved on from her yet.¡¯ ¡°Uhm, Hunt¡­¡± Renee increased her pace and caught up to the man. Stefan didn¡¯t care about anything else at the time, as he only wished to find Cecilia as quickly as possible. Thus, he didn¡¯t quite have much patience to spare Renee. ¡°What is it?¡± His dismissive attitude made Renee feel extremely ashamed. She mumbled softly, ¡°I¡­ just¡­ wanted to thank you for standing up for me, even when the situation was so pressuring.¡± ¡¯No need to thank me.¡¯ Stefan¡¯s eyes continued scanning the ocean surface, not sparing her a single nce. ¡°But if I found out that you were really the one who tried to kill her, I¡¯ll be sure to take matters into my own hands!¡± Renee¡¯s heart dropped to the bottom of the sea, a frown forming on her face. ¡®Hah, so I was overthinking things. I mistook his small favor as residual affection.* ¡®Wake up, Renee. Stefan Hunt has never felt anything toward you. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t have brought his mistress in and forced you into getting a divorce.¡¯ Just then, Stefan behaved like a jetski, rushing towards the right side and swimming into deeper regions with all his might. ¡°Ah! There! There! I think I see her!¡± Someone shouted. Renee turned to look in that direction as well and found herself looking at a blurry figure floating on the water. It was Cecilia, the one who everyone was desperately looking for. Cecilia¡¯s body was being carried further away with the waves and was currently located in the deadly deep sea zone. Stefan, on the other hand, was still swimming in that direction, actively putting himself in that type of dangerous situation as well. Everyone was so nervous that they held their breaths, as they knew that arge wave could very well take both of their lives at once¡­ ¡°Come back here!¡± Renee was unable to contain herself any longer, screaming at the top of her lungs. ¡°Come back, Stefan Hunt! Do you have a death wish or something?!¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 Chapter 262 No matter how much she screamed and called, Stefan soldiered on, seeming as if he had no intention of turning back. ¡®Fine! If you¡¯re so tired of living, then just die! If you die, I won¡¯t even cry a single tear for you!¡± Renee clenched her fists, her chest tightening while she grew more and more furious at his recklessness. ¡®God damn it, Stefan Hunt! Do you have no one else you care about in this world?! Are you really willing to give up on everything for your first love?! Is she really that important to you?!¡¯ It was also then that she finally realized that the cold man she once knew was actually quite loving. However, his love wasn¡¯t hers to dream of, and she had no right to expect that from him. Stefan was quite a skilled swimmer and was able to reach Cecilia within minutes. Using one arm, he carried her back to shore. Just as they were about to reach the safe zone, arge wave came crashing down, dragging the two backward. Their figures were unable to be seen after that, which meant that their situations were extremely critical. ¡¯No!¡¯ Renee was shocked to her core, her mind turning nk as she switched into survival mode. All she could do was scream for help as much as she could. Christopher and Xavier soon led a group of people over, yet didn¡¯t dare to take another step as they noticed the rough waves¡­ ¡°Why are you just standing there? Save them! Hunt and Smith are both being carried away by those waves!¡± Renee sobbed profusely, never feeling such despair in her life. i If it weren¡¯t to protect her children, she would¡¯ve just saved them herself. The moment Xavier heard this, he didn¡¯t hesitate in the slightest, intending to jump straight in, only to be stopped by Christopher. As the eldest in their group, Christopher has always been the rational friend. With a solemn expression, he said, ¡°We can¡¯t send more people into these waves. Professionals on the rescue teams are already doing their jobs. So let¡¯s just calm down and wait by the shore quietly. We have to prioritize our own safety first.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just calm down!¡± Xavier roared. ¡°Stef is in there! Cecy is in there! I can¡¯t just sit back and watch them die like a wuss!¡¯ Renee felt as if she was going to lose it with the two arguing fiercely right next to her. Unknowingly, she even started walking towards the direction where Stefan disappeared¡­ Although she had mentioned not sparing him a tear if he died, she still wished for him to stay alive. She didn¡¯t want her children to lose their father, even before they were born. ¡°Miss Everheart! What are you doing? Come back!¡± Christopher instantly rushed over and grabbed Renee by the arm once he noticed her trying to dive into the water. ¡°The waves are too big, and it¡¯s just too dangerous! The rescue team is already doing its best, okay? Let¡¯s get back to shore now!¡± ¡°Renee¡¯s face was pale as if she had lost her very soul. She stared back at Christopher with nk eyes. Let go of me¡­ I didn¡¯t want to save them. I just wanted to take a look at his corpse¡­ Never mind, I just wanted to check it out. It¡¯s not like l¡±m trying to save anymore.¡¯ ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about Stef, but we need to calm down at times like this! Stef wouldn¡¯t want you to get hurt, you know? He cares a lot about you! ¡¯I¡¯m not worrying about him. I just wanted to take a closer look! You don¡¯t know this, but I¡¯ve always been a fan of gossip, so let go of me¡­ Let me see!!¡¯ Renee seemed too panicky to make up a coherent excuse. Moreover, the waves were crashing onto the lower half of her body, and it made her seem like she wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain proper bnce if she stayed there any longer. Having no other choice, Christopher narrowed his eyes as he carried Renee bridal-style. As she tried to struggle out of his arms, he awkwardly said,¡± I¡¯m sorry, I have to protect you in Stef¡¯s stead.¡± ¡¯Let go of me! I know what I¡¯m doing! I can take care of myself! I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s protection!¡± Renee screamed loudly. Even then, she was worried she might affect her children¡¯s well-being, so she didn¡¯t dare to struggle with all her might either. ¡¯Stop moving. I can promise you that Stef will be just fine! He¡¯s tough, and a good swimmer too! He even won the championship of a diving contest before! He¡¯ll be fine, alright?¡± Under the glow of the reddish-orange sun, Christopher looked toward the woman in his arms with utmost certainty. Noticing this, Renee stopped struggling. Christopher¡¯s sincere expression gave her a sudden sense of reassurance.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Chapter 263 As the two headed to a safer area, Christopher sat her down gently and whispered, ¡°Sorry if I¡¯ve crossed your boundaries. I was acting out of panic as well. I hope you understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I should be thanking you, actually. I was being too rash,¡± Renee replied, calming down and realizing she had momentarily lost it. She put some thought into this and asked herself, ¡®What does my exhusband¡¯s life have to do with me? We¡¯re already divorced.¡¯ However, despite regaining her rationality, Renee still continued staring out into the ocean, crossing her arms before her chest. She started calling out to the man in her head, ¡®Come back, Stefan Hunt. For the sake of your two children, I¡¯m begging you toe back!¡¯ After that, as if the man himself had heard her pleas, she witnessed a miracle happening right before her eyes. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Stefan, who had disappeared into the waves earlier, was able to swim against the current, returning to the shore with his extraordinary swimming skills. ¡°They¡¯re back! They¡¯re back!¡± Everyone was overjoyed, quickly going forth to give him a hand. Stefan was absolutely exhausted by that point. As he handed Cecilia to Christopher and Xavier, he immediatelyy t on the ground, panting heavily. ¡°My daughter! Oh, my precious daughter! How are you feeling right now? It¡¯s Mom and Dad! Please just say something!¡± Cecilia¡¯s mother cried as hard as she could, knowing everyone was now focusing on saving the woman¡¯s life. Renee, on the other hand, approached Stefan. As she hid her joyful tears away, she put up a nonchnt act while speaking in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Hah, as expected of Mr. Hunt, I suppose. Who knew you¡¯d be brave enough to swim into the deep zone? I wonder if you just decided that you needed to save the sharks by volunteering as food? How touching! You¡¯re just willing to sacrifice yourself for a greater cause!¡± Stefan, consumed by fatigue, simply didn¡¯t have the energy to talk to her. All he could think about now was how adorable Renee¡¯s face looked under the warm sunlight. It looked like she had a halo around her, making his heart skip a beat. ¡°Maybe I should start calling you Mr. Nice Guy since you¡¯re just SO brave.¡± Renee continued on saying these unnecessary matters, but took this chance to express concern, despite still hiding it in a dismissive tone. ¡°So? How are you, Mr. Nice Guy? How are you holding up? Do you need a doctor? ¡ö Finally, Stefan managed to catch his breath but acted like his life was on the line. He looked towards the woman weakly and said, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t breathe ¡°You can¡¯t breathe?¡± Renee frowned, doubting him slightly. ¡®Can people still remain conscious and speak when they can¡¯t breathe?¡¯ She wondered. ¡°Quickly!¡± Stefan closed his eyes, panting feebly. ¡°I need air!¡± ¡°Does that mean you need CPR?¡± ¡°Something like that, yeah,¡± Stefan replied, looking like he was in immense pain. Renee furrowed her eyebrows and pondered for a few seconds, then snapped her fingers. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll think of something! Just hold on, okay?¡± Stefan then closed his eyes, unable to hide the tiny smile on his face like a childish boy. He couldn¡¯t wait to receive ¡®CPR¡¯ from her¡­ ¡°Are you ready?¡± Renee took a deep breath and asked bashfully. ¡°Yes.¡± Stefan nodded and felt a pair of lips smashing into his, yet the feeling waspletely different from what he longed for. Realizing that something was off, the man opened his eyes, enraged. ¡°Everheart!!¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Apparently, the person giving him CPR wasn¡¯t Renee, who he initially expected. Instead, it was one of the members of the rescue team, a tanned burly man. ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan immediately leaped from the ground, pushing the burly man harshly and forcing him ten feet away. Seeing this, Renee was overwhelmed with glee. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re alive, Stefan Hunt! Thank the stars!¡± ¡°Did you do that on purpose, Everheart?!¡± Stefan looked exceedingly disgusted as he wiped his mouth over and over using the back of his hand. He thought to himself, ¡®That was so humiliating! I cant believe that I, Stefan Hunt, was tricked! I cannot ept this. I won¡¯t let this damn brat off so easily!¡¯ However, Renee was clueless about Stefan¡¯s intentions from the start. She truly believed that the man needed CPR and went out of her way to find the best professional around them. Seeing how energetic the man seemed, Renee was genuinely happy that he was no longer in critical condition. She instinctively gave him a big hug, whimpering. ¡°Thank god, Stefan Hunt! You¡¯re alive! You really are a tough cookie, just like Christopher said!¡± Stefan¡¯s rage was instantly reced with calmness as he felt the woman¡¯s soft touch. Not just that, but she really was expressing concern toward him. It was rather hard for him to get mad at her at this point¡­ Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Unfamiliar with this version of Renee, who seemed to care about his wellbeing a lot, Stefan cleared his throat and joked around with her. ¡°If you¡¯re so scared of me dying, why would you say you¡¯d never shed a tear for me if I did? You little liar.¡± The man¡¯s words snapped Renee back to reality, which made her let go of him, keeping her distance. ¡°You don¡¯t even cherish your own life! Of course, I wouldn¡¯t cry over your death.¡± ¡°But these tear streaks¡­¡± ¡°I just got some sand in my eyes, that¡¯s all!¡¯ ¡°And what about your dress? It¡¯s drenched. Did you try to dive in to save me?¡° ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I just like walking by the seaside! What does that have anything to do with you?¡± Renee refused to admit just how much she worried about the man. Stefan seemed to have understood this and nodded gently. As if he was trying tofort her, he said, ¡¯Alright, alright, I know you don¡¯t care. Then you shouldn¡¯t be too worried if anything like this happens again. Just know that I wille back safely, no matter what.¡° ¡°Again?!¡± Renee frowned deeply, as if she had just heard something absurd, and pped the man across the face. She then warned him, shoving her fist in front of his face. ¡°Just die if you dare to act so recklessly again! Then you won¡¯t make anyone else worry about you anymore!¡± ¡°Worry?¡¯ Stefan smiled as he questioned back. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t care about me?¡± This time, Renee was unable toe up with a proper reply. It was obvious. She clearly hadn¡¯t moved on from the man yet, no matter how much she wanted to deny it. Her entire being was constantly worrying about him. She never wanted anything bad to happen to him. She then tried convincing herself that she was worrying about him for her children¡¯s sake, as he was still their father at the end of the day. The light breezes seemed to carry the smell of romance surrounding the two as they silently understood what the other was really thinking¡­ Just then, news about Cecilia had finally arrived. ¡°She¡¯s awake! Miss Smith is finally awake!¡± Giving each other a nce, Stefan and Renee also went over to take a look. Cecilia seemed to have ingested too much water, so she was unconscious for quite some time. After the rescue team did their best to save her, she was finally able to vomit the seawater and regain her breathing. Although she wasying in Christopher¡¯s arms, her eyes darted wildly around the crowd, as if she was looking for a certain someone. Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Chapter 265 Cecilia¡¯s mother was still crying, holding onto her hand as she asked, ¡°My dear, are you okay? What are you looking for? Just look at me¡­. ¡°Stef¡­ Where is he?¡± Cecilia¡¯s voice was hoarse and weak. After experiencing such a deadly situation, she decided that she had to stop hiding her true feelings. She loved Stefan Hunt, and she couldn¡¯t possibly move on from him. The only person she wanted to see now¡­ was Stefan Hunt. ¡°M¡­ Mr. Hunt?¡± The atmosphere felt tense and awkward, as everyone had the same thought in their heads. ¡®The first thing this bride did, despite having just survived drowning, was to look for another man¡­ Poor Mr. Jacobs¡­¡¯ Christopher¡¯s handsome face turned stiff, then spoke softly to the woman in his embrace. ¡°Stef risked his life to save you, you know? You have to give him a proper thankster.¡± ¡°He did?¡± Cecilia¡¯s pale face finally livened up, bursting into tears. ¡°I knew it ¡­ He does care about me! Oh, Stef¡­ Where is he? I have to see him!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. At that moment, there was a crowd of guests surrounding the bride, with Stefan and Renee in the outermost area. After confirming that Cecilia was safe, Stefan grabbed Renee by the wrist and intended to leave. Renee, however, stood still and teased the man. ¡°Hey, Mr. Nice Guy, this won¡¯t do! How could you just leave without taking credit for your good deeds?¡± The man rolled his eyes at her, growling. ¡®Stop talking like that. I¡¯ll throw you into the sea if you keep this up.¡± Renee smiled awkwardly. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll stop. I can¡¯t afford to provoke Mr. Nice Guy after all!¡± Just then, the crowd automatically parted, which allowed Cecilia to finally see the man of her dreams. ¡°Stef¡­¡± However, her gleeful smile froze abruptly as she noticed Stefan holding Renee¡¯s hand tightly. The man who risked his life to save me¡­ wasn¡¯t waiting for me to regain consciousness, but is holding another woman¡¯s hand instead?!¡¯ Thest ounce of hope in her heart was rekindled and distinguished, time and time again throughout the entire day. The seed of jealousy had already been nted in her heart, sprouting uncontrobly as if it were weeds. She then did her best to suppress these emotions, putting up a pitiful act as she gazed upon Stefan, who was standing in the distance. ¡°Stef, I heard you just risked your life to save me¡­ You¡¯ve already saved me so many times¡­ How could I ever repay you?¡± Stefan stood still; his expression was distant and hostile. ¡°I did it out of natural instinct. You don¡¯t have to thank me. Those words acted as a knife, once again carving into Cecilia¡¯s broken heart, leaving her to bleed out. This man¡­ He was willing to give up on everything for novelxo me before! He was even willing to give up his life!¡¯ ¡®But now¡­ he wouldn¡¯t even bother admitting that we used to date¡­ I¡­ just can¡¯t¡­¡¯ Ruby was watching the show the entire time, observing Cecilia and Stefan closely. As an experienced actress, she was familiar with romance and rtionships. Anyone could tell that Cecilia was still in love with the man, but Stefan had moved on. In fact, he seemed to care more about his ex-wife now. Before this, the actress was actually still frustrated, wondering how she should take down Renee, considering that she was a very strong rival. Yet seeing Cecilia gave her an idea¡­ She approached the supposed bride and pretended to act out of concern.¡± Oh my god, Miss Smith, how are you feeling right now? Everyone was worried sick!¡± ¡°How did you fall into the ocean? You were fine just a while ago! Could it be that¡­ someone pushed you in?¡± Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Chapter 266 ¡°I¡­¡± Cecilia was still feeling a little weak. She looked at the crowd with cloudy, bleary eyes, as if she had something she could not say out loud. ¡¯I bumped into you and Ms. Everheart earlier,¡¯ Ruby Chisholm pointed out suggestively, continuing to fan the me. ¡®And you looked a little upset then. Was Ms. Everheart thest person you were with?¡¯ She felt that her implication was obvious enough, even if she did not spell it all out-Renee Everheart pushed Cecilia into the sea! Having climbed through the ranks in the entertainment industry for long enough, she had armed herself with weapons that helped her get ahead. Among all the weapons in her arsenal, borrowing the hand of another to eliminate a rival was her favorite, as it was the most convenient. Without lifting a finger, she could just stand back and let someone else eliminate the most threatening enemy on the battlefield-the perfect strategy! ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ Cecilia¡¯s mother agitatedly held her shoulders and urged,¡± Don¡¯t be afraid, darling! Tell us the truth! Did that wicked woman push you into the sea? If she really did, your dad and I will definitely avenge you!¡± ¡¯Mom¡­¡± Cecilia bit her lips and meekly said, ¡®Since I¡¯m fine now, I think we should stop pursuing the matter. Ms. Everheart and I are friends, after all, and I believe it was all an ident.¡¯ She actually wanted to say that no one pushed her into the sea at al I¡ªIt was all because she had been hurt by Stefan so badly, and she was so distressed at that time that she decided to jump to her death-to end it all. But when she saw how Stefan and Renee held hands the entire time, her seething jealousy drove her blindingly mad, which then made her decide to pin it on Renee. No matter how much Stefan loved Renee, there was no way that he would ever want to be with a vicious murderer! 1 As expected, Stefan quickly released Renee¡¯s hand. He red at her chillingly, and with an icy cold voiceced with suspicion, he demanded, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Everyone else covered their mouths in disbelief. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ So she really was the one who did it! Is her heart so stained with ink that she¡¯d do such an unspeakable thing?! It¡¯s horrible!¡± Renee was speechless. Once again, she had be the prime target of spite. ¡°Hey,¡± she pointed at Cecilia. ¡®Say it clearly. Don¡¯t just leave things hanging! What do you mean you don¡¯t want to pursue the matter? What do you mean it was an ident? What did I ever do to you? Why insinuate something like that about me?¡¯ Cecilia was so shocked that she stepped back to dodge Renee. The fact that she had just returned from the brink of death made her seem that much more pitiful. With tears streaming, she begged Renee, ¡°Please don¡¯t get so mad, Ms. Everheart. We both know what you did, but I really don¡¯t want to pursue this. Just¡­ just pretend I slipped and fell into the water myself, and we¡¯ll leave it at that.¡± But this only made Renee angrier than before. Like an uninhibited beast, she charged at Cecilia, grabbing her arm so violently she almost ripped it off. ¡¯Speak clearly, won¡¯t you?¡± she demanded. ¡°What did you mean ¡®just pretend that you slipped?¡¯ If you want to use me of pushing you into the sea, just say it, won¡¯t you? That way, I can sue you for defamation. Stop acting all pure and innocent! You¡¯ve alreadyunched your attack! There¡¯s no point trying to look like the poor innocent victim!¡± Renee realized how wrong she had been about Cecilia. Back then, when she received the ne from her, Renee had assumed that Cecilia was a smart woman with a big heart, wise enough not to lose her mind for a douchebag. But now it was clear that she didn¡¯t only lose her mind-she even lost her conscience! ¡¯ Please, Ms. Everheart! I beg you to not make it any harder for me. I told you that I don¡¯t want to pursue the matter¡­ Fine. I¡¯ll say it! Nothing that happened to me has anything to do with you¡­ so, everyone, please just drop the matter!¡¯ With teary eyes, Cecilia clutched her mother¡¯s hand. ¡°Mom, I feel so dizzy. I feel really unwell. I really need to lie down!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve been immersed for so long that you almost drowned, darling! Of course, you¡¯d feel unwell! I¡¯m taking you to the hospital right away!Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Cecilia¡¯s mother then turned to Christopher. ¡°Take your bride to the hospital, Chris, and hurry up, will you? If she stays a moment longer, I fear someone might beat her to death!¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Christopher replied. ¡°But I¡¯d like to take the opportunity to publicly announce that the wedding between Cecilia Smith and I has been canceled. Our rtionship as a couple ends today as well. I deeply apologize for dragging everyone into this mess and wasting your time today, but rest assured, you will be fullypensated by my family and I.¡± This threw the crowd into an uproar. Xavier was flustered and anxiously tried to help save Christopher¡¯s situation. ¡®What the hell are you talking about, Chris? Are you seriously canceling the wedding and breaking up with Cecy right now? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit too cruel? Tell me it¡¯s not true. Tell me you¡¯re just joking to lighten up the atmosphere.¡± But Christopher said nothing in reply. He picked Cecilia up in his arms and carried her away. The crowd followed closely behind them before dispersing, ignoring everything that had just happened. In the end, only Stefan, Renee, and the celebrity Ruby Chisholm were left on the beach. ¡°Ms. Everheart,¡± Ruby said in a contrived voice, ¡°I was only speaking the truth just now. You don¡¯t me me, do you?¡¯ ¡°You borrowed someone else¡¯s hand to attack your real target,¡± Renee sneered. ¡°Pretty impressive, I must say. Your intention to eliminate me is in to see, Miss Chisholm. You must be overjoyed with your sess right now. But I do wonder¡­ there have never been any grievances between you and me, so why do you keep trying to bring me down, time and time again?¡± ¡® Ms. Everheart!¡± Ruby clutched her chest, her face a picture of innocence.¡± What have I done for you to so viciously sling mud at me? It was a matter of life and death! You¡¯re not actually ming me for telling the truth, are you?¡± Renee could see through her sham from a mile away. Hence, she held nothing back and bluntly exposed her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re a public figure yourself, Miss Chisholm. So if you¡¯re interested in my ex-husband, you should just pluck up your courage and boldly pursue him. There¡¯s no point in wasting your time with these insidious tricks and schemes. Instead of trying to get rid of me, why don¡¯t you surpass me by using your own strengths?¡± Renee then looked Ruby up and down, then smirked. ¡°You have a nice figure, you know, especially that slim waist of yours. Our Mr. Hunt here has a fetish for tiny waists. If you disy your assets a little more often, you might be stronger than any rival blocking your way!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ruby did not expect to get this kind of response from Renee. She was so embarrassed that her face turned beet red. ¡°It¡¯s true that I admire Mr. Hunt very much, but I¡¯ve never had the intention to harm you.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After speaking, she took a deep breath and sucked her tummy in, making her waist appear even tinier than it already was. Then, she shyly and seductively gazed at Stefan. Was she so easily tricked?! Renee had no idea that Ruby Chisholm could be this shameless and unreserved. She was, after all, the youngest film superstar and the most popr celebrity in the entertainment industry! How could she not know to be a little subtler? How could she be so vulgar? ¡°Mr. Hunt,¡± Renee nudged at Stefan and boldly teased him, ¡°why don¡¯t you say something? Miss Chisholm just confessed her feelings for you! You can¡¯t leave a celebrity like that hanging!¡± Stefan was visibly upset. A chilling expression emerged on his chiseled face that would easily freeze anyone in their tracks, and his eyes stared dead at Renee. He was obviously waiting for her to exin what just happened, and was not in the mood to joke around with her! But Renee remainedpletely unfazed. Dangerously dancing at the edge of the tiger¡¯s mouth, she continued to tease him. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two shake hands and consider yourselves officially introduced? Don¡¯t forget me when you get together and pay me the matchmaker¡¯s fee! Hahahaha¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Stefan grabbed Renee¡¯s arm violently and gripped it tight. It hurt so much that she grimaced. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Stefan Hunt?! Do you want to get beaten up? I¡¯m warning you-let go of me!¡± But Stefan only clenched his grip on her arm. His eyes turned savage as he demanded an answer. ¡°Exin yourself! Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Renee¡¯s lips curled up, but her expression was cold. In a moment, her heart froze into ice. She assumed that Stefan would never have to ask such a stupid question, but since he had actually blurted it out, it was clear that a vast chasm had opened up between them, forever separating them from each other, no matter if he believed it or not¡­ ¡°I have nothing to exin,¡± replied Renee. ¡°If you trust me, I don¡¯t have to say a word, and you¡¯d still trust me. But if you don¡¯t believe me, it won¡¯t matter even if I exin everything to you till my mouth gets dry. I could dig out my heart and show it to you, and you still won¡¯t believe me.¡± Renee forcefully yanked her hand from him. There was only calm diffidence on her wless face. Then, as if not caring at all what Stefan thought of her, she added, ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Then she turned on her heels and left without having the slightest feeling left for the man, not giving a jot of what he thought of her. So what if he thought she was a vicious murderer? To him, she was bad enough in the first ce, so why bother worrying about it? Stefan stared at Renee walking away, seemingly carefree and unbothered. His brows were tightly knitted. He was inconsbly enraged, partly due to the fact that Cecilia nearly drowned, and partly from his frustration of losing control. He had always prided himself on effortlessly keeping everything under his control, but right now, he had absolutely no control over Renee Everheart. Setting aside the fact that he had no idea if Renee had really pushed Cecilia into the sea, what boiled his blood was Renee¡¯s obtuseness, where she refused to exin herself. Herplete indifference towards him irrationally set his teeth on edge!This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Dusk had fallen. The ambery sun slowly descended below the sea on the horizon. Light was disappearing, and it was getting dark everywhere. There were now only Stefan and Ruby on the beach. Ruby was secretly delighted, knowing that her chance had finallye. She worked up her courage and slowly approached Stefan, gingerly asking him, ¡°Do you have some time to spare, Mr. Hunt? There¡¯s something that I need to tell you.¡± Stefan¡¯s turned to her with eyes cold and frigid, and he asked her in a displeased tone, ¡°Do we know each other?¡± Having never paid much attention to the entertainment industry, he naturally had no idea that Ruby Chisholm was currently the hottest, most sought-after celebrity with a vast influence in pop culture and a sea of rabid fans. ¡°You might not know me,¡± said Ruby, while gazing at Stefan with twinkling eyes, every little gesture of hers coquettish and flirty, ¡°but I¡¯ve been admiring you from afar for a long time. Perhaps you¡¯re not aware that I will be working with H Group soon, and we¡¯re going to be bumping into each other a lot.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes and studied the woman. Indeed, Ruby Chisholm was nearly wless. She had perfect bone structures and looked like a purely natural beauty, not the kind that resulted from surgeries and botox. Her eyebrows were thin and delicate, her nose bridge was narrow and straight, and yet the most striking features on her face were her lips¡ªshapely yet dainty like a cherry. They were pped with the color of vermillion that one might see in old paintings, perfectly extrapting the soft delicacy of a rose that was full of ssic charm. ¡°Yes,¡± Ruby replied with a gentle smile. Then, in a tone that suggested neither false modesty nor boastful pride, she added, ¡°Because I will be the next spokesperson for H Group. From now on, we¡¯ll have a lot of opportunities to bump into each other. I look forward to it, Mr. Hunt. I wonder if you feel the same?¡± Ruby had full confidence in her appearance and even meticulously studied Stefan¡¯s likes and preferences. One could even say that the path she had taken so far had been calcted to mold herself into the ideal woman for Stefan Hunt. It would not be an exaggeration to say that each step Ruby took in her entertainment career was solely done to achieve the ultimate goal ofclimbing into Stefan¡¯s arms. After all, wasn¡¯t that where all female celebrities ended up anyway- married to rich and powerful men? Stefan, however, was nothing but disinterested. He could see through Ruby¡¯s true intentions at a simple nce and had no intention of humoring her. Thus, all he did was bluntly ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and Renee?¡± Ruby¡¯s smile stiffened. She awkwardly replied, ¡°What¡­ What do you mean, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡¯I saw how you vehemently targeted her just now, so I assumed there¡¯s something going on between you two. Do you mind telling me about it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Ruby argued defensively. Her eyes flickered, ashamed that Stefan managed to see through her deceit. ¡°To be perfectly honest, I¡¯d never even heard of Ms. Everheart¡¯s name before today. All I did was speak the truth about what I saw. I¡¯d harbor absolutely no animosity towards someone I consider a stranger! Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Chapter 269 ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡¯ Stefan¡¯s eyes were as keen and shrewd as an eagle¡¯s. He sneered at Ruby and added, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me you¡¯ve admired me for a long time? Then how is it possible that you¡¯ve never heard of my ex-wife¡¯s name?¡¯ ¡°I¡­¡± Ruby was stunned, speechless. Being a veteran of the entertainment world, she was used to pulling words out of her *ss, and everyone would ept whatever she said without batting an eyelid. She never expected Stefan to be so perceptive that he could immediately catch the inconsistency in her speech. For a second, she waspletely at a loss for what to do. Then in a hasty bid to save face, she blurted, ¡°What¡­ What I meant was that I¡¯ve never personally met Ms. Everheart, but of course, I¡¯ve heard of her. After all, your CP ¡®Hunt My Everheart¡¯ is really popr online. Lots of people in the entertainment industry are fans of that site.¡± ¡°Because you admire me¡­¡± Stefan ruthlessly interjected, coldly staring at Ruby. ¡°You must be jealous of her because of how close she is to me. That¡¯s why you targeted her from the start. You took that damaging photo of her with ulterior motives. You then led everyone to believe that she was the one to push Cecilia into the sea, am I correct?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. At that moment, Ruby was so flustered that her face was crimson red. Barely able to handle the mounting pressure, she only managed to stammer, ¡°No! That¡¯s not true! I didn¡¯t do that! I¡­¡± Being the most sought-after celebrity, Ruby was no stranger to high society. She had been mingling with the upper echelons of the professional world, yet this was her first time being renderedpletely at a loss. Perhaps it was because Stefan had such an intimidating aura. His eyes could seemingly prate all manner of lies or deception, and now, all her hidden cards wereid bare for him to see! ¡°Did you really think that just by eliminating Renee, you¡¯d easily take her ce and get what you want?¡± Stefan¡¯s freezing gaze was full of disdain. He sniggered and added, ¡°Even without Renee, a cunning and calctive woman like you would never catch my eye, so stop wasting your time and effort.¡± All these years, there had been such a continuous flow of women trying totch onto him that he lost count. There was, at this point, no trickery in this world that he had not seen. Ruby Chisholm was indeed pretty, but her beauty in no way made up for her cutthroat ambitious nature. There was just too much greed in her eyes. She was not pure enough. But to be fair to her, all of the women who threw themselves at him had too much greed in their eyes. All of them except Renee. There were no ulterior motives, no greed in Renee¡¯s crystal clear eyes. They were as pure and innocent as a baby¡¯s¡­ That was the main reason why Renee had a special ce in Stefan¡¯s heart. Ruby watched as Stefan coldly walked away from her. She clenched her fists and bitterly yelled, ¡®I never knew that you could be so cocky, Mr. Hunt!¡± His vicious words had been a huge p in her face, filling her with shame and humiliation. She was the queen of the movie industry, after all. She had been used to everyone admiring her and showering her with praises. Never in her life had she been treated so brutally! ¡°I had indeed been admiring you,¡± she continued, ¡°but you really are just so cocky and arrogant that you¡¯re pushing everyone away. No wonder your first love dumped you! No wonder your ex-wife divorced you!¡± Stefan stopped in his tracks. He never expected Ruby to have the audacity to poke at his sore spot. ¡°And your ex-wife might not be as innocent as you might think, Mr. Hunt. If she was, how could Miss Cecilia Smith and I both use her at the same time?¡± She then sneered and added, ¡°Think about it. Do you really think that it makes sense for Miss Smith to risk her own life just to nder a woman that means nothing to her?¡± M II Stefan frowned deeply. Ruby¡¯s questioning had really thrown him off bnce. Renee Everheart¡­ Did you really push Cecilia? Why were you unwilling to exin yourself? Was it because you were ashamed Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Chapter 270 This whole incident had been guing Stefan¡¯s mind, and he knew he would not be at peace until he found out the truth. He took a deep breath and decided that the best course of action would be to ask the person directly involved in the matter-Cecilia Smith. Cecilia had been sent to the hospital to receive emergency treatment, and her life was now out of danger, but because she was drowning in the water for too long, there were concerns that she might¡¯ve damaged her brain, heart, and lungs, and she had to remain hospitalized for a few more days for observation. 1 All the guests had now left, with only Cecilia¡¯s parents, Christopher, and Xavier remaining at the hospital with her. They were all standing outside the door to her private ward amid a tense and heavy atmosphere. Cecilia¡¯s mother was wringing her hands and staring cautiously at Christopher. She then fumblingly said, ¡¯Chris¡­ There were too many people earlier, so I couldn¡¯t really speak to you frankly, but now that everyone¡¯s gone, why don¡¯t we sit down and have a proper talk about the things between you and Cecy?¡± Christopher kept his hands in his pockets, but his eyes remained kind and gentle. He seemed to be his old mellow, and affable self. ¡°What would you like to talk about?¡± he asked her in a calm voice. ¡°You must know that Cecy has always been an indecisive girl, but she can also sometimes be a little headstrong. As her mother, I can sense that after all these years, Stefan still has a special ce in her heart¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Cecilia¡¯s father interrupted her with a frown, ring violently at his wife. Then his expression softened as he turned to Christopher and told him, ¡°If everything had gone ording to n, I¡¯d have raised my ss to your happiness and called you my son-inw by now, Chris. Don¡¯t listen to my wife. She¡¯s talking nonsense. I know for a fact that Cecy has no feelings left for Stefan Hunt, but she is a gentle soul. She felt that she had once hurt Stefan, and she is unable to forgive herself until now. The truth is, the person she loves the most is still you. So don¡¯t worry. Once Cecy has gotten better, we¡¯ll find another suitable and auspicious date for the wedding, and everything will fall into ce.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right! My husband is absolutely right! I was using the wrong words just now. I didn¡¯t mean that Stefan holds a special ce in Cecy¡¯s heart, only that she still regrets hurting him. As for her feelings for you, that was pure and deep, for sure! You mustn¡¯t let this misunderstanding stand in the way of your happiness as a couple!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Cecilia¡¯s parents were no fools. They knew that Christopher¡¯s family was highly respected in Beach City and that this was probably the best family that their daughter could marry. Naturally, they weren¡¯t about to let her miss out on this opportunity so easily. Christopher¡¯s clean-cut face revealed little emotion, rendering him inscrutable. All he did was reply in a t voice, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me. I announced the ending of my rtionship with Cecilia today, not because of her, much less Stefan. It¡¯s a decision that I¡¯ve made myself after a long consideration.¡± ¡°The truth is,¡± he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve long noticed that Cecilia and I aren¡¯tpatible with one another. But at the time, I guess we were just too enmeshed in our feelings, or perhaps a better way to put it is that we both sacrificed too much for our feelings to give it all up. In fact, I should thank Cecy, because her courage helped me to finally make this decision.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What?¡± Both of Cecilia¡¯s parents were dumbfounded. novelxo They never expected Christopher to actually change his mind about their daughter. After all, he had loved Cecilia so much in the past! How could he change so easily and suddenly? ¡°Chris!¡± yelled Xavier. He could no longer take it. It was the first time that he ever raised his voice at Christopher, who he always respected like his own big brother. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Do you know what you¡¯re talking about? I can¡¯t believe all that bullsh*t you just spewed! You sounded like a total scumbag! ¡°Have you forgotten how well Stefan and Cecy were getting along back then? They were even discussing marriage! If you hadn¡¯t shown up, they¡¯d probably be having their second baby right now! You made Cecy¡¯s feelings for Stefan waver for a while, till she decided to dump Stefan. And now that Stefan finally managed to let go of Cecy, you¡¯re saying you want to break up with her! You¡¯re such a scumbag that I really want to beat you up right now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Christopher took a breath and helplessly admitted. ¡°I really am a scumbag. If beating me up could lessen the pain I¡¯ve caused Cecy, I¡¯ll dly ept it!¡± ¡°You!¡± Xavier was taken aback,pletely at a loss for what to do Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Xavier balled up his fists, but in the end, he had no choice but to reluctantly let it go. If he really beat Christopher up, the three best friends would return to being distant and strained around each other after having recently ovee many obstacles to reunite. ¡°Fine, fine! The three of you have been dragging it out for so many years now that it¡¯s all a big freaking mess! I¡¯m so tired of it and want nothing to do with it anymore. Just do whatever you like!¡± Xavier quickly turned and stomped away. He still had a lot on his te. In fact, even his dad dered that this week was hisst stint of freedom! If he lost that criminal case, he¡¯d be locked up behind bars and face a harsh sentence for a long time. What mattered most to him was finding a goodwyer to help him win the case right now. But no matter where he looked, he still found that the only person suited for the job was Zack Rosenwell, yet Zack was Renee Everheart¡¯s employee, and he had unfortunately been in a battle royale with her today. It really looked like he was in deep s**t now! ¡°Mr. Smith,¡± Christopher called out after Xavier was gone. ¡°Mrs. Smith, I am deeply sorry for all the trouble I¡¯ve caused. I will do my best to make amends. For now, let¡¯s focus on calming Cecy and helping her to recover. If there¡¯s nothing else, please allow me to excuse myself.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. He then bowed humbly at them. Although his words were sincere and polite, he was unmistakably defiant and unyielding. Seeing this, Cecilia¡¯s mother could no longer hold it in and immediately burst into tears. She grabbed Christopher¡¯s arm and begged him, ¡°Don¡¯t do this, Chris! You¡¯ve been with Cecy for so many years now! How can you just give her up so easily? Both of your families have gotten along so well, and you¡¯re both at an age when you should get married, so please don¡¯t give it all up just because you¡¯ve stumbled onto a small obstacle! You can always begin again with a clean te. Even if the passion between you two has died down, you can still get along in harmony¡­ After all, love isn¡¯t the most important thing in marriage. What¡¯s more important is how suitable you are for each other. You know how those couples who love each other to death don¡¯t always end well!¡± ¡°What you said made a lot of sense,¡± Christopher smiled, ¡°but I¡¯ve had enough of being a good son in the eyes of my parents, a good friend in the eyes of my friends, and a good boyfriend in the eyes of my lover. I¡¯ve had enough of following all the rules I¡¯m expected to follow. Please understand me, and please understand Cecy too. I truly believe¡­ that this is what she wants as well.¡± Christopher paused for a while, then added, ¡°You know that Stefan is now single again, and so is Cecy. Nothing would be in their way if they wanted to rekindle their rtionship. If that happens one day, then I¡¯ll be the happiest person for them!¡± ¡°So you really are jealous!¡± said Cecilia¡¯s mother. ¡°You must really believe that she still has feelings for Stefan, but that¡¯s really not true! Cecy is just¡­¡± Cecilia¡¯s mother desperately tried to exin everything, but the door behind her suddenly opened. Cecilia stood there with a face as pale as a sheet. ¡°Mom!!!¡± she yelled. ¡°Stop it! I respect his decision, and I wish him nothing but happiness. Please just let him go and stop embarrassing me and making things awkward for him, okay?¡± The truth was that she had long sensed that Christopher no longer loved her. She knew that this day woulde sooner orter, though she wished it had happened before her wedding so at least she would not have to bear thebel of a divorcee. She chose to jump off the cliff partly because of the pain Stefan inflicted on her, but perhaps, more significantly, Christopher¡¯s cold difference. These men no longer loved her, and the realization came as a huge blow. She felt like a failure. She felt hopeless. That was why she momentarily lost her mind and did such a stupid thing. Christopher looked at Cecily apologetically and told her, ¡°I know you still love Stefan. To be precise, you¡¯ve never stopped loving him. He¡¯s free now, so pluck up your courage and fight for him!¡± It was then that Stefan stepped out of the elevator Chapter 272 Chapter 272 Chapter 272 His arrival left everybody stunned. Cecilia¡¯s mother was the first to react. Seeing that her son-inw Christopher really was going to slip through their fingers, she quicklytched onto Stefan instead. ¡°So you¡¯vee, Stefan! Cecy here has been talking about you just now. There¡¯s been a misunderstanding between you two. I think it¡¯s high time you clear it all up!¡± ¡°The truth is,¡± she continued, ¡°Cecy was inexperienced and very naive emotionally through those years. That¡¯s why she¡­¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Cecilia interrupted her, feeling humiliated. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop talking about that?¡± Both of these men once loved her deeply, but right now, neither of them wanted her. This came as, without a doubt, a huge blow to a woman like her. If her mother kept on fawning over these men, trying to please them so they¡¯d take her back, she would soon be left without a shred of dignity! Christopher, on the other hand, seemed unperturbed. He even casually patted Stefan¡¯s shoulder and half-joked, ¡°I¡¯ll leave everything here to you now. I trust that you¡¯ll handle everything well.¡± His calm and nonchnt attitude made Stefan seem like the groom who had wrongfully left his bride at the altar, not him. Stefan wasted no time and asked Cecilia, ¡°Would it be convenient for you if we spoke in private?¡± Cecilia bit her lips and nodded almost flirtily. ¡°How could it be inconvenient when ites to you?¡± Stefan then followed Cecilia into the private ward. Once they were both inside, Stefan closed the door. They were initially standing very close to each other, but when Stefan noticed that Cecilia was trying to get nearer to him, he took a huge step back away from her. ¡°You fell into the sea and almost drowned,¡± he said. ¡°I think you¡¯d better lie down and rest.¡± This made it awkward for Cecilia, but she then quietly stepped away from him and returned to her bed. Yet when she looked into Stefan¡¯s eyes, she saw that they were gentle and filled with affection. ¡°So you¡¯re not as cold and heartless as you look!¡± she observed. ¡°I still mean something to you, and you still care about me, right?¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± Stefan replied honestly, not trying to deny anything.¡¯ You¡¯re still the woman I used to love very much, and you¡¯re one of my few confidantes. I¡¯m not a robot made of steel and iron, so of course, you mean a lot to me, and I definitely do care about you.¡± ¡°Used to?¡± Cecilia smiled bitterly. There was such a painful expression on her face that it was obvious how heartbroken she was. ¡°I¡¯d rather you never loved me at all. That way, I¡¯d never have to endure this agonizing pain of losing you.¡± That feeling of being loved was so blissful and perfect that it made it that much more excruciating when she realized that she had lost the love he used to feel for her! ¡®Not this again!¡¯ Stefan thought, helplessly massaging his temples. He had no idea when the Cecilia Smith he knew, who used to be so level headed, independent, and optimistic, would be so difficult, a person whose mind was filled with nothing but love and romance! ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore,¡± he replied coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s just let go of the past and move on. The more you bring it up, the more you¡¯ll make it awkward between us. We might end up not even able to be friends with each other.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying there really is no chance for us?¡± Cecilia asked, unable to take it anymore. With tears in her eyes and having lost most of her self control, she began to raise her voice. ¡°Even if both you and I are not married, even if we¡¯re both single right now, there¡¯s no chance we¡¯d be together again?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Stefan answered without any hesitation. Looking straight into Cecilia¡¯s eyes, he attested, ¡°There¡¯s no chance we¡¯d get back together. I don¡¯t love you anymore, and it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯ll marry Christoper. Do you understand?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Cecilia felt as if her heart was shed into a thousand pieces. Because of the extreme agony she felt, her face was drained of all color, and she looked frail and weak. But this time, she no longer had any stupid notion of ending her life. ¡®Men are just dumb pigs!¡¯ she thought. ¡®They¡¯re just not worth it!¡¯ Cecilia took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. Then, with a stony face, she asked, ¡°Since you have no feelings left for me, why pretend you cared and took the trouble toe all the way here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only you and me here now,¡¯ said Stefan, getting straight to the point. ¡°Can you tell me if Renee actually pushed you into the sea?¡¯ ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Cecilia, who had been weeping bitterly just moments ago, suddenly burst intoughter as if she had just heard a hrious joke. In fact, she keptughing uncontrobly for a while. Stefan frowned, visibly displeased. He asked her, ¡°What so bloody funny? Chapter 273 Chapter 273 Chapter 273 ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Cecilia continued tough. She had to take a long time to catch her breath again, before she finally told Stefan in a mocking tone, ¡°It¡¯s you, Stefan! I think you¡¯re really funny!¡± ¡°I had assumed,¡± she added, ¡°that the love between you and Renee Everheart was as strong and unbendable as steel! But surprisingly, you couldn¡¯t even stand this minor test! Compared to your feelings for me back then, your feelings for her are simply different¡­ Are you sure that you love her more than you love me?¡± Stefan¡¯s cold and chiseled face disyed even more displeasure. ¡°I never said I loved her,¡± he denied. ¡°I see!¡± Cecilia raised her brows and chirped, suddenly feeling a lot better. With a faint smile, she continued, ¡°If you really did love her, you¡¯d never even think about asking this question. But since you did ask, it proves that you don¡¯t really love her that much at all, or perhaps¡­ you just don¡¯t understand her yet.¡± ¡°The truth is,¡± she added, ¡°it doesn¡¯t matter whether she pushed me or not. What¡¯s important is whether you believe she would do such a thing.¡± ¡ö II Stefan fell silent. Cecilia¡¯s words made him think and reflect on himself. He was so lost in his thoughts that he unconsciously clenched his long fingers. ¡°I thought I¡¯d really lost,¡± said Cecilia meaningfully, ¡°but it seems that I still have a chance of turning the tide in my favor.¡± After making such a suggestive statement, she quicklyy down in her bed and closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted now. I need some rest. I won¡¯t give you the answer that you want. You¡¯ll have to figure that out yourself.¡± Seeing Cecilia¡¯s resolution and determination, Stefan said nothing more and left the room. He did not get the answer that he hade to seek, though Cecilia had managed to bring some rity into his mind. Perhaps he did not really love Renee after all. Perhaps this feeling was just a momentary possessiveness. If it was true love, then he would trust her unconditionally, right? How could he even doubt her? ¡®Stefan Hunt,¡¯ he thought to himself, ¡®you really need to sort yourself out and control your emotions!¡¯ The next day, Renee woke up after a fairly good sleep. Her emotions werepletely unscathed by the fight with Stefanst night. The man who once dictated her mood, who could make her gloomy or happy at the drop of a hat, who could make her lose a whole night¡¯s sleep, now had no influence on her at all. Renee had to admit that this newfound freedom from her once-inescapable emotional vulnerability felt exhrating! ¡°So you¡¯re up, Miss Renee!¡± Margaret came in and brought her a sumptuous breakfast. She then gently asked her, ¡°How was your sleepst night?¡± ¡°I slept soundly!¡± Renee replied. ¡°I even dreamt!¡± She then went on to recount her dream with childlike enthusiasm, saying,¡± Last night, I dreamt that my two little babies turned into butterflies, one ck and one white. They fluttered happily around me and even talked to me! I think they¡¯re really excited toe out and see the world!¡± That dreamst night was so sweet that it left a distinct impression on her mind. She could not wait to finally meet them and wee them into this world. But Margaret suddenly turned downcast. ¡°Did you say you dreamt that they were butterflies?¡± ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s wrong? Is it a bad sign?¡± ¡°Well, butterflies represent the souls of dead people, so if the babies were¡­¡± Margaret paused and sighed, ¡°But let¡¯s not overthink it. Pah! It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just knock on wood, and the bad luck will go away!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. But Renee could not help but get a little concerned after hearing what Margaret said. She thought of how she had eaten the toadstool soup and even swam in the sea. Would those things affect the health of her babies? ¡°No, no. I can¡¯t just brush this off. I won¡¯t rest easy till I get a proper checkup at the hospital. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Chapter 274 And so, Renee and Margaret came to the private maternity hospital where Renee often got her prenatal checkups. As they were waiting for Renee¡¯s turn, Margaret kept holding Renee¡¯s arm and carefully checked her pulse. ¡°Your pulse is normal, Miss Renee. Your babies should be fine. You shouldn¡¯t allow a dream to scare you sick. Let¡¯s just knock on wood, and everything will be fine.¡± Renee nodded but was still full of concern. ¡¯I know my precious little cubs are fine since I¡¯ve been strong and fit all the while. But I just can¡¯t stop myself from worrying. I can¡¯t shake off the feeling that something might happen.¡± ¡°Shush! Don¡¯t speak of such inauspicious things, Miss Renee! You might not believe anyone, but you must believe the traditional medical knowledge that I learned from my family. You know that I can treat any illness under the sun by prescribing a few herbs! I¡¯m telling you, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. With a medical genius like you by my side, I¡¯ve simply got nothing to worry about!¡± Renee finally felt slightly more at ease as she walked into the doctor¡¯s office. Her report came out in no time, and it was found that both of her babies were healthy and were developing well. They appeared to have beenpletely unaffected by her activities. It also seemed that her unborn children had be quite resilient. ¡°Ms. Everheart,¡¯ said the doctor, ¡°in one week, the fetuses will be three months old, which means that you¡¯ll be entering the second trimester, the mostfortable stage of the pregnancy. Your morning sickness will gradually disappear, your appetite and your energy will improve, and your babies will be stronger and more resilient. You¡¯ll also start to have a visible belly, so you should change into more comfortable clothes. Do remember to take your calcium supplements, and make sure you get a good sleep every night.¡± After speaking, the doctor simply prescribed some calcium tablets and vitamin supplements and called for the next patient. With the checkup report in her hand, Renee cheerfully waved at Margaret, who had been waiting for her outside the doctor¡¯s office, and told her, ¡°It¡¯s just as you said! They¡¯re perfectly fine! I¡¯ve been worried sick for nothing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear it, Miss Renee! I¡¯m d to hear it!¡± Margaret was smiling from ear to ear. She was d to see that the Everheart family, after having fallen from grace, was starting to slowly return to its former glory, not to mention they were about to wee the sprouting of two new branches! She was happy for thete Mr. and Mrs. Everheart, who had died with regrets, and even happier for thete General Everheart! The two then left the hospital and waited for a cab beside the road. Renee, however, ever perceptive, could sense that something didn¡¯t seem right. She kept feeling the urge to turn around her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Renee?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re being followed!¡± Renee maintained a calm and cheerful demeanor as she chatted with Margaret, but she lowered her voice as a warning of vignce. ¡°What?¡± Margaret instantly got nervous. She stretched her neck and looked around her, asking, ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re being followed?!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t turn around!¡± Renee reminded Margaret. ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend that it¡¯s all fine and just walk ahead.¡± Margaret swallowed her saliva, fearing the worst. She wrapped her arms around Renee and told her, ¡°Could it be your enemy trying to take revenge on you? I¡¯ll protect you, Miss Renee, but you must find an escape route immediately!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Renee calmly told Margaret. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s my enemy, because they wouldn¡¯t follow us this far without doing anything.¡± ¡°Then who could it be?¡± Margaret wondered aloud. As they were about to turn a corner, Renee suddenly stopped, and with her back towards that shadowy figure who had been hiding from her, she yelled, ¡°Stop hiding! I know you¡¯ve been following me, so just show yourself! ¡ö Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. As expected, a tall well-built man d in ck clothes and with a peaked cap on his head slowly walked out from behind a standing sign. Never would Renee have expected that her stalker turned out to be Stefan Hunt¡¯s best friend, Cecilia Smith¡¯s loyal defender, and the eldest son of the Stuart family-Xavier Stuart. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Xavier was humiliated when he found out that Renee had discovered him. He started cursing irritably, ¡°Sh*t! How the f*ck did you find out?! I tried to be as covert as humanly possible¡ªI even held my breath!¡¯ Renee folded her arms and looked Xavier up and down, then gave him a look that suggested he was a complete moron before exining, ¡°It¡¯s broad daylight, and you¡¯re wearing all ck. You¡¯ve also been following me too closely, not to mention how you chose such a stupid and obvious hiding ce, and you ask me how I found out?¡± Xavier realized that Renee¡¯s analysis was wlessly logical, so he scratched his nose in embarrassment and grumbled, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say pregnant women are absent-minded? Your mind seems pretty sharp to me! You reacted pretty quickly.¡± It was then Renee¡¯s turn to panic. ¡°Who¡¯s pregnant?¡± she hastily asked, acting dumb. ¡°Was it you? Ha! I didn¡¯t know you were that crazy!¡± Xavier rolled his eyes. In normal circumstances, he would have exploded in rage, but he reminded himself of the reason why he followed Renee and considered the fact that Renee was pregnant, so he kept his temper under control. ¡°Stop pretending,¡± he told her. ¡°I¡¯ve been following you since you came to the hospital and went into the obstetrics department. I know you¡¯re pregnant¡­¡¯ ¡°You!¡± Renee did not know what else to say. Her breathing quickened, and she started to get anxious. Now that Xavier had found out she was pregnant, he might inform his best friend Stefan, and then it would all be an ugly mess! ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Xavier assured her in a firm voice. ¡°I¡¯m no tattletale. I won¡¯t tell Stefan about your pregnancy.¡± This took Renee by surprise. As far as she knew, Xavier was obviously prone to prattling. How did he turn into such a reasonable person all of a sudden? Something very fishy must be going on here! ¡°After all,¡± Xavier continued, ¡°Stefan just got a divorce from you not too long ago, and you¡¯ve already gone on and got pregnant with that Osborne dude¡¯s child. This will be a huge blow to my friend¡¯s ego, and I don¡¯t want to see him suffer like that.¡± This concern of his was borne out of the series of events that happened after Stefan got his heart broken many years ago. Back then, after Cecilia dumped him, not only did Stefan torment himself, he even dragged his best friend Xavier along to suffer with him. And now that Stefan had fallen for his ex-wife Renee, Xavier could not imagine what would happen if Stefan found out she was pregnant with another man¡¯s child, so quickly after their divorce! It would surely be catastrophic! That was precisely why he did not need Renee to ask him not to reveal this- because Xavier himself would take this secret to his grave! ¡°I see!¡± Renee could not help but smile. It was clear what Xavier thought of her. Immediately after finding out that she was pregnant, he took it for granted that the babies in her belly were another man¡¯s, not Stefan¡¯s. But that was fine with her since she could rest easy now. She wondered what Stefan would do when he learned the truth about their children one day. Would he thank this best friend of his for keeping the secret? She cleared her throat and said, ¡°I wanted to keep my pregnancy with Liam Osborne¡¯s child a secret all along because I¡¯m nning to leave this ce, with my baby and Liam in tow, and live elsewhere. After all, I was Stefan Hunt¡¯s wife for four years. If I start building a perfect family with a house full of children while he is still single and lonely, then it would really hurt his feelings, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Damn right it would!¡± yelled Xavier. He then sternly warned Renee, ¡°If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯d do well not to reveal your pregnancy before my friend finds a new woman! Otherwise, I¡¯ll never leave you in peace!¡± Renee stifled a smile and maintained a serious expression on her face as she nodded and assured Xavier, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let anyone know about it. Boasting is not my habit anyway.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. She started to realize that although this idiot tended to have a potty mouth, he was actually quite an earnest guy and a loyal friend, which Renee found adorable. Still¡­ Why was this guy following her around like a weirdo? ¡°Tell me the truth,¡± she began to ask bluntly. ¡°Why did you follow me like that? If you don¡¯t give me a reason, I¡¯ll make sure to start a habit of boasting around your friend Stefan! Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Chapter 276 Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Xavier briefly touched his nose in awkwardness. He was not so insolent now, and he acted rather uneasily and awkwardly. Humph! After all, he had a favor to ask, and he had to beg the woman he looked down the most. Of course, he felt like he had lost face. ¡°Are you free now? I¡¯ll buy you coffee.¡± Xavier hesitated for a long while before he asked her that. Renee smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Stuart, am I not your friend? Do you want to poison my coffee?¡± She was well aware of Xavier¡¯s attitude toward her. He never regarded her seriously, and he always found her an eyesore. However, he offered a symbol of peace by taking the novelxo initiative to invite her for coffee. That was indeed strange. Consequently, Xavier¡¯s handsome face soon fell, and he said angrily, ¡°Am I such a mean and vulgar man to you?¡± Renee raised her brows and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Why, you!¡± Xavier was greatly infuriated, and he flew into a rage. He eximed violently, ¡°I¡¯m a righteous man. I¡¯m not despicable enough to use ush dirty tricks. I¡¯ve long regarded you as an eyesore, and I hope you¡¯ll leave Stefan. But at most, I just curse you quietly. I¡¯ll never use such a mean trick as to drug you!¡± He was very angry but tried his best to suppress his wrath and exin it to her seriously. Hence, Renee was rather amused. She decided to stop teasing him and said generously, ¡°Well, sure. I¡¯ll force myself to give you a chance.¡± They decided to go to Starfee next door. ¡°Miss Ren!¡± Margaret frowned and became vignt as she red at Xavier. Smiling, Renee assured her. ¡°Margaret, just go home. He¡¯s my friend. It¡¯s okay.¡± Friend? That word sounded casual, but it felt like a great surprise to Xavier. Powerful emotions engulfed him in that instant. He stole a nce at her with his slender and pretty eyes. When he noticed her gaze, he quickly averted his gaze as if he was caught red-handed. His heartbeat inexplicably quickened. Renee¡­ addressed him as her friend. He was so rude to her, and he always raised sarcastic remarks. However, she did not hold a grudge against him and treated him as her friend. For a moment, he felt very embarrassed about himself. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be careful even if he¡¯s your friend!¡± Margaret stared at Xavier with hostility. She stated, ¡°People always frame their friends nowadays. What¡¯s more, this person looks like a frivolous man. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s not some kind of good person.¡± Xavier¡¯s handsome face was distorted out of fury, but he could not vent his anger on an elder. Hence, he clenched his fists and hurriedly defended himself. ¡°Madam, that¡¯s not very nice. Why aren¡¯t I a good man? Check out the charity donation lists these years. I¡¯m always at the top of the list. I even helped olddies to cross the road, saved the kids who were drowned, and helped stray cats find their homes. Of course. I¡¯m a good guy. ¡ö ¡°Umm¡­¡± For a moment, Margaret did not know how to react to that. She never saw anyone who was so serious like that. She wondered why he behaved like a child. Renee noticed him rolling up his sleeves to try and convince Margaret. She immediately held his arm and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I know that you¡¯re a good guy!¡± He was struck speechless. He was rambling, but even that soon stopped. He looked at Renee¡¯s fair and slim hand on his arm. He was lost in a daze, and he was rooted to the ground Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Umm¡­ What did Renee mean? Why did she hold his arm for no reason? Besides, her fingers were so slender, and her palm was so soft that it instantly softened his heart. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Xavier¡¯s mind ran wild, and his thoughts went slightly out of control. He quickly shook his head and forcefully withdrew his arm. He said rather unfriendly, ¡°What are you doing? Men and women are different. Although I¡¯m very charming, you¡¯d better behave yourself and don¡¯t touch me.¡± Renee became quite helpless, but she saw that as a joke. So, she hurriedly agreed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll behave myself. Mr. Stuart, please stop being so charming! ¡ö In the past, all she was aware of were his mean remarks. It was only now that she realized that he was actually rather amusing. It seemed pretty beneficial to befriend such a person. They went to Starfee and sat at a table by the window. Xavier ordered an iced Americano, while Renee got herself a warm Cappino. Renee sipped her coffee and found that it was still the taste she liked. It instantly uplifted her spirits. ¡°Spill it. What favor do you need from me?¡± She did not beat around the bush and questioned. Xavier was shocked, and he almost spat out his coffee. He asked, ¡°How¡­ How did you know that I needed a favor?¡± ¡°I know you. Why would you be so polite if you didn¡¯t have a favor to ask? You would have mocked me and never bought me coffee.¡± Xavier soon had a new impression of her, given her analysis. He narrowed his eyes slightly and sized Renee up for a long time, scrutinizing her. He then said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a good insight before and failed to notice how smart you are. I thought that you were just a mindless, pretty face who survived solely by clinging to the Hunt family¡­ No wonder! Stefan is such a picky person, but he took such a fancy to you.¡± She raised her brows and felt that he was just teasing her. Humph! How would Stefan take a fancy to her? He would just be angry. ¡°Stop ttering me. Just tell me what it is. As for whether I¡¯ll help you or not, it¡¯ll depend on my mood,¡± Renee replied straightforwardly. Xavier heaved a long sigh before he borated, ¡°I¡¯m in a very troublesomewsuit. There¡¯s only one person who can win this case in Beach City, and that¡¯s Zack from Hunts & Co. Law Firm.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Renee snapped her finger. ¡°Youmitted a crime, and you want Mr. Rosenwell to help you of it. Am I right?¡± ¡°No!¡± Xavier roared, infuriated by Renee. ¡°It has nothing to do with me, but that woman died at my ce. As the person in charge of that ce, that woman¡¯s family members sued me and requested I be held responsible. ¡°Someone framed me. They weren¡¯t willing to resolve it in private, no matter how much I spent, and they even asked for protection from the police officers. Even if I want to use special means, I don¡¯t have such a chance¡­ I got into such a mess!¡± While talking, he ruffled his hair in frustration. He almost copsed from all the mess. Renee lowered her eyes and ruminated on it for a while before she asked,¡± What¡¯s the reason for her death?¡± ¡°The police investigation found out that she had injected too much of that substance into her body, so her body couldn¡¯t take it, and she died suddenly n He then added furiously, ¡°Damn! She indulged in herself too much and died. It has nothing to do with me. Why did they ask me to be responsible for it? I¡¯m so unlucky!¡± ¡°Of course, you have to be held responsible because she died at your ce. You¡¯ll even have to assume criminal responsibility if you were found to be the ones who provided the substance, or if she took it under your encouragement¡­¡± ¡°Okay, stop it!¡¯ Xavier became increasingly anxious. He uttered angrily, ¡°So, that¡¯s why I came to beg for your help cheekily. Based on the previous cases, there¡¯s only one chance of victory in this kind of situation, and Zack was thewyer. So¡­ Just tell him to help me!¡± If he were not left with no options, he would not have used that method. It was too humiliating. Renee answered with a faint smile, ¡°Sure, I can help you, but I have one condition. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 Chapter 278 When Xavier found that there was hope after all, his eyes lit up. He immediately said, ¡°What¡¯s your condition? Just tell me whatever you want as long as you can help me win thiswsuit!¡¯ Renee did not beat around the bush either, and she said directly, ¡°I want to rent the piece ofnd belonging to your family in the southern suburbs for thirty years.¡± Considered one of the eight major families, the Stuarts mainly dabbled in real estate. Although they focused on only one industry, their financial resources were particrly strong. The Stuart family gained a lot ofnd in the earlier years because of their great connections, which resulted in them constructing numerous famous luxury neighborhoods andmercial centers. However, although the piece ofnd situated in the southern suburbs of Beach City was asrge as 1500 square feet, its development value was low because it was located in a very remote ce, and it had been left vacant. Tall grass now overgrew the empty plot. During those years, the Stuart family kept that piece ofnd due to a depression in the real estate industry as well as the fact that no one could take over it. If one did, it would be a certain waste of money, and they would only suffer losses. Renee¡¯s request¡­ was rather strange. ¡°Why do you want that piece? It¡¯s trouble, so no one dares to take it.¡± Xavier took a sip of coffee and asked curiously. Renee smiled. She thought, ¡®He¡¯s pretty honest because he doesn¡¯t hesitate to talk bad about his family.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not your concern. So, is that yes or no?¡± Renee replied mysteriously. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to pass it to you if you want it. Anyone who invests in that ce will suffer a great loss. I sincerely suggest that you do not take over that piece ofnd. If you want to invest in real estate, my family has some better lots for you to consider.¡¯ Xavier added loyally. He subconsciously regarded her as his friend after she imed that he was her friend, and one wasn¡¯t about to shortchange one¡¯s friend. Renee shook her head and said firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t need anything else but that piece ofnd. If you promise me, I¡¯ll immediately ask Zack to sign a contract with you and be your defense attorney.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± When he noticed how straightforward she was, he behaved in the same way too, and said, ¡®Til rent it to you at the lowest price. You¡¯re bold, but don¡¯t me me if you can¡¯t develop it.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± She raised her coffee cup to him. Unexpectedly, everything had gone so smoothly. She thought Xavier was the hardest to persuade, but it turned out that he was the easiest to talk to. As expected, one could never judge a book by its cover. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Xavier only grew more curious about Renee. He stared at her as if it was the first time he had met her. He sighed with sentimental feelings, ¡°Why do I feel that you¡¯re nicer to look at after your divorce? Do you know how annoying you were when you acted like an obedient rich wife in the past?¡± Renee raised her brows and replied, ¡°Yeah, I felt that my world became wonderful after the divorce. All the people I met were nice. In the past¡­ I was just everyone¡¯s punching bag. I was never liked; it was as if the identity as Stefan¡¯s wife was some kind of sin.¡¯ During these years when she was married to Stefan, she led a careful and humble life. She carefully and meticulously tried to please everyone, but everyone treated her with disdain. On the contrary, the servants who bullied her in the past started respecting her after the divorce. Even her mother-inw and sister-inw, who used to scold her, did not dare to offend her now. Xavier, who always rolled his eyes at her and mocked her, also began to chat with her happily. ¡°I feel that my bad luck is the result of no one else but Stefan. As long as I leave him, my good energy will return to me, and my life will be normal.¡± With a bitter smile, Renee borated sincerely. ¡®Humph! If Stefan heard that, he would be greatly infuriated¡­¡¯ Xavier added, ¡°He¡¯s taken a fancy to you now, but you ceased to like him. You guys have different tempos, so you¡¯re destined to be an unhappy couple.¡± However, Renee sneered and said, ¡°You¡¯re kidding! He doesn¡¯t take a fancy to me. It¡¯s just his temporary possessiveness.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Xavier sighed and said, ¡°Stefan doesn¡¯t have much experience in love. He doesn¡¯t even know if he¡¯s taken a fancy to you, though there¡¯s one thing we can be sure of. He¡¯s been paying much attention to you these days and even asked me for the techniques for pursuing women. He even jotted them down. He ims he wants to acquire your heart. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Chapter 279 ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee spat out her coffee and immediately wiped her lips. She said in disbelief, ¡°He¡¯s Mr. Iceberg, but he asked you for advice regarding these dishonest practices? Are you guysedians? You must be kidding!¡± ¡¯I¡¯m not. I taught him my special skills of pursuing women. He¡¯s probably gained a lot of insights¡­¡± He enthusiastically described his women-chasing techniques to her when he reached that point. Afterparing them, she found that it was indeed simr to Stefan¡¯s recent odd behavior. For a moment, she was quite helpless. ¡°Ha! Ha! How hrious! No wonder he applied for another ount and chatted with me every day. He even promised to give me money. As for the other women, he¡­ It turns out that there¡¯s a set of techniques behind it!¡± At first, she was angry at Stefan. But when she found that he was doing exactly what Xavier had taught him, she suddenly felt that this insensitive man was just too adorable. It couldn¡¯t help but abate her anger. ¡°No one knows. Although he imed he¡¯s pursuing you because he hopes you can withdraw your lawsuit against Briar, I feel he more or less cares about you. If not, he won¡¯t do such a humble and shameful thing given his tough character.¡± So, it was because of Briar¡­ Renee soon regained her wits and replied faintly, ¡°Whatever¡­ After all, it¡¯s all over now¡­¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Xavia nodded and made a guess. ¡°Cecy has broken up with Chris, so I think Stefan will get back together with her. After all, they loved each other very much previously.¡± Renee was in a slight daze before she said, ¡°Then I wish them happiness.¡± Xavier said, ¡°We¡¯re friends from today onward. Let bygones be bygones. I also wish you and Liam happiness. After all, you guys have a baby now. You guys are faster.¡± Renee made no reply. She smiled and said nothing else. Yeah, that might be the best ending. As expected, Zack was as capable as he came, sessfully winning thatwsuit for Xavier. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He found a piece of key evidence to prove that the woman was suffering from heart disease. The main reason for her death was because of her illness, and the minor reason was that she had consumed a special drug. As the person in charge of that ce, Xavier¡¯s ce had to be suspended for half a month for rectification purposes. He also needed to pay a fine. However, Xavier still gave a great sum ofpensation to that woman¡¯s family out of pity. ¡°Murderer! You guys are murderers!¡± ¡°Ruthless judge andwyer! You guys will be punished. You¡¯ll be haunted by my daughter!¡± After the victim¡¯s parents gained the result of the judgment, they immediately made scene in court, copsing and wailing. Renee was free, so she attended the trial. Stefan happened to be there too. However, she did not greet him at all. It was as if she did not know him. After the trial was over, she went to Zack and was about to return to thew firm with him when someone stopped them in their tracks. ¡®Let¡¯s eat together. I haven¡¯t thanked you guys properly for helping me out, keeping me out of jail.¡± Xavier stood before them and invited them enthusiastically. At first, Renee wanted to refuse him, but Xavier answered enthusiastically.¡± Sure, this case wasn¡¯t easy. You should treat us to a feast.¡± Hence, the four of them left. Their figures were reflected in the eyes of the dead girl, who was full of hatred¡­ Chapter 280 Chapter 280 Chapter 280 They went to a western restaurant that featured a very refreshing and elegant environment. At first, both Xavier and Zack did not get along well with each other, but after thatwsuit, they became good buddies and had a very close rtionship. ¡® Mr. Rosenwell, let me raise a toast to you. I would¡¯ve been ruined if it weren¡¯t for your eloquent speech that helped me win this case. My father would¡¯ve had a field day, beating me to death!¡± Xavier held his ss of wine up to Zack. However, Zack never forgot about Renee, his boss. He hurriedly said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I¡¯m just my boss¡¯s employee. I wouldn¡¯t have fought in your case without her permission.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s toast to Renee!¡± Zack raised his ss of wine to Renee and said half-jokingly, ¡°I won¡¯t see you as a young married woman who doesn¡¯t know anything. I¡¯ll call you¡­ Ren. What do you think?¡± While talking, he sang casually. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re my darling¡­ You¡¯re the moon high up in the sky¡­¡± Hearing that, Renee was overjoyed, and she smiled broadly. Even her eyes turned smiley. ¡°Sure, Xavier. I didn¡¯t expect you to sing so well. I was moved.¡± ¡® Now you know!¡± When he mentioned that topic, he became eager and started rambling.¡± Back then, in our circle, I was famous for being the singer of romantic songs. I was good at singing and writing tunes. Women went crazy for me, and I nearly made a debut. I even wrote songs for a famous singer. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Stefan¡­¡± Xavier turned to Stefan, who was sitting beside him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Stefan? You¡¯ve got to testify for me.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Stefan lowered his head to cut the steak elegantly. However, he wore a cold expression, giving off a sense of distant nobility. He seemed to be slightly unhappy as he cut the steak forcefully. He then snorted and said, ¡°You talk so much. Why didn¡¯t you join a talk show?¡± ¡°Stefan, do you have to¡­¡± Xavier became slightly awkward. ¡°I¡¯m always so talkative. You know that. When did I offend you? Why are you angry for no reason?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry!¡± Stefan was munching the steak and replied coldly. The steak that day was quite hard. He was very annoyed while eating it. ¡°You have such a bad temper. You¡¯re just angry. Are you jealous because I talked to Ren more?¡± Xavier asked seriously, but in exchange, Stefan shot him a cold re. He was giving Xavier a warning. ¡®If you say any more nonsense, I¡¯ll throw my knife at you instead.¡¯ Renee felt slightly awkward, so she immediately gulped some orange juice to hide her awkwardness. At the same time, she muttered inwardly, ¡®Stefan is jealous because of me? That won¡¯t be!¡¯ Stefan put down the knife and fork before he picked up a napkin to wipe his lips. He red at Xavier fiercely and coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you always find her an eyesore? Why are you showing off now?¡± Xavier quickly answered, ¡°Stefan, that¡¯s not right. I¡¯m not showing off. Ren and I are good friends that care for each other. She admitted to it too¡­ Isn¡¯t that right, Ren?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Renee did him the honor and nodded. She said, ¡°We became friends for life after you bought me coffee. After that cup of coffee, you and I are friends forever.¡± The most important thing was that Xavier was very straightforward. He leased that 1500 square-foot piece ofnd to her just like that. Besides, the rent was so cheap. Indeed, it was a rare urrence in a world where greed got the better of everyone. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 Chapter 281 ¡°Hmph!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression became even darker, and he even snorted in disdain. As for why he was angry, even he couldn¡¯t tell! It¡¯s just that, whenever he saw Renee being close with another man, he would feel angry! ¡°What are you snorting at? Bro, you said you¡¯re not jealous, but your face simply screams jealousy¡­¡± Xavier exined, ¡°Yes, I used to dislike Ren, but that¡¯s only because I thought she was a scheming woman who clung onto you and wouldn¡¯t let go, a parasitic flower that could only survive under the shelter of the Hunt family. I thought she was a hindrance to you finding true happiness¡­¡± ¡°But now that you¡¯re divorced, I realize that Ren is actually really capable. Not only does she manage the Hunt and Co. Law Firm and the Azure Group remarkably well, she now wants to getnd from me, presumably to do something big. She¡¯s not a soft and weak parasitic flower at all, but a strong and unyielding poisonous flower!¡± Before Xavier had even finished praising Renee, Zack immediately piled on the praises, ¡°Ain¡¯t that right. Our boss is super talented, resourceful, and meticulous. All three of us Hunt and Co. partners willingly follow her lead now. And I¡¯ve never seen thew firm employees work so enthusiastically before. Thew firm finally stops looking like a retirement home. This is all thanks to our boss¡¯ unmatched charisma!¡± Renee felt a bit embarrassed being praised like that. She waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I just have a lot of energy to spare because I recently regained my freedom. It¡¯s nothing special¡­¡± Stefan caught the key point among the string of praises. He asked Renee with a frown, ¡°You got some land from Xavier? What do you n to do with it?¡± ¡°Sorry, I have no obligation to inform you about that, Mr. Hunt.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to set up a production center?¡± ¡°How clever of you, Mr. Hunt, but¡­ your guess is only half right.¡± Renee said meaningfully, ¡°The Azure Group will not remain just a manufacturer forever. We¡¯ll also expand into the core business.¡± ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind!¡± Stefan thought Renee was crazy. He said coldly, ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing? What kind of problem you¡¯re gonna face? What kind of risk you¡¯re taking?¡± ? ? Stefan¡¯s interrogating questions were so sharp that Renee felt a bit overwhelmed and did not know how to respond. She could not understand why he was so emotional. Was he afraid that Azure Group would grow so big that it would take away H Group¡¯s market share? If so, that¡¯s some seriousck of confidence! Xavier could not help teasing him, ¡°Bro, it¡¯s none of your business. Don¡¯t forget that you two are divorced now. She can do whatever she wants, whether it¡¯s falling in love or investing in something. As for what risks she¡¯s taking and if she can deal with the consequences, it¡¯s got nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, why should I care?¡± Stefan stood up and said expressionlessly, ¡°I¡¯m done eating. Goodbye!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Then, he just left. The atmosphere instantly became extremely awkward. Xavier looked at Renee and Zack apologetically and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he¡¯s a bit grumpy. He¡¯s not normally like this!¡± Renee and Zack looked at each other and nodded in understanding. ¡°No need to exin. We all know how he is.¡± So, dinner went on with the three of them taking turns roasting Stefan¡­ They parted ways after the meal. Zack and Renee were going in the opposite direction while Xavier happened to be going the same way as Renee, so Renee took Xavier¡¯s car home. The two of them chatted happily in the car, oblivious to the impending crisis¡­ Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Chapter 282 The car arrived at the Everheart Residence. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Xavier stopped the car and looked around. ¡°This ce is pretty nice, but it¡¯s not very lively. I even heard it¡¯s haunted and that¡¯s why the previous owner moved away. Aren¡¯t you scared staying in such a large ce by yourself?¡± Renee smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be scared of? Humans are much scarier than ghosts. I¡¯m not even scared of humans, so why would I be scared of ghosts?¡± She unfastened her seat belt, opened the door, and was about to get off the car. Xavier stared at her and suddenly felt like he wanted to spend more time with her. He couldn¡¯t help but ask cheekily, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in for a cup of tea?¡± Renee turned around with a gentle smile on her face. She said calmly, ¡°Sure. I happen to have some high quality Earl Grey.¡± Her smile was like a blooming red rose, charming and brilliant. It captivated Xavier¡­ Xavier suddenly became shy. He moved his gaze away unnaturally and cleared his throat. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± The two got off the car and went into the Everheart Residence. These days, the Everheart Residence was no longer as run-down as it used to be, thanks to the joint efforts of Renee and Margaret. The overgrown weeds had turned into a sea of flowers. It looked like a fairnd. ¡°Wow! This house looks ordinary from the outside, so I didn¡¯t expect it to look so refreshing and elegant inside. This looks like a noble¡¯s garden¡­¡± Xavier took a deep breath and stretched with pleasure. He asked without any shame, ¡°Do you have any spare room in the house? Can Ie and stay for a few days? I¡¯ll pay ten times the rate of a 5 - star hotel¡­¡± ¡°You have no idea how much stress I¡¯m in recently due to thewsuit. I really need to rx. I think your house is a much better ce to rx the mind and body than any resort out there.¡± Xavierpletely made himself at home, as if he was returning to his own house. ¡°You really have no shame! Don¡¯t push it!¡± While saying that, Renee opened a cupboard and took out her treasured Earl Grey to make tea for Xavier. Margaret was not in ¨C she probably went out to do grocery ¨C so there were only the two of them in the large vi. But for some reason, Renee did not feel awkward at all. There were noplicated emotions, as if she was merely meeting up with an old friend. Perhaps Stefan was the only person in the world who could make her feel awkward and give her complicated emotions. Renee was very skilled in brewing tea. After filtering the tea leaves with a tea filter, she poured the tea into a purple ceramic teacup. Wisps of smoke curled up from the cup, filling the air with a faint aroma. Xavier carefully gave it a sip and praised, ¡°What a good tea!¡± ¡°d you like it.¡± Renee also sipped her cup of tea. Her every move and smile was elegant. Frankly speaking, she was actually quite grateful to Xavier because he was willing to rent her thend at a low price, which would help her tremendously. Even if he did not mention the cup of tea, she had nned to treat him to one anyway. The tea room was located on the second floor. It had arge French window that provided a great view of the back garden. In the back garden,rge patches of golden sunflowers shook in the wind. The scenery made one feel rxed and happy. ¡°Your sunflowers are blooming brilliantly. I remember the Hunt Vi used to have lots of sunflowers too¡­ You really do love sunflowers, just as Stefan said. Do sunflowers have any special meaning to you?¡± Xavier asked curiously while admiring the sunflowers. ¡°They don¡¯t have any special meaning.¡± Renee sipped her tea slowly and exined nonchntly, ¡°I used to like sunflowers because of their flowernguage, but now, I like sunflowers because I think they have a strong character. No matter how bad the environment is, they always grow towards the sun. It¡¯s very inspiring!¡± ¡°What¡¯s thenguage of sunflowers?¡± Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Xavier asked further. Renee smiled and did not answer. She merely lowered her head and sipped her tea. ¡°If you won¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll just look it up myself.¡± Xavier took out his phone and typed in the relevant keywords in the search engine. He quickly got the answer he was looking for, which he read out loud, ¡°Thenguage of sunflowers is: ¡°You¡¯re the only one in my eyes¡±¡­ Is that how you feel about Stefan?¡± ? ? Renee turned away and stared at the sea of sunflowers, maintaining her silence. Xavier was very untactful and insisted on getting to the bottom of things. ¡°So you actually love Stefan that much. He¡¯s the only one in your eyes. I thought you just love his money and status!¡± Renee shook her head and denied it, ¡°Correction. I used to love him so much that he¡¯s the only one in my eyes. Now, I¡¯ve woken up from that dream. I realize now there¡¯s plenty of fish in the ocean. I¡¯ve already vacated my heart; it¡¯s ready to receive the right person when hees along!¡± ¡°Hold up!¡± Xavier keenly captured the key point. He asked, ¡°You said you¡¯ve emptied your heart and it¡¯s ready to receive the right person when hees along¡­ meaning, you haven¡¯t met the right person yet?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee swallowed hard. She realized that she had said something wrong. After all, as far as Xavier knew, she should be pregnant with Liam¡¯s child. How could she possibly not have met ¡°the right person¡± yet? ¡°There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed. Sometimes it happens in the heat of the moment. It¡¯s normal¡­¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Xavier expressed his understanding of Renee¡¯s situation as someone who had experience in these matters. He added, ¡°I can tell with one look that there¡¯s only lust and no love between you and Liam. Liam Osborne is just a brat. He¡¯s even more immature than I am. If you wanna know what I think, I think you should just get an abortion and break up with Liam as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Oh, umm¡­ I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Renee secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She was still stressing about how to exin herself, but fortunately, Xavier had already thought of an excuse for her. ¡°I¡¯ll give abortion some serious thoughts, so¡­ you have to help me keep the pregnancy a secret, for the sake of our close friendship. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be hard for me to re-marry anyone!¡± Renee took the opportunity to remind Xavier again. ¡°You can¡¯t let Stefan know that I¡¯m pregnant! ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t have a big mouth.¡± Xavier was quiet after saying that. Certain emotions seemed to be surging deep inside him. He took a deep breath and waited for a long time before pretending to probe casually, ¡°So, from what you said, it sounds like you¡¯repletely over Stefan now, while you and Liam were just a spur of the moment thing. Does that mean there¡¯s no special someone in your heart currently?¡± Renee¡¯s heart raised her eyebrows and said somewhat casually, ¡° You can say that.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve vacated your heart, does that mean¡­ you might fall in love with another man in the future?¡± ¡°If I do meet the right person, I¡¯d like to experience a magnificent love.¡± Although she had been severely hurt by love, Renee¡¯s heart did not falter. She still believed in love and looked forward to love¡­ ¡°Then, I¡­¡± Xavier was about to say something. But Renee suddenly frowned and said with an alert expression, ¡± Xavier, do you smell something strange?¡± Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Chapter 284 Xavier took a deep breath and said casually, ¡°Nope. I only smell tea. 11 ¡°No!¡± Renee¡¯s senses had always been sharp. She frowned and said, ¡°I think I smell smoke, and it¡¯s really strong!¡± ¡°Smoke?¡± Xavier inhaled again, and this time, he could indeed detect the smell of smoke, but he did not think much of it. He waved away her concern and said, ¡°Who cares? Maybe your neighbor¡¯s having a barbecue party.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go outside to take a look.¡± Renee could not sit still any longer. She immediately stood up and went out of the tea room to investigate. ¡°Ah!¡± What she saw shocked her. The ground floor was on fire, and the fire was spreading to the second floor along the stairs. The entire house was filled with smoke. ¡°Holy crap, why is the house on fire?!¡± Xavier was shocked too. The fire was getting fiercer and seemed to have spread everywhere. The staircase was made purely out of wood, so it hadpletely caught fire and looked like it was about to copse. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°What should we do? We have to get out of here, now¡­¡± Xavier was nervous. He squatted down, pointed to his back and told Renee, ¡°Hurry, I¡¯ll carry you downstairs!¡± Renee was slightly stunned. She did not expect him to stay and help her. The first thing he thought of in the face of disaster was not to run as hard as he could, but to save her first¡­ She would remember this favor. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that the stairs are about to copse? We¡¯ll die if we take the stairs.¡± Renee looked at the spreading fire and calmly analyzed the situation. ¡°Then what should we do? We¡¯ll die if we just stay here too¡­ Shit, the fire is spreading really quickly. If we don¡¯t run now, we¡¯ll actually die!¡± Xavier was so anxious that he was sweating all over. He wished he could just knock Renee out and carry her away. After all, Renee was pregnant. She was like a delicate flower in a greenhouse which must be carefully protected. But why was she so calm about this whole situation? As a pregnant woman, she should be worried! ¡°The fire hasn¡¯t reached the second floor yet. Come inside first.¡± Renee pulled Xavier into the tea room and mmed the door shut. The tea room was big and had good venttion. Therge windows were their only escape route now. Renee did not panic in the face of danger. She tore two pieces of cloth and wet them. She used one to covered her mouth and nose and handed the other to Xavier, telling him, ¡°We can try escaping through the window!¡± Xavier ran to the window. He saw that it was not very high and there were footholds that they could use to climb down. A tall, healthy man like him could reach the ground safely if he was careful. ¡°Good idea¡­¡± Xavier squatted down again and gestured with his head for her to climb on. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Hurry up, or we¡¯ll be in trouble when the fire reaches us!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Renee firmly refused. ¡°It¡¯ll take too long for you to carry me downstairs, not too mention too dangerous. Why don¡¯t you climb down alone first and look for help?¡± Although the window was not very high and the climb was not that difficult, it would be a different story if he was carrying someone on his back. She did not want to be a burden to him. ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m not a coward! I¡¯m not gonna run away by myself and leave a pregnant woman here to die! I can¡¯t do that¡­¡± Xavier urged, ¡°Stop wasting time and hop on. I¡¯m actually a skilled rock climber, so it won¡¯t be a problem for me.¡± The fire burned ever fiercer. Even the tea room¡¯s door was burning by now, pouring ck smoke and embers into the room. The situation was pressing¡­ Renee touched her belly. There were two living beings inside, so she did not dare take risks. Therefore, she steeled herself and climbed onto Xavier¡¯s back. She put her arms around the man¡¯s neck, held on tightly and thanked him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave my life and my babies¡¯ lives in your hands!¡± Xavier took a deep breath and said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure we all get out of here safe and sound!¡± Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Xavier climbed out of the window with Renee on his back. Due to the weight he was carrying, every step he took was careful andborious. His arms needed a lot of strength just to hold on¡­ Smoke billowed and mes raged, ¡°pursuing¡± them like the Grim Reaper. Xavier moved down one step at a time. Sweat dripped down his face like rain, wetting his clothes. Bulging veins could be seen on his handsome face that was flushed red from using too much force. He was obviously having a really difficult time and was rapidly running out of stamina. They were now between the first floor and the second floor. The zing fire was above them and the hard ground was below them. Xavier could have just jumped down if it wasn¡¯t for Renee. However, with Renee on his back, he could only descend step by step, which meant that they were escaping rather slowly. They were stuck in the middle at the moment, unable to move up or down. They did not know what to do. Renee was touched and felt bad for Xavier, so she said while choking back tears, ¡° Xavier, if you can¡¯t hang on anymore, just jump down. That way¡­ at least one of us will survive! ¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Xavier¡¯s voice was hoarse. He said with much difficulty, ¡°If you know I¡¯m having a hard time, stop being annoying. It¡¯ll be over soon!¡± He looked around and finally found a foothold, but he no longer had any strength left. He told Renee through gritted teeth, ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll put you on the air-con box. You should be able to climb down from there¡­¡± ¡°But what about you? The air-con box can only fit one person. If you put me over there, would you have any foothold?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be right behind you!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. You¡¯re too heavy, I can¡¯t hang on any longer. Go!¡± Xavier shouted impatiently. Then, using his body like a bridge, he transferred Renee to the nearby air-con box. Renee stopped hesitating. She grabbed the box and carefully climbed down from it. At a crucial moment like this, every second was valuable. The earlier she reached the ground, the higher their chances of living¡­ Normally, climbing down from this height was a trifle for a healthy and agile woman like her. But now, she had to be mindful of the children in her belly, so she had to move carefully. She did not dare to perform any big movement. ¡°I did it! I did it!¡± After some struggle, Renee finally seeded in reaching the ground.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Although some parts of the ground were also burning, it was an open space, so it was much less dangerous here than it was indoors. ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be right there!¡± Xavier also heaved a sigh of relief. He adjusted his position, preparing to jump down. Unfortunately, the fire was so strong that it destroyed the air-con box. Before Xavier could jump off, his body was already burned by the fire. He fell to the ground together with the box. ¡°Shit!¡± Xavier¡¯s foot was broken, smashed by the air-con box. He could not move it at all. Renee quickly went over to support him, ¡°It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. The fire is spreading too quickly. You have to run away by yourself!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee lifted him up with much difficulty and novelxo they staggered through the mes. ¡°You stupid woman, let me go! I don¡¯t need a woman to save me! It¡¯s¡­ embarrassing!¡± The thicker the smoke, the weaker Xavier became. In his blurry vision, Renee¡¯s thin and petite body seemed so determined and strong. It made his heart flutter. ¡°Give it up, Xavier! I won¡¯t leave you behind, just like you wouldn¡¯t leave me behind earlier! I¡¯ll definitely save you!¡± With Renee¡¯s fierce voice still ringing in his ears, Xavier passed out¡­ Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Renee dragged the unconscious Xavier through the raging fire and managed to escape with much difficulty. She waspletely exhausted. Shey on the ground with Xavier, panting heavily. She looked up at the blue sky with the cool wind brushing against her skin. Life had never felt so valuable to Renee! A fire engine approached the scene. A team of firemen got out and prepared the equipment to put out the fire. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Paramedics dressed in white carried a stretcher towards Renee and Xavier. Renee quickly got up and said, distressed, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Please help him. His leg is broken and he needs immediate treatment!¡± ¡°He got injured trying to save me. You have to save him no matter what. Please¡­¡± Renee grabbed the paramedic¡¯s arm and cried. She had just examined Xavier a bit and could tell how severely hurt he was. She could clearly feel the dislocation of his right calf bone. If he became a cripple, she would never be able to forgive herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do our best to save him.¡± The paramedicforted Renee and carried Xavier, who had passed out, onto the ambnce. At first, Renee wanted to hop on too, but when she looked back, she saw her home that had been burned to pieces, and it pained her immensely. She suddenly recalled something, and her small face went taut. Without saying a word, she tried to rush into the sea of fire. ¡°What are you doing, ma¡¯am? It¡¯s too dangerous. Please stay away from the fire!¡± A firefighter stepped forward to stop her. Renee ignored his warning and screamed, ¡°My stuff! Things that are very important to me are still in there! I have to go get them!¡± ¡°The fire is too strong. If you go in there now, you¡¯ll get killed. No matter how important those things are, they¡¯re not as important as your life. Please don¡¯t put yourself in danger¡­¡± ¡°Let me go! I need to get in there! Let go!¡± The firefighter tried his best to persuade Renee but could not stop her from trying to ¡°kill herself¡±. The situation was getting out of control. At that moment, a screech could be heard, the sound of a sports car¡¯s tires rubbing strongly against the ground. Stefan opened the door and walked out of the car coldly. ¡°Stop making a scene!¡± His cold voice, like an imperial edict, instantly calmed the chaotic situation. The moment Renee saw Stefan, tears burst out of her uncontrobly. She was like a bullied child who saw her father. He gave her a strong sense of security. ¡°Why are you yelling at me? My things are still in there, and they won¡¯t let me in. I need to go get them!¡± Renee broke down, pounding on the man¡¯s chest without holding back to vent her emotions. Even though she was a very strong woman, she was still a woman. After going through such a dangerous and terrible experience, she would feel vulnerable too. She didn¡¯t know why, but he was the only one she would show her vulnerable side to¡­ ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡± Stefan, as if he was coaxing a child, took Renee into his arms, stroked her messy hair, wiped her dirty face, and said calmly, ¡± Wait for me in the car. What do you want to get? I¡¯ll get them for you.¡± Renee obediently did as he asked. She said, ¡°Dad¡¯s painting and the map Mom left me¡­ in my bedroom on the second floor!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Stefan asked the paramedics nearby to take care of Renee. Then, he covered his mouth and nose with a wet towel, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and rushed straight into the fire¡­ Everybody there was shocked. A firefighter shouted, ¡°Mr. Hunt, stop! It¡¯s too dangerous! Come back!¡± Renee was originally panicking and was hell-bent on retrieving her parents¡¯ belongings, but she did not expect Stefan to actually risk his life going into the fire to retrieve them. The shouts instantly jolted her awake, as if from a dream. She suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation. She shouted into the fire, ¡°Are you crazy? Come back here! I don¡¯t want those things anymore! Come back!¡± Stefan, of course, could not hear her. Braving the thick smoke, he pushed through all obstacles and looked everywhere for the things Renee mentioned. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Fortunately, the painting was hung at a high spot and had not been burned yet. Stefan used the fire extinguisher to put out the fire around it and took it down. However, the so-called ¡°map¡± Renee mentioned was in the bedroom upstairs, so getting it would be quite dangerous¡­ ¡°Get back here, Stefan! Don¡¯t be crazy! Hurry up and get back here! 11 Renee was shouting so hard her voice had gone hoarse. She could not sit still any longer. She was prepared to rush into the fire too. But right then, she saw Stefan charging out of the fire while protecting her father¡¯s favorite painting. His handsome face was also ckened by smoke like Renee¡¯s. He was a mess. There were various burn marks on his hands, and his clothes had holes burnt into them. He looked up at Renee and carefully took the painting out of his arms. ¡°Sorry, I tried my best, but I couldn¡¯t find the map you were talking about.¡± Looking at his rugged but sincere appearance, Renee¡¯s tears dropped down like rain. She did not even know what to say. ¡°You idiot, what if you burned to death¡­ If you die, I won¡¯t be able to live anymore, do you realize that?¡± She did not care anymore. She put her arms around the man¡¯s neck and hugged him tight, unwilling to let go, as if she had regained a treasure she lost. ? ? Stefan¡¯s tall body froze with the painting in his hand. He did not dare to move. A moment ago, he felt like his whole body was burning because of how hot it was in the house, but right now, he was numb from head to toe, almost like he had just been shocked by electricity. From what he could remember, this was the first time Renee had given him such a heartfelt embrace. Previously, although he could feel her intense love for him, she was always timid and kept a distance from him. But now, her love was so passionate that it seemed to burn as fiercely as the fire behind them. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Alright, stop crying. There¡¯s no way I, Stefan Hunt, would die so easily. Neither water nor fire could kill me. You were getting worried over nothing.¡± Stefan, out of character, patientlyforted Renee who was crying her heart out. Renee suddenly realized that she had reacted too strongly. She quickly let go of Stefan. She sniffed and wiped away her tears. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, you¡¯re a cat who has nine lives so you can¡¯t die¡­ No, you¡¯re more like a cockroach that can¡¯t be killed. I really shouldn¡¯t have cried for you.¡± Stefan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Is that how you repay me?¡± ¡°How else should I repay you? By giving myself to you?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say no.¡± An ambiguous feeling instantly spread between them. Over their four-year marriage, there was never a delicate moment of mutual affection like this. Renee sat in Stefan¡¯s sports car, examining the painting carefully with a frown. The painting was undamaged and looked just as vivid as before. ¡°This was my father¡¯s favorite painting when he was alive, Dost Wurst¡¯s ¡°The Shepherd Boy Singing in the Evening¡±. Many famous figures in the art world are looking everywhere for this painting. The prices they offer go as high as $15 million. Even when our family was going through a rough time and could really use the money, my father was unwilling to sell the painting. If it got burned, I would have felt really sad¡­¡± 1 Renee started crying again. She looked at Stefan, who was focused on driving, with tears in her eyes and said sincerely, ¡°Stefan, thank you. I didn¡¯t think you would do so much for a friend.¡± Stefan said coldly, ¡°For a friend?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± They happened to arrive at a red light. Stefan pulled the handbrake. He turned to Renee, his eyes deep and burning, and asked, ¡°Were you serious about what you said earlier? 11 Renee blushed a little, ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°You said if I die, you won¡¯t be able to live anymore.¡± ¡°Of¡­ of course I wasn¡¯t serious!¡± Renee continued to deny it. ¡°The atmosphere was building up to that. If I didn¡¯t say that, it would seem like I have no conscience.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Stefan gave Renee a meaningful look. When the green light came on, Renee thought he would put down the handbrake, but hisrge hand instead grasped hers tightly¡­ Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Renee froze. She looked at Stefan with puzzled eyes, not daring to move an inch. Her fair cheeks were blushing so hard that it was visible to the naked eye. What¡­ What¡¯s the meaning of this? Stefan seemed quite at ease. He looked straight ahead and said faintly, ¡°Sorry, grabbed the wrong thing.¡± After that, he moved his hand to the gear lever and smoothly adjusted its position from neutral to drive. The sports car whizzed along the road. It moved fast, like Renee¡¯s heartbeat! She only realized after a long time that she¡­ just got teased? ¡°Stefan, did you just flirt with me?¡± 1 Renee tilted her head to the side to look at the man who was focused on driving. Her cheeks were puffed with anger, looking like a little squirrel. It was very cute. Stefan raised his eyebrows and stared at the woman with a smile on his face. Instead of answering, he asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Renee rubbed her chin and, after thinking about it carefully, said with a serious expression, ¡°I think you¡¯re flirting with me, but your flirting skills are terrible!¡± If he wanted to hold her hand, he should have just done it. Grabbed the wrong thing? Why didn¡¯t he say he was blind instead? Seeing him purse his lips without saying anything, Renee continued to ridicule him fearlessly. ¡°I thought you specifically asked your good friend for advice on courting women? Why are your skills still so terrible? You must not be very bright!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face had gone stiff. He said coldly, ¡°Xavier Stuart, how dare you sell me out? You¡¯re gonna pay for this! ¡± He already found it embarrassing enough that he had to ask for advice on courting women at his age, but that stupid Xavier actually went and told his target everything, embarrassing him even further! However, speaking of Xavier, Stefan¡¯s handsome face immediately became serious. He asked, ¡°How is that idiot doing? I heard from the paramedics that his injury¡¯s pretty serious.¡± Renee also seemed worried, ¡°It is pretty serious. An air-con box fell on his right leg and broke his calf bone. It only happened because he tried to save me. I don¡¯t even know how I can repay him¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Stefan suddenly tightened his long fingers on the steering wheel. He sounded displeased as he chastised her, ¡°Don¡¯t take responsibility for everything. If he asks you to give yourself to him, are you really gonna give yourself to him?¡± ¡°What are you saying? He¡¯s Xavier. How could he possibly ask that? 11 Renee looked at Stefan with a confused face. She could not understand why this guy was getting angry at her again for no apparent reason. Xavier was her savior, and she wanted to repay his kindness. What¡¯s wrong with that? The atmosphere inside the car suddenly became somewhat tense, as if a storm was brewing. Neither of them spoke. Renee did not know where Stefan was taking her and she did not bother asking. She thought the temperamental man was like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. She was an idiot for feeling moved for a brief instant earlier! After a long time, Stefan finally broke the silence. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand that there can be no debt of favors between men and women? If anyone has to repay this kindness, it should be me!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Renee froze. It was getting quitete. The car sped forward, passing through rows of streetmps. Under their dim illumination, Stefan¡¯s handsome and defined features alternated between bright and dark, unpredictable just like his deep andplex mind. She was really baffled by him. Since there could be no debt of favors between men and women, and if he repaid Xavier¡¯s favor for her, how should she repay him, then? Renee turned her attention to the scenery outside the window. It was only then that she realized the road they were on was the one leading to the Hunt Vi. She immediately yelled, ¡°Stop the car! I don¡¯t want to go back to the Hunt Vi!¡± The Hunt Vi was a cage that had imprisoned her for four years. It was a ce filled with hope and disappointment, causing her endless humiliation. She did not want to step foot in that ce ever again. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Stefan naturally did not stop the car. He said coldly, ¡°The Everheart Residence has been reduced to rubble. If you don¡¯t go back to the Hunt Vi, where else can you go?¡± ¡°Anywhere, as long as it¡¯s not the Hunt Vi!¡± Renee¡¯s attitude was firm. ¡°I can rent or buy a house. The world is big. There¡¯s definitely somewhere I can stay! ¡± ¡°That will be unnecessary!¡± Stefan¡¯s attitude was also very firm. ¡°You still own half the property rights to the Hunt Vi, which means it¡¯s also your home. In a few days, I¡¯ll transfer the other half of the property rights to you. After that, it¡¯ll bepletely yours. You can then do whatever you want with it. You can live in it or you can sell it, I don¡¯t care.¡± Since he had said that much, Renee decided not to argue with him any further. After all, the Hunt Vi was worth over a hundred million dors. Stefan was just casually giving her a hundred million dors. If she keptining, it would feel a bit ungrateful. However, Renee still retorted faintly, ¡°That¡¯s not what you said when you drove me away.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Stefan asked coldly. It seemed he did not hear her clearly. Renee quickly shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing. I said the Hunt Vi is very nice and very big. I really like it.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Stefan did not pursue the matter and shifted his attention back to driving. After Briar Desrosiers left, the Hunt Vi had finally be peaceful again. What surprised Renee the most was that the garden that used to be filled with roses was now filled with sunflowers again. They were blooming as brightly as the sunflowers in the Everheart Residence, just the way Renee liked it. The servants that used to be mean to Renee all ran forward to greet her when they saw her return. Some of them even wept with joy. ¡°Oh, thank god, Mrs. Hunt is back. I knew you would return someday!¡± The housekeeper, Lydia, cried excitedly. Renee sneered and said, ¡°Wow, Lydia, you¡¯re almost as eager to wee me back as you were when you drove me away! How kind of you!¡± Lydia blushed and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t make fun of me, Mrs. Hunt. I know that I overstepped my boundaries back then. I apologize if I hurt your feelings. As long as you¡¯re willing to forgive me and let bygones be bygones, I¡¯ll willingly ept any punishment you deem fit!¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll forgive you. There¡¯s no need for any punishment either. But are you really as sincere as you say? You¡¯ll really do anything if Ie back?¡± Renee gave Lydia a strange smile. Lydia nodded. ¡°Of course! Of course!¡± ¡°Then pack up and leave. Someone else will take your ce as housekeeper.¡± Renee¡¯s amiable expression suddenly turned into one of cold indifference. ¡°But¡­¡± Lydia gulped. She did not know what to do. She could never have imagined that the first thing the once meek and kind Renee would do upon returning to the Hunt family was to deal with her! ¡°You¡¯re unwilling to do that?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Lydia had no choice but to hide behind Francine Milford. ¡°The thing is, I¡¯m here to take care of you and Mr. Hunt under Miss Francine¡¯s order. If you make me pack up and leave, it would be a bit disrespectful towards Miss Francine.¡± ¡°I see. So you¡¯re gonna pressure me using my ex-mother-inw.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not my intention. I¡¯m just saying it like it is¡­¡± Lydia thought, no matter how wild Renee was, she would never dare to go against Francine Milford. At this moment, Stefan spoke. ¡°From now on, this vi will be the sole property of Miss Everheart. It¡¯s her right to choose the housekeeper. Which means, you may leave now.¡± Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Lydia did not expect Stefan to be so protective of Renee. But now, she naturally did not dare to say anything else. She quietly packed up her things and left. Before leaving, she took advantage of Stefan¡¯s momentary absence to threaten Renee. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t thinkyou¡¯ve won! You¡¯re just an ex-wife who got dumped. You¡¯re gonna show me no mercy today? Then don¡¯t me me for casting stones at you tomorrow. You just wait, your peaceful days areing to an end!¡± Renee sneered. ¡°I knew you would never change that easily. You¡¯ll never take orders from me willingly. Then isn¡¯t it perfect that you won¡¯t have to serve me anymore? If I hear another grumble from you, you won¡¯t even get your severance pay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember this, Renee Everheart!¡± Lydia gave Renee a hateful look and left fuming. As soon as she left the vi, she called Francine. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you must right this injustice! Renee Everheart is such a cruel woman! She¡¯s bewitched the young master and upied the vi. Not only did she chase me out, I heard she¡¯s responsible for Miss Desrosiers¡¯ death too¡­¡± Lydiained about Renee for half an hour. 80% of the content was outright nder. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Upon hearing herints, Francine got so mad that she almost had a heart attack. She clenched her fists and said dangerously, ¡°I knew she must be responsible for Briar¡¯s death! Oh, my poor unborn grandchild who never got the chance to see the world! Renee Everheart, I¡¯ll definitely make you pay!¡± After Renee moved back to the Hunt Vi, she dismissed not only the housekeeper, but also the other servants. As a result, she and Stefan were the only people left in the vi that was over a thousand square meters in size. It was so empty that there were echoes when they spoke. Stefan was baffled. He asked Renee with a frown, ¡°If you drive them all away, who will take care of this large house? Are you gonna recruit new servants?¡± Renee shook her head and said, ¡°I have working hands and feet. I can take care of the house myself. Most importantly, I like quiet.¡± Stefan nodded and said, ¡°If we¡¯re the only people who are gonna live in this vi, it¡¯s gonna be quiet alright.¡± Renee was bemused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say the vi is my sole property? If you¡¯re gonna stay here too, then I¡¯ll leave right away.¡± A man and a woman living together under the same roof was fuel for gossip, even if it was a roof that was over a thousand square meters in size so the two might not even run into each other that much. It would be bad for her reputation if people found out. He might not care, but she did! Stefan did not expect Renee to be so wary of him. His handsome face turned a bit colder. ¡°I remember, back in the days, you were always looking forward to meing back here. Whenever you received news that I wasing back, you would always prepare arge meal and wait for me on the swing in the garden. You would wait the whole afternoon¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Renee was so embarrassed that she wished she could dig a hole and jump into it. Stefan was not exaggerating in the slightest. Back then, she really was that foolish, blinded by love. At the time, she had a mental breakdown due to what happened to her family and deliberately stayed away from the outside world. All she wanted to do was to be a good wife of the Hunt family. Stefan was the only person in her eyes. She really did sit on the swing to wait for him toe back On many nights when he did note back to vi, she would even stay up all night because she missed him so much¡­ Looking back at it now, she felt disgusted with herself! ¡°I beg you, please stop talking about the past. If you keep going, I might have to bite my own tongue and kill myself!¡± Renee took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, ¡°Yes, I used to be obsessed with you, but people change. From the moment you drove me out without a second thought, my love for you is gone¡­¡± ¡°I want you to leave now as much as I longed for you to return back then. If you stay, I¡¯ll have to leave.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression wasplicated. After a long time, he nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll leave. But look at me right now. Let me take a shower and change my clothes first. I¡¯ll go to the hospital to see how Xavier¡¯s doing after that. Is that okay?¡± At the moment, Stefan looked terrible, like he had just climbed out of a coal mine. Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Of course, Renee herself was not looking that much better. This was no time to be willful. Renee tried her best to calm herself down. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s tidy up and go to the hospital together.¡± The two went to different bathrooms and quickly washed themselves. But the awkward thing was, because neither of them lived there, they naturally did not have any spare clothes there. They had toe out of the bathrooms wrapped in towels. Renee walked out of the bathroom, wanting to find some casual clothes to wear. Stefan also had the same idea. So, the two ran into each other in this awkward manner. Stefan looked at Renee unabashedly, from her wet hair down to her toes. As for Renee¡­ she was even more unabashed. Besides ogling Stefan, she even felt the urge to run her hands over him. ¡°Stefan, have you been going to the gym again recently? Look at those abs. They¡¯re like the abs of a fitness coach.¡± She could not help but recall the days when she took care of the ¡° quadriplegic¡± Stefan who was paralyzed in bed. She could touch him all she wanted. Stefan raised his eyebrows and said coldly, ¡°Your figure is also much nicer than I expected, except your tummy is a bit big. Maybe it¡¯s time to lose some weight.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡± She knew this guy would not have anything nice to say. She was pregnant with twins! Of course her tummy would be big! But what did he mean by ¡°her figure was much nicer than he expected¡±? As if he had not seen her body before! They were looking for clothes to put on when Stefan¡¯s mother, Francine, arrived. She was already angry to begin with. When she saw Stefan and Renee half naked, looking like they were about to have some ¡° happy time¡± together, she got even angrier. She almost coughed up blood on the spot. ¡°So it¡¯s true! You two are getting back together!¡± As if she was protecting something, she stepped in front of Stefan, pointed at Renee, and said, ¡°You harbinger of tragedy! Do you have no shame? My son already threw you out of the house! Why do you still try to seduce him?¡± Renee rubbed her sore temples. This former mother- inw of hers was a strong character indeed. Her voice was as loud as a bell. Renee felt like her eardrums were gonna burst. ¡°Miss Francine, first of all, you need to be clear who¡¯s seducing whom here. I¡¯m at leastpletely covered. Look at him¡­ Look at how low he¡¯s wearing his towel. He has no decency!¡± ¡°Wh-What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, your son is exposing himself indecently. He has no shame and is seducing people in the middle of the night. He should be punished for being a whore!¡± After saying that, Renee red at Stefan and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯m talking about you. Hurry up and pull the towel up. It¡¯s about to fall off. Who are you trying to seduce?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. At this point, Francine was so angry that she could not say a single word. What made her even angrier was that Stefan actually listened to Renee and pulled the towel up. He said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to seduce you. What¡¯s the problem?¡± Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Chapter 292 Francine could never have imagined that her son, who was always cold and serious, would flirt with Renee, the harbinger of tragedy, in her presence. This was even more surprising to her than seeing aliens on Earth. ¡°Stef, what¡¯s the matter with you? You wouldn¡¯t even look at her twice in the past. Why are you being so intimate with her now? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually trying to seduce her?¡± Stefan shrugged, neither admitting nor denying it. This made Francine even more aware of how serious the matter was. If it was Renee who was making advances on her son, it would make sense to her, but now, it appeared that it was her son who was making advances on Renee. This made her, the mother, feel ashamed and lose her moral high ground. ¡°Son, did you get brain damage or did she put a spell on you? Do you even know what you¡¯re doing? Why are you seducing this harbinger of tragedy?¡± Francine had a short fuse. Angered by Stefan, she started hitting him. While pounding at him, she yelled, ¡°Grow some eyes! Please, for the love of god, grow some eyes! Why are you seducing the woman you¡¯ve already divorced? A good horse will never turn round to graze on an old pasture! You¡¯re an embarrassment to me and to our family!¡± Renee saw Francine beating Stefan ¡°ferociously¡±, so she quickly stepped back a meter or so to distance herself and keep herself safe. She also said, ¡°Miss Francine, please be mindful of your wording. Technically speaking, I¡¯m not the woman your son divorced, I¡¯m the woman who dumped your son. And, technically speaking, he didn¡¯t ¡°turn round to graze on an old pasture¡±, because I haven¡¯t let him ¡°graze¡± on anything at all. As for that time when they got drunk, something did happen between them, but in Renee¡¯s mind, that wasn¡¯t her being ¡° grazed¡±, they were mutually ¡°grazing¡± each other, so it didn¡¯t count. Francine felt even more humiliated. She started hitting Stefan even harder, yelling, ¡°Did you hear that? This woman has never loved you. Stop making a fool of yourself! Hurry up and put on some clothes!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face showed no expression as he tly said, ¡± There aren¡¯t any clothes.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Francine rubbed her temples. She felt that if she kept going, she would die from anger. While all that was happening, Renee found a tracksuit someone left behind and quickly put it on. After rummaging around in the wardrobe, Stefan also found some casual clothes he left behind a long time ago and put them on too. Now, the scene finally did not look so weird anymore¡­ When Francine saw Renee¡¯s tracksuit, it instantly reignited her hatred. That was because the clothes Renee was wearing happened to be left behind by Briar Desrosiers. ¡°You vicious woman! Tell me honestly, did you kill Briar and my unborn grandchild?¡± Francine clenched her fists and demanded to know in a harsh voice. Although Renee was used of something she did not do, she was very calm. She looked at Stefan and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t Briar Desrosiersmit suicide? No one knows better than your son what happened to her.¡± The mention of Briar Desrosiers¡¯ death instantly angered Renee. Briar Desrosiers was obviously the one in the wrong, but not only did Stefan take her side unconditionally, he even went as far as to fake her death in order to save her¡­ It was an insult to Renee¡¯s IQ. ¡°Stef, what did she mean by that?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Francine turned around and asked Stefan. ? ? Stefan did not reply, which was as good as confirming Renee¡¯s usation. ¡°See, your son has given you the answer. You don¡¯t have to worry about Briar Desrosiers. How could a person like hermit suicide? 11 Renee sneered and spoke sharply. Although she could already guess that Stefan had secretly hid Briar Desrosiers away, when Stefan confirmed it, she still could not help feeling disappointed. Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Chapter 293 His unconditional protection of Briar Desrosiers was a merciless trample on her feelings. She was ashamed and felt bad for herself for having loved such a man! ¡°You two take your time. I have something else to take care off, so I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Renee did not want to stay any longer. More importantly, she had to go check on Xavier. After taking two steps, she turned back and told Stefan, ¡°You better hide her well, Mr. Hunt. If I manage to find her, I might make the liee true. After all, I wouldn¡¯t technically be breaking thew if I make a person who¡¯s already dead disappear.¡± Of course, Renee only said that so that Stefan would keep Briar Desrosiers under strict control and not let here out to do dirty stuff again. As long as Briar Desrosiers behaved herself, Renee naturally would not make a move either. Unfortunately, her nonchnt warning actually brought disaster upon herself¡­ After Renee left, Francine finally snapped out of it. ¡°From what she said, Briar is still alive?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Stefan nodded, his expression terrible. He was still thinking about Renee¡¯s harsh warning. He could not understand why Renee hated Briar so much. ¡°Oh, thank god. My little grandchild is safe¡­ The Hunt family line will go on.¡± Francine smiled brightly with her hands folded, thanking the heavens. Stefan was speechless. ¡°What? I¡¯m still alive!¡± ¡°So? It¡¯s not like you touch any woman. How are you any different from a celibate monk? Fortunately, Briar is able to conceive your child, but you don¡¯t look like you have any interest in Briar as a woman either. If she doesn¡¯t give birth to this baby, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any chance you¡¯ll have another baby in the future¡­¡± Francine knew Stefan very well. His personality was too cold and he had too much self-control. Ever since he was young, he had little interest in women. Otherwise, he would not have been married with Renee for so many years without touching her. For Briar Desrosiers to be pregnant with his child was as improbable as winning the lottery. It would not happen again in the future. Francine was not blind. She could see that Stefan was not interested in Briar Desrosiers. But his reaction to Renee tonight¡­ He finally looked like a man. His hormones were nigh bursting out of him. Francine suddenly had a bold idea. She grabbed Stefan and said solemnly, ¡°Actually, I can see that Briar is too much of a hypocrite and is not a good match for you. Since she¡¯s officially deceased now, I won¡¯t urge you to marry her anymore. When she gives birth to the child, give her a sum of money and ask her to leave.¡± ? >> Stefan¡¯s expression wasplicated. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. In truth, he had nned to do the same, but when he remembered his elder brother¡¯s dying wish, he could not do it. Francine continued, ¡°I¡¯ve given up on Briar Desrosiers, but there must be a Mrs. Hunt. I can¡¯t let my grandchild grow up without a mother. I¡¯ve thought about it. There¡¯s actually no candidate more suitable than Renee Everheart!¡± ¡°Mom, what are you saying?¡± Stefan was stunned. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve always looked down on Renee. You persuaded me to divorce her for four years while we were still married!¡± Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Chapter 294 ¡°She¡¯s not ideal, but she¡¯s the best person avable!¡± Francine could not help but sigh. ¡°You¡¯re almost thirty, but you¡¯ve never socialized with that many women. Briar is too much of a hypocrite, while Cecilia¡¯s rtionship with your good friend is complicated. After thinking about it long and hard, there¡¯s no better candidate than Renee Everheart. There¡¯s no problem with her except for her family background.¡± ¡°But more importantly, I heard she¡¯s quite capable. She quietly started apany, became the president of the Electronic Technology Association, manages aw firm well and even stole the biggest customers of H Group¡­ She¡¯s not the pretty but useless woman that I thought she was. I¡¯ve always had an appreciation for capable women. This new her is perfectly qualified to be your wife!¡± Stefan had rarely heard his picky mother speak so highly of anyone, let alone Renee. He was d to hear it. After all, the conflict between mother-inw and daughter-in-w was a problem that had existed since the dawn of humanity. If this problem could be solved, then maybe Renee and him could really start over? Start over?! The abrupt thought startled Stefan. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re thinking too much. It¡¯s no longer a question of whether she¡¯s qualified to be my wife, it¡¯s a question of whether she wants to,¡± he replied tly. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t want to?¡± Francine frowned. Then, her usual haughty expression crept back onto her face. ¡°It¡¯s just an act. She¡¯s just ying hard to get. Do you know how many women would give up everything to marry into the Hunt family? How could she not want to? If she didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t have stayed in the Hunt family for four years despite everything.¡± Stefan poured cold water on her n, ¡°If being Mrs. Hunt really meant that much to her, why did she agree to the divorce that easily? Why was she so eager to get through the divorce procedure as quickly as possible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Francine pondered over what her son just said and found that it made sense. Besides, thinking back on what transpired earlier, his son was the one trying to seduce her. Renee Everheart looked like she had no interest and was shunning him. If she was just ying hard to get, she was trying way too hard. ¡°Tsktsk. Sigh!¡± Francine examined Stefan from head to foot with a sad expression, sighing as she looked. Stefan was speechless. ¡°Mom, if you have anything to say, just say it.¡± But Francine did not say anything. First, she took a good look at Stefan¡¯s handsome and perfect face. Then, she pinched the muscles on Stefan¡¯s arms and abdomen. She was puzzled. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. You¡¯re still as handsome as before, and you have even more muscles now. Why isn¡¯t she obsessed with you anymore?¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Stefan: ¡°How about this, son¡­¡± Francine said seriously, ¡°Try changing how you dress. Don¡¯t just wear button-up shirts and suits every day. You look too serious. I heard women over the age of 25 don¡¯t like men with a serious personality. They prefer the warm and approachable type¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Renee about to turn 25? She may be a bit tired of your aesthetics. Try dressing in a fresher way to rekindle her fascination with you!¡± Stefan: He really wanted to say, ¡°Thanks but no thanks, Mom.¡± Who could have imagined that the day woulde when his mother, who absolutely despised Renee and used to ask him to divorce Renee every day, would seriously try to teach him how to win Renee back?! ¡°Not only do you have to change the way you dress, you have to change your personality too. You can¡¯t be as cold as before. You have to take the initiative, be enthusiastic, and chat with her whenever you¡¯re free¡­¡± Francine said, already beginning to feel a sense of crisis, ¡°Actually, that harbinger of tragedy has quite the charisma. I heard a lot of young men from prestigious families already have their eyes on her, especially the young man from the Osborne family who¡¯s supposedly very close to her. If you don¡¯t act soon, it might be toote!¡± Francine did not notice before that Renee was actually this popr. Renee had only just gotten a divorce but her pursuers were already lining up. The pursuers were some fine young men too! Francine was really reluctant to let such a good daughter-inw go. She must have been blind before not to see Renee¡¯s worth. Hopefully, if Stefan worked hard now, he could still get her back! Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Stefan was pretty unhappy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say a good horse will never turn round to graze on an old pasture? Why are you suddenly doing a 180? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± Francine pursed her lips and said arrogantly, ¡°I am, but I don¡¯t want to miss out on a good woman. Besides, the reason I was so opposed to you being together before was mainly because you didn¡¯t love her and I didn¡¯t want you to suffer in a marriage without love. But now, things are different¡­¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re interested in her now!¡± Francine said with confidence, ¡°All these years, very few women could catch your attention. Since you¡¯ve finally found one who could, of course you need to hang on to her!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in her!¡± Stefan denied it coldly. ¡°You know better than anyone if you¡¯re interested in her. You don¡¯t have to convince me¡­¡± Francine sighed and revealed a helpless expression, ¡°Although I still don¡¯t like her very much, but if you do, I¡¯ll try to. I promise I won¡¯t treat her badly or call her the harbinger of tragedy anymore. If you need me to, I can even try to befriend her, I¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± Stefan¡¯s respond was very direct.¡±It¡¯s over between us, so give it up.¡± At the hospital. Xavier¡¯s broken leg was reattached and put in a cast. He had to stay in bed for half a month. When Renee arrived at his ward, she found Christopher there. ¡°Mr. Jacobs.¡± She nodded at him as a greeting. Christopher was surprised to see Renee, and it showed in his eyes. ¡°Miss Everheart! I was just thinking about apologizing to you!¡± Christopher told Renee earnestly. ¡°Apologize to me?¡± Renee looked puzzled. ¡°Cecilia¡¯s fine now. I apologize as her ex-fiance. Something must have gotten to her that day for her to lose control like that and use you. Please forgive her.¡± After saying that, Christopher lowered his head. He was so sincere that Renee felt a little embarrassed. She quickly pulled him upright. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad with Cecy. She must not be thinking straight. She¡¯s usually not that irrational.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad at her at all. I just can¡¯t figure out why she would use me and im I pushed her into the sea. It¡¯s a serious usation. She¡¯s trying to destroy me!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know why either¡­¡± Christopher said, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Renee suddenly became curious and asked, ¡°Then how do you know her usation is not true? Did she confess to you?¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Chapter 296 ¡°Cecy didn¡¯t confess anything¡­ Christopher continued, ¡°I just think, based on what I know about you, that you wouldn¡¯t be the kind of person to do that kind of thing. One, you have no motive, and two, it¡¯s not worth it for you.¡± Renee snorted coldly. ¡°Yeah. I have no motive and it¡¯s not worth it for me. You can see such obvious things, but Stefan Hunt can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Stefan¡¯s a bit naive. He doesn¡¯t truly understand theplexity of the human heart.¡± ¡°Yes, just like an idiot.¡± The two could not help but smile at that. A thousand words were exchanged in those smiles. Xavier was lying on the hospital bed with one leg hanging in ster, unable to move. He was in a terrible state and was extremely agitated. When he saw Christopher and Renee walk into his ward, he called out at them like a drowning man clutching at a straw, ¡°Thank god you two are here. Hurry up and get me out of here. This ce is like a prison. I can¡¯t stay here for a minute longer.¡± Christopher frowned and said seriously, ¡°You broke your leg. Can you calm down for a bit?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Xavier banged his arm on the side of the bed as heined, ¡°I have strangers helping me eat, drink, shower and pee. It¡¯s embarrassing. The most annoying thing is, I wanted to y a video game, but the nurse wouldn¡¯t even let me do that. You call this living?¡± ¡°This won¡¯t do. I have to get out of the hospital. No one can stop me!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Christopher was worried. He knew Xavier. Xavier was really stubborn. Once he decided to do something, no one could stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move!¡± Renee suddenly shouted. Xavier was like a brat who was throwing a tantrum, but he instantly calmed down and looked at Renee with a stunned face. Renee slowly poured a ss of water and said, ¡°You¡¯re an adult, for god¡¯s sake. If you don¡¯t want strangers to take care of you, I¡¯ll do it.¡± After saying that, Renee moved the ss close to Xavier¡¯s lips and said gently but forcefully, ¡°Come, have some water. Your lips are a bit dry.¡± ? ? Xavier gave Renee aplicated look, but his lips did not move. The atmosphere in the ward was tense. Christopher wiped away sweat from his forehead. After all, he knew the two of them had always been at odds. If they started fighting, it would be like a world war. ¡°Umm¡­¡± He was about to act as a mediator when something incredible happened. Xavier lowered his head obediently and took a sip of water. He then said earnestly, ¡°Thank you. I was really thirsty.¡± Renee looked down at Xavier like a queen, ¡°Are you still gonna make a scene?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you still want to leave the hospital?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Very good.¡± Renee nodded and told the timid nurse outside the door, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going to give him an anti-inmmatory injection? You can do it now.¡± For some strange reason, Xavier, who was screaming about leaving the hospital and refusing to let the nurse give him the injection a moment ago, was suddenly behaving himself. He let the nurse do whatever she had to do without a word ofint. Christopher looked like he was witnessing a miracle. He was so stunned that he could not speak for a long time. He asked Renee in a whisper, ¡±How did you do that? This guy¡¯s a notorious brat. He listens to no one but his father. Why is he suddenly so well behaved?¡± Renee gave him a faint smile and flicked her hair smugly. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of my charisma.¡± After the nurse changed Xavier¡¯s medication, she left the ward. Renee turned to Xavier and said, ¡°If you have nothing to do, then just rest.¡± Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Chapter 297 ¡°But I want to¡­¡± Xavier hesitated while looking at Renee, looking very pitiful. ¡°You want to y video games, right? You can¡¯t!¡± Renee¡¯s attitude was firm, like a disciplinary teacher. ¡°Hmph, whatever!¡± His hopes crushed, Xavier angrily covered his head with the nket and went to sleep. The way he was fierce but scared at the same time was kinda cute. When he heard that they were leaving, he quickly pulled down the nket and asked, ¡°Renee, you said you¡¯re going to take care of me. Is that true?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Renee did not hesitate. ¡°You saved my life. Isn¡¯t it natural for me to take care of you?¡± ¡°But let me make this clear. I¡¯m not a very patient woman. If you keep being difficult and refuse to cooperate like you did earlier, I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t beat you up!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. As long as you¡¯re the one taking care of me, I¡¯ll definitely cooperate.¡± Xavier went back to sleep. Christopher watched all this with a somewhatplicated expression. ¡°Mr. Jacobs, I¡¯m going to the nearby supermarket to buy some food and necessities for this guy. Will youe with me?¡± Renee asked Christopher. She was serious when she said she would take care of Xavier. It was to repay him for saving her life. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there. I need to talk to Xavier first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Renee did not ask what they were gonna talk about. She simply left. Christopher walked over to Xavier¡¯s bed and pulled down the nket that was covering his head. With a serious face, he asked, ¡± What are you doing?¡± Xavier was about to fall asleep. He woke up with a puzzled look on his face and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Chris? You¡¯re still here?¡± Christopher did not look too happy. He said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t y the innocent with me. Be honest and tell me what¡¯s going on between you and Miss Everheart.¡± ¡°Nothing¡¯s going on.¡± Xavier said, ¡°I went to her house for tea, and her house caught fire. I saved her and, in the process, hurt my leg¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°Why do I feel like you have feelings for her¡­¡± ¡°Nope, definitely not!¡± Xavier denied it vehemently. ¡°I don¡¯t have any interest in her. You know what kind of women I like. Even if she¡¯s the only woman left in the world, I still wouldn¡¯t be interested in her!¡± ¡°Our friendship is purely tonic. As you know, if it weren¡¯t for her, Zack Rosenwell wouldn¡¯t have represented me in thatwsuit. I¡¯m being so nice to her because I owe her a favor.¡± Xavier wanted to exin further but Christopher raised his hand and stopped him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin anymore. It¡¯s fine as long as you know what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Some women you can fall for, but some you can¡¯t¡­ Never touch a brother¡¯s lover. I¡¯m sure you know the code.¡± The atmosphere suddenly became a bit weird. Xavier, who had always respected Christopher, novelxo suddenly gave him a mocking smile. ¡°Chris, I¡¯m not as stupid as you think. I know what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯ll never cross the lines that I shouldn¡¯t cross. But¡­ aren¡¯t you the one who failed to follow the code?¡± Christopher lowered his head, his handsome and elegant face filled with regret. ¡°That¡¯s right. You should consider me a cautionary tale. I don¡¯t want the three of us to fall apart again because of a woman!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Understood!¡± Xavier said nonchntly, ¡°I¡¯m just having some fun because I¡¯m bored. There¡¯s no need to take it that seriously.¡± While they were talking, Stefan pushed open the door and walked in¡­ Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Christopher and Xavier immediately stopped talking, both looking guilty. ¡°Bro, why didn¡¯t you knock before youe in? That¡¯s really rude! 11 Stefan¡¯s handsome face was expressionless, like an iceberg. He walked up to Xavier, knocked on the hung up stered foot, and asked, ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Xavier¡¯s face immediately crumpled as he cried out in pain, ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch! Bro, are you trying to kill me? I sacrificed my life to save your ex-wife. Is this how you repay me?¡± ¡°You seem to be in high spirits. Looks like you¡¯repletely fine. In that case, stop telling everybody that you saved her.¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was cold, as if he did not want to ept the fact that Xavier had saved Renee¡¯s life. After all, the status of life savior carried a lot of weight. In ancient times, the rescued victim may even repay the savior with personal favors. Stefan felt very unhappy thinking about it. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Christopher chimed in, ¡°This brat even wants her to take care of his everyday needs. He¡¯s shameless.¡± ¡°Take care of his everyday needs?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering the meaning of thatment. Right then, Renee pushed the door open and came in with a steaming hot bowl of yam and pork ribs congee. She said warmly, ¡± Xavier, get up. I brought you supper. Yam and pork ribs congee will help your wounds heal. I¡¯ll feed you.¡± Renee only realized that Stefan and Christopher were both in the ward after she walked in. She felt embarrassed. ¡°You¡­ Why are you guys here?¡± Stefan nced at the congee and snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for us to be here? But you¡­ You brought him a bowl of congee in the middle of the night. How very considerate of you!¡± Renee thought Stefan must be looking to argue with her again. She just rolled her eyes, walked around him, and didn¡¯t bother to talk to him at all. She sat down on the edge of the bed, scooped the congee with a spoon, blew on the spoonful of congee carefully, and extended it to Xavier¡¯s mouth. ¡°What are you waiting for? Open your mouth. The nurse said you can consume some liquid food now that the anesthetic has passed.¡± 11 j 11 Xavier wanted to open his mouth. Because he was actually really hungry. However, when his eyes came into contact with Stefan¡¯s death stare, he dared not even breathe, let alone open his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? I said I¡¯ll take care of your daily needs, and you agreed to listen to me.¡± Renee looked like an old mother educating her rebellious son. She said with a stern expression, ¡°Open your mouth. You must finish this bowl of congee no matter what.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Xavier¡¯s mouth was half open. He was in quite the dilemma. Both Renee and Stefan were people he did not dare to offend. He was caught in the middle! But the congee looked so delicious. He was so hungry. Renee¡¯s attitude was so sincere. Xavier finally decided to open his mouth and eat the congee. Stefan said coldly, ¡°You have a broken leg, not a broken hand. Why can¡¯t you eat it yourself?¡± Renee was very upset when she heard this and retorted, ¡°Are you cold-blooded? And you call yourself his brother? He recently escaped the jaws of death with a broken leg. What¡¯s wrong if I feed him?¡± Stefan remained silent for a moment, then said disdainfully, ¡°In that case, let me feed him.¡± He took the congee from Renee, stiffly scooped a spoonful, and brought it to Xavier¡¯s mouth. ¡°Eat this!¡± ¡°Cough!¡± Xavier was bbergasted. He was obviously unwilling. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is necessary.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°So she can feed you, but I can¡¯t?¡± Stefan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. As your bro, I should also do something for you. From now on, I¡¯ll take care of your daily needs.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to! Really!¡± Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Xavier gulped hard and quickly said, ¡°The hospital has professional staff that can take care of me. You guys are busy. You really don¡¯t have to do this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. You saved her, so I must do something for you to repay you. You¡¯re not allowed to refuse!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Stefan¡¯s attitude was firm. He urged, ¡°Open your mouth and eat the congee!¡± Xavier had no choice but to give in. Before he had finished the first spoonful, Stefan was already feeding him another. In the end, Xavier was so full that he felt like his stomach was gonna burst. Oh god, what sin had hemitted to deserve this? He saved someone¡¯s life and even broke his leg doing so, but he now had to be a tool in those two¡¯s argument. He felt like the most miserable man in the world! When Renee saw that he had finished the congee, she immediately brought out an apple, peeled it with a knife, and handed it to him. ¡± Having some fruit after dinner is good for digestion.¡± Stefan urged again, ¡°Eat the fruit.¡± Xavier: Xavier¡¯s internal monologue: I don¡¯t want to eat anything anymore. I just want to go home and escape this bloody ce. After eating the apple, Renee handed him a small cake. To no one¡¯s surprise, Stefan made sure he finished it again. ¡°Your face is a bit dirty. Let me help you¡­¡± Before Renee had even finished speaking, Stefan already grabbed a towel and started to ¡°help¡± Xavier wash his face. In short, Stefan would not give Renee any chance to repay Xavier. He intercepted them all. Poor Xavier. He did not even dare to move. He let Stefan wash his face and wipe his body. It felt worse than death. Christopher watched the increasingly bizarre scene and joked, ¡± Bro, you¡¯re so lucky. This is probably the first time Stefan takes care of someone like this. Enjoy it!¡± Xavier smiled bitterly. His expression screamed: Help me! Help me! Renee was finally done. She walked out of the ward, and Stefan followed after her. ¡°Stefan, if you¡¯re unhappy with something,e at me. Stop bothering Xavier.¡± When Renee saw that no one was around, she confronted Stefan. She was upset because Stefan was clearly doing all that to get back at her and Xavier. ¡°How am I bothering him?¡± Stefan¡¯s attitude was as arrogant as ever. ¡°Like you said, he¡¯s my bro, so I took good care of him. How was I bothering him?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how reluctant he was?¡± Renee could not help mocking, ¡°You weren¡¯t feeding him, you were stuffing him. You weren¡¯t washing his face, you were scrubbing his face off. Is this really how you¡¯re going to take care of him?¡± ¡°I disagree. I think I took really good care of him. I think Xavier is very satisfied. He didn¡¯tin once.¡± ¡°Comin?¡± Renee was speechless, ¡°As if he would dare!¡± ¡°Why are you so concerned about Xavier? Are you really gonna give yourself to him?¡± Stefan asked tentatively. ¡°What?¡± Renee was perplexed. ¡°You¡¯re so unreasonable. Fine, if you¡¯re so wary of me ruining your friend¡¯s life, I¡¯ll stay away from him from now on. You can take care of him. I¡¯m noting here anymore! ¡± Renee turned around and left the hospital. Stefan remained rooted to the spot, speechless. He could not understand her line of thought. Why would she think that he was wary of her ruining his friend¡¯s life? Couldn¡¯t she see that the one he¡¯s wary of was obviously his friend? Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Chapter 300 After Renee left the hospital, she was still furious. ¡°He¡¯s so annoying! What is wrong with him? He¡¯s so worried that I would ruin his precious friend¡¯s life. He¡¯s totally looking down on me!¡± She took a taxi back to the Hunt Vi. Margaret was already there. She was rubbing her hands anxiously. When she finally saw Renee, she immediately rushed over. ¡°Miss Ren, what¡¯s going on? How did the Everheart Residence burn down while I was out doing grocery? Why did you ask me to wait for you at the Hunt Vi?¡± The moment Renee saw Margaret, the tears she had been holding back came pouring out. Like a child, she threw herself into Margaret¡¯s arms and cried,¡± Margaret, what took you so long? Our house is gone! Our home is gone!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Miss Ren. Don¡¯t cry!¡± Margaret gently stroked Renee¡¯s back andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Our home will never be gone. Home is where you and I are. So what if the house burned down? We can just rebuild it. Don¡¯t cry! 11 ¡°It¡¯s all gone¡­¡± Renee bawled her eyes out. She sobbed, ¡°The house can be repaired, but the traces of Grandpa, Mom, and Dad are all gone. Every nt, tree, brick, and tile in the house is gone!¡± ¡°They¡¯re not. As long as they remain in our hearts, even if the house is burned down, they¡¯ll still exist. Calm down, Miss Ren. It¡¯s not a big deal. We can always rebuild the house. I know our strong Miss Ren would never be defeated by this setback.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I can¡¯t let it defeat me¡­¡± Renee finally stopped crying. Grandpa once said tears belonged exclusively to the losers. The strong would always turn tears into strength. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, her time would be better spent making the Everheart family great again! ¡°Margaret, we can¡¯t be defeated by this. We have to be stronger than before. Let¡¯s stay in the Hunt Vi for now while we slowly rebuild the Everheart Residence. I believe that the reborn Everheart family will shock the entire Beach City!¡± Renee¡¯s oath filled Margaret with enthusiasm. The two then carefully transformed the Hunt Vi from the inside out so that the vi would have a strong Everheart feel. The next day. Renee got up early and, like before, cooked something delicious in the kitchen. After all, she had lived in this ce for four years. She was familiar with everyer of it, especially the kitchen. She used to love cooking. novelxo Whenever she heard Stefan wasing back, she would prepare a whole feast for him. She had not cooked at all since the divorce, so her skills were somewhat rusty. She had taken a liking to sour foodtely, so she wanted to make lemon chicken feet. The moment she finished marinating the chicken feet, she heard Margaret¡¯s nervous voice call out to her. ¡°Miss Ren, we have an important guest.¡± ¡°An important guest?¡± Renee was puzzled. She quickly washed her hands and walked out. She saw her ex-mother-inw, Francine Milford, sitting in the living room. That¡¯s not an important guest! That¡¯s an unfortunate guest! Last night, Renee and this arrogant woman had parted on bad terms, and now, she was probably back for more. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°What brings you here this early, Miss Francine?¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Renee asked tly. Her attitude was far from polite. She looked like she was ready for a fight. She was not the old Renee anymore. She did not have to be considerate of Francine¡¯s feelings now. If Francine dared to make a scene, she would definitely retaliate! However, to Renee¡¯s astonishment, Francine actually smiled at her warmly. ¡°Can¡¯t I juste to see how my daughter-inw is doing? I don¡¯t really need a specific reason to come here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Did Francine forget to take her meds today? She had always just called Renee the harbinger of tragedy and she had never been kind to her, yet today¡­ Margaret said happily, ¡°Miss Ren, Miss Francine is so kind. She even brought you a gift. Do you want to open it and have a look?¡± ¡°Uhh, I¡­¡± Before Renee could respond, Margaret had already opened the beautifully packed present. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a sapphire ne. It¡¯s so beautiful! It must be really expensive!¡± Margaret was just like a mood maker at a party. She thanked Francine for her generosity, said the ne would look perfect on Renee, and said the two of them were truly mother and daughter, they understood each other so well! Renee was perplexed. ¡®What is Margaret doing?! She knows Francine and I are at odds with each other!¡¯ Francine smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that expensive. It only cost a few hundred thousand dors. I thought it suits you, so I bought it for you.¡± Francine¡¯s words still contained a sense of superiority as thedy of a prestigious family, butpared to the past, she was like apletely different person. The main reason forthat was because of the abrupt change in her attitude towards Renee! Rather than feeling happy, Renee just felt scared. She subconsciously took a step back. ¡°Ms. Francine, I hope you can behave normally. Just call me the harbinger of tragedy like you always do. Also, if you want anything, just say it. Don¡¯t scare me by doing all this.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Francine was about to lose her temper, but for the sake of her precious son¡¯s lifelong happiness, she managed to keep it down. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You¡¯re my daughter-inw, so we¡¯re like mother and daughter. As your mother, I don¡¯t need a special reason to give you a present.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need it!¡± Renee rejected the gift and pulled out her phone. ¡°Ms. Francine, if you keep behaving like this, I¡¯m gonna call Stefan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Francine¡¯s expression immediately turned back to normal. She said truthfully, ¡°I actually came here today to talk to you about you and Stefan.¡± ¡°We¡¯re divorced. What¡¯s there to talk about?¡± Renee¡¯s face was disdainful. That almost made Francine lose her temper again, but she endured. ¡°I can see that you and my son still have lingering feelings for each other. It¡¯s not easy for my son to ept a woman. I¡¯ve thought long and hard about it ¨C I¡¯m not gonna make him marry another woman. I hope you two can reconcile¡­¡± Francine added, ¡°You already know that Briar is still alive. She has a bad nature, so I¡¯m going to make her leave after she gives birth to the baby. I don¡¯t want her to have anything to do with the Hunt family. However, my little grandchild needs to grow up in a normal family ¨C in other words, he needs a mother. I think you¡¯re very suitable forthat.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Renee immediatelyughed after hearing Francine¡¯s proposal. ¡°You want me to be a stepmother at my age?¡± ¡°The child wouldn¡¯t know. Although you¡¯re not rted by blood, there won¡¯t be any difference.¡± Francine promised, ¡°If you agree, the Hunt family will take good care of you. Stefan will also be very grateful to you, so you two will surely live in harmony. You might even be able to have your own children in the future¡­ What do you think?¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Francine felt that, since she had humbled herself considerably to make this suggestion, Renee would surely be grateful and agree to it. After all, not long ago, she would do anything just to remain in the Hunt family¡­ Renee did not respond. She merelyughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes. She never knew that the high and mighty Francine Milford had so much talent as aedian. Renee simply could not stopughing! Francine was a bit unhappy. She finally could not keep up the pretense anymore. Her tone was impolite as she asked, ¡®What are youughing at? Give me an answer! Let me tell you, this is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity. If you miss it, it¡¯s gone. Don¡¯t be ungrateful!¡± Renee fought back theughter. Her curved eyes gradually turned cold. She replied equally impolitely, ¡°Ms. Francine, I thought I¡¯ve made it clear to you. I never thought of going back after I dumped your son. Even if your son kneels down and begs me, the possibility is still zero. And I sure as hell ain¡¯t gonna go back to be a stepmom!¡¯ ¡°You¡­ are you serious?¡± Francine did not expect Renee to refuse the offer. It seemed Stefan was telling the truth. Renee had already moved on and no longer had any feelings for Stefan. Naturally, she would not go back. Looks like the daughter-inw she detested was really going to run away. What would happen to her son, then? Francine suddenly felt a bit anxious. She wished she could tie Renee down with a rope! ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty to refuse. Sleep on it. You used to love Stefan so much, there¡¯s no way you can move on that easily. You¡¯re just saying that because you¡¯re angry, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Francine remained patient and continued, ¡°How about this. Let¡¯s have an honest talk between mother- inw and daughter-inw. Has your taste changed? Do you not like the iceberg type like Stefan anymore?¡¯ ¡°What type do you like now? The warm type or the artistic type? Or maybe someone who¡¯s a bit wild? Honestly, Stefan has many sides to him, so he has a little bit of every kind of personality. I¡¯ll talk to him and get him to change!¡± Renee said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time. When I liked him, I liked him even if he¡¯s a scumbag. Now that I don¡¯t like him, I wouldn¡¯t like him even if he sacrifices his life for me¡­¡± ¡°If I have to pinpoint the exact moment my heart died, it was probably the moment he drove me out of the house for Briar Desrosiers. I can ept his cruelty, but I can¡¯t ept his unfaithfulness!¡± Francine said, ¡°Men make mistakes. There was no love between you two before, so it¡¯s understandable that he would have an affair. But isn¡¯t it fine as long as he has you in his heart now?¡± ¡°There¡¯s rarely true love in a marriage between wealthy families. Even if there is, it won¡¯tst long. Why are you so obsessed with that?¡¯ Renee said, ¡°Since a marriage between wealthy families is so terrible, why would I want it? Unless Briar Desrosiers disappears, it¡¯s impossible for Stefan and I to get back together!¡± She did not say that because she hated Briar Desrosiers, but to remind herself that Stefan was someone who was unfaithful to her, so she must never fall for him again! ¡°You mean, there can be only one between you and Briar?¡± Francine thought she finally understood Renee¡¯s condition. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll discuss with Stefanter about how we should deal with Briar.¡¯ Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. At first, Renee wanted to exin, but then, she felt like there was no need. She said, ¡°If that¡¯s how you want to interpret it, go ahead. Briar Desrosiers is indeed the reason why I don¡¯t love Stefan anymore.¡± Margaret was a bit worried when she saw that the two of them were going to part on bad terms. In truth, she sincerely wished Renee would reconcile with Stefan. After all, it was a marriage that the late Maurice Everheart tried his best to make happen before he died. There must be a reason for that. ¡°No need to be hasty, Miss Francine. Any woman who gets cheated on would be unhappy. If she¡¯s not, it can only mean that she doesn¡¯t love the man¡­¡± Margaret whispered to Francine, ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try to persuade Miss Renter. Also, I hope Mr. Hunt won¡¯t disappoint Miss Ren a second time.¡± Francine nodded and told Margaret arrogantly, ¡°Not bad. Even though you¡¯re a servant, you have good perception. I¡¯ll definitely treat you well in the future. Let me tell you¡­¡± Francine lowered her voice and whispered into Margaret¡¯s ear, teaching her ways to make Renee change her mind. They were both very immersed in the discussion! Renee was speechless. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Chapter 303 She could never have imagined that, one day, her ex-mother-inw and her nanny would be on the same side, scheming to make her get back together with her scumbag ex-husband. Renee could not stand it anymore. She went to the kitchen and brought out the marinated lemon chicken feet to relieve her craving. As soon as the chicken feet were ced on the table, the fragrance spread. Francine could smell it too. ¡°That smells good! Did you make that?¡± Francine could not help being attracted to the smell. She went to the dining room and was surprised to see the chicken feet on the dining table. ¡°Wanna try one?¡± Renee had already put on the gloves and was ready to dig in. She had been craving sour foodtely due to her pregnancy. She could not wait to start eating. Francine looked apprehensive, but her hand took the chicken foot anyway. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. After eating one, her eyes immediately tripled in size. ¡°Did¡­ did you really make this? It¡¯s so good!¡± She no longer cared that she was ady of a rich family. She could hardly wait to eat another one. She was ustomed to all kinds of delicacies, but Renee¡¯s lemon chicken feet had truly made her fall in love! ¡°If I had known that your lemon chicken feet were so delicious, I wouldn¡¯t have let you and Stefan divorce. Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re so skillful?¡± Francine wished she could eat all the chicken feet in Renee¡¯s te. Renee did not expect that her difficult ex-mother-inw would be won over by an ordinary te of lemon chicken feet. Unfortunately, it was toote now¡­ ¡°Do you have more of this? I¡¯d like to bring some back for Stefan.¡± Francine asked Renee seriously. ¡°I have a bit more. If you want, I¡¯ll pack it for you.¡± Renee said generously. It felt good when someone liked the food she made, not to mention the person was the difficult mother- inw she tried very hard to please back in the days. Francine took the lemon chicken feet Renee packed for her and left happily. On the way out, she encountered a handsome man who was getting off a bus. Her intuition told her that this man was not that simple. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Francine stopped the man and asked snobbishly. Haze looked Francine up and down, then smiled and said, ¡°Renee Everheart. I heard she¡¯s currently staying here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re looking for Renee?¡± Francine immediately got defensive. She asked aggressively, ¡°Why are you looking for my daughter-in- law? What¡¯s your rtionship with her?¡± Chapter 304 Chapter 304 Chapter 304 ¡°Your daughter-inw?¡± A yful expression crept onto Haze¡¯s handsome face. So the well-dressed woman in front of him was Francine Milford, Renee¡¯s former mother-inw. ¡°As far as I know, Miss Everheart is currently single. It¡¯s a bit inappropriate for you to im to be her mother-inw like this.¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Francine raised her chin high and said, ¡¯If she¡¯s my daughter-inw for a day, she¡¯s my daughter-inw for a lifetime. Until the day she remarries, no one can rece my position as the ¡°mother-inw¡±.¡± Haze put his hands in his pockets and chuckled. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed. I¡¯m actually here to take Miss Everheart to meet my parents. If everything goes well, she¡¯ll have a new mother-inw soon.¡± Francine already had an impending sense of crisis before this, but after hearing what Haze said, the sense of crisis became even stronger. She immediately interrogated him, ¡°Who are you? Who are your parents? What¡¯s your rtionship with Renee?¡± Before Haze could answer, she added confidently, ¡°Do you know how much Renee loves my son? Do you know how much she yearns to be Mrs. Hunt again? It¡¯s only a matter of time before she remarries my son. There¡¯s no way she would go meet your parents with you.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Haze raised his eyebrows and smiled even wider. ¡°Should we go ask her right now how much she loves your son and how much she yearns to be Mrs. Hunt again?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Francine immediately pursed her lips and said, somewhat guiltily, ¡°There¡¯s no need forthat. Let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡± If they really were to go ask Renee now, Francine¡¯s lie would be exposed for sure. She would never do such a humiliating thing! ¡°Anyway, I advise you not to waste your time. Her ex-husband is Stefan Hunt. There¡¯s no way she would fall for a nobody!¡± Haze was not upset. Instead, he said cheerfully, ¡°Like you said, let¡¯s wait and see what happens!¡± After leaving the Hunt Vi, Francine rushed to the headquarters of H Group. When the employees saw her, they knew trouble wasing. They quickly immersed themselves in their work and tried to keep a low profile. ¡°Where¡¯s my son? I want to see him right away!¡± Francine went all the way to the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor, mmed the table and asked the secretary. ¡°Miss Francine, the CEO is in an executive meeting. Why don¡¯t you wait for him in the lounge? I¡¯ll make you a cup of tea.¡± ¡°No! This can¡¯t wait!¡± Without saying another word, Francine headed straight for the meeting room and pushed open the door. ¡¯Son, this is urgent. Get out of there. I need to tell you something!¡± Stefan was sitting tall and imposing in the center like a king. He frowned when he saw his mother. ¡°I¡¯m in a meeting. Whatever you want to tell me, it can wait.¡± Francine rushed in impatiently and said, ¡°Who cares about the meeting? You¡¯re about to lose your wife! You need to act now!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. As soon as she said that, dozens of H Group¡¯s executive members eximed in surprise under their breaths, unable to maintain their solemn and serious expression any longer. They were eagerly waiting to hear more of the gossip. After all, the H Group was, without a doubt, the ce that contained the highest number of ¡°stans¡± of the ¡°Renee-Stefan ship¡±. Stefan rubbed his temples. He wished he could dig a hole and jump into it. He got up and, while walking out of the meeting room, told Francine in low voice, ¡®We¡¯ll talk in my office.¡± Francine nodded with satisfaction and said, ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± After they left, the senior executives of H Group immediately discussed with each other what just happened. ¡°I knew it, our CEO hasn¡¯t moved on from his wife. He¡¯s gonna win her back now!¡± ¡® I bet 100,000 dors that Renee and Stefan will get back together!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not optimistic. The CEO¡¯s wife looks like the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t look back. I bet 500,000 dors that it¡¯s over for them!¡± ¡±100,000 dors on reconciliation!¡± Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Chapter 305 ¡®200,000 dors that it¡¯s over!¡± The oue of Stefan and Renee¡¯s love life instantly became the subject of a bet. From senior management to cleaners, the entire H Group enthusiastically participated in it. They all looked forward to the pay day! CEO¡¯s Office. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Stefan¡¯s originally calm expression immediately faltered the moment the door closed. He asked Francine urgently, ¡°Who¡¯s Renee running away with?¡± Francine could tell from Stefan¡¯s reaction that her iceberg of a son had truly fallen in love this time. She did not know whether to be happy or not at that. *1 don¡¯t know who that guy is. He¡¯s quite tall and handsome and has a wild feel to him. He¡¯spletely different from you. If Renee¡¯s taste has really changed, you¡¯re in trouble¡­¡± Francine told him honestly. Stefan was emotional, but he pretended not to care. He shrugged and said casually, ¡¯So what if her taste has changed? We¡¯re already divorced. She¡¯s free to like whatever type of man she wants. It¡¯s none of my concern.¡± ¡°You brat! Are you really gonna act tough in front of me?!¡± Francine felt the urge to kick Stefan. Rather than her good genes, her emotional idiot of a son had inherited her pride instead. ¡°If you really don¡¯t care, then sure, let her get away. Don¡¯t let me catch you crying into your nket at night.¡± Francine eximed angrily, ¡°That good-looking guy said he¡¯s gonna take Renee to see his parents. He didn¡¯t look like he was lying. If you have the balls, go get her back right now!¡± Stefan¡¯s heart suddenly tightened. He asked tentatively, ¡°Was the man Liam Osborne?¡± ¡°No!¡¯ Francine said, ¡°If it was that Osborne brat, I wouldn¡¯t be so worried. Renee and Liam Osborne were obviously just fooling around. They¡¯re not serious¡­ ¡ö ¡¯But this good-looking guy is different. He has an aura about him, so he should have a considerable background, at least on par with yours!¡± It was precisely because he gave her a strong sense of crisis that she immediately rushed here to urge Stefan to go get his wife back. Stefan¡¯s handsome face was cold and silent. ¡®How impressive, Renee Everheart. It¡¯s only been three months since we divorced, but your suitors alreadye knocking at your door one after another. There are so many of them that the door must be breaking down by now!¡¯ When Francine saw Stefan keeping quiet, she said, ¡°But don¡¯t be intimidated. After all, you and Renee were married for four years. No other man can match that¡­¡¯ ¡°Also, I went to look for her today to probe around and see how she really feels about you. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s moved on from you yet. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s Briar standing between you two, and she cant stand that. She made it clear that there can be only one between her and Briar. Maybe you should think of a way to get rid of Briar.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned cold. He asked, ¡°Did she really say that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She can¡¯t tolerate Briar!¡± Francine shook her head and said, ¡°I can understand where she¡¯sing from. If I really love someone, I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it either. So¡­ you must abandon one of them.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything to Briar.¡± Stefan¡¯s attitude was firm. This confused Francine. ¡°Son, what are you thinking? You obviously don¡¯t like Briar, so why are you protecting her at the cost of hurting the person you like?¡± ¡°There are more than affection and love in this world. There are also things like responsibility and morality¡­ If she really detests Briar to that extent, it can only mean that we¡¯re not actually a good fit.¡± Stefan said with clenched fists. Francine found his words hard to understand. ¡°Then what are you going to do now? Are you really gonna let Renee meet with that guy¡¯s parents? Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Stefan¡¯s expression was cold and indifferent. ¡¯She can do whatever she wants. She¡¯s single now. It¡¯s not like I can tie her up.¡± Francine red at her son with a frown,menting his ipetence andmenting his misfortune. ¡°Yeah, keep acting tough. I hope you won¡¯t regret this.¡± To be honest, it was not as if she liked Renee that much. She only wanted her as a daughter-inw because her son had fallen in love with her. In addition, the lemon chicken feet made by Renee were truly amazing. Her impression of the woman had improved because of that. Therefore, she could not bear to see a good daughter-inw like her slip away! Francine became angrier and angrier the more she thought about it. She decided to turn her anger into appetite. She opened the box filled with lemon chicken feet and started to gnaw on one. The aroma of the lemon chicken feet filled the entire office. Stefan stared at his mother who was gnawing at chicken feet without any care for how udylike she looked, his handsome face filled with confusion. ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m eating chicken feet.¡± Francine answered impatiently. She had to admit, the lemon chicken feet Renee made tasted really good. She could not stop eating them.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. The chicken feet alone were worth encouraging Stefan to get Renee back. That way, she would be able to eat these chicken feet regrly. Stefan had never seen Francine eat like this before. He could not help but feel intrigued by the chicken feet. He asked, ¡°Is there anything special about these chicken feet? Why do you have to eat them in front of me?¡± Instead of answering, Francine gave him a mysterious smile. She handed Stefan a chicken foot and said, ¡°Eat this first. I¡¯ll tell you after that.¡± Stefan frowned and had a look of disdain on his face. ¡°You know I¡¯ve never liked these kind of things.¡¯ ¡°If you don¡¯t try it, how would you know if you¡¯ll like it or not? Maybe it¡¯ll surprise you.¡¯ Because it was lunch time and Stefan happened to be hungry, he reluctantly took one and slowly tasted it. ¡°How was it? Was it delicious? Did it surprise you?¡± Francine asked impatiently. Stefan nodded and replied truthfully, ¡°It¡¯s the most delicious chicken foot I¡¯ve ever had.¡± He usually ate Western food. Even when he had Chinese food, he would usually have high-ss Chinese food. He would rarely eat street food like chicken feet. He did not think they look that good, so he had refrained from trying them, but now that he had one, he thought it actually tasted really good! Like Francine, after he finished one, he could not help eating another one. Francine saw that the time was right, so she told him, ¡°Renee made these chicken feet. She specifically asked me to bring some for you. Have you ever had them during the four years you were married to her?¡± Stefan suddenly stopped. ¡°She made these?¡± He now recalled that, when he had no choice but to go back to the Hunt Vi for dinner in the past, there seemed to be chicken feet like these on the table, but he did not think they looked good, so he did not even try one. ¡°I can tell from your reaction that this is the first time you¡¯ve had them too¡­ ¡ö Francine sighed, ¡°I only now realize that Renee is not as cowardly and ipetent as I thought. She has many good points that I ignored because I was biased¡­ She¡¯s a treasure that we need to take the time to unearth.¡± The look on Stefan¡¯s handsome face was profound andplicated. After a moment of silence, he said softly, ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling me this now? Even if she¡¯s the most amazing woman in the world, she doesn¡¯t belong to me anymore¡­¡¯ ¡°What are you saying? You sound so defeated. You¡¯re Stefan Hunt. Is there anything in the world that you can¡¯t do?¡± Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Chapter 307 Francine patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, ¡°I believe that as long as you¡¯re willing to fight for it, the thing you lost will surelye back to you with a firmer attitude.¡± Francine said no more and left the H Group. Staring at the lemon chicken feet in the lunch box while standing alone in his spacious office, Stefan felt like he could imagine Renee getting busy in the kitchen. It warmed his heart¡­ Hunt Vi. Renee and Margaret made a lot of dishes to entertain Haze, who had suddenlye for a visit. ¡°Haze, Margaret was able to escape danger thanks to you. I¡¯ve always wanted to invite you to dinner to express my gratitude, but I haven¡¯t been able to find the time. Today¡¯s the perfect chance¡­ Think of this fruit juice as wine. Here¡¯s a toast to you!¡± Renee picked up a ss filled with juice and said gratefully to Haze. Margaret also stood up, poured herself a full ss of wine, and raised it towards Haze. ¡®Mr. Haze, thank you for everything. Cheers!¡± ¡® You¡¯re wee, Margaret. I¡¯ll ept your toast, but Miss Everheart¡¯s¡­¡± Haze paused for a moment and looked at Renee with a smile on his face.H I remember that you promised me more than a meal.¡± Renee touched the back of her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°I agreed in the heat of the moment. It doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°So you still remember our little agreement.¡± The smile on Haze¡¯s face grew wider. ¡®Actually, you don¡¯t have to overthink it. Consider it doing your friend a favor. No one said you have to get married after meeting the parents.¡± Hearing this, Renee nodded in agreement. ¡°True. Meeting the parents doesn¡¯t mean much anymore. You can even get a divorce after getting married these days!¡± If she could solve Haze¡¯s problem just by meeting his parents, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal. After all, she hated being in other people¡¯s debt. After she returned his favor, she would be more comfortable dealing with this guy in the future. ¡® What? Meet the parents? Whose parents?¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Margaret told them emotionally, ¡°Don¡¯t mess around, you young ones. Meeting the parents is a serious matter. You only do that when you¡¯re ready to get married.¡± ¡°Besides, Miss Ren, you¡¯re currently in the process of repairing your rtionship with Mr. Hunt. If he finds out that you¡¯re meeting with another man¡¯s parents, what will happen to your rtionship?¡± That seemed to have provoked Renee. She snorted. ¡°Who said I¡¯m repairing my rtionship with him? That arrogant and narcissistic guy looks down on me from the bottom of his heart. Not only does he think I¡¯m a murderer, he¡¯s also wary of me ruining his friend¡¯s life¡­¡± The more she spoke, the angrier she got. She immediately asked Haze,¡± When should we go? I¡¯m free whenever. I¡¯ll show him how popr I am!¡± Haze raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°There¡¯s no better time than now. Let¡¯s go after the meal. Is that okay?¡± ¡°No problem!¡± They left after the meal. ¡°This is nonsense, you two!¡¯ Margaret wanted to stop them, but of course she failed. While she was feeling anxious, Stefan unexpectedly arrived. As if she saw a savior, Margaret quickly dashed over and told him, ¡°Mr. Hunt, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here. Miss Ren ran away with another man! They shouldn¡¯t have gone far. You can still catch up to them if you hurry!¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Upon hearing that, Stefan¡¯s handsome face became even colder. ¡°Damn that woman. She really ran away!¡± Margaret carefully provided Stefan with useful information. ¡®I heard them say they¡¯re going to Sutton. They¡¯re on the way to the airport now. If you hurry, you can still catch up to them¡­¡± ¡°Sutton?!¡¯ With clenched fists and a chilly look in his eyes, Stefan said, ¡°She better pray I won¡¯t catch her, or I¡¯ll break her leg!¡± Without saying another word, he drove his expensive sports car straight towards the biggest airport in Beach City. When he walked into the airport lobby, he happened to run into Renee and Haze, who had just arrived themselves. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Stefan was surprised to see Haze standing next to Renee. ¡°What are you doing here?¡¯ Renee was surprised to see Stefan too. She felt guilty for some reason, like she had been caught cheating. She subconsciously took a step back. Haze smiled calmly and reached his hand out to Stefan. ¡°Mr. Hunt, long time no see. Are you going on a business trip?¡± Stefanpletely ignored Haze. Instead, he looked at Renee with contempt and said, ¡°I thought you found a guy so incredible that you couldn¡¯t wait to meet his parents¡­ But it¡¯s just a hacker who has to hide like a rat all the time!¡± Renee immediately became furious and retorted, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, you can insult me, but you better not insult hackers. They¡¯re not hiding like rats, they¡¯re highly-skilled people who like to keep a low profile. You think you¡¯re all that? If you make the hackers mad, they¡¯ll dig up all your secrets and expose you to the public!¡± Stefan did not know that Renee was ¡°Phoenix¡±. Renee¡¯s defense of the hackers sounded to Stefan like she was speaking up for Haze, which made him even angrier. He sneered, ¡°Looks like he¡¯s enthralled you. Did he tell you about the transaction he made with me behind your back?¡± In his opinion, Renee was so naive that she was nearly brainless. If she knew that this so-called ¡°highly-skilled¡± person had reinforced the security of the cloud storage system which contained evidence that could prove her nanny¡¯s innocence, and he did it for money, would she still feel that he was a good man? Renee smiled and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of deal Haze made with you. The important thing is that you needed him. He made a lot of money with his skills. It¡¯s your loss no matter how I look at it. How can you still act so high and mighty in front of him?¡± ¡°You!¡± Stefan was speechless. Renee¡¯s sharp words almost made him explode with anger. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. He turned to Haze and snorted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to confess something to her?¡¯ Wit his hands in his pockets, Haze shrugged nonchntly and said, ¡°You must be talking about that time you paid me to reinforce the security of the hospital¡¯s cloud storage system to prevent Miss Everheart from proving her nanny¡¯s innocence.¡± Stefan did not expect Haze to be so honest. He said coldly, ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re honest.¡± Haze smiled. ¡°Of course, I confessed to Miss Everheart a long time ago. Not only that, I even shared half of the reward with her as a sign of apology. She happily epted it and even treated me to a meal.¡± Renee nodded and said jokingly, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you paid him 10 million dors for that. If I had known how generous you are, I would have be a hacker too. After all, the various systems of H Group are so weak, and they¡¯re full of loopholes too. I could make a fortune just from helping you plug the loopholes!¡± 1 Stefan:¡±¡­¡± His handsome face was flushed with anger! So he was the fool? The two of them joined hands to cheat him of millions? Their M.O. was almost exactly the same as that time in the auction when she conspired with Liam Osborne to make him pay an astronomical price for a diamond ring! ¡®Renee Everheart, you sure like to scam me, don¡¯t you?¡¯ Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Chapter 309 Stefan took a deep breath and tried to keep his anger under control. He asked Renee, ¡°Since you already know what kind of person he is, why did you still get close to him? Is there something wrong with your brain?¡± ¡® What kind of person he is?¡± Renee looked directly at Stefan¡¯s fierce eyes and gave him a mocking smile. ¡°He¡¯s a hacker. People pay him to do stuff. Isn¡¯t that reasonable? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡® But you¡­ you would go to any length to protect your little lover, wouldn¡¯t you? Including destroying evidence in secret. I think your personality is even shadier. You¡¯re the one I should stay away from!¡± ft ft Stefan pursed his lips. He was rendered speechless again. Renee was right. In terms of shadiness, he was even shadier than Haze. What moral high ground did he have to criticize Haze¡¯s character? Haze looked at his watch and said with a smile on his face, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hunt, but our flight is about to take off. Please make way. This is the first meeting between Miss Everheart and my parents. We wouldn¡¯t want to bete.¡± He was twisting the knife that had stabbed into Stefan¡¯s heart! Stefan was nigh bursting with anger and jealousy already. When he heard that, he could contain himself no longer. He grabbed Renee¡¯s wrist and dered his ownership of her. ¡°This woman is already taken. She won¡¯t be going with you!¡± ¡°Stefan, what are you doing? Let me go!¡± Renee was embarrassed and tried hard to free herself from his grasp. Stefan held her even tighter, pulled her into his arms, and said forcefully, ¡®I won¡¯t let you go. You¡¯re not allowed to go with him!¡± ¡°Who do you think you are?!¡± There¡¯s something wrong with this guy¡¯s brain! It¡¯s none of his business whose parents she was meeting. Renee roared, ¡°We¡¯re divorced. I¡¯m single now. You have no right!¡± Stefan said, ¡°It¡¯s true that we¡¯re divorced, but you¡¯re still my responsibility. I promised your grandpa to keep you safe for the rest of your life. This guy is just a hacker with no power and no wealth. He can¡¯t give you happiness. I naturally can¡¯t let you go with him.¡± ¡°What?¡± No matter how hard Renee racked her brain, she could not recall when her grandfather had ever said that. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Stefan¡¯s eyes were cold. He said arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯ll consider letting go of you if you find a man who¡¯s comparable to me. I won¡¯t let you go if the man is worse than me!¡± Renee:¡±¡­¡¯ She had no idea how anyone could be this shameless. Did he really think he¡¯s the best in the world and no one could match up to him? ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re so full of yourself. Do you really think hackers are that poor? For all we know, his worth may be much higher than yours. And he¡¯s just as capable as you are!¡± Renee retorted. ¡°His worth?¡± Stefan sneered. Like an immature elementary school kid, hispetitive desire was aroused. ¡°Then why don¡¯t your hacker friend and Ipare our worth?¡± Renee said, ¡°That¡¯s unfair! Your worth was amassed by your entire family.¡± Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Chapter 310 The scene startled the passers-by at the airport. Stefan and Renee were also surprised. They could not make heads or tails of the situation. Haze¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He looked at the elderly man kneeling before him with some displeasure. ¡°Uncle Wurst, didn¡¯t I make it clear that I¡¯ll board the ne myself when the timees? Don¡¯t make such a scene!¡± The elderly man bowed his head in reverence, but said with some degree of forcefulness, ¡°Young master, everybody¡¯s waiting anxiously for you. They¡¯re worried that you might change your mind again, so they sent me to escort you back. I¡¯ve already chartered the entire ne. Please cooperate with me!¡± ¡°Escort me?¡± Haze rolled his eyes. ¡°More like keeping an eye on me. After all these years, Grandpa is still so domineering. Was it any wonder that I ran away?¡± ¡°But this time, you don¡¯t have to worry because I¡¯m bringing his future granddaughter-inw back with me. I wouldn¡¯t run away halfway!¡± Upon hearing that, Uncle Wurst¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately turned to Renee. ¡°I think this must be your future wife. You look dignified and charming, mydy. You look just like the ideal wife for the young master in the heart of Old Master Baldwin¡­ No, in the hearts of the entire Baldwin family!¡± ¡°Wh-What?!¡± Renee felt extremely embarrassed. She could not help ring at Haze with her sparkling eyes. What was Haze doing? Why was his whole extended family notified of her arrival? She felt like she had been put on the spot. She had no choice but to go now. ¡°The Baldwin Family?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes suddenly became sharp as they examined Haze. It appeared this seeminglyckadaisical little hacker was not as simple as he looked! ¡°Yes, Mr. Hunt.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Haze nodded and the smile on his face deepened. He said, ¡°The hegemon of Sutton City, Austin Baldwin, is my grandfather.¡± ¡°Are you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Justin Baldwin, the sole direct descendant of Austin Baldwin and the sole heir of the Baldwin family¡­ My hacker identity. Haze, is just an alter- ego I created because I was bored!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Upon hearing Haze¡¯s self-introduction, Stefan was shocked, but it made so much sense. Everyone knew the Hunt family in Beach City and the Baldwin family in Sutton City were equally matched hegemons. One of them upied the east while the other upied the west. They respected each other¡¯s boundaries and did not interfere with each other. Stefan had always wanted to meet Justin Baldwin, who shouldered the same family responsibilities as him. Unfortunately, that guy was free and unrestrained and never cared about his family business. His whereabouts were often uncertain, so they had never been able to meet. Surprisingly, this was how they met for the first time ¨C through Renee! ¡°Surprised, Mr. Hunt?¡± Justin, with both hands in his pockets, wore an easy smile on his face as always. Unlike Stefan, who was like an iceberg, he was rxed and casual like a kid from next door,pletely devoid of the airs of a prestigious family¡¯s descendant. ¡°I thought that, considering the deep friendship between the Baldwin family and the Hunt family, you must have investigated me thoroughly¡­ After all, I¡¯ve been living in your shadow ever since I was young. I¡¯ve known who you are for a long time.¡± Stefan snorted coldly. ¡°That means you¡¯ve been scheming for a long time. You approached her with ulterior motives!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true¡­¡± Justin said, ¡°Years ago, General Everheart originally wished to entrust Miss Everheart to me, but unfortunately, I had other ideas at that time, so I missed out.¡± ¡°Now¡­ Miss Everheart has regained her freedom. I¡¯m just pursuing the happiness that should have been mine. I hope you, as the ex-husband, can give us your blessing.¡± Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Chapter 311 After saying that, Justin confidently tried to pull Renee back. Unsurprisingly, Stefan did not let Renee go. He narrowed his eyes at Justin and sneered, ¡°Is that so? Well see just how capable you are then!¡± Meanwhile, Renee was not enjoying being stuck in the middle of these two men as they yed tug of war with her. ¡°Stop it!¡± Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and screamed at them. She kicked both of their legs and broke free from their grip angrily. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the both of you? Do you think I¡¯m a toy to y around with? Have you even asked me what I want?¡± Renee snapped at them, crossing her arms over her chest. Stefan and Justin stopped ring at each other and turned to her. Stefan said coldly, ¡°If you have any brains, you¡¯d know that he has a motive for getting close to you¡­ You should know what to do.¡± When Justin heard this, he shrugged and admitted, ¡°I do have a motive. The truth is that I¡¯m in love with you and want to marry you. I feel the Baldwin family and the Hunt family are on equal footing, and I can provide you with as luxurious a life as he can.¡± Renee nced at Stefan, then at Justin. She walked up to Justin immediately and scoffed, ¡°One hurt me in the past, while the other might bring me happiness in the future. I think the answer is pretty obvious.¡± She held onto Justin¡¯s arm and they both walked to the boarding gate. She felt free at that moment. Although Stefan saw her as nothing but trash, she was a treasure to somebody else. As Stefan watched them leave, his heart ached. It was like something important in his life was leaving, and he only realized how much it meant to him after it was gone. Renee and Justin boarded the airne together. Ever since she walked away from Stefan, her back was straight and her expression was cold ¨C she was determined to hide the slight fear and anxiousness inside her. Maurice told her once that she must act tough even when her heart was breaking apart. Just as Anthony said, the Baldwin family had booked the entire airne to wee them back to Sutton. Renee sat in the luxurious first-ss seat, her eyes filled with sadness as she watched Beach City slowly disappear beneath the clouds. Justin sat beside her, some fruits and desserts in his hands. ¡°You look a bit down. How about some sweets to cheer you up?¡± Renee immediately turned around. When she saw the variety of desserts, her eyes gleamed with excitement. She took a piece of cake and began eating it happily. ¡°Of course! If I don¡¯t eat, I wont have the strength to be sad.¡± As she chewed on the food, she looked outside the window and continued to be sad. Seeing this, Justin chuckled in amusement. He had never met a girl like her who could be both happy and sad at the same time. He studied her delicate features and the mncholy in her gaze, and his heartbeat quickened. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Umm¡­¡± He cleared his throat and asked carefully, ¡°Did you mean what you said earlier?¡± Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Chapter 312 Renee turned to Justin, her eyes meeting his affectionate gaze. She was stunned for a while before she smiled and asked him, ¡°What about you? Did you mean what you said?¡± Justin felt his heart skip a beat and his eyes widened slightly. ¡®Why am I losing my cool like this? What is happening to me?¡¯ He thought in bewilderment. He raised his eyebrows and said in a half-joking manner, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m serious about it. Ever since I found out that you¡¯re Phoenix, I regretted my decision not to marry you four years ago.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Reneeughed and asked him, ¡®The Baldwin family is pretty prestigious¡­ Would they ept a divorcee like me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a divorcee?¡± Justin¡¯s handsome face became serious, and he sounded angry as he said, ¡°Those men are fools to give up such loving partners. It¡¯s another man¡¯s fortune to be married to a divorcee. ¡ö ¡°You might not care, but surely your family does, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one would dare object. I guarantee that they¡¯ll wee you with open arms.¡± He added, ¡°My grandfather admired yours his entire life. Once he knows you¡¯re Maurice¡¯s granddaughter, he¡¯ll instantly arrange for us to be wed. The Hunt family might not have known your worth, but I can assure you that the Baldwin family will treasure you.¡± Renee felt relieved when she heard Justin¡¯s words. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± When Justin heard her reply, he felt like a giddy schoolboy again. ¡°I¡¯ll just take it that you agree!¡± The flight from Sutton to Beach City took three hours. Renee and Justin chatted for a while before falling asleep, and when she woke up, the ne had alreadynded. Justin suddenly turned to her and blurted out, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t freak out, but my family might be a little¡­¡± He trailed off, looking hesitant. ¡°What?¡± She removed her eye mask and nced sleepily at him. He sighed and mumbled, ¡°A little shy, I guess. Just don¡¯t let it get to you.¡± Renee didn¡¯t take his words seriously, and just waved her hand dismissively as she followed him down from the ne. The moment they exited the airport, Renee realized that ¡®a little shy¡¯ was a huge understatement. There were over a hundred drones in the air, floating around in formation to project the words ¡®Wee Miss Renee!¡¯ To Renee¡¯s horror, even the airport car park had been cleared out to make way for an army of shoulders who immediately shouted, ¡°Wee to the Baldwin family, Miss Renee!¡± ¡°Agh!¡± Renee was so shocked that she almost fell down. She quickly hid behind Justin and grabbed onto his arm. Renee watched in shock as the soldiers then proceeded to march on the spot with spears in their hands. It looked like they were about to enter the battlefield at any moment. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Renee gasped, her eyes wide as she hid behind Justin.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 313 Chapter 313 Chapter 313 ¡®Is there going to be a war? Are they going to kill me?¡¯ Renee thought to herself, her heart pounding. Justin caressed her head and grinned sheepishly. ¡°This is the Baldwin family¡¯s overlyvish wee tradition¡­ I tried to warn you.¡± Renee narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°You should¡¯ve tried harder.¡± Finally, she exhaled deeply and grumbled, ¡°They nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought they were trying to kill me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re a guest of the Baldwin family. We can¡¯t possibly murder you!¡± Justin grinned at her cheekily, then grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re acting, we gotta make it look real. If not, my grandfather will be able to tell we¡¯re faking it!¡± Renee cooperatively held his hand and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this!¡± The two walked towards the group, holding hands. Renee saw an elderly man in uniform standing amid the troops. His outfit was adorned with medals, and he emerged from a tank with a man and a woman. ¡°Grandpa! Dad! Mom!¡± Tears of joy welled up in Justin¡¯s eyes as he excitedly waved at them. It had been a long time since he¡¯d been back, and he missed his family. He let go of Renee¡¯s hand and opened his arms to embrace them happily. However, instead of an embrace, he received a smack on the face as the old man pushed him aside. ¡°Move aside, brat!¡± Austin impatiently moved in front of Justin and smiled warmly at Renee.¡± Are you Renee? Maurice¡¯s granddaughter?¡± Renee was stunned by Austin¡¯s enthusiasm and nodded awkwardly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡± Austin¡¯s eyes glistened with emotion as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for 20 years¡­ Maurice saved my life, but because of my arrogance and hatred for the Hunt family, I ruined my friendship with him. I even missed out on the opportunity to see him onest time.¡± ¡°You are definitely Maurice¡¯s granddaughter. You look just like him, and your noble demeanor tells me that you were born to lead.¡± The old man studied her with adoration in his eyes. Justin¡¯s parents, Jack Baldwin and Sophia Jordan, admired Renee too. ¡°Miss Renee, you are stunning. You¡¯d be a perfect future daughter-inw! I have to thank the Hunt family for letting go of such a wonderful treasure.¡± Sophia patted Renee¡¯s hand and smiled at her kindly. ¡°Of course! novelxo Miss Renee¡¯s mother is a well-known beauty in Beach City, after all ¨C tons of men were fighting for her hand back then,¡± Jack said in amusement. ¡°Miss Renee is just as beautiful as her mother!¡± Renee was so overwhelmed by their enthusiasm that she didn¡¯t know what to do. She could only smile awkwardly and nced at Justin for help. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Getting her cue, Justin instantly pulled her behind him. ¡°Behave, everyone¡­ You¡¯re scaring my girlfriend!¡± Austin chuckled and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. You¡¯re the future mistress of the Baldwin family. To show you our sincerity, we prepared a special gift for you we think you¡¯ll like!¡± Chapter 314 Chapter 314 Chapter 314 ¡°Gift?¡± Renee instantly shook her head and backed away. ¡°Grandpa Baldwin, I appreciate the gesture, but you didn¡¯t have to get me a gift. I didn¡¯t even get anything for you! You¡¯re all too generous.¡± Renee had forgotten what it felt like to be appreciated and loved like this. When the Everheart family went bankrupt and she married into the Hunt family, all she got from the Hunt family was judgment and res. She felt touched, and also a little guilty. After all, this was all just an act. Austin frowned and said solemnly, ¡®This is nothing. I¡¯m not a generous man, but I mean it when I say that you¡¯re the future mistress of the Baldwin family. The gift I prepared for you isn¡¯t just any gift, it¡¯s more of a dowry.¡± ¡®There¡¯s no need for that¡­¡± Renee felt so guilty that she wanted to run away and hide. If she knew the Baldwin family would be so serious about it, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to pretend to be Justin¡¯s girlfriend. Renee stared at Justin pointedly, but Justin ignored her and spoke to the old man, ¡°Grandpa, you can¡¯t just give her a cheap dowry, okay? You¡¯d N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. make me look bad if you do since the Hunt family¡¯s dowry for Renee was a mansion worth billions. What about us? How many billions are we going to spend?¡± ¡°Money is toomon. Who needs money in this era? Only the Hunt family would do such a thing!¡± Austin¡¯s expression was filled with disdain when he mentioned the Hunt family of Beach City. He raised his chin and proudly pointed at the army who had weed her earlier. ¡®You are Maurice¡¯s granddaughter, a general¡¯s heir. You were born with the ability to lead. It¡¯s a shame your father didn¡¯t inherit your grandfather¡¯s talent, since he chose to do business instead and failed miserably at it. So, I want to give you this army to help rebuild the Everheart family to its former glory.¡± ¡®You want to give me¡­ an army?¡± Renee¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. She thought Austin would offer money, jewelry, or a house but she never expected him to give her an army! ¡® I trained them myself. Each soldier has their own unique skills, and they are all very aplished. I named them The Army of the Devil¡­ It¡¯s now yours.¡± He took a medal from his uniform and handed it to Renee, then looked at the soldiers and yelled, ¡°The person who holds this medal will be your general, and you will only take orders from them. From now on, you will fight every battle for her!¡± The minute he finished speaking, the five hundred soldiers saluted at Renee and screamed in unison, ¡®We swear allegiance to General Everheart!¡± Renee initially wanted to refuse, but the fighting spirit she inherited burned in her when she saw the soldiers. When she was a child, her grandfather often told her stories of the battlefield, and she used to dream that she would one day be a great general who would make her grandfather proud and bring honor to the Everheart family. Determined, she held the medal high in the air and roared back, ¡°Men, we fight for honor!¡± Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Chapter 315 Any person watching this scene would be weirded out, but Renee loved it. It was as if she was born for the battlefield as she screamed the war cry loudly. ¡°Good¡­ Very good!¡± Austin nodded his head proudly, tears in his eyes.¡± Maurice, are you watching this? Renee is truly your granddaughter. She¡¯s a natural leader with a bright future!¡± Jack and Sophia held each other¡¯s hands with tears in their eyes. ¡°Our son finally made us proud. She¡¯s the best daughter-inw anyone could ask for!¡± On the other hand, Justin felt terribly guilty. ¡®Damn, is Grandpa serious? He gave Renee an entire army! If he finds out the truth, I¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡¯ The group of people got in their car and headed to a fine dining restaurant in Sutton. Sophia had already epted Renee as her future daughter-inw. She had held Renee¡¯s hand for the entire journey to the restaurant, enthusiastically pointing out everyndmark they passed. ¡°Renee, do you see that shopping mall? It belongs to us. Oh, that building belongs to us too! Even that TV tower in the distance belongs to us. We invested in five of the local television stations.¡± Renee was very impressed with the Baldwin family¡¯s capabilities ¨C they were definitely on equal footing with the Hunt family. However, the Hunt family was based in Beach City, which had an advanced transportation system that boosted the country¡¯s economy and aided the Hunt family in dominating the business sector. Compared to Beach City, Sutton was mainly ind with limited industrial production, so resources were usually monopolized by a few big shots who would develop and grow the country.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Both families were powerful, but because of the previous generation of descendants, they had be enemies. Fortunately, both families conquered their own sector, so there wasn¡¯t any fight for profits. However, it now seemed that Renee might be the reason for a war between the two families! Austin sat at the head of the table and held up his ss of wine as he said to Renee, ¡°You¡¯ve suffered a lot in the past few years. I heard that the Hunt family treated you badly and even kicked you out of their house. You may have forgiven them, but I can¡¯t ept such rude behavior towards you. So, I have decided to dere war against the Hunt family and take revenge for you!¡± After speaking, he tilted his head back and drank the whole ss of wine. Renee, however, was terrified when she heard this. ¡°Thank you for wanting to help me but it¡¯s fine, Grandpa Baldwin. I did everything of my own free will during my time in the Hunt family, and now that I¡¯ve divorced Stefan, I have no connections with them anymore!¡± Austin shook his head. ¡®You¡¯re too kind. I can¡¯t let them bully you like this. I owe Maurice to take care of his granddaughter, so I must take revenge on your behalf!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee was flustered and thought to herself, ¡®Is he for real? What exactly is he nning to do?¡¯ Before she could say anything, a waiter entered the room and stammered fearfully, ¡°l-l¡¯m sorry for disturbing your evening, but there¡¯s someone outside who wishes to dine with you. Would this be alright with you?¡± Chapter 316 Chapter 316 Chapter 316 ¡°Who dares to make such a bold suggestion?¡± Austin mmed his fist on the table and scowled at the waiter. ¡°Fine, ask them toe in. It¡¯s been a while since a person this bold appeared in the Baldwin¡¯s family territory!¡± Renee nced at the door and was instantly curious about this mysterious person. After all, the Baldwin family was the most powerful family in Sutton, but this person dared to disrespect them, so they had to be someone powerful too. The door to the banquet hall opened and an elegant woman strolled in. She was wearing an expensive-looking silk dress and carrying a fancy Hermes handbag. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Uncle Baldwin. I missed you so much that I came all the way from Beach City to see you. I hope you can grant me the pleasure of dining with you.¡± Under everyone¡¯s surprised gazes, the woman ced her ten-million-dor Hermes bag on the table and sat down at the table casually. This elegant yet arrogant woman was none other than Renee¡¯s ex-mother-in w, Francine. After processing this strange situation, Renee blurted out, ¡°Mom- Miss Milford, what are you doing here? This is Sutton!¡± She was actually implying that this was the Baldwin family¡¯s territory, not Beach City. The Baldwin family and the Hunt family hated each other¡­ Did this woman have a death wish? Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Francine turned to Renee, looking shocked. ¡°Renee, my darling daughter-inw, it¡¯s been ages! What a coincidence! Why are you here? What did you call me earlier? Can you call me that again?¡± Renee was speechless and thought to herself, ¡®Didn¡¯t we just meet yesterday? And also, are we even that close?¡¯ Sophia was the most furious among everyone at the table. She stood up, pointed at the door, and growled, ¡°Francine, don¡¯t talk nonsense! The whole world knows your son divorced Renee. She¡¯s my future daughter-in-w now! Leave this ce ¨C you¡¯re not wee here!¡± Francine, however, didn¡¯t back down. She slowly poured herself a ss of red wine and swirled her ss as she smiled sweetly. ¡°Sophia, why are you so tense? We¡¯ve been best friends since we were little. We used to have the same taste in things, from small things like flowers and dolls to bigger things like jewelry¡­ and men.¡± ¡°Francine, shut your mouth!¡± Sophia¡¯s face had darkened and her hand was reaching for the wine bottle. It seemed like she was ready to fight Francine. Francine had been doted on by her family when she was a kid, novelxo and even as an adult, her husband and son loved her and doted on her. She had be a blissfully ignorant woman because of this, and she continued bluntly, ¡°Back then, both of us were in love with Stefan¡¯s father. Since I was older, I wanted to let you have him, but he fell in love with me and insisted on marrying me. So, I married him, and it¡¯s been 20 years since Ist saw you.¡± ¡°Francine, that¡¯s enough. Aren¡¯t you ashamed to talk about all this in front of the youngsters?¡± Sophia clenched her fists and said through gritted teeth. If she wasn¡¯t trying to maintain her good image in front of Renee, she would have dly fought Francine! ¡°What is there to be ashamed about? We fought because of Stefan¡¯s father, and your husband knows it too. It¡¯s all in the past, so there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed about.¡± After Francine was done speaking, she clinked sses with Renee andughed. ¡°You see, daughter- inw? I was young once too. My love life back then was far more interesting than whatever is happening in this generation.¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Chapter 317 Renee smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. She knew that Francine was arrogant, but she didn¡¯t know she could be so bold. Had Francine juste here to boast about her rtionships? ¡°How dare you!¡± Jack mmed the table, his face fierce as he shouted,¡± Do you think you¡¯re in Beach City? This is the Baldwin family¡¯s territory. If you dare to continue this nonsense and upset my wife, then don¡¯t me me for hurting you!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Francine rolled her eyes and remarked sarcastically, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so scared. Jack, we used to be childhood sweethearts, and your wife and I were really close when we were kids. How can you threaten me like this?¡± ¡°You!¡± Jack was so enraged that he clenched his fists, about to hit her. When Renee saw this, she immediately stood in front of Jack and calmed him down. ¡°Uncle Jack, don¡¯t be mad. Miss Milford is known for being rude and blunt. Just think of her as an underdeveloped child, okay? There¡¯s no point in arguing with a child.¡± She was able to endure the years in the Hunt family because of this mindset. Francine wasn¡¯t a bad person, it was just that she had an annoying personality and her words were usually harsh. Honestly, Francine was actually a good person. Among the rich in Beach City, she did the most charity and would always donate lots of money to help those in need. Hence, even if Francine bullied Renee a lot in the past, Renee never hated her. ¡®That¡¯s right. Listen to Renee. Don¡¯t get mad at a mad woman.¡± Sophia scoffed as she and Jack finally calmed down. Renee turned to Francine and said, ¡°Miss Milford, if there¡¯s nothing else, please go home. This is a family banquet, and an outsider like you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Although her words seemed harsh, she was just trying to protect Francine. The Baldwin family wasn¡¯t a tolerant family ¨C they were like the royal family of Sutton with the military in their hands. If anything happened, Francine¡¯s identity as Mrs. Hunt wouldn¡¯t help much. ¡°A family banquet?¡± Francine smiled elegantly. ¡®You¡¯re not family either, but you¡¯re still sitting here.¡± Renee was speechless. ¡¯I can¡¯t help her anymore!¡¯ Francine had been protected well over the years, so she was oblivious and had absolutely no sense of danger. Suddenly, Austin said coldly, ¡°Francine, the Milford family was indeed connected by blood to the Hunt family, but that ended the minute the Milford family married into the Hunt family. Just tell me why you¡¯re here, or else, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!¡± Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Chapter 318 Hearing this, Francine raised her eyebrows, put down the ss in her hand and said slowly, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll be honest. The reason I¡¯m here is to bring my daughter-inw back.¡± Instantly, everyone became tense and their faces darkened. ¡ö Renee grew up in Beach City,¡± Francine said confidently. ¡®The economy there is flourishing and everything is perfect. Sutton, on the other hand, is impoverished, inconvenient, and has terrible transportation. I can¡¯t watch her stay here and suffer.¡± The Baldwin family¡¯s expressions were thunderous, and nobody said a word, but the atmosphere was dangerously tense. Renee became even more scared, and she tugged on Francine¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Miss Milford, I advise you to stop talking. Why are you insulting this city?¡± Francine was a really brave woman! ¡°I¡¯m not insulting it, I¡¯m just stating facts. If you look at the annual global wealth list, Beach City far outranks Sutton. The numbers are practically on opposite ends of the list. Am I wrong for merely stating the obvious?¡± Francine grabbed Renee¡¯s hand and stood up. ¡°Anyway, enough about the past. I can tell that Stefan really likes you. Come back with me, and the two of you can have a fresh start!¡± ¡°Miss Milford, don¡¯t do this.¡± Renee tly refused her request, saying firmly, ¡¯Didn¡¯t Stefan tell you? At the airport, I told him clearly that I chose Justin over him. Otherwise, I would not havee to Sutton with Justin. Since my rtionship with Stefan has already ended, we should be giving each other space. You can¡¯t keep bothering me like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Francine was like a stubborn child trying to fight for a toy. ¡°You loved Stefan so much before this, there¡¯s no way you can let him go just like that. I know you¡¯re angry that Stefan did you wrong and the Hunt family didn¡¯t appreciate you and treated you badly, but you shouldn¡¯t make the wrong choices just because you¡¯re angry. The Baldwin family are like a pack of wolves ¨C none of them are good people. You¡¯ll only suffer if you marry into their family!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Francine, shut up! I¡¯ve had enough of you.¡± Sophia snarled, and turned to the door as she ordered, ¡®This woman is mad. She dared to cause a scene at the Baldwin family¡¯s banquet! Lock her up and let her think about her mistakes.¡± Soon after, two armed men in ck uniforms entered through the front door, and forcibly dragged Francine out. Seeing this, Renee panicked and immediately stepped forward to stop them. ¡°Hold on, let¡¯s talk it out. There¡¯s no need for violence.¡± Sophia smiled at her and said gently, ¡°Renee, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t get involved in this. Since she¡¯s in Sutton, she has to abide by our rules. Anyone who dares to insult the Baldwin family will be held inside the confession room. People will think we¡¯re afraid of the Hunts if we exempt Francine from punishment!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Renee turned to look at Austin and Jack who were now calmly sipping wine and eating their food. It was obvious that they were the ones who intended it, but Sophia was the one to execute the n. It was just as the rumors said ¨C the Baldwins were pretty much the Sutton royal family, and the power they wielded was far greater than Renee could have imagined. Justin saw her concerned expression and said reassuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Miss Francine is too arrogant, so we¡¯re just teaching her a lesson. Nothing bad will happen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Austin smiled and said, ¡°We know our boundaries. Please continue your meal and treat the scene earlier as entertainment, don¡¯t let it ruin your mood.¡± Renee finished her meal warily. She felt as if she had voluntarily walked into the lion¡¯s den. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Chapter 319 It was alreadyte at night when they arrived at the Baldwin residence. The ce was an Elizabethan- era courtyard building, and was divided into four courtyards in the south, east, north, and west. Each courtyard was elegantly decorated with pavilions, carved railings, and jade. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee¡¯s room was in the East courtyard, next to Justin¡¯s. ¡°Brat, you¡¯d better be a good host and help Ren settle in so she¡¯ll start envisioning this ce as her home.¡± Sophia ordered Justin solemnly before she went back to her room to rest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mum, I¡¯ll take good care of my girlfriend,¡± Justin sighed. ¡°Hmm. Since she¡¯s your girlfriend, the two of you should be staying in the same room. Why get a separate room?¡± ¡°Mom, I told you that she¡¯s shy. We¡¯re not married yet, so how can we stay in a room together?¡± With that, Justin gently pushed Sophia out of the room and said, ¡°Go to sleep. We want to spend time together.¡± When Sophia heard this, her eyes shone with excitement. ¡®Yes, please enjoy your time together. Son, do well and don¡¯t fail me.¡± Finally, everyone went, leaving just Renee and Justin inside the room. ¡°Justin, be honest with me, were you trying to trick me?¡± Renee¡¯s face was tense as she asked seriously. ¡®Why do you say so?¡¯ He was smiling faintly,pletely calm. ¡®You asked me to pretend to be your girlfriend ande meet your parents, but you didn¡¯t tell me it was going to be this grand. Your family even gave me a trained battalion! If I don¡¯t marry you, it¡¯ll look like I¡¯m taking your family for granted,¡± she protested, clenching her fists. She was really anxious. The Baldwin family was treating her so well, so she felt guilty for deceiving. Additionally, seeing the way they handled problems, she was worried about rubbing them the wrong way. ¡°There¡¯s no dilemma at all.¡± Justin stood up and walked towards Renee slowly with a smirk on his face. ¡°Instead of pretending to be my girlfriend, you should marry me for real. I wasn¡¯t kidding when I said I want you to be the mistress of the Baldwin family.¡± ¡°Stop joking around!¡± She stepped back and tried to push him away. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in being a housewife. I just want to live the rest of my life peacefully.¡± He gently pushed her up against the wall and murmured, ¡°Phoenix, look at me. Even if you¡¯re not interested in being a housewife¡­ aren¡¯t you interested in me?¡± Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Honestly, Justin was an attractive man, but Renee wasn¡¯t familiar with him yet, so his actions weirded her out. She ducked out from under him and pushed him against the wall, twisting his arm behind his back. Justin let out a muffled groan, his charming face smashed against the wall. Renee growled menacingly in his ear, ¡®You¡¯d better behave around me, brat. Don¡¯t try to flirt with me or I¡¯ll tear your limbs off!¡± ¡°Ah! It hurts. Boss, let me go!¡± Justin yelped, not expecting her to be this strong. He squealed so loudly that the entire courtyard could hear him. When Sophia heard this, she smiled happily. ¡°Good! Justin didn¡¯t fail me.¡± Inside the room. Renee only let Justin go after teaching him a lesson. ¡°Phoenix, you¡¯re a girl but you¡¯re also a hacker and a fighter. Who would dare to marry you if you¡¯re this fierce?¡± Justin groaned and rubbed his neck which had almost been snapped by Renee, keeping his distance as he teased her. ¡°Are you still going to talk nonsense?¡± She held her arm in the air and stared at him coldly. ¡°No, definitely not!¡± He immediately stepped back. ¡®This is just the way I talk. You can¡¯t possibly expect me to keep quiet all the time, right?¡± ¡°I do. It seems you¡¯re just a naturally annoying human.¡± She scoffed and slowly put her hand down, and then tentatively asked, ¡°What are you going to do to Francine?¡± Justin clenched his jaw, and said casually, ¡°We¡¯ll let her suffer and teach her how to be a proper human being!¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± Renee was a little overwhelmed by all this. ¡°She¡¯s Stefan¡¯s mom; the Hunt family will not let you go if anything happens to her. You might have an army, but the Hunt family can¡¯t be underestimated either. If a fight breaks out, both families will suffer!¡± ¡°Both families will suffer?¡± Justin¡¯s gaze was cold as he sneered, ¡°Every battle must have a winner and a loser. Though we¡¯ve appeared to tolerate each other over the years, we¡¯ve actually beenpeting with each other. I think it¡¯s about time to drop the act and face each other head on.¡± The Baldwin family had always wanted tounch an attack on the Hunt family, but they just never had a reason to. Since Francine had appeared on her own and insulted them, it was practically a sign telling them it was time to go to battle. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interfere in this matter, Phoenix. You¡¯re from the Everheart family which we have no quarrel with. All you have to do is sit patiently and watch the show.¡± After Justin was done speaking, he dusted off his clothes. ¡°It¡¯ste, and you must be tired. Have a good rest. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± After his departure, Renee became even more anxious. She couldn¡¯t just sit there and do nothing! She was worried that something might happen to Francine, and that this might be the start of a war between the Hunt family and the Baldwin family.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. After some thought, Renee felt that the only way to solve this was to find the confession room and sneak Francine back to Beach City. ¡®But this ce is huge and every part of the city is controlled by the Baldwin family. Where would Francine be locked up?¡¯ She wondered to herself. ¡°No. I can¡¯t wait anymore!¡± She quickly got up and opened her closet. Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Renee had not anticipated the wardrobe to be stuffed with branded clothes, shoes, and bags in her size. It looked like they had bought the entire collection of a luxury boutique for her! Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Again, she felt guilty when she saw how much the Baldwin family cared about her. She decided that after sending Francine away, she woulde clean to them and ask for their forgiveness! She cut out a few ck and white shirts, and soon enough, she had managed to stitch together an outfit that closely resembled the uniform of the Baldwin family¡¯s employees. After she changed into the clothes, she sat in front of the makeup table and put on makeup that made her look older, then tied her hair in a low ponytail. ¡°Not too shabby, Renee!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but grin with delight when she realized she resembled the Baldwin family¡¯s workers. It waste at night. A few servants had gathered in the Baldwin residence¡¯s East garden to exchange gossip. ¡°I heard that the girlfriend that Master Baldwin brought him is the future mistress of the house. Old Master Baldwin adores her a lot.¡± ¡°But I heard that her previous husband divorced her because she couldn¡¯t give him children. Does this mean that our handsome and gentle Master Baldwin is going to marry a divorcee?¡± ¡°Exactly! I think there¡¯s something wrong with them ¨C they¡¯re treating her like she¡¯s a treasure!¡± Renee hid behind the pavilion and was furious when she heard this. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Baldwin family is so prominent, and Master Baldwin is so outstanding, so how could he so blind to marry a divorcee?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The servants were caught off guard and huddled close together. Renee walked out slowly, looked at the young servants with a sarcastic smile and said, ¡°I think Master Baldwin should marry one of you instead. Look at you! Each of you is so pretty and young. How precious!¡± ¡¯Who are you and why were you eavesdropping on us?¡± The servants looked at Renee warily. ¡°I¡¯m a new servant, so please guide me in the future.¡± Renee bowed her head humbly. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s new!¡± Their attitudes changed immediately, and they became arrogant. ¡®The Baldwin family is usually picky about who they hire as servants because they must be beautiful and educated. You look old and ugly, with no education. You¡¯re ruining our image! What are you in charge of?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either¡­¡± Renee acted dumb and scratched her hard as she pretended to think. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to guard a woman. I think she disrespected the Baldwin family and was locked in the confession room. I can¡¯t find the room though, can any of you take me there?¡± ¡°Oh, no wonder!¡± The servants nodded in understanding. Renee¡¯s lies were so perfect that none of them suspected her at all. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll take you there.¡± The leader of the servants lifted her chin and said to Renee. Renee trailed behind her, surprised that the whole thing had gone so well. However, not long after, the leader came to a halt and scowled as she observed Renee. ¡°I just realized something¡­ Your uniform doesn¡¯t match ours!¡± Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Chapter 322 Renee felt her pulse quicken but she kept calm and said, ¡°Really? I don¡¯t see the difference. It¡¯s the same style but different material.¡± ¡°Same style but different material¡­¡± The servant touched Renee¡¯s clothes and scoffed, ¡°This is actual silk. There¡¯s no way such a luxurious material would be used to make a servant¡¯s uniform!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®What incredible eyesight! It¡¯s no surprise that even a servant of the Baldwin family is so clever,¡¯ Renee thought, thoroughly impressed. However, she didn¡¯t panic. She remainedposed and said confidently,¡± Maybe it¡¯s an upgrade. The Baldwin family is a powerful family with a high social status, so it¡¯s not surprising that they want their servants to have good clothes. Are you trying to question the Baldwin family¡¯s decision?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not what I mean!¡± The servant immediately exined, ¡®The Baldwin family is the most powerful family in the world and I am loyal to them. I¡¯m simply cautious when ites to certain things.¡± ¡°Should we see Madam Sophia to confirm whether she could afford it or not?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that!¡± The servant didn¡¯t dare to bother Sophia for such a small matter. She waved her hand and urged, ¡°Stop wasting time. Let¡¯s go!¡± The two walked in the dark for a long time until they arrived at a courtyard on the outskirts. There was a hut somewhere behind the forest. On the door of the hut hung a board that said ¡®Confession room¡¯. ¡®This is it. Guard this ce with your life. No matter what she says or does, don¡¯t open the door. Don¡¯t give her anything too. Just wait until the superior gives further orders,¡± the servant told her solemnly. ¡°She¡¯s in here?¡± Renee nced at the simple hut dubiously. She didn¡¯t think that the confession room would be a small room with nothing inside. It looked like something from ancient times. ¡°What were you expecting?¡± The servant scoffed, then continued proudly,¡± Old Master Hunt said that the highest level of punishment isn¡¯t physical, but mental. By putting her here, she¡¯ll lose her freedom and connection to the world. Eventually, she¡¯ll forget time and yearn for death.¡± ¡°It makes sense, but there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. How will she lose connection with the world and forget time?¡± ¡®The hut may appear to be run-down from the outside, but the walls are soundproof. Apart from air, she¡¯ll only be surrounded by white walls. The most terrifying aspect is that sound cannot be transmitted inside,¡± the servant exined. ¡®Normal people would feel like an eternity had passed if they were locked in there for even half an hour. They¡¯ll definitely lose their minds if they¡¯re locked inside for more than three days!¡± When Renee heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but shudder. ¡®That¡¯s terrifying!¡± She imagined the despairing feeling of being locked up in a room with four walls, unable to hear a single sound. ¡®With Francine being so impatient and short-tempered, she¡¯d definitely lose her mind in three hours,¡¯ Renee thought to herself. She had to save Francine as soon as possible! ¡°You¡¯d best believe it, so don¡¯t you dare betray the Baldwin family. If you do, the next person to be locked up inside will be you,¡± the servant warned her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m loyal to the Baldwin family. I would never betray them,¡¯ Renee lied and urged the servant to leave. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 Chapter 323 The servant left afterwards because she saw the honest look on Renee¡¯s face and was certain she wouldn¡¯t do anything daring. Right after she left, Renee ran to the hut. It looked like a shabby hut from the outside, but the material used was very advanced. The walls were made from frosted ss. She could see everything that was happening inside the house. She saw Francine screaming furiously, hitting the door, and stomping her foot angrily. Renee even saw Francine picking her nose. However, Francine couldn¡¯t see the outside world at all ¨C she couldn¡¯t see anything besides the white walls around her. ¡°Hahahaha. Miss Milford, now you know what suffering is. Who told you toe here and pick fights? You deserve it!¡± Renee leaned against the wall and observed Francine, amused at the woman¡¯s actions. Although she had seen Francine in a terrible state before, this seemed to be the worst. However, there was something quite funny about the whole picture. Renee took her time to record Francine¡¯s crazy behavior, and after that did she start to analyze how to open the lock. The lock had aplicated security system that required a password. For others, it might be difficult to unlock, but to a genius hacker like Renee, it was child¡¯s y. She took out her phone and a Bluetooth device. After a while, a keyboard was projected in the air. As her slender fingers danced over the keyboard, her phone buzzed with notifications as she decoded every block. Suddenly, she heard a beeping noiseing from the door ¨C she had sessfully bypassed the security system and retrieved the password. She calmly entered the password into the lock and the door opened. Francine instantly turned to look at the door. When she saw Renee, she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She started crying in relief and gasped, ¡°Jinx-1 mean, my beloved daughter-inw, you¡¯re here to save me! I would have died here if you didn¡¯te to save me. It¡¯s so boring here, and I really need the bathroom!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Francine didn¡¯t care about her image at all and hugged Renee tightly and eagerlyined about her suffering in the confession room. Renee rubbed her temples in annoyance and whispered sarcastically, ¡°Why don¡¯t you scream louder and wake the Baldwin family so we don¡¯t have to leave?¡± Tm not scared of them!¡± Although Francine said that, she ran outside immediately after. Meanwhile, Renee calmly closed the door and acted as if it had never been opened before. She took Francine away from the hut and pointed at a dog-sized hole . ¡°I¡¯ve observed the surroundings, and this seems to be the only exit since there are guards guarding the front gate. You must leave now ¨C it¡¯s dark and there are not many guards on patrol!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Francine said defiantly, ¡°I¡¯m not scared of the Baldwin family. I¡¯m not leaving unless youe with me! How can I let Sophia get her dirty little paws on a good daughter-inw like you?¡± Francine might have despised Renee before this, but after Renee saved her, she loved Renee with all her heart. ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± Renee sighed helplessly and said, ¡®The truth is that the Baldwin family had always wanted to go to war with the Hunt family, but they never had an excuse to do so. Your sudden appearance has given them exactly that. The Hunt family has the upper hand when ites to business, but when ites to military force, they can¡¯t match up to the Baldwin family at all!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only got one chance to leave. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll just be causing Stefan trouble. Can you be mature about this?¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Renee¡¯s words made Francine hesitate and she sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. As important as you are, my son is the priority at the end of the day. I can¡¯t cause trouble for him!¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Finally you¡¯re thinking straight!¡± Renee let out a sigh of relief and pointed at the hole. ¡°Go now.¡± Francine held Renee¡¯s hand and said seriously, ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I¡¯m not the kind of person that¡¯ll put others in danger. I can¡¯t let you stay here!¡¯¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m fine here. It¡¯s a lot better than being in the Hunt family, to be honest. They won¡¯t hurt me, but I can¡¯t say the same if I ran away with you.¡± Francine¡¯s eyes softened in regret when she heard Renee¡¯s words. ¡°The Hunt family mistreated you in the past and for that¡­ I apologize. I wasn¡¯t mean to you earlier because I hated you, it¡¯s just that I thought you and Stefan wouldn¡¯t be happy together since you didn¡¯t have feelings for each other, so I wanted you to leave him¡­ I¡¯m not actually an evil person.¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be mean to you anymore. I won¡¯t push you to get pregnant or call you a jinx anymore. Please¡­ just consider getting back with Stefan anding back to the Hunt family. Well treat you better than the Baldwin family, and I¡¯ll stand by you no matter what happens!¡± Francine¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as she spoke determinedly. Renee felt touched seeing Francine like this ¨C she had realized her mistake and was now trying to make things right. Suddenly, Renee felt that she had to let go of the past. She had never hated Francine, frankly speaking, and now she was seeing her in a new light. She smiled and said teasingly, ¡°I don¡¯t mind being called a jinx ¨C it¡¯s got a nice ring to it.¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re always so sarcastic. I already apologized to you, can¡¯t you forgive me?¡± Francine whined, pouting like a child. Renee raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll think about it. Go home and wait for my news.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Francine¡¯s eyes glowed with excitement. ¡°If Stefan heard this, he¡¯d be overjoyed. He¡¯s such a proud man that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to beg you toe back. So, I have to be the one to bring you back.¡± ¡®Clearly, I was joking¡­¡¯ Renee thought to herself. She was just saying it to make sure Francine left. Deep down, she knew that her time with Stefan had ended and there wouldn¡¯t be any chance of them getting back together. Finally, Francine obediently climbed out through the hole. Before she left, she mumbled, ¡®This is the most embarrassing thing I¡¯ve ever done. If not for all of you, I would¡¯ve started a fight with them.¡± Renee stifled herughter and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re extremely magnificent and don¡¯t look undignified at all climbing out through that hole!¡± When she was sure Francine was far away, she took some dirt and covered the hole neatly. ¡°Done!¡± She dusted her hands off and was about to head back and sleep. However, when she turned around, she was shocked to see Justin standing there. Renee gasped and stumbled back. ¡°When¡­ When did you arrive?¡± Justin wore a ck sports outfit and had a headband wrapped around his head. He was sweating and breathing rapidly, and he looked very handsome. ¡°I just got here. Are you here for a night jog too?¡± ¡°Just¡­ jogging?¡± She questioned carefully. ¡°Yeah¡­ What else would I be doing?¡± He frowned and stared at the ce where the hole was earlier and asked curiously, ¡°What are you doing sneaking around this area?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Renee thought for a while before she replied, ¡°Your house is very beautiful, so I decided to take a stroll and look around. But during my stroll, I had to pee, so¡­¡± To avoid Justin¡¯s suspicion, she had to sacrifice her image. ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Justin smirked and said, ¡°I should¡¯vee earlier then.¡± ¡®You pervert!¡± Renee felt guilty for lying to him, so she tried to push the me to him. ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯ll go home tomorrow and stop this whole act.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my bad. I won¡¯t joke around anymore. Why are you dressed like a servant though? And your makeup looks weird too¡­¡± Justin gave her an odd look. ¡°What do you mean by that? This is how I look with a bare face. Do you find me ugly? And I got this shirt from the closet, it looks nice so I wore it. Are you trying to say that I look like a servant?¡± ¡°No. I¡­¡± Justin was lost for words. ¡®There¡¯s no need to exin. I¡¯m tired, novelxo so I want to rest now!¡± Renee eximed, and left immediately. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Justin watched as she gradually disappeared from view, and a smirk crept on his face. ¡®She actually guilt-tripped me even though she¡¯s the guilty one!¡¯ He mused, clicking his tongue in disapproval. After Renee returned to her room, she changed her clothes, took off her makeup, and decided to go to bed. The bed was sofortable ¨C it felt like she was sleeping on cotton because it was so soft. Soon enough, she drifted off to sleep. She slept so deeply that she had a dream¡­ or more urately, she considered it a nightmare because Stefan was in it. In it, Stefan had held a whip, tied her to a chair, and threatened her, ¡°Brave, aren¡¯t we? So brave that you dare to betray me and marry another man! Come back now, or else I will punish you!¡± The whip hit the floor with a loud crack. Then, he took a hot iron rod and was about to hit her with it¡­ ¡°Ah! No, I¡¯lle home immediately!¡± Renee screamed, waving her arms and kicking her legs. ¡°What happened? Are you having a nightmare?¡± A gentle hand stroked Renee¡¯s back and a soothing voiceforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, you¡¯re alright.¡± Renee instantly woke up from the nightmare and opened her eyes drowsily. She saw Sophia staring at her kindly. In her sleepy state, she saw her mother¡¯s image sh before her, and she subconsciously clung on to Sophia. ¡°Mom, I miss you¡­ Can you and Dad stay with me forever?¡± In front of outsiders, Renee appeared to be strong and brave, as if she could ovee any obstacle that came her way. However, she was still only in her early twenties ¨C like a beautiful and fragile flower. She would only be vulnerable around people she was close to. 1 ¡®What did you dream about to scare you like this?¡± Sophia liked Renee, and when she saw Renee in such a helpless and vulnerable state, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, no one would dare hurt you anymore. The Baldwin family will protect you.¡± Slowly, Renee regained her senses and realized what had happened. She instantly sat up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Sophia.¡± The two began chatting, and eventually, a phone call interrupted them. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Renee¡¯s instincts told her it was from Stefan since the screen showed that the call was from Beach City. She wanted to ignore it at first, but her phone wouldn¡¯t stop ringing. Sophia looked at her fondly and gestured for her to pick it up. Renee did not want to make her suspicious, so she pretended to be calm and answered the call. ¡®So, you finally decided to answer the phone!¡± Stefan¡¯s icy voice from the other end of the phone made her shiver. It brought back shes of her nightmare earlier, but she yed dumb and said, ¡°What? An insurance company? I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t need insurance. Goodbye!¡± ¡® Renee, don¡¯t you dare hang up. You-¡° Stefan¡¯s threat was promptly cut off as she ended the call. ¡°Hmm, my phone number must¡¯ve been leaked. I¡¯ve been receiving tons of calls from these kinds of companies. It¡¯s so annoying!¡± Renee calmly exined to Sophia while subtly blocked the number. However, another number called soon after, and then another. Every time Renee blocked one number, another one would call. It was so frequent that she had to make an excuse to go to the toilet to secretly call him back. ¡¯Are you crazy, Stefan? Why do you keep calling me? Please keep in mind that you are my ex-husband who shouldn¡¯t even be on my contact list!¡± Renee scolded in a low voice. After a few minutes of silence, the man at the other end said icily, ¡¯It¡¯s not my intention to disturb you. I just want to ask if my mother went to you and if she is currently alright.¡± ¡®Hasn¡¯t she gotten back yet?¡¯ Renee was surprised. Beach City and Sutton were not very far apart from each other, so Francine should have arrived at Beach City ages ago. How could she be missing? Did something happen during her journey back there? ¡¯From what you¡¯re saying, my mother did go to Sutton to look for you, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡¯Yes, she did, but I helped her go back that same night. There¡¯s no way she hasn¡¯t reached yet!¡± Renee hissed. ¡¯Damn it!¡¯ He cursed furiously, then growled, ¡°I¡¯m going to the Baldwin residence now to ask for her. You¡¯d better pray that she¡¯s alright, or I won¡¯t spare you, or anyone in the Baldwin family!¡± ¡¯What? You¡¯reing here? Are you crazy?! You-¡¯ Before Renee could protest, Stefan ended the call. Meanwhile, Sophia knocked on the door of the bathroom and asked in concern, ¡°Ren, is anything wrong? Do you need help?¡± Renee sighed softly, opened the door, and walked out. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was only calling my nanny to tell her I¡¯m alright.¡± Renee was secretly worried. What would happen if Stefan really came to the Baldwin residence? The two families would surely go to war then, and the consequences would be unimaginable! She couldn¡¯t let hime to the Baldwin residence¡­ or, at the very least, she could not let him meet the Baldwins. Sophia did not suspect anything. She held Renee¡¯s hand and said warmly,¡¯ Today is your first day at the Baldwin residence. Grandpa Baldwin, Uncle Jack, and Justin have been waiting for you to have breakfast!¡± ¡°They are waiting for me?¡± Renee looked at the sun shining brightly in the sky, and felt embarrassed. She had slept until noon, but the whole Baldwin family was actually still waiting for her to have breakfast. She felt really bad for troubling them so much. It was a ssic European-style dining room. All three generations of the Baldwin family were sitting around an antique round table with a traditional European breakfast in front of them. The three men, from grandfather to grandson, were sitting so stiffly that anyone could guess they were military men.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Chapter 327 Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Everyone¡¯s here now. Ren has slept enough, so let¡¯s dig in.¡± Sophia seated Renee at the table and said cheerfully. ¡®Good morning, Grandpa Baldwin, Uncle Jack, and Justin.¡± Renee greeted them politely and smiled broadly at them. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Austin looked at Renee fondly. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her. ¡°I slept very wellst night. Thank you for your concern.¡± Renee nodded slowly. She was very experienced in all this, since this was how she survived in the Hunt family for four years. She had emerged unharmed thanks to all the masks she wore. ¡ö Really?¡± Justin suppressed hisughter and asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you walking around in the courtyard in the middle of the night? You even energetically fixed a hole in the wall! I thought you couldn¡¯t sleep because you weren¡¯t used to the environment.¡± Renee red at Justin, fighting the urge to reach over and choke him.1 Damn that troublemaker! He should know who I was trying to help and why I was forced to do this! What an ungrateful man¡­¡¯ A hole?¡± Austin¡¯s gaze instantly turned cold, like the gaze of a soldier on the battlefield. It was terrifying. Renee hurriedly exined, ¡°I couldn¡¯t fall asleep because it¡¯s a new ce, and I saw that the moon was very beautifulst night, so I went out for a stroll. At that point, I happened to see a hole in the wall, so I fixed it.¡± Austin nodded and did not ask further. ¡°Today is your first day here, so you can sleep in, but you can¡¯t do it anymore. Everyone in the Baldwin family abides by military rules, and we keep to a strict schedule every day. This is to strengthen our minds!¡± ¡®Huh?¡± Renee was dumbfounded. ¡®Ren, you are a child from a military family, so you should be able to follow these rules. Maurice probably would be happy that I could make you stronger!¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Renee gulped and wanted to say that it was totally unnecessary. Her grandfather had already taught her war theories and fighting skills when he was still alive. He also taught her how to assemble guns, how to make and defuse a bomb, and even how to train soldiers. However, he pampered her in all other aspects, and usually let her do whatever she liked. ¡®Calm down, Grandpa, these rules are for our family. The rtionship between Ren and me isn¡¯t confirmed yet, so don¡¯t scare her away!¡± Justin finally decided to help Renee out. ¡®Don¡¯t listen to this old fogey. You can stay upte if you want to, or sleep in if you want to. You just have to live freely and happily as my wife. There is no need to be so disciplined!¡± Justin said dismissively. His words received the enthusiastic support of Sophia. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right! Ren and Justin can live however they like as long as they are happy; We won¡¯t interfere.¡± Austin¡¯s face turned serious, but before he could say anything, a maid ran into the room. She looked around wildly and shouted, ¡°Francine¡¯s gone!¡± ¡®She disappeared?¡± Austin mmed the cutlery on the table and demanded, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡¯When I went to start my shift this morning, there was nobody in the room. The lock wasn¡¯t damaged ¨C it¡¯s like she disappeared into thin air!¡± ¡¯What nonsense. Do you not want your tongue anymore?¡± Austin scoffed. Jack asked, ¡°Unless she was let go, how could a person disappear out of thin air?¡± The maid suddenly realised something and shouted, ¡°The new maid¡­ It must be that new maid!¡± Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Chapter 328 ¡¯What¡¯s all this gibberish? Talk properly!¡± Sophia said sternly. The maid took a deep breath and exined, ¡°There was a new maidst night, wearing a uniform of a better quality than ours. She said that she was sent over to keep an eye on Francine, so I brought her to the room and left her there alone¡­ I did not expect that both the new maid and Francine would disappear like that! So the person who helped Francine escape must be her!¡¯ ¡¯How dare she?!¡± Austin was fuming, feeling like the authority of the Baldwin family had been challenged. He said furiously, ¡°Who is that reckless person? How dare she sneak into the Baldwin mansion and do this right under my nose?! She really does not take us seriously! Start an investigation immediately, and when you find her, break her limbs right away. She has to know that the Baldwin family cannot be messed with!¡± Jack nodded and said to the head of the soldiers stationed around them,¡± What are you waiting for? Send a team to barricade the whole ce and carry out a thorough search. We must catch the woman who dares to fight against the Baldwin family!¡± Renee buried her head in her arms the whole time, not daring to take a breath. She was afraid that the maid would recognize her. She watched the soldiers leave in the armoured vehicles and gulped anxiously. ¡®Are these people for real? Must they be so serious? If they find out that I was the traitor who let go of her, would they really break my limbs?¡¯ Actually, when Renee thought about it, it wasn¡¯t that surprising. The Baldwin family were used to dictatorship, and used harsh punishments to reinforce their power in Sutton and the entirend of Jaseraux to expand their reign. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first. We don¡¯t want bad news spoiling Ren¡¯s breakfast,¡± Sophia said quickly to the men. The family agreed, and before they ate, they stood up and sang the national anthem in a loud and clear voice. 1 Renee was so frustrated by all their rules. ¡®No wonder Haze ran away years ago to be a hacker. I would escape as well if I were him!¡¯ Renee was actually nning to confess to the Baldwin family after breakfast and ask for their forgiveness. After that, she would leave this ce. The sooner, the better! At the same time, the maid, who had been standing submissively with her head lowered, raised her head cautiously. As soon as she saw Renee¡¯s face, her eyes widened in realisation and she yelled, ¡°It¡¯s her! She¡¯s the new maid. She¡¯s the one who released Francine!¡± The Baldwin family was startled and looked at Renee. The maid pointed at Renee and continued, ¡°Although it was darkst night and she disguised herself well, I can tell that she¡¯s the new maid fromst night. Her eyes are exactly the same, and there was a mole near her left eye!¡± Renee lowered her head in embarrassment and inwardly groaned. ¡®Oh no, I forgot to cover the mole under my left eye! It¡¯s so faint, I thought no one would notice it!¡¯ The members of the Baldwin family were certainly special ¨C even a maid had such good observation skills. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Ren, is there anything you want to say about this?¡± Sophia patted her shoulder gently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. If it¡¯s you, you should just admit it ¨C we won¡¯t me you. If it wasn¡¯t you, this maid who ndered you will be at your disposal!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee inhaled deeply, wondering whether to admit it. At that moment, Justin, who had been watching everything silently, suddenly spoke, ¡°Alright, we can stop the guessing game now -1 was the one who let her go.¡± Chapter 329 Chapter 329 Chapter 329 ¡®What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Sophia red at him. Given the old man¡¯s temper, he would mercilessly impose a harsh punishment on anyone who defied his orders. Was Justin asking for death? Justin replied nonchntly, ¡¯I¡¯m not lying, it was really me who let her go. Think about it ¨C the password is soplicated that only the members of the Baldwin family would know it. Ren is just an innocent girl. Even if she wanted to, she¡¯d never be able to figure out the password!¡¯ Justin purposely looked at Renee with a faint smile. ¡¯Haha!¡± Renee avoided their eyes andughed awkwardly. She was very grateful to Justin for taking the me, but he was so cheeky that she wanted to punch him! Justin looked around at his family and exined, ¡°I just think that since we¡¯ve already snatched Stefan Hunt¡¯s wife, it would be overkill to lock his mother up too. We know the power of the Hunt family, so we can¡¯t just provoke them because we have an army. The Hunt family is very wealthy ¨C if we drive them into a corner, they can easily hire assassins from Aiqan or Mzio to fight against us. Let¡¯s not overdo it and leave some space between us so that things won¡¯t be too difficult the next time we meet.¡± ¡®Well said!¡± Renee could not help but stand up and p; it was like Justin had read her mind. The entire Baldwin family was living so pridefully, except for Justin who had been out and about in the world. He was much more sensible. Austin frowned and red at Justin sternly. ¡°You¡¯re simplyuding the other family¡¯s prestige at the expense of your own. If it truly is as you say, we¡¯d be acting like our family is afraid of the Hunt family!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The Baldwins and the Hunts are bound to go to war. I had never started anything back then because Ren was in the Hunt family, but now that she¡¯s not, there¡¯s nothing holding us back anymore.¡± Renee wanted to hit her head on the table after hearing Austin¡¯s words. The old man was certainly a war hawk. From what she remembered, the three brothers parted ways years ago because of it. They held on to different principles, and it cost them severely when they went their separate ways and stopped contacting each other. Compared to Austin, her grandfather and Grandpa Hunt were a lot more objective. They would not fight unless it was absolutely necessary. That was why both of them left the military and entered the business industry instead! Renee knew he wasn¡¯t an evil person ¨C he simply preferred to solve problems using force and thought that order was above all. In other words, though Austin usually looked kind and friendly, he would be merciless if she got on his nerves! It was like serving a king who was as dangerous as a ticking time bomb. Renee knew that she was walking on eggshells, so she could not provoke him or she would get into trouble. She also could not let Stefan meet this old man, or else everyone, even those who were not involved, would be affected. Since both options were undesirable, Renee made up her mind and went for n C instead. ¡®Let¡¯s fight! We must fight!¡± Renee shouted passionately, raising her hand and changing her attitude suddenly. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Renee¡¯s unusual reaction stunned everyone in the room, especially Justin. He did not expect that she would react that way at all. ¡®Are you sure about having the two families go to war?¡± He raised his eyebrows and asked mischievously. ¡®Of course!¡± Renee continued enthusiastically. ¡°My grandfather always hoped that one day I could follow in his footsteps and lead an army into battle myself. If the Baldwin and Hunt families are bound to fight, whether it¡¯s in business or war, I want to be the one to lead! Anyway, I also have a deep grudge against the Hunt family, and I hate Stefan so much that I long for a life-and-death duel with him!¡¯ ¡°Fantastic! You really are something, youngdy.¡± Austin stroked his beard andughed heartily. ¡°You are indeed the granddaughter of General Everheart ¨C so confident and strong-willed. You are much better than my unworthy grandson! Justin, you should learn from Ren. If you are always giving in, how can you protect her in the future? Maybe she¡¯ll have to protect you.¡± Sophia red at her son, extremely dissatisfied with his cowardice. Justin tugged on Renee¡¯s coat and hissed in her ear, ¡°What the hell are you doing? I had just fixed things! My grandfather and father were fooling around, but you actually agreed with their silly idea. Are you really thinking of starting a war?¡± Reneeughed. ¡°Stop acting like a peacemaker ¨C you were the one who shamelessly threatened to expose my identity as Phoenix to Stefan if I did not join in the battle against the Hunt family, but now, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s withdrawing?¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°I was just trying to find out about your rtionship with Stefan Hunt and his family. From what I see, you really care about them, but with you behaving like this now, I feel like there¡¯s some kind of conspiracy going on!¡± Justin hugged Renee¡¯s shoulders and rested his forehead against hers as he spoke so as to not raise suspicion. Finally, he murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t try to trick my grandfather or father to make the two families have a truce or coborate from within. It¡¯ll be very troublesome if my grandfather discovers your schemes, and even I may not be able to save you then!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Renee did not say anything and smiled brightly, acting as if she and Justin were very lovey- dovey. Austin smiled happily and said to Jack and Sophia, ¡°I take back what I just said ¨C this kid is very promising. He found an excellent wife who will bring fortune to the family. I¡¯m sure the future of the Baldwin family will be bright with her around!¡± Renee suddenly said, ¡°Grandpa Baldwin, as my grandfather¡¯s good friend and subordinate, you should know about his habit before he goes into battle, right?¡± Austin frowned and shook his head. ¡°What is it? I can¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Before he leads an army to war, he would worship the sky, the earth, and the God of War!¡± ¡¯The God of War?¡± Austin was even more confused. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him worship the sky and the earth, but I¡¯ve never heard him mentioning the God of War.¡± ¡¯That¡¯s only natural since it¡¯s his secret to victory.¡± Renee exined slowly after arousing everyone¡¯s interest. ¡°There was a stone statue of the God of War at the far end of the South Sea. Grandpa grew up believing in the God of War, so whenever there were any important battlesing, he would personally go to the South Sea to worship the god and receive blessings so that he could defeat his enemies!¡± ¡¯Is there really such a thing?¡± Austin thought hard but could not recall when Maurice had ever worshipped the God of War. ¡¯There is. Grandpa did not tell anyone, so nobody knows except for members of the Everyheart family,¡± Renee sighed and said, ¡°This time, I want to lead the army and fight against the Hunt family in ce of the Baldwin family. Thus, I hope that we can all follow this custom and go to the South Sea now to ask the mighty God of War for his blessings to win!¡± Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Chapter 331 Austin was fired up when he heard this and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! We have to worship the God of War. Consider it our pledge of allegiance. Let¡¯s get to the helicopters, we shall leave at once!¡± ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go right now!¡± Renee waved her arms and cheered. Inwardly, she finally felt relieved. As expected, Grandpa Baldwin was a very impulsive man, even to the point of narcissism. He had actually believed herpletely when she asked him to go and worship the God of War. This time, the Baldwins and Stefan would not meet. Later, she could just find a random reason to stop the two families from fighting. It was perfect! Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee smiled lightly and thought about her n happily. She really was a genius who could adapt to any situation! At that moment, the butler entered the room with a concerned look on his face. ¡°General Baldwin, sorry to interrupt, but there seems to be someone¡­ a big shot outside asking to meet you!¡± Austin said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t be such a coward. Who is this big shot you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°H-He is¡­¡± Before the butler could answer, a tall, upright man barged into the room,pletely ignoring the security guards. Stefan, donning a ck suit, strode forward determinedly. His perfectly carved features made him look like a dashing movie star in a blockbuster film. Because of his powerful aura, he managed to subdue the armed security guards though he came alone and unarmed. The guards were shivering and did not dare to even move! ¡°How did this guy get here so quickly?! Can he teleport or something?¡± Renee looked at Stefan in shock, the blood draining from her face. Beach City and Sutton were thousands of miles away, and it took hours by ne to get here. There was no way he could reach here so fast, which could only mean one thing : He must havee to Sutton earlier! To her utter dismay, Renee had failed to stop the worst case scenario from happening. She really wanted to grab the man and tell him, ¡®Stefan, are you an idiot? You know that this is a very dangerous ce, and yet, you still came. You are indeed Francine¡¯s son!¡¯ Renee felt very helpless. She had just sent Francine off, and now, an even more difficult person had shown up. It seemed like she could not stay in Sutton any longer or else these people would never stop! The Baldwins sized Stefan up immediately. Stefan did not back down though, and instead, his gaze became colder as he met their gazes arrogantly. It looked like a battle was about to break out. Renee took a deep breath and moved forward, standing between the two parties. She pulled the cold man to her side and forced a smile. ¡°Everyone, this is my ck-hearted ex-husband, Stefan Hunt¡­ I¡¯ll be honest with you -1 still have some matters to settle with him, which is why he anxiously came to look for me. Please forgive him!¡± At the same time, she constantly signaled Stefan in hopes that he would cooperate with her to avoid conflict. Stefan¡¯s expressionless face suddenly showed a hint of yfulness as he smiled. ¡°Indeed, I still have some unfinished matters with my ex-wife.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes turned cold and he asked sternly, ¡°And just what might that be?¡± Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Stefan stood in front of everyone and replied slowly and firmly, ¡®I¡¯m here to settle our remarriage, of course.¡± He stepped closer to Renee and pulled her into his arms, then smiled at her. ¡°Darling, you¡¯re so disobedient. You ran off with another man, and that¡¯s not very nice.¡± ¡°Dar¡­ling?¡± Renee met his eyes in bewilderment. ¡®Even if he is acting, he doesn¡¯t have to go overboard like this, right?¡¯ When she thought about her nightmarest night, the only thing ying in her mind was that Stefan was going to murder her. By this time, the Baldwins were staring at Stefan like they were a pack of starving wolves and he a juicy steak, but they did not dare to act impulsively because of Stefan¡¯s strong aura. Austin even took out the revolver he carried with him and ced it on the table, saying sternly, ¡°It seems like the offspring of the Hunt family is rather daring ¨C he actually came all the way here to snatch something of ours. I heard that you¡¯re the only heir left, boy. If you die here, wouldn¡¯t that old man, Timothy Hunt, die of anger?¡± Stefan nced at the revolver and smiled calmly. He didn¡¯t seem scared at all, and even hugged Renee more tightly. ¡°That¡¯s the wrong term, Mr. Baldwin. ¡®Snatch¡¯ is a word used for things that do not belong to oneself; however, my darling and I love each other very much and she is also my legitimate wife. She was originally mine, so how can you say that I am snatching her from you? The correct term would be ¡®take¡¯!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Austin cocked the revolver in a sh and aimed it at Stefan¡¯s head. He snarled, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to snatch or take her away, but if it involves me, it¡¯s a death wish! Your grandfather should have told you that I never miss my target ¨C my bullets are never wasted!¡± Seeing this, Renee hurriedly opened her arms, stood in front of Stefan, and shouted, ¡°Grandpa Baldwin, please stay calm. My grandfather didn¡¯t give you this revolver to suppress the weak!¡± Everyone gasped as soon as she said that. Sophia¡¯s eyes widened and she mouthed, ¡°Enough¡­ Don¡¯t interfere!¡± She knew the old man¡¯s personality better than anyone else. If he was irritated, even Renee might not be spared! ¡°What did you say?¡± As expected, Austin¡¯s face turned red and his anger shifted from Stefan to Renee. Renee gulped, but her determination intensified. ¡°Since my husband hase to fetch me, I am not going to fight with him anymore. At the same time, I need to confess to you that¡­¡± ¡°Renee!¡± Justin said warningly, feeling like something very bad was about to happen. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Unfortunately, Renee had no other way to stop this war, so she could only sacrifice herself. She first gave herself an emotional backstory. Covering her face, she started sobbing, ¡°My darling and I love each other very much, but he cheated on me and had an affair with another woman. I was very angry, so I divorced him and used Justin as a tool to make him care more about me! Now that my darling came alone to Sutton for my sake, I¡¯m very moved. Though he knew that he would surely die in the hands of the Baldwins, he still came. So, I¡¯m not going to be angry with him anymore¡­ I want to go back with him!¡± Her heartfelt words stunned everyone. Even the sharp-witted Stefan was so taken in by her performance that he subconsciously tightened his embrace. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Chapter 333 Austin knitted his eyebrows and was immersed in his thoughts for a long time. Then, he fixed his fierce wolf-like eyes on Renee. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is¡­ you¡¯ve been using Justin and us this whole time, and you were acting from the very beginning to deceive the Baldwin family?¡± Renee inhaled deeply and nodded guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. I was wrong.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t-!¡± Justin wanted to stop her but it was toote. He hit his forehead on the table and groaned. ¡°She can¡¯t be saved. Renee, you idiot! It¡¯s not worth it!¡± It was too foolish for her to risk her life for this cheater! Justin knew Austin very well ¨C the old man detested lies and was very stubborn. Once he lost his temper, he could even kill others. How would this end now? ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that just great?¡± Austin had obviously lost control of his emotions. He pointed his revolver at Renee and said icily, ¡°I like you, and admire you very much. I would have even used all my resources to nurture you because you are Maurice¡¯s granddaughter, but this is just too disappointing¡­ The first rule of the Baldwin family is that anyone who dares to betray the family shall die!¡± Seeing Austin was about to fire the gun, Justin jumped in front of Renee in the nick of time and said nonchntly, ¡°Grandpa, that¡¯s our family rule. What does it have to do with an outsider? If you really want to fire the gun, you can just aim it at me!¡¯ ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that?¡± Austin sneered. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course, you would. You can kill all of us without even batting an eyelid. How cool is that?¡± Justin said cheekily. Sophia was so anxious she jumped to her feet. ¡°Shut up, brat! Isn¡¯t the situation messy enough already?¡± Jack also feared that Austin would really shoot his son and bravely interrupted, ¡°Please calm down, Father. These young people are still immature. They don¡¯t think before they speak. As adults, we should educate them and give them a chance to turn over a new leaf.¡± His words somehow moved the arbitrary man. Austin slowly put away his revolver and said to Renee, ¡°Child, I still believe you¡¯re very talented. Your achievements can be greater than mine and your grandfather¡¯s if you get the right training. It would be a waste if you¡¯re sacrificed like this, so I want to give you a chance. As long as you cut ties with this man once and for all and stay with Justin, I will forgive you.¡± Renee frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re willing to let Stefan go?¡± ¡°I had no intention of letting the Hunts go, but if you are willing to marry Justin, I can consider it¡­¡± Austin believed that he was being very generous in this situation. It was partly because Renee was the only granddaughter of his respected Maurice ¨C any other person who dared to do this would have already been dead. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee was in a dilemma. ¡®Great. Clearly, they see me as some sort of peace-making princess. Can I say that I don¡¯t want to make a choice?¡¯ However, she and Stefan might die on the spot if she did not choose the Baldwin family. So, deciding to submit to the circumstances, Renee took a step forward and said, ¡°I will choose¡­¡± Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Before Renee could finish, Stefan gripped her wrist firmly. ¡°She does not need to make a choice ¨C she¡¯sing with me.¡± As soon as he said that, he turned around and walked away, pulling Renee along. ¡°How dare you!¡± Austin lost his patience and instantly aimed his revolver at Stefan¡¯s head. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death, you impertinent brat!¡± The guards around them also aimed their weapons at Stefan. As soon as the old man gave the order, the two of them would be shot to death! Renee panicked and struggled to get her hand free. ¡°Let go of me, Stefan. There¡¯s nothing wrong with giving in sometimes! You may want to die, but I don¡¯t!¡± Stefan snorted coldly. ¡°I, Stefan, am not so weak that I need a woman to save my life.¡± Renee was speechless. ¡¯This stubborn man¡­ How many times have I saved you? Stop acting like you¡¯re the hero here!¡¯ Stefan turned around and looked at Austin with a smirk. ¡®Mr. Baldwin, you can shoot me if you¡¯d like, but the second you do, your entire army will turn into ashes¡­ Are you really okay with that?¡± Austin scowled. ¡°Rubbish! The Baldwin army is invincible. Why would they be threatened by you?¡± Stefan said calmly, ¡°My grandfather has long been prepared for the day you will go crazy and cause trouble, so arge amount of explosives is buried under every training center of the Baldwin army. It would only take the press of a button for the bombs with enough power to destroy a whole city to explode at the same time. If you do not believe it, you can see it for yourself!¡± ¡¯What?¡± Austin and the rest of the Baldwins were shocked. The Baldwin army consisted of sixteen legions. They were spread across the globe, undergoing the most rigorous training. The locations of the training centers were confidential information. How did the Hunt family find out about them and bury explosives right under them? Those sixteen legions were the reason why the Baldwin family was so powerful. They were so invincible that nond they went to could survive. If the Baldwin army was destroyed, Austin¡¯s lifetime pride would also be ruined, and the whole Baldwin family¡­ He could not act recklessly! ¡¯Hmph, I did not expect that Timothy is still as cunning as before¡­ The old fox was two steps ahead of me, as usual!¡± ¡°Mr. Baldwin, my grandfather is not cunning, he is just taking precautions. Unlike you, he prefers peace, but he has his limits. Since you picked a fight, he will naturally retaliate.¡± After that, without giving Renee a chance to say anything, Stefan dragged her along and left the Baldwin residence unhindered. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. They drove to a five-star hotel and checked into the presidential suite. Only when they were in the suite could Renee finally rx. ¡¯Finally, I have finally left the Baldwin residence. It was really like living in the dark ages there! If I stayed in that tyrannical demon cave any longer, I would have gone mad!¡¯ She took a deep breath and thought to herself. However, when she looked up, she saw Stefan staring at her intently, as if he could devour her at any moment. This¡­ did not seem to be very safe either, right? ¡®Did I just jump from the frying pan into the fire?¡¯ ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back!¡± Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Renee tidied herself up quickly, wanting to leave. ¡®Oh, right. I released Miss Milfordst night, so she should be safe by now. Why don¡¯t you try to contact her to see if she¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°There is no need for that¡± Stefan, no longer exuding his usual cold and intense aura, looked very rxed. He took off his jacket and threw it onto the chaise lounge casually, leaving only a white shirt partially covering his perfect muscr body. Renee¡¯s heart fluttered seeing this, and she gulped subconsciously. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The man then took off his valuable diamond watch and put it on the table. He propped his long arm on the edge of the table, and said lightly, ¡°My mother arrived in Beach Cityst night, and should be having afternoon tea with her friend now.¡± ¡°She arrivedst night?¡± Renee was confused. ¡°Then why did you go to the Baldwin residence so early in the morning?¡± Stefan looked up and met her gaze, the corner of his lips curving into a yful smirk. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She bit her lip, her heart pounding in her chest. His passionate gaze was like a fire that burned her. She shook her head vigorously and growled, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking, but this is thest bit of kindness I can offer to the Hunt family. Did you even think of what would happened to me when you dragged me away like that? I¡¯m probably now on the Baldwin family¡¯s hit list, all thanks to you!¡± Although the Baldwin family had strict family rules and was very unwavering, all the members of the Baldwin family had been very kind to her. Everyone in the household had treated her like a treasure, but they were probably so disappointed and angry that she just followed their enemy unhesitatingly! ¡°The Baldwin family and I wouldn¡¯t have gotten into such a stalemate at all if you did note and mess things up. You really screwed me over this time!¡± ¡®Is that so?¡± His gaze, tinged with frost, was like a sharp knife cutting through her skin. The man was both hot and cold! ¡°Are you ming me for ruining your rtionship with Justin and destroying your n to be the future mistress of the Baldwin family?¡± ¡®What the heck?¡¯ Renee stared at him in bewilderment. This jealousy waspletely unlike him! She raised her chin and said defiantly, ¡®Am I such a cheap person in your eyes that I must be interested in a man if I talk to him? You¡¯re too narrowminded!¡± Renee was like a proud swan, and after tidying herself up, she continued, ¡®I have told you very clearly that I, Renee Everheart, am an independent individual. I have my own thoughts, and I¡¯m not a toy for you and the Baldwin family to fight over. If you want to fight, leave me out of it. I still have things to do, so goodbye!¡± Stefan stared at the woman¡¯s beautiful figure as she turned around, then asked softly, ¡°If you really did not care, why did you shield me from the gun back in the Baldwin residence? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being contradictory?¡± Renee was stunned and didn¡¯t know what to say. He was right. No matter how harsh her words were, her instinctual actions had exposed her true feelings. How could she not care? How could she just watch him die? That wasn¡¯t the kind of person she was! Stefan moved closer to Renee, his expression serious. ¡°I was not joking when I said that I want to remarry you. Think about it.¡± Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Stefan instinctively reached to touch Renee¡¯s cheek, but stopped himself. He was usually a man of few words, but surprisingly, he wasying his cards on the table for her. ¡°It¡¯s true. Think about it carefully; I¡¯ll come and ask for your answer early tomorrow morning.¡± Renee clenched her fists slightly, surprising him when she just nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡± She would consider it for the sake of the two babies in her belly, as long as he sincerely wanted to start over with her. After he left, she stood in front of the huge French window and looked down at the city quietly, seriously thinking about her future. ¡®Should I stick through with my n of making a fortune and reviving my family with the two kids? Or, should I go back to my past life and live under the protection of the Hunt family? Do I really want to be a housewife whose life revolves around her husband and kids? It seems like both choices have their pros and cons, and there¡¯ll be regrets regardless.¡¯ As she was pondering her fate, her phone rang. It was a strange contact number, originating neither from Beach City or Sutton, but North City. When she answered the phone and heard a woman¡¯s voice, her heart soon sank. She wanted to curse her bad luck, but just tolerated it and chatted with the woman for a while. She also suppressed her anger and said coldly, ¡®Okay, wait. I¡¯ll go there now.¡± After getting her things settled, Renee rushed over to Redwood Mansion where she had agreed to meet Briar. That mountain vi was located in North City. It was one of the few ces that H Group had invested in, and it was a good spot for rxation. Its environment and facilities were so good that it had never been opened to the public. Only a privileged few had ess to the ce, i Once inside the mansion, one could see that it was surrounded by mist and nts. It was rich in oxygen, and looked like a fairytale pce. A white European-style building was visible from a distance, and it looked as magnificent as a castle. It was built in the middle of the mountains, silently demonstrating the great wealth of H Group. Renee alighted from the car and saw an extremelyrge rose farm. Therge and delicate red roses were in full bloom, and they dyed the sky red. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Briar was in a white dress, sitting on a lounge in the rose garden. She was leisurely trimming the roses and humming a song. What a rxing and enjoyable life this woman had! Seeing that, Renee was furious. She snorted. ¡°It looks like you lead a pretty good life here being isted and forgotten by everyone else!¡± Briar turned around and nced at Renee, saying smugly, ¡°Of course, great troubles will disappear if you stay in such a ce.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not staying here though, are you? You¡¯re just hiding like a rat that¡¯s too ashamed to be seen.¡± Renee sneered, bringing up Briar¡¯s sore point instantly. However, Briar was not angry at all. She slowly cut off a rose and sniffed it, then said with a charming expression, ¡°I know you¡¯re just jealous of me since you never got what I have¡­ After all, Stefan never adored and spoiled you this way even though you were his rightful wife!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? How did he adore and spoil you, exactly?¡± Renee crossed her arms in front of her chest in amusement, enjoying Briar¡¯s acting. Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Chapter 337 ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? Although Stefan asked me to move out of Hunt Vi, he gave me such a big castle. He removed the rose garden I nted in Hunt Vi, but he gave me thisrger and more valuable one instead¡­¡± Briar stared at the rose in her hand and said to Renee smugly, ¡°All these rose seedlings were frozen and airlifted from Bui gal. A seedling costs tens of thousands, and this garden is more than a hundred square feet. I¡¯ve got countless roses, which shows Stefan¡¯s endless love for me!¡± Renee nced at the endless rose garden. It was indeed stunning. ¡°All that I can say is that the Hunt family is indeed rich.¡¯ Inwardly, she had to admit that this did affect her. ¡®Of course, I¡¯d be jealous. I even pity myself. Now that I think about it, he¡¯d never done anything for me even though I was married to him for so many years, so why was he indulging Briar like this? It¡¯s fine if I lost to someone else, but this is Briar, who¡¯s nothing but a cunning fox. I can¡¯t just let this go!¡¯ ¡°The Hunt family is rich, but Stefan is no fool. He won¡¯t be so generous with just anyone. It must be because I¡¯m special to him that he¡¯s taking such good care of me, but you¡­¡± Briar looked Renee up and down, then shook her head. ¡°I feel sorry for you. You were married to him for four years, but you never gained his love for even a day. How embarrassing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Briar! Is this why you called me here? You just wanted to show off, didn¡¯t you?¡± Renee sneered and continued, ¡°Do you think he loves you? If he loves you, he wouldn¡¯t have asked you to go off the grid. In short¡­ he just loves the baby in your belly. When the baby is born, you¡¯ll be worthless, and then, you¡¯ll be abandoned!¡± ¡°No, Stefan promised to take care of my child and I forever. He just asked me to stay here for the time being because of all the drama back home. Once the situation¡¯s calmer, he¡¯ll get me home and let me regain my identity, then he¡¯ll marry me.¡± ¡°Hah! You¡¯re too naive!¡± Renee approached Briar slowly and patted Briar¡¯s cheek mockingly. She hated Briar because of how shameful and pathetic Briar was. ¡°You don¡¯t know, do you? The Hunt family will never ept a vicious woman, let alone a worthless one. You don¡¯t have any status now, but at the end of the day, you¡¯re just a pathetic fool who tried to kill herself. Once you give birth to your child, the Hunt family will get rid of you as quickly as one would a nasty stain. Even Miss Milford, who always sided with you, nags me daily to remarry her son, so stop entertaining such naive dreams!¡± Renee¡¯s words were sharp and unpleasant, but it was the truth. Francine was suddenly being very nice to her, and Stefan had even asked her to remarry him out of the blue. In short, they saw that she was more valuable than Briar, so they just chose the better candidate. The pathetic ones were always those who could only wait for others to pick them. She pitied Briar, and hoped the woman coulde to her senses. Unfortunately, Briar took things too seriously, which was unexpected for Renee. Briar¡¯s eyes widened in outrage. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I¡¯m pregnant with the child of the Hunt family. Miss Francine likes me, and Stefan adores me. I¡¯ll be a part of their family sooner orter. You¡¯re just jealous of me, so you¡¯re twisting the facts to anger me¡­¡± She was hysterical as she grabbed Renee¡¯s arms and cried out, ¡°Tell me the truth! You¡¯re just lying, aren¡¯t you? Miss Francine hates you, so there¡¯s no way she¡¯d let you remarry Stefan. You must be lying!¡± Renee¡¯s patience was exhausted, and she pushed Briar away. ¡°Go away!¡± Briar tumbled to the ground. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so painful. My belly¡­¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Blood flowed from between Briar¡¯s legs, dying the soil red. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Chapter 338 ¡°My belly hurts so bad. Save me¡­ Please save me!¡± Briarid in a pool of blood with one hand on her bulging belly and the other stretching towards Renee pitifully. Renee was frightened, and took a step back. ¡°S-Stop pretending. I just pushed you slightly, so how could you have such a serious fall?¡± She had only tried to push Briar¡¯s hand away. She did not expect Briar to fall to the ground with just a shove. Did¡­ Did she not control her strength? ¡°Miss Everheart, my belly hurts so much. I¡¯m going to lose my child. I don¡¯t care if you did it on purpose or not. Please send me to the hospital. Please save my child!¡± Briar looked pale as she begged Renee. She was in so much pain that she broke out into a cold sweat. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to save you either. I¡­¡± Renee tried her best to calm down and picked up her phone to call for an ambnce. However, someone pushed her aside, sending her phone sliding away. She turned around and found that it was Stefan. His handsome face was cold as he strode towards Briar quickly and carried her in his arms. ¡°Briar, hold on. I¡¯ll rush you to the hospital now. You must hold on!¡± He had always been calm and steady, so it was rare to see him so flustered. His hands were trembling, and his voice was hoarse too. Briar grabbed Stefan with her bloodstained hands and wailed, ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re finally here! Miss Everheart pushed me. She wanted to kill my child and me¡­ Save us!¡± Stefan could feel the hot and sticky blood flowing out of Briar¡¯s body, and was afraid that he would be dizzy from his hemophobia. He did not dare to look at her, he just remained silent and walked towards his car with Briar in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll save you and the baby. You¡¯ll be fine!¡± Stefan¡¯s face was tense as he promised her shakily. Seeing that, Renee walked over anxiously and tried to exin herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t push her on purpose. I¡­¡± ¡°Go away!¡± Stefan did not even look at her as he snapped at her icily. Renee was speechless. Even though she had a lot to say, she could not bring herself to say anything anymore. He had always been indifferent and aloof to her during their four years of marriage, but it was the first time she had seen him so serious. There was hatred in his eyes, and it frightened her. Renee did not dare to say anything anymore. She automatically backed awaye and watched as Stefan carried Briar into the car and they left swiftly. Soon, they disappeared from view. Hot tears flowed down her cheeks, and she looked in the direction where the car had left for a long time before she whispered brokenly, ¡°But I didn¡¯t mean it¡­¡± At the hospital. Stefan carried Briar and rushed towards the emergency room. ¡°Doctor, please save her and the baby. You must save them!¡± The doctor and nurses on duty immediately rushed over when they saw him. They put the unconscious Briar, who was covered in blood, on a stretcher.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Stefan saw the blood, and his head started to spin. He could no longer hold on, and soon, everything went ck. Stefan didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when he woke up on the hospital bed. He clenched his fists anxiously, and shouted at the doctors,¡± Save them! You must save them, even if it costs me my life!¡± Before his brother died, his brother had held his hand and entrusted them to his care, so he could not let anything happen to them. If not¡­ He would have to die to apologize for his mistake, if he did. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Stefan felt like he had fallen into an abyss. He felt like he was about to die, and his expression was strained. He wanted to crawl out of the abyss, but it was too dark, and he could not find anything to hold onto. Delirious, he muttered, ¡°Hold me!¡± Suddenly, a small, warm hand reached out and held his. It felt like his saviour had found him, and his tense muscles gradually rxed. He even heard a tender voice, as if someone was calling after his lost soul. ¡® Stefan, it¡¯s okay, I got you. You need to wake up now¡­¡± Stefan followed the voice and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Renee¡¯s beautiful features creased with worry. ¡°You¡¯re awake! You scared me.¡± She heaved a long sigh of relief. Stefan had been unconscious for three days because of his hemophobia. The doctors had tried everything they could to wake him up, but nothing worked. Diagnostic tests had shown that many of his organs were failing, and if he stayed in that condition, he would have died. Renee had rushed to the hospital after Stefan and Briar did and had stayed by his bedside. She had called his name repeatedly until her voice turned hoarse, and atst, she had managed to wake him up. Stefan¡¯s gaze was frighteningly aloof. He abruptly sat up and demanded coldly, ¡°Where are Briar and the baby? Are they okay?¡± Renee felt a slight ache in her heart. At first, she thought that Stefan was just fooling around with Briar, but now it seemed like that was not the case. He loved Briar sincerely. She pulled her hand away and answered honestly, ¡°Briar is still in the ICU because the doctors want to observe her condition.¡± ¡°How about the baby? Is the baby all right?¡± Stefan quickly asked. ¡°The baby¡­¡± Renee lowered her head because she did not know how to answer that question. ¡°Tell me ¨C is the baby okay?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were wild as he grabbed her shoulders and asked sternly. ¡°Stefan, calm down. You¡¯re hurting me!¡¯ Renee gasped, wanting to break free from his grasp. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m hurting you?¡± He had lost control of himself. He stared at Renee coldly as if he was looking at a murderer. ¡°If anything happens to the baby, I¡¯ll not just hurt you¡­ I¡¯ll kill you!¡¯ This upset Renee, and she snapped stubbornly, ¡°Well, you might as well get it over with because the baby is dead¡­¡± ¡°What?¡±Stefan whispered, his face turning pale. At first, he was still hopeful. He thought that the doctors could save the baby with their excellent medical skills. However, Renee¡¯s current words had destroyed all his hope. Of course, Renee was hurt when she looked at his panic-stricken face. She felt like she had been wronged, and despite wanting to apologize and console him, her broken heart drove her to do the exact opposite. ¡°You want to kill me, don¡¯t you? Why are you hesitating? Hurry up and kill me! I¡¯m just a murderer, and you have to avenge your baby!¡± It was like she was trying to see whether he really cared about her. Stefan felt so guilty towards Tristan that hatred for himself and Renee consumed him. He abruptly grabbed her neck and stared coldly at her with a kind of ruthlessness she had never seen before. ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t do it?¡¯ Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Stefan¡¯s grip on Renee¡¯s neck tightened as his emotions overwhelmed him. At that moment, he seemed to have lost control of himself. He just wanted an outlet to release his guilt and anger, so his mind wasn¡¯t thinking straight. Renee was in too much pain to say anything. She stared at him calmly, but tears had welled up in her eyes. She could definitely fight back, but she did not struggle ¨C she just suffered in silence. It was because Briar had lost her child because of Renee¡¯s careless mistake. If Stefan wanted her to pay the price with her life, then she would make it up to them with her and her two babies¡¯ lives. She would rather die at his hand than spend the rest of her life living in guilt. After a while, her vision started fading to ck, and her eyelids fluttered. She closed her eyes in deep pain and bitter disappointment¡­ However, Stefan could not bear to do that. He pushed her away with thest bit of rationality that was left in him. Renee gasped for air, coughing painfully as she took in deep breaths. ¡¯You nearly seeded. Why did you stop? Don¡¯t you feel sorry for your kid who died?¡± Renee choked out hoarsely, a desperate smile on her face. It was as if she wanted him to punish her and rid her of the guilt. ¡¯Shut up!¡± Stefan clenched his fists, using all his willpower to hold himself back. It was true that he hated Renee¡¯s cruelty, but he hated himself more for being so incapable. He had failed to protect the only child histe brother left in this world, and did not even have the courage to avenge that innocent life. He was really a coward.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Stefan stared at her coldly and said, ¡°From today onwards, we¡¯re strangers. I don¡¯t want to see you again for the rest of my life!¡± Renee¡¯s heart broke, and she fought to keep herself from crying. With thest bit of pride she had, she straightened her back and shrugged casually.¡± That¡¯s fine with me. We have to keep our word and never see each other again!¡± After that, she turned around to leave. However, when she reached the door, she turned to look at Stefan as she said fiercely, ¡¯Stefan, I gave you a chance to avenge the child, but you failed to do so. You won¡¯t get another opportunity like that again!¡¯ He lowered his gaze and clenched his fists, then snarled, ¡°Get lost!¡¯ He never imagined that they would miss each other for so many years just because of those words they said in a fit of anger¡­ A few dayster, Briar was out of danger, and she was transferred to a normal ward from the ICU. Stefan took care of her meticulously out of guilt, but though her body had slowly recovered, she was now suffering from a serious mental illness. She refused to eat, drink, or sleep, and if Stefan was not around, she would make a scene and try to kill herself. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Chapter 341 While Stefan was taking care of some business, Briar started to go crazy again after the sedative wore off. ¡®Let me die! Let me die!¡¯ Briar went crazy and hit her head against the wall hard. With a swollen bruise on her head, she screamed, ¡°My baby is gone! I don¡¯t want to live anymore! Let me die!¡± The nurses were frantic and called Stefan. When Stefan received the news, he dropped his business and rushed over as fast as possible. Briar was out of control. Stefan grabbed her andforted her repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡± Briar suddenly hugged him docilely. She kept crying and murmured,¡± Stefan, the baby is gone¡­ The only thing Tristan left for ms is gone¡­¡± ¡°They said my womb is no more! I won¡¯t be able to conceive anymore. What should I do? My life is finished!¡± Stefan silentlyid Briar down on the bed. He put a hot towel on her swollen head and whispered, ¡°Your life isn¡¯t finished. You¡¯ll have the Hunt family as your biggest support.¡± ¡¯ Really?¡± Briar continued crying and said, ¡°Did you know? Miss Everheart came to me and provoked me. She said the Hunt family was only treating me like a baby-making machine. I be worthless once I¡¯ve given birth. The Hunt family will discard me heartlessly¡­¡± ¡°She also said Miss Francine liked her more because she was more valuable than me. Miss Francine wants her to remarry you. I was so upset I took her hand and tried to get her to exin clearly. That was when she pushed me to the ground in anger. And just like that, my baby is gone!¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Briar repeated herself over and over again about how Renee had hurt her. Stefan listened in silence and did not respond. Stefan waited until Briar was done venting and said slowly, ¡°I know you¡¯ve suffered. I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t protect you and the baby. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Briar did not want to let this pass. In agitation, she took Stefan¡¯s hand and blurted, ¡°Miss Everheart is so mean. She killed Tristan¡¯s only child. Because of her, I will never conceive a child again. Are you going to let her go without doing anything?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to beat her up or scold her, but she should at leaste and apologize to me in person, right?¡± ¡°I only cursed her a little, but she demanded me to apologize to her on my knees in public before. I refused, so she insisted on suing me and putting me in jail. She¡¯s a murderer now, but she¡¯ll be going scot-free¡­ Stefan, are you really going to do this to your brother?¡± Stefan still did not answer her. He brought some food to Briar and hushed her, ¡°You didn¡¯t eat much today. Eat more and recover soon.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject!¡± Briar shouted. As her tears fell, she looked at Stefan in pain and became hysterical again. ¡°Stefan, that¡¯s unfair! You¡¯ve got a double standard, but this is too much¡­¡± ¡°If your brother is still around, he¡¯ll make her pay for hurting me like this¡­ You may be generous, but can you answer Tristan and your nephew?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see the baby when they took him out, right? He was already a developed fetus. He¡¯s a little boy, but your ex-wife killed him just like that. All I want is just an apology from her. Am I going too far for that?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die! I¡¯d rather be with my baby and his father. Let me die!¡± Stefan felt a little tired and took a deep breath. Briar had to make a scene like this almost every day. He could only calm her down by using a sedative. The nurses soon came in and secured Briar. Then, they gave her a dose of sedatives. Briar suddenly lost all her strength and fell onto the bed. She looked at Stefan as she expressed her pain and disappointment in silence. Stefan felt guilty seeing Briar in such a terrible state. He knew he could no longer run away. He needed to give Briar and histe brother and nephew an answer. ¡°Okay. I promise. When you recover, I¡¯ll make her apologize to you and confess her mistake!¡± Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Theputer screen glowed with a white light in the dark room. Stefan reyed the surveince footage from Redwood Mansion over and over again. He wanted to see if the tragedy happened because of Renee¡¯s arrogance, as Briar imed. Stefan tapped the forward and backward buttons again and again. He repeatedly watched how Renee humiliated and pushed Briar. He watched how indifferent Renee was as she watched Briar lie in a pool of blood. Stefan¡¯s eyes were glued to the screen. His face was tense with anger. Atst, he hissed a low curse of disappointment in the silent darkness. ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan never thought of Renee as someone evil. She was just a willful woman with a strong sense of self. However, this video really hit him hard. He never knew she could be so vicious and hurt an unborn child like that! As Stefan struggled to restrain himself from losing control, he took out his phone and called Elijah. ¡°Bring Renee to Sutton at once,¡± Stefan ordered coldly, ¡°She must apologize to Briar and exin herself to my family and me!¡± Elijah could feel Stefan¡¯s raging anger on the other end of the line. However, he could only report truthfully. ¡°Mr. Hunt, it¡¯s toote¡­ Mrs. Hunt ¡­ Miss Everheart has left.¡± ¡°She left?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Stefan¡¯s eyes turned cold. ¡°Where did she go? Where can she go?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that.¡± Elijah said calmly, ¡°She met me about a week ago to bid her farewell. She said she was leaving and might never return to Beach City again. She told me to say goodbye to everyone in H Group and prepared a gift for them. She left you a message¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s heart rumbled with a sea of emotions when he heard this. ¡®Damn it! Did she run away from guilt? How could she run away without saying anything?¡¯ Even so, Stefan vaguely remembered that Renee had previously mentioned that she would soon leave Beach City. He thought she was joking at that time, but he never thought¡­ She had been nning for this since then! ¡°What did she say?¡± Stefan asked, gripping the phone tightly. ¡°She said she¡¯s sorry. She hopes her grudges and feuds with you will end here. She doesn¡¯t want to meet you ever again!¡± Elijah sighed sadly andmented, ¡°s, what a pity. Many of the H Group employees have bet that you¡¯ll reconcile with her. Now everyone¡¯s going to lose their bet¡­¡± ¡°Judging by Miss Everheart¡¯s tone, she seems distraught. She didn¡¯t want to leave you but had no choice.¡± ¡°Sad? Stop joking, will you?¡± Stefan¡¯s emotions were suddenly in turmoil. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was more of anger or fear. However, he knew he would never let Renee leave. Absolutely not! ¡°She has escaped. In that case, send someone to investigate and bring her to me!¡± Stefan held his forehead in annoyance and coldness in his eyes. For the first time, he felt that everything was beyond his control. The moon was bright outside. The floor-to-ceiling window reflected Stefan¡¯s tall figure outside. He looked like a beast waiting to strike in the darkness, dangerous but full of charm. ¡°I did, but I couldn¡¯t catch her.¡± Elijah took a breath and said carefully, ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t want to let go of Miss Everheart. As soon as you broke up with her, I had all the borders in Beach City closed. I wanted to stop her, but guess what¡­ Miss Everheart simply vanished into thin air. There¡¯s no news about her whereabouts at all.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Stefan was so angry that he wanted to choke Elijah to death. He narrowed his eyes and hissed, ¡°How could she just vanish into thin air? That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± ¡°Right? We¡¯ve tried searching all we could but failed to track Miss Everheart¡¯s whereabouts¡­ By the way, Miss Everheart¡¯s nanny Margaret disappeared along with her¡­¡± Elijah sighed repeatedly and apologized. ¡°Mr. Hunt, I¡¯ve tried my best, but I can¡¯t help. If you don¡¯t believe me, you¡¯ll have to do it yourself!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t hesitate and immediately took a private jet back to Beach City. Stefan firmly believed that anyone alive would leave a track of activity.¡¯ That¡¯s impossible. How could she havepletely disappeared? Unless¡­ She¡¯s still in Beach City!¡¯ thought Stefan. He did not mind using all the power he had to find her. Stefan sent more men to search all of Beach City. He also had Christopher and Xavier use whatever method they could to search for her. Xavier had recovered by this time and was discharged from the hospital. He then joined Christopher and met Stefan at the Hunt Vi. ¡°Any news?¡± Stefan asked as he hurried to Christoper and Xavier, who had been waiting in the living room. Christoper and Xavier exchanged nces and shook their heads in unison. ¡°Stefan, what happened between you two? Why did she leave again?¡± Xavier asked, frowning. Renee had risked her life to save him, but she disappeared before he could even thank her. This made him a little guilty. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Stop wasting time and find her!¡± Stefan was in no mood for small talk. He just wanted to find Renee quickly. Where in the world was she hiding? ¡°A long story? At least tell us something¡­¡± Christopher was the calmest among the three. He patted Stefan¡¯s shoulder lightly and said, ¡°We need to know what happened to solve the issue. Otherwise, we¡¯ll be wasting our time searching everywhere and getting nothing in return.¡± ¡°Chris is right. We don¡¯t even know what happened. Where do we find her? It¡¯ll be a waste of time!¡± Xavier was upset and said in slight annoyance, ¡°Stefan, what¡¯s wrong with you? You seem like a changed man. What are you doing? This is not cool. If you made her angry, you should apologize and coax her sincerely. What¡¯s the point of searching for her everywhere like this?¡± ¡°You should tell us. Why did she leave without saying goodbye? There must be a reason, right?¡± Stefan took a deep breath and said with a cold gaze, ¡°Because I almost choked her to death. I told her not to appear in front of me again.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xavier and Christopher were stunned. Xavier almost fell off the chair in shock. He argued with Stefan immediately, ¡°Stefan, are you crazy? You¡¯re a man. How could you hurt her like that? That¡¯s domestic violence. Obviously, she had a reason to run away! Did you expect her to stay? You might¡¯ve killed her!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Xavier was very agitated because he had begun to acknowledge Renee without realizing it. Renee was such a strong, independent, clear-minded, and brave woman. Not only that, but she was also cute and beautiful. However, his dearest friend almost choked her to death. How could he ept that?! Just as Xavier was about to punch Stefan for Renee¡¯s sake, Stefan added,¡± Because Renee pushed Briar down and killed my brother¡¯s only child.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Xavier¡¯s fist stopped midair. He could barely understand Stefan¡¯s words. ¡°Briar? Your brother¡¯s child? What the hell is going on?!¡± Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Chapter 344 ¡°I mean it literally,¡± Stefan confessed with an expressionless face and steady breath. Anyway, the baby and Renee were gone. It did not matter anymore whether the secret was kept or made public. ¡°W-what?¡± Xavier gapped in shock. Christopher had a simr reaction to Xavier¡¯s. He spent about ten minutes sorting out the whole story. After a good while, he finally let out a long sigh. ¡°Fan, you¡¯re such a fool. It must be aggravating.¡± Stefan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Myte brother saved my life. I have to give my all to fulfill hisst wish, but unfortunately¡­ I can¡¯t do anything!¡± Stefan mmed his fist hard on the table. His eyes were slightly red. It was clear that he felt very guilty about Tristan. ¡°Of course you¡¯re fine. It¡¯s your wife who suffered!¡± Xavier could not help but fight for Renee. ¡°If you feel responsible for Tristan¡¯s death, so be it, but why did you have to hurt Renee? You did so much for Briar and her child, but what about Renee? She was married to you for four years, but you drove her away as soon as she made a mistake. You¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Christopher red at Xavier, telling him to stop. ¡°Weren¡¯t you urging Fan to divorce Renee? Isn¡¯t it toote to say all these now? Do you want to make the situation worse? Hasn¡¯t Fan suffered enough?¡¯ ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I just feel bad for Renee. What has she done wrong? She¡¯s¡­¡¯ ¡°I can understand Fan!¡± Christopher felt bad seeing Stefan¡¯s handsome but sullen face. He said,¡± Stefan wanted to give Briar a proper name so her child could have a legitimate identity and grow up in a healthy family. Besides, he didn¡¯t love Renee at that time. Renee didn¡¯t seem to love him either. A marriage without love is destined to fail. It was inevitable that she¡¯d leave. Briar and her child might be the reason that set her early departure in motion¡­¡± Xavier nodded and rubbed his chin. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. Everyone is a victim and hurt¡­ However, I don¡¯t agree with what you said about Renee¡¯s feelings for Stefan. Anyone could tell that Renee was in love with Stefan before!¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the past. Think about how to solve the present.¡± Christopher turned to Stefan, who had been silent. He asked, ¡°Fan, have you thought about it? The child is gone. You probably won¡¯t marry Briar anymore. Will you remarry Renee?¡± ¡°Never!¡± Stefan answered without hesitation. He would rather be unmarried and alone forever rather than marry the murderer who killed histe brother¡¯s only child. If he remarried her, he would never live the remainder of his life in peace! ¡°If so, why bother spending so much effort to search for her? You two have a big grudge among yourselves. It¡¯s probably best for you to forget her and never see her again.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Christopher instantly empathized with Renee and said impartially, ¡¯No wonder she simply vanished. If it were me, I would¡¯ve done the same.¡± Xavier raised his hand in agreement. ¡°Stefan, maybe you shouldn¡¯t bother looking for her anymore. It¡¯s impossible for you two to get back together. If you get involved in her again, you¡¯ll only suffer more!¡± Stefan seemed to be deaf to their words. He suddenly raised his cold eyes and asked them in a deep voice, ¡°Did I go too far?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Xavier was confused by the question. Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Chapter 345 ¡°I almost choked her to death. Did I go too far?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°Yes and no.1¡ä Xavier was an outsider and said impartially, ¡°Considering your usual behavior, choking someone wasn¡¯t the worst thing I¡¯ve seen you do, but¡­ I think hurting Renee was a little too much.¡± Xavier had never seen the usually sober and sensible Stefan in such distraught in all their years of friendship, heartbroken to see the state Stefan was in despite finding his actions maddening. Therefore, he toned down his words. ¡°She deserved it!¡± Stefan¡¯s calmness evaporated instantly like a long- dormant volcano that erupted suddenly. His voice was cold. ¡°It¡¯s only fair to repay a life with a life!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Xavier took a step backward in shock and grimaced. He ridiculed, ¡°Okay, okay. It¡¯s fair. So are we spending so much effort to find her for you to continue choking her to death?¡± Stefan hissed coldly, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that when we get her back!¡± Xavier and Christopher exchanged a nce, smiling. They shrugged and shook their heads helplessly. They knew Stefan¡¯s personality very well. Stefan was just an arrogant guy who hid his deep emotions behind a veil of coldness. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time and find her.¡± Christopher analyzed calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve tracked Renee¡¯s movement based on the avable data. She was at Everheart Residence, West Hill Cemetry, Azure Group headquarters, H Group headquarters¡­ and finally, Hunt Vi.¡± Stefan furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you saying she wasst seen in Hunt Vi before her disappearance?¡± ¡°From the data, yes. It has been 51 hours since then.¡± Christopher projected the data on the projector and showed it to Stefan. Xavier said, ¡°51 hours. That¡¯s a little over two days. We still have the chance to track her down. Let¡¯s hurry. We¡¯ll find her for sure!¡± Xavier looked around and suddenly snapped his fingers. He said, ¡°I think she may be in the vi. She¡¯s a bright girl. Maybe she¡¯s confusing us by deliberately hiding here. She¡¯ll take the opportunity to escape the moment we look elsewhere!¡± Christopher nodded. ¡°It¡¯s possible. Why don¡¯t we get more people to surround the vi and start searching in detail?¡± Stefan looked at Renee¡¯s trail of whereabouts on the projector and said coldly, ¡®Let¡¯s begin.¡± Stefan thought there was no way Renee could really disappear under his nose! Hunt Vi was huge and covered a wide area. The three men joined the search party before additional help arrived. Stefan was in charge of searching in the vi. Meanwhile, Christopher and Xavier searched outside the vi. Stefan strode upstairs and went to Renee¡¯s bedroom. When he opened the door, a faint scent of gardenia surrounded his senses. It was a smell that belonged exclusively to Renee. Stefan couldn¡¯t remember thest time he noticed this smell. It was said that someone deeply in love could smell the scent of their beloved. Stefan was unsure if he loved Renee, but the faint scent of her body was like a calming fragrance that would immediately put him at ease. Seeing the empty room, a hint of loneliness shed in his eyes. ¡°Renee, where the hell are you!¡± Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Chapter 346 Truthfully, Stefan knew all too well that Renee couldn''t possibly be living in Hunt Vi. Even so, he still had the faintest hope that a miracle might happen.It''s a little funny. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. In the past, he used to be decisive and never hesitated about anything. Why had he be so indecisive and illogical? Stefan walked into the bedroom.He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully ran his fingers across the duvet.It was as if he was caressing her hair, her face, and her soft, fair skin... All he could think about was Renee. He thought of the times she smiled at him, when she was angry, when she yelled at him, when she was embarrassed, and finally, when she turned around and left without looking back. There was an emptiness inside him.It was like an endless spiral that devastated his soul! "Damn it!" Stefan took a deep breath.He couldn''t go on like this.His life shouldn''t be affected so drastically just because a woman left him.He shouldn''t be suffering like this. Besides, that woman happened to be an evil and merciless person! Feeling somewhat remorseful, he stood up and prepared to leave the ce that reminded him so much of Renee. However, the moment he turned around, a notebook with a vellum cover on the bookshelf caught his attention. This notebook had a lock on it.It looked a little like a diary and seemed to contain many secrets. Could this be Renee''s diary? Stefan''s interest was piqued.He immediately reached for the notebook and tried to unlock it. Unfortunately, though he tried multiple times, he failed to enter the correct passcode. Without luck, he decided to break the lock apart with force. Snap! Stefan paused briefly before flipping the diary open. After all, a diary encapsted an individual''s privacy. It was rude to peek at another person''s diary. However, he wasn''t exactly the most reasonable person right now. Having made up his mind, he proceeded to read the entire diary... Anyway, he''d already made the first wrong move. He might as wellmit to the end! However, Stefan was a little surprised. It wasn''t a diary, after all, but a novel script. This novel was none other than the one about him and Renee that he used to read. He even recalled that the link to the novel was deleted just as he was getting to the thick of it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t retrieve the link. Consequently, he wasn''t able to read the remaining chapters of the novel. Although Stefan had found out long ago that Renee was the author, he never exposed her.He never expected to one day read the script of the novell! Without the slightest bit of hesitation, he began to read it. Renee''s writing was neat and easy to read.He had no trouble recognizing it.He recalled reading about the first time they met.The second chapter was titled ¡®Falling" Chapter 347 Chapter 347 Chapter 347 "I never thought ¡®love at first sight'' actually existed in this world.We met in the most beautiful way possible, but we spent our time together in the worst way imaginable...I knew he didn''t love me, but he had no choice but to marry me.That''s why I can understand why he treated me so coldly the way he did... "I guess he must have had a lot on his mind¡ªdreams, poems, songs, ambitions, the girl he loved...everything but me.Even so, I still cried tears of joy when we exchanged vows in front of the priest and put the ring on each other''s fingers.I fantasized about the day I''d finally find a ce in his heart...even if just a tiny part! "I cried my lungs out.He was petrified when he saw me in that state.Although he was disgusted, he still wiped my tears away and put the ring on my finger.He was cold yet gentle...At that moment...I started falling." Chapter Three, The Long Wait. "I''ve imagined us doing things together after getting married ..watching variety shows on the couch, buildingplicated castles from Lego bricks, ying games together as a team, feeding kittens together, and even watching him eat all the food I make. After all that, we''d hold each other''s hand and fall asleep in each other''s arms. Little did I know, he would always say, ¡®Wait" Wait for him toe home. Wait for him to have a meal together. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Wait for him to be free... Sadly, I could count on my fingers the times we actually did something together. "On countless seemingly endless lonely nights, I fell asleep on my own. Life was slowly slipping through my fingers, and so was my love for him. Whenever I felt the love was drying up, he''d suddenly smile at me or call out to me. It might even be a micro-expression on his face. That was enough to make my heart race again. I was too weak. I loved him too much!" Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six... Stefan maintained the same posture as he read on.He was like a statue. As he flipped through the pages, his heart began to ache.His vision was turning blurry too...He never knew Renee was capable of writing in such detail. In just a few words, she managed to describe their cold marriage with great uracy. It was evident how much she loved him from the way she wrote.It was a one-woman show about her selflessly giving, repeatedly getting hurt by him, and continually healing herself! "Bulls*it!" Stefan couldn''t resist cursing halfway through the novel.It wasn''t surprising that this novel became so popr. The fans would all shout, "This is torture!" The storyline was too realistic, and the characters were very well-developed. Even though Stefan knew he was the male lead and he was the one who did all these awful things, he still clenched his jaw and felt sorry for the female lead! Fortunately, the story took a sweet turn after that. The male and female lead had sex, and the female lead became pregnant. After the baby was born, the male lead gradually started developing feelings for the female lead while they raised their child... "After the baby fell asleep at night, I decided to make myself something to eat in the kitchen since it was still early.I bumped into him when I opened the door.It was dark, but his cheeks were red.He was probably out drinking.I was in shock.Before I even said a word, he pressed both hands against my cheeks and began kissing me passionately.I..." Stefan''s lips felt dry while he read this part.He even became a little excited. Although it was only a kissing scene, Renee''s writing made it feel so realistic. Stefan could totally picture it happening.He quickly turned the page, hoping to read even more exciting content. It turned out this was where the novel ended! "Damn it! Why isn''t there more? Did she hide the rest of the novel?" Stefan was hooked.He kept flipping through the notebook.He was afraid he''d miss any ¡®restricted¡¯ content. Unfortunately, the novel had, in fact,e to an end. Renee didn''t write anything else. Stefan closed the thick notebook.It felt like he''d just experienced four different seasons of the year. The novel had taken him on an emotional roller-coaster ride...He had no idea Renee loved him so much.He also had no idea he used to be such a detestable person. Just as it took time for the sun to set, it would take time for human emotions to fade. Suddenly, Stefan understood why Renee could move on so quickly... "Stefan, I''ve got news for you!" Xavier suddenly barged in and eximed excitedly. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Chapter 348 "Are you serious?" Stefan looked at Xavier with a cold gaze.His eyes instantly lit up. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "My men just sent me a message.They said they saw your wife at an antique market in Water Dock.Here are the photos they sent me," Xavier gushed.He quickly switched on his phone and zoomed in on a photo for Stefan. This was a photo taken from the side. The woman''s tall nasal bridge and cor bones looked perfectly identical to Renee''s. That wasn''t all.She even had on the same white dress Renee once wore. This unclear photo of her face from the side was enough to ignite Stefan''s passion and hope! He didn''t even hesitate for a split second before standing to his feet. "Let''s have a look." The two drove to Water Dock. Meanwhile, Christopher stayed at Hunt Vi in case of an emergency. Xavier saw Stefan clinging tightly onto a notebook.He couldn''t help but feel curious. "Stefan, is your notebook a confidential document? Why won''t you put it down?" "It isn''t," Stefan replied coldly.He looked out the window and refused to exin further. Xavier was bent on getting to the bottom of it. "If it isn''t a confidential document, what is it? Why do you seem so nervous? Can I see it?" He tried to reach for the notebook, but Stefan''s re made him retract his hand. "This notebook clearly belongs to a girl.It even has a lock, but you picked it..." Xavier began to murmur. Suddenly, an idea urred to him. "I know.This is a diary, isn''t it? Does it belong to your wife? "Oh my god! Stefan, you actually peeked at her diary.That''s so tasteless of you.Do you know it''s illegal to vite someone''s privacy like that? You''re a righteous man¡ªwhy would you do something so dark? Are you so in love with her that you''ve lost all sense of reason?" "Shut up!" Stefan frowned unhappily.He felt the urge to sew Xavier''s lips together. "How could you do something so tasteless on your own? Show it to me too.I''ll be your partner-in- crime.When we see your wife, I''ll keep it a secret for you!" "It''s not a diary.Countless people have seen it.You don''t have to keep it a secret for me," Stefan said coldly. "If it''s not a confidential document, and it''s not a diary, what is it?" Xavier was extremely curious.He continued to beg Stefan. "Come on, Stefan.Show it to me.If other people can see it, why can''t I? Aren''t good things meant to be shared? Let me see it!" Stefan turned to look at Xavier. "Do you really want to see it? "Yes!" "Promise me something." "What is it?" "I''ll tell you after you read it." Stefan handed the diary to Xavier. Xavier quickly flipped through it. "Damn.This male lead is such a jerk.What''s wrong with his brain? Why can''t he just die?" "Woah! It''s so sweet.They already have a baby!" "They kissed.They kissed.They finally kissed!" Xavier couldn''t stop reading the novel.He waspletely immersed in the story.He was sometimes happy, sometimes angry, and other times like a teenage boy whose heart would flutter. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 Chapter 349 The emotions Xavier felt were equally intense as those of Stefan! "Huh.Is that all?" Xavier flipped through the notebook and beganining loudly while thumping his chest. "It''s getting to the fun part.Why did it stop here? Who is the author? We should have that person whipped in public!" Stefan subconsciously moved a little further away for fear that Xavier might identally hit him.Xavier read the novel multiple times before he realized something. "Stefan, are the male and female leads actually you and your wife?" Stefan rolled his eyes at Xavier. "Who else could they be?" "Did she write this? Are the things she wrote all true?" "Half of it?!" Stefan replied. "Although not all details were urate, her description of how they treated each other in the novel was nearly identical to how their marriage went in real life.Xavier seemed shocked.He held the notebook as if he was holding a precious treasure. "I never knew your wife was this good at writing! I was close to tears when I read it." Stefan raised his brows as if he was the one receiving thepliment. "I told you.She¡¯s an academic genius.She''s good in both art and science." "Amazing! I''m impressed!" Xavier sighed. "Stefan, you shouldn''t have gotten divorced.Letting your wife go is like dangling a juicy piece of steak in front of hungry wolves.Many men out there are lining up for her!" Stefan sneered. "Not everyone can tame her.Do you think she''s an easy target?" "From the sound of it, you''re willing to let her go if another man does manage to tame her?" Stefan shrugged nonchntly. "Why not?" "What if I''m that man?" Xavier asked half-jokingly with a smile. "Are you being serious?" Stefan''s eyes narrowed as he looked at Xavier. "I don''t remember you ever saying she''s your type." "Why wouldn''t she be? I''ve always liked the cool and studious type of girl. Ever since you divorced, I realized that she''s my ideal type. In fact...She saved my life once. I can only repay her kindness by devoting myself to her!" Stefan pursed his lips.His already cold expression turned even gloomier. "Stefan, just tell me if you''re okay with it.If you are, I''ll go all out.If you still have feelings for her or are preparing to get back together, I''ll stop right here.I''ll tell myself to forget about my feelings for her!" Xavier had a serious look on his face.It didn''t look like he was joking at all.He knew that he wasn''t supposed to sleep with his friend''s ex-wife, but if Stefan had already moved on, there was no harm in doing so, was there? Stefan wore a long face. Clearly, he looked like he was about to kill Xavier, but he still pretended to be indifferent. "If you want to go after her, go ahead.You have my blessings. "You said it.I''m going to record it!" Xavier quickly retrieved his phone and urged Stefan to repeat what he said. Stefan smacked his phone away. "Are you done messing around? Do you think this is funny?" Xavier stoppedughing.He had never looked more serious. "I told you.I''m serious." The two had been friends for many years, and they''d never had a big argument like this. Xavier had always looked up to Stefan as his role model. However, this time, neither was willing to back off.There was palpable tension in the air...N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Amidst the tension, they arrived at Water Dock. Xavier smiled ambiguously at Stefan. "Stefan, why don''t we have a friendlypetition? If you find her first, I''ll ept the fact that she''s yours and will forever consider her out of my reach.However, if I find her first...I''ll make my move!" "Whatever," Stefan replied nonchntly. "You''re the most generous man in Beach City!" Xavier eximed before opening the door and hastily getting out of the car.He immediately started searching for Renee. Stefan, on the other hand, slowly got out of the car and smoothed out the wrinkles on his high-end suit. Like an emperor on tour, he scanned the surroundings arrogantly. Water Dock''s antique market was thergest antique market in Beach City. Since it was located at a strategic intersection between several countries, many valuable treasures were smuggled and sold there. As a result, many local traders became wealthy. Likewise, with an increased wealth came an increased crime rate. The area alsoy host to various underground gangs. Stefan walked through the bustling crowd like a tourist.He browsed around before finally stopping in front of a small stall. The stall owner was a dark, old man with a white beard. A coarse linen cloth was spread on the ground, where various treasures wereid. These included copper coins, jade wares, ancient paintings, and pottery figurines. Every treasure looked like it existed long ago. Evidently, these antiques were recently excavated from graves. However, there were countless other stalls that looked alike ¡ªeven the treasures they sold looked simr, catching the attention of only a few who''d stop to look at the goods. "Looking for treasures, young man?" The old man asked while he stroked his beard. "The things I sell are different from those that are mass- produced stuff you see around here.I personally excavated all these treasures.You can buy anything with your eyes closed, and it''d still be a good deal!" He added. "I''m not here to buy anything," Stefan said. "You''re here to look for someone." The old man raised his brows and looked at Stefan. "You look like someone important.If you''re willing to search for someone at a messy ce like this, that person must mean a lot to you." Stefan neither admitted nor denied it. "You seem like an expert who''s been here for a long time.I''m sure you know everything there is to know." The old man stopped stroking his beard briefly. "I wouldn''t say I''m an expert, but I certainly know a thing or two about excavating graves and fortune- telling.If you''re looking for someone, I could offer you my divination service." "Thank you for your willingness to help." Intrigued, Stefan proceeded to sit on a bamboo chair in front of the stall. The old man retrieved a bamboo tube with dozens of bamboo sticks inside. "Each stick represents a different oue.All you need to do is ask the question earnestly and shake the tube.The stick thates out will give you the answer you''re searching for." The old man extended the bamboo tube to Stefan. "You may begin!" Stefan focused his gaze on the bamboo tube. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Just as he was about to shake it, Xavier suddenly showed up and pounced at him. "Stefan, do you think you''re on a vacation? How are you still in the mood for antiques? Are you not worried that I might find her first and steal her from you?" Stefan sneered. "What''s there to be afraid of? You''d only be wasting your time." "Hehe.I don''t like the sound of that.Why would I be wasting my time? Do you doubt my ability to pursue women?" Xavier was behaving like a child.He was determined to beat Stefan. "Don''t forget: I was the one who taught you how to pursue women.It''s only been a few days.Do you think you''re better than me already?" "Do you think she''s an ordinary woman? Will your silly tricks even work on her?" Stefan asked almost effortlessly. "Well..." Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Xavier instantly felt deted. Renee was indeed not like ordinary women.She was way too smart.She could easily see through him.It wasn''t as easy as he thought. Never mind the other stuff¡ªXavier had spent the entire evening running around the dock, and he couldn''t even find Renee. Defeated, that was when he finally went to Stefan to gather some intel. Feeling a little awkward, Xavier tried to change the topic. "Stefan, what are you doing? You''re holding a bamboo tube.Are you performing a magic trick?" Stefan ignored Xavier and started to focus on shaking the bamboo tube. After five or six shakes, a bamboo stick fell to the ground. The old man picked it up and read the text on the stick, and aplicated expression emerged on his face. "What are you looking for, young man?" he asked. "I want to know if she and I still have a chance," Stefan said coldly. Needless to say, by ¡®she" he was referring to Renee. The old man let out a long sigh. "The breezees and goes; the beginning and the end of fate originates from the heart." Stefan frowned. "What do you mean?" "Like the breeze, your fate with her is uncertain.You might say it''s over, but it''s notpletely over.Based on the bamboo stick''s inscription, you might have no contact with her whatsoever for the next four years.What happens after four years depends entirely on the two of you.If you miss each other, the energy field will grow, and there''s still a chance you might get back together.If either side gives up, fate itself will mark the end of your rtionship for good." The old man''s exnation was detailed and straightforward. "..." Stefan seemed to be deep in thought.He remained silent for a long time. Xavier, who was listening next to him, was extremely annoyed. "Tsk.You''re a con artist.You might as well have said nothing.You say they''re over for good one second and the opposite in the next second.That basically covers both the good and the bad." Xavier couldn''t resist consoling Stefan. "Stefan, don''t listen to this old man.I''ve already given the order to seal the entire dock off.No matter where she hides, she won''t be able to escape.One of us will find her first.You won''t have to wait for four years!" The old man wasn''t upset.He stroked his beard. "Young man, if you''re not happy about what I said, you can draw a bamboo stick of your own."Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Xavier reached for the bamboo tube.He closed his eyes and began shaking them. Soon, a bamboo stick fell out. "The phoenix has risen from the ash.Romance is a single step away!" Xavier read the words aloud.He couldn''t conceal his excitement. "Hey, this is interesting! ording to this, I''m about to get lucky.Will I really be able to win Renee over?" The old man chuckled. "This bamboo stick certainly is one that signifies very good fortune.It''s hinting that you''ll meet the love of your life tonight." Stefan and Xavier reacted in two drastically different ways upon hearing this. Stefan''s facial expression turned extremely cold. Xavier, on the other hand, had a beaming smile on his face. "The love of my life...It has to be Renee!" Xavier instantly pped. "Master, I was wrong.You''re way too urate!" Oddly enough, Xavier''s phone rang.His subordinate told him that Renee had been found, but it was a littleplicated. Xavier was immediately asked to make his way to the underground casino in the antique market. "Stefan, Renee is in the underground casino.I guess she''s in trouble.For fairness¡¯ sake, let''s quickly make our way there together.Whoever rescues her first gets to be with her.What do you say?" Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Chapter 352 After finishing his sentence, Xavier ran off the same way he did before. "How childish!" Stefan rubbed his temples and shook his head speechlessly.However, he was a little worried that something bad might happen to Renee.He stood up and prepared to leave. The old man stopped him. "Young man, that is your friend''s fate.You don''t have to get involved.Why don''t you stay here and browse through these treasures? Perhaps, something you buy might one day be the thing that brings you and the love of your life together." It was strange. Whereas others would''ve thought this old man was making nonsense up, Stefan trusted him and stayed.He scanned the things on disy, and that was when a silk object caught his eye. To be more precise, the art on the silk object caught his attention. "How much is this?" Stefan asked. "Since you and I met by fate, I''ll sell it to you for a dor.Consider it as a payment for drawing the bamboo stick." The old man then put the silk object in a box and handed it to Stefan. "You''ve got a good eye.This silk object is very lucky to have found you as its owner." "Thank you." Stefan epted it. Although he still had many questions, he recalled that Renee''s situation was still unclear.He stopped talking and quickly made his way to the underground casino. The underground casino below Water Dock''s antique market was a dangerous ce.It was a ce unbounded by the rule ofw, where only the size of one¡¯s fists mattered. This ce was dark, bloody, and full of violence. Countless lives were taken here. Stefan couldn''t understand why Renee woulde to a ce like this.She was constantly looking for trouble! It was very crowded in the underground casino. There was a heavy scent of various types of tobo present. One could also smell danger in the air.In thiswless ce, anything could be bought and sold. Gamblers stood around tables with intense gazes in their eyes. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. They could make a lot of money with a snap of the fingers, but they could also lose all their money just as quickly. As soon as Stefan walked in, he frowned at the disgusting stench that permeated his nose. After casually scanning the surroundings, he saw a bloody heart on a casino table that was still beating. A sexy female dealer in a tight ck leather jacket and leather skirt, who also had on a pair of bunny ears pointed at the heart. "Everyone, listen up.This is a cow''s heart that was just extracted.It''s still beating.If you eat it raw, it''ll improve your stamina and extend your lifespan.You''ll need a bit of luck to make it yours...Come on now.ce your bets!" Everyone began cing their bets. The dealer swayed her hips from side to side while she rolled the dice. After the results were announced, a plump man found out he had won.He smiled widely and began gnawing at the heart.His mouth was covered in blood, and everyone cheered. Feeling sick to his stomach, Stefan quickly looked away. The heart might have belonged to a cow, but it looked no different from a human heart. The sight of it was revolting. When Stefan looked away, he saw other simr gambles taking ce.It didn''t look like the human world.It looked more like hell where demons roamed. He''d heard that the underground casino in Water Dock was famous for the wrong reasons, but he didn''t know it was this bad. Stefan''s haloemia was kicking in.He found it increasingly difficult to breathe, and his head was getting heavy.He probably wouldn''t evenst for a minute longer. After taking a deep breath, he forced himself to keep searching. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Stefan murmured to himself, "Renee, oh, Renee.You''re such a pain in the ass.You''re going to be in deep trouble once I get my hands on you!" The casino was huge. People gathered inrge groups in each area, but there was one particr area with the greatest number of people. Eager gamblers surrounded a round casino table as they made excited cat-calls. Stefan instantly knew something fishy was going on, and he quickly strode over. Unsurprisingly, there was a young woman all tied up on the table. The woman barely had any clothes on¡ªthe white silk dress that concealed little of her skin was extremely thin, while a feathered mask covered the upper half of her face. Curled up into a ball in the corner, she was evidently trembling. Stefan felt a tightness in his chest.He clenched his fists and prepared to charge forward. That''s because he could tell the woman''s facial features were nearly identical to Renee''s despite the feathered mask she was wearing.She had the same pointy nose, the same pink, smooth lips, and even the same neck and corbone.She was, in essence, Renee''s doppelganger. However, a tall, muscr man held the rope around her. "This is high-quality meat.If you win, you can use her yourself or share her with others.She''s definitely worth the money.Who else wants to ce a bet?!" The man shouted and forcefully tugged the rope, causing the woman to moan as she was violently jerked forward. The sound of her moaning was like a battle song that motivated the men instantly, who mindlessly stepped forward and started cing their bets! When Stefan saw this, he stopped moving completely.He stood there quietly and seemed to be thinking about something. The facial expression on his face turned colder. Right then, Xavier, who stood at the center of the crowd, started saying something. "I''m counting down from three.Hand her over, or you''ll all be in trouble!" Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The man holding Renee came across people like Xavier every day. Naturally, he was very calm. "Sir, everyone likes a beautiful woman.If you want her, you''ll have to ce your bet.If you win, you can take her with you.If you lose, you''ll have to wait for your next opportunity!" Xavier, however,cked patience. He sneered. "Three, two..." When he counted down, the security staff in the casino picked up their weapons. Despite the hostility, Xavier wasn''t afraid at all. Although the casino held a lot of power in this area, they were nothingpared to the Stuart family. By the time the security guards started moving, Xavier had already sent his men to close off all exits. The security guards were now pointing their guns at Xavier. The man jumped off the table and shouted at Xavier. "You ignorant fool.How dare you stir up trouble here? Go to hell!" He swung his fist at Xavier''s face, but Xavier dodged it and kicked the man with force. The man was sent flying. Even the chain in his hand was sent flying. Seeing how Renee would soon tumble off the table along with the chain, Xavier quickly reached out and caught her firmly. Her body was light as a feather. It was lighter than he remembered! Xavier''s heart raced.He felt like a young kid who was touching a girl for the first time.He held onto Renee stiffly while asking if she was alright in a nervous tone. "Renee, are you alright? I rescued you again!" Stefan stood at the outermost section of the crowd while he watched the entire saga without any emotion on his face.It was almost as if he was watching a movie and had nothing to do with it. Meanwhile, the man on the ground, humiliated, became enraged.He called out to the hundreds of bodyguards, "Open fire! I want them torn to shreds!" Chapter 354 Chapter 354 Chapter 354 "Watch out!" Stefan shouted from the edge of the crowd. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. After all, this was someone else''s turf. Xavier''s behavior was too conspicuous, and he was putting himself in a passively dangerous situation. "You actually have an aplice!" The man discovered Stefan and gave instructions to another group of security guards. "Capture him and shoot him right away!" "How dare you?" Xavier, who was rtively calm in the beginning, instantly lost his cool.He gently put Renee down before ring coldly at the man. "You can be rude to me, but you''re asking for trouble if you talk to Stefan like that!" The man was dumbfounded by Xavier''s reaction.He''d met fearless people before, but none audacious to such an extent. Xavier was practically dicing with death. How was Xavier brave enough to provoke him like this? Without saying a word, Xavier delivered a kick to the man''s stomach. "Get on your knees and apologize to Stefan!" Stefan felt a little speechless. ¡®You can get on your knees, but that won''t be necessary" Stefan wanted to say this out loud, but he didn''t.He was only an observer, but Xavier''s action literally dragged him into the eye of the storm.It seemed he was going to have to take a few bullets no matter what.He had Xavier to thank for this. By now, the security guards were all aiming their guns at Xavier and Stefan.However, they were overwhelmed by the two''s strong presence. Nobody dared to open fire, and none wanted to be the scapegoat either. "Let the two of them go and ask your manager toe here.I''ll take full responsibility." Stefan kept his hands in his pockets and looked down at the man who was on the ground. "Stefan, you should leave with Renee.I''m better at dealing with situations like this," Xavier said. Nearly ny percent of the entertainment industry in Beach City was monopolized by the Stuart family, and most of the industry happened to involve grey areas. Dealing with situations like this was naturally a piece of cake for Xavier. "Do you all think I''m dead?" Xavier stepped harder on the man¡¯s head.His face was red from rage. "Go on, fire, you idiots! Do you think this is funny?" The security guards could no longer stay still and got ready to make their move. Just as all hell was about to break loose, they heard someone shouting. "Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" The man was about to start yelling again, but his face turned pale when he saw who the person shouting was. At the same time, the security guards with guns in their hands lowered their heads in fear. "H-Hank!" It seemed that this was their manager. Hank seemed like a cultured man in his forties.He ran past the crowd before directly approaching Xavier and Stefan. "Mr.Stuart, I''m terribly sorry.I had no idea you were visiting with your friend today.It''s all our fault.Please forgive my subordinates for their ignorance..." After saying this, Hank kicked the man several times and pointed at his head. "You''re a worthless piece of crap.How dare you offend Mr.Stuart? Did you know this casino wouldn''t have been built if his father hadn''t approved it back then? You''re biting the hand that feeds you.I''ll have you killed!" Xavier raised his brows when he saw that the man was about to be shot in his head. "That''s enough.Stefan doesn''t like seeing blood.Let''s stop here for today.Just be mindful in the future." Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Chapter 355 "Yes!" Hank nodded repeatedly. The man on the ground nearly peed his pants. "Thank you for sparing my life...Thank you for sparing my life," he muttered continuously. It wasn''t their fault for being so humble. The Stuart family was leagues above them. They might not care about thew when it came to grey areas like these, but they wouldn''t dare go against the Stuart family unless they no longer wanted to dabble in this field. In actual fact, Xavier was only so arrogant because he had told his subordinate to inform Hank about the situation before he went there. "This casino is simply too gory.I can''t stay here for another minute!" Xavier covered his nose and eximed in disgust. "It can''t be helped, Mr.Stuart.This is the only way the casino can attract people.It''s messy, but it''s also where all things are possible.Here, you can win anything under the sun, things that you''ll never be able to buy anywhere else!" Hank wasn''t the owner of this underground casino.He was, at most, the person in charge. Over the past few years, under the behest of his boss from behind the scenes, he had managed the ce so well that it became world-famous. Xavier sneered. "Yes, you can get anything here.You''re so brave that you even put up Stefan¡¯''s wife for grabs.Anyone would think you have guts of steel!" Hank broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "Dare I ask ..ls Stefan H Group''s..." "Exactly!" Xavier cut him off. "Oh my...This is bad!" Hank felt the weight of the world bearing down upon him. The Hunts were the leading family among the eight most powerful families in Beach City. In fact, the Hunt family was even more powerful than the Stuart family. These people who kidnapped Stefan''s wife and tried to gamble her away practically had a death wish! Hank kicked the man on the ground several times more. "Damn it! How dare you kidnap Mr.Hunt''s wife? Do you wish to die? Didn''t I tell you that you could touch anyone, save for one member of the eight most powerful families? You''ve gotten us in deep sh*t!" The man took the beating while he carefully tried to defend himself. "I-I didn''t kidnap Mr.Hunt''s wife.More urately speaking, I didn''t kidnap anyone...This woman...She''s Mr.Hunt''s wife? I didn''t kidnap her.She sold herself to us!" Everyone looked at Renee, the woman in a white dress and a feathered mask, whose mouth was still sealed with tape. Xavier was so angry that he could kill the man himself. "How dare you make up such nonsense.Stefan''s wife has millions in assets.Why would she sell herself for so little?" The man begged and cried. "It''s true.I wouldn''t dare lie.She asked me for 150 thousand dors.After I transferred the money to her ount, she said I could do anything to her.If you don''t believe me, ask her!" "Are you serious?" Xavier found it strange. Renee owned a technologypany and aw firm.She even got a huge sum of money from Stefan. Logically speaking, she wouldn''t have sold herself for 150 thousand dors. Xavier walked up to Renee and was about to take off her mask when something suddenly urred to him.He stopped. "Stefan, you should do it...You found her first.Rightfully, it''s you who gets to do it," Xavier said. Although Xavier was attracted to Renee, he told himself to keep his feelings in check.It was fine to make certain jokes, but he needed to know his ce when it really mattered. To his surprise, Stefan shrugged nonchntly. "Didn''t the old man say that this is your fate? It has nothing to do with me.Hurry up.She''s waiting for you to rescue her!" Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Chapter 356 After Stefan finished his sentence, he turned around and left without even looking at Renee. "Hey, Stefan.Are you leaving already?" Xavier realized that his joke had gone too far with the joke when he watched Stefan leave. "I was only joking, and you took it seriously.Don''t worry.Renee still belongs to you.Even if I rescued her, she''s still yours.I won''t do anything stupid!" "It doesn''t matter.Do whatever you want." N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Stefan made an'' okay¡¯ gesture with his hand before walking out of the controversial ce. Xavier couldn''t make Stefan stay, and he stood there dumbfounded. Was Stefan so generous that he''d give his wife away? Xavier turned around and looked at Renee, who was still tied up.She looked like a gift waiting to be unwrapped. For some unknown reason, Xavier felt embarrassed. "Renee, don''t be afraid.Stefan is probably just jealous.He''s gone.I''ll have to take care of you for now." Xavier had never spoken to Renee like this.It only served to show what a gentleman he was.However, at this point, the more politely he behaved, the more he seemed to be making his intentions obvious.It couldn''t be helped. Renee''s dress was so thin that it was nearly transparent. Anyone would have inappropriate thoughts! "Mmmph!" Renee''s mouth was sealed with tape, and she couldn''t speak.She could only make muffled sounds while shaking her head fervently.She seemed to be in a state of shock. "Don''t panic.I''ll untie you first," Xavier said before proceeding to untie Renee. The rope was rather thick, and it was wrapped multiple times around her body.It took a long time to untie her.It was hard to stop their bodies froming into contact.Her long hair had a faint lc scent. When her hair brushed against his face, it made his heart flutter. "Don''t worry...You''ll be untied very soon!" Xavier took a deep breath and tried to suppress his tempesting desire. Tsk, tsk. This is harder than I thought. Xavier had no idea that Renee, the woman he used to find annoying, could be this attractive. Who could resist her when she was this sexy? Finally, the rope camepletely loose. Xavier was already covered in sweat, but it wasn''t because he was exhausted. Instead, it was because he was nervous. Renee, who was now freed, gently moved her limbs. There were red marks on her skin from the pressure of the rope.She looked rather pitiful. "I''ll remove your mask too.I''ve got to say; you look pretty good in that mask.Somehow, it makes people want to protect you, and you don''t seem as aggressive as you usually do..." Xavier said while carefully removing Renee''s mask. The moment the mask was removed, their eyes met, and Xavier realized this wasn''t Renee! "Y-You are..." Xavier took a step back from the shock he experienced. He stared at the woman as if he''d seen a ghost.Her eyes were clear as the cloudless sky. There was a hint of strength in those fragile-looking eyes, and this was what she and Renee had in common. Not only that, but her facial features were also very much like Renee''s. She was practically Renee''s doppelganger. It wasn''t hard to understand why Xavier would mistake her for Renee. The woman quickly tore off the tape over her mouth and looked at Xavier with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for rescuing me, good sir.If it weren''t for you, I''d have fallen into the hands of some other men.I''d be dead for sure.You saved my life...From now on, I belong to you." "What the heck?" Xavier couldn''t hide his astonishment. Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Chapter 357 Xavier gulped.He couldn''t process what the woman just said. "I sold myself to the casino, and the casino could do anything it wanted to me.I had already lost the will to live because my fate would be equally torturous no matter which man I ended up with.Thank goodness, God took pity on me and left me in your hands..." The woman was overly emotional and couldn''t help but lean closer to Xavier. "Wait a second.Don''te near me!" Xavier, a towering man of over six feet, backed away as if he''d just seen a terrifying beast.He intentionally kept his distance from the woman. The woman seemed visibly hurt by his response, and she stopped moving. "Mister, are you disgusted by me? Are you afraid I might keep bugging you?" "No, that''s not it!" Xavier waved his hands. "That''s not what I meant.I just think that you''re a person, not an object.You shouldn''t allow others to control your life." "I get what you mean, but I''ve already signed a contract with the casino.If you don''t want me, I''ll fall into their hands once again.I don''t want to be tied up on a casino table like an object again while those evil men fight over me." "Does such a contract exist?" Xavier frowned and red at Hank.Hank seemed terrified.He immediately urged his subordinate to hand over the contract. "H-Here it is...The casino bought her for 150 thousand dors.She belongs to you now!" The man retrieved a contract that had the woman''s signature and fingerprint from his bag with trembling hands. Xavier epted it and read the name out softly. "Shirley White?" After that, his eyes lit up.He realized something. "I remember now.You''re the girl who danced with Stefan in the bar.I knew I''d seen you somewhere!" "You finally remember me.We met in a bar not too long ago.You left a deep impression on me." Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Shirley''s eyes welled with tears while she looked gently at Xavier. Apart from Stefan, Xavier also caught Shirley''s attention the other night. That''s because she''d always preferred outgoing and handsome men like Xavier. However, Stefan''s stoic and depressive attitude had herpletely charmed.She couldn''t even be bothered to focus on anyone else.By the time she came to her senses, she realized she didn''t like men like Stefan all that much. On the contrary, she would asionally think of Xavier. When Xavier rescued her earlier, she fell absolutely in love with him...She used to think that life wasn''t worth living, and she was prepared to die. Now, she found a new motivation to live! "Will you take me with you? I promise I won''t drag you down.I can work for you or earn money for you..." Shirley held onto Xavier''s arm and put in a serious effort to promote herself.She even told him which college she went to, her major, and what she was good at. "Fine.I''ll take you with me." Xavier nodded and escorted her out of the filthy casino. Outside, the sky was blue, and the air was fresh, a world of difference from the foggy dimness of the casino. Xavier nced at his watch.It was gettingte. After tearing up the contract, he turned to face Shirley. "You''re free now.You can go." Shirley was stunned for a moment.She looked at her torn contract. "I know you don''t like me.That''s why you don''t want me around.However, I don''t like owing anyone favors.I''ll try my best to repay the 150 thousand dors...Goodbye!" Xavier raised his brows.He wanted to rify something, but he chose not to in the end. "Goodbye!" The two bid farewell for good. Shirley had barely taken a few steps when she suddenly copsed on the ground... Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Chapter 358 "Oh no! Someone fainted!" There was a panicked scream from the crowd. Xavier had already gotten into his car.He didn''t want to get involved with a woman who had nothing to do with him.However, the crowd grewrger andrger, and among them included some men with ill intentions. Hence, he couldn''t resist frowning and walked over quickly. "Get out of the way!" Xavier pushed his way through the crowd.His voice was loud and powerful. The crowd could instantly tell that he was from a rich family, and they made way for him. However, there was an arrogant goon who didn''t think much of Xavier.He tried to carry Shirley, who was now unconscious, back to his ce for his own pleasure. "Let go of her!" Xavier shouted at the man with a scar on his face, keeping his hands in his pockets while doing so. "Who the hell are you? Mind your own business.I found this chick first.Don''t try to snatch her from me!" The man eximed before openly carrying her over his shoulder and trying to leave. The surrounding crowd didn''t seem surprised by this. They not only didn''t try to stop him, but they even seemed envious. This was certainly a unique characteristic of Water Dock. Men tended to bring unconscious women home. Any woman who found herself unconscious on the streets from getting drunk or fainting from hunger or illness was considered a public resource. Even thew couldn''t inhibit this ¡®firste, first-served¡¯ practice. Beautiful women like her were hard toe by. Anyone who found her wouldn''t want to let her go easily. "I told you to let her go!" Xavier stood in the man''s way.His stern expression was extremely intimidating. Of course, the man was somewhat well-known in the area. Ordinary folks wouldn''t even dare to offend him. Despite of all that, however, he didn''t think much of Xavier. "Why do I have to do as you say? Who do you think you are?" Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "She belongs to me!" Xavier uttered before retrieving the contract he''d just torn up. "I just received this contract from Hank.If you insist on taking her away, I''ll have to ask Hank to retrieve her." "H-Hank?" The man gulped.His eyes went wide. Hank was the most powerful person around. Nobody dared to get on his bad side. "You have three seconds to decide whether you want to let her go...Three..." "Take her! Take her!" The man instantly shoved Shirley into Xavier''s arms.He then tried to salvage his ego. "This girl is too skinny.I''m not interested.Whoever wants her can have her.I don''t care!" Xavier carefully held Shirley in his arms as if he was holding a baby, worried she''d fall and hurt herself.She was certainly very skinny. Only slightly over five feet, she was light as a feather.He figured she weighed less than a hundred pounds. Evidently, she wasn''t getting enough nutrition. Xavier used to think Renee was the skinniest woman he''d held. But, surprisingly, Shirley was even skinnier than her! He looked down at the woman in his arms.She had a face that looked a lot like Renee''s, but her skin was slightly fairer.She also had brows that made her seem gentler than Renee. Right then, her brows were furrowed as if she was in pain. Not knowing what she''d gone through, he felt bad for her... Xavier subconsciously reached out to rub Shirley''s forehead so that her brows would rx. This was when Shirley opened her eyes a little. Despite feeling weak, she smiled gently at him. "Hey, you''re awake.There was a mosquito on your face.That''s why I..." Xavier exined guiltily. He''d been with countless women, but he''d never panicked like this before. It was honestly embarrassing! "I heard what you said earlier..." Shirley whispered softly in his arms. Chapter 359 Chapter 359 Chapter 359 "Uhm.What did you hear?" Xavier asked. "I heard you saying I belonged to you.Does this mean you''ve epted me?" "Please don''t misunderstand.It was an emergency.I had to... "Thank you!" Although Shirley was smiling, her eyes filled with tears. "I have no regrets after hearing what you said.Thankfully, I won''t be an aimless, wandering spirit after I die." "What are you saying? What do you mean after you die?" Xavier felt a tightness in his chest.This woman was weird.It sounded like she was saying herst words. "Can I ask for a small favor from you?" Shirley grabbed Xavier''s arms and asked in a sad voice.She looked so pitiful that Xavier couldn''t help but give in. "Tell me what it is." "After I die, keep my ash in a small box and bury it in a well in the vige.You don''t have to organize any rituals.Just send someone to pray for me each year..." She was barely breathing when she said this. Xavier felt something was off.He asked sternly, "What''s the matter? Are you keeping something from me?" "I''m fine.I...Bleurgh!" Shirley suddenly threw up a mouthful of blood and fell unconscious. Xavier panicked.He quickly carried her to the car. "Hang in there.I''m taking you to the hospital right now! Stay strong!" He drove as fast as he could despite the heavy traffic. This was perhaps the moment their fates became intertwined. Just as the old man had exined, ording to the bamboo stick, Shirley was fated to be in Xavier''s life. That also meant she posed a challenge for him to ovee! kkk Stefan returned from Water Dock to Hunt Vi on his own. By the time he arrived home, it was alreadyte at night. Nobody had found any new information regarding Renee. This woman had disappeared from the face of the earth as if she wielded magic! "Stefan, don''t worry.I''ll send more people to search for Ms.Everheart.They will expand their search abroad...I''ve already reached out to the intel departments of other countries to lock in on information rted to her.I believe it''s only a matter of time until we find her!" Christopher said. However, Stefan had lost his passion. "Stop the search.Let her be!" "What do you mean, Stefan? Are you giving up?" "We have toorge a gap between us, she and me.Even if I find her, we''d only end up hurting each other.We might as well just live our lives apart!" Stefan eximed. "That makes sense, but...Are you sure you can move on?" "Does it matter? Perhaps, she and I were never right for each other, to begin with.I only refused to let go because the divorce happened out of the blue.Time will heal everything." Stefan didn''t suddenly think things through.It was all thanks to the things the old man said to him. The old man told him that he and Renee wouldn''t have anything to do with each other for the next four years. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Whether that would change after four years would depend on their feelings toward each other. Time was a good thing that gave a person an opportunity to think things through before arriving at a conclusion. It also allowed people who had intense feelings to gradually understand themselves better. Stefan believed that both he and Renee needed time on their own to calm down and sift through their emotions... After finishing his sentence, Stefan returned to his bedroom upstairs.He put the silk object he bought from the old man on the table.He then spread a sheet and pieced the two together. Just as he thought, it was a drawing of a phoenix and a red spider lily. The patterns seemed to suggest it was a map.He salvaged this sheet from the Everheart family''s residence on the day of the fire, but he never told Renee about it. Back at the antique market, he felt that the drawing on the silk object had something to do with Renee''s sheet the moment heid eyes on it. Stefan took a closer look. Suddenly, he discovered something. "This map..." Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Chapter 360 Stefan was shocked to discover that the topographical structure and direction of the route on the map were identical to the entrance of the Hunt family''s ancestral grave on Mount Lodge in North City. The Hunt family spanned a long history that dated as far back as the Thame Dynasty. In fact, there were generals and ministers in the family throughout the generations, and they all held prominent positions. The family had always been active in North City, and their ancestors were also buried on Mount Lodge, which had the best Fengshui and was inessible to outsiders. Only during his great-grandfather''s generation did his family move south to create their business empire in Beach City, which was located on the other side of the country. Apart from periods when important festivities were held, the Hunt family rarely returned to North City. "This is odd.Why would the map to the Hunt family''s ancestral grave be sewn on Renee''s sheet?" Stefan asked out loud. Could there be a connection between the Hunt family and the Everheart family from the time of their ancestors? Stefan would have to ask his grandfather when the opportunity presented itself. With this in mind, Stefan carefully stored the sheet and the silk object in a small box. Suddenly, a thought urred to him.He retrieved Renee''s notebook and called Xavier on the phone. At that moment, Xavier sat on a long bench outside the emergency unit while waiting for Shirley to be treated.He thought he had probably gone mad. Clearly, he wasn''t the nosy type of person, and he was used to doing everything for himself.This time, he was actually "kind" enough to tend to someone else''s "trouble." He even skipped dinner because of this trouble." "Stefan, it''ste.What''s up?" Although Xavier picked up Stefan''s call, he was still focused on the blinking red light above the emergency unit. That''s because the end of the blinking indicated that the treatment wasplete. Although he knew next to nothing about Shirley, he couldn''t help but feel worried about her.He hoped she wouldn''t die at such a young age. "I showed you the notebook in the car not long ago.You promised to do something for me.Do you still remember that?" Stefan asked patiently. "Ahem, can I say otherwise?" Xavier knew Stefan was up to no good. In other words, Stefan dug a hole and pointed at it while asking him, "Didn''t you say you wanted to jump into a hole? Here, I already dug it for you.Hurry up and jump in." "Don''t be nervous.This is a profitable deal.I won''t cheat you, "Stefan said. "Thank you, Stefan, but I don''t need the money.You should do it yourself if it''s profitable!" Xavier replied. ¡®Don''t be silly" Xavier, Stefan, and Christopher had been joined at the hips since they were kids. Xavier knew exactly the kind of people they were. As soon as Stefan called, Xavier knew something fishy was going to happen. The most sensible thing was to turn it down! "You don''t need the money, do you?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Stefan asked half- jokingly. "Looks like the Stuart family''s business has been doing very well.It''s time for them to go through a little hardship..." "Hang on, Stefan.Stop beating around the bush.Just tell me what you need help with." Xavier was afraid of getting into trouble again.He surrendered immediately. If Xavier was a predator that everyone avoided, then Stefan was the apex predator that he avoided.It was a losing war whether Xavier fought back or not.He might as well just surrender from the get-go! "What did you think about the content of the novel?" Stefan asked in a serious manner. "It''s great.I think it''s the best novel I''ve ever read!" Xavier pped his own thigh.He instantly felt inspired. Perhaps, he genuinely felt this way.He might''ve also done this because he wanted to insult Stefan. "The male lead couldn''t have been described better.He''s a literal piece of trash, a monster, and the ultimate representative of a scumbag!" Stefan frowned intensely. He suspected that Xavier might have been indirectly insulting him, but he didn''t have any proof.That was because he, too, agreed the male lead was dumb and an absolute scumbag! Chapter 361 Chapter 361 Chapter 361 "I need you to turn this novel into a movie within three months.In fact, I don''t care how much money you have to spend; I want you to make it the most popr movie in the world!" Stefan cut to the chase with his request. The Stuart family owned the world-renowned entertainmentpany Universal Entertainment. The artists signed by thepany were all international superstars who had produced many internationally-acimed movies, TV series, and variety shows. Stefan knew he could entrust this matter to Xavier. "You didn''t have to tell me.I had the same thought after reading it too!" Xavier''s eyes lit up. "The adaptation of real life, the characters¡¯ personalities, and the intense conflict involved make it ideal for a movie, but...The storyline is somewhat clich¨¦.I think it''s better off as an idol drama.If you want to make it into a movie and expect it to be world-famous, it''s not going to be easy." "If it were easy, why would Ie to you?" Stefan seemed determined. "I want to see this movie receiving global recognition in three months," he ordered. Xavier wanted to cry. "Stefan, you can''t just expect me to deliver this right away.Even if we want to make it into a film, the storyline isn''tplete yet.Which actors are we hiring? Will there be intellectual property issues? Have you thought about any of this?" "I don''t care," Stefan spoke like a true dominant CEO. "I want the results in three months.You''ll be in deep trouble if you don''t make it happen." "Stefan, you can''t do this.Listen to me..." Beep, beep, beep. Stefan hung up the phone. Xavier stood where he was.He wanted to cry for his mother. Making a movie was simple, but... Making a movie that was popr across the globe was extremely difficult! Right then, the blinking red light above the emergency unit finally went out. The doctor walked out of the operating room.He seemed rxed. "How is she doing, doctor?" Xavier quickly stepped forward. "She''s lucky.It wasn''t easy, but we managed to save her despite her consumption of half a bottle of Dichlorvos!" With a sigh, the doctor continued to speak. "I''ve saved many who attempted suicide, and most of them do not have the will to live.However, I can tell that she very much wanted to live...I''d say her own willpower contributed to half of our sess in saving her!" "Do you mean this only happened because she drank half a bottle of Dichlorvos?" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Xavier was in shock.It seemed Shirley was prepared to die when she sold herself to Hank''s subordinate.It wasn''t just so he would take pity on her¡ªshe knew she would die, and that was why she sold her own body and sacrificed her own ego. She sold herself like a product...for only 150 thousand dors? What difficulties did she encounter to have needed that money? Without even realizing it, Xavier already grew overly curious about Shirley.This wasn''t a good thing. "Yeah.Dichlorvos is a strong type of insecticide.A single drop is enough to corrode the stomach.I just performed gastricvage on her.Based on my estimate, she probably drank half a bottle of it, at the very least.She''s so cruel to herself!" The doctor shook his head.He figured that the couple must have gotten into an argument. That''s why the girl took such an extreme measure. "Girls are very emotional.Guys need to treat them nicer...There are going to be side effects.You have to pay attention to her diet.Never let her eat spicy food.Otherwise, something bad will happen." Xavier nodded. "I understand." "Alright.I understand." "That''s all.You can go in and check on her.Make sure you look after her well." The doctor proceeded to leave. Xavier started walking toward Shirley''s ward. However, he stopped in front of the door.He realized he seemed to care a little too much about this woman whom he didn''t know at all! In the end, he only touched the doorknob, but he didn''t open the door. ¡®Forget it, Xavier.You''ve done enough.If you keep going...you''ll be ying with fire!¡¯ Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Three monthster, on a private ind in Southeast Aeos. Renee was lying on a white hammock while she ate a piece of chilled watermelon and watched short videos on her phone. There were two more months until she was due to deliver, and her belly was bulging. Ever since she left Beach City, she''d been staying on this ind.She walked in the breeze, ate, drank, and read novels every day.She also managed Azure Group and herw firm remotely. Life was leisurely andfortable. Just as she read on the inte, being close to men only led to misfortunes! Ever since Renee left Stefan for good, life had been nothing but enjoyable.She could wake up whenever she wanted.She was so happy that she even gained a good amount of weight.She bought this ind many years ago with money from her schrship, patent fees, and pocket money she had saved since she was a child.She designed it the way she''d imagined.Her initial n was to make this a holiday home and bring her family here for vacations. Unfortunately, fate had other ns. Not long after this ind wasplete, circumstances at home changed. Meanwhile, she never came to the ind because she married into the Hunt family. Throughout the years, Liam had been the one to spend money on maintaining the ind. Not only was it not abandoned, but its facilities only got better. In fact, it built its own station that provided telephone signals independently. This was why Renee could use the inte without having her personal information traced. To say this ind was like a mini-country wasn''t an exaggeration. It had everything one could think of. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. As long as Renee wanted, she could live here until she died and never worry about being found by anyone! Renee named it Sun Ind. She nted many sunflowers in hopes that her children, like sunflowers, would always follow the light, be strong, and remain positive in life! Renee''s nanny, Margaret, stayed with her on the ind. Margaret inherited ancestral knowledge of medicine.She focused entirely on the development of Renee''s baby and prepared various nutritional meals for Renee daily. They were both looking forward to the baby¡¯s birth that would bring greater life force to this ind! Bzzzz... The sound of a speedboat''s engine could be heard from the pier. Margaret looked at the person who got off the speedboat and turned excitedly to face Renee. "Hey, Renee.Look who''s here!" Renee was still scrolling through short videos on the hammock.She didn''t even look up. "Who else could it be but Liam, the guy who doesn''t even have a job?" "It''s not just him; Leia is here too!" "What? Is Leia here too?" Renee''s eyes lit up.She reached for the pir attached to the hammock and got up to greet them. Meanwhile, Leia was already running toward Renee in her thin suspender and ultra-short jeans. "My friend! I''ve missed you so much!" Leia opened her arms wide and gave Renee a solid hug. Liam seemed very worried when he saw this from behind. "Leia, didn''t I warn you to be gentle? She''s seven months pregnant now.If you identally bump into her, the consequences would be unimaginable!" Liam frowned and forcefully pulled them apart. Dressed casually in a white shirt and beach shorts, he definitely looked like he could be on a magazine cover, with sunsses and all. Countless women would fall for him.However, he had an added sense of parenthood that made him appear a little ''¡®naggy" Chapter 363 Chapter 363 Chapter 363 "Alright, alright.You''re so naggy.You''ve been nagging for the past nine hours during our journey.People who don''t know you might even think you''re going to be a father!" Leia rolled her eyes at Liam before hugging Renee once again. However, she was much more careful and gentle this time. Leia touched Renee''s round, protruding belly and gasped in amazement. "Renee, your stomach is huge.It''s so magical.Are there really two babies in there?" Renee figured that Liam probably told Leia everything.She no longer wanted to keep it a secret. "Yeah.They''re twins.Oh, and I''ll be due in two months." Renee felt that life was magical too. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Throughout her time on this ind, it felt like the world had slowed down around her.She could feel her babies growing in her stomach little by little.She''d talk to them, sing for them, and tell them stories. They seemed to understand everything.They''d always respond by moving around.She was absolutely overjoyed... "They''re twins!" Leia''s jaw dropped. "Renee, you''re something else.I thought you''d never even done it with that jerk.How did you get pregnant with a single try? It seems you must''ve done it rather frequently.How else did you get pregnant with twins at one go?" "Uhm..." Renee ced one hand on her forehead.She felt a little awkward. Leia was being too direct.How was she supposed to exin this? "But I don''t think the Hunt family ever had twins.It¡¯s not in their genes...Could it be..." Leia suddenly became excited. "Could it be that you''re pregnant with my brother''s children? After all, our family has had twins in the past...This is wonderful.I''m going to be an aunt! I''m going to be an aunt!" Renee was tearing up fromughter.She wished she was pregnant with Liam''s children. If that were the case, her children would at least have a good father. Liam would visit her on the ind every once in a few days. Firstly, it was to update her on Azure Group''s situation. Secondly, it was to entertain her. Each time he visited, he''d bring many gifts for her and her children.He''d alsoe up with a lot of jokes, look after her, and make herugh. Oftentimes, Renee sighed and thought to herself, Why don''t I have feelings for Liam? He''s such a good man.He was so good that he''d put his life on the line for her. Regardless of what he did, she would alwayse first. Why didn¡¯t she like him? Perhaps, liking or hating someone was innate. There was no reason for it. For example, she had no reason to like Stefan so religiously. In the end, she was badly hurt by him. Meanwhile, Stefan probably also innately hated her and wanted to hurt her.She couldn''t me him because she was the one who allowed herself to get hurt! "Don''t you remember what you promised? Stop trying to find out gossip!" Liam smacked Leia against her head.He regretted bringing her here. "If you didn''t cry so much because you thought Renee was hurt and even wanted to take revenge on Stefan, I wouldn''t have brought you here!" Liam shook his head.He was clueless about how to deal with his twin sister. "Anyway...It doesn''t matter who the father is; all you need to remember is that their mother is our boss, Renee!" "Okay, I get it.As long as they are Renee''s children, it doesn''t matter who their father is.I''d still love them like my own," Leia said before hugging Renee. The two chatted for a long while. Suddenly, something urred to Leia, and she retrieved her phone. "Renee, I''ve got some good news for you!" Chapter 364 Chapter 364 Chapter 364 "What is it?" Renee became curious.She quickly leaned forward. Leia pulled up a video.It looked like the video was recorded in a cinema. Several men and women stood before the big screen, seemingly promoting a movie. "This is..." Renee''s jaw dropped when she saw the actors introducing themselves.It was as if she''d just seen aliens. "Haha! You weren''t expecting this, were you? You must''ve guessed it...this is the premier of the movie ¡®Hunt my Everheart" The movie is an adaptation of the story between you and Stefan.I watched it.It''s so good.I cried a lot during the movie!" Leia recounted her experience.She desperately wanted to watch it again. "I understand the logic behind it all, but can anyone tell me why that male lead...was Stefan?!" Renee rubbed her eyes repeatedly to make sure she wasn''t mistaken. She still couldn''t believe that Stefan acted as the male lead in the movie itself! Wasn''t Stefan a workaholic? He was a business elite who could earn tens of millions in a few minutes. A man from a filthy rich family actually starred in a romance film. Was he too bored? Or did the publisher ckmail him into doing it? "Exactly.This film was made inplete secrecy and aired out of nowhere.When they announced the cast, everyone in showbiz, the business circle, the upper ss, and evenmoners were shocked.The movie went viral on the inte.There were even rumors that Stefan personally acted in it because he was the one who wrote the script.In other words, he wrote the novel with a pseudonym as a tribute to you..." Leia exined. "That''s bullshit!" Renee directly stood up and cursed. "Who said he wrote that? Is he shameless? How could he giarize someone else''s work? Why can''t people use their brains for a second? How could a cold-blooded, emotionless man write something so heart-warming and emotional?" "Hey, Renee, don''t work yourself up.Sit down, and we''ll talk about it.We wouldn''t want your babies to get hurt now, would we?" Leia said. "I think that cold-blooded scumbag couldn''t possibly write something so touching either.However, the author hasn''t spoken up about it yet.That''s enough proof that Stefan was the original writer," she added. "Besides, the original web novel still doesn''t have an ending.This movie is an adaptation of the original, and it isplete.I think the storyline flowed pretty well.It almost seemed like it was written by the same person.In fact, the second half of the movie was even more touching than the first half.You''ll know what I mean once you watch it!" Leia eximed. "I..." Renee was suddenly lost for words.She couldn''t say what was bothering her.She wanted to tell Leia that she knew Stefan couldn''t have written it even without watching the movie. That''s because she was the author! However, the first half of the novel was too romantic¡ªshe wrote the female lead as a humble and lowly woman¡ªwhich was practically the dark side of her history.She wouldn''t admit to writing it, no matter what! "What''s so good about it? If you ask me, I''ll say that Stefan is only using the movie to whitewash himself and improve public opinion toward H Group!" Liam, who had been silent all this while, crossed his arms. "Stefan and his family were heavily criticized because of the divorce.H Group''s share price fell several times.Now that this movie hase out, and he''s the one who wrote the script, anyone who''s watched it would say he''s a devoted man...In reality, though, he''s superficial and emotionless!" "I agree!" Leia raised her hands.She agreed with Liam''s analysis. "It''s too much of a coincidence for this movie to be made at this time.Although it''s only the premier and hasn''t been made publicly avable, it already has a ster reputation.Stefan has acquired many female fans, and the Hunt family has also been receiving a lot of positive attention.It directly resulted in H Group''s share price increasing!" "This exins!¡¯ Only then did Renee recall that H Group''s share price had unexpectedly skyrocketed.She was wondering why this happened.H Group hadn''t been doing anything new recently.Surprisingly...This was their new move! Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "I even heard that Stefan personally acted so that he could pursue the female lead.However, the female head is quite capable.She seems to also have a romantic rtionship with the film''s publisher, who happens to be Xavier from Universal Entertainment..." Renee said. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Leia was drawn to gossip and naturally had ess to information from various channels.She pointed at the actress on the screen. "Hey, doesn''t this girl look familiar? Do you think she looks like you?" Renee frowned a little. "I feel like I''ve seen her somewhere." "You''re so forgetful.This was the woman Stefan left the bar with that night.She''s the one who looked like you!" Leia eximed. N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "So it''s her!" Renee finally recalled who that woman was.She felt mixed emotions.She thought Stefan would still be drowning in guilt and never fall in love again. To her surprise, he''d already met someone new. Men... They were all heartless creatures! "What do you think this scumbag is thinking? Why would he spend so much money just to pursue this woman?" Leia looked at Renee before ncing at Shirley on her phone screen. The two of them really looked alike. "Could it be that he still has feelings for you? Is that why he found someone else who looks like you to be your substitute?" Leia asked. "Stop making things up!" Renee had a calm look in her eyes. "He doesn''t have feelings for me.He still hates me.I killed his child, and the woman he loved had to lose her uterus because of me.He''s kind enough to spare me..." "Does he know you''re pregnant with his children? If he does, then you two..." "That''s enough!" Renee cut Leia off impatiently. "If you''re my friend, stop bringing this person up in front of me.The children belong to me.They have nothing to do with anyone else.If you keep making nonsense up, don''t me me for being ruthless!" "I''m sorry, Renee.I wasn''t being thoughtful.I know how you feel.I promise I won''t talk about that scumbag again.If I do, you can p me!" Leia made an oath-swearing gesture. Although Leia had watched Hunt my Everheart, she still felt bothered by the movie. In this time and age, perhaps keeping one¡¯s children and leaving the man was the best option. As Renee''s best friend, Leia had to support her! Renee didn''t say anything further.She turned to face Liam. "Let''s go to the study.We need a private chat!" The two went to the study by the beach vi. Liam retrieved a USB drive.He gave a detailed report of recent developments in Azure Group. The most significant update was that Azure Group would soon build its own research center facility. Liam had always been against this. Until now, he would still try to dissuade Renee whenever she was about to sign the contract. "This program is very risky.It''ll also use up a lot of funds.The most difficult part is that we don''t have an excellent research team.We might end up losing everything and bear a significant amount of debt.We''ll be the joke of the town! "In fact, downstreampanies like ours focus mainly on production and sales.Normally, a research center isn''t even necessary.H Group, for example, doesn''t have its own research center.It has always cooperated with other researchpanies.Even so, it still managed to maintain its position as the leader with its high production and sales capabilities!"Liam added. "Is that so?" Renee rested her chin on her hands. "Just do as I tell you.We''ll be the leader sooner orter!" Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Chapter 366 It was already night when she sent Liam and Leia away. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. As the waves hit the shore, the ind regained its silence and serenity, and the soothing fragrance of flowers permeated the air. Renee would touch the objects around her for a split second before looking around. She even spent half an hour giving catnip to her newly acquired cat, Orange, as though attempting to keep herself upied to escape something. Meanwhile, her gaze couldn¡¯t help but wander to herputer from time to time. Her fingertips moved unconsciously as she was eager to test it. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her, and she flipped herptop open. Her slender fingertips tapped on the keyboard, and she got into the film distributor¡¯s system, copying the movie ¡®Hunt my Everheart,¡¯ which was about to be released in theatres. She was curious to see how capable Stefan was to receive so many good reviews for his first-ever film! The filmsted two hours. She yed the film on her private cinema screen. She even made snacks and beverages before sittingfortably on the sofa to watch the movie. She couldn¡¯t deny that the movie had quality. It was shot in such a manner that each scenario had its own significance. Evidently, it had been created with great care and attention to detail. The first instance of the movie was enough to capture Renee¡¯s heart. It was shot in line with the real story. The male and female leads met for the first time as they stood in the pouring rain. As Renee was watching, her eyes reddened, and she felt that she wasn¡¯t watching a movie but staring into a mirror as it reflected her true story. Their four-year rtionship, portrayed in a two-hour film, included all of their bittersweet recollections. Stefan created the other half of the movie, so it wasn¡¯t nearly as heartbreaking as the first. It was more about the male and female lead¡¯s life taking care of their children together, which was sweet and harmonious. Then one day, a small misunderstanding turned into a huge fight. The female protagonist walked out of the home and never returned. The male protagonist took their child and went traveling all over the globe in search of her. He would write her a postcard whenever he stopped. As they traveled, the postcards grew in number until they filled the whole luggage. Unfortunately, he never heard anything about her. Finally, amid the male lead¡¯s dream, he said, ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± and the film ended. Renee, who inspired the female lead¡¯s character, couldn¡¯t stop crying after viewing it. ¡®I can¡¯t believe Stefan could be so skilled. The film is quite moving. He went to great lengths to portray himself as a decent man,¡¯ she thought as she clutched the tissue in her palm and couldn¡¯t stop wiping her tears. The gloomy theater suddenly became bright. Margaret walked in and looked at Renee worriedly. ¡°Miss Renee, why are you crying? Were you reminded of something sad? Or did anyone bully you?¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell Margaret that she had sobbed because Stefan¡¯s movie had moved her. ¡°Did Orange bully you?¡± Margaret pointed at Orange in Renee¡¯s arms and said seriously, ¡°Orange, didn¡¯t I tell you that Renee is now pregnant? You can¡¯ty on her stomach like that, or you will crush the babies in there. Come here!¡± Orange hopped down and sat in front of the television. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Only then did Margaret realize the male protagonist in the film was Stefan! ¡¯Oh my goodness! The jerk is now acting! Is the H Group about to go bankrupt? Why would a CEO like him want to work in entertainment?¡± Renee couldn¡¯t stopughing as she joked, ¡°I heard it¡¯s because he¡¯s attempting to woo the female lead.¡¯ ¡°Damn him!¡± Margaret despised Stefan so much after learning that he had almost murdered Renee for Briar. She became even more upset after learning that he was pursuing another woman. ¡°Miss Renee, you made the correct option by leaving him. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to put up with his cheating behind your back. Your boys will be miserable growing up in such an atmosphere. Ipletely agree with your choice to leave him back then!¡¯ Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee had a faint grin but didn¡¯t say anything when she heard this. If she didn¡¯t see the movie, she would¡¯ve reprimanded Stefan as well as Margaret. She did finish it, however, and she couldn¡¯t admonish him. She had the impression that he wasn¡¯t as cruel and cold as she had expected. He had to be a very meticulous man, since he could write such a lovely and emotional end. ¡°I¡¯m not going to chastise him anymore for the sake of your babies.¡± Margaret took a deep breath and suppressed her rage. She examined Renee¡¯s pulse and blood sugar as usual. Everything was how it should be. ¡°Your children are doing fine.¡¯ ¡°When Mr. Osborne learned that you intended to do water birth, he discreetly got a designer and a few workmen a while ago and created a water birth room for you. The room is created in a submerged form, with ss walls that reach all the way to the bottom of the sea. You can see the aquatic animals swimming. It should be quite soothing.¡± ¡°Water birth room?¡± Renee was excited and shocked at the same time. ¡®This is amazing! I just said it casually. I didn¡¯t expect him to remember it.¡± ¡°Of course, he remembers. Mr. Osborne cares about you a lot. No matter how small the detail, he would make sure he got it perfectly. You mean a lot to him that¡¯s why he¡¯s so considerate of you. In my opinion, Mr. Osborne is better than the jerk in various ways. You should consider making him the father of your babies.¡± Before this, Renee would have rejected such a request instantly, but now she didn¡¯t. She ced her hands on her belly, felt her babies moving around energetically, and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll think of it.¡± ¡°Mr. Osborne will be so excited if he knows about this!¡± Margaret sighed happily. ¡°Miss Renee, you finally thought it through. You should find a man that loves you so that you won¡¯t get hurt. If you find a man that you love, chances are you will have your heart broken.¡± However, Renee argued, ¡°Love isn¡¯t necessarily the reason for a man and a woman to be together. To me, Liam is the friend that I trust the most. Our friendship is more important than love. Besides, I need a longsting rtionship!¡± Meanwhile, at Beach City. Xavier was having a meal with a few bosses of big cinemapanies, preparing for the release of ¡®Hunt my Everheart.¡¯ Suddenly, he got a call from the film distributor saying that some mysterious person had copied the movie¡¯s original file. Hearing this, his eyes lit in excitement, and he instantly phoned Stefan.¡± Stefan, it¡¯s just as you predicted. The fish has taken the bait!¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Stefan knew that when the movie ¡®Hunt my Everheart¡¯ trended on Twitter, it would get the attention of people, and Renee would naturally be curious about it. Yet he didn¡¯t think that she would be so quick. The film had yet to be officially released, but she appeared to be impatient. It looked like she didn¡¯t leave as freely and easily as she presented. At the same time, Xavier walked proudly inside the president¡¯s office and mysteriously stuffed a note inside Stefan¡¯s hand. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t lose the paper. I¡¯ve helped you as much as I can. If you can¡¯t get her back, then it¡¯s your problem. Don¡¯t me me for not helping you!¡± Stefan was in the middle of his work when he was handed the note. He frowned and looked at the note in his hand. ¡°What is this?¡¯¡¯ ¡°Your wife¡¯s location!¡± Xavier became excited as he told, ¡°I told you earlier that a mysterious person hacked into the distributor¡¯s system and copied the movie file. I hired a hacker and discovered the mysterious person¡¯s location. They¡¯re located on a small ind. If I¡¯m not wrong, that¡¯s your wife, and she¡¯s on that ind now!¡± ¡°No wonder we couldn¡¯t find her at all. She¡¯s really good at hiding!¡± A light shed before Stefan¡¯s eyes before it returned to its usually cold and distant look. He said nonchntly, ¡°Where she at has nothing to do with me. Take it away, I don¡¯t need it.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Stefan? Didn¡¯t you want me to observe Renee¡¯s every move? You partook in the film because you wanted to show it to her, as well as beg for forgiveness and find out where she is. Howe it no longer has anything to do with you?¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I just want to prove that she isn¡¯t as free and easy as she portrays herself to be. Now that I¡¯ve proven it, I don¡¯t care where she is.¡± As Stefan spoke, he continued to organize the file in his hand, seeming as if he didn¡¯t care one bit about Renee¡¯s whereabouts nor the intention to seek her out. This shocked Xavier. He was sure that Stefan would find her once he had Renee¡¯s location, and he could brag about his contribution to locating her. However, Stefan wasn¡¯t acting as he had anticipated! ¡°You can¡¯t y me like this, Stefan. You¡¯ve kept bugging me to promote the movie so you could locate Renee. But why are you suppressing your desire to see her and acting as if you don¡¯t care? Are you worried about losing pride if she refuses to see you?¡± Xavier stared at Stefan, who seemed emotionless and gave him a piece of advice. ¡°Put your pride away. You¡¯ve given each other space for three months. This can¡¯t go on. If this continues, your rtionship will actuallye to an end. Since both of you still love each other, go and get her back. Even if you fail, you won¡¯t regret not trying.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re so enthusiastic, why don¡¯t you go on your own?¡± Stefan lifted his gaze and remarked coldly, ¡°The whole world knows now that there¡¯s nothing between her and me. So you don¡¯t have to care about how I feel. If you like her, go for her.¡± ¡®You!¡± Xavier was furious when he heard Stefan¡¯s words. Xavier did have feelings for Renee before this, but he said it as a joke. He understood he couldn¡¯t act on his feelings for his friend¡¯s wife. Besides, his heart had been taken over by another woman. ¡°Is there anything else? I¡¯m quite busy.¡± Stefan¡¯s cold words sounded like he was chasing Xavier away. Renee¡¯s location appeared to be unimportant and more of a hassle. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just a busybody!¡± Xavier was enraged, and he snatched the note and tore it apart before throwing it into the dustbin. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to find her, it¡¯s fine. After all, I won¡¯t be the one to regret.¡± Then, he pushed open the door and left. At this moment, it was alreadyte at night. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 Chapter 369 There were just a few employees remaining in the building. Stefan sat in his office, rummaging through the documents on his desk. H Group developed tremendously over the years, but with it came a slew of difficulties and harsh competitors. This was particrly the case in the field of technology. Long-term coboration between H Group and KCL Group made hispany invincible, enabling it to capture three-fourths of the market. As a result, he quickly became the envy of otherpanies who would try to harm hispany behind his back. While not life-threatening, it gave Stefan a headache. There had recently been spections that the smart bracelet H Group recently released on the market had severe ws that involved viting users¡¯ privacy by eavesdropping on their conversations. The rumor resulted in several reports andwsuits against hispany. ¡¯Inform the public rtions department that we need a way to conceal this negative news. ¡°Investigate and sue those who disseminated the rumors; for spreading falsehoods and harming our company¡¯s brand.¡± ¡¯Remove all of the smart wristbands we recently introduced and hand them over to the IT department to see whether they have an eavesdropping capacity.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Stefan couldn¡¯t pretend any longer after many phone conferences, signing various papers, and reviewing a few projects. He rose up and swiftly reached into the trash can, picking up the ripped bits of paper. The paper was small, but it was shredded into bits, making it impossible to reassemble. Stefan tried to piece it back and struggled. His eyes hurt, and his brain couldn¡¯t process what he was seeing. ¡°Damn it, Xavier! Why did he have to shred it to pieces!¡± Finally, he was close to piecing it back together when the secretary walked in. ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Ehem!¡± Stefan instantly covered the paper shreds as if he had done something guilty. However, his movements were so big that the pieces flew around and scattered on the ground. The secretary was taken aback and approached him right away. ¡°Are you alright, Sir?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Stefan yelled and stared at the paper on the floor.¡±Don¡¯t step on them,¡± he ordered her coldly. She instantly stood frozen on the ground. ¡°Sir, the floor is too dirty. Would you like me to clean it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Stefan finally returned to his normal behavior and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Stuart called earlier and said he sent you the location on WhatsApp. He asked you not to¡­¡± She hesitated and awkwardly nced at Stefan¡¯s hand positioned beside the dustbin and said carefully, ¡°He asked you not to pick it up from the dustbin. It¡¯s dirty.¡± Stefan¡¯s face darkened, and he said coldly, ¡°I understand.¡± He waited until the secretary had departed before proudly opening his WhatsApp. As he saw the location, he couldn¡¯t help but grimace and think to himself,¡¯ Renee, you can¡¯t get away from me! Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Chapter 370 On the same night, Stefan got on his private ne and flew directly to the ind at maximum speed. Throughout the journey, he kept reminding himself to act cold andposed when seeing Reneeter. After all, he didn¡¯t fly there because he missed her or wanted to continue their rtionship. He was going there solely because he needed her skills as awyer to help with thewsuits that H Group was facing. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± Stefan thought for a while and finally came up with a good reason. He instantly felt relieved. By the time he reached the ind, it was already the next morning. The orange and crimson sun rose from the ocean¡¯s edge and reflected its light over the blue sea, making it orange. Stefan sat inside the speedboat and sped his way through the shore. Once he got on the ind, a local girl came upto him and weed him. ¡°Uncle, are you here for Aunt Renee?¡± the small girl said, her cheeks tanned and her grin pure. ¡®Yes.¡± As Stefan looked at the little girl, he was d and thought, ¡®Not bad. She knows to get someone to wee me!¡¯ ¡°Follow me, and I¡¯ll bring you to Aunt Renee!¡± The small girl waved at Stefan before turning and running. Stefan followed her without hesitation. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He assumed it wouldn¡¯t be far away at first, but he was too naive. The journey started from the foot of the mountain and progressed all the way to the top. They climbed for over two hours without stopping. Stefan was a strong man, but his body couldn¡¯t handle it. He was puffing slightly and questioned the small girl in front of him, ¡°Are we there yet? Where is she precisely?¡± ¡°Aunt Renee¡¯s home is far away, but it¡¯s lovely. You¡¯ll adore it once you get there!¡± He wanted toin, but he restrained himself. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break first.¡± He was panting. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re exhausted already just walking this little?¡± the child observed. ¡°You¡¯re terribly weak, just as Aunt Renee stated.¡¯ When Stefan heard this, he was dumbfounded. ¡®How could you, Renee? I¡¯ll let you know I¡¯m not weak when I catch you!¡¯ He thought bitterly. They traveled for another three hours till they arrived at the mountain top. Stefan saw an orange-colored chapel erected on the brink of the mountain, overlooking the distant sea. The girl turned to him and said, ¡°Uncle, Aunt Renee will pray here every day. Just go in and find her.¡± At this point, Stefan was so exhausted that he barely had any energy. He took in a deep breath and showed a thumbs up. ¡°Uncle, you look really handsome. Can I have a hug?¡± The girl blinked her huge and bright eyes at Stefan as she stared at him innocently. ¡°Of course.¡± Stefan felt his heart melt at the cuteness of the girl and gave her a big hug. Afterwards, she climbed down the mountain. Stefan wiped his sweat away and fixed his hair. As he walked slowly towards the church, he straightened his back and put on a frigid fagade. He wondered how she would look now after not seeing her for three months. ¡®Would she get thinner? Tanner? More depressed? Or grow bald?* he guessed in his heart. Women were sentimental, so naturally, they wouldn¡¯t move on that quickly. He imagined that she would be crying every single day. Stefan, however, was different. He became more disciplined during these three months. He visited the gym often, ate healthy foods, and even upgraded his sense of fashion. He now possessed the confidence that he was able to charm her. Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Chapter 371 The church¡¯s door was shut. Stefan considered pushing the door open and walking in but decided against it since it would make him seem shameless. So he waited outside the door, cleared his throat, and said,¡± Come out on your own.¡¯ There was no reaction from inside. Hiding his embarrassment while appearing noble and frigid, he continued,¡± There is a limit to my patience. You¡¯ll be sorry if I have to go inside.¡¯¡¯ Thinking about how he flew and went all the way here and climbed the mountain for hours only to see her angered him. Presently, there seemed to be no other choice but to enter the church since she did not reply to him at all. He spun back and yanked the door open with fury. * Renee, you¡¯ve gone too far, you¡­¡± ¡°Surprise! Stefan, you¡¯ve been fooled.¡± Renee was nowhere to be seen in the church. In the midst of the empty church, there was just a teddy bear. The teddy toy had a microphone inside and appeared toe to life as itughed madly at him. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Hahaha! Mr. Stefan, you¡¯re a moron foring here to look for me.¡± ¡® Don¡¯t squander your energy. You won¡¯t find me if I don¡¯t want you to find me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll appear on my own. Just make sure you¡¯re ready for my arrival!¡± Stefan was mocked by every word the teddy bear said. ¡°Renee!¡± He never imagined that a woman would dupe a wise guy like himself. His gorgeous face clouded, and he seized the teddy bear with the intention of ripping it up. The teddy bear continued to say, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare break me, or you won¡¯t leave this ind. If you don¡¯t believe me, try looking for your wallet.¡± He reached into his pocket, and indeed, it was gone. He came to his senses quickly and realized that the little girl had taken it. She would be far away now, so it was pointless for him to chase her. ¡°Damn it! What do you want from me?¡± Stefan was so mad that he was on the edge of losing his mind. Then, the teddy bear spoke again calmly, ¡°Hahahah. Now you know that everything is not as it seems on the surface.¡± Stefan was speechless. His mood shifted from rage to irritation. He was exhausted and had no money, so he couldn¡¯t even get water. This was probably where he would perish. As he looked back at his past, he realized he had never been this stupid before, nor had he been in such a terrible situation. This was all a trap set by Renee. ¡°Now, I want you to hold the teddy and tell 100 inders: ¡®Renee is the world¡¯s kindest human. I am blind to me her. I am stupid.¡¯ Once you are done with the mission, you will get your wallet back.¡± ¡°Renee, don¡¯t be so mean. You¡­¡± ¡°Beep beep!¡± The sound of the connection getting cut off could be heard. It was obvious that Renee, who was hiding and operating at some corner of the ind, had cut off the connection. Stefan pointed at the teddy bear; his expression was cold and deadly as he thought, ¡®I won¡¯t say such humiliating words!¡¯ At the other end of the ind, Reneey on the couch, eating a popsicle whileughing as she watched some real-time footage. In the footage, the cold and overbearing Stefan was sweating and panting as he said to every person he met, ¡°Renee is the world¡¯s kindest human. I am blind to me her. I am stupid.¡± ¡®Hahaha. You¡¯re too naive to think that you¡¯ll be able to find me with that little hacker of yours,¡¯ she thought. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Chapter 372 Beach City Airport, four yearster. A youngdy with sunsses stood among the crowd, wearing a low-cut ck dress that entuated her curves. With a gorgeous and endearing visage, her long legs swayed as her tall heels clicked along the floor. Many eyes were immediately drawn to her. Leia was yawning outside the airport on her red Ferrari when she saw Reneee out. She immediately waved her arms around and eximed,¡± Ahh! Ren, I¡¯m here!¡¯ Renee puckered her scarlet lips and strolled slowly towards Leia, stopping in front of her. She then pulled off her sunsses with ease, and a touch of tenderness was disyed in her eyes as she chuckled. ¡°Leia, keep it low- key, or people will think you¡¯re one of those crazy perverted fans!¡± ¡¯I don¡¯t mind!¡± Leia rushed into Renee¡¯s arms and hugged her tightly. ¡°It¡¯s been four years. You¡¯ve finally returned. I really miss you!¡¯ Renee chuckled. ¡°Stop being absurd. Didn¡¯t we just talk on Facetime yesterday?¡± ¡°Seeing you on a video call and seeing you in person are two different things. I cannot reach or squeeze you as freely as I would like through the screen!¡± Leia¡¯s hands moved around Renee¡¯s body as she spoke. ¡°Take a look at your hourss figure and boobs! Why do I think they¡¯ve gotten bigger? And your ass. Oh my goodness, it¡¯s bigger now! I refuse to ept you have children! ¡°Tell me the truth; did you stage your pregnancy? Or did you find another woman to give birth to your children? That¡¯s why your physique still appears as good as it did before!¡± Renee was stunned when she heard this. ¡°Stop fooling around and get in the car as fast as you can. I don¡¯t want to remain too long, and I don¡¯t want people to know I¡¯ve returned.¡¯ ¡°Understood!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Leia opened the vehicle door with a flick of her fingertips. She turned to gaze at Renee eagerly as she was about to settle into the driver¡¯s position. ¡°Ren, this is my new car. I recall you used to be a professional driver who won numerous titles. Why don¡¯t you take it for a spin and show me some of your skills!¡± Renee became thrilled when she saw the vehicle. She nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± During these years, she had been so preupied with raising her children and handling her business that she didn¡¯t take any breaks. She¡¯d almost forgotten what it was like to drift. The twodies climbed into the vehicle and buckled up. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Renee asked Leia while gripping the driving wheel with both hands. With her right boot on the gas pedal, a grin crept across her scarlet lips. ¡®Yes. Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Leia gripped the door handle firmly and nodded eagerly, ready for the journey. It wasn¡¯t her first time riding with Renee, and she knew all too well that she was in for some quality fun. The sensation of speed and stability as the wind moved through their hair, constantly testing their speed limit, was nothing short of incredible. The red Ferrari raced off the airport in a blur and went straight to the freeway, leaving all the vehicles behind. ¡°Oh my goodness, this is incredible! I¡¯m flying!¡± Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Leia stood up and shouted enthusiastically as the wind gushed across them. ¡°Hold tight!¡± Renee tenderly advised Leia. She, too, was overjoyed. Despite the fact that she had been living peacefully on Sun Ind, Beach City was her home. It was her ancestors¡¯ origins from where she came from. Her friends and family were here, as were the bittersweet memories she would never forget. She felt a sense of belonging here. So she decided to return when the moment was perfect when she was powerful enough to defend those she cared about. The vehicle gradually slowed, and Leia¡¯s enthusiasm faded as she sat quietly in the passenger seat, growing inquisitive about Renee. ¡°Ren, tell me secretly, what are your ns now that you¡¯ve unexpectedly returned? Why are you keeping it such a secret that even Liam is unaware?¡± Renee¡¯s unexpected return to Beach City was only known to Leia. Renee even requested her to keep it a secret and not tell anyone, including Liam. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Renee said quietly, ¡°There¡¯s no n.¡± She clutched the steering wheel with one hand and supported her head with the other. ¡°I miss my home and want to go back. Besides, I want to restore the Everheart house so the two children will have a ce to live when they arrive.¡± When Leia heard this, her irises glowed, and she became enthralled all over again. ¡°Do you intend to bring them back to Beach City permanently?¡± Renee made no denials. ¡°If everything goes well,¡± she said, raising her brows. ¡°Everything will be great!¡± ¡°It would be great if you coulde back here. We can go out whenever we want.You have no idea how lonely I¡¯ve been these few years you¡¯ve been gone. I don¡¯t have a buddy to hang out with. Those who approach me with the goal of bing my friends will never be able to contend with you.¡± Renee felt bad for Leia and encouraged her like she was encouraging her own daughter, Abby. ¡°I know thest few years have been difficult for you. When I return, you won¡¯t be alone, and we¡¯ll be the best pair ever!¡± ¡°How soon before you¡¯ll be back? Are you sure you¡¯re not going to lie to me again?¡± For the past few years, Leia had been praying like crazy for Renee¡¯s return. Every time when they were on call, Renee¡¯s answer would always be, ¡®Just wait for a while; the time isn¡¯t perfect yet.¡¯ And so she waited¡­ for four years. ¡°For four years, you lied to me. I witnessed Aiden and Abby¡¯s development from small infants torge kids. They progressed from speaking nonsense to beingpletely capable of arguing with me. Despite this, I never saw them. How could you treat me this way? ¡°Haha. It¡¯spletely my fault!¡± Renee then stated solemnly, ¡°This time, I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll put my faith in you one more time.¡± Leia eximed proudly. ¡°However, I must remind you that if you do bring the children here, you must keep them well hidden.¡± Leia became concerned. ¡°Your ex-husband is not a nice person. He failed to have a kid with Briar for a few years. I believe he would want to steal your children, particrly Aiden, who appears exactly like him.¡± Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Chapter 374 ¡°Steal my children?¡± Renee¡¯s icy eyes grew furious, and she sneered. ¡¯I like to see if he¡¯s capable.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°I have faith in you, Ren. After all, Azure Group has grown quickly under your supervision. This time, however, your opponent is none other than Stefan himself. People are afraid of him because his methods are so evil. It will be tough if you actually fight with him.¡± Leia shook her head, concerned. Stefan wasn¡¯t easy to work with, and the Hunts were no less challenging. Renee, despite her strength, had to fight her battle alone. Even with the Osbornes¡¯ assistance, her prospects of victory were still slim. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay there and never return? Aiden is so cute that I would be devastated if he took him away!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Renee exuded assurance. ¡°Did you really think that I¡¯ve simply been enjoying life all these years on that ind?¡± she asked, a profound grin on her face. ¡°If Stefan tries to take my children away from me, it¡¯ll be me he¡¯ll be fighting with!¡± She scowled and stepped firmly on the elerator pedal as soon as she finished speaking. Being on the long, straight highway, the vehicle only sped up even more. However, amid the top-speed run, the vehicle suddenly slowed and came to a stop on the side of the road. ¡°What the heck is going on? I just bought this car, and it¡¯s broken?¡± Looking at the condition of her vehicle, Leia was devastated. She didn¡¯t know anything about automobiles, so she looked at the Ferrari, perplexed, not knowing what to do. ¡°I believe there is a problem with the engine. Sit inside calmly while I investigate.¡± Renee remainedposed throughout the ordeal. She fearlessly exited the vehicle afterforting Leia. Then she opened the car¡¯s hood, propped it up with the stand, and leaned down to inspect the engine. Her ck hair naturally hung free, and her curvaceous figure was visible. She had the appearance of a model and was extremely attractive. Thebination of beauty and exotic machine became a divine sight under the brilliant sun, drawing the attention of many onlookers. As the male drivers focused on her rather than the road, argemotion began to brew, causing several vehicles to collide with each other¡¯s back ends. ¡°Do you need assistance, beauty?¡± A guy with arge stomach got out of his BMW. His hair was slicked back, and he wore leather shoes. Renee pushed her bangs aside and ignored the guy, preupied with repairing the vehicle. ording to her observations, the engine must have heated beyond the capacity of the radiator, triggering an automated stop. It shouldn¡¯t be a huge deal, as long as the high temperature went down. ¡°Your car is broken. Don¡¯t spend your time attempting a repair. I¡¯ll give you a lift.¡± He spoke while cing his palm squarely on Renee¡¯s arm with the lewdest face. However, she merely red at him andmented, ¡°Take your hand off me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to turn down my generous offer. It¡¯s so hot right now that getting a cab will be difficult. You¡¯re going to get a sunburn. You won¡¯t look¡­¡± Renee pulled the man¡¯s arm and smashed the hood of the vehicle down on his hand without hesitation. ¡°Ah! My hand!¡± he shrieked in terror and pain as his palmy mped in the engine bay. Renee raised her long leg, her high heels firmly on the hood as she chuckled bitterly. ¡°So, do you still want to give me a ride?¡± ¡°No, no. I no longer want to. Please release me!¡± The guy was in so much agony that he was sweating profusely and crying out in desperation. Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Chapter 375 Renee finally let go of him and warned, ¡°Look in the mirror before trying to flirt with a girl. Get out of my way!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so cool, Ren!¡± Leia, who was sitting in the passenger seat, nced out the window as if watching a movie and said unsatisfactorily, ¡°You¡¯re still too kind. A disgusting guy like him most likely enjoys harassing innocuous females. You should just break it!¡± When the guy heard this, he almost peed his trousers and rushed away. Renee went back in the vehicle and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s enough to teach him a lesson. I have to keep it low-key so I don¡¯t reveal myself.¡± ¡°OK, we¡¯ll keep it low-key!¡± The racing car surged back to life and sped through the vehicles in the sun. What they didn¡¯t know was that someone had photographed the entire incident from earlier. The vehicle had halted a few hours earlier at Leia¡¯s private apartment in the city center. Leia had only recently purchased it, and no one knew about it, including Liam. ¡°You¡¯re wee to stay here in the meantime. It¡¯s safe and private. Even if you lived for ten to eight years, no one would know you were here.¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when she heard this and questioned,¡± You¡¯re being nonsense. So, even if someone attempts to kill me, I can just hide here, and they won¡¯t locate me?¡± ¡°I believe it is impossible for anyone to try to murder you given your abilities. Anyone who approaches you will only risk their own life!¡± ¡® Be honest. Do you have any secret ns to murder me?¡± Renee tickled Leia¡¯s underarm as she spoke. Leia was taken off guard and could only giggle as she was teased. Although both of them were growndies, they were as immature as three- year-olds when they were together. Renee had a notion while they were ying and quickly got up to unlock her phone. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Leiabed her unkempt hair and inquired. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for so long, but I haven¡¯t called my kids or Margaret yet. I¡¯ll do it right now.¡± Renee started a video call with Margaret as she spoke. ¡°Yay, I get to see Aiden and Abby again!¡± Leia was even more thrilled than Renee. Leaning all the way over the phone, it was as if she wished she could see inside the phone screen. The phone was answered. ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Aiden and Abigail huddled together in front of the phone, greeting Renee in their baby ent. ¡°Aiden, Abby, I arrived safely. How did you two behave? Do you miss me?¡± Renee looked at her two children on a screen, and their round and gentle features moved her heart. ¡® Mommy, I miss you,¡± Abigail said softly, blinking her gleaming eyes. ¡°Have you seen Auntie Leia? Did she miss me?¡± ¡°Of course, I miss you, Abby. Even in my fantasies, I want to squeeze that darling little face of yours,¡± Leia said to Abigail affectionately. Then, Renee observed that Aiden seemed mncholic. ¡°How about you, Aiden? Do you miss Auntie and me? Why are you so quiet? Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Little Adie acted like an adult, cupping his chin in his tiny hand and in a thinker pose. After that, he said seriously, ¡®Mommy, I¡¯ve been thinking about this. I don¡¯t like you and don¡¯t want you anymore, not even a little!¡± The little one was only four years old. However, he had well-developed facial features and looked just like a young version of Stefan. Renee held herughter and asked with the same seriousness, ¡°Really? So Adie doesn¡¯t like Mommy anymore. You don¡¯t want Mommy anymore. Will Aiden miss Mommy? Won¡¯t you miss me?¡± Adie fell silent. Feeling speechless, the little one furrowed his thick eyebrows and looked at her with helplessness in his dark eyes. ¡°Mommy, that¡¯s ame¡­ You¡¯re so childish and naughty. I can¡¯t protect you when you go to another city alone. What if someone hurts you? Do you know how worried I am?¡± Renee finally understood Adie¡¯s anger and felt her heart warm up. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be away for just a few days and be back soon. Don¡¯t worry. Adie, don¡¯t worry. Just be a good boy and wait for me with Abby!¡± Her children were two little angels that God had given her. Abby was a sweet girl. She had sweet looks and spoke sweetly. She always made her happy with her warm words. Adie was a little but mature boy who constantly swore to protect her. Although not talkative, he always spoke wisely. She often felt ashamed of herself whenever she heard how wise his words were. Moreover, he was the type who would do great things quietly. He was a man of action, just like his father! Leia said in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right. Little Adie, Don¡¯t worry about your Mommy. I¡¯m with her. No one will hurt her! I will protect her!¡± Adie acted like an adult and bristled, ¡°You¡¯re unreliable, Auntie Lei. You should take care of yourself first!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Leia was speechless for a moment, feeling lost for words. ¡°Hmph. Mommy is a liar. You promised to bring us wherever you go, but you sneaked away! I¡¯m angry! I won¡¯t talk to you until you return from the trip!¡± After saying that angrily, Adie pouted and ran out. ¡°Hey! Adie! Don¡¯t go! Mommy didn¡¯t mean to leave you behind. Listen¡­¡± Renee could tell that Adie was furious this time. He even shouted to the camera anxiously. Margaret consoled her, ¡°Miss Ren, don¡¯t worry about them and go about your business. The two little ones are in my care. I¡¯ll exin to them carefully. Adie is a smart child. He¡¯ll surely understand you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Mommy, I¡¯ll speak to him too. If he¡¯s still angry. I¡¯ll keep crying at him until he¡¯s not angry¡­¡± Abby said adorably and looked at Renee with her cute face. Renee was amused. ¡°Hahaha. We¡¯ll entrust you with this mission. After all, your brother feared nothing except your crying!¡± ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m amazing, right?¡± The little girl beamed up and pouted her pink and soft lips. ¡°Mommy Kiss! I miss you a lot. Dream about me tonight!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Good girl, Abby. Muack! I¡¯ll dream about you tonight!¡± The mother and daughter had a long chat. Finally, Renee reluctantly hung up the phone. Although she had only been away for less than a day, she was already missing her two little ones. Renee clenched her fist in silence and thought to herself, ¡°I must get this done quickly and reunite with the kids as soon as possible!¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Chapter 377 After washing up, Renee and Leiay on the bed in their pink pajamas and had a girl¡¯s talk. ¡°Renee! To be honest, I really envy you!¡± Leia leaned on Renee and sighed emotionally. ¡°Just look at you now. You¡¯re pretty and rich. You have two precious ones too. More importantly, you don¡¯t have an annoying husband! You¡¯re living a woman¡¯s dream! I¡¯m so envious. I¡¯m tempted to get a daughter and son artificially inseminated into me!¡¯ Reneeughed in amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive! It¡¯s not easy to raise a child. You can¡¯t undo your decision after giving birth. It¡¯ll be a nightmare until your child is three. You can¡¯t leave them. If they get sick, you¡¯ll feel tormented!¡± Renee and Margaret worked hard to raise Adie and Abby for the past four years. Looking back, Renee had a lot of painful moments she could not share. It was never easy to handle this kind of heartache. It was not something that could be resolved with more money or hiring more help. As a mother, her children were everything. It had been so from the moment she was pregnant with them. She always had moments of worry whenever her children were sick, naughty, or unhappy. Everything about them would affect her mood. ¡¯I remember when Adie was only three. He caught a sudden high fever at one in the morning and was shaking uncontrobly. Medicine didn¡¯t work on him at all. Margaret is highly skilled in medicine. She tried everything, but nothing worked!¡± ¡¯I was so worried that I thought I was going crazy. Atst, I knelt on the beach and looked at the dark sky like a fool, begging all night for God to save my child. My voice was hoarse, and my knees were swollen¡­¡± Renee¡¯s body trembled as she remembered that desperate night. Her eyes were red too. ¡® I didn¡¯t know. I thought they grew up so fast and became so cute.¡± Leia held Renee¡¯s arm tightly and said with pain, ¡°Renee, it must have been hard on you. Why didn¡¯t you tell us anything?!¡¯ Renee shrugged and said frankly, ¡°What is there to say? All mothers go through the same experience. Giving birth and raising a child is like a sacrifice. Don¡¯t get into it before you think about it carefully!¡± ¡°Do you regret it?¡± ¡°Regret what?¡± ¡°Regret having children, and¡­¡± Leia paused for a few beats and asked carefully, ¡°Do you regret not remarrying that scum-Stefan?¡¯ ¡°No, of course not!¡± With a determined look in her eyes, Renee went on, ¡°I was ready to suffer the moment I decided to keep them. My children are just like a sweet burden. They are my motivation to move forward. They are my only tether to this world. I¡¯m serious. If I didn¡¯t have them, I might have just ended my life and reunited with my family! ¡°As for Stefan¡­¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Renee sneered as if speaking about aplete stranger. She said in a light hearted manner, ¡°You¡¯re right. He¡¯s a scum. Divorcing him was the best choice I¡¯ve ever made! I would never regret it!¡± ¡°As expected of my dearest friend! You¡¯re so strong and my role model!¡± Leia gave Renee a thumbs-up and looked at her with admiration. ¡°Don¡¯t just talk about me. What about you? How¡¯s it going? Didn¡¯t you say you would introduce your new boyfriend to me?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m doing fine¡­¡± Leia covered her face shyly and said softly, ¡°I think I¡¯ve met true love this time!¡± It was Renee¡¯s first time seeing Leia being so serious. She was immediately curious. ¡°Quick! Tell me more!¡± And so, the two womeny in bed and talked about everything all night. It was almost the next morning before they drifted off to sleep. The next morning, Leia shouted after she turned on her cell phone. ¡°Renee, it¡¯s big news! You¡­ Come and see this!¡± Chapter 378 Chapter 378 Chapter 378 ¡® What¡¯s the matter?¡± Renee was still sleepy. She yawned drowsily and leaned against the bedzily. ¡°You¡¯re in the news! Hot news!¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Leia pounced on Renee with her phone and excitedly clicked on the hot video. It was a video of Renee on Marine Highway yesterday, bending over to fix her car and kicking the crap out of the creepy man. Renee looked stunning in the video, particrly with her beautiful face, pale skin, and long legs. Her fearless posture exuded sexiness with a formidable charm. Theizens went crazy over Renee and wouldn¡¯t stopmenting on the video. Renee¡¯s poprity was no less than some A-list celebrity. ¡¯Damn! She¡¯s like a Charlie¡¯s Angel. She¡¯s so sassy. I love her!¡± ¡°Female fighters should look at this. That¡¯s a heavy blow! That guy must be scared to death!¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m totally in love! Now I want to know all about her!¡± The video was reposted, edited, and made into several funny versions, which left Renee speechless. ¡°Hahaha! Theizens are so talented! They¡¯re calling you ¡®the fighting queen!¡¯ They even want to meet you at Beach City!¡± Leia was so amused by thements and read them out loud. Renee¡¯s face was recorded clearly in the video. Soon, someizens in thements section identified Renee. ¡°Renee, you wanted toy low, but you¡¯re already in the news. I don¡¯t think you can stay low-profile anymore!¡± Leia put her hand on her chest and looked worried for Renee. In the next second, she grabbed Renee¡¯s arm and said curiously, ¡°Say, you went missing and suddenly returned to Beach City. I wonder how that certain someone would react when he learns about this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about his reaction.¡± Renee¡¯s beautiful eyes were full of disdain. She sneered, ¡°If I can¡¯t keep a low profile, I¡¯ll just stay high profile!¡± ¡°Oh? But how?¡± Leia asked inquisitively. Renee lowered her eyes and gave it a thought. After that, she said, ¡¯If I remember correctly, Azure Group will beunching its new product the day after tomorrow. I¡¯ve been a low-profile boss for the past four years. It¡¯s time to introduce myself to the public!¡± Renee did not intend to reveal herself so early, but she also didn¡¯t expect her sudden rise in fame due to the hot video. Although it disrupted her original n, it did not matter. She would have to make this move sooner orter, not to mention that she just had a free ride to fame. Even if she spent money on marketing, she might not reach the same height in poprity. Undoubtedly, she would dly take the free poprity! Leia¡¯s phone rang suddenly. The phone just kept ringing. She knew it must be her brother Liam. ¡°Hello? Bro, you¡­¡± As Leia answered the phone, Liam¡¯s thunderous voice interrupted her, almost making her deaf. ¡°Leia, damn you! Renee is back in Beach City! Why didn¡¯t you tell me anything?! Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Chapter 379 The furious Liam nagged Leia nonstop andined on the phone.¡± How dare you! Who gave you the guts to do this? Tell me where you are right now if you don¡¯t want me to rain hell on you!¡± ¡¯I can¡¯t tell you, Liam. I promised Ren to keep her return a secret. Only God knows. No one else must know.¡¯ ¡°Leia! Cut the crap! Do you think I won¡¯t do anything to do you?¡± Liam gritted his teeth. ¡°She¡¯s in the hot news all morning. Everyone has been talking about it. Anybody online would know that Renee¡¯s back in Beach City!¡¯ Leia knew it was impossible to keep it a secret anymore and opened her hands helplessly. She told Renee, who was beside her, ¡°See, Renee. That¡¯s my brother¡¯s unusual attitude towards me. His true character is just like ate-stage bipr person. His gentle, patient, and nice persona in front of you is all a facade¡­¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Who are you talking to? Is Boss right next to you?¡± Liam instantly tensed up in extreme nervousness. His grumpy voice softened at once. Liam said softly, ¡°Boss? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? You suddenly returned to Beach City. What if you get hurt?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t n to stay long this time, so I didn¡¯t tell you,¡± Renee said. Then, she teased Liam, ¡®I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re so fierce. I thought you never got angry. You¡¯re Leia¡¯s brother. How can you bully your sister?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± Liam raised his voice and shouted anxiously. However, he immediately lowered his voice again after realizing he had lost his temper,¡± It¡¯s my nature to be gentle and mature, but Lei was too ignorant this time. I got anxious and¡­¡± ¡°Pfft. Hahaha!¡± Leia could not stand it anymore and burst outughing. ¡°Liam, can you behave normally? What¡¯s with your voice? It¡¯s too low. It¡¯s so abnormal. Can¡¯t you speak in your real voice?¡± Liam clenched his teeth and reminded Leia with a smile, ¡°Lei, you got too much allowance this month. I¡¯ll consider reducing it.¡± ¡°No, no, no. I¡¯m sorry! Bro, I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Leia immediately put up her hands in surrender. She exined to Renee,¡± Ren, don¡¯t get me wrong. My brother is indeed a mature, stable, and reliable man. He fits your criteria as a spouse perfectly. He¡¯s also the perfect daddy for Adie and Abby. So don¡¯t lose faith in him, or he¡¯ll kill me.¡± ¡°Haha, I know. I¡¯ve known him for years. I know his character!¡± Renee said to Liam on the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t change my opinion of you. You¡¯ve already scored a hundred points for me. Wait until I get all this mess sorted out. We¡¯ll get married when I settle into Beach City.¡± ¡°R-really?!¡± Happiness struck Liam so quickly like a bolt of lightning. He was so happy that he almost fainted, and his soft voice turned high-pitched. Liam just could not help it. He had been through a lot while chasing Renee all these years. It was his dream to marry Renee. He wanted to be her support, giving her a shoulder to lean on and be the father to her two babies. Renee rejected Liam¡¯s pursuit initially, but his persistence slowly impressed her. Soon, Renee requested Liam to be more mature and stable. She did not like how he constantly acted impulsively, just like a child. Renee even created a list of criteria for Liam. Some requirements would increase her points for him, and some would decrease them. With a lot of patience, sincerity, and heart, Liam got from zero to a hundred points! ¡°Yes!¡± Renee nodded, her eyes slightly red. ¡°Thanks for your support all these years. You trusted me and gave me your unconditional backing in everything. Adie, Abby, and I have long considered you as part of our family! ¡ö Renee and Liam¡¯s conversation on the phone was so heartwarming that anyone who listened to it would surely tear up. Leia, shedding tears, croaked emotionally, ¡°Liam, you¡¯re amazing¡­ You¡¯ve finally seeded in your pursuit of my best friend Renee!¡± Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Renee was unperturbed by her recent stint in the trending news. After washing up, Renee wore a ck dress and light makeup, ready to visit her parent¡¯s gravesite. Today was a special day. It was the ninth anniversary of her parent¡¯s death. ¡°Do you need mypany?¡± Leia asked thoughtfully. ¡°No. I can deal with this myself.¡± Renee was away from Beach City for four years. It was her first time back and the first time she¡¯d be paying her respect to herte parents. She had a lot to speak to them alone. She got into the same red Ferrari from yesterday and sped all the way to the cemetery. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. It was the height of summer in August, but the gravestones thaty silent among the lush grass in the cemetery were cold and quiet all year round. After parking her car, Renee put on her ck sunsses, then headed to her parents¡¯ graves with a white daisy bouquet in hand. However, despite arriving early, she was surprised to see that a fancy bouquet had already been left in front of the grave. The bouquet was the same as the one she had seen many years ago. She wondered if someone had been secretly visiting her parents all these years. ¡°Who could it be?¡± Renee silently guessed in her mind. Many years ago, a kind soul left an exquisite Amber pendant at her parent¡¯s grave. Stefan coincidentally had an identical pendant, so Renee suspected it must¡¯ve been him who paid respects to her parents back then. However, after thinking about it again, it didn¡¯t make sense. Stefan was such a cold man. He was so indifferent and did not care about her. How could he be so kind to pay respect to her parents, who had nothing to do with him? Besides, she and Stefan had divorced for so many years. They had lost touch and wereplete strangers. It was unlikely for him to pay his respects¡­ ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to think about it!¡± Renee shook her head and stopped her nonsensical thoughts. Renee¡¯s parents were good people, so Renee simply assumed that her parents had a friend who always missed them and thought of them. That friend probably sent them flowers yearly to pay respects. Renee put the white daisies next to the bouquet. Her eyes turned red as she looked at her parents¡¯ photo on the tombstones. ¡® Mom, Dad. Today is the anniversary of your death. Your daughter has traveled far, but she¡¯s finally returned to see you. ¡°Four years and another four years passed. My world has changed a lot¡­ Four years ago, I left the destructive marriage that hurt me. I also left the man who didn¡¯t cherish me, but I don¡¯t regret it. After all, my life now is much better¡­ great, in fact! ¡¯I¡¯m proud to say that your daughter hasn¡¯t disgraced you. I¡¯ve done well in my career. I believe it¡¯s only a matter of time before the Everheart family rises to the top again, back to its former glory. I¡¯m also very fortunate and blessed with two angels: My babies, Adie and Abby. Our lives will be fulfilling and sweet¡­ ¡°Be happy. You¡¯re grandparents now. The next time I return to Beach City, I¡¯ll bring the two little ones to meet you!¡± As Renee spoke, tears blurred her eyes. ¡°Mom, Dad. Please bless Adie, Abby, and me with good health and good fortune. I hope everything will be alright!¡± Somehow, her parents¡¯ smiles on the tombstone seemed to grow deeper. She wondered if her parents would be happy and proud of her if they were still alive. After paying her respects, Renee wiped her tears and put away her sadness. After easing her emotions, her cold, emotionless look returned, and she was prepared to leave. That was when a figure suddenly emerged. Chapter 381 Chapter 381 Chapter 381 ¡°Ren, it really is you! I finally see you again.¡± The man was none other than Renee¡¯s despicable uncle, Elon Barnes. ¡®You again?¡± Renee snorted. ¡°Leave me alone, you lowlife. Every time Ie to visit my parents, you¡¯re always here.¡± ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re right, Ren, I am a lowlife. But thank god, Ie here to wait for you every year and now I finally get to see you again¡­¡± Elon wiped away his tears and said, ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯ve been through all these years. I missed you so much!¡± Renee sneered, ¡°Missed me? More like you missed my money.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Elon rubbed his chin, feeling a bit awkward. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ve already finished the 7 million dors Stefan gave you four years ago?¡± ¡°Oh, those? They¡¯re long gone!¡± Elon waved his hand and said regretfully, ¡°I thought I¡¯d use that money to invest in the stock market and make even more money, but luck wasn¡¯t on my side¡­ I lost it all in thest two years. I¡¯ve lost everything.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, it¡¯s none of my business.¡± A mocking smile crept onto Renee¡¯s face. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be so naive to think that I would actually help you out, right?¡± She was not a saint. She still vividly remembered what Elon did to the Everheart family. She was already showing him mercy not settling the scores with him afterwards. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯m a new man now. I¡¯ve turned over a new leaf and I¡¯m now making an honest living. The reason Ie here to wait for you every year is because I care about our rtionship as a family. I hope we can let bygones be bygones and be a loving family again.¡± Elon¡¯s words were quite sincere. Four years could indeed change a lot of things. At least the Elon now was no longer the despicable lowlife that he once was. His changes impressed Renee. ¡°Oh, how are you making an honest living now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your husband¡¯s help!¡± Elon spoke of Stefan with unbridled admiration. ¡°Four years ago, I lost all my money, and I didn¡¯t know where you were. I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I shamelessly went to Mr. Hunt for help. Not only did he give me more money, he also gave me a job. I¡¯m now working as a workshop manager at a small processing factory under the H Group, earning tens of thousands of dors a year!¡± ¡°Stefan would do something like that?¡± Renee was surprised. ¡°Not only is he kind, he¡¯s also caring!¡± Elon continued, ¡°For the past few years, he¡¯s the first toe here to visit your parents¡¯ grave on their death anniversary. Look at this row of flower bouquets. Aren¡¯t they grand? They¡¯re from him. He would come here personally every year, rain or shine!¡± ¡°So¡­ it really is him!¡± Renee looked at the row of flowers with mixed feelings. Although she no longer had any feelings forthat man, she felt touched knowing that he actually had such a ¡°human¡± side to him. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. That means he was also the one who dropped the amber pendant. ¡°Ren, I¡¯m so happy to see you again. Allow me to treat you and Mr. Hunt to a meal to celebrate our reunion and to show my gratitude!¡± Without waiting for Renee¡¯s reply, Elon took out his phone and called Stefan. Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Chapter 382 ¡®You have Stefan Hunt¡¯s number? That¡¯s surprising.¡± Renee was indeed surprised. The Stefan she remembered was distant, indifferent, and unfriendly. He would not give others his phone number easily, nor would he arrange work for his friends and rtives. She did not expect him to take special care of his ex-wife¡¯s uncle! While waiting for the call to be picked up, Elon said with some pride, ¡°Well, we¡¯re family, and I¡¯m his elder after all. He would at the very least show me this much respect.¡± Unfortunately, reality soon hit Elon in the face. The phone rang for a long time without being picked up. He called again, but this time, it was instantly disconnected. Renee crossed her arms and couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°Yeah, I can definitely see how much respect he¡¯s showing you.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Elon awkwardly cleared his throat and exined, ¡°My nephew-inw is a CEO, so he¡¯s a busy man. I¡¯ll call him again in the afternoon. He usually answers. Even if he doesn¡¯t show me respect, he¡¯ll show you respect.¡± ¡°Elon, I¡¯ll remind you that Stefan and I have been divorced for many years. Stop calling him your nephew-inw. I don¡¯t want anyone to get the wrong idea. If you want to leech off him, I can¡¯t stop you, but don¡¯t drag me into this!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Renee¡¯s tone was very serious. ¡°I understand. I should have been more careful with my wording. It¡¯s my bad¡­¡± Elon pped his lips a few times and said humbly, ¡°But you must let me treat you and Mr. Hunt to a meal today. I¡¯ve been feeling guilty about how I treated you and your mother for years. I¡¯ve now turned over a new leaf. From now on, I¡¯ll be a good father, a good husband, and a good uncle. If I don¡¯t treat you to this meal, I won¡¯t be able to make peace with myself. Please allow me this for your mother¡¯s sake.¡± it n Renee looked Elon up and down without a word. She could see that her worthless, lowlife uncle had changed considerably. At least he was no longer wearing branded clothes even though he was poor. He was dressed in simple clothes now. Looking at his dusty appearance, he was probably working hard to support his family. Elon was her mother¡¯s only sibling. She had always treated him like a son and had hoped that he would one daye to his senses and carry the Barnes family g well. When tragedy befell the Everheart family, Elon had cut all ties with the Everheart family because he was afraid he would get dragged into their problems, but if he really had turned over a new leaf, Renee could still find it in her to forgive him. Seeing Renee remain silent for a long time, Elon cautiously asked, ¡°Ren, are you unwilling to have a meal with Mr. Hunt because you haven¡¯t gotten over him yet?¡± Renee smiled coldly. ¡¯Do I look like I haven¡¯t gotten over him yet?¡± ¡®You do, actually!¡± Elon analyzed her situation as an experienced man, ¡°The matter between men and women is actually not a big deal. If you¡¯ve gotten over it, you wouldn¡¯t care. You¡¯d only act awkwardly if you haven¡¯t gotten over it¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t dare to see him. That means you haven¡¯t gotten over him¡­ In that case, why don¡¯t I help you out a bit? I feel like Mr. Hunt hasn¡¯t gotten over you either.¡± Elon¡¯s words made a lot of sense, and Renee could not immediately find the argument to refute them. She suddenly felt like she was being too childish, so she shrugged casually and said, ¡°Fine, it¡¯s just a meal. I don¡¯t really care.¡± It was only a matter of time before they met anyway. Why not do it openly? She could also use this chance to return the amber pendant to him. ¡°Great! Your aunt and your cousin Mandy will definitely be ecstatic to see you again¡­ Especially Mandy. You¡¯re her idol! She talks about you every day. She nags at me to find you so much that my ears are getting calluses.¡± ¡°Mandy should be 18 years old this year, right? ¡®That¡¯s right. She turned 18 a few days ago. Her birthday wish was to see you again soon. Who knew it woulde true so quickly!¡± Renee nodded. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go. I really want to see Auntie and Mandy again.¡± Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Mandy Barnes was Elon¡¯s only daughter. When she was a little girl, she followed Renee everywhere. She was very fond of Renee. Unfortunately, when Elon turned on the Everheart family, he forbade Mandy to keep in touch with Renee, or the two of them would have been even closer. Elon¡¯s house was located in an ordinarymunity in the Eastern Third Ring District, It was a house of about 80 square meters that had three bedrooms and a living room. It was an ordinary house, but it was very cozy. When Renee entered the house, her aunt, Hannah Johnson, was cleaning some vegetables in the kitchen, while her cousin, Mandy, was singing in her room. ¡°Guys, look who¡¯s here!¡± Elon shouted with a booming voice and a smile on his face. The mother and daughter came to the living room. When they saw Renee, their eyes almost popped out in surprise. ¡°Ren! It really is you! I¡¯ve wanted to see you for so long! This is awesome!¡± Mandy gave Renee a big hug and said excitedly, ¡¯Ren, we haven¡¯t seen each other for about seven years. Where have you been? Dad goes to the cemetery every year, hoping to see you there. He said, no matter where you were, you would return to visit your parents¡¯ graves one day. And he¡¯s right!¡± Renee smiled. ¡°You¡¯re all grown up now, Mandy. Thest time I saw you, you were still a little girl!¡± Mandy was eighteen years old this year. She was filled with youthful vitality. ¡°Auntie Hannah, long time no see.¡± Renee greeted Hannah politely. ¡°Indeed!¡± Hannah was a homely housewife. She wiped her hands on her apron, somewhat embarrassed, and said, ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Make yourself at home, Renee. Hannah, today is a special day. Please prepare some good wine and good food. Renee¡¯s not our only guest today. Mr. Hunt will also beingter!¡± Elon urged Hannah back to the kitchen to cook. ¡°What? Mr. Hunt ising too? But¡­ but¡­¡± Hannah was so nervous that she stuttered. To them, Stefan Hunt was like a god living in the clouds, too high forthem to reach. She would never have expected this god to descend to the mortal realm to visit their humble abode. ¡°But what? No matter what, Mr. Hunt is Ren¡¯s ex-husband who has taken care of us for many years. Isn¡¯t it normal for him toe for a meal? Hurry up and go prepare the food. Make sure the meal¡¯s not too shabby or it would be embarrassing.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go right now.¡± Hannah marched into the kitchen like she was about to face a formidable enemy.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Mandy asked, ¡® Dad, are you sure Mr. Hunt woulde? He¡¯s a CEO while you¡¯re just a nobody to him. Why would hee to your house?¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Elon red at Mandy and said, ¡°Even if Mr. Hunt wouldn¡¯te here for me, he woulde for your beloved cousin. Renee has suddenly returned after disappearing for four years. Of course he would come see her.¡± Mandy nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Although Mr. Hunt is cold, he does take special care of our family. If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have made it into the BC Arts Academy. I¡¯m sure he hasn¡¯t gotten over Ren yet!¡± The two father and daughter began to seriously discuss how much Stefan couldn¡¯t get over Renee. Their conversation made Renee speechless. She did not chime in. Time was the best medicine. It had already been four years. The bridge that connected them had long burned away. There was nothing one could not forget in four years. Elon took out his phone and said, ¡®Til call Mr. Hunt again. We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± This time, the phone rang only a few times before it was picked up. A man¡¯s deep, cold voice came from the other end, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Chapter 384 The voice that Renee had not heard for four years was still as cold and distant as she remembered it to be. Renee listened quietly, with a calm expression and no inner turmoil. ¡°Umm, M-Mr. Hunt, sorry to bother you¡­¡± Elon did not expect Stefan to pick up this fast, so he got nervous and stammered incoherently, ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­ My niece, Renee, just got back to Beach City today. It¡¯s a real surprise to see her again after she disappeared for so many years. You¡¯ve taken good care of me in thest few years, so I want to invite you to my house for a meal together with Renee. You¡­¡± ¡®There¡¯s no need.¡± Stefan, on the other end of the phone, refused without any hesitation or emotion. After that, without saying anything else, he hung up the phone. ¡°But Mr. Hunt¡­ Mr. Hunt?¡± Elon called out to him a few more times but the only response he got was the sound of a disconnected call. He tried calling again, but it seemed like Stefan had blocked him. ¡°Ren, don¡¯t mind it¡­ Mr. Hunt must be busy. He¡¯s a CEO after all. I¡¯ll try again with Mandy¡¯s phone later.¡± Elon nced at Renee with a guilty and awkward expression, afraid that Renee might feel hurt. He did not expect Stefan, who had always taken good care of the Barnes family, to suddenly be so unfriendly. It was obvious that he was avoiding Renee. Renee must feel really bad about it! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Renee shrugged and smiled. ¡°If hees, we¡¯ll prepare a seat for him. If he doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll eat more. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± Renee was not ying it cool. Stefan was just a stranger she used to know now. He could not stir any emotion in her. Mandy¡¯s brows furrowed as a disappointed expression crept onto her face. She shook her head repeatedly. ¡°TskTsk Tsk, I was wrong about him. He should man up. He doesn¡¯t even have the guts to have a simple meal with Ren, when Ren is okay with it.¡± Elon said, ¡°You brat, what do you know? I stand by my opinion. If you¡¯ve gotten over it, you wouldn¡¯t care. You¡¯d only act awkwardly if you haven¡¯t gotten over it. Mr. Hunt has always been a straightforward guy. For him to suddenly act like this, it must be because he hasn¡¯t gotten over Ren, so he¡¯s not ready to meet her yet. I¡¯ll ask him again sometime!¡± Renee chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. Isn¡¯t it normal for a high- and-mighty CEO like him to refuse to eat with us ordinary folks? Besides¡­ our rtionship is so awkward. It¡¯s understandable that he would want to avoid me to avoid any misunderstanding with his current partner.¡± ¡®That¡¯s true!¡± Mandy rubbed her chin and nodded, ¡°In recent years, he has been in a stable rtionship with that Desrosiers woman. Reporters often catch them out on a date or on a vacation. I think he must have forgotten about you by now.¡± ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like that¡­¡± Elon held a different opinion. ¡°I¡¯m a man so I know men. If a man has really gotten over a woman, he wouldn¡¯t take care of the woman¡¯s family. Mr. Hunt has taken good care of us all these years and he visits your parents¡¯ graves every year. He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s gotten over you.¡± ¡®Then why refuse to even share a meal with Ren? Why find a new girlfriend? Doesn¡¯t that make him a scumbag?¡± Mandy suddenly became enthusiastic. She grabbed Elon¡¯s hand and said,¡± Dad, wanna bet? I bet Mr. Hunt already got over Ren¡­¡± ¡°No, no, I already quit gambling!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If you win, I¡¯ll do the dishes for a whole year!¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. In that case, I bet Mr. Hunt has NOT gotten over Ren. If you don¡¯t believe me, just wait and see¡­¡± The father and daughter argued heatedly and even made a bet. Renee did not know whether tough or cry. She quietly withdrew from the battlefield and walked around the house. Elon¡¯s house was not luxurious. It was a simple house but very cozy. Being in the house somehow made her feel warm and rxed. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. On the piano rack in the study, there was a family portrait. Elon¡¯s family of three, Renee¡¯s family of three, and her dead grandparents were all in it. Renee stopped in front of the portrait and stared at it for a long time. Her eyes gradually turned red. She was in her teens in the photo. Her parents were young and beautiful. That was the happiest time in her life. Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Now, she had been through storms and hell, and was riddled with wounds and scars. There was no way to go back to those innocent, carefree days now¡­ Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ren, look at you and auntie back then. You¡¯re both so beautiful that you glowed. You lookpletely different from us, as if your genes have mutated.¡± Mandy hade in at some point. She sighed looking at the family portrait. ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re beautiful too. As expected of a girl from our Barnes family.¡± Renee turned around and held Mandy¡¯s face, that still had some baby fat, in her hands while praising Mandy from the bottom of her heart. Mandy¡¯s facial features were not stunning, but they were very soft and lovely, and they drew people in. It was a face that would do very well in the entertainment industry because it would be popr with the general public. She was blessed! ¡°Hehe, I agree with that. I¡¯m beautiful too. Let me tell you a secret, Ren. I¡¯m actually an influencer that has over two million fans online. My ID on TikTok is Cutie Pie. Let me show you!¡± While saying that, Mandy opened the TikTok app and proudly showed it to Renee. The young woman was not bragging. She really did have over 2.2 million fans! ¡®That¡¯s amazing!¡± She gave Mandy a thumbs up, then told her seriously, ¡® But you should still prioritize your studies. The BC Arts Academy is a good school. You must study hard after you enroll, alright?¡± ¡°I know. The BC Arts Academy only epted me because of Mr. Hunt. I¡¯ll work hard so that I don¡¯t embarrass you and Mr. Hunt!¡± Mandy patted her chest and promised earnestly. Then, she asked cautiously, ¡¯Ren, are you feeling sad or disappointed right now?¡± Renee looked puzzled. ¡¯Why would I be?¡± ¡®You used to love Mr. Hunt so much, but now that you¡¯re finally back after being gone for four years, he wouldn¡¯t even have a meal with you. That¡¯s so heartless. Anyone would feel sad about that.¡± ¡®You said it yourself, I used to. Now, I¡¯ve nearly even forgotten what he looks like. I honestly don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that¡­¡± Mandy suddenly had a bold idea. She whispered in Renee¡¯s ear. Renee¡¯s expression was awkward. ¡°Is that¡­ really okay?¡± ¡°Of course it is!¡± Mandy sped her hands together and begged Renee, ¡°Please, Ren, help me out this one time. If we seed, I¡¯ll be grateful to you forever!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Renee could only reluctantly agree. The headquarters of H Group. Employees all across thepany went crazy watching Renee¡¯s viral video on their phones. ¡°Aaaah, isn¡¯t that the CEO¡¯s wife who vanished without a trace? She¡¯s back!¡± ¡°Oh my god, Mrs. Hunt is so cool!¡± ¡°Is there still hope? Could the ancient ship that I stan being back to life?¡± Elijah was also one of the many people who were gossiping about it. He rushed into the CEO¡¯s office holding his phone, looking extremely excited. ¡°Mr. Hunt, this is huge! Have you seen the trending topic on Twitter?! Hurry up and take a look!¡± Chapter 386 Chapter 386 Chapter 386 ¡°I¡¯ve seen it.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Stefan was working at his desk. He replied calmly without lifting his eyes. Four years had left no trace on his perfectly handsome face, except it was maybe even colder now. ¡®You¡­ you¡¯ve seen it?¡± Elijah found it hard to believe. He boldly said, ¡°No way. If you¡¯ve seen it, there¡¯s no way this is how you react.¡± The trending topic was about Renee Everheart, the woman who had disappeared for four years and the woman Mr. Hunt could not stop thinking about for four years. This was his reaction?! Stefan finally raised his head. He slowly put the lid back on his pen and twirled it with his long fingers. ¡°How should I have reacted?¡± ¡°If you had seen the trending topic, you would have gone to meet up with Miss Everheart already. At the very least, you should be so excited that you would be freaking out¡­ There¡¯s no way you would remain this calm!¡± Elijah was emotional and puzzled. ¡°What does she have to do with me? Why must I meet up with her just because she¡¯s returned to Beach City?¡± Stefan¡¯s questions struck Elijah dumb. ¡®Well¡­¡± Stefan snorted. ¡°Do I look like I haven¡¯t gotten over her?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ you do!¡± At the risk of being thrown out, Elijah murmured, ¡°Although you try to act like you¡¯re fine, and you¡¯re doing a good job of that, you secretly stare at her picture every night. You also get crazy whenever you¡¯re drunk and would bawl your eyes out while grabbing onto me. Don¡¯t you remember that justst month, you¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened. He coldly interrupted Elijah. ¡°She¡¯s not that important to me. She¡¯s just a passerby in my life. It doesn¡¯t concern me where she is, and I have no intention of meeting with her. Don¡¯t mention her in front of me ever again!¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°If you have so much free time, I don¡¯t mind giving you more work. If that¡¯s all, then get out!¡± Stefan suddenly got mad and Elijah could feel an even bigger storming, so he did not dare say anything else. He quickly withdrew from the CEO¡¯s office. Outside, a group of executives were pacing back and forth, waiting to feed on thetest gossip. ¡°So? Did Mr. Hunt get emotional? Did he cry?¡± ¡®When will they meet? Will their love rekindle?¡± Elijah did not say anything. He merely shrugged and looked helpless. It could not be helped. Their CEO was very hard to read. No one could tell what he was thinking! After Stefan shooed Elijah away, just as he was about to go back to his work, his phone rang. Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ The first person to call was Xavier. His shouting almost shattered Stefan¡¯s eardrum. ¡°Stefan, look at today¡¯s trending topic! It¡¯s your little darling wife! After disappearing for four years, she¡¯s transformed into a bombshell! Her face, her figure, her aura¡­ No man can withstand her charm! When will you¡­¡± Stefan hung up with a snap before Xavier could finish talking. Immediately afterwards, Christopher called. ¡°Stef, Miss Everheard is back. Are you okay?¡± Stefan said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Do you want to go grab a drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you are. After all, thest few years, you¡¯ve¡­¡± ¡°I need to take care of something. Talk to youter.¡± Stefan quickly ended the conversation. Chapter 387 Chapter 387 Chapter 387 He was scared to continue the conversation. With how understanding Christopher was being, he felt like he would get depressed and burst into tears any moment! Calls came one after another, but Stefan did not pick up his phone again. Instead, he turned it off to get some quiet. Stefan took off his rimless sses and leaned against his expensive office chair, looking up at the white ceiling. He suddenly felt a little tired. He rubbed the space between his eyebrows with his long fingers. The tall bridge of his nose made his face appear even more handsome, more defined, and more profound. Over thest four years, he had disguised himself as an ice-cold machine, going through his daily routine like clockwork. His life was filled with work and more work ¨C no joys, no sorrows, no¡­ life. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Outsiders may think he was unhappy, but he actually enjoyed the feeling ¨C the feeling of being in control of everything. ¡®But¡­ damn you, Renee Everheart. Why have you suddenlye back after disappearing without a word for four years?¡¯ Besides, what did it have to do with him? Why would everybody think that just because she came back, he would go look for her like a loyal dog? No, he would not do that, thank you very much! Stefan took a deep breath and tried to not let a certain ¡°unimportant¡± person affect his mood. He turned on theputer expressionlessly and went back to his work. Recently, the H Group was about to release a new generation of smartphone called the ME2350. For the first time ever, this phone would adopt the G6 high-speed chip independently developed by the KCL Group. It was a futuristic innovation in the entire electronic technology industry. Presently, this phone was still in the testing stage, and once testing was sessful, it would be put into mass production. Stefan and many of H Group¡¯s shareholders believe that, as long as the ME2350 entered the market sessfully, the H Group would dominate the smartphone industry for the next ten years at least! The H Group had been preparing for this project for almost four years. They had invested arge amount of manpower and material resources. They could not tolerate any mistakes. *Knock, knock* Stefan was immersed in the business document when he heard a knock at the door. ¡°Come in!¡± He said coldly without looking up. It was Elijah again. ¡°Hahaha, Mr. Hunt, it¡¯s me again¡­¡± At the risk of being demoted, Elijah cautiously said, ¡°There¡¯s a tiny piece of information that I think I should share with you, but I don¡¯t know if you need me to.¡± Stefan¡¯s face was cold and stern. ¡°Get to the point!¡± ¡°Well, if you¡¯re free, I suggest you open the TikTok app and search for an influencer called ¡°Cutie Pie¡±. There¡¯s a surprise waiting for you.¡± Elijah told him passionately, trying to pique his curiosity. ¡°Cutie Pie?¡± Stefan wanted to ignore Elijah at first, but what Elijah said made him interested. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll give it to you straight. Miss Everheart is live streaming on this ount right now. She¡¯s unbelievably popr. And she¡¯s really different now. She¡¯s even more beautiful and sexier than she was four years ago. Who knows how many men are drooling over her right now!¡± Live stream?! Renee Everheart?! Stefan had so many questions but he still looked calm and indifferent on the outside. ¡¯What does that have to do with me? I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just informing you. It¡¯s fine if you¡¯re not interested. Anyway, the number of viewers is over ten million, so one fewer wouldn¡¯t make any difference¡­ Alright, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m gonna go support my goddess now.¡± Elijah quickly slipped away. Stefan could no longer calm down and focus on his work. He hesitated, but in the end, he still couldn¡¯t resist. He unlocked his phone and quickly downloaded the TikTok app¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s see what the hell that woman is up to!¡± Chapter 388 Chapter 388 Chapter 388 It did not take long for Stefan to find Mandy¡¯s ount on TikTok. Renee¡¯s beautiful and delicate face popped up on the small phone screen. The screen may be small, but the power of its destruction was immeasurable, like an atomic bomb. Stefan froze. His deep, wolf-like eyes locked onto the screen and his grip on the phone involuntarily tightened. ¡°Good evening, my babies! Wee to Cutie Pie¡¯s live stream! As you all know, the popr dating show ¡°Heart Signal¡± is currently looking for non celebrity guests. I secretly signed up for it. The organizer¡¯s condition is, whoever receives the most donation tonight will be eligible to participate in the program. Therefore, I hope you guys can support me, Cutie Pie, and help me debut in the entertainment industry!¡± Wearing a pink dress and a cat ears headband, Mandy made all kinds of cute moves towards the camera and worked hard to get donations. The dating show ¡°Heart Signal¡± was very poprtely. Anyone who could show their face on it would be able to make the step up from an influencer to a celebrity. Mandy had always wanted to enter the entertainment industry, so she naturally cherished this opportunity. She even dragged Renee onto her channel to help her gain poprity. ¡°Let me introduce tonight¡¯s special guest. She¡¯s the sexy goddess who dominated the trending topic today, known as the ¡°Male Killer¡±. She¡¯s none other than my cousin, Renee!¡± Mandy yfully shook her hands and passionately introduced Renee to the audience. ¡°Hi guys! I¡¯m your new friend, Ren. Please support my cousin, Cutie Pie! Love you guys!¡± Renee endured the embarrassment and posed like a proper girl streamer the way Mandy had discussed with her beforehand. Her eyes curled as she smiled. She made a ¡°heart¡± gesture with her hands. That almost made her throw up. It was definitely the most pretentious thing she had ever done in her life! But the effect was surprisingly good. Chat and donation messages filled up the screen. ¡°Aaah, my goddess, I love you!¡± ¡°As expected of a goddess, she can be cool, she can be sweet, and she can be cute too. I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°Step on me, goddess!¡± ¡°Goddess, please have my baby!¡± Mandy¡¯s eyes widened. Her face lit up with the various bright colors that scrolled past the phone screen. The donation messages never stopped. One could imagine how much donation she was getting. ¡®Thank you for the 1500 Bits donation!¡± ¡®Thank you for the 5000 Bits donation!¡± ¡®Thank you for the 10000 Bits donation!¡± More and more viewers tuned in to the live stream. The number of viewers gradually increased from 10 million to 30 million. It was a spectacle Mandy had never seen before. It made her voice tremble with nerves. After all, even when she streamed during peak hours, her viewership number never exceeded 100,000 before! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Seeing that she had seeded in attracting viewers to the channel, Renee stepped aside and handed over the limelight to Mandy. But as soon as she did, the viewership number dropped, and the frequency of donation dropped too. That made Mandy anxious. She quickly said to the screen, ¡°Oh, my babies, don¡¯t leave. Everybody stay calm. Renee just left to get a ss of water. She¡¯ll be back with a surpriseter!¡± Her words did retain some of the viewers, but a lot of them still left. ¡°Let me ask you guys a question. What do you guys think of my cousin? She has a different side to what you saw in the viral video, right? Do you prefer the cool and sexy Renee or the sweet and gentle Renee?¡± The question sparked a discussion among the viewers. Lots of people left messages in the chat. ¡°I like both. I love everything about the goddess. Even if I see her pick her nose, I would love the way she picks her nose!¡± Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Chapter 389 ¡°The goddess is pretty no matter what she does. Bring her back!¡± ¡°Goddesses should only exist in paradise, yet one has appeared in our mortal realm. I love her so much.¡± Amidst the enthusiastic praises, a disharmonious message suddenly appeared. ¡°Pretentious woman.¡± Like a stone thrown into a calmke, the message immediately sparked a thousand ripples. People in the chatshed out at the sender. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stream, then? Let¡¯s see how unpretentious you are.¡± ¡°Are you blind? You call that pretentious? She¡¯s all natural!¡± ¡°The message was sent anonymously. The sender must be a lewd man who covets the goddess. Get out of the stream!¡± ¡°Kick the lewd man off the stream! Kick the lewd man off the stream!¡± When Mandy saw the chat arguing, she quickly tried to calm everyone down. ¡°Stop arguing, everyone. Also, can the viewer called Anon12538 please stop it with the baseless usation? My cousin Renee is a very sincere person. How is she pretentious?¡± Unfortunately, the viewer with the anonymous ID of Anonl2538 was a brave soul. Despite the public bacsh, he kept typing: ¡°She¡¯s clearly pretentious!¡± Renee, who was watching from the side, immediately noticed this Anonl 2538 who bravely went against the flow. Mandy was a bit anxious because the contest was heading down the home stretch now. It was now the final half an hour. Although she had rocketed up the ranking thanks to Renee¡¯s appearance earlier, she was only in 3rd ce right now, just a hair off 1st ce, because her fan base was not as big as the really famous influencers who had tens of millions of fans. So, with a determined heart, she dragged Renee back onto the stream. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My babies, since you all like my cousin so much, I¡¯ll give you guys a special present. The person who pushes me to the top of the ranking will get the chance to have dinner with Renee. This is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity! Don¡¯t miss it!¡± As soon as she said that, the chat went crazy. The donations starteding in in a frenzy again. Renee did not expect Mandy to do that, but she could understand why Mandy did it. Young people were allpetitive. If a meal could help Mandy participate in the dating show, Renee did not mind. ¡°Do you want to have dinner with me? If you do, work hard!¡± Renee raised her fists and said cutely. Since she was already helping Mandy anyway, she decided to go all the way. It was like adding fuel to fire. The chat went crazy! However, amidst the boiling-hot atmosphere, Anonl 2358 struck again:¡± Shameless.¡± ¡°Anonl2358, if you don¡¯t like it, just leave the stream, or I¡¯ll ban you. Renee has lots of supporters, so one fewer wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡± Mandy was also Renee¡¯s diehard fan, so she could not tolerate any negativement about her. She was about toy down the banhammer but suddenly, she froze. Anon12358, who everyone in the chat called a lewd man, had just made a donation worth 150,000 dors, sending Mandy straight to the top of the ranking. ¡°Th-Thank you Anonl 2358 for the donation. Thank you, daddy!¡± Mandy gulped hard. She felt her knees go weak. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Other people in the chat were shocked by Anon12358 too. Messages popped up one after another. ¡°Oh my god, this guy is a real whale. I didn¡¯t expect that.¡± ¡°He¡¯s spending so much money just to chase after some girl¡­¡± ¡°Could this guy be the CEO who¡¯s trying to coax his wife?¡± Renee stared at the top donor¡¯s profile picture. She became even more curious about the identity behind the anonymous ID. They thought the matter hade to an end. Mandy, filled with excitement, said loudly to the camera, ¡°The contest will end in five minutes. Thank you to the top donor for helping me get on the dating show. I¡¯ll keep my promise. I¡¯ll prepare a romantic candlelight dinner for you and Renee¡­¡± But suddenly, another mysterious person started donating like crazy too. With 160,000 dors worth of donation, he sessfully wrestled the top donor spot away from Anon12358. Everyone became really excited. The number of viewers kept climbing until it reached 50 million. ¡°W-Wow¡­ thank you ¡°Shadow¡± for the donation. The top donor has changed, which means that the person who will be having candlelight dinner with Renee has changed as well.¡± Mandy stuttered. Her knees, which had just recovered, started to go weak again. Were there really that many rich people these days? They spent so much money without batting an eye. It was a behavior beyond her understanding. Of course Anon12358 would not give up so easily. He immediately added 10,000 dors to his donation,peting for the top donor spot with Shadow. And thus, the top donor spot changed hands multiple times during thest five minutes, going back and forth between those two people. Thepetition was so intense that everyone who was watching found it hard to breathe. They counted down in the chat: ¡°5,4, 3, 2,1¡±. In the end, Anon12358 snatched back the position of top donor with a total donation of nearly 4 million dors! ¡°Thank you, Anonl 2358. Thank you so much. I can see that you really like my cousin. I hope to see you tomorrow evening!¡± Mandy put her hands together and thanked the audience incessantly, almost going down to her knees. Renee was also touched. She looked into the camera and said, ¡°Whoever you are, I¡¯ll be waiting for you tomorrow evening¡­ *muah*¡± She gave the camera a charming smile and even blew a kiss. She was as seductive as a subus. On the other end, Stefan, a.k.a. Anonl2358 who just spent 4 million dors to be the top donor, was very calm. His cold face was devoid of expression as always. He had a vague feeling that he had been tricked by that woman again, and the M.O. even felt a bit familiar. ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan wanted to p himself. He did not know why he would lose control of his heart and his hand like that. Of course, he did not p himself. Instead, he did something a bit childish ¨C he hit the image of Renee on the phone screen. Well, he was going to, but at that very moment, Renee blew a kiss, so Stefan¡¯s long fingers froze in mid air, and the gloom in his eyes turned into gentleness. He caressed Renee¡¯s fair, delicate face on the screen like he was caressing a kitten while whispering, ¡°Renee¡­ you¡¯ve finallye back!¡± Suddenly, the door of his office was pushed open. ¡°Stop, Mr. Stuart! You can¡¯t go in without Mr. Hunt¡¯s permission!¡± Stefan¡¯s secretary spread her arms and pretended to block Xavier¡¯s way. In truth, everyone in thepany, including her, wanted Xavier to go in and so that they could see what their proud CEO was doing fast update After all, all of them watched the exciting live stream just now. A lot of them guessed that the top donor who donated 4 million dors must be Stefan! Stefan did not expect someone to barge in. He guiltily turned off his phone. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. If anyone found out that he was the idiot who spent 4 million dors just to make a woman happy, it would be extremely embarrassing. Chapter 391 Chapter 391 ¡°Bro, did you watch your wife¡¯s stream just now?¡± Xavier rushed up to Stefan with an excited look on his face and immediately asked, ¡°Tell me honestly, are you the stupid top donor who fell for their trick?¡± Stefan appeared disinterested. While flipping through the documents in his hand, he said expressionlessly, ¡°What stream?¡± ¡°Stop pretending. There¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t know about something that big. Moreover¡­ it¡¯s your wife¡¯s live stream! There¡¯s no way you would miss it!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± What he meant was: Shut the hell up! Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Xavier knew Stefan would not admit it. After all, the guy had always been proud. Therefore, he snatched the phone that Stefan had ced aside before Stefan could react. ¡®Your phone is turned off. That¡¯s even more suspicious. I have to check it!¡± Xavier tried to turn on the phone. ¡°Give it back!¡± Stefan lifted his eyes and gave Xavier a death stare. Xavier gulped and immediately changed his mind. He obediently put the phone back in ce and said, ¡°Bro, so what if you watched it? You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed about it. It¡¯s nothing embarrassing.¡± ¡®You know what¡¯s embarrassing, though? When you turned half the world upside down to find your wife, but not only did you fail to find her, you even got tricked by her. Now that¡¯s¡­ pfft hahaha¡­ now that¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± Xavier originally intended to talk to Stefan earnestly. But when he recalled what happened four years ago, he could not help bursting out intoughter. Stefan had rushed to a certain ind to find Renee, but not only did he fail to find her, he even got tricked by her. He had to beg over a hundred ind inhabitants before he managed to escape. What¡¯s worse, the video of what he said to the ind inhabitants was posted on the H Group¡¯s official twitter ount for five whole minutes! Talk about public humiliation! Since then, Xavier and Christopher had beenughing regrly at Stefan about the video for their personal amusement. Four years had passed now, so it was not as funny anymore. But now that Renee had suddenly returned, it became funny again. Xavier could not hold back hisughter. He held his stomach andughed for five minutes! ¡°Do you want to die? I don¡¯t mind helping you.¡± Stefan could not stand it anymore. He put down the documents and cracked his knuckles. ¡°Spare me, your highness!¡± Xavier took a deep breath and tried to stopughing. ¡®This nonsense is what you came to talk about?¡± Stefan asked impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense. I¡¯m sincerely telling you to go find your darling wife and make up with her. If you don¡¯t hurry¡­ As you saw for yourself tonight, lots of wolves have their eyes on her. Don¡¯t let her slip away from your grasp again.¡± Xavier advised earnestly. Stefan said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± ¡°Bro, why are you so stubborn? You¡¯re obviously not over her. Who are you trying to fool?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over between us. If there¡¯s even a sliver of possibility left, I would have looked for her long ago. I wouldn¡¯t have waited until now.¡± Stefan said with a serious expression. He knew very well that over meant over. Getting hung up on it would not be wise. ¡°Are you sure it wasn¡¯t because you weren¡¯t able to find her?¡± Xavier¡¯s mockery was met with Stefan¡¯s death re. He immediately changed the topic. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re well and truly over her, I won¡¯t hold back anymore¡­ To be honest, the third highest donor today is none other than yours truly!¡± Stefan reflexively asked, ¡°If you¡¯re the third highest donor, then who¡¯s the second highest?¡± Chapter 392 Chapter 392 Chapter 392 ¡°Uhh¡­ how would I know?¡¯ But Xavier quicklytched on to the key point and asked with a strange smile, ¡°Bro, why are you only curious about who the second highest donor is and not the highest? Aren¡¯t you exposing yourself?¡± Based on normal logic, people would normally be curious about the first ce. Who would care about the second ce?! Stefan knew he could not deny it anymore, so he pursed his lips and said nothing. His cold, handsome face clearly read ¡°Don¡¯t push it¡±. Unfortunately, Xavier was a guy who had no fear. He continued teasing Stefan. ¡°Bro, like theizens said, you sure are willing to spend to make a woman happy. 4 million dors for a dinner. That must be a Guinness World Record. You¡¯re¡­ going tomorrow evening, right?¡± Stefan did not answer Xavier¡¯s question, but instead mocked him back, ¡°In terms of spending money on women, how can Ipare to you? In recent years¡­ in order to make your girl famous, you must have spent more than 40 million dors. You¡¯re the true whale here.¡± Xavier¡¯s expression immediately changed. He looked away as he tried to deny it. ¡®What are you talking about? There¡¯s nothing going on between Shirley and I. We¡¯re purely a boss and an employee. I spend money on her because I think she has potential and can bring value to Universal Entertainment.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Stefan smiled and mocked, ¡°If she has so much potential, why isn¡¯t she famous yet after four years of heavy investment? Does her value lie in losing money for Universal Entertainment?¡± Xavier waspletely defeated, but he kept arguing while awkwardly rubbing his nose, ¡°Well¡­ these things take time. We¡¯re gonna produce a few more movies for her. She works really hard, so she¡¯ll definitely make it big one day!¡± ¡°A celebrity doesn¡¯t be famous just by working hard. Sometimes, it¡¯s just not in their destiny.¡± Stefan raised his eyebrows, a hint of yfulness creeping into his perfectly contoured facial features. ¡°For example, a certain someone¡­ vanished for four years, but the moment she returned, she exploded in poprity. You can¡¯t achieve this with money.¡± Xavier pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. ¡°Alright, I get it, your darling wife is soooo amazing. I thought you said you didn¡¯t care? Why do you look so proud of her?¡± Stefan frowned and asked, ¡°Do I look proud?¡± Xavier nodded heavily, ¡°Yeah. Very proud.¡± Stefan realized that Xavier was right. He immediately put on a serious face and asked solemnly, ¡°Were you serious when you said that you¡¯re gonna make a move on her?¡± Seeing that he finally got some reaction from Stefan, Xavier quickly said, ¡¯ Of course I was serious. You can¡¯t touch your bro¡¯s woman, but if she¡¯s not your woman anymore, then I¡¯m not breaking the code. It would be a pity if she ended up with someone else.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Stefan nodded and said expressionlessly, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll make a move on Shirley too. There were sparks between us a long time ago¡­ Honestly, I like my odds.¡± Xavier almost coughed up blood. He quickly said, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t mess around. I was just kidding. You win, okay?¡± He originally wanted to provoke Stefan so that the arrogant guy could be honest with his own feelings, but Stefan was too clever for him. Now that Stefan had a hold on him, he could only give up. Stefan chuckled and said, ¡°So you¡¯re gonna settle down for real now and stop fooling around with other girls?¡± ¡°Nah, no way.¡± Xavier looked nonchnt. ¡°Shirley¡¯s not my type at all. You know I don¡¯t like thin, bony girls like her. How could she possibly make me settle down? I just¡­ care for her like a normal boss caring for an employee. Have you ever seen a shark that stays put for a single fish? Besides, she doesn¡¯t even count as a fish in my pond.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stefan raised his phone and said, ¡°I recorded everything you said just now. Should I send the recording to her?¡± ¡°No!¡± Xavier went after Stefan¡¯s phone with an extremely serious expression. Although he was not interested in Shirley White, she was his employee and a starthat Universal Entertainment had invested heavily in for several years. He could not let Shirley suffer psychological trauma! Chapter 393 Chapter 393 The two grown men fought over the phone like kids. After going at it for a while, Stefan said, "Stop meddling in my affair with that woman from now on, and this recording won''t get to Shirley." "Fine, you win. I won''t gossip or meddle in your affair anymore." Xavier was well and truly defeated this time. "Good boy!" Stefan nodded with satisfaction. Sure enough, when push came to shove, he had to use a lethal weapon like Shirley to keep the annoying and gossipy Xavier in check! Xavier fled after he was defeated, but before he left, he tried asking onest time, "You¡¯ll go to the dinner tomorrow, right?¡± Seeing Stefan unlock his phone and act like he was going to send the recording, Xavier quickly gave up. "Never mind. Forget I even asked." At the same time, he thought to himself, ''Keep pretending, Stefan. You''re gonna regret it!'' Mandy was still in disbelief after turning off the stream. She checked her ount''s ie with her mouth wide open the whole time. ¡°Oh my god, even after the website takes a cut, we''ll still earn millions... It''s true what they say. Even a pig could make money if it''s standing at the right ce at the right time.¡± Renee could not help butugh. "You silly girl, who are you calling a pig?"All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Me, me. I''m the pig. You''re in the right ce and the right time. From now on, I''m gonna hold on to you and never let go. You''re gonna be my cash cow. Till death do us part!¡± Mandy hugged Renee and kissed her non-stop. ¡°Alright, alright, that''s enough. I''ve got your saliva all over my face...¡± Renee sighed after she finally broke free. "I didn''t actually expect that kind of reception. If I had known I could make so much money with just my face, I wouldn''t have wasted thest few years of my life on research and development.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean, Ren? Have you been doing research and development in thest few years? What were you researching? You''re amazing!¡± ¡°I''m not that amazing. Well, except for having a slightly higher IQ than the average person.¡± Renee gave her a smug smile, then said mysteriously, "As for what I''ve been researching, you''ll know soon enough.¡± Mandy asked again, "Thanks to you, I''m able to get a spot on the dating show. I promised to prepare a candlelight dinner for you and the top donor. Do you mind doing it?¡± Renee shrugged and said with a hint of interest, "I''m curious to see what the guy looks like.¡± ¡°Then let''s make it the Red House Restaurant. I''ll send him an invitation.¡± Mandy opened the Tiktok app and sent a private message to Anon12358. [Anon12358, the goddess will be waiting for you tomorrow evening at 8 o''clock at the Red House Restaurant. See you there!] He only replied after a long time. After reading his message, the two girls became incredibly mad! ¡°Is he an idiot?¡± Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Chapter 394 Anon12358¡¯s reply was: ¡®Til go if I feel like it.¡± They did not know what he looked like, but from just the reply, they could imagine his smug, cocky face. Mandy clicked on Anon12358¡¯s personal information page. It waspletely empty. ¡®This guy seems to be using a newly registered ount. His profile picture is the default one and there¡¯s nothing in his personal information page. But the first thing he did was spend 4 million dors¡­ He obviously came for you, Ren.¡± She boldly spected, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s Mr. Hunt.¡± Looking at the default profile picture, Renee¡¯s red lips curled up into a faint smile. ¡®Maybe. We¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡± If she really wanted to know, she could investigate his IP address any time, but she did not do that. She was curious if he would go to the dinner tomorrow. Late that night, Renee returned to Leia Osborne¡¯s apartment. To her surprise, Liam was there too. ¡®There you are, Boss. If you hade back anyter, I would have called the police.¡± Liam had been worried sick the whole night. He heaved a sigh of relief the moment he saw Renee. Leia said, ¡°I told you, you¡¯re getting worried over nothing. How could anyone hurt her? She¡¯s the one who would do the hurting. Did you see tonight¡¯s stream? Our baby¡¯s beauty reached a new height. In just over two hours, she harvested money from countless men. How did you even do it? You should publish a book to teach other people.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡®Yeah, yeah, whatever. Aren¡¯t you guys tired?¡± Renee stretched. She was a bit tired. ¡°We couldn¡¯t sleep since you hadn¡¯te back, but now that you¡¯re back, don¡¯t sleep just yet. Let¡¯s have a little chat¡­¡± Leia¡¯s big bright eyes shone with the desire to gossip. She grabbed Renee¡¯s arm and asked, ¡¯Is he the top donor?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not gonna investigate?¡± Leia tried to get to the bottom of things. Renee spread her hands and said, ¡°Nope. The only thing that matters is I got the money.¡± Then, she turned to Liam. He was strangely quiet. ¡®Why is Master Osborne so quiet today? You¡¯re not the top donor, are you? Renee joked with a smile on her face. She used to call him just ¡°Liam¡± before, which was what everyone called him. But over the past four years, thanks to Liam¡¯s relentless efforts, they had be much closer, so she would sometimes jokingly call him ¡°Master Osborne¡± now. ¡°It¡¯s not me.¡± Liamzily propped up his head. His once carefree face was now filled with sorrow. ¡°As you know, in thest two years, the Osborne family has poured everything into the Azure Group. I don¡¯t have the financial liberty to spend 4 million dors on something like that¡­ Even if I want to spend 100,000 dors nowadays, I have to apply with the finance department.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I know how hard life has been for Master Osborne for the past two years. In order to support my career, you¡¯ve even run out of funds to fool around with girls. Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t lose¡­ I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± Renee walked over to Liam andforted him while ruffling his soft, thick hair, like she was coaxing a child. Liam struck while the iron was hot. ¡°That¡¯s right. All the girls know I¡¯m broke now, so they all ignore me. I have nothing now, Boss. You have to take responsibility for me!¡± ¡°No problem. After we deal with everything, we¡¯ll get married. I¡¯ll take care of you!¡± Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Renee looked like she was joking, but she was actually serious. Without the full and unconditional support of the Osborne family for the past four years, she would not have achieved sess so quickly and would not have been able to return with so much confidence. She was not afraid of anyone now. The only thing she feared was disappointing Liam! ¡®That¡¯s more like it.¡± Liam had been drowning in jealousy the whole night. Now, his handsome face finally brightened, like the blue sky after the rain. Ah, he used to have such a good life. Because he was cunning and clever, he was given the title of ¡¯ Beach City¡¯s Little Demon King¡±. Even the most cocky people in Beach City had to steer clear of him so that they wouldn¡¯t get bitten. But now, he had be Renee¡¯s obedient little brother. He lived an honest life, worked hard, stopped picking up women, stopped bullying the weak, and even helped olddies cross the road when he had nothing better to do. He was as upright as a model elementary school student! Renee suddenly got curious. ¡®If you¡¯re not the top donor, then you must be the second highest donor, right? After all, this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve used this kind of trick to scam someone.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She and Liam once used the same trick on Stefan in a charity dinner. Liam shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m broke. Even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t.¡± ¡®That¡¯s weird. Who could it be?¡± Renee exhaled and cleared her mind. She could not be bothered thinking about it anymore. She just assumed her boundless charm had attracted a lot of rich fans. After a shower, she went back to her room. It should be afternoon on Sun Ind right now. Renee video-called Margaret. ¡°Miss Ren, are you okay? I think I saw you on the trending topics. Did that scumbag bother you?¡± Although Margaret was getting up there in age, she surfed the inte a lot so she knew that Renee had be famous. She was worried that Stefan might bother Renee. ¡°I¡¯m doing well. That guy hasn¡¯t made any moves so far. He¡¯s probably forgotten about me.¡± ¡®Thank goodness.¡± Margaret said through gritted teeth, ¡°I hope that scumbag won¡¯t ever bother you or your children. The most ideal oue is for both of you to forget each other¡± Renee was expressionless. She made noment on that. She asked Margaret, ¡°What are Adie and Abby doing?¡± ¡°Oh, I was just about to tell you¡­¡± Margaret was taking care of both children by herself. The two kids were so clever that she could not deal with them at all. ¡°Adie was really upset after you left. He said he¡¯s going to do experiments behind closed doors like you, and no one could disturb him. He¡¯ll onlye out when you get back¡­¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡±He¡¯s a curious boy. He¡¯s always liked to y around with all sorts of things ever since he was little. As expected of my son. He¡¯ll grow up to be a schr.¡± ¡°What about Abby? Is she angry with me?¡± ¡± Abby actually took it much better. She¡¯s not angry with you, she just mentions you hundreds of times every day. She made a little toy phone so that she could talk to you regrly.¡± ¡°Margaret, please call them over. I¡¯d like to chat with them.¡± Renee missed her kids so badly. She could not wait to talk to them. ¡°Sure, Miss Ren. Give me a second¡­¡± Margaret loudly called out to Adie and Abby. Abby quickly ran over, but Adie was nowhere to be seen¡­ Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Chapter 396 Renee felt her exhaustion vanish the moment she saw her daughter. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside. ¡°How are you today, Mommy? Abby missed you so much.¡± Abby was a sweet girl. Her eyes were like grapes, big and round. She was holding a homemade phone in her hand. She aimed one end of the phone at the screen and ced the other end at her ear. ¡¯¡¯Mommy, if you have any secrets, you can tell Abby. Margaret won¡¯t hear it.¡± Her innocence and cuteness made Renee smile. Renee yed along and whispered, ¡°Did you behave today? Did you wet your pants?¡± Abby¡¯s face, which was as red as an apple, turned even redder as she blushed. ¡°You¡¯re so bad, Mommy. I don¡¯t wet my pants anymore. Only big bro does now!¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s right. Mommy forgot. You don¡¯t wet your pants anymore. You just like to dawdle in bed.¡± ¡°Mommy,e home. If youe home, I won¡¯t dawdle in bed anymore. Both big bro and I miss you so much.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Abby¡¯s puppy eyes drooped as she said pitifully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything¡¯s going well over here. Mommy will be back soon.¡± Renee promised her daughter. They kept chatting for a while longer, but Renee still did not see Adie, so she asked Abby, ¡°Where¡¯s your brother? Doesn¡¯t he miss Mommy? Why hasn¡¯t hee over to talk to Mommy?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Abby blinked and said, Big bro is still upset with you. He said he won¡¯t talk to you until youe home!¡± ¡°It¡¯s that serious? Can you ask him toe over, please?¡± ¡°No!¡± Abby shook her head. She still remembered her promise to Adie. ¡°Big bro said he¡¯s doing an experiment like you. He said he¡¯s gonna make something big to show you, so we can¡¯t disturb him¡­ He made this phone for me. He¡¯s amazing!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Renee shook her head helplessly. In this aspect, Adie was just like her. He¡¯s good at various things and liked to experiment with this and that. Moreover, whenever he went into hisboratory, he would stay there for several days. He had the potential to be a good researcher. She naturally found it hard to stop him from doing his things. ¡°Never mind, then. Can you tell himter that Mommy misses him very much and ask him to stop being angry at Mommy?¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll persuade him.¡± They soon ended the call. Renee fell asleep peacefully. The next morning. Renee got up early. Her n today was to inspect the Everheart Residence and sign a contract with a designpany to begin the rebuild of the Everheart Residence. Leia refused to let her go alone, so she went with her. They took the big red Ferrari. Leia bought some nice-looking pastries. She took a bite herself, then fed Renee a bite. The two of them naturally attracted a lot of attention. Leia had been holding onto a certain question the whole night. She finally could not hold it in anymore and asked Renee, ¡® Renee, were you serious when you said you¡¯ll marry my brother?¡± ¡°Of course. You can¡¯t joke about these things.¡± Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Chapter 397 ¡°But I don¡¯t think you like my brother, do you? He¡¯s always been your underling. No boss marries their underling.¡± ¡°Marriage is less about liking someone and more about whether the person is suitable.¡± Renee smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°Take me, for example. You know how much I loved a certain man in the past? And how did that work out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to be close with someone, especially men. Liam has been by my side all these years ¨C helping me, supporting me, warming my heart. He makes me feel at ease. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone in this world more suitable for me than him.¡± ¡®The reason you would think he¡¯s suitable for you is because he suppresses his own nature to appeal to you¡­ no, that¡¯s not entirely right.¡± Leia frowned as she searched for the right words. ¡°It¡¯s like he¡¯s hiding his sharp edges to cater to you. In truth, my brother is extremely cocky. He has lots of ideas, lots of ambition and he¡¯s very capable. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be notoriously known as the ¡°Little Demon King¡± in Beach City. He¡¯s not the cute little obedient puppy that he appears to be in front of you.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I know.¡± Renee said, ¡°After all, your family earns money through the gray industries. Without some degree of ability and courage, how could you possibly keep the people in those industries in check? As the child Mr. Osborne values the most, Liam will take over the Osborne family one day. Of course he¡¯s not a cute little obedient puppy.¡± ¡°If you know that, then don¡¯t joke with him¡­¡± Leia was rarely this serious. She earnestly pleaded with Renee, ¡°My brother¡¯s feelings for you are sincere. He might look carefree and heartless, like nothing could bother him¡­ but he¡¯s actually very loyal. When he falls in love, he falls in love for life. If you¡¯re not sure that he¡¯s the one for you, don¡¯t give him hope. I¡¯m worried that he might spend the rest of his life trying to forget you.¡± Although Liam and her were always fighting, they were born together, so they knew each other very well. No one knew better than Leia how much Liam loved Renee. And no one could say for sure whether Renee had really gotten over Stefan. If Renee got involved with Stefan again, then her brother would get hurt! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what you¡¯re worried about. The things you¡¯re worried about won¡¯te true.¡± Renee was very clear about what choices she should make. Her voice was firm. ¡°Maybe Liam is not my Mr. Right, but he¡¯s definitely the man I¡¯m willing to spend the rest of my life with. Our rtionship has already transcended a normal rtionship between a man and a woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hearthat. Maybe I¡¯m overthinking it.¡± Leia nodded. Although she had received assurances from Renee, deep down in her heart, she still did not have high hopes for them. She could not help feeling like something would go wrong somewhere. They soon arrived at the Everheart Residence. There were always stories about the ce being haunted, and it even burned down some time ago, so all the inhabitants nearby had moved away. The area had be a wastnd overgrown with weeds. From a distance, the house looked gloomy and deste. It was still cordoned off. ¡°Look what happened to the house I grew up in!¡± Renee frowned looking at the destion before her. This ce carried the joyful memories of three generations of Everhearts. It had a very special significance to her. Seeing one¡¯s home in ruin was like seeing the most precious thing in one¡¯s heart being tainted. It was painful. ¡°Yeah. After the big fire, this ce has be a forbidden area for Beach City¡¯s inhabitants. It¡¯s been abandoned for a long time and should be quite difficult to rebuild. You¡¯re better off just buying a new house¡­¡± Leia sighed with a regretful look on her face. To think that this ce used to be known as a wealthy area. You really couldn¡¯t predict what would happen in life!fast update ¡®There can be many houses, but there¡¯s only one home. I¡¯ll definitely rebuild the Everheart Residence, no matter how difficult it is.¡± Besides dealing with some matters rted to the Azure Group, the main focus of Renee¡¯s trip back to Beach City was to rebuild the Everheart Residence. They pulled the cordon up, wanting to go in to take a look. Suddenly, someone ran over and yelled at them. ¡°Who are you people? You can¡¯t trespass on private property!¡± Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Chapter 398 ¡°Private property?¡¯ Renee red at the man with a frown. The man was wearing a security guard uniform. He should be a staff member responsible for guarding this area. ¡°What are you talking about? This is my friend¡¯s house. How could it be your private property?¡± Leia, who was notorious for her violent temper, yelled at the security guard, ¡°We¡¯re going in right now. Get out of the way!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who owns this house, thisnd has been included within the scope of expropriation, which makes it a private property. Our boss said that no one can enter without his permission.¡± The security guard straightened up and replied fiercely. ¡°Hey, do you understand humannguage? Do you want me to beat you up?¡± Leia rolled up her sleeves, looking like she was about to fight with the security guard. She was not that good at fighting, but she knew Renee was. With Renee by her side, she was afraid of no one! ¡®You can beat me up, but even if you kill me today, I can¡¯t let you in. This is my job. If you keep causing trouble, I¡¯ll call for backup.¡± The security guard took out a walkie-talkie and said into it, ¡°Headquarters,e in. Someone¡¯s causing trouble. Please send backup immediately. Over.¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop being unreasonable! I told you, this house belongs to my friend! How can you chase her away from her own house? This is preposterous!¡± Leia could not stand it anymore. She walked up to the guard angrily. She was going to hit him for real. Renee was much calmer. She stopped Leia and spoke politely to the security guard. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m the owner of this vi. I¡¯ve been away for several years. Can you tell me exactly what happened?¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re the homeowner that our boss couldn¡¯t reach¡­¡± The security guard¡¯s expression softened a little. ¡°Like I told you, this piece ofnd has been expropriated for the construction of a garbage treatment nt. Construction is nned to start at the end of this month. You came back just in time. You¡¯re the only homeowner who hasn¡¯t signed the expropriation agreement. Please sign it when you have the time.¡± Renee¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. She asked, ¡°This is a high- end residential area. Why would a garbage treatment nt suddenly be built here? Who made the decision?¡± ¡®The higher ups, of course. The garbage treatment nt is a municipal engineering project, designed based on reasonable city nning andyout¡­ This area used to be a residential area, but everybody has moved out in recent years. The direction of the city¡¯s development n for the next 10 years is ¡°expanding to the north and the west¡±, so thend here will no longer increase in value. That¡¯s why a garbage treatment nt will be built here.¡± The security guard spoke confidently. Although he was only amon folk, he had the chance to hear about things like national affairs and urban nning, so he knew more than the average person. Leia had heard enough. She said angrily, ¡°If I understand correctly, you¡¯re saying that you guys are gonna demolish the house my friend grew up in that contains countless precious memories, then build a garbage treatment nt on top of it.¡± ¡®Yup, that¡¯s right.¡± The security guard nodded and said, ¡°This area is now closed to the public. No one can go in without permission. If you really are the homeowner, you better sign the expropriation agreement before it¡¯s too late. That way, you can at least get somepensation.¡± ¡®What if I refuse?¡± Renee asked coldly. ¡®Then we would have no choice but to treat your house as an illegal building and demolish it by force.¡± The security guard spread his hands, indicating that there was nothing he could do about it. After all, the power of the Municipal nning Department would always be greater than the power of homeowners. ¡°I see.¡± Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Renee nodded and said, ¡°I won¡¯t be going in today.¡± Leia was incredulous. She gripped Renee and said, ¡°You¡¯re gonna leave just like that? This house has a special meaning to you. It¡¯s gonna be turned into a garbage treatment nt! Don¡¯t you find it insulting? How can you stand it?¡± Renee took a deep breath and answered with a serious expression, ¡°Of course I can¡¯t stand it, but there¡¯s no point arguing with a security guard. He¡¯s just doing his job.¡± ¡®Then what are you gonna do?¡± ¡°Find the mastermind behind the scenes who¡¯s targeting this piece ofnd and make him give up.¡± ¡®The mastermind behind the scenes?¡± Leia was puzzled. ¡¯Didn¡¯t the security guard say it¡¯s an order from the Municipal nning Department? Then it¡¯s a government project. What mastermind behind the scenes are you talking about?¡± ¡°It may look like a government project on the surface, but it¡¯s definitely driven by a business organization. So, to solve this problem, we must deal with the business organization behind the scenes.¡± Renee gave Leia a meaningful look. She had a bad feeling about this. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Her instinct told her this mastermind behind the scenes would not be easy to deal with, and they¡¯re specifically targeting her! Renee and Leia returned to the apartment. Leia then went out on a date with her new boyfriend, so Renee was left alone at home. She took out herputer and keyed in relevant information about the area where the Everheart Residence was located. She started a thorough investigation. The area was included in the Municipal nning Department¡¯s expropriation scope six months ago. That was because a lot of incidents happened in the area, such as the suicide of Renee¡¯s parents, the houses being haunted, and a fire. After the Everheart Residence was burned down, the couple who set fire to the house both hanged themselves in front of the Everheart Residence. It was the couple whose daughter mysteriously died in the club ran by Xavier, and who lost the court case afterward due to Zack Rosenwell¡¯s help. Therefore, there were a lot of horror stories about the ce. Those living nearby had all moved away, leaving the area abandoned for many years. Half a year ago, the municipal government announced the n to build arge garbage treatment nt in the city. They gathered public opinion on where it should be built and this area obtained the highest number of votes, so it was expropriated. On the surface, everything seemed reasonable. If Renee did not agree to the expropriation, she would be going against the people¡¯s will. In the end, not only would she fail to keep the Everheart Residence, she would also receive a lot of criticism. But in reality, everything was driven by money. The mastermind behind everything was Rubio Pascal from the Pascal family. The Pascal family was one of the eight major families of Beach City. The family was very secretive, so outsiders had no idea how powerful they were exactly. They had only heard rumors that Rubio Pascal was a pervert. He was a man in his forties. Every month, he would seek out young women and use them to replenish his youth so that he would stay young and healthy. Renee did not understand. There were no grudges between her and this Pascal guy. They had not even crossed paths before. Why would hee up with this borate n to mess with her? However, no matter who it was and what their purpose was, she would not allow anyone to touch the Everheart Residence! Renee easily found Rubio Pascal¡¯s private phone number and was about to have a good chat with him when her cousin, Mandy, suddenly called her, sounding very excited. ¡°Ren, why aren¡¯t you here yet? The top donor is already here. Oh my god, he¡¯s so handsome that I¡¯m getting a nosebleed. Get over here!¡± Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Chapter 400 ¡°Really?¡± Renee¡¯s interest was piqued. When she investigated Rubio Pascal just now, she also checked the physical location of the top donor¡¯s IP address in passing. The location was in the H Group. It was obvious who was behind the ount. Renee did not expect Stefan, who was usually so proud and arrogant, to simp so hard in order to meet her. Itpletely shattered his ruthless and cold persona. She could not wait tough at him. ¡®Tell him to wait for a while. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Renee got up, turned off theputer, took a long,fortable stretch, and went to the Red House Restaurant. ¡°Ren, over here!¡± Mandy was at the restaurant entrance, waving at Renee from afar. She managed to achieve financial freedom from one single live stream, so she decided to splurge this time and booked the entire Red House Restaurant for an evening. It could not have been cheap because it was one of the top restaurants in Beach City. Renee parked her car and got out. Today, her curly hair was casually moved to one side and pinned down by a delicate diamond hairpin. She wore a Klein blue chiffon top paired with a pair of white wide leg pants and a pair of silver high heels. She looked tall and confident, exuding endless charm. ¡°Wow, Ren, you look so beautiful today. I thought I¡¯m seeing a Victoria¡¯s Secret model! You¡¯re such an eye-candy!¡± Mandy did not even dare get close to Renee due to the powerful aura Renee was exuding. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Haha, you brat, you¡¯re such a smooth talker.¡± Renee grabbed Mandy¡¯s arm and asked, ¡°How long has Stefan Hunt been here? Do you think there¡¯s any conspiracy behind his actions?¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt?¡± Mandy looked puzzled and shook her head, saying, ¡°The person who came is not Mr. Hunt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not him?¡± ¡®Yup, it¡¯s not him. It¡¯s a guy who¡¯s every bit as handsome as Mr. Hunt, and he¡¯s a lot more approachable. However¡­ he feels a bit wild and unruly, so he doesn¡¯t feel very reliable.¡± Mandy gave her serious evaluation. At her age, she had no resistance to good-looking guys. Among the handsome guys who caught her eye so far, Stefan was ranked first, and he had always been first. That had never changed. That was, until she saw the handsome guy today. She started to waver. However, Mandy remained rational. She rubbed her chin and carefully analyzed, ¡°I think this guy would make a fun boyfriend, but if we¡¯re talking about marriage, Mr. Hunt is much more reliable!¡± ¡¯If you put as much effort into studying as you do analyzing men, your father would be ecstatic.¡± Books Chapters Are Daily Updated Join & Stay Updated For All Books Updates¡­ Renee chuckled and pinched Mandy¡¯s chubby face. After finding out that the person who came was not Stefan, her mood was not affected much, but she was even more curious who it was. The reason why the Red House Restaurant was famous was because it was located at the highest point of Beach City, at the top of the 336 TV Tower. One had to ride in an elevator for 15 minutes to reach the restaurant that was 520 meters above the ground. Due to its height of 520 meters, it was also known as the ¡°Tower of True Love¡±. ording to legends, only a man and a woman who truly loved each other and understood each other would run into each other here. The two girls stepped into the panoramic elevator that had a 360 degree transparent ss design. They could get a nice view of the entire city from the elevator. ¡°Ren, do you know that this ce is called the Tower of True Love? If you miss someone really, really badly, you¡¯ll definitely run into them here. Isn¡¯t it romantic?¡± Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Mandy leaned against the elevator wall and said dreamily while taking in the bustling and gorgeous nighttime scenery. Renee naturally did not believe in these legends that were meant to fool children. She said with a smile, ¡°So if I miss a founding father really, really badly, would I encounter an elevator filled with cash?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Renee. You¡¯re not romantic at all. If you don¡¯t look forward to a sweet encounter, how would you meet your true love?¡± ¡°Let me teach you a life lesson as an older woman, Mandy. To live a good life, true love wouldn¡¯t help much. Money is way more important. Something like true love will only be a weapon for others to hurt you with.¡± Renee told Mandy seriously. She did not look like she was joking at all. Although these words sounded too cruel for an 18 year old girl who had just started to develop romantic feelings, the earlier she understood this fact, the less she would get hurt. Mandy shook her head and said, ¡°Ren, I don¡¯t agree with what you said. True love is a good medicine for curing pain. Why would it cause pain? You¡¯re just scared of love now because you were hurt by it once. You look brave and carefree, but you¡¯re actually timid and cowardly because you dare not love again.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Renee was speechless. ¡®Do all the kids nowadays mature this early?¡¯ she thought. The elevator finally reached the top floor. The restaurant was decorated elegantly with fresh flowers everywhere. A person was ying the violin. The atmosphere was beautiful and romantic. ¡°Ren, the top donor is waiting for you. This candlelight dinner is for the two of you, so I won¡¯t stay to be the third wheel. I¡¯m going home.¡± After saying that, Mandy took the elevator down and left the restaurant. ¡°Wee, our only female guest for the evening. This way, please.¡± The waiter bowed 90 degrees and led Renee into the restaurant. The man standing in front of the French window had a tall, straight figure. He was dressed in an elegant ck casual suit that had good cutting,plementing his excellent figure nicely. His regal temperament gave him the air of a king that came out of a medieval castle. Anyone would be captivated by his height and his aura. No wonder Mandy nearly fell for him. Renee subconsciously quickened her pace. She walked over to stand behind the man and said, ¡¯Hi.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. The man slowly turned around. His perfect, handsome face could only be described as a masterpiece of nature. There was currently a mischievous grin on it. ¡°Long time no see, my goddess.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Renee almost fell down. In those short few steps, she had made countless guesses about the man¡¯s identity ¨C she had even guessed that he might be Xavier ¨C but she would never have guessed that it was him! ¡®Why do I feel like you look a bit disappointed, Bonnie?¡± Haze chuckled and joked calmly. For four years, he had tried every method possible to trace Renee¡¯s whereabouts, but his efforts were in vain. He kept decrypting the protection she set up, and she kept using more sophisticated techniques to set up a new protection. It was like a game of cat and mouse. Every attack made his blood boil with excitement. So when he learned that Renee was back, he got really excited. He immediately got into a bidding war with Stefan during the live stream and ultimately scammed Stefan of 4 million dors while he himself reaped the benefits. ¡°Haze, what have you been through thest few years? You look so different now.¡± Renee was still in shock. That was because the Haze she remembered was an unruly and carefree person. He was always wearing a ck hat, a ck T-shirt, and a pair of ck pants¡­. But now, he was wearing a ck suit like a proper adult! No wonder she couldn¡¯t recognize him at first! Haze moved closer and closer to Renee. His deep eyes were passionate and emotional. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for four years, and that¡¯s the first thing you say to me? Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Chapter 402 ¡°Stop!¡± Renee reached out and ced her hands between them while saying with a weird smile, ¡°Not so close. Our rtionship is one of purely friendship, so we should maintain an appropriate distance from each other.¡± ¡°It¡¯s purely friendship to you, but not to me¡­¡± A mischievous smile crept onto Haze¡¯s handsome and unruly face. Not only did he not keep his distance, he even grabbed Renee¡¯s wrist and tried to pull her into his arms¡­ Of course, the consequences were dire! With dexterous movements, Renee counter-grappled his hand and easily held it behind his back. He might be nearly 1.9 meterstall, but she had him under total control. ¡®You little brat, how dare you try to tease me. Do you realize your mistake now?¡± Renee kept exerting more and more strength, wishing to teach Haze a lesson. Haze¡¯s arm was about to break. He gritted his teeth in pain but did not plead for mercy. Instead, he smiled happily. ¡°What mistake? Is it against thew to like you? You disappeared for four years, and I¡¯ve been thinking about you for four years. Is that a crime?¡± ¡®You¡­!¡± Renee¡¯s face instantly turned crimson. She could not believe Haze had be so flirtatious after four years. He was so good at pick-up lines now¡­ No, he was flirtatious too four years ago! Compared to Stefan who was cold and arrogant and had probably never uttered a single pick-up line in his life, Haze had always been direct and passionate! If he had 10 points of love for you, he would express his love with 100 points or even 1000 points of enthusiasm. On the other hand, if Stefan had 10 points of love for you, he would express his love with -10 points of enthusiasm. Men could be really different from one another. ¡°Looks like you don¡¯t want your arm anymore, Justin Baldwin. Fine, I¡¯ll grant you your wish and break it for you!¡± Renee did not want him to see that his flirting had an effect on her, so she could only ramp up the violence to teach him a lesson. Haze was in so much pain that his forehead was drenched in sweat, but he still maintained a mesmerizing smile on his face. ¡°Go ahead. If I lose my arm, I¡¯ll stick to you forever.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Upon hearing that, Renee immediately let go of him and said, ¡°You¡¯re so oily. You¡¯re oilier than an oilfield. You win.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Haze waved his arm about and found that it had dislocated a little bit. He kept shaking his head and sighing. ¡°Tsk Tsk, f*ck my life. Why did I fall in love with a female warrior? Looks like I have to sign up for some self defense sses so that I canst longer.¡± Renee was speechless and did not respond. She looked around at their romantic surroundings, pulled out a chair at a table by the window, and sat down. Haze elegantly sat down across from her. The waiter brought roses, steak, and wine, as well as a blue me fireworks show. It was a more borate candlelight dinner than what Renee saw in TV dramas. However, she seemed disinterested. ¡°So, you¡¯re the second highest donor who scammed Stefan of 4 million dorsst night. Why are you here instead?¡± Renee asked curiously after taking a sip of wine. ¡°What do you mean I scammed him of 4 million dors? Do I have to remind you that as the second highest donor, I donated close to that amount as well?¡± While swaying his wine ss, Haze looked Renee in the eye and asked, ¡¯ Are you disappointed that I¡¯m the one who came today?¡± Renee shrugged and replied honestly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say disappointed, just a bit surprised.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about it? The top donor didn¡¯t want toe, so I naturally took his ce as the second highest donor.¡± ¡°How do you know he didn¡¯t want toe?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. You and I are both top ss hackers. All I need to do is hack into the H Group¡¯s internal system to check his schedule for the evening.¡± Haze took a sip of wine with smiley eyes. ¡°Looks like H Group¡¯s systems are still as bad as ever!¡± Renee snorted and asked, ¡°So what¡¯s his schedule for the evening?¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± Haze said meaningfully, ¡°If you find out, you might be sad¡­¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help rolling her eyes. She said coldly, ¡°If he could still affect my emotions, I would never have attended this dinner¡­ I don¡¯t minding here because I¡¯m already over him.¡± ¡®That¡¯s great! That means I have a chance. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Chapter 403 Haze¡¯s handsome face was visibly overjoyed. As long as Renee had really gotten over Stefan, he believed that he would be able to move her with his sincerity one day. ¡®You don¡¯t have any chance. After I finish my tasks here, I¡¯m going to marry someone.¡± Renee said calmly while cutting her steak. Haze¡¯s expression immediately changed. He asked, ¡°Marry someone? Who?¡¯ ¡°I have no obligation to tell you.¡± Haze was only nervous for a second. He then became very calm and confident. He said, ¡¯It doesn¡¯t matter who he is, as long as his family name isn¡¯t Hunt, and as long as you haven¡¯t married him, I¡¯m confident that I can make you fall in love with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to have confidence, but you should use it in the right ce.¡± Renee raised her head and looked Haze in the eye. ¡°Now, can you tell me what Stefan Hunt¡¯s schedule is for this evening?¡± ¡°See? You still care about him¡­¡± Haze sighed and said truthfully, ¡°His itinerary showed that he, like you, has a candlelight dinner nned for this evening.¡± ¡°Oh?¡¯ All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee suddenly became interested, ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°With a woman named Briar Desrosiers. You probably don¡¯t know this, but while you were gone, he¡¯s been having a great time. His rtionship with Briar Desrosiers is very stable, and I think¡­ they¡¯re close to getting married.¡± ¡®That¡¯s great!¡± There was an uncontroble joy in Renee¡¯s eyes. If Stefan really was marrying Briar Desrosiers, he would definitely not be interested in Renee¡¯s children anymore. After all, Briar Desrosiers was not a benevolent woman. There was no way she would be willing to be a stepmother. She would definitely stop Stefan from taking Renee¡¯s children. ¡°Oh god, please let them get married as soon as possible. I¡¯ll feel at ease when they do.¡± Renee said excitedly. Haze studied Renee¡¯s reaction with a frown. ¡°Are you just acting tough?¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m acting tough?¡± Renee was so happy that she began to indulge in her food. Haze said, ¡® After you and Stefan left the Baldwin family four years ago, I had a really rough time. My grandfather, my father, my mother¡­ took turns admonishing and humiliating me. They said I¡¯m useless because I couldn¡¯t win over your heart. Therefore, when they learned that you¡¯re back, they celebrated like it was Christmas. They said I have to make you mine at all costs.¡± ¡°Really? What kind of costs are the Baldwin family willing to pay?¡± Renee asked with a smile. ¡°Not much. Just an endless amount of money.¡± Renee raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need money at the moment.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to reject. I know you and the Azure Group are nning something big. You¡¯re gonna need money¡­¡± Haze bumped his ss against Renee¡¯s. ¡°The Baldwin family has moved some industries to Beach City. I look forward to our pleasant cooperation.¡± Renee was a bit confused. But from what she knew of this man, those were definitely not just empty words. He¡¯s definitely taking action! After dinner, the two of them took the elevator downstairs. The night had deepened, and the scenery had be even more beautiful. While the elevator was slowly descending, Renee recalled the legend Mandy told her for some reason. Would two people who understood each other really run into each other here? Haha, it was probably just a joke to fool children. Renee smiled a little. Then, she lifted her eyes, and shepletely froze! In the elevator that was going up across from them stood Stefan with his hands in his pockets. His handsome face was as cold as always. His deep eyes happened to meet hers¡­ Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Chapter 404 However, the encounter was too brief. It came and went in an instant, like two meteors that streaked past each other. One of them was going up while the other was going down. Neither of them stopped for the other. ¡°Hah, it seems Mr. Top Donor still cares about you. He¡¯s here for the dinner appointment.¡± When they arrived at the ground floor, Haze joked with a yful grin. ¡°He can do whatever he wants. It¡¯s none of my concern.¡± Renee walked gracefully to the parking lot, as if the encounter had never happened. ¡®You¡¯re not gonna go up and have a chat with him?¡± ¡®The agreed time for the dinner is from 8 pm to 11 pm. It¡¯s already a quarter past 11. It¡¯s his fault that he camete. My time¡¯s precious too. Why should I stay for him?¡± Renee words were both rational and ruthless. ¡°True. Maybe he¡¯s here for a a dinner date with Briar Desrosiers. Otherwise, his expression wouldn¡¯t have been so cold when you saw each other just now, as if he didn¡¯t even know you.¡± Haze put his hands in his pockets and analyzed in detail while looking up at the top of the tower. Renee made no reply. She took out her car key and pressed the button to start the car. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should go home. See you next time!¡± Renee waved her hand at Haze. Her beautiful face was expressionless, devoid of any emotion. ¡°I take that as a promise that there will be a next time.¡± Haze reluctantly said goodbye to Renee. Tsk tsk. He waited four years for this, but they parted ways again after just one dinner. He was far from satisfied. However,pared to Stefan who only had a few seconds of encounter with her, he seemed to be much luckier. Renee¡¯s red sports car whizzed through the night and quickly disappeared. It moved forward without turning back, just like Renee who would never look back after making up her mind! At the same time, Stefan was standing in front of the French window of the 520 top floor restaurant, looking out of the window with a cold expression. The brief encounter with Renee just now felt so unreal. Although he had already seen her in the video, seeing her when they were only one step away from each other feltpletely different¡­ Stefan had to admit that his calm heart had rippled uncontrobly the moment his eyes met the woman¡¯s. Of course, he was confident enough to believe that Renee must have felt the same way. In fact, maybe the encounter caused more than just ripples in her heart. Maybe it caused waves! Stefan adjusted his pose, trying to look his coolest while waiting for Renee toe back up. He had even thought of the first thing he would say to herter: ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just passing by.¡± No, that was terrible. ¡°Long time no see. I wonder how a 4 million dor dinner would feel like.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. But wouldn¡¯t that expose his identity as the top donor? It¡¯s too embarrassing! Maybe: ¡±Fancy seeing you here. What brought you back to Beach City?¡± But that felt¡­¡­ too sarcastic? Minutes passed. Stefan had gone through dozens of possible lines but Renee was still nowhere to be seen. ¡®Damn it, is this woman ying hard to get?¡¯ The arrogant CEO could not stand it anymore. He turned towards the restaurant entrance. Apart from the staff, there was no one else there! Stefan lifted his luxury watch and checked the time. Then, he muttered under his breath, ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten more minutes!¡± Ten minutes passed. The restaurant manager cautiously approached Stefan. ¡°Uhh, Mr. Hunt¡­ Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Chapter 405 With a serious look on his handsome face, Stefan said coldly, ¡°Is she finally here?¡± ¡°Huh? Who?¡± The manager looked confused. ¡°Who do you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hunt, I have no idea who you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s perfect facial features almost disintegrated. Keeping his anger in check, he asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t know who I¡¯m talking about, why are you talking to me?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I just want to inform you that we¡¯re closing¡­¡± The manager lowered his eyes and said cautiously. In truth, their restaurant was supposed to close half an hour ago. But because Stefan Hunt was posing in front of the window without the slightest intention of leaving, no one dared to tell him. ¡°Are you waiting for someone? Do you want us to call that person for you?¡± The restaurant manager saw that Stefan¡¯s expression was as cold as ice, so he boldly asked. ¡°No need!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face stiffened as his thin lips spat out those words. He had to ept the reality that Renee, that damn woman, actually dared to turn a blind eye to him! In over 20 years of his life, he had rarely faced such setbacks. He had always been able to have anything he wanted. The few times he had had all been because of Renee. His feelings for her became a bit moreplex. It aroused in him a strong desire to conquer her! ¡°So you don¡¯t want to see me? I¡¯ll make it so that you¡¯ll beg to see me!¡± He seemed to have formted some kind of n. He walked out of the restaurant and took the elevator downstairs. The night was getting dark. The street lights were dim. There were almost no pedestrians on the streets. A car or two would roar past asionally, bringing gusts of cold wind with them. With a cold expression, Stefan walked straight towards the outdoor parking lot. *Honk!* Suddenly, a car horn broke the silence, clearly meant to attract his attention. He turned around and saw Renee¡¯s graceful figurezily leaning against a red convertible sports car. The woman¡¯s beautiful face carried a touch of sexiness. Her rosy lips curled up in a seductive grin. ¡®Long time no see, Mr. Hunt.¡± Stefan¡¯s heart pounded fiercely, as if a storm was roaring inside. He had never felt this emotional, but he remained calm and indifferent on the surface. His expression was extremely cold. ¡°Long time no see?¡± His slender figure was wrapped in a chilly air. He approached the woman step by step and said, ¡°That¡¯s all you have to say after disappearing for four years?¡± Renee stared at the man who was approaching her. She could feel his suppressed anger. If that anger burst out of him, it should be pretty terrifying. But she was not scared at all. She maintained a faint smile on her face and said nonchntly, ¡°Is there anything else to say?¡± Stefan took a deep breath and slightly loosened his fingers, trying to appear more rxed. He snorted coldly. ¡°I thought you left with Justin Baldwin. Why did youe back?¡± ¡°I thought you have another appointment. Why are you here?¡± Renee smiled and asked him back. She was not acting rxed, she was actually rxed. That made Stefan seem like he was trying too hard inparison. This sense of powerlessness inexplicably made Stefan angry. He hated the feeling of others controlling his emotion without being able to do anything about it. ¡°Enough, Renee Everheart!¡± He could no longer hold himself back. He reached out towards her thin shoulders and held her tightly in his arms¡­ Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Chapter 406 Stefan¡¯s voice was cold and hoarse. His thin lips pressed against the woman¡¯s ear. His words were painful and angry. ¡°Renee Everheart, you¡¯re truly the most heartless woman I¡¯ve ever met!¡± The emotions that he had held inside for four years rushed out of him uncontrobly like an avnche. He hugged her really tightly, as if he wanted to crush her and incorporate her pieces into his own body¡­ As if that was the only way he could ensure that she would remain in his life and not leave him again! W W His embrace was so tight that Renee felt a bit painful. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. With her skills, she could easily drop him to the ground, but she did not resist. She let him hold her like a meek little rabbit. The embrace that she once longed for was so strong, so powerful, and so warm, but¡­ it no longer aroused anything in her heart. It was easy to fall in love with someone and it was not that hard to let go of someone either. Four years was enough for her topletely let go. After an embrace that felt both brief and long, Stefan realized that he had reacted a bit too strongly. He slowly and reluctantly let go of her, but still stood very close to her. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. The embrace didn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Renee nodded, ¡°Understood.¡± The woman¡¯s calmness andposure made Stefan inexplicably angry. It felt like¡­ he had just launched a strong punch that hit a bed of cotton. There was no impact at all. He could effortlessly control everything except for this woman in front of him. Not before, not now. This frustrated him to no end! ¡°If you¡¯re so unhappy with me, why didn¡¯t you push me away? You¡¯re clearly capable of doing that!¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Stefan asked coldly. Renee shrugged and said indifferently, ¡°You misunderstood, Mr. Hunt. I¡¯m not unhappy with you. We used to be husband and wife after all. Now that we see each other again after a long time, a hug seems like an appropriate thing to do.¡± ¡°Well said!¡± Stefan snorted, ¡°I never knew you¡¯re such a carefree person, Miss Everheart¡­ Do you really think that you don¡¯t need to be responsible for the troubles you caused anymore after hiding like a coward for four years?¡± Renee knew Stefan would not let her off so easily, but she remained calm and asked, ¡°Then what do you want me to do, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°Do you know that Briar lost her child because of your cruelty? She even had to have her womb removed. She¡¯ll never get the chance to be a mother again!¡± Pain crept into Stefan¡¯s handsome face. His voice trembled slightly. For the past four years, he had been mired in guilt. He had always felt that it was his mistake that caused his brother to lose his only bloodline and ruined Briar¡¯s life. For four years, he put a seal on the topic and forbade anyone from bringing it up. Then, he desperately worked as hard as he could to numb and also to punish himself. Now that Renee, the fuse of the entire tragedy, finally reappeared, he felt that it was time to undo the knot in his heart. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether what you did back then was intentional or an ident, it¡¯s a fact that the baby died at your hands. Briar suffered from severe depression because of that. She tried tomit suicide countless times in thest four years¡­ You owe her an apology.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that serious?¡± Renee¡¯s calm expression gradually turned grave. She did not expect the ident four years ago to have such serious consequences. In the past, she was too arrogant. Even if she knew that she was in the wrong, she would never apologize to someone like Briar Desrosiers. But now that she had be a mother, she knew better than anyone how traumatizing this kind of experience could be. It was impossible to not feel any guilt over it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do.¡± Renee looked coldly at Stefan, paused for a few seconds, then added,¡± However, this is a grudge between me and Briar. I hope you won¡¯t interfere too much. If you get injured by mistake, I won¡¯t take responsibility for it.¡± Stefan did not expect Renee to agree so easily. Deep down, he felt an indescribable sense of loss Chapter 407 Chapter 407 Chapter 407 After all, this seemed to be the only thing still connecting them. If this matter was handled cleanly, then there would no longer be anything between them. They would beplete strangers. ¡°Good. I have nothing else to say.¡± Stefan¡¯s emotions were veryplicated, and so were his feelings for Renee. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He could not say that he hated her. But there also seemed to be ack of reason for him to embrace her again. He had to admit that after four years, many things had changed. Stefan coldly turned around, preparing to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± Renee suddenly stopped him. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Renee said sincerely. ¡°For what?¡± Stefan was confused. ¡°Thank you for visiting my parents¡¯ graves in thest four years. I once loved you deeply and I once hated you deeply, but everything¡¯s over now. I no longer love or hate you. I hope that, when we meet in the future, we can greet each other with a smile, and I hope that we can both live our lives well.¡± Renee said from the bottom of her heart with a smile. Before, she kept too many things in her heart, and it was very exhausting. She only realized that she could live a carefree life afterpletely letting go! Her words were grand, but Stefan¡¯s face became increasingly cold as he listened to her. This damn woman was so eager to cut ties with him? ¡°I think this amber pendant is yours. I found it four years ago. I can finally return it to you now.¡± Renee took down the amber pendant that she had kept for four years from her neck and handed it to Stefan. ¡°It¡¯s actually with you!¡± Stefan quickly took it from her. He could still feel Renee¡¯s body heat on the amber. After examining it carefully, he confirmed that it was indeed the pendant left by his brother. He was very emotional. ¡°This is something very important to me. I¡¯ve been looking for it for a long time.¡± ¡°You dropped it in front of my parents¡¯ graves. I didn¡¯t expect you to go there, so I never thought it would be yours. I¡¯m sorry if it caused any inconvenience.¡± Renee spoke politely. Her tone was distant. Stefan hated this ¡°politeness¡±. It was as if they were just acquaintances, but they were once an intimate couple! However, no matter how unhappy he felt, an arrogant guy like Stefan would never show it on his face. ¡°You¡¯d better pray that this pendant isn¡¯t damaged, or it¡¯s not something that can be glossed over with just an apology!¡± After saying that coldly, he left without looking back. Renee leaned against her car and watched Stefan¡¯s impressive figure blend into the night. She could not help smiling. ¡®Tsktsk, this guy still has such a bad attitude. It¡¯s time for him to suffer a bit and have a taste of failure¡­ Chapter 408 Chapter 408 Chapter 408 By the time Renee returned to the apartment, it was already reallyte. Leia was not back yet, which was quite unusual. ¡°Could the heartless girl have found true love this time?¡± While Renee was wondering that, she saw Leia stealthily opening the door and sneaking in. Her fair face was tinged with a faint blush, disying a girlish shyness. *Ahem* Renee cleared her throat and stopped Leia. She interrogated her like a dorm manager. ¡°Where have you been? Why are you back sote? Don¡¯t lie to me!¡± After hesitating for a while, Leia told her, ¡®Til be honest, I¡¯ve fallen for this guy hard. Barring any ident, we¡¯ll probably get married at the end of the month. If the time is right, maybe we can even have a group wedding!¡± ¡°Already? Isn¡¯t it a bit too impulsive?¡± Although Renee was happy for Leia, she still felt a bit uneasy. ¡°You¡¯ve always said that you would never get married or have children. Why the sudden change of mind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I haven¡¯t met the right person! As long as the person is right, any rule can be broken, and there¡¯s no obstacle too hard to ovee!¡± Leia used to be a fangirl. Her biggest hobby was fangirling over celebrity couples. She had no interest in starting a rtionship. Who would have known that a single taste of rtionship would spiral out of control like this?! Renee did not ask any further. She told Leia, ¡°If you¡¯re gonna get married soon, aren¡¯t you gonna show me this guy and let me check him out?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Leia smiled sweetly and said, ¡°I already told him that we¡¯ll have dinner together tomorrow. You can help me take a look at him.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± Renee nodded. ¡°What did you do tonight? Did you go to dinner with the top donor?¡± Leia eagerly asked Renee. ¡°Yes, but not exactly.¡± Renee answered truthfully. Leia¡¯s eyes lit up. She asked, ¡°How was it? Who¡¯s the top donor? It¡¯s Stefan the Scumbag, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yup, it¡¯s him.¡± Renee did not feel any need to conceal it. ¡°Did your me rekindle?¡­ Oh no, I can tell with a single look that it did. It¡¯s over for my poor brother. He¡¯s getting dumped.¡± Leia had alreadye up with a huge drama in her mind. She had always felt that the rtionship between Renee and Stefan would not end so soon. Her brother should not have stood between them like a fool. Him getting dumped was only a matter of time. Renee¡¯s expression immediately turned serious, ¡°Don¡¯t joke about something like that. If the me could rekindle, it would have rekindled a long time ago. It wouldn¡¯t have remained dead for four years. We only settled some issues between us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. A dead love is like a tumor that has been removed from the body. If you keep the tumor, it¡¯ll only spread and cause you more pain. Ending it cleanly is good¡­¡± After Leia said that, she could not help but worry, ¡°But there are two children between you. Can you really end it cleanly?¡± The Hunt Residence. In thest four years while Renee was gone, Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s health had deteriorated because he was worried sick. Stefan chose to move back to the Hunt Residence to live with Old Mr. Hunt so that it would be more convenient to take care of the elderly man. Today, Stefan returnedter than usual. He thought the old man must be asleep already so he did not go to greet him and instead headed straight to the study for an extra shift Chapter 409 Chapter 409 Chapter 409 The study was big and dark, with rows of bookshelves. Stefan turned on the light expressionlessly, only to find Old Mr. Hunt sitting on the sofa, causing him to step back in shock. ¡°Grandpa, why are you trying to scare people instead of sleeping?¡± Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s face was stiff. While leaning on his cane, he scolded, ¡°I¡¯m trying to scare myself to death. I¡¯m sick of worrying about my children and grandchildren every day. I¡¯m better off dead!¡± ¡°There you go again¡­¡± Stefan rubbed his forehead and stabilized his emotions, then walked up to the old man and squatted to meet him in the eye. He patiently asked, ¡°Did something happen today that make you unhappy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯mmenting my own uselessness, that¡¯s all. My old eyes are so blurry that I can¡¯t even see a person clearly now.¡± The old man shook his head, sighing. He thought back to the time when he followed General Everheart and fought against enemies on the battlefield. He used to be so brave and spirited. But now, he couldn¡¯t even walk steadily, or talk properly, or see clearly¡­ Old Mr. Hunt suddenly took out his phone. His old fingers pressed the screen a few times before he said, ¡®Oh no, my eyes are not that good. Stef,e and help Grandpa take a look. Who¡¯s the woman in this video? Her skills are good.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± Stefan leaned over to take a look. It turned out to be the viral video of Renee. He instantly understood what the old man was doing. Therefore, he squinted slightly and feigned ignorance, saying, ¡°Yeah, who is she? Probably a small time influencer. These are probably all scripted. These people would do anything to be famous. Let¡¯s not watch it anymore. It¡¯s all fake.¡± Stefan tried to grab Old Mr. Hunt¡¯s phone, but the trembling old man suddenly became extremely lively. He warned, ¡°You stinky brat, stop feigning ignorance. Open your eyes wide and take a good hard look at the woman in the video.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a good hard look.¡± After watching it again, Stefan said without hesitation, ¡°I remember now, this is the actress that Xavier¡¯s company has been promoting in recent years. Her name¡¯s Shirley White¡­ Do you wanna see other photos of her?¡± He did not want the old man to know that Renee had returned to Beach City. Otherwise, considering the old man¡¯s style of doing things, it would surely cause a storm in the city. Besides, Shirley and Renee looked kinda simr, so he should be able to bluff his way out of this. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Old Mr. Hunt was furious. He gave Stefan a hard p. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m blind? This is my granddaughter-inw, Renee! How could you not tell me that she¡¯s back? Do you really think I don¡¯t go online?¡± ¡°Let me tell you, not only do I know that she¡¯s back, I even watched her live stream! I even gave her a donation!¡± When the old man said this, his expression was very proud. He sneered,¡± There¡¯s a fool who donated 4 million dors. I wonder who he is. If you have that kind of awareness, I might have two great grandchildren by now!¡± Stefan:¡±¡­¡± He was surprised to find out that his grandfather, who was nearly a hundred years old, who was almost completely out of touch with the outside world, and who rarely used electronic devices, actually surfed the inte regrly. He even saw Stefan¡¯s embarrassing moments! If Stefan¡¯s identity as the top donor got exposed, he would really die of shame! ¡°Grandpa wants to see her. Invite her over for dinner.¡± The old man waited for Stefan all night for this. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do that yourself. I don¡¯t think I can get that appointment. As you can see, she¡¯s really popr now so she¡¯s very busy nowadays.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Stefan said sarcastically. Renee had already cut off their rtionship cleanly. He did not want to take the initiative to contact her because that would be too embarrassing! ¡°Can I? Okay, as you wish.¡± Within the vigorous and shrewd eyes of Old Mr. Hunt, interesting ideas emerged.. Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Chapter 410 The next day. Renee and Leia arrived at a high-end seafood restaurant together. ¡°Renee, look, that¡¯s my boyfriend, William Jones. Isn¡¯t he handsome?¡± Leia pointed to a young man in the VIP area and said shyly. Renee looked in the direction Leia was pointing at and saw a man waiting there anxiously, asionally fiddling with his clothes and tidying up the tableware. He was clearly a bit nervous and probably ced great importance on this meeting. ¡°He looked very gentle. I can¡¯t believe this is the type that you would fall so hard for.¡± Renee joked. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She always thought that Leia would like the domineering CEO type. After all, the male idols she liked were all of that type. But the gentle type was good too. At least they¡¯re considerate and reliable. He wouldplement the carefree Leia quite well ¨C provided he truly was what he seemed. The man had also noticed them by now. He immediately shed them a warm smile while waving to them. ¡°Leia!¡± He quickly walked over and took the bag from Leia¡¯s hand thoughtfully. He then grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Baby, are you tired? Are you hungry? I ordered your favorite coconut crab. I hope you¡¯ll like it.¡± ¡°Thank you, baby.¡± Leia smiled sweetly. She proudly introduced Renee to him, ¡°This is my best friend Renee. We¡¯re even closer than real sisters. Let me tell you, she¡¯s really talented. She¡¯s the perfect blend of beauty and wisdom. She could run apany and kick butts. She¡¯s a top student in college and is an amazing hack¡­¡± *Ahem* When Renee noticed that Leia was about to sell her out, she quickly interrupted her. He smiled at William and said, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Renee.¡± ¡°Hi, I¡¯m William.¡± The man pushed his sses up his nose and responded with a graceful smile. Throughout the dinner, William was very gentle and considerate. He peeled shrimp and crabs for Leia and maintained a polite distance from Renee, respecting her boundaries. ording to Leia, William was born overseas. He was a third generation immigrant. His father ran a dental clinic while his mother was a university professor. He was a philosophy student at the University of New York. It could be said that he had a schrly background and a wealthy family. Renee could hardly find any ws in William. He was perfect in terms of appearance, manner, and family background. But it was this ¡°perfection¡± that made Renee feel suspicious. ¡°William, I heard from Leia that you guys will be getting married at the end of the month. Isn¡¯t that too soon? You¡¯ve been going out for less than 3 months.¡± Renee took a sip of wine, then looked straight into the man¡¯s eyes and asked the sharp question. ¡°It¡¯s not too soon if the person is right. It only took Leia and I three days since we met to confirm our rtionship. The first time I saw her, I was already certain that she was the one true love of my life. That¡¯s why I want to marry her and protect her for the rest of my life!¡± William and Leia clenched their fingers together and gazed at each other. The love overflowing from their eyes was so thick that it almost felt like it had physical form. ¡°Remember what you said today. If you dare do her wrong, I¡¯ll make sure you die a tragic death!¡± After Renee said that, she touched her ss with his and drank all the wine in one gulp. Her love life was a mess, and she would never let Leia go down the same path! After the meal, Renee used a random excuse to leave so that she would not be the third wheel. While strolling around a mall, she took out her phone and dialed a number.¡± Kevin! How are you, my old friend? I¡¯d like to ask you about someone.¡± Kevin was a friend of hers from the sameboratory when she was studying overseas. They were very close Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Kevin had many connections in Newrest because he loved socializing, and this gave him ess to a lot of information. Looking into someone¡¯s ancestry was a piece of cake as long as he put his mind to it, no matter the person¡¯s status. ¡°William Jones? Of course I know him!¡± Kevin said excitedly. ¡°Give me ten minutes; I¡¯llpile all his information for you.¡± ¡°Thanks so much. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Renee ended the call and frowned. Although she had approved of William earlier, there was a part of her that was still skeptical of the man. The man seemed wless, which only made her even more suspicious of him. She needed to thoroughly look into him! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. While waiting, she went to the children¡¯s section on the third floor, as she wished to get her little ones some new clothes. Ever since she gave birth to her beautiful babies, her biggest hobby was to buy them cute clothes, like little jackets or dresses. ¡°This, this¡­ Oh, and this¡­¡± Renee quickly picked out six outfits and asked the sales employee to wrap them all up. The employee quickly set to work, having quite a bit to do. Just as she was about to leave, Renee bumped into Stefan and Briar. Renee¡¯s jaw dropped and she inwardly cursed. ¡®I really have the worst luck¡­¡¯ Briar was leaning against Stefan feebly, tears in her eyes. However, the moment she saw Renee, her expression instantly changed. Her eyes wild, she lunged at Renee and wrapped her arms around her neck, screeching like a madwoman. ¡°God must favor me to have let us meet on my son¡¯s death anniversary! To think I¡¯d bump into you here¡­ I have to take revenge for my son and kill you! H Renee was caught off guard, especially since her hands were full. She was at aplete disadvantage in this situation. ¡°Briar, calm down and let go of her!¡± Stefan barked and immediately tried stopping her. However, Briar was hysterical, using all her strength to choke Renee despite her body being frail and weak. For a while, it was rather difficult to separate the two. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you! I have to kill you!¡± Briar screamed like a banshee, determined to choke Renee to death. Soon, many people started to gather around them, muttering to each other as they watched the scene. ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed my son and destroyed my chance at motherhood! I¡¯m going to kill you! Die!¡± Briar hissed, her nails digging into Renee¡¯s skin. This made it very difficult for Renee to breath, and her face turned red as she winced in pain. Suddenly, the hands around Renee¡¯s neck disappeared, and she could breathe again. Gasping for air, she turned to look at Briar, who was unconscious in Stefan¡¯s arms. ¡°What just happened? She fainted on her own, alright, so don¡¯t even try to put the me on me!¡± Renee gently rubbed her sore neck and took several steps back, observing the eerily still woman. ¡°Hey¡­ Why isn¡¯t she moving? She¡¯s alive, right?¡± Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Chapter 412 ¡°You seem eager to have her dead.¡± Stefan shot Renee a dirty re, carrying Briar bridal-style and laying her down at a resting area nearby. Renee had almost died because of Briar¡¯s sudden outburst, and a panicked Stefan had no choice but to hit Briar on the back of the neck to knock her out for a while. Renee might not have survived otherwise. Briar would probably be better after resting, so Stefan didn¡¯t try to wake her up. Instead, he turned to Renee, who was still in the children¡¯s section, and pointed at the clothes on the ground. His eyes narrowed as he asked, ¡°Why are you buying so many children¡¯s clothes?¡± Renee and the employee were busy putting the outfits on the ground back into her bags. She scoffed dismissively, ¡°Why do you care? Am I not allowed to buy cute things?¡± Stefan squatted down and picked up one of the striped socks near him, observing it curiously. The sock was pink, soft, and no bigger than his hand. He couldn¡¯t deny it was cute, and it softened his heart for some reason. ¡°So you bought these socks¡­ because they¡¯re cute?¡± Stefan asked dubiously as he handed them to Renee. However, the woman didn¡¯t want to y buddy-buddy with him, and shot him a disgusted look. ¡°I did think it was cute, yeah, but now you¡¯ve dirtied it with your hands. I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± ¡°You!¡± Stefan was furious. ¡®What the hell? Didn¡¯t she say she hoped we could still be friends?! She was acting so nonchnt before, but now she¡¯s acting like I¡¯m some kind of curse! What¡¯s her problem?!¡¯ ¡°I just knocked Briar out just to save you, and this is how you thank me?!¡± Stefan wanted an exnation for her behavior, so he blocked her way to question her. He scowled as he asked her, ¡°What have I done to piss you off this time?¡± Renee felt her blood boil, and her eyes zed in rage. ¡°Do you really not know? Or are you just pretending to be oblivious, Hunt? I couldn¡¯t tell before, but you and Desrosiers really are a family, aren¡¯t you? Now that she¡¯s joined your family, she¡¯s just so eager to choke people too. You weren¡¯t able to break my neck four years ago, so your girlfriend is doing it for you now. Why are you pretending to be a good person?¡± Honestly, four years was enough for her to let go of her miserable past, and move on from the man in front of her. However, when Briar was choking her, painful shbacks of Stefan doing the same yed in her head. His grip had been much stronger than Briar¡¯s, and Renee still remembered the feeling of that near-death experience like it happened yesterday. Those upsetting memories had never left, and remembering them had just made her pain resurface. There was no way she could be entirely numb towards the situation. Seeing how agitated the woman was, Stefan felt a little satisfied. ¡®She¡¯s finally not acting like an emotionless statue. Her mood was affected¡­ because of me.¡¯ Although she was upset with him, it proved to him that he still mattered to her in some way. It made his dead, cold heart explode with passion once again. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m not a good person! So hate me, yell at me, you can even hit me¡­¡± Stefan grabbed Renee¡¯s hand all of a sudden, cing it on his chest. ¡°If you¡¯re so angry with me, if you hate me that much, then don¡¯t hold back! There¡¯s no need to pretend you¡¯re doing fine on your own.¡±Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. He just wanted to tell her that she could hate him and take her anger out on him as she liked, but he couldn¡¯t bear it when she ignored him. He would rather them fight with each other than be complete strangers Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Come on, hit me! Aren¡¯t you a great fighter? Beat me till I bleed, or you can always return the favor and choke me to death!¡± Stefan dered as he shifted her hand to his neck, his expression serious to show her he wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Are¡­ Are you insane?¡± Renee was utterly stunned by the man¡¯s actions, and her anger morphed into confusion. She tried to pull her hand away, scowling. ¡°There are cameras here, so don¡¯t you dare try to get me in trouble!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll just let them see that I allowed you to hit me! If you kill or cripple me, I¡¯ll take full responsibility for it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve definitely gone mad!¡± Renee was finally able to escape his grasp, and quickly stepped away from the man like he was a rabid animal. ¡®Ugh, as expected from the madman Stefan Hunt ¨C he¡¯s actually willing to get beaten up! It¡¯s pretty creepy, honestly¡­¡± ¡°I wronged you four years ago, so now I¡¯m giving you the chance to take revenge! You¡¯re the one who refused the opportunity, so let¡¯s not bring this up anymore. It¡¯ll only damage our rtionship.¡± Stefan looked at Renee coldly, his demeanor returning to his usual aloof pride. Only then was Renee able to understand his motives. ¡°Hunt, who the hell said we still had a future with each other?! We don¡¯t have a rtionship to begin with, so what is there to damage?¡± Renee said incredulously, trying to calm herself down. ¡®I swore that I¡¯d never let this man affect my mood so easily!1 ¡°We can always build a rtionship even if we don¡¯t have one. Even if the end result is resentment, it¡¯s still worth it!¡± Stefan said with a smirk, his tone teasing but his expression serious. Renee gulped nervously, then scoffed, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve really lost your mind.¡± Just then, Briar regained consciousness. As if she had be apletely different person, she rushed towards Renee and dropped to her knees before her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Everheart! I won¡¯t try to take Stef from you ever again, so please let my child and I go! Please have mercy, I beg you¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Renee watched in shock as Briar begged and groveled, feeling like her entire worldview had just copsed. Was this just her bad luck or was something really going on? Stefan seemed cold as he helped Briar to her feet. ¡°Briar, did you not take your meds before heading out today?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Damn it.¡± Stefan let out a long sigh, and fished out a jar of pills from his pocket. He took one out and ordered Briar, ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°Stef, I don¡¯t want to¡­ The medicine is so bitter, and I can¡¯t take such things when I¡¯m pregnant! It¡¯ll be bad for the baby! Please don¡¯t make me take the pill¡­ I won¡¯t mess around or bother Miss Everheart anymore, just please¡­ no pills!¡± Briar begged pitifully. However, Stefan was stern. ¡°Eat it!¡± ¡°Okay, okay¡­ Please don¡¯t get mad and abandon me¡­¡± Briar took the pill and swallowed it with a face full of tears. Renee, who had been watching everything, was speechless. She couldn¡¯t help but feel conflicted, and whispered to Stefan, ¡°What happened to Desrosiers? Why is she acting like this?¡± Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Chapter 414 After Stefan made sure Briar took her medication, he ordered her to stay in the resting area next to them. Briar didn¡¯t object to this, and merely headed back to the resting area with a nk stare. She sat down on one of the benches quietly, as if she was a mindless zombie. The man then turned back to Renee with a cold re. ¡°How can you ask me that? Do you really not know why she¡¯s acting like this?¡± Renee instantly became angry. ¡°Can¡¯t you just be direct, Stefan Hunt? If you really think I¡¯m such an evil person, then feel free to take revenge on me! Don¡¯t act like you¡¯re on some kind of moral high ground to punish me.¡± Stefan continued to look into her eyes, his gaze clouded with sadness as he asked softly, ¡°Do you really feel no pity towards the child whose life you took, or the woman you destroyed? Do you really believe you don¡¯t have to be held ountable for all this?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee was speechless, and thought miserably, ¡®How could I possibly not feel any regret or pity? I¡¯ve been ming myself for that incident every single day for the past four years. But I can¡¯t turn back time, so I shouldn¡¯t punish myself for life, right?¡¯ ¡°She was covered in blood when I brought her to the hospital, and the doctor said¡­ They said they could¡¯ve saved the child if we had just sent her over a little sooner! They wouldn¡¯t have had to remove her uterus¡­ A little sooner, he said!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were slightly red, and it was obvious that his heart was truly aching for Briar and her child. He questioned Renee in a lowered voice, ¡°Why did you have to push her? I made sure she was legally dead and put her somewhere you couldn¡¯t even have known! Why couldn¡¯t you just let her go?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee averted her gaze helplessly. She wanted to say that she didn¡¯t voluntarily look for Briar, that it was the other way around. Moreover, she didn¡¯t intend to push the woman at all. Briar had just provoked her ruthlessly, which had resulted in¡­ However, she knew that her exnation didn¡¯t matter, since she wasn¡¯t exactly innocent in this bloody tragedy. Thus, she decided that it was best to save her exnation. ¡°Just a little sooner! If we were a little sooner, this tragedy wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce! How could you be so cruel as to stand back and watch? What were you so scared of?!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes seemed to be tearing up. He didn¡¯t seem angry ¨C it looked more like regret. ¡°I had already chosen you! If we were a few seconds sooner¡­ everything wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way!¡± At the time, he had just left the Baldwin family manor with Renee, and had realized his true feelings for the woman. He had been waiting for her answer as well, hoping that she¡¯d agree to start over with him. Yet, no one expected something like this to happen¡­ ¡®We wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this if we arrived a little sooner!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Renee slowly lowered her head, speaking regretfully. Stefan sighed softly. ¡°After she lost her child, Briar lost her mind as well. The doctors said she had severe manic depression and anxiety, and she has to take medication for life to regte her condition. However, although the medicine helped calm her down, there were severe side effects too. Her insanity worsened, and now, she needs me around constantly¡­¡± Stefan looked at the silent Briar. ¡® When her head is clear, she remembers that she lost both her child and uterus, and will sob the entire day away. Otherwise, she¡¯d think she was still pregnant, and drag me to check ups and shops for toys and children¡¯s clothing.¡± ¡°She probably didn¡¯t take her meds today, which was why she kept insisting that it was her child¡¯s death anniversary. She wanted to buy some clothes in memory of him, but was triggered as soon as she saw you. That¡¯s why she reacted that way.¡± The man exined the entire situation to Renee. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you all this to take revenge or punish you; I just want you to know that you¡¯re not the only one hurting in this world. You might be upset, but Briar is in misery too. How could I not feel sad? Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Stefan looked pained. He had sealed those memories away already, and didn¡¯t want to bring them up anymore. He told himself that he would use the rest of his life to repent for his sins. However, Renee had returned now, and he just couldn¡¯t pretend that she didn¡¯t exist in his heart. ¡°You said that I hated you, and I admit that I did for a while. But the truth is ¡­ I hated myself the most, since I couldn¡¯t manage our rtionship well. I idealized everything, and in the end, I was toote. I couldn¡¯t stop this from happening¡­¡± Stefan trailed off, unable to continue. He turned away, shaking, as if he was forcing himself to suppress his emotions. Renee had rarely seen him be vulnerable like this. He was always cold and conceited, but now¡­ he looked like a lost child. She had only ever seen him like this one other time ¨C at his brother¡¯s funeral. Her heart was breaking for him, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from wanting to hug him¡­ Suddenly, a voice inside her mind reminded her, ¡°You¡¯ll be unlucky for the rest of your life if you sympathize with this man¡­ Don¡¯t do it!¡± In the end, Renee just consoled him with a few dismissive words, ¡°It¡¯s already happened, so what can you do? Just cheer up!¡± She couldn¡¯t think of anything else to get rid of such deeply rooted pain. ¡°So¡­ do you need me to do anything for you?¡± Renee asked Stefan carefully. The man took a deep breath and finally collected himself, and his expression became indifferent again. Despite this, his glistening eyes gave away his true feelings. ¡°If you really do feel guilty, have some compassion towards Briar. She may not be a good person, but she¡¯s not evil either. Her life was tough, to say the least¡­¡± He thought to himself, ¡®My brother loved her so deeply. If he was still alive now. I¡¯m sure their family would¡¯ve been able to live a blissful life. ¡®I suppose fate is cruel, and as the person my brother left his will to, I can only ease my guilt by treating Briar right.¡¯ ¡°Understood.¡± Renee nodded. ¡®Turns out Stefan really does love Briar now ¨C he¡¯s actually willing to stay by her side despite her current state. Ah, what a touching love story! No wonder he was so adamant on divorcing me back then!¡¯ She mused. ¡°We¡¯re going to visit the child¡¯s grave now. If you¡¯re not busy, you cane with us,¡± Stefan stated in a cold voice. He figured that Renee had to be the one to resolve this, or else none of them would be able to move on, and they¡¯d be trapped in this hell for eternity. However, he wasn¡¯t quite sure if Renee was willing to do it, considering her pride. ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force you to,¡± the man continued, looking at Renee expectantly. Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Chapter 416 ¡°I¡¯lle with you. No matter what, the child was innocent.¡± With that, Renee chose to head to the cemetery with Stefan and Briar. It was located on the west side of Beach City, and was surrounded by arge forest. With the tombs built within such a secluded area, it seemed rather eerie from the outside. Renee was sitting in the backseat at the time, watching as the car drove by the woods, her expression rather gloomy. She knew that the child had been the victim here, and whatever was going on between her and Briar had to be put aside for now. She couldn¡¯t deny that she had harmed an innocent life. The atmosphere in the vehicle was extremely tense, with the only sound in the car being Briar¡¯s sobbing. Although Renee hated Briar, she understood how painful it was for a mother to experience such a thing. ¡°Here.¡± She handed Briar a piece of tissue. Briar turned to look at her with teary eyes, and shook her head. ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯m not trying to put up a pitiful act in front of you. I really am in pain, and I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°I beg of you, please stop appearing before me and Stefan. Every time I see you, I will only be reminded of how you pushed me to the ground, and how it felt when I was losing my child. I-¡® All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®That¡¯s enough, there¡¯s no need to bring all this up if it upsets you.¡± Stefan¡¯s dismissive re interrupted Briar¡¯s pleas. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t want Renee to avoid him for Briar¡¯s sake. However, Renee quickly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to tell me twice. I truly wish you both the best.¡± Since they were on the topic anyway, she decided to give them some suggestions. ¡°Since you two are going to spend the rest of your lives together, you must still want children, right? When I was studying abroad, I made friends with this professor from the University of Calley. They were researching a procedure to create an artificial uterus. I can help you both ask if it¡¯s possible in your situation, and how to safely deliver a child of your own¡­¡± Renee figured that Stefan wouldn¡¯t fight for custody once they had their own children, not even if he found out about Adie and Abby¡¯s existence. Moreover, she would also be able to make up for her mistakes. She genuinely thought it was the perfect n. ¡°Really? Can we really do that?¡± Briar¡¯s eyes lit up, a sudden liveliness returning to her soulless expression. ¡°If a procedure like that does exist, please let me know! I just want to help continue the Hunt family¡¯s bloodline, and have no more regrets¡­ You¡¯ll support me, right, Stef?¡± Briar said eagerly. Stefan was silent, frowning slightly as he focused on the road. However, anyone could tell that he was upset with the conversation, as his expression spoke volumes. Renee was worried that Stefan would disagree, so she told him sincerely,¡¯ Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re not getting any younger. You¡¯ll be thirty soon, so you should have a child before then. Not only can you birth an heir, but the child might improve your rtionship with Miss Desrosiers¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the procedure, there have already been a few sessful precedents. It¡¯s just due to legalities that it hasn¡¯t been officially released to the public yet. I have some connections, so as long as you¡¯re willing, I can help you apply for it. You-¡° ¡°Enough!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was icy as he mmed his hand on the steering wheel. The loud honk made both Renee and Briar jump in shock. Stefan shot both of them a dirty re, then stared at Renee through the rear view mirror and huffed coldly, ¡°If you¡¯re really that passionate about helping us, why don¡¯t you do something practical instead?¡± ¡®How can I help? I can do anything as long as you¡¯re willing to have children!¡± Renee said excitedly. ¡°No matter how great this artificial uterus is, it¡¯s bound to pose some kind of risk. Rather than helping us apply for the procedure, why don¡¯t you just offer yourself up instead?¡± Renee nearly choked on her own saliva after hearing the man¡¯s words. ¡°Are you insane, Hunt?! How is that the same?¡± Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Chapter 417 ¡°So, you do know the difference! How about you let me decide whether I want to have children, and who I want to have children with? There¡¯s no need for you to get involved!¡± Stefan said angrily and stopped the car. Renee figured that she was being too overbearing as well. Stefan Hunt had always been a prideful man, and was used to having everything under his control. If she were to take charge of something as important as having children, he would surely get upset. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I was too impatient¡­ I don¡¯t have bad intentions, I just wanted to rmend this procedure to you both, since you and Miss Desrosiers-¡° ¡°Get out,¡± Stefan snarled suddenly, his expression dark. ¡°Huh? Are we here already?¡± Renee scanned her surroundings, but it was obvious they hadn¡¯t reached yet. ¡°Get¡­ out!¡± Stefan ordered once again, not exining himself in the slightest. He was at his wit¡¯s end, otherwise, he would have never done something so discourteous. ¡°Fine then!¡± Renee snapped, and got out without hesitation. The car was filled with such a depressing atmosphere that she figured it¡¯d be better to walk to the cemetery on her own. As soon as she got out, the car drove away speedily. ¡°Talk about petty!¡± Renee watched as the car zoomed away, frowning. ¡°I was just trying to be nice and help them resolve the whole kids issue. A thank you would¡¯ve been nice, but he ended up throwing a temper tantrum instead¡­ That ungrateful jerk!¡± The temperature was oddly low in the dense forest despite it being summer at the time. Just then, a notification popped up in her phone ¨C it was a message from Kevin. [I¡¯m done, I sent all his details to your email.] Renee eagerly opened her mailbox and found a PDF consisting often or so pages. It had everything about William written down, including his birth ce, his educational background, and even details on his friends. ording to the information provided, William really wasn¡¯t lying about his family and educational background. He was indeed from a family of knowledgeable schrs, and he himself was one as well. Besides that, all of his friends seemed like good people, and he was known to be quite a reputable person within his social circle. The only thing that seemed off was his past rtionships. It seemed that Leia was his second girlfriend, while his first¡­ was Briar Desrosiers. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Briar was William¡¯s first love when he was twenty years old. However, the rtionship had onlysted about three months before the man was dumped. William was quite persistent as well. After getting dumped by Briar, he tried everything to make her stay, even going as far as to threaten suicide¡­ After that, he locked his heart away and focused on his studies entirely, bing quite the elite. It is said that he would take over his father¡¯s family business in the future too. It waspletely normal for someone to have past rtionships, but William¡¯s past included Briar¡­ which made Renee rather doubtful. Unfortunately, as Renee was too focused on reading, she didn¡¯t realize that she had walked into a dangerous zone.. Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Chapter 418 The cemetery was rather remote. Not only were thererge thickets around the area, the paths were quite rocky as well. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The thick smog enveloping the area could easily affect one¡¯s sense of direction as well. If headed in the wrong direction, the forest would seem like a confusing maze, which would make the journey even more dangerous than it was. Renee waspletely immersed in her phone, wondering if she should tell Leia about William¡¯s complicated past with Briar. Then, suddenly, she felt her entire body falling forward¡­ Renee screamed as she tumbled down a cliff. She hit her head on arge rock going down, and instantly faded into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, Stefan and Briar had already arrived at the child¡¯s tomb. A small gravestone stood there forlornly, with the baby¡¯s name and death date engraved on it. ¡°Hi, baby! Mommy and Uncle Stefan are here to see you again. How are you feeling today? The weather¡¯s getting kind of cold, so I prepared lots of warm clothes for you. Do you like them?¡± Briar mumbled as she knelt in front of the grave, cing some bags of clothes onto the ground. Stefan was no longer feeling guilty, and instead looked slightly annoyed. However, knowing that Briar was mentally ill, he remained silent, allowing the woman to live in her delusions for now. Under normal circumstances, a fetus wouldn¡¯t be considered a person, and in their culture, those who set up a tomb for the unborn would be besieged by bad luck. However, this child was considered a special case, as it was thete Tristan and Briar¡¯s only child. Stefan had only agreed to bury the fetus after the woman¡¯s constant begging. They had ced it in an expensive coffin, and found a powerful shaman to safely bury the child in this secluded area. Stefan was starting to space out as Briar continued muttering in front of the grave. He would asionally nce at the cemetery entrance, his brow furrowed. ¡®Hmph, why isn¡¯t that woman here yet? I left her only a mile away from this ce, and the path is a straight one too. It shouldn¡¯t take her more than twenty minutes to arrive, but it¡¯s been over an hour! Where is she?!¡¯ Once Briar was finally finished, she looked up and asked, ¡°Stef, where is Miss Everheart? I¡¯m done talking to my baby now. Should we keep waiting for her?¡± Stefan checked his wristwatch and replied tonelessly, ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer.¡± They waited for another thirty minutes, but Renee was still nowhere to be found. Briar wiped her tears, her voice quivering with sadness. ¡°Let¡¯s just go, Stef, I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be coming anytime soon. I can tell that Miss Everheart doesn¡¯t regret hurting me back then, nor does she think she is responsible for my child¡¯s death.¡± ¡°Maybe she still sees me as the horrible mistress who destroyed her marriage. Maybe she thinks I deserve to lose my baby and end up this way! She¡¯s probably gone home by now. I mean, she¡¯s no saint, so why would she visit the grave of my child? Let¡¯s not force her to if she doesn¡¯t want to¡­¡± Stefan fell silent, his expression growing colder. Briar continued, ¡°And she kept talking about that artificial uterus procedure back in the car, urging us to have more children too! She was just mocking us, wasn¡¯t she? It was like she was trying to add insult to injury! If she¡¯s not genuine in visiting my baby¡¯s grave, I don¡¯t need her here, and my baby doesn¡¯t need her here either! Let¡¯s just go.¡± The man clenched his fists tightly, as he had thought the same. He had no idea what Renee was thinking by urging him to have more children when they were on their way to visit a dead baby¡¯s grave. ¡®She definitely had bad intentions!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re right, I was too naive. She¡¯s always been a cold-hearted and selfish person; if she really was feeling guilty about her actions, she would¡¯vee to visit the child¡¯s grave a long time ago. She wouldn¡¯t have just disappeared for four whole years.¡± Stefan took a deep breath, telling himself to keep a clear mind and to stop hoping the woman would change. Thus, as dusk approached, he drove out of the forest with Briar in his passenger seat. Under the dim moonlight, Renee had finally regained consciousness. Her head was spinning, her left leg was fractured, and she was unable to move. Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Looking around, Renee finally found her phone nearby, only to realize that it was broken. She couldn¡¯t turn it on at all. ¡°Agh, that useless Stefan Hunt! I knew he was bad luck!¡± Renee cursed as she scanned her surroundings. It was pitch ck, with no one remotely near. Renee immediately felt scared. ¡°Is there anyone out there?! Somebody, please help!¡± She screamed, her voice echoing alongside the caws of crows. The pain in her head and leg was overwhelming, and she was finding it difficult to even scream for help at this point. ¡°I won¡¯t die here, right?! That¡¯d be too unfair¡­¡± In the old Hunt manor, the family had gathered around the dining table to have a nice dinner together, but the atmosphere felt rather odd for some reason. Francine was trying to ask Stefan over and over again if he had contacted Renee. She had just found out that Renee, who¡¯d disappeared for four whole years, had returned to Beach City all of a sudden. The woman felt conflicted when it came to Renee. She couldn¡¯t help but hate Renee¡¯s guts for murdering Briar¡¯s child, and had even hired some people to find the woman so that she could pay for her crimes. However, in those four years of her absence, she watched as her poor son lived in misery¡­ It had been a very long time since he smiled. She knew that Stefan still loved Renee very much, and that Renee was the only person who could return Stefan¡¯s smile. Hence, as time passed, her resentment faded, as she only wished for her son to follow his heart and find true happiness. ¡°Stef, there¡¯s no pressure, alright? As your family, we will support all of your decisions no matter what. We should let bygones be bygones¡­ The most important thing now is to live life to the fullest!¡± Francine said enthusiastically. ¡°I have my ns.¡± Stefan continued eating, clearly hoping for this conversation to end. Everyone noticed how annoyed he was, and decided to keep their mouths shut, focusing on their meals as well. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Suddenly, Francine remembered something and said, ¡°Stef, have you been visiting that cemetery a lot recently? I already told you how off-putting that ce is ¨C you should go less often. A few days ago, I saw on the news that a few influencers went adventuring there, and all of them died because they fell off a cliff! You-¡° ¡°Fell off a cliff?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression shifted instantly. ¡°Yes. The area is very confusing, and it¡¯s always surrounded by fog! It¡¯d be dangerous if you ever got lost in there. Ugh, this is all because of that shaman¡­ Why did he have to choose that secluded cemetery of all ces? ¡ö Timothy chimed in as well. ¡°It was an untimely death, so he had to choose a secluded ce to bury it. Stef just needs to go there less often.¡± ¡°Stef doesn¡¯t even want to go, it¡¯s all because of Desrosiers¡­¡± Just as the conversation was getting heated, Stefan stood up abruptly and said, ¡°I need to head out for a bit. Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Chapter 420 The man then got into his car and sped towards the forest as fast as he could. Francine¡¯s casual chit- chat during dinner had reminded him that the cemetery indeed hadplex terrains, with smog all around it. He was worried that something might¡¯ve happened to Renee. Although the possibility was extremely low, he still had to personally investigate the area to ease his anxiety. The car continued racing through the night, with its headlights being the only light source. Stefan was gripping the steering wheel tightly, scanning the area with his sharp gaze, all while loudly calling out to the woman. ¡¯Renee!¡± Night time in the forest was exceedingly quiet. Any sudden sounds would echo through it loudly, startling the birds nearby. Soon, he had reached the area where he had kicked Renee out, and he got out of the car right away. ¡°Where are you, Renee Everheart?! Answer me!¡± Stefan yelled louder than before, his voice turning hoarse. However, all he received in response was either crows cawing or endless silence. As he continued to shout, Stefan found the whole thing rather foolish. He thought to himself, ¡®Everheart is probably at home, sleeping soundly in bed right now. However, I¡¯m here acting like an idiot, just because of that small possibility that she might be stranded here. Look at me, yelling over and over again in this eerie ce¡­ If someone saw me right now, they¡¯d think I¡¯m possessed!¡¯ Stefan balled his fists up slowly, telling himself that he had to stop this silly behavior if no one answered after three more attempts. ¡°Everheart, if you don¡¯t respond, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Stefan shouted dejectedly. Renee, who was still at the bottom of the cliff, was semi-conscious at that point. Fatigued and in pain, she was almost out of energy. More importantly, she was starving, to the point she felt like she was going to faint. Suddenly, she could somewhat hear someone shouting her name, and realized that the voice belonged to Stefan. At first, she was rather excited, thinking that she was finally going to be saved. However, she realized that it¡¯d be embarrassing to be saved by that man, and she would be owing him a favor if he did. Hence, she purposefully refused to answer. It was only until she heard Stefan saying that he¡¯d be leaving, that she felt rmed enough to let out a soft cough. She coughed so softly that it was barely any louder than the rustling of leaves, and she didn¡¯t expect the man to hear her at all. However, Stefan seemed to have extraordinary hearing, and was able to catch her coughing immediately. ¡®Is that you, Everheart? Where are you?¡± In the pitch ck darkness, along with theplicated pathways and dense forest, he wasn¡¯t able to pinpoint the woman¡¯s location at all. Renee let out another two coughs, still refusing to respond properly. However, this time, she made sure to cough much louder than before. Stefan was quick to catch on, his body tensed up and his face filled with worry. ¡°Stay where you are! Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯ming to save you!¡± He then rushed over in the direction of the sound without any hesitation. Renee was rmed and immediately tried to stop him. ¡® Hey, don¡¯te over just yet! Be careful-¡° Before she could finish her sentence, a loud thud echoed through the forest as Stefan slipped and fell down the cliff. If Renee hadn¡¯t moved aside, enduring the pain in her leg, she would¡¯ve likely been crushed under the weight of this ¡®fallen object¡¯. ¡°Phew, that was close!¡± Renee patted her chest, calming her rapidly beating heart, her expression terrified. She sarcastically thought to herself, ¡®Many thanks, dear savior!¡¯ Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. After that, she turned to where Stefan had fallen, unable to assess his current situation. ¡¯Hunt, how are you? Have you fainted?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not that weak. Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Chapter 421 Stefan gripped his dislocated left leg, breaking out in a cold sweat. However, he still managed to ster an arrogant expression onto his face. ¡¯That¡¯s good.¡± Renee felt more rxed now. ¡®That man sure is tough ¨C he¡¯s fine even after falling a few miles down a cliff. That¡¯s impressive, not going to lie!¡¯ ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Stefan endured the pain and shifted towards Renee in the dark. ¡°Terrible! I¡¯m pretty sure I have a concussion, and my leg is fractured! I¡¯m tired, cold, and starving! I feel like I¡¯m going to die soon!¡± Renee tried to get up a few times, but her leg didn¡¯t allow her to move at all, so she could onlyy there helplessly. She thought she was about to see the light when the hunger kicked in. ¡°How could you fall from just walking? How stupid are you? Couldn¡¯t you have called someone for help?¡¯ Stefan was so worried that he wanted to beat some sense into the woman. ¡®It¡¯s been four years and she¡¯s still the same ¨C she can¡¯t take care of herself!¡¯ ¡°My phone is broken!¡± Renee retorted in annoyance. ¡°As if you¡¯re any better ¨C you fell too, you know? You were just lucky enough to not hurt yourself!¡± ¡°I fell because I¡­¡± Stefan started heatedly, then suddenly became silent. ¡°Because of what?¡± Renee teased with a smile, seeing how the man wasn¡¯t speaking. ¡°Heh, you don¡¯t want to admit that you¡¯re just as stupid, right? I already warned you, but you still rushed over like there was a ghost chasing you!¡± ¡°Fine! I, Stefan Hunt, am the stupidest person in the world. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t havee over at midnight just to save you!¡± Stefan scoffed coldly. ¡®How could she not know that I only got into this situation because I was worried about her?!¡¯ He thought frustratedly. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t ask you to save me! My throat felt dry so I had to cough! You¡¯re the one who rushed over, so don¡¯t me me,¡± Renee said stubbornly, as she really didn¡¯t want to owe him any favors. The two of them were finally even with each other, and she didn¡¯t want to get involved with the man anymore. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Lend me your phone. I¡¯ll call my friend toe and save you.¡± Stefan could feel the pain in his left leg worsening, and realized that his injuries were probably much worse than he thought. He wouldn¡¯t be able to walk much, let alone get Renee out of there. Thus, he handed the phone to Renee, saying arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯d like to see who else woulde to your rescue, apart from me.¡± Renee immediately took the phone and dialed Liam¡¯s number, but soon noticed that there was no signal around, and felt despair dawn upon her once more. ¡°What the hell even is this ce?! There¡¯s no signal at all!¡± ¡°No signal?¡± Stefan frowned right away. ¡®If we can¡¯t call anyone to rescue us¡­ With both of us hurt, all we can do is just sit around and wait in this secluded ce. Since this ce is so remote, and we¡¯re at the bottom of a cliff, it¡¯s understandable that there¡¯s no signal around here. I think it¡¯d be better if we could climb to a higher ce.¡± Renee figured that since she had still been able to receive Kevin¡¯s texts on the main road, it was likely that they¡¯d be able to find a signal as soon as they got out of this pit. However, it was likely half a mile away from where they currently were. Moreover, it wouldn¡¯t be an easy trip with the forest and darkness around them. ¡°If we have to climb out, then so be it.¡± Stefan¡¯s voice sounded especially determined. ¡°But my leg¡­ I can¡¯t move at all. If I could, I would¡¯ve climbed out a long time ago¡­¡± Renee trailed off when Stefan came and squatted in front of her. The man ordered, ¡°Put your arms around my neck, I¡¯ll carry you up there. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Chapter 422 ¡°Huh?¡± Renee stared at the man¡¯s wide shoulders under the dim moonlight. She looked rather hesitant and replied, ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate, is it?¡± ¡°Stop dawdling. If you won¡¯t get on, I¡¯ll just leave you here,¡± Stefan said frostily. In reality, he knew that he didn¡¯t have much time with his dislocated leg, and that he wouldn¡¯t be able to help if they kept stalling. ¡°Ah, fine, fine. If you insist,¡± Renee said and put her arms around the man¡¯s neck, putting her entire weight on him. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± Stefan reminded the woman and tried his best to stand up. Despite his tall build, having to endure this extraweight made him sway back and forth unsteadily. Renee held her breath, not daring to move a muscle, and asked softly,¡± Hey, are you okay? Why do I feel like you¡¯re having a hard time carrying me? It¡¯s like you¡¯re about to faint!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine!¡± Stefan said with difficulty, gritting his teeth. It was as if his left shin bone had fractured, with the pain piercing his flesh like thousands of needles. His forehead, back and palms were covered in sweat, but he knew he couldn¡¯t stop, nor could he let Renee notice his wounds. With that, he kept climbing towards the main road, one step at a time, willingly enduring the intense pain¡­ ¡°Hey Hunt, are you sure you¡¯re okay? Why do I feel like you¡¯re trembling?¡± Renee asked carefully. She had a feeling that the man was in a rather bad condition, but didn¡¯t dare to ask much. She didn¡¯t want him to misunderstand her intentions and think that she was being overly worried about him. ¡°Why would I not be okay? Do you think I¡¯m as fragile as you are?¡± Stefan mustered up all his strength to act normal. ¡°Oh wait, no. You¡¯re way too heavy to be fragile, you¡¯re as fat as a pig!¡± ¡°Nonsense! I weigh less than 120 pounds, okay?! You¡¯re just too weak! How are you already sweating from carrying me?! What a waste of a fit body!¡± Renee sputtered as she whacked Stefan¡¯s back lightly. She thought to herself, ¡®I was worrying for nothing! Hunt is so egotistical ¨C if he was injured, he¡¯d ditch me in a heartbeat! He wouldn¡¯t even be in the mood to joke around or call me a pig!¡¯ The two stopped bantering, as Stefan was focusing on enduring the pain. Soon enough, they were able to reach the main road. He opened his car door and ced Renee in the backseat. ¡°Stay in the car for the time being, and check if there¡¯s any signal here. Have someone save you¡­ I just wonder how well you¡¯ve been eating to be this heavy, but I¡¯m not going to question anything anymore.¡± ¡°You and your damn insults¡­ If I do find someone to get us out of here, you¡¯re done for!¡± Renee said as she checked the phone. She excitedly squealed as she noticed two lines on the signal bar. ¡°There¡¯s a signal! Come on, tell me your password! I¡¯ll call someone over right now!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t say anything, his hand still ced on his left leg as his expression grew more and more pained. His fingers were drenched in blood. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? What¡¯s your password?¡± Renee looked at the man, urging him in panic. Stefan initially wanted to snatch his phone from her, but was worried about Renee finding out about his wounds. After a short pause, he said softly, ¡¯ 000809.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°000809? Okay, got it!¡± Renee immediately entered the password, wondering why that string of numbers seemed familiar. ¡°Wait, does this password have some kind of special meaning behind it? Why does it feel like I¡¯ve seen it somewhere?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t. Just make the call, quick!¡± Stefan said, as he was at his limit. The sheer amount of pain was making his face turn pale and sweat drip down his face Chapter 423 Chapter 423 Chapter 423 ¡°Okay!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t quite remember where she saw these numbers, and didn¡¯t have the time to think about it. She quickly typed in a number into the keypad and dialed it. The call immediately went through. ¡°Liam, it¡¯s me. Do you have time to pick me up from X cemetery?¡¯ Meanwhile, Liam had been panicking over Renee¡¯s sudden disappearance, and had nearly barged into the Hunt manor to look for her. Now that he had received a call from her, he was extremely agitated. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As the two continued making conversation, Stefan could no longer listen and snatched the phone, yelling. ¡°Enough! She¡¯s hurt, so get over here!¡± At that moment, Renee finally noticed that Stefan¡¯s hands were covered in blood. This immediately sparked her anxiety, which made her rush over to him. ¡°Hunt, you¡­ where is the blooding from? Are you hurt too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Stefan retracted his hand swiftly. ¡°Stop lying! You¡¯ve lost so much blood already! Quick, tell me where you¡¯re hurt!¡± Renee shouted as she used the shlight on the phone, checking the man¡¯s body thoroughly. She soon found the man¡¯s left leg drenched in blood and dislocated, with the wound clearly in quite a terrible state¡­ ¡°Your leg!¡± Renee covered her mouth in disbelief. His condition was just unimaginably horrible, and she had no idea how he managed to carry her all the way up here with his leg dislocated like this. ¡®Just how painful was it to take a single step, especially with me on his back?!¡¯ ¡°I said I¡¯m fine! Stop looking at it!¡± Stefan snatched the phone again. He had tried his best to keep it all in, as he didn¡¯t wish to let her see him in such a state. However, it was simply inevitable, and he felt¡­ embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just a sprain, I think your leg is dislocated! We have to secure it properly now, or your leg will be as good as gone¡­ Let me help you!¡± Renee then took her shirt off, in hopes of treating Stefan¡¯s wounds with simple first aid. ¡°Ah!¡± However, she somehow forgot that she herself was hurt as well. She couldn¡¯t move either. ¡°You should be the one receiving treatment!¡± Stefan stumbled over, holding the woman¡¯s injured leg in his hands, then using her shirt to secure it in ce. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, your condition is worse than mine! You-¡° ¡°Shut up, will you?!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t allow Renee to move, and treated her wounds ording to his limited first aid knowledge. However, as he continued to bandage her leg, he started feeling incredibly nauseous at the sight and smell of blood¡­ ¡°Hey, Hunt! Hey! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fainted again! Wake up!¡± Renee nudged the man with her foot, feeling worried and helpless at the same time. ¡®Does this guy still have a fear of blood? He¡¯s fainted at such a critical moment!¡¯ However, she was rather conflicted, thinking back to how he endured the intense pain to carry her to the main road. ¡®Why cant he just¡­ act cold and distant like he usually does? Why did he risk his own life, and put so much effort into saving me? What does he want from me?¡¯ Meanwhile, Liam had finally arrived at the area, as he had sped all the way there. ¡°You two¡­¡± Seeing both Renee and Stefan on the ground together, Liam couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart drop to his stomach Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Chapter 424 ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a long story. Just send us to the hospital now!¡± Renee said, as she knew that they didn¡¯t have time for idle chit-chat, especially not with Stefan¡¯s critical condition. ¡°Alright!¡± Liam nodded, suppressing the resentment he held for the man and carrying him into his car. He then drove as quickly as possible to the nearest hospital. Once he got there, he carried Renee in his arms, yelling at the emergency unit with a panicked expression. ¡°Doctor, please help!¡± Renee, however, turned to look at Stefan, who was still lying in the car. She grabbed Liam by the arm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me for now, his condition is worse than mine. He should receive treatment first!¡± Liam had always listened to Renee¡¯s every order, but this time was different. He was still dashing through the halls as if he was participating in a marathon. He then lowered his gaze to speak to the woman in his arms. ¡°Renee, I love and respect you a lot, but please don¡¯t forget that I am only a man. I am not aspassionate as you think I am. I¡¯ve already done everything I can by bringing him to the hospital. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do more than that!¡± In the end, Renee went into surgery right away, as the doctors did their best to stabilize her condition. She had a concussion and her right leg had aminuted fracture. Although she wasn¡¯t in critical condition, she was still required to be monitored for one whole day, so that they could ensure that she had fully stabilized. Hence, after a full day, Renee was finally moved from the ICU to the normal ward, and was able to contact the others. Her leg was currently in a cast, and her entire body was confined to the bed. Liam, on the other hand, was holding a nutritious meal in his hand, approaching her with a worried expression. ¡°How do you feel, Boss? Are you hungry? You haven¡¯t eaten for an entire day. Come on, have some food. IV Renee was definitely starving, but she didn¡¯t have the appetite. Instead, she grabbed Liam¡¯s arm and asked hurriedly. ¡°How¡¯s Stefan Hunt? Is his leg okay?¡± Hearing this, Liam¡¯s expression darkened as he tried to avoid the topic. He scooped a spoonful of congee and triedforting Renee, as if she was some kind of kid. ¡°Did you know that sea cucumber congee is very nutritious, Boss? I heard it helps with curing wounds too. Have some while it¡¯s still warm.¡± Renee pushed the spoon away, insisting on knowing Stefan¡¯s condition. Her tone was demanding and harsh as she said, ¡°How is Stefan Hunt? I can only eat if I know he¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been four years, and you still haven¡¯t moved on from him, huh?¡± Liam put down the spoon, the cheer on his handsome face reced by mncholy. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve stayed by your side for so many years, even though I¡¯m willing to do anything for you, even though I risked the entire Osborne family¡¯s future for you¡­ I still can¡¯t rece him, can I?¡± ¡°Liam, don¡¯t be like that. You know that¡¯s not what I mean, I just¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that¡­ don¡¯t treat me like I¡¯m your pet. I¡¯ll stop calling you Boss too. Don¡¯t you realize we¡¯re getting married soon? Do we even look like a couple to you?¡± Liam¡¯s eyes were filled with his deep love and admiration for her. He had always wanted to ask her these questions, but he knew that he would only be humiliating himself if he did. He thought that he could touch Renee¡¯s heart in time, and he thought she would forget about Stefan Hunt. He simply never expected her to get involved with that man again. He couldn¡¯t just pretend that he was fine with this. ¡°That heartless man was the one who hurt you the most, so why¡­ Why haven¡¯t you moved on from him yet? Is he really that great?!¡± Liam questioned angrily, unable to contain his emotions any longer. Renee understood why he wasshing out, so she didn¡¯t get mad at him for yelling. Instead, she looked at the man calmly. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m so concerned about him?¡± ¡°Why else?¡¯ You just cant let him go! You still love him, don¡¯t you?!¡± Liam spat and turned away, his tone furious Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Chapter 425 ¡°That¡¯s because he carried me all the way up to the road, despite knowing that he was injured badly too. If something happens to him, or his leg, I will never be able to repay him for his kindness. I was just worried that I¡¯d have to deal with him for the rest of my life, which is why I kept asking you about his condition. Do you understand now?¡± Renee truthfully exined everything to Liam. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°What? He¡­ He carried you up there?¡± Liam turned around, disbelief written all over his face. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I saw how badly injured he was! He can¡¯t have been able to walk, let alone carry you up a cliff¡­ I won¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it either. He¡¯s always been such a cold, heartless, utterly selfish man¡­ but I can¡¯t deny the truth. If it weren¡¯t for him, I would still be stuck at the bottom of that cliff! Even if I didn¡¯t die from the pain, I would¡¯ve died from starvation¡­¡± Renee recalled how the man carried her up the cliff. Every step he took felt unreal, as if she had dreamt the entire situation in her head. No ordinary human could have endured the amount of pain he experienced. The woman knew that not even her closest loved ones would do that for her, let alone Stefan Hunt, the man who tried to choke her to death. ¡°How is that possible? I mean, just look at the state of his leg! There¡¯s just no way!¡± Liam shook his head profusely, unable to ept it. He had seen how badly wounded the man was; no human could ever walk with those injuries, or at least that was what he thought. ¡°So can you tell me how he¡¯s doing now? How is¡­ his leg?¡± Renee questioned again, as she had a bad feeling about all this, especially with how Liam was reacting. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet!¡± Liam took a deep breath and came clean. ¡°He¡¯s still undergoing surgery. The doctors said that his condition isplicated, and they¡¯ve currently gathered a group of experts to devise a n. They¡¯re not sure if they need to go for conservative treatment or aggressive treatment.¡± Renee frowned and continued asking, ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Conservative treatment means that they¡¯ll save the leg first, and provide treatment after. But his condition is just too severe, with most of the nerves around his legs broken, and part of his muscle tissue damaged. The blood flow around his leg is nearly cut off too. So if they don¡¯t perform amputation in time, it might cause an infection to spread throughout his entire body, which would put his life at risk¡­¡± ¡°Wha¡­ What?¡± Renee felt her mind going nk, unable to think clearly. She had never expected a minor ident to result in such a terrible fate. ¡®His nerves are broken¡­ Damaged muscle tissue¡­ Poor blood cirction¡­ And amputation?!¡¯ Liam¡¯s words felt like knives stabbing Renee¡¯s heart over and over again. ¡°He must¡¯ve gone past his limit while carrying me¡­ That¡¯s why he¡¯s ended up that way! Bring me to him now! I have to see him!¡± Renee grabbed Liam¡¯s hand, sobbing uncontrobly. Seeing her like this made Liam feel bad. He replied, ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. I should be the one to me here, since I didn¡¯t take him to the emergency room as soon as I could. If they really decide to amputate his leg, I¡¯ll give him mine as an apology. Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Chapter 426 Liam couldn¡¯t bear seeing Renee like this, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just rest first. I¡¯ll go ask the doctor about his condition. I¡¯m sure Hunt is fine ¨C you know how tough he is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, that guy really is a tough cookie! Waves couldn¡¯t drown him, and fire didn¡¯t bother him either! A little fall is probably nothing to him!¡± Renee finally felt much more rxed, urging Liam instead. ¡°Well, don¡¯t waste any more time on me, go look for a doctor! If you won¡¯t, I¡¯ll just have to do it myself!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯ll go right now!¡¯ Liam said as he stood up to leave. However, he was still rather uneasy, pointing at the food he brought. ¡°I hope you finish this before I come back, Boss. You know your body best, and think of the kids¡­ What would they do if you starve yourself till it affects your health?¡± After Liam left, Renee still had no appetite due to her anxiety. She couldn¡¯t imagine Stefan losing his life or his leg just because of this incident. She had no idea how she could possibly live with the guilt for the rest of her life. In a few minutes, Liam headed back to the ward, his expression grim. ¡°So? How is he? What did the doctor say?¡± Renee asked impatiently. If she weren¡¯t confined to her bed, she would¡¯ve rushed over to see him herself. Liam didn¡¯t answer her question, and instead looked at the untouched meal in front of her. He seemed annoyed as he said, ¡°What¡¯s with you? Didn¡¯t I tell you to eat? You¡¯ve been starving this whole time, and you just underwent surgery! Do you even value your life?! How could you not eat anything?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, Liam, I know you¡¯re worried about me, but please be more considerate. How could I possibly be in the mood to eat when Hunt is still in critical condition? Not to mention that he might lose a leg!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes reddened as she held back tears. ¡°Stop beating around the bush¡­ Just tell me which treatment the doctors have decided on!¡± Liam hesitated for a brief moment and then responded, ¡°Some experts rushed over just a while ago, and said his condition wasn¡¯t severe enough to perform amputation, so they chose to go with conservative treatment. All he needs to do is get plenty of rest after the surgery.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Renee was doubtful, as she remembered how bad the man¡¯s condition was a while ago. Not only was his life at risk, they had even considered amputation, so it was simply odd that his condition didn¡¯t seem serious anymore. ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me because you don¡¯t want me to worry, right?¡± Liam immediately denied it. ¡°Boss, I swear on my life that I¡¯ve always been loyal to you. When have I ever lied to you?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®So why is it that you seem so unhappy? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve seen something bad, ¡¯ Renee said hesitantly. Liam exined. ¡°It¡¯d be even weirder if I¡¯m happy, okay? That guy¡¯s my top rival! If they really amputated his leg or he died, I would have been celebrating!¡± ¡°Now that he¡¯s fine, he¡¯ll be the hero who saved you despite his injuries! It feels like I¡¯m bound to lose this fight. How am I supposed to be happy then? ¡ö Hearing the man¡¯s exnation, Renee immediately calmed down and shed a soft smile at Liam. ¡°Good to hear that he¡¯s okay. Now I can finally eat and rest well. Otherwise, I¡¯d feel guilty for even breathing if I owed him such a big favor!¡± ¡°Well, what did I say? That guy is tough, so you didn¡¯t have to worry about him at all. Eat now, it¡¯d be bad if you encounter health issues from starving yourself when that guy is perfectly fine¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, and I¡¯m really hungry too!¡± Renee brightened up instantly, bringing the bowl to her mouth as she scarfed down on the congee. However, as she was focused on her meal, she didn¡¯t notice Liam¡¯s odd expression, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a soft sigh Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Chapter 427 In actuality, Stefan¡¯s condition was much worse. The tissue around his leg had been severely damaged, so much so that he¡¯d be risking amputation, and his life along with it. ¡°I¡¯m finished! Ah, I¡¯m so full!¡± Renee patted her stomach with a satisfied grin. She then turned to Liam and asked, ¡°Did the doctor mention when I can take this cast off? And when is my estimated discharge date?¡± ¡®That depends on your physical condition and cooperation. It¡¯d take at least two weeks, and at most months.¡± ¡°I have to rest well then. Once I¡¯mpletely healed, I have to personally thank Hunt for saving me.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing this, Liam couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly panicked. ¡°You don¡¯t really have to, right? He did you so wrong back then! Just take this as his way of atoning for his sins. What is there to thank him for?!¡± He was worried that Renee wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the shock and sadness if something really were to happen to Stefan. Hence, he figured it would be best if the two stopped seeing each other again. ¡®You really are a petty kid, aren¡¯t you? Are you worried that my feelings for him might rekindle or something?¡± Renee gently patted Liam¡¯s shoulder,forting him. ¡°Be good, my little Liam. I promise you that I will never go back to that man, even if every man on this net were to die. Rx, okay? And stop being so jealous all the time!¡± She then poked him on his cheek. ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re so angry that your cheeks are puffed up! Aww, what a cutie!¡± ¡¯Fine¡­¡± Liam nodded, sighing helplessly at the same time. He thought to himself, ¡®My boss is literally the only person in Beach City who would treat me, the legendary ¡®Devil Incarnate¡¯, like a little kid!¡¯ Now, he could only hope that Stefan was as tough as they thought. After Liam made sure Renee went to bed, he immediately rushed to Stefan¡¯s surgery room to check out the situation. The man had always been his top rival, and he used to mistreat Renee as well, which was why Liam never really liked Stefan. However, knowing that he was the man Renee loved most, and also the father of those two little darlings, he still didn¡¯t wish for him to pass away at such a young age. It was obvious that Liam loved Renee so much that he¡¯d be willing to give her everything. Despite this, he had also mentally prepared himself to give up if the two ever got back together. The door to the surgical room was shut, with a sign on it saying that surgery was still ongoig. It was midnight, and there was no one else there aside from Liam. He continued staring at the shing red light, growing more anxious with time. He had never imagined himself ever being worried for his rival¡¯s safety. With that, a couple of hours passed. Just as Liam found himself feeling fatigued from standing around for so long, the door eventually opened. He saw the doctor walking out of the room, shaking his head and sighing profusely. ¡¯Doctor, how is he? Is he¡­ alright?¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯ve tried everything we could. The damage in the tissue around his wound was too severe, causing his entire body to be infected as well. We couldn¡¯t save him¡­¡± ¡¯No, that¡¯s impossible! He¡¯s a tough guy! There¡¯s no way¡­¡± Liam was utterly shocked, unable to ept it. The doctor patted him on the shoulder and said regretfully, ¡°My condolences. Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Chapter 428 ¡°Impossible, that¡¯s just impossible! I refuse to believe this!¡± Liam mumbled as he fell to the ground in shock. After that, the nurses pushed the surgical table from the operating room, with a tall manying still on top of it. The body was covered with a white cloth. ¡°Would you like to see the patient for thest time?¡± The doctor spoke to Liam, who had turned pale. ¡°If you decide not to, we will have to send him to the mortuary. Please make funeral arrangements as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Liam gulped nervously, wanting to stand up and take a look. However, he realized he still wasn¡¯t prepared to ept this cruel reality. ¡°I¡¯ll pass.¡± He waved his hand, lowering his gaze dejectedly. With that, the nurses walked past him while pushing the surgical table, heading straight towards the mortuary. ¡¯Stefan Hunt is dead! He¡¯s dead¡­¡¯ The news felt like a curse, shing repeatedly in Liam¡¯s head, making him feel extremely tense and uneasy. He wondered to himself, ¡®That legendary man died¡­ just like that?!¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t ept his death, and I¡¯m his rival! Not to mention Renee¡­¡¯ He balled his fists. ¡®No, I can¡¯t let Boss find out about this, at least not until she¡¯s fully recovered!¡¯ The next day, Liam brought along a delicious breakfast for Renee first thing in the morning. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The woman was already awake and immersed in a book. ¡°How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?¡± Liam asked out of concern as he shifted the overbed table over, cing a hearty breakfast on top of it. ¡°Nope! If the nurses hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would¡¯ve even tried to walk!¡± Renee said proudly, almost drooling at the sight of the delicious and well- made food. As she ate, Renee was eager to know more about Stefan¡¯s condition. ¡°What about that guy? Is he done with surgery yet? I just asked the nurses but¡­ they won¡¯t tell me.¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°He¡­¡± Liam took a deep breath, trying to not show any expression. ¡°He¡¯s fine now. The experts operated on him themselves. Besides, he¡¯s the almighty Mr. Hunt, so they wouldn¡¯t dare let anything bad happen to him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I feel relieved now,¡± Renee said, eating with a wide grin on her face. ¡°Oh, yeah. Does he have breakfast? Don¡¯t forget to make some for him too. ¡± The woman reminded Liam. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s your savior. Taking care of him means that I¡¯m taking care of you too. I wouldn¡¯t forget such a small detail.¡± ¡°Good, as expected of my favorite person in the whole wide world.¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help herself and pinched Liam on the cheeks. As the person she trusted most, she relied on Liam to do everything she requested. She didn¡¯t have to worry about anything if he was the one handling it, as he would always take care of them well. Hence, she believed that such small matters should naturally be easy for him to take on. ¡°Have some food first. Let me go check if he needs any help,¡± Liam said and headed out with a perturbed expression. If Stefan had just passed, he figured that the Hunts would soone and demand for an exnation from them. He wouldn¡¯t be able to hide the truth any longer then. Liam had decided to hide Stefan¡¯s death for now, and transfer his body somewhere. At the very least, he didn¡¯t want anyone else to find out about the man¡¯s death before his boss recovered. He then went to the mortuary, lying about being Stefan¡¯s family and requested the guard to bring Stefan¡¯s body out Chapter 429 Chapter 429 Chapter 429 However, the guard said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m afraid someone has already taken the body away.¡± ¡®What? Took away?¡± Liam felt extremely anxious. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°One of Mr. Hunt¡¯s family members. They took him awayst night.¡± ¡¯So that means the Hunts know! But¡­ why isn¡¯t there any news about it?¡± Liam fell into deep thought. He turned his phone on and browsed through thetest news. However, the stock market, the media, and even H Group were as calm as still water. ¡¯This is strange! Could this just be a misunderstanding? Was it someone else who died?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯d like to ask¡­ Was that body¡­ the CEO of H Group, Stefan Hunt?¡± Liam tried to confirm this with the guard. ¡°I think so. The one who took the body away was Mr. Hunt¡¯s father himself,¡± the employee replied honestly. ¡°Well that¡¯s weird¡­¡± Liam remained doubtful as he returned to Renee¡¯s ward. Coincidentally, Leia had brought her boyfriend, William, over to visit Renee. ¡°Ren, I was worried sick about you! Why did you go missing for an entire night! How did you end up like this? Who did this to you? I¡¯ll take revenge for you right away!¡± She said angrily as she hugged the woman, her eyes watery. ¡°No one. I just wasn¡¯t careful and tripped.¡± Renee nudged her friend reassuringly, seemingly confident. ¡® Don¡¯t worry, this is just a minor injury! I just need to rest for a couple of weeks, and then I¡¯ll be ready to go!¡± William seemed eager to help. ¡°My family studies medicine, and my father knows many famous orthopedists. I can rmend some to you if you¡¯d like, Miss Everheart.¡± Leia quickly chimed in. ¡°Is that even a question? Of course she¡¯d need them! Call them over right now! We have to get Ren the very best doctors. I¡¯ll only feel relieved then!¡± William nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make the call right now.¡± Renee found it quite troublesome, but after hearing that they were orthopedists, she responded, ¡°Thank you in advance, Mr. Jones. I may not need it, but Stefan Hunt does.¡± ¡°Stefan Hunt? What does this have to do with him?¡± Leia instantly caught on, quickly questioning the woman. ¡°Did he hurt himself like you did?¡± ¡°He suffered from worse injuries just to save me. He almost had his leg amputated too. Good thing he¡¯s a tough guy though, and managed to survive. But I think it¡¯s still best to have a doctor check on him just in case.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Wait!¡± Leia couldn¡¯t process all this information at once. ¡®I didn¡¯t mishear her, did I? Hunt saved Ren and almost lost a leg? What kind of romantic scenario is that?! Why would that scumbag do something like that in the first ce?¡¯ ¡°Didn¡¯t Liam tell you? I really have to thank him this time, which is why we should have a famous doctor check on him. How else would I return the favor?¡± Renee wasn¡¯t one to be ungrateful, and purely wanted to repay the man¡¯s kindness. Liam just so happened to overhear this, and quickly stepped in. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. The legendary Stefan Hunt would be able to hire any doctor he wishes!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re too enthisiastic in helping him, he might misunderstand your intentions and think that you¡¯re still into him or something. It might lead to some unnecessary drama¡­ unless you actually want that.¡± Leia found Liam¡¯s advice reasonable. ¡°Stefan Hunt is so self-absorbed too, so he¡¯ll definitely think you haven¡¯t moved on from him. I think it¡¯s unnecessary too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Renee nodded. She realized that she was being too hospitable, and it would be hard for anyone to not misunderstand¡­ Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. The woman then promised the two, and also herself, ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡± After talking for a while, Leia held hands with William and got up to leave. ¡°Hold on.¡± Renee called out to them. ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to discuss with Mr. Jones privately, is that okay? Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Chapter 430 ¡°Of course!¡± Leia agreed without any hesitation. She was just like her brother, and trusted Renee completely. ¡°Bestie, help me keep an eye on that guy, I trust your judgment.¡± Before Leia left, she smirked at Renee, then patted William on the shoulder. ¡°Do your best, but if my bestie won¡¯t give us her blessing, I will never marry you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m confident that Miss Everheart can see how genuine my feelings are for you.¡± William smiled, looking at Renee with certainty.¡± Right, Miss Everheart?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Renee¡¯s lips curved upwards as she said mysteriously. As the siblings left the ward together, the smile on Renee¡¯s face disappeared, and her gaze turned cold. ¡°Close the door, please.¡± William was rather cooperative, approaching Renee with a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already looked into my past, Miss Everheart.¡± Renee seemed quite surprised, huffing coldly. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than I thought.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Miss Everheart. Leia talks about you a lot, so I know you¡¯re a devoted, careful, and meticulous person. Now that your best friend is marrying all of a sudden, it¡¯s reasonable for you to look into me.¡± ¡°Good, not only are you intelligent, but you¡¯re quite understanding too. It¡¯s true that I can¡¯t nitpick much.¡± Renee had never expected William to be so humble. He wasn¡¯t mad that she looked into his background, which made her feel slightly ashamed of her own actions.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Come clean yourself then, what¡¯s your purpose of getting close to Leia?¡± Renee asked straightforwardly, not intending to waste her time and energy. William smiled softly. ¡°That¡¯s an odd question, isn¡¯t it, Miss Everheart? I love Leia, so I approached her because I want to be with her. I¡¯d like to be her husband and stay together for eternity.¡± ¡°Save it!¡± Renee¡¯s expression was filled with disdain. ¡°You may be able to fool a sweet girl like Leia, but you can¡¯t fool me. I know how twisted and obsessive your past rtionship was. Besides, you¡¯re a smart man, so you couldn¡¯t possibly have not known that your ex is considered a person of interest to us.¡± ¡°You mean Briar Desrosiers?¡± William¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, as his smile grew colder. ¡°You have great connections, Miss Everheart. I didn¡¯t expect you to find out about my terrible past¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Briar was indeed my first love. I was so in love with her that I went mad, and did a lot of irrational things just to win her heart. But that¡¯s all in the past now, and I¡¯ve tried my best to wipe the te clean.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you found out about that, but it doesn¡¯t matter. I just hope you won¡¯t bring this up anymore, when I¡¯ve already regained my rationality and want to start a new life. Please allow me to do so, at the very least!¡± Renee chuckled, her expression still frosty. ¡°Don¡¯t act like a victim, I refuse to believe that you can fall for someone new after loving her so obsessively! You must have a hidden motive!¡± She had been through enough to see through these scumbag men, and knew that she shouldn¡¯t trust them easily. Moreover, William and Leia were advancing way too quickly. With his history with Briar, she couldn¡¯t help but feel wary of him. William didn¡¯t get mad at all, retorting, ¡°Well, Miss Everheart, didn¡¯t you obsess over a man who didn¡¯t love you back too? You ended up quite hurt yourself. So, does that mean you¡¯d stop loving after that?¡± Renee looked taken aback. ¡°I¡¯m different from you. You loved Briar Desrosiers, so you should know what type of person she is. You-¡° ¡°And how is Stefan Hunt any better than Desrosiers? We share the same fate, so you¡¯re just a pot calling the kettle ck. If you can fall in love with someone new, why can¡¯t I?¡± William tilted his head as he stared at Renee. ¡°Or could it be that¡­ you¡¯ve never moved on from Stefan Hunt, and you can¡¯t possibly fall for someone else?¡± ¡®That¡¯s not it!¡± Renee denied as she gritted her teeth. ¡°So there you have it¡­ You had the same experience as I did, and you still fell in love with someone else. So why can¡¯t I? You¡¯re just being critical because I fell for your best friend!¡± ¡°M-Maybe!¡± Renee replied, somewhat convinced Chapter 431 Chapter 431 Chapter 431 That would make sense, but she still felt like something was off because it was too much of a coincidence. ¡°If you¡¯ve got nothing to hide, thene clean to Leia about your rtionship with Briar. If she takes it well, I won¡¯t say anything else on the matter,¡± Renee demanded. Her biggest worry was that she was the reason why Leia was caught up in all this. Every time she met that woman, things went downhill. ¡°I know what you¡¯re worried about, and it¡¯s not something that I need to be reminded of. I will make sure to talk it out with Lei.¡± William promised Renee, his tone sincere. ¡°Fine, you better be honest about everything, and remember what you just told me. If you try any funny business, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it!¡± As Renee hadn¡¯t caught WiIlian slipping up, she warned him again for good measure. William walked away from the room. Leia, who had been waiting outside, rushed up to him. ¡°How did it go with my best friend? Did you pass?¡± ¡°I think I got more than 80%,M William said honestly. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good, you got this!¡± Leia cheered. No one understood Renee like her. If William managed to get 80% of her approval, he had already passed her expectations. William then held onto Leia¡¯s hand, and suddenly asked, ¡°Lei, if one day, you were forced to choose between your best friend and me, who would you choose?¡± ¡°Is that even a question?¡± Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Leia responded,¡¯ Of course it would be my dearest Ren. Don¡¯t even try to go for that spot, because you won¡¯t win!¡± She didn¡¯t look like she was joking at all ¨C she sincerely meant it. Even though Renee always called her a lovesick fool, she was well aware that she needed to prioritize her best friend over any rtionship. If she had to choose, Leia would definitely pick her best friend over everyone. This was because there was a possibility that the men she dated would betray or hurt her, and her best friend would never do something like that. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If Miss Everheart were to ask you to break up with me, would you do it?¡± ¡°I would.¡± ¡°You¡¯d believe whatever Miss Everheart told you?¡± ¡°I would.¡± A hint of dejection settled into William¡¯s features as he replied, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting weird today, why would you suddenly ask that question? What did Ren tell you?¡± Leia asked, noticing William¡¯s odd behavior. ¡°Nothing much, I was just curious.¡± William¡¯s eyes shifted, secrets still hidden away in his heart, making him feel uneasy. After William and Leia went their separate ways, he reached the basement parking lot. Sitting in his car, he dialed Briar¡¯s number. ¡°I¡¯ve already given you what you want. So when are you going to keep your end of the deal?¡± He asked in a hushed tone. Briar¡¯s voice over the phone didn¡¯t sound like her usual crazy self, nor did she sound weak or pitiful. Instead, a chilly voice responded, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Keep up the charade, I need to know where exactly those two brats are! Chapter 432 Chapter 432 Chapter 432 William¡¯s expression seemed troubled. After a moment, he said, ¡°Could you let me know what you n to do to them?¡± ¡°Why are you asking so many questions!¡± Briar¡¯s gaze turned frosty and she snapped, ¡°You know what I¡¯ve been through! You were the one who told me you loved me, and would do anything for me. This is your chance to prove yourself, so don¡¯t you dare drop the ball on this. If this n seeds, I will give you anything you could ever ask for!¡± ¡¯I¡­¡¯ William took a deep breath, his fists clenching as he responded, ¡°I understand. My love for you is unshakable ¨C even if the entire world turns its back on you, I will always stand by you.¡± Briar smiled in approval, her tone arrogant as she dered, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare go back on your word. I, Briar Desroisers, despise men who make empty promises.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Oh yeah, since you¡¯ve known that woman¡¯s best friend for so long, what other information have you learned apart from her having two kids?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no new info for now. Leia¡¯s being tightlipped about everything. She and Renee have a bond so tight that she would do anything for her. If I start digging too much, I¡¯d make her suspicious¡­¡± Briar scoffed, a devious smile appearing on her face. ¡°There is no such bond between friends. Whenever a guy enters the picture, they would turn on each other in an instant. What do you think she would say if her dearest best friend were to be caught trying to seduce her boyfriend?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You know damn well what I mean!¡± Briar¡¯s hands fisted tightly, her eyes full of hatred. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have given a damn had that witch not shown up. Now that she¡¯s here, you bet I¡¯ll be taking my revenge. Anyway¡­ Just hurry up and get to work already, stop beating around the bush. I can¡¯t keep sitting around waiting for her to get with Stefan again.¡± For these past four years, she had acted like a madwoman, even going so far as to slit her wrists multiple times. She did all of this to gain Stefan¡¯s pity andpassion, which allowed her to stay by his side, fair and square. Little did she know that Renee Everheart woulde waltzing back. Hence, she decided that she would not show mercy this time. She would give anything to teach her a lesson, and ruin her life. A thought suddenly urred to William. ¡°Speaking of Stefan, I heard some news about him from Liam. I¡¯m not sure, but have you caught wind of it yet? Briar scowled deeply. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that when Stefan went to save Renee, he took a bad fall and is apparently in the ER. But when I dropped by the hospital to get an update, his whereabouts were unknown. Did you know that?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of this. I don¡¯t think the Hunt family knows about this either, or else they¡¯d have caused a riot by now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a bit weird¡­¡± William stroked his chin and said thoughtfully, ¡°Stefan Hunt is so famous that if anything had happened to him, society would definitely be buzzing by now, not to mention the Hunt family. Unless¡­¡± ¡°Unless Renee and her gang are up to something behind the scenes!¡± Briar¡¯s face lit up with glee. ¡°This is great info, just give me some time to do some research on this. If that woman really is behind this, her life will be over!¡± At the Hunt residence, the sun was just right, and the flowers in the garden were in full bloom. Francine was in quite a good mood, a watering can in her hand as she watered a lily nt Chapter 433 Chapter 433 Chapter 433 ¡°Edith, don¡¯t you think that the lilies in our garden look especially beautiful this year? They look bigger too!¡± Francine asked the housekeeper beside her, who was currently waiting on her. ¡°Huh?¡± Edith wanted to say that the lilies bloomed the same every year, as was the case now. However, she did not want to ruin Francine¡¯s mood so she agreed, ¡°Yes, there are a lot this year, and they are quite lovely, likest year!¡± Francine¡¯s gaze slid over Edith and she protested indignantly, ¡°How are they anything likest year¡¯s flowers? They clearly look better this year! Oh, and¡­ do you want to know the symbolic meaning of lilies in full bloom?¡± ¡°Uh, what do they symbolize?¡± ¡°Lilies symbolize asting happy marriage. Since this year¡¯s flowers are blooming so beautifully, it¡¯s a sign from the heavens that my son and my daughter-inw are about to get together and stay with each other forever! ¡¯ Francine eximed in joy. She then picked one of the flowers and admired it in her hand, as if she could see Stefan and Renee¡¯s bright new future in the flower. ¡°Do blooming lilies really symbolize such a thing?¡± Edith¡¯s head was full of doubt as she muttered under her breath softly. She had never heard of such a thing. ¡°Who cares, it does as long as I say so. Now snip some of the best blooms and tie them up into a bouquet. I need them forter.¡± Francine instructed the housekeeper in a mysterious tone. ¡°Alright!¡± Edith took out a pair of scissors and did as told. She snipped off some lilies at the stem and put it into the flower basket she had with her.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Still snipping, she cautiously asked Francine, ¡® Madam, I see that Miss Everheart¡¯s return has made you more happy than Master Hunt this time. Do you not mind any of the things Miss Everheart had done to Miss Desrosiers?¡± Francine¡¯s jubnt grin faded. She replied tonelessly, ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re such a wet nket! Why are you even bringing up such unpleasant matters?¡± ¡¯I¡¯m sorry about this, Madam, but I just think that there is a huge difference between your attitude towards Miss Everheart nowpared to before. I can¡¯t understand what Miss Everheart has done to make you like her so much.¡± This question had gued Edith for the longest time, but she had always been too afraid to ask it. ¡°Well, about that, I can¡¯t tell you what it is exactly¡­ I just think that this girl is rather capable and caring. When my son was nearly paralyzed back then, she wouldn¡¯t leave his side and cared for him constantly. That really made me change the way I viewed her.¡± ¡°Oh, and her cooking skills are amazing, especially her lemon-zed chicken feet. I¡¯ve missed it for the last four years, even in my dreams. She looks quite nice too. Charming, sweet, elegant, but not too much, and also¡­ IV Edith only asked her a simple question, never expecting Francine would start a rant about Miss Everheart, even going as far as to show Edith the recent video of Miss Everheart that went viral online. ¡°Just look at her agility¡­ She¡¯s amazing! She reminds me of my younger self. How could I not like her?¡± Francine eximed. ¡°The important thing is that my darling son likes her. That idiot has taken too long to understand love, and he¡¯s never really liked anyone before this too. Now that someone has captured his heart, of course I¡¯d wish that they will both settle down together.¡± Edith nodded. ¡°That is true. Ever since Miss Everheart left all these years, Master Hunt has been so miserable. I haven¡¯t seen him smile genuinely for so long. Hopefully this time, when they reconcile, they won¡¯t break up again.¡± ¡°That goes without saying. But my son doesn¡¯t seem interested in taking action this time. That¡¯s why, I, as his mother, will have to take matters into my own hands. I just can¡¯t let those two miss each other again!¡± As Francine and Edith were discussing how to get Stefan and Renee together, a servant announced, ¡°Madam, Miss Desrosiers is here to see you.¡± ¡°Oh, her. Tell her that I am busy at the moment and cannot meet her.¡± Francine¡¯s expression was one of annoyance. ¡°But¡­ Miss Desrosiers said that she has very important news she needs to tell you! Chapter 434 Chapter 434 Chapter 434 ¡°Alright, alright, let her in!¡± Francine said reluctantly. In reality, she wasn¡¯t very pleased with Briar Desrosiers. If that woman hadn¡¯t gotten pregnant with a child of the Hunt family, then ended up in such a sorry state, she would have abandoned her long ago. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. After a while, a servant guided a inly dressed, frail Miss Desrosier into the garden. ¡°Look at her, outsiders would think she was here to mourn the dead! She¡¯s going to bring us bad luck!¡± Francine frowned as she looked on with scorn, ranting to Edith. ¡°Miss Francine!¡± Briar slowly approached and started sobbing as soon as she was in front of her, ¡°Miss Francine, I think I¡¯ve ruined everything! You have to help me this time! If you don¡¯t, Stefan might never forgive me and he¡¯ll ignore me forever¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Francine¡¯s first thought was, ¡®Could this really be true? My angel of a son is finally going to get rid of you?¡¯ Regardless, she kept up a regal facade out of courtesy, and feigned concern. ¡°Stop crying first. Tell me what happened. I will help however I can.¡± Briar wiped away her tears pitifully, whimpering. ¡°This is all my fault¡­ You know how Miss Everheart is back in the city, right? I felt extremely upset when reminiscing about the past, so I hoped she could visit my child¡¯s grave, and sincerely apologize for what she¡¯s done, so that my baby can finally rest in peace¡­¡± Francine nodded solemnly. ¡®That sounds reasonable. No matter if she intended it or not, she did in fact indirectly cause the death of that child. She must visit the grave at the very least!¡± ¡®I thought so too, but you know how Miss Everheart is. She¡¯s prideful and headstrong, so she doesn¡¯t even think she was in the wrong! She refused to apologize, and it was up to Stef to step up¡­ It took a lot of time and effort to convince her¡­¡± ¡°What then?¡± Francine looked rather upset now, urging Briar to continue. Although she wanted Renee and Stefan to make up, she could never forgive someone so immoral. After all, Renee did murder an innocent baby, and it would be absolutely horrid of her if she refused to apologize for it. ¡°After that, we headed up the mountains, but she kept talking nonsense! She openly disrespected my baby, which made Stef very angry.¡± ¡°He was so mad that he kicked her out of the car, and soon he started ignoring me out of frustration too! I couldn¡¯t get a hold of him ever since we separated from that trip!¡± Briar started tearing up at this point, looking back at Francine sadly. ¡°Miss Francine, I¡­ I just wanted to beg you¡­ to give Stef a call. Please tell him to forgive me, and tell him I¡¯ll listen to his every word from now on! I¡¯ll stop forcing Miss Everheart to visit my baby¡¯s grave too! I just want him to forgive me!¡± After hearing all that, Francine was furious as well. ¡°If what you said is true, why are you even apologizing? Everheart should be the one apologizing in this case. She literally killed a baby, so how was her reaction warranted? How is it unreasonable to ask her to visit the baby¡¯s grave?¡± ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t, I¡¯d say that Miss Everheart was the one overstepping here¡­ She killed a child of the Hunt family! We were being merciful by letting her off so easily!¡± Edith sounded annoyed after listening in on their conversation. She had long heard about Renee¡¯s antics. However, she never expected her to be this bad. She just didn¡¯t understand why the Hunts were so fond of her, to the point where the usually picky Francine had sumbed to her supposed charms. In her opinion, Briar was far better, the best even. She figured that a fragile woman like her wouldn¡¯t have any bad intentions in her heart. Honestly, Francine didn¡¯t fully believe Briar¡¯s word regarding this matter. From what she knew of Renee, the woman might be wild, but she wouldn¡¯t be such an inconsiderate person Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Chapter 435 Thus, Francine took her phone out and dialed Stefan¡¯s personal number. ¡¯ I¡¯d like to ask Stef about the entire situation. I really don¡¯t believe that the girl would be so insolent!¡± However, it turned out that she couldn¡¯t reach Stefan as well. Not even Elijah knew about his whereabouts. ¡°That¡¯s weird, why can¡¯t I reach him? That kid¡¯s usually at work at this hour, and H Group is facing quite a lot of challenging matters that require his attention. Where has he run off to?¡± Francine¡¯s face was painted with concern as she realized the severity of the situation. After that, she contacted everyone she could, trying her best to find Stefan, only to find that they were looking for the man as well. ¡°Why can¡¯t I contact that child? Did something happen to him?¡± Francine seemed uneasy. Lately, H Group was gaining quite a lot of traction, as they were about to mass produce their new smartphone model, the ME2350. Once they sessfully signed a contract with KCL Group, the entire technology industry would be entering a new era. If the n went smoothly, the industry would face aplete cleanse, with many of their rivals going out of business. In the next ten to twenty years, H Group would be on the absolute top, with an unreachable position in the field. Yet, Stefan went missing just as he was supposed to sign this important contract with KCL Group¡­ ¡®Could it be that their opponents are trying to take revenge, so that they could stop this project?!¡¯ That assumption made Francine very frightened. She knew about the horrors and cruelty of the business world more than anyone, as that was exactly how she lost Tristan. ¡°No, let¡¯s call the police. Stef has to be safe¡­ he has to!¡± Francine trembled as she punched in the numbers, her eyes reddening. She only had two sons after all, and she viewed them more important than her own life. If she lost Stefan too, she simply had no reason to live on. ¡°Miss Francine, don¡¯t panic just yet. Stef is a strong man, so he shouldn¡¯t be in danger. If I had to guess¡­ Could it be that he went looking for Miss Everheart? They argued a lot on the way to the cemetery after all. So maybe he was regretting his actions, and wanted to ask for her forgiveness. They might be together right now,¡± Briar said in a kind voice. ¡°The cemetery?¡± Francine was suddenly reminded of something. ¡°Stef ran out as soon as I mentioned the cemetaryst night. Did he really go looking forthat girl?¡± ¡°I heard Miss Everheart fell down a cliff around the cemetery and hurt herself. Maybe she knows about Stefan¡¯s current condition.¡± ¡®What are we waiting forthen? Which hospital is she at right now? We have to find Stefan!¡± Francine rushed out without any hesitation, not even taking anything with her. After taking a few steps, she returned and grabbed the bouquet of lilies that Edith had previously made. ¡°I was going to give this to her anyway. Let¡¯s go!¡± Briar followed her, grinning slyly as if her scheme had worked. Hmph, I¡¯d like to see how you¡¯re going to get out of this one, Everheart!¡¯Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Francine and Briar soon arrived at the hospital Renee was at. Liam had to handle some matters regarding Azure Group, so Renee was the only one present in the ward at the time. She was currently on a video call with her daughter. ¡°Abby, is your brother still busy with his research? Is that why he won¡¯t see Mommy?¡± ¡¯Yes, Mommy. Adie is very focused on his research, so he can¡¯t have any distractions. You might not see him for a while¡­¡± ¡®Not even for a second?¡± Renee poked Abby¡¯s adorable cheek on her screen, pouting. ¡°Abby, please¡­ Just secretly point the camera at Adie, okay? Let Mommy see your brother for a bit!¡± ¡°No no!¡± Abby shook her head profusely, seemingly determined. ¡°Abby pinky -promised Adie that I won¡¯t let anyone see him before his research is sessful! I want to keep my promises, or else my nose will grow long like Pinhio¡¯s!¡± ¡¯Ah, okay then¡­¡± Renee sighed, as she had failed once again. Her heart always naturally melted in front of her two babies, no matter how powerful and skilled she was. The little ones had many ideas, and they were even more stubborn than she was. That was why she wouldn¡¯t even be able to force them if they refused. However, under Margeret¡¯s care, along with the istion on Sun Ind and the advanced security system, she wasn¡¯t all that worried. ¡°Mommy, does your leg still hurt? Abby will give you kisses so you can get better soon¡­¡± Abby said sweetly, blowing kisses at the camera. ¡°Oh my sweet Abby, how are you so cute! I think I¡¯mpletely cured now because of your kisses!¡¯ Renee felt her heart melting, and she wished she could recover soon so she could bring her children back to the city. ¡°Come here and give Mommy another kiss. Mwah mwah!¡± Renee puckered up her lips as well, kissing her phone over and over again. At the same time, Francine barged into the room with the bouquet of lilies in her hand, and seeing Renee do that stunned her. ¡¯You¡­¡± She gulped, her expression rather awkward. ¡°Did Ie at the wrong time?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Renee held onto her phone, still maintaining her kissy face as her entire body stiffened. She had never expected Francine to enter her ward! ¡°Mommy, who¡¯s there? Are you going to introduce them to Abby? Abby loves making new friends!¡± On the other end of the line, the little girl, who was truly a social butterfly, begged for her mother to introduce this new ¡®friend¡¯ to her. ¡°Bye for now, baby!¡± Renee quickly hung up and took a deep breath, remaining as calm as she could. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Miss Milford.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Francine narrowed her eyes, staring at Renee¡¯s phone that she had just put down. ¡°Who were you calling? Why did I hear someone calling you Mommy? ¡®You must be getting old, Miss Milford. Your hearing must be deceiving you ¡­ Were you hallucinating?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Francine seemed absolutely certain. ¡°My hearing ispletely fine! I¡¯m sure I heard a little girl calling you Mommy¡­ Could you have given birth in secret when you disappeared four years ago?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Just as Renee was having trouble thinking of an excuse, Briar spoke up while standing next to Francine. ¡°Miss Francine, you did mishear Miss Everheart! She was clearly talking to her friend just now. Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s a trend for girls to talk in sweet voices like that now? Am I right, Miss Everheart? Chapter 437 Chapter 437 Chapter 437 ¡®Yeah, exactly!¡± Renee agreed quickly. ¡°My friends are all weirdos ¨C we even call each other Mommy in private!¡± ¡®What in the world¡­ your friends are just as weird as you are!¡± Francine eximed. Although she did find it odd, she didn¡¯t press her. After all, this wasn¡¯t the reason she was here. She ced the beautiful bouquet of lilies on Renee¡¯s desk, then pulled a chair over to sit down next to the bed. Her natural movements made it seem like she was a close loved one to the injured woman. ¡°Tell me. Where have you been hiding after making such a big mistake? Did you get married? Any kids?¡± Francine behaved like an elegant richdy, and every question sounded like an interrogation. She knew her idiot of a son wouldn¡¯t ask such questions, especially with his temper and ego, which was why she had to do it in his stead. Renee smiled coldly. ¡°Miss Milford, why do I need to answer your questions? Do you think we¡¯re close?¡± It had been four years, and yet her ex mother-inw was still just as stubborn and self centered. She thought to herself, ¡®She really is Hunt¡¯s mother, I suppose. Like mother, like son!¡¯ Surprisingly, Francine didn¡¯t get mad this time, and guessed, ¡°So from what you¡¯re saying, I can tell you¡¯re not married. That means you have to take responsibility for Stefan!¡± ¡°Excuse me? Take responsibility for Stefan Hunt?¡± Renee frowned lightly. She wondered, ¡®Why can¡¯t I figure out her intentions? What is she even trying to say?¡¯ ¡®Of course!¡± Francine huffed in a justified tone. ¡°Four years ago, no matter if you intended to or not, you made Stefan lose his child.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve had the guts toe back, you should¡¯ve prepared yourself to give Stefan another child aspensation. As long as you get pregnant, we will ensure you a life of luxury. However¡­ if you won¡¯t, we, the Hunt family, will not let you off so easily!¡± Francine felt quite smart. With the guilt tripping and threats, she would get both an amazing daughter- inw and a grandchild too. Not just that, her son would be happy again. It was the perfect n. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Renee didn¡¯t know whether she should get mad orugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the suggestion. Logically speaking, a life for a life was totally reasonable. However, Stefan and her were not machines, and she couldn¡¯t pop a kid out just because she wanted to pensate¡¯ them. Amused, she decided to y Francine¡¯s game and shrugged. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t mind. But does your son agree to this? Oh, and does his little lover agree to this too?¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ll do it?¡± Francine¡¯s eyes lit up, not expecting Renee to reply so swiftly. She¡¯d even prepared a few million dors to sway her, but it seemed that she had no use for the money now. ¡®I have such a good eye! She¡¯s quite decisive!¡¯ ¡°Okay, now look into the camera, and say that you¡¯re willing to give birth to Stefan¡¯s child as compensation.¡± Francine was worried that Renee would go back on her word, so she immediately took her phone out to record a video of the woman. ¡°Miss Milford, are you really not going to ask for Miss Desrosiers¡¯ opinion? She¡¯s the woman your son loves most, you know?¡± Renee nced at Briar, who was standing in the back. Briar, however, was pursing her lips, looking as if she was about to burst into tears. Although she had no idea why Briar would help her hide Abby¡¯s identity, Renee knew for a fact that all of Briar¡¯s mental issues were just a ploy to manipte Stefan. ¡®Heropinion doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Francine brushed that off, speaking in a mysterious tone. ¡°You don¡¯t have a clue now, do you? Who told you that Stefan loves her the most? Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Chapter 438 Francine collected herself, preparing to go on yet another rant. Just then, Briar interrupted her with a darkened expression, turning towards Renee. ¡°Miss Everheart, we actually came to ask if you know of Stefs whereabouts. It¡¯s been an entire day, and we¡¯ve tried everything we could to contact him. For some reason, we just couldn¡¯t reach him, and he wouldn¡¯t pick up the phone! We¡¯re worried something might¡¯ve happened to him¡­¡± ¡¯You can¡¯t reach him?¡± Renee frowned, visibly confused. ¡¯That¡¯s not right. He already went through surgery, so he should¡¯ve called you guys the moment he woke up.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°What? Surgery?!¡± Francine jumped abruptly, her expression panicked as she continued, ¡°What kind of surgery? Where is he now? What happened to him?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Renee read Francine¡¯s reactions and realized she might not know anything about the ident. After a brief pause, she decided to tell the truth. ¡°I fell down a cliff and injured my leg. He hurt himself while trying to save me, and I heard he actually suffered worse injuries than me.¡± ¡°He underwent surgery not long ago, so he should be resting in one of the wards like me. Why don¡¯t you just¡­ ask the hospital staff?¡± ¡°Really?!¡± The color drained from Francine¡¯s face, and she muttered to herself, ¡°My son has to be safe! He has to!¡± Stefan was her only child now, and her only hope. She was so overprotective of him that she would even panic the moment he got a paper cut. Coincidentally, a nurse came into the ward to change Renee¡¯s bandages. Francine rushed over to grab the nurse by the arm as if she were insane, her tone furious. ¡°Which ward is my son in? How is he now? Is his life in any danger!?¡¯ The nurse was petrified, staring back at Francine with cowardly eyes. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­ Who are you? And¡­ who is your son?¡± ¡¯You dumb thing! I¡¯m Francine Milford, and my son is the renowned CEO of H Group, Stefan Hunt! Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know who he is?!¡± ¡°I do, but¡­¡± The nurse turned even more pale, and stopped talking after ncing at Renee. This was because Liam had given orders to the house to never let Renee find out about Stefan¡¯s condition, or else she¡¯d have to face serious consequences. Hence, despite Renee¡¯s many attempts of trying to find out, the nurse, along with many other hospital staff, remained tightlipped. ¡°Just say something if you know something! Why are you looking at her? Is it because something bad happened and she won¡¯t let you tell me?!¡± Francine red at the nurse, asking harshly. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Miss Milford, I don¡¯t know anything! Even if I did, I wouldn¡¯t dare say anything either! I¡¯m just a nurse, so please let me go!¡± The nurse was trembling, her words sounding slightly misleading. Renee felt wronged, her expression darkened. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you see anyone pointing a gun to your head so that you¡¯d stay silent, hmm?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know! Please stop asking me questions! I can¡¯t afford to offend anyone!¡± The nurse was tearing up at this point. She couldn¡¯t possibly provoke the Osbournes, but she couldn¡¯t offend the Hunts either. Briar looked as if her scheme was going well, holding the nurse¡¯s arm as she fuelled the fire. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of Miss Everheart, nurse. She might sound stern, but she¡¯s not that bad a person! If there¡¯s something she can¡¯t tell us, we¡¯ll stop asking. All we want to know is Stef¡¯s whereabouts, and his current condition.¡± Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Renee felt as if she was about to explode after hearing Briar¡¯s words. She red at her and thought to herself, ¡®Ha, good one, woman. You were clearly implying that I have something to hide, so don¡¯t act like you¡¯re helping me! Now I¡¯m really going to be med for whatever this is!¡¯ ¡¯Desrosiers, so you¡¯re saying I¡¯m threatening the nurse on purpose, so she won¡¯t reveal Hunt¡¯s condition to you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, Miss Everheart, please don¡¯t assume things. Unless¡­ you really are hiding something.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°What do I have to hide? I myself want to know of his condition too! I feel very bad that he injured himself while saving me, alright?¡± ¡°How would I know what you¡¯re thinking, Miss Everheart? There¡¯s a possibility that you want to avoid taking responsibility if Stefs condition is worsening, so¡­¡± The two then started fighting with one another, each providing quite valid arguments. ¡¯Enough!¡± Francine yelled furiously, causing the entire room to fall silent. Her face was frosty as she pointed at the nurse menacingly. ¡°I don¡¯t care who¡¯s threatening you at this point, just tell us everything you know. Or else ¡­ I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll understand the consequences of upsetting me!¡± ¡¯I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Although the nurse was afraid of Liam¡¯s revenge, she knew that Francine would definitely kill her on the spot if she didn¡¯t talk. ¡°Honestly¡­ Only Mr. Osborne and Miss Everheart know of Mr. Hunt¡¯s whereabouts and condition. I just received news¡­ that¡­¡± The nurse nced carefully at Renee once more. This made Renee feel even worse, and she snapped,¡±Stop looking at me. Just tell us everything, and bepletely honest!¡± Briarchimed in as well. ¡°That¡¯s right, tell us everything, no one would dare to harm you with us having your back!¡± The nurse gulped. ¡°Thest news I received regarding Mr. Hunt¡¯s condition ¡­ was that his life was at risk. Even if he were to survive, his leg would have to be amputated! As for his current condition, you¡¯ll have to ask Mr. Osborne and Miss Everheart instead!¡± ¡°What?! His life is at risk? Am¡­ Amputation?!¡± Francine felt light-headed, nearly losing her bnce after hearing that. ¡°Careful, Miss Francine!¡± Briar quickly caught her, then shot Renee a dirty re. ¡°How are you going to gaslight your way out of this one, Everheart?! Just look at what you¡¯ve done! What happened to Stef?! Why won¡¯t you tell us?! Where is he now?¡± ¡¯I don¡¯t know of his condition either, let alone where he is now¡­¡± Renee was confused. ¡°I just heard from Liam that his surgery was a sess, and that his condition had stabilized!¡± ¡°I even thought you brought him to a better hospital to receive treatment! Why¡­ How could you not know anything about his situation?!¡± ¡°Sure, keep up that act of yours!¡± Briar snapped. ¡°If we knew about his situation, why would wee all the way here just to ask you about it?!¡± ¡°You must be working with Liam to kidnap Stef! And I have reason to suspect that¡­ everything was just your ploy! You pretended to be injured so that you could lure Stef over, since you knew he¡¯d save you! You did all this just so you could have a chance to harm him!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Renee denied the usations coldly. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have a lot of free time on my hands! I don¡¯t even have a motive!¡± ¡°You do!¡± Francine had already lost all rationality, lunging towards Renee and shaking her. ¡°Tell me where my son is now! Where is he Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Calm down, Miss Milford!¡± Renee was having a hard time moving around with a cast and an IV drip connected to her arm. Francine was quite a bad-tempered person. On the verge of a meltdown, she would¡¯ve choked Renee to death if it weren¡¯t for the little bit of rationality she had in her. ¡°rm giving you onest chance to tell me where Stef is! As long as you¡¯re willing to tell me, I can look past everything! I just want to know if my son is safe! Please, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Francine was still holding onto Renee¡¯s shoulders, her insanity reced with despair as tears welled up in her eyes. As a mother, she was willing to risk her life for her child. ¡®I already told you -1 don¡¯t know either! I didn¡¯t even expect him toe save me! I have no reason to harm him, nor do I have any reason to hide him from you, alright?¡± As a mother herself, Renee understood how Francine felt, so she didn¡¯t me her for her actions. If the roles had been switched, she wouldn¡¯t have been as level-headed as Francine. She would¡¯ve taken down her suspect, even if it cost her life. However, despite her understanding, she could not help the poor woman in any way¡­ Renee sighed inwardly and thought to herself, ¡®Agh! What the heck happened to you, Hunt?! Why are you making everyone worry about you?¡± ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll give Liam a call right now! He might know something.¡± Everything Renee heard about Stefan was from Liam, so she figured he should know the man¡¯s situation. Just as she was about to make the call, Liam himself entered the ward. He had just finished up with work, and had rushed over to the hospital as soon as he could. ¡°Let go of her!¡± Liam noticed Francine gripping Renee¡¯s shoulders as he barged in. Infuriated, he strode over to them and pushed Francine away. ¡°Liam! No!¡± Renee quickly stopped the man with a sharp yell. She calmed herself before saying, ¡°You¡¯re just in time. Quick, tell them what happened to Hunt, and where he is now!¡± Liam¡¯s angry expression subsided, and was soon reced with a strange one. His smile was cold and ambiguous as he asked, ¡°How could you not know of Stefan Hunt¡¯s condition as his mother, Miss Milford?¡± He had previously asked the mortuary guard, and found that it was Stefan¡¯s father who took his body. Hence, it was impossible for Francine to not have the slightest clue about the situation. Thus, he assumed that Francine came by to visit Renee with bad intentions. ¡°That again¡­ Mr. Osborne, you seem to be talking from the same script as Miss Everheart. Do you really think we¡¯re stupid?!¡± Briar red at the man.¡¯ What have you and Miss Everheart done to Stef? Why won¡¯t you tell us where he is?¡± Liam ced both hands in his pockets, looking dashing and elegant as he spoke, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re saying, but if you keep upsetting my boss, I will not show you any mercy. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re from the Hunt family, or if you¡¯re God himself!¡± Hearing this, Briar quickly spread her arms and stood in front of Francine, acting as if she was willing to die for her. ¡°I knew you guys were up to no good! Now that you¡¯ve been exposed, you¡¯re trying to get revenge on us! Fine then, take me instead! Don¡¯t you dare disrespect Miss Francine¡­ I¡¯ll fight you to the death if I have to! Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Chapter 441 ¡°Come at you, right? No problem. Just don¡¯t beg for mercyter.¡± Liam was the ¡°King of Demons¡± who even The Great Eight of Beach City shied away from. He was the best at dealing with such pretentious sluts like Briar. Cracking his knuckles, he sneered and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I boxed, and my hands can¡¯t wait. In the past, when I boxed, one of my favorite things was using a bad women¡¯s face as a sandbag. It was so much fun to give them each a punch and bruise their face. Now that you are the one who asked for it yourself, nobody would have more pleasure than me to do the honors¡­¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯te near me. I am a member of the Hunt family. If your dare to hurt me, the Hunt family will not let you go easily!¡± Briar had long heard of Liam¡¯s ¡°terrifying¡± deeds. This young man was fearless on ount of being favored in the Osborne family, and his means were particrly ruthless, so much so that anyone who had seen it would stay as far as possible away from him. Literally no one had the stomach to provoke him. She did not expect that this phnderer would be so supportive of Renee. It had been years since the rumor about them surfaced, but they were still together! Had she known it earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have acted tough and defended Francine. If she overdid it, it would a great loss for her if he really punched her face like a sandbag! ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it clearly enough? I don¡¯t care if you are a Hunt or whoever. Anyone who dares to disrespect my boss must be punished!¡± As soon as he said that, he smashed the table so hard that his fist went through the table, forming a big hole. ¡°Ah! Help me, Miss Francine!¡± Briar screamed and hid behind Francine like a tortoise shrinking its head. ¡°Miss Milford, are you joining her to be a sandbag as well?¡± Liam clenched his fists and asked with a fake smile. He did this for no other purpose but to scare them away so as not to affect Renee¡¯s mood. If Renee knew that Stefan was dead, it would surely affect her treatment. He did not want to take the risk. Being a veritable noblewoman of the city, Francine was way more audacious than Briar and had ovee many obstacles. Why would she be threatened by a little kid like Liam? She tilted her chin up and said arrogantly, ¡°You are just Renee¡¯s dog. How dare you bark in front of me?¡± He raised his eyebrows slightly. ¡°You are indeed a noblewoman of the Beach City-Look at you, the mother of Stefan Hunt. How brave!¡± She snorted. ¡°I still had doubts before I came, but it now seems a hundred percent that you two set my husband up!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°What made you say so?¡± he asked. ¡°Azure Group, thepany you established, grew rapidly in these two years. It has caused the both of you to get ahead of yourselves bypeting with H Group. I guess you must have known that Stefan will be signing a strategic alliance agreement with KCL on the supply of G6 chips at the end of this month. Once the contract is signed, H Group will be the strongest in the field of electronic science and technology, and small Francine analyzed the situation logically and said, ¡°Therefore, you deliberately harmed him to stop him from getting the contract with KCL. You are simply despicable; vicious to the core!¡± Renee felt helpless after hearing this and retorted, ¡°Are we that reckless to you. Miss Milford? If you were really worried about the coboration between H Group and KCL, shouldn¡¯t we think of a way to sign a contract with KCL instead of using such a stupid trick to cause trouble for Azure Group? Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Chapter 442 ¡®You are biting off more than you can chew!¡¯ Francine interrupted icily, ¡°You should know the status of KCL in the field of electronic science and technology. They¡¯ve only coborated with H Group all these years. How can a fledglingpany like yours work with them just because you want to?¡± Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®That¡¯s right!¡± Briar, who was hiding behind Francine, also raised her voice. ¡°With the scale of Azure Group, you are not even worthy of holding a candle to KCL; what more work with them. I think this is exactly why you used such an insidious method to harm Stefan. You were hoping that H Group and KCL would not be able to coborate¡­¡± Liam nearly burst outughing when he heard this. ¡°I can¡¯t agree with you. I admit that KCL is strong, but they are not that unattainable. Strictly speaking, I have a good rtionship with the boss of KCL!¡± Briar snorted disdainfully, ¡°You must be bragging. Even Stefan did not have much contact with the boss of KCL, much less a person of your stature. How could you possibly have a good rtionship with him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bragging. I am indeed close to him. Renee can testify for me¡­ Right, Boss?¡± When he said that to Renee, he raised his eyebrows meaningfully. ¡®Stop it,¡± Renee said calmly. ¡®Get someone to find Stefan now. Where the heck is he? I¡¯m also worried sick about him.¡± ¡°Stop pretending. I have never seen someone who can talk nonsense so confidently like you!¡± Briar got very emotional and urged Francine. ¡°Miss Francine, I think we should stop this empty talk with them and call the police. Let them question these two so we don¡¯t have to waste time here and dy the search for Stefan!¡± Francine nodded. ¡°You are right. We can¡¯t settle this with them anyway. It¡¯s better to let the police handle it.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t call the police!¡± Liam shouted firmly. ¡°If anyone dares to call the police, I shall not show mercy!¡± His reaction only further convinced Francine and Briar that there was something strange going on in his mind. Even Renee felt that something fishy had to be going on. Briar said, ¡°Just listen to him. Look at his arrogance. He does not even want to pretend anymore! Wait no more, Miss Francine. Hurry up and call the police. I don¡¯t believe that his family can be more powerful than thew. IV Renee said, ¡°Since that is the case, ask the police toe. I believe thew is fair and will prove our innocence¡­ If you won¡¯t make the call, I will do it myself.¡± She fished for her mobile to call the police. Seeing this, Liam walked forward and snatched away her mobile. ¡°Listen to me, Boss. Don¡¯t. The fewer people who know about this, the better. And I believe the Hunt family wouldn¡¯t want too many people to know either.¡± Renee was sure that Liam was hiding something from her. She frowned and asked solemnly, ¡°If you really respect and trust me, you should just tell me. What exactly are you hiding from me, Liam?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± He hesitated, as he knew that she would not be able to bear it if he told her about it. And if Francine still did not learn about Stefan¡¯s death, she would go crazy right on the spot when he said it. Things would be even moreplicated then. ¡®Come on, say it. Not to mention that they will suspect you; your behavior implies that we really killed Stefan!¡± Renee hated the most to be a scapegoat, but Liam¡¯s reactions were turning her into one. It was driving her nuts. ¡°Okay. If you insist, then I will tell you. But you must prepare yourself. Stefan¡¯s condition is very serious, more serious than amputation. He has¡­¡± Just as Liam took a deep breath and was about to tell Renee everything, Francine¡¯s phone rang. ¡®What did you say? Stefan¡­¡± She looked tense and was frowning while listening to the person on the other end of the line. After a long time, she hung up the call gloomily. Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Chapter 443 ¡®What is it, Miss Francine? Is there any news of Stefan?¡± asked Briar anxiously. ¡°Yes.¡± Francine nodded without the slightest joy on her face. ¡°That¡¯s great. How¡¯s Stefan now? Where is he? Did he say that it was them who did it to him?¡± asked Briar eagerly. She guessed that something unpleasant must have happened between Renee and Stefan. Liam¡¯s reaction wouldn¡¯t have been so defensive otherwise. Now that Stefan was found, she certainly wasn¡¯t about to let them escape! After a long silence, Francine said with aplicated expression, ¡°Stefan is ¡­ quite well. We have misjudged Miss Everheart and Mr. Osborne.¡± ¡°What?¡± Briar and Liam shouted simultaneously in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s okay.¡± Renee was relieved to hear the news. Liam would¡¯ve concealed something to not make her worry, but a calcting person like Francine would¡¯ve pounced on her long ago if something bad happened to Stefan. As Francine had no reason to hide from her, she had reason to believe that Stefan should be fine and that she didn¡¯t need to be so worried. ¡°Stefan is alright. He told me to tell you to recuperate so you can be discharged from the hospital soon¡­¡± Francine stared at Renee. She was obviously saying some caring words, but her extremely cold gaze made her seem as if she wanted to y Renee alive. ¡°This is impossible. Miss Francine, you heard what the nurse said just now, that Stefan¡¯s condition is very serious. Howe he¡¯s suddenly fine and even emphasized that it has nothing to do with them?¡± Briar, eager to stir up trouble, refused to let go of such an opportunity to nder Renee and continued to fan the mes. ¡°Who¡¯s the call from? Have you been cheated? I think we¡¯d better call the police first!¡± Francine red at her coldly. ¡°Do you really hope that something bad has happened to my son?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean that, Miss Francine. You¡¯ve misunderstood me. I¡¯m just worried that¡­¡± ¡°Enough. I know when we should or should not call the police!¡± Francine stopped Briar impatiently and, with a grave tone, said, ¡°I will find out who exactly the culprit who harmed my son is. But, I, Francine Milford, will never nder an innocent person, nor will I let a guilty one go free!¡± Finally, Francine and Briar left the ward. Renee stared into the void for a long time at the direction they left. Although Francine had said that Stefan was alright, she had a feeling that things were not as simple as they looked¡­ ¡°Liam, you said that Stefan¡¯s condition is more serious than amputation. What exactly is that?¡± Renee pushed Liam for an answer. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Francine said? He¡¯s quite alright. Stop thinking too much. We should think properly about the next step since this incident has disrupted our n for Azure Group.¡±All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Liam was also confused about what was going on with Stefan right now, but he was more concerned about Azure Group¡¯s ns being disrupted. If thepany failed this time, then all the hard work and time Renee had put in would simply evaporate Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Chapter 444 Renee¡¯s expression was very calm, and she said with confidence, ¡°We will just do what we should. Azure Group was not affected by H Group in the past, and so will it be in the future. H Group has been prosperous for so long, but it is time to change that. We¡¯ll let them taste how it is to be under the thumb of someone.¡± Liam¡¯s confidence was boosted instantly. He looked at Renee with starry eyes as if gazing at his only God. He admired her so much that he could practically kneel down in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. I have already set up the press conference site. Whether it is the media or our peers, they won¡¯t be attending this press conference just for fun. We shall let the whole nation watch how the magnificent H Group falls from grace!¡± The man was very excited. He and Renee had waited too long and put in too much effort for this day, so only sess was allowed, not failure. He could not deny that the incident of Stefan happened just in time. Supposing H Group was in a mess now without its leader, it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem for Azure Group to take its position to be the giant of the industry. However, Liam was unsure if Renee would stand firm if she knew that Stefan was no longer alive. ¡°Boss, Stefan has gone all out to save you this time. Will you¡­ pity him?¡± Liam could not help but test the waters. Reneeughed coldly. ¡°You are not saying this right. I have done so much and nned so long just to earn enough for my kids. It is not that I want to wipe out everyone. What does it have to do with pitying him?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Liam, at a momentary loss for words, could only tease her. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you think what you are earning for your kids is a bit excessive? If everything goes smoothly, I think the money you earn will be more than enough for the entire Everheart family, even for another ten generations!¡± ¡¯Let¡¯s hope so.¡± Renee raised her eyebrows and was lost in thought. She inexplicably felt uneasy though everything was going smoothly, as if something was going to happen¡­ How troubling! In Sun Ind in Southeast Aeos, Abby sneaked into Adie¡¯s littleboratory when Margaret was not looking. However, she found herself alone in theboratory. Adie was nowhere to be seen. So, she carefullyunched her smartwatch and made a video call to her older brother, Adie, after properly locking the door of theboratory. ¡°Brother, are you in Beach City already? Mommy and Margaret have been mentioning you every day. If you don¡¯te back soon, we will be exposed. I¡¯m afraid Mommy will be angry!¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The moment the call was connected, Abby¡¯s chubby face instantly went up to the camera as she talked in a childish voice with the volume purposely turned down. ¡°Sister, I am already in Beach City. I¡¯m getting ready to go to bad daddy¡¯spany. I think it will take only three days to get the thing Mommy always wanted and defeat that bad daddy. You still need to cover up for me. It will not be so hard for Mommy when things are sessful!¡± On the other end of the line, Adie, like a little adult, was wearing a id suit and sunsses and carrying a small briefcase when he told Abby seriously, ¡°But Mommy is too clever. She will find out if you don¡¯t have a long video call with her. Besides¡­ Mommy seemed to be bullied by a bad guy and hurt her leg. What should I do when she finds out that you left Sun Ind? Won¡¯t she get worried?¡± ¡°What did you say? Mommy is hurt?¡¯ Adie frowned immediately and propped his chin, and pondered. He looked just like a mini version of a domineering president when he said in a childish voice, ¡°Who is that uppity man who dared to hurt my Mommy! I will not spare him once I find him!¡± Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Chapter 445 Abby pped in excitement. As Adie¡¯s biggest fan, Abby regarded him as an all-powerful superhero. In her heart, her brother was the most powerful person in this world. As for the second, it was no doubt her beautiful and gentle mommy! As for the third¡­ she thought that it should be her bad daddy who hurt her mother. Only he had the ability to make her strong and brave mother shed tears. ¡°Brother, I think the bad guy who hurt Mommy could be our bad daddy. After all, Mommy is so powerful. Who apart from him can bully her?¡± She blinked her big, round eyes and guessed suddenly. ¡°Well, it is possible.¡± Adie nodded. Though he was a four-year-old child, his handsome small face already revealed its potential to charm. ¡±1 will soon be able to meet bad daddy, and I will naturally know if he is the one who harmed Mommy. If he really did it, I will not forgive him!¡± ¡°But Brother, Mommy said that he is very powerful. Can you beat him alone?¡± ¡°Of course, I can.¡± Adie patted his small briefcase and said confidently, ¡°I have very powerful weapons here. With them, no one can be my opponent.¡± ¡°Good luck, Brother. I will wait for your good news. Don¡¯t worry. I will cover up for you!¡± Abby was very confident in Adie when she saw that briefcase. And the two little ones finally ended their conversation. At the moment, Adie was standing in front of H Group¡¯s tower. Using a loophole in the airline system, he managed to leave Sun Ind andnded safely at Beach City a few days ago. He nned to use the same method to infiltrate H Group and directly intrude into the system of the president¡¯s office. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Mommy once said that bad daddy is the president of H Group, and there are confidential documents crucial to the survival of H Group in his office. As long as I get them, I am sure bad daddy will not disobey me.¡± Adie pushed the sunsses on his nose and opened his briefcase. He took out a brick-sizedputer and started hitting the keyboards. He perfectly inherited Stefan and Renee¡¯s high intelligence, and in particr, Renee¡¯s talent for hacking. Since birth, he¡¯d been very interested in all manner of electronic gadgets. Under the influence of his mother, he naturally became a great hacker. He was now typing on hisputer right in front of the office of H Group because he could only crack the passwords of the departments when he was connected to its publicwork. As long as he seeded, he would be able to get around the entire H Group unhindered. Tap, tap, tap. With Adie¡¯s lightning-fast tapping, the virus he created infected H Group¡¯s ess control system step by step, and the progress bar soon hit eighty percent. Right then, a security guard ran over and drove him away. ¡°Hey, where did this kide from? What are you doing here? Where are your parents? Go away! Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Chapter 446 At the sight of the man, Adie put his smallputer into his briefcase nonchntly. He then took off his sunsses, revealing his round, shiny, tiger-like eyes, and said sweetly, ¡°Hello, mister. Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Oh, what a little good guy!¡± The previously ferocious security guard¡¯s heart melted instantly the moment he had a good look at the face of the small handsome man. He smiled calmly and said, ¡°What¡¯s your name, little guy? What are you doing here? Where are your parents?¡± Little Adie was well aware that his cute and harmless face was his biggest weapon. No ordinary man would be able to resist once he saw his face. Therefore, he deliberately blinked his eyes and put on a pitiful look, and started manipting the man. ¡°Mister, I am waiting for my dad to get off work here. I feel so bored, but I can only y a game here. Aren¡¯t I look pathetic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡± The security guard felt very sorry for Aide when he saw him frowning and said angrily, ¡°Who is your father? He is too irresponsible. How could he leave such a small kid alone outside? What if you encounter a bad hat and get kidnapped?¡± ¡°I have no choice. Daddy is too busy. If only someone could take me to him If When the little guy said that, he lowered his head sadly and touched the tips of his forefingers. ¡°Anyway, I better not trouble other people. H Group is so big and has many impressive people inside. How can a small kid like me get in? If I really encounter a bad guy, I will just run faster. Go ahead with your work, mister. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± The security guard hesitated at first, for H Group was known for its strict security, and they never arbitrarily allowed anyone in, let alone a child. But when he saw this little one being so thoughtful and so pitiful, he suddenly grabbed the kid¡¯s small hand and said on impulse, ¡°You are so adorable. I can¡¯t let you stay outside alone. How about this? I will bring you to the lounge first, and you wait there until your father gets off work, okay?¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That would be wonderful. You are so kind, mister. I will ask my daddy to give you a raise when I get the chance,¡± Little Adie promised very seriously. He was not saying this for fun. Mommy had taught him that one shouldn¡¯t be ungrateful and that kindness had to be repaid. The security guard was amused. He rubbed Adie¡¯s soft hair and said, ¡°You are quite generous to make your daddy give me a raise, little guy. Who is your daddy? The security chief? Or¡­ Mr. Hunt?¡± His joke was nothing serious, but the security guard suddenly realized something and widened his eyes. As if studying an alien creature, he stared fixedly at Adie, and a bold idea emerged in his mind. ¡¯You don¡¯t say. I think that you look rather familiar. I think have seen you somewhere¡­ Come to think of it. You do look a little too much like Mr. Hunt. You are a carbon copy of Mr. Hunt, just a smaller version. Your daddy can¡¯t be our Mr. Hunt, right?¡± It wasmon that the wealthy had illegitimate children these days, especially an outstanding like Stefan. He would be owing his good genes an exnation if he did not have a lot of children! Had he hit the jackpot and met the prince? Adie did not want to expose his identity yet, so he shook his head with a confused look. ¡°Who is this Mr. Hunt? I don¡¯t know him. My daddy is just an employee.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The security guard calmly down. ¡°If you are Mr. Hunt¡¯s son, how could he be willing to let you wait alone outside? He would have sent someone to take care of you properly¡­ Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter. No matter whose child you are, you are so adorable and well-behaved. I like you very much. Let¡¯s go. I will bring you to the lounge!¡± So, under the escort of the security guard, Adie entered the H Group headquarters unhindered. At the same time, the intrusion program he wrote hadpletely gained ess control of each department of H Group. In other words, he could enter and exit every corner of H Group as he wished. ¡¯Little guy, you sit here first. I¡¯ll get you some snacks. Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Chapter 447 After sending Adie to the lounge, the security guard zealously went to get snacks for him. However, when he returned to the lounge with a te of cake and fruit, no one was there! Adie sessfully evaded all the cameras with perfection and got to the top floor of H Group. The top floor exclusively belonged to Stefan. It was where the president¡¯s office was. The floor was so spacious and cold that it was close to empty, save for his secretary and the executives. Because there was no news of Stefan these days, his secretary and the executives were so swamped with handling important business that they rarely went to that floor. Adie soon made his way to the door of the president¡¯s office. He entered the cracked code and unlocked the door easily. ¡°Hah! It¡¯s just as Mommy said. The security system of H Group sucks. That wasn¡¯t even a challenge!¡± The little guy shook his head in disappointment. Clenching his teeth, he pushed the door with all his might and strutted in. Stefan¡¯s office was as luxurious as offices could get. Adie seemed like a microscopic creature amid the massive office space. ¡¯I can¡¯t believe that bad daddy is not here. Great, I can help Mommy to get the document she wants.¡± Adie was a true-blue action-oriented person. He climbed into the office chair without waiting and carefully went through Stefan¡¯s documents on the desk. As the president of H Group, Stefan enjoyed a privileged status. His office was naturally guarded to the teeth, and no one could enter without his permission. There were too many crucial documents stored in his office, and if anyone with ulterior motives were to get their hands on them, the consequences would be unthinkable. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. Adie turned the ce upside down but found nothing special. When he was about to give up, an envelopebeled ¡®confidential¡¯ drew his attention. ¡¯Could this be the important document Mommy has been trying to get?¡± Adie frowned and opened it to examine its contents. At that moment, Briar, who had been trying to find Stefan pushed open the door and ran in happily when seeing the door ajar. ¡°You finally showed up, Stefan. Where the heck have you been¡­¡± She stopped talking as soon as she saw the tiny figure in front of the desk. Her expressions wereplicated, and she was extremely surprised. ¡®You, you are¡­¡± She had seen Stefan¡¯s picture as a child, and this child in front of her was almost identical to him. This led her to draw the conclusion that this had to be Stefan¡¯s child. She learned from William before that Renee had two children. The boy was Adie, and the girl was Abby, so¡­ ¡®You are Adie, right?¡± Suppressing her astonishment, Briar immediately posed the question Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Adie put down the envelope and looked at Briar calmly. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here at Stefan¡¯s office?¡± His questions only invoked Briar¡¯s guilt. Content is property of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡­¡± Now, she was almost sure that this boy was Stefans¡¯s son. Not only did he look exactly like the childhood Stefan, but he carried the same strong and confident aura his father had! ¡°Adie, I am your Mommy¡¯s good friend. You can call me Aunt Desrosiers.¡± Briar was all smiles as she approached Adie gradually. She could only be sure that this kid was Stefan¡¯s. As for his mother, she was still unsure if it was Renee. Stefan was so outstanding. There were countless women who wished to bear his children. It might not be Renee, after all. ¡°You are Mommy¡¯s good friend?¡± Adie¡¯s chubby but handsome face showed a confused expression. He had only heard his Mommy mention a good friend called Aunt Leia and had never heard of her having any friends surnamed Desrosiers. However, he heard that Aunt Leia often cursed a woman called Briar, saying that it was she who bewitched bad daddy and separated him from Mommy. Could she be Briar? ¡°Yes. Your Mommy is Renee, and you are Adie, right? You know, your Mommy and I have been very close. I even told your Mommy that I want to be your godmother!¡± Briar thought that a four-year-old kid would be very easy to coax, so she lied enthusiastically, hoping she could gain Adie¡¯s trust. Adie¡¯s grape-like ck eyes twinkled, and he immediately took the chance to probe her. ¡°Wow, are you really Mommy¡¯s best friend called Briar Desrosiers?¡± Briar¡¯s face stiffened. She suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. ¡°You-your Mommy mentioned me before?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Mommy said that Aunt Desrosiers is very beautiful and kind, even more so than her. Now that I have seen you, you are really as she said. Aunt Desrosiers, you are beautiful and kind!¡± Adie suddenly jumped out of the office chair and opened his arms as he rushed into Briar¡¯s embrace. Then, he muttered coquettishly, ¡°Aunt Desroriers, I really, really like you. Apart from Mommy, you are the prettiest and kindest woman¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Adie¡¯s action stupefied Briar. She literally froze on the spot and even stopped breathing. ¡®What¡¯s happening here? The son of the woman I hated the most is actually hugging me and saying he likes me a lot?¡¯ The actual fact, however, was that she and Renee had always been at odds and hated each other to the guts. She refused to believe that Renee would say anything good in front of this little kid. Then¡­ what exactly went wrong? ¡°Are¡­ are you sure that your Mommy said I am kind and gorgeous?¡± Briar looked at the fluffy head of this little guy and asked curiously. Still hugging Briar, Adie tilted his head up and gazed cutely at the woman with bright shiny eyes uncannily simr to Stefan¡¯s. ¡°Yeah. Mommy even said I must hug you and not let you go if I meet you. She said you are very kind and will take good care of me.¡± Briar was speechless. She looked at Adie¡¯s eyes, aplicated feeling clouding her heart. On the one hand, she hated Renee so much to the extent of killing her, which meant she should naturally hate her kid. On the other hand, this boy was simply too adorable. She was a woman who nearly became a mother. It was especially when she saw his eyes that her heart, which had long turned rock-hard, softened Chapter 449 Chapter 449 Chapter 449 ¡°Aunt Desrosiers, don¡¯t you like me?¡± Little Adie blinked his eyes like how his sister, Abby, always did. He tried hard to act cute with the same intention as Briar, to gain her trust, as he knew that it was her who worked with bad daddy to bully Mommy. Therefore, he needed to find a way to teach this woman a lesson! ¡°I¡­¡± Briar couldn¡¯t bring herself to even say that she hated this little kid the moment she looked at his adorable face. ¡°Aunt Desoriers, can you pat and hug me? You are just like my Mommy. I like you very much!¡± Adie beamed and held Briar¡¯s hand. Briar was instantly defeated. She failed to restrain herself and cupped Adie¡¯s fair and soft cheeks, and said, ¡°How can I not like you? You are so cute! Don¡¯t worry. I will take good care of you. Why don¡¯t I take you somewhere to yter?¡± ¡°Sure. You are the best!¡± Adie continued to hug Briar tightly while plotting a small n in his mind. She indulged in the feel of Adie¡¯s soft cotton-ball-like cheek, unwilling to let go. She sighed inwardly. If her baby developed normally and was born at full term, he should already be as big as this kid. She wondered if her child would be as cute as him and if his cheeks would be as soft as his. If only Aide were her child¡­ Soon, she shook her head and came to her senses. This brat was Renee¡¯s child. So what if he was cute? He was just a bastard. This was such a good chance, and she couldn¡¯t afford to waste it! Briar took a deep breath, suppressing her liking for Adie, and asked, ¡°Adie, did youe to Beach City with your Mommy? Who brought you to this office? Are you nning to see your daddy?¡± ¡°Yes. I have never seen my daddy. I have a lot to say to him. Do you know where he is?¡± Adie answered with pretended innocence. ¡°Your Daddy happens to be my best friend. He won¡¯t be noting here for a while, and you might not be able to see him¡­¡± ¡°Then do you know where he is?¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course. I am your daddy¡¯s best friend!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic. Can you bring me to Daddy, Aunt Desrosiers?¡± Adie knew that Briar must be thinking of kidnapping him, so he yed along and begged her. ¡°Sure. Get your stuff, and I will bring you to him right away.¡± Briar¡¯s smile slowly turned cold. A child was indeed a child. With just a few words, he was already fooled. Honestly speaking, this little one was indeed very cuddly and adorable. He was the kind of child she dreamed of having. Unfortunately, he was born into the wrong family and became the son of her nemesis, Renee Everheart. Not only that his fate was bad, but also his luck. He had just returned to Beach City but was already in her hand before meeting his father¡­ Now, his life and death would depend on his luck. She had a vicious n in her mind. She held Adie and left H Group unnoticed, avoiding all the surveince cameras.. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Chapter 450 A weekter, Renee recovered well from her leg injury. She was now able to get her cast removed and was discharged from the hospital. Liam, Leia, and William came to pick her up. ¡°Today is such a good day. Our Boss can finally remove her cast ande back to life with full blood in her veins. We must celebrate this!¡± Liam was apparently excited, and even thoughtfully prepared a wheelchair for Renee. ¡°Of course! I have booked a restaurant and prepared a surprise for Ren. I think that she will like it!¡± Leia said in suspense, smiling like a flower in full bloom. They drove to the restaurant Leia had booked in advance. The feast on the table made Renee drool. She couldn¡¯t wait to dig in. Take your time, Boss. Don¡¯t choke yourself.¡± Liam patiently diced the steak for Renee and put them onto her te quietly as if he was taking care of a child. He did everything so meticulously. He could not help it, as he cared too much for her. He would not allow her to be hurt even a bit, so he has to take care of even the smallest things. Renee was a little overwhelmed and said helplessly, ¡°Liam, I just hurt my leg. I am not crippled. Don¡¯t treat me like a disabled who can¡¯t take care of herself.¡± She had been eating and drinking too lightly in the hospital that she felt that she almost became a nun. Today was a rare opportunity to eat as much as she wanted, yet here she was, closely monitored by a man. This was so frustrating! ¡°I want to eat fast. I want to eat a lot. I would rather die choking than to starve to death!¡± Renee threw a childish tantrum and argued with Liam. But to her embarrassment, she choked and started coughing fiercely, as Liam had predicted. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°Sigh. Look at you now. Drink some water!¡± Liam was so anxious and quickly gave her some warm water and patted her back gently, his actions gentler than coaxing a kitten. ¡°Tsk tsk. Brother, can you be any mushier? Why don¡¯t you just treat Ren like a baby?¡± Leia had goosebumps all over her body as she was watching from the side. One thing always conquered another. The previously phnderous man who would make women die for him transformed into the most affectionate lover as soon as he met Renee. He had stooped so low to the point of losing his dignity! William also sighed helplessly. ¡±1 always thought that it was difficult for an older woman to tolerate and care for her younger partner, and such a couple wouldn¡¯tst long. Now it seems that I¡¯ve been too narrow-minded. Mr. Osborne is really a role model for us men. I shall learn more from you and spoil Leia like a baby like this!¡± Leia flushed immediately and leaned toward William¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Hmph, you are such a sweet talker. How annoying!¡± she flirtatiously cooed. Renee got her breath back after taking a big gulp of the water and teased them. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed formenting on us? It is you who are the cheesy ones¡­ Especially you, Leia. This is the first time I¡¯m finding out how mushy you can be when you¡¯re dating. You are so mushy that you seem to be possessed. It makes me sick!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand this, Ren. All women will be like this when they find their true love. Speaking of this, I always think that you and my brother are too respectful to each other. You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re about to get married. You should act like me sometimes and flirt with my brother!¡± Leia always felt that Renee chose to be with Liam not because of love but simply out of familiarity and gratitude. Such a rtionship would, over time, be a double-edged sword that would cut both parties at the same time. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee bit her lips, feeling awkward and powerless. How could she not know that it wasn¡¯t love between her and Liam? It was just that she firmly believed that if she tried hard enough, the other feelings they experienced would slowly turn into love. ¡°Ren, why don¡¯t you do what I did and flirt with my brother? If you guys keep respecting each other like this, and your hearts are separated by a hundred thousand miles, when will you really walk into each other¡¯s hearts? Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Leia tried her best to put them together. William also strongly agreed. ¡°Miss Everheart, just act coquettishly with Mr. Osborne,¡± he encouraged. ¡°I¡¯m sure no man can resist it when you do that.¡± ¡¯Yes, just do it.¡± Leia pped and egged Renee on. However, Renee appeared to be in a dilemma as she stood there awkwardly. She did not make a move after a long time. It was not difficult for her to act coquettishly, and she had had experience with it. However, she could not force herself to do so when the other party was Liam¡­ Liam saw through her dilemma, so his handsome face showed a tinge of sadness, but he hid it just as quickly as it appeared. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re so bold to make jokes about your elders. Do you still want to hold the wedding on time at the end of the month?¡± He pulled a long face and taught both Leia and William a lesson. Hence, they ended that topic in dismay. Liam asked Leia, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you prepared a surprise for Boss? Why haven¡¯t you taken it out?¡± ¡°Be patient. Just wait for a few minutes.¡± Leia looked at the watch and started counting down. ¡°Ten, nine, eight, seven¡­¡± When she counted to one, a piece of dynamic music could be heard in the restaurant out of the blue. A group of handsome men started to dance charmingly and neatly on the stage. ¡°Ren, these handsome men are the members of SKH Group, the most popr idol team from Korshach. Many local TV stations and businessmen failed to hire them. I know that you like this kind of show, so I used a lot of connections and pestered many people to get them to perform for you¡­ This is their first show in our country. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it a very pleasant sight?¡± Leia asked Renee with great confidence. Women understood women the most. Besides, Leia was Renee¡¯s best friend. Her best friend had that kind of interest. While others were ignorant of that, Leia was certainly not one of them. People always say that one should eat well and enjoy themselves to the fullest. Men took pleasure in drinking and looking at beauty. Women were, of course, no different. The members of the idol team on the stage were tall, handsome, and ssy. Their dancing moves were awesome too. Renee was soon enthralled by them. She even got to her feet and pped with all her might. ¡°Good! Awesome dancing! You guys are so handsome and young! Your faces are so tender.¡± ¡°Of course they¡¯re very handsome. I¡¯m the one who knows you the best. They¡¯re the top male idol team from Korshach. I like the one with the silver hair the most. Look at his lips. They look like delicate plum blossoms that are so kissable!¡± ¡°Yes, I like the one with silver hair too. He¡¯s so handsome.¡± She then grinned. The two women huddled together and fervently discussed the treatid before them. Their eyes brightened with excitement. Sitting in a corner, Liam looked rather gloomy but could not make a scene. It would make him look very stingy if he did. William¡¯s expression was not that nice either. At first, he was just fooling around with Leia because of his mission. He had no sincerity toward her at all. But he was now slightly jealous when he saw Leia¡¯s eagerness when she stared at another man, drooling. No, he had to find a way to make Briar fulfill her promise quickly and end that game. If not¡­ he would fall in love with Leia sooner orter. William failed to hold himself back, so he turned Leia¡¯s head aside and said with great jealousy, ¡°Lei, stop that. If you enjoy watching a dance, I can dance for you. You mustn¡¯t look at other men¡­¡± Liam wanted to do the same thing to Renee, but¡­ he had no right. He loved Renee in such a humble manner that he did not even have the right to be jealous. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. It was a video call that ruined Renee¡¯s fun. ¡°Miss Ren, something awful has happened!¡± Margaret eximed from the other end of the video call, her voice shaky. The extreme state of anxiousness she was in almost left her in tears Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Renee¡¯s heart skipped a beat before she got back to her senses. ¡°Margaret, what happened?¡± she asked gravely. ¡°Calm down and tell me slowly.¡± ¡°I felt that something was wrong just now, so I forced my way into Adie¡¯sboratory, but I¡­ I found that he wasn¡¯t there. I looked around the ind, but I still couldn¡¯t see him. He¡¯s so young. Could some bad guy have taken him? Miss Ren, what should we do?¡± Margaret cried profusely and described the incident with a shaky voice. Renee had left the two children in her care, but a second of carelessness caused her to fail to realize that the child had gone missing. She wished so much that she could just kill herself now as an apology, not to mention Renee ming her. ¡°What did you say?¡± After Renee heard Margaret¡¯s words, she felt like she had received a fatal blow to her heart. Her mind then wentpletely nk. Both Adie and Abby were of the greatest significance to her, her sole motivation to strive hard and live on. However, Adie disappeared just like that, and it was hard to tell whether he was safe. At that moment, Renee was just a desperate and helpless mother, no matter how calm and strong she was. Liam realized the seriousness of the affair, so he took over Renee¡¯s phone and looked at Margaret calmly, who was simrly desperate and helpless. After that, he asked, ¡°Margaret, get the surveince video of the ind to look for Adie¡¯s whereabouts. Check if he left any notes or something in the house. This boy is smarter than an adult. He¡¯ll be fine. Let¡¯s not scare ourselves.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll go and check it out right away.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Margaret scrambled up quickly and ran to the tool shed to get the surveince video. Liam had long set up a surveince system on the ind for safety purposes. He even installed an rm system. That system would notify them immediately if any viins approached them. The bodyguards stationed around the ce would also immediately rush over to protect the children. It was Renee and Liam who meticulously picked and trained those bodyguards. Ordinary people were no match for those trained professionals. ¡°Wait!¡± Renee finally calmed down. Her face was slightly pale, but it was full of indomitable perseverance. ¡°Margaret, give the phone to Abby. She might know where Adie went.¡± Only then did she recall that Abby had been acting strangetely. As long as she imed that she wanted to have a video call with Adie, Abby would find various excuses to divert her attention. Besides, Abby would manipte her extremely adorable face to make Renee let down her guard. Now it seemed that the children had cooperated to frame Renee and Margaret. ¡°Miss Ren, let¡¯s not disturb Abby now. She¡¯s also very anxious, so anxious she cried. It took me a lot of effort to put her to bed. I even lied to her that her brother is only temporarily missing and that we¡¯ll soon find him. Only then did she stop crying¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know Abby. She¡¯s not as weak and delicate as you think unless she¡¯s guilty. Just ask her to join the video call.¡± Margaret¡¯s description finally convinced Renee that Abby was rted to Adie¡¯s sudden disappearance. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ll get her now.¡± Margaret held the phone and ran to Abby¡¯s room. Sitting at the side, William had heard much even though he did not know what had happened in detail. He asked Leia in a low voice, ¡°Does Miss Everheart¡¯s child go missing?¡± Leia nodded and reminded him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk too much. Just keep it in your heart. Those two children are of utmost importance to my bestie. She doesn¡¯t like too many people knowing that she has kids.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± William secretly clenched his fists. He had a bad premonition, but he did not dare to say much. ¡°Abby, your mommy wants to talk to you. Stop sleeping. Wake up Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Margaret walked into Abby¡¯s small bedroom and called the little girl, who was still lying in her tiny pink bed. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll talk to her another day. I want to sleep.¡± Abby curled up and retreated into her nket. She knew that Renee would interrogate her sternly, but she promised Adie that she would never expose his whereabouts. She could offend neither, so ¡­ she chose to hide. ¡°Abby, be good. Your mommy has to ask you something very important. Come out now!¡± Margaret tried to persuade the small bundle that was balled up under the sheets. ¡°No, I¡¯m sleepy, and I want to sleep! Tell Mommy to callter!¡± After that, Abby said tenderly before she made snoring noises, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping, so I can¡¯t hear you guys.¡± Margaret appeared slightly awkward. She tried her best to pull aside the nket that Abby was under, but the little girl had wrapped herself as tightly as a burrito. Consequently, Margaret failed to pull it aside. After a few failed attempts, she was so exhausted that her forehead was drenched in sweat. She panted and eximed, ¡°Miss¡­ look. What should I do now?¡± Renee¡¯s face turned cold, and a serious expression took over her calm face, infuriated by Abby¡¯s willfulness. She took a deep breath and put her hands on her waist before she shouted, ¡°Abigail Everheart!¡¯ Almost instantly, Abby whooshed out from under the nket and revealed a fair and pretty face. Her face looked like a red apple, which was rather charming. ¡°Mommy, mommy, don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Abby blinked herrge, watery eyes. She had given up fighting. She could not help it. Whenever her mother called the siblings by their full names, it meant she was indeed furious. If she did not behave, the consequences would only prove too severe to handle. Tm sorry, Adie. I¡¯ve got to betray you for the time being so Mommy won¡¯t be angry¡­¡¯ she thought. Renee¡¯s serious face softened slightly before she said gently, ¡°Good girl, Abby. Tell me what happened. Where is Adie now?¡± ¡°Mommy, promise me one thing: You can¡¯t get mad at Adie and me if I tell you.¡± Abby was smart, so she negotiated a term with Renee first. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get mad.¡± Renee tried her best to force a bright smile. However, she had long clenched her fists into tight balls. She eximed inwardly, ¡°Humph! I¡¯ll teach them a hard lesson if they dare to act recklessly!¡± ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s like this. Adie was very worried that you¡¯d get bullied by bad guys after you went to Beach City, so he came up with a way to protect you¡­ He sessfully came up with the n a few days ago, and he¡¯s now in Beach City.¡± Abby told Renee the ins and outs of the whole incident with very clear logic. Adie was her superhero. The n he designed to protect their mother was no mean feat-it was a perfectly sound and operational n that was scientifically viable. If Margaret did not realize that Adie went missing that day and subsequently exposed their ns, she would have given it her full support. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡®What? Did Adie¡­e to Beach City?¡± After Renee listened to Abby¡¯s description, she had a headache. She immediately pinched the spot above her lips, afraid she might faint from the wave of anger that washed over her. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Those two children were so bold! ¡°Abigail Everheart, just you¡­ wait and see. I¡¯ll take your brother home. I think it¡¯s been too long since I taught you guys a hard lesson. You have be so bold and fearless!¡± Renee was so angry that she lost her rationality. She then clenched her fists in front of the phone and cracked her knuckles. Abby blinked herrge, round eyes. She looked naive and innocent.¡± Mommy, didn¡¯t you promise you wouldn¡¯t get mad? Your nose will grow longer if you lie, and you¡¯ll age faster too. If you want to teach us a lesson, you¡¯d better hit Adie. I¡¯ll lend you a ruler.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me what you know, and you tried to hide it from me. Of course, you guys deserve a beating!¡± Renee became very eager and yearned to get to the other side to give Abby a proper beating for her stint of tomfoolery. s! Her son and daughter were extremely witty. They were a handful. Adie had an extremely high IQ, while Abby had an extremely high EQ. Combined, they became a tour- de-force of mischief and tricks, often framing her when they had the chance. Besides, Abby always admired and listened to Adie, obeying all of his orders unconditionally since childhood. If Adie killed a person one day, Abby would be the one to hand him the knife. ¡°Abigail Everheart, I¡¯m pissed. Get down on your knees now!¡± Renee maintained a cold face and ordered Abby, who was at the other end of the video call. The once warm scene between the mother and daughter quickly became history. Plop! Abby knew that she had made a mistake, so she kneeled on the floor. She then said piteously, ¡®Mommy, I¡¯m sorry. Don¡¯t be mad at me. I won¡¯t lie to you again¡­¡± Her soft and aggrieved look would soften the heart of anyone, no matter how cruel they were. Naturally, Liam felt very sorry for Abby. He quickly tried to persuade Renee, ¡°Boss, I think Abby has realized her mistake. Stop punishing her and let her get up now. The most urgent thing is to find Adie immediately.¡± Renee tried hard to calm herself down and asked Abby, ¡°Since you know you¡¯re wrong, I¡¯ll give you a chance to make amends. Tell me. When was thest time you spoke to Adie? Where is he now?¡± Abby held her face and ruminated over it, then obediently answered, ¡¯Thest time I had a video call with him wasst night. He imed that he wants to go to Bad Daddy¡¯spany to get you the important document. He can even teach your bullies a lesson. He¡¯s so capable, and he should have seeded by now. However, I called him just now, but he didn¡¯t pick up¡­¡± ¡°H Group?¡± Renee was not so worried at first. Her son, a talented, brilliant genius of a child, once had the experience of leaving Sun Ind alone on a speedboat when he was three. Now four, he had gone after her, going to Beach City alone. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. However, instead of going to her directly once he arrived at Beach City, he went to Stefan. It was indeed slightly troublesome¡­ ¡°Margaret, help me take good care of Abby. I¡¯m off to catch that naughty kid!¡±N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Renee had a bad premonition and hurriedly hung up the call, intending to head to H Group to ask for Adie. ¡°Your leg hasn¡¯tpletely recovered. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Liam quickly followed in her footsteps. Currently, H Group had lost its leader. If Renee went there now, the news of Stefan¡¯s demise would be exposed. Hence, he had to stay with her at all times and be her strongest support in times when she could not hold on. He would protect her forever. On the other hand, both Leia and William stayed where they were in dismay. William was bbergasted, and his mouth dropped after watching the video call between Renee and Abby from the side. ¡°Er¡­ Was I mistaken? Renee¡¯s kid traveled across the oceans and came to Beach City alone. He¡­ He even went to H Group.¡± When he saw that Renee had gone that far, he eagerly sought confirmation from Leia. Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Chapter 455 ¡®That seems to be the case.¡± Leia nodded. Inparison, she seemed much calmer, as if she was used to that kind of incident. ¡°Are you sure that a four-year-old kid came to Beach City alone?¡± ¡®Technically, he¡¯s four years and three months old.¡± ¡°But¡­ How is that possible? He¡¯s a four-year-old kid. How did he do that? Why are you so calm? Aren¡¯t you worried that he may meet bad guys?¡± ¡®It¡¯s abnormal for such things to happen to other four-year-olds, but not Adie. It¡¯s not the first time he did such a thing. Previously, he would run away from time to time. His mother would catch him and teach him a hard lesson, but consequently¡­ he became better and more skillful at running away. It¡¯s so hard to stop him from doing that. My bestie can¡¯t do anything about him!¡± Leia appeared proud when she mentioned her genius godson. She said with extreme confidence, ¡°What¡¯s more, you don¡¯t have to worry that he¡¯ll be bullied. He¡¯s quite capable and amazing. They¡¯ll be pretty lucky if he doesn¡¯t torture them instead¡­¡± So, she was not worried about Adie now. However, she was worried about Stefan more because Adie had always regarded him as an eyesore and a pain in the neck since childhood. He even vowed to teach Stefan a hard lesson. ¡°Really? That kid is too exceptional. Is he¡­ Mr. Hunt¡¯s son?¡± Feeling shocked, William carefully asked Leia to try and sound her out. Leia had always been a carefree person, but she inevitably became vignt, staring at him and frowning. ¡°Why so interested in my bestie? Why ask so many questions? You asked me where the kid is and who his father is. Are you even looking into her registered permanent residence?¡± William¡¯s gaze turned slightly guilty. He coughed lightly and replied, ¡®You¡¯re jealous, aren¡¯t you? I asked more because Miss Everheart is your best friend. In short¡­ I only care about her because I care about you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jealous. I just want to warn you. Better not harbor evil thoughts against my bestie. If you dare to do anything to her, I¡¯ll never let you off the hook!¡± Recently, Leia had begun to question her boyfriend¡¯s origin. He didn¡¯t look as simple as she had thought. It was fine if she suffered a bit of loss, but she could not burden Ren. ¡°I think we¡¯d better calm down since it¡¯s been a rather critical period recently. Let¡¯s stop meeting each other for the time being to avoid you harboring evil thoughts!¡± After that, she grabbed her bag and turned to leave. William became anxious, and he grabbed her arm. ¡°Baby, are you trying to break up with me? You pinned such a groundless charge on me. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too unfair?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just temporary. Only after Ren¡¯s affair settles down would I consider if I¡¯d get back together with you.¡± Leia wore a cold face and shook off his hand before she left the restaurant. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She had indeed taken a fancy to him, but she began to notice and question his intentions of approaching her. Hence, she had no choice but to force herself to break up with him to ensure Renee wouldn¡¯t be burdened. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± William watched her back, and he was filled with unexpected pain. It was then that he realized that he had fallen in love with her¡­ However, he wondered what he should do with Briar. While thinking, Briar called her. After hesitating for a long while, he picked up the call. ¡®What are you doing? What took you so long to pick up the call?¡± Briar¡¯s face was cold, and she sounded impatient. ¡°Come to Water Dock now and help me deliver a special thing,¡± she ordered Chapter 456 Chapter 456 Chapter 456 When Renee and Liam arrived at the headquarters of H Group, the oppressed employees soon broke into an uproar. It was because H Group¡¯s experienced employees of more than four years were well aware of the heart-wrenching love affair between Renee and their president. All of them supported the love they named ¡°Hunt My Everheart.¡± ¡°She¡¯s here. I think about it and have yearned for it for four years. Finally, Mrs. Hunt is back. I know that the couple I supported is real!¡± ¡°Oh, gosh! Mrs. Hunt became prettier, and her body became sexier. Her temperament is outstanding too. I feel that Mr. Hunt doesn¡¯t deserve her¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt has been missing for a long time, and H Group is quite chaotic now. Has Mrs. Hunte out of nowhere to take over H Group?¡± The employees whispered to each other. On the one hand, they were surprised at her great charms; on the other, they tried to guess her purpose for visiting H Group suddenly. Renee hurried forward. There was not much emotion on her aloof and beautiful face. She walked straight to the receptionist and said, ¡°Lisa, tell Stefan I want to see him.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. There was an innate sternness and power in her calm and steady voice that immediately garnered command and respect. She was vastly different from the woman she was previously, who was gentle and warm. Lisa, the receptionist, was her old acquaintance. At that moment, she inexplicably became nervous. She swallowed slightly and said carefully, ¡¯ Mrs¡­ Mrs. Hunt, wee back. It¡¯s been many days since Mr. Huntst came. I¡¯m afraid that he can¡¯t see you for the time being.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯te for many days, huh?¡± Renee¡¯s gaze turned sharp while trying to decide if the statement was true. ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t reach him now. We don¡¯t know where he is or what happened either. You came all of a sudden, so we thought you must¡¯vee bearing news!¡± After speaking to Renee, Lisa was not as nervous as before. She told Renee everything she knew. After all, she had a good rapport with the employees there when she was still Mrs. Hunt, often bringing them food or gifts. She had bribed them well, and all the employees in H Group liked her. After dwelling on it for a while, she decided to believe Lisa¡¯s statement. Both Stefan and she got hurt together, and his injury was much more serious. He should be recuperating at the hospital now. It was unsurprising that he would not be at H Group now. Renee raised her eyes and continued, ¡°Then did you guys see a boy here these few days?¡± ¡°A boy?¡± After dwelling on it, Lisa answered excitedly, ¡°Yes, there was. Was it a very cute and handsome boy, around four to five years old, in a checkered suit jacket¡­ He was so cute and handsome, so I have a very deep impression of him. I even took a picture!¡± ¡°Show it to me now!¡± Renee urged Lisa eagerly. Lisa clicked on her phone¡¯s gallery and found Adie¡¯s photograph. The photo showed the security guard leading Adie into H Group¡¯s building. ¡°The security guard imed that it was his rtive¡¯s child and no one could take care of him at the moment, so he let the boy stay in the lounge temporarily and would pick him up when he got off his shift. But I didn¡¯t pay attention to when he picked the boy up,¡± Lisa answered honestly. ¡°My Adie¡­¡± Renee stared closely at the boy in the photo, whom she had not met for a long time. Soon her eyes turned red. Although it was very unlikely that Adie would be bullied, given his experience of the world, he hade to H Group after all. If his identity were to be discovered by schemers and bad hats, it would prove a little more than troublesome. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Liam patted Renee¡¯s back and consoled her with a low voice. He then told Lisa with a serious expression, ¡°Call that security guard over. Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Chapter 457 Lisa had a strong character. She peeked at Liam and said stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I work for Mr. Hunt. Why should I take orders from a nobody like you? V Lisa was not the only one-all the employees in H Group found Liam an eyesore. He was regarded as the greatest culprit who wrecked the love affair between Renee and Stefan. They wanted nothing but to drive him away. Renee took a deep breath and tried her best to calm herself down. She gently told Lisa, ¡°Please ask that security guard toe here.¡± Lisa nodded immediately, ¡°Okay, Mrs. Hunt. I¡¯ll call him over now.¡± At times, Renee¡¯smand worked much better than Stefan¡¯s in H Group. Everyone obeyed her without question. That was the great charm of her personality. The security guard came to the lobby of thepany after a while. When he saw Renee, he got down on his knees immediately and hurriedly said, ¡°Mrs. Hunt, I know nothing. I just acted kindly and brought the kid to the lounge to rest, but I don¡¯t know where he went afterward or who took him away. If something happened, it has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not here to punish you,¡± Renee spoke quietly. ¡°I just want to know what the boy experienced and find him as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ This¡­¡± The security guard trembled all over. He dared not look into Renee¡¯s eyes as he stammered, ¡°I¡­I saw a boy alone outside thepany yesterday, so I ran over and asked him where his parents were. He told me that his father works here, and he was waiting for him to get off work. I was worried that he might bump into bad guys, so I took him to the lounge to let him wait for his father. But he went missing the moment I turned around¡­ I¡¯m telling the truth. I¡¯m not lying! Mrs. Hunt, you must trust me.¡± The security guard guessed that the boy¡¯s identity was special, and he feared he might be implicated. After all, he was the one who brought the child into thepany. If something were to happen to him, he would not be able to clear his name. He might have even done the kid a great disservice. ¡°So, thest time you saw him was at the lounge of H Group?¡± Renee confirmed with the security guard. ¡°Yes, I wanted to get some snacks for him, but he was already gone when I returned to the lounge. I thought his father hade to pick him up, so I didn¡¯t think much about it.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it. Go back to your work now.¡± Renee felt that he was telling the truth, so she did not make things too difficult for him. She then asked Lisa, ¡°Can I check out your surveince videos?¡± ¡°Err¡­¡± Lisa appeared to be in a dilemma. ¡°Yes, I can show you the public zone, but only Mr. Hunt has the power to check out the superior zone. However, we can¡¯t reach him now, so¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s check out the public zone first.¡± As for the superior zone, she could hack into it at any time, given how weak the security system of H Group was. ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll take you to the technical department now.¡± They went to the technical department on the third floor of the building. Based on the retrieved surveince video, Adie did go to H Group. With his strong countersurveince skill, however, he had managed to avoid all the surveince cameras on his way. s, he made a careless mistake, and he was seen taking the president¡¯s exclusive elevator to the top floor of H Group, where the president¡¯s office was located. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Hunt. We don¡¯t have the right to retrieve surveince videos in the presidential zone. We need his permission, so¡­ Why don¡¯t you contact him first?¡± Lisa suggested carefully. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. A voice came from behind them. A tall and handsome man walked over Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Chapter 458 ¡°Jovan?¡± Renee red at the handsome man who walked into the technical department. She soon knitted her brows and was on guard. Jovan Hunt was not somebody to be trifled with. When Renee was still Mrs. Hunt, he was the first person who could not ept her title, often tricking her both openly and secretly. He was the grandson of Timothy¡¯s brother. Hence, he was considered Stefan¡¯s younger cousin. He had always been in charge of H Group¡¯s foreign business, which left Renee to wonder why he had suddenly returned to Beach City. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Hunt!¡± Lisa and the other employees quickly bowed their heads, and they did not even dare to breathe as if they had just seen the grim reaper. So, it was clear that Jovan was quite respected and influential in H Group even though he was always the second inmand. ¡°Renee, it¡¯s been so many years. You look stunning¡­¡± Jovan was wearing a dark, distinguished, and customized suit. He had both hands in his pockets as his gaze lingered on Renee unscrupulously. He smirked and said, ¡°As expected, young married women are more attractive and charming than unmarried ones.¡± Hearing that, Liam quickly became infuriated. He stood in front of Renee with his tall figure, warning Jovan with a cold expression on his handsome face, ¡°Mr. Hunt, please watch your tongue. She¡¯s no longer your sister-in-w. If you don¡¯t behave, I¡¯ll sue you.¡± Jovan raised his brows and cracked a faint smile before he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I forgot that it¡¯d been four years since Miss Everheart got a divorce. But to me, she¡¯ll always be my sister-inw. Although she has got nothing to do with Stefan now, I always see her as my sister-inw. I still have a lot of things to talk to her about.¡± After that, Jovan looked over Liam¡¯s body and stared intensely at Renee without restraint. ¡°Stop looking at her!¡± Liam could no longer take it. He even ignored his manners and clenched his fists. ¡°Mr. Hunt, if you can¡¯t control your gaze and don¡¯t know what you should be looking at, I don¡¯t mind helping teach your vulgar eyes a lesson!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Jovan had always been that despicable man. By relying on the fact that he was only second to Stefan in the Hunt family, he had been acting willfully and arrogantly around Beach City. He even mounted strong opposition when Renee married Stefan back then. He boldly imed that Renee did not deserve Stefan and that she had no right to be a member of the Hunt family. He even gathered around a hundred gangsters to make a scene at their wedding and humiliate Renee vehemently. Atst, Timothy got so angry that he diminished his power in H Group and banished him abroad, leaving some insignificant businesses in his hands. It was only then that he stopped doing such conceited deeds. Liam had long held a grudge against Jovan because of that affair. He had long since wanted to beat up that shameless man, but he did not get such a chance. That chance happened to be in his hands now. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Renee saw that Liam was about to pry out Jovan¡¯s eyes, so she said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s normal that everyone loves beautiful things. Mr. Hunt, since you like staring at me, I¡¯ll take it as an approval of my charm. You have my permission to look at me as you like.¡± Liam was upset. ¡°Boss, how can you let this shameless man have his way? Did you forget how he used to humiliate you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. People change. I believe he can be a very good friend to us now.¡± Renee stared closely at Jovan with profound meaning in her expression. ¡°See! She has such a broad perspective!¡± Jovan looked at Renee with surprise and joy. That was true indeed. People did change. In the past, Renee was stiff, boring, and conservative. But now, she was a vastly different person. ¡°Miss Everheart, I heard you wanted to investigate the surveince video of the presidential zone, but Stefan didn¡¯t give us such power. I happened to receive his authorization, so I may be able to help you.¡± Jovan spoke slowly. His countenance was full of smugness. On the contrary, Renee was calm as she said, ¡°Mr. Hunt, please do me a favor.¡± Even if he did not help her, she had ways to hack into the surveince system of the presidential zone Chapter 459 Chapter 459 Chapter 459 However, she could save herself the trouble since he offered to help. Besides, Stefan had always been cautious and held the authorization of H Group strictly. He had never treated his cousin kindly. His sudden generosity in giving up all his authorization to such an unreliable person, however, made Renee wonder if he was just careless or if something else had happened. She knew for a fact that H Group held a key role in the survival issue of Azure Group. Hence, she nned to use that chance to fleece Jovan of the truth. After all, Jovan looked like a fool, and he might just expose everything after a casual trick. ¡¯I can help you, but I have a small request.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Jovan cracked aplicated smile and said gradually. Renee appearedposed. ¡°Just tell me.¡± ¡®I want you to be with me for one night.¡± As soon as he made that request, everyone on the spot inhaled sharply and let out gasps. He did not regard Stefan seriously at all. Liam got so furious that he grabbed Jovan¡¯s sleeves and raised his fist in great fury. ¡°You bastard! You¡¯re courting death. How dare you humiliate Ren so!¡± It was not the first time Jovan treated Renee with such disrespect. In the past, he made such a statement numerously and openly when she was still his sister-inw. He even asked her to be with him. However, he had no ulterior motives toward her. He just felt that she was a ything and she did not deserve Stefan, so he could casually toy with and humiliate her. But it was clear that he had be interested in her now. ¡°Liam, stop.¡¯ Renee stopped Liam again and asked Jovan, ¡°Are you sure? Are you daring enough to ask me to be with you?¡± ¡°Haha! Renee, you¡¯re funny. Others can¡¯t even hope for such an honor. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± ¡°Honor?¡± Renee smirked and said with a faint smile, ¡°Well, it depends on whether you have such luck.¡± Tsk! Tsk! You get my hopes up.¡± Renee had be so much more interesting to Jovan now. He had simply wanted to tease her, hoping she¡¯d reminisce about her young and shy look, but he did not expect her to react in such a brazen manner. Consequently, thispletely changed his impression of her. The employees present wondered if they were mistaken. The reserved and prudent Mrs. Hunt had changed. She even flirted with a man like Jovan. Liam roughly guessed Renee¡¯s intention, so he forcefully held back his fury and let them be. Renee was not someone to be trifled with. Since Jovan went to Renee on his initiative, he would suffer. Getting the surveince video to determine Adie¡¯s situation was more important. They sessfully retrieved the surveince video of the president zone under Jovan¡¯s order. However, what they saw left them inplete astonishment.. Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Chapter 460 The surveince video switched to a scene from Peppa Pig after Adie walked into the president¡¯s exclusive elevator. Peppa Pig yed for over an hour before the surveince video was restored to it¡¯s original scene. They could not find Adie at all in the original scene. It appeared that someone had deliberately exchanged that part for the clip from Peppa Pig. ¡°What happened? Did someone hack into the surveince system of the presidential zone?¡± ¡°H Group¡¯s security system has always been solid, but it was hacked this time around, and we¡¯re humiliated as such. Our enemy must be badass¡­ it seems like the boy is in danger!¡± ¡°No, the technical department has to form an emergency team right away, and we¡¯ll need to make a report to the cybercrime division to help investigate this case. It won¡¯t be easy dealing with them!¡± All the employees in the technical department stared at the scene of Peppa Pig on the screen with panicked expressions. They were all at their highest level of readiness. Renee, on the other hand, was not worried at all. On the contrary, she held her forehead in a speechless manner. At a nce, she could tell that Adie must¡¯ve spliced in scenes from Peppa Pig into the surveince video in a deliberate attempt to stop her from tracking him down. ¡®Oh, Aiden Everheart! You¡¯re getting bolder now,¡¯ she thought in her heart.¡¯ Not only did youe to Beach City on your own, but you even used such anti-tracking measures. You¡¯re so daring¡­ Just wait and see. When I find you, I¡¯ll give you a hard beating.¡¯ Renee clenched her fists angrily and made up a n in her mind. Liam could tell that it was Adie¡¯s style, too, so he sighed helplessly and asked Renee, ¡°Boss, what should we do now? Should we report to the police?¡± ¡°No, we can¡¯t.¡± Renee exined seriously, ¡°The fewer who know about this, the better.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. If the police were involved, Adie¡¯s identity would be exposed. That would only create more trouble. Undoubtedly, she was not ready to let the public know about Adie and Abby. Liam nodded. ¡°Your consideration is logical. I¡¯ll get more people to help look for him. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find him in no time.¡± The Osborne family was influential and powerful in Beach City, especially in the underworld. They held great power there. So, it was not a difficult task to look for a boy. However, Renee looked quite pessimistic. She heaved a long sigh helplessly. ¡®Now it looks like Adie purposely doesn¡¯t want us to find him. You know him too. I¡¯ve been having a battle of wits with him these years, but he always managed to defeat me. I think¡­ he¡¯s going to be real hard to find¡­ unless he appears on his own after he has had enough fun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± Liam recalled the glorious deeds that Adie had created with Abby these years, so he became rather helpless. If Renee was a genius with high intelligence, then her two children were geniuses with extremely high intelligence. After so many years, Renee was the one who always framed others instead of the other way around, except¡­ when it came to her two children. So, if Adie deliberately wanted to prevent Renee from finding him, it would be a futile attempt even though they searched all of Beach City. At the same time, Jovan observed Renee and Liam from the side with a sharp gaze. Although he could not hear their conversation well, he could see that they were very close, just as the rumor said. Jovan unconsciously sneered and said to Renee, ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯ve watched the surveince video. Shouldn¡¯t you fulfill your promise now?¡± Renee looked toward Jovan with clear eyes. She was neither servile nor overbearing. ¡°Of course, I always mean what I say. I just don¡¯t know how you want to y this. Chapter 461 Chapter 461 Chapter 461 When Jovan heard this, it sounded to him like somebody had finally pressed the start button for a long- awaited game. Obviously, he was very excited. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not a pervert or a weirdo. I won¡¯t force you to do unspeakable things. You only need to apany me to a certain ce and spend some time there.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not a pervert, then perverts don¡¯t exist in the world!¡± Liam couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He grabbed Jovan by the cor and pinned him against the wall. ¡°Jovan, you¡¯ve never been a straight guy. I can tell you¡¯ve been eyeing her for a long time. I¡¯m warning you. If youy a finger on her, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Liam growled. ¡°What¡¯s the point of warning me? If you have what it takes, kill me now,¡± Jovan replied. He allowed Liam to press him against the wall. ¡°Unfortunately, without her permission, you wouldn¡¯t even darey a finger on me. On the outside, there are rumors that you two have a close rtionship. In my opinion, you¡¯re nothing but her ve. What¡¯s there to gloat about?¡± Jovan sneered. ¡°Shut up!¡± Liam was enraged. He immediately tightened his grip around Jovan¡¯s neck. The employees were dumbfounded, and the security guards quickly stepped forward to stop him. However, Liam was the devil incarnate of Beach City. Who would dare to really offend him? In the end, Renee had to step in to put an end to this. She looked sternly at Liam. ¡®Liam, what did I tell you? I know what I¡¯m doing. You haven¡¯t been able to keep your emotions in checktely. I hope this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± Liam was really angry this time. He could no longer appear as cheerful and obedient as he always did. Instead, he started questioning her unhappily. ¡¯ Does this mean you n to spend the night with him?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been a person who keeps my promises. I promised Mr. Hunt I¡¯d do it. Naturally, I won¡¯t break the promise. I believe Mr. Hunt has no ill intentions either,¡± Renee replied. She felt that Jovan was a valuable ally, and thest thing she wanted was to miss this very rare opportunity. She also believed that she and Liam had known each other for many years. He should understand her well enough to support her decision. ¡®Have you thought about how I feel?¡± Liam¡¯s was a little teary-eyed. He seemed even more handsome. ¡°Have you ever thought about how your fiance feels?¡± He asked even more emotionally. As soon as he said this, people around them started talking. All the employees had their eyes wide open. They couldn¡¯t believe what they¡¯d just heard. It turned out that Renee hadn¡¯t returned to get back together with Mr. Hunt. Instead, it was to marry Mr. Osborne! Oh my god! Their hopes for the couple to get back together had thoroughly vanished! Jovan frowned a little and watched them with a yful expression on his face. Renee felt a little awkward. ¡°You¡¯re acting like a child again. Don¡¯t you know me well enough? Can¡¯t you understand why I agreed to spend the night with him? We¡¯ve known each other for so many years. Why can¡¯t you understand?¡± She yelled. ¡®I do understand, but I refuse to ept it!¡± Liam eximed.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Not a single man in this world would allow the woman he loved to spend the night with another man, even if nothing would happen throughout the night¡­ Liam no longer wanted to beg. He looked at Renee coldly. ¡°Choose one. If you choose to leave with him tonight, we¡¯ll call off the wedding. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Renee pressed her hand against her forehead. She felt exhausted on the inside. ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t be asking this,¡± she said in a defeated tone. From her perspective, Liam was the person who understood her more than anyone in the world. Why would he make her choose at such a critical juncture? Liam¡¯s bright, charming eyes gradually dimmed as he lost hope. He began to murmur in a self-deprecating way. ¡°Alright, Boss. You don¡¯t have to answer my question. I already know the answer.¡± ¡°Liam, don¡¯t do this. You know exactly how I feel. You¡¯re¡­¡± Renee trailed off. ¡°Just let it be!¡± Liam suppressed his hurt feelings and forced a smile upon his face. He then looked deeply at Renee. ¡°From this moment on, I¡¯m no longer your fiance. We¡¯ll be like siblings. I¡¯ll still do whatever I can to help you, but I¡¯ll no longer tie you down. You can live freely and choose the man you truly want to be with.¡± Every word he said felt like a piece of himself getting stripped away. But what could he do about it? Nothing good woulde out of a forced rtionship. Although he and Renee had tried their best to be together, neither was happy. Letting go was the only thing he could do for her! ¡°Liam, what do you mean by all this? Are you breaking up with me? Are you giving up on this rtionship?¡± Renee was getting a little anxious. She grabbed him by his arm. ¡°I spoke too hastily and didn¡¯t consider your feelings. I realize I was wrong¡­ I won¡¯t choose anyone else but you. Don¡¯t be mad, and don¡¯t give up on me. Please?¡± She sounded a little too humble when she said this, but every word she said came from the bottom of her heart. To her, Liam was like a pir of hope that had always supported her and continued to support her until now. If he left, she honestly wouldn¡¯t know how to carry on through the darkness ahead¡­ Liam was a little teary-eyed. He shook his head and pushed her hand away one finger at a time. ¡°Boss, I know you¡¯ll do much better without me. I don¡¯t want to hold you back or drag you down. If you choose me tonight, it¡¯ll be against your own desire. You¡¯ll regret it afterward and me yourself for being too emotional and irrational. That¡¯s why¡­ I¡¯m willing to be the bad guy¡± After saying that, Liam turned around and left. He seemed determined when he walked away, but tears were already falling from the corner of his eyes. ¡®¡­¡± Renee watched him leave, but she didn¡¯t run after him. She fell deep in thought. The employees around them were all touched by Liam¡¯s heartfelt confession. In fact, some of them were even crying. ¡®Tsk, tsk! It¡¯s so hard to find a perfect man with a high status these days. He even loves her with all his heart. How touching¡­¡¯ Everyone was rooting for this couple! All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Everheart, it looks like you¡¯re still reluctant to let go. Why don¡¯t you go after him?¡± Jovan asked yfully. ¡°Do you want me to?¡± Renee calmed herself down and put on a tough act. She smiled ambiguously at Jovan. ¡°Of course not.¡± Jovan returned a smile and extended his hand to her.¡± Since you¡¯re single now, I won¡¯t miss the opportunity to spend the night with you. Why don¡¯t we head out right away? I can¡¯t wait to bring you to that special ce.¡± Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Chapter 463 Renee nodded calmly. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡± Hence, the two left affectionately in front of all the employees of H Group. The employees sighed in disappointment. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how much Mrs. Hunt has changed in four years. She¡¯s no longer the kind, gentle, and naive Mrs. Hunt I knew. She has no morals to speak of, and she flirts with everyone she meets!¡± ¡°This means Hunt my Everheart has bepletely irrelevant. I don¡¯t like her promiscuity. She doesn¡¯t deserve Mr. Hunt. He has been saving himself all these years, but she couldn¡¯t even refrain herself from a womanizer like Jovan. I feel sorry for Mr. Hunt¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just Mr. Hunt I feel sorry for. I feel sorry for Liam too. He¡¯spletely innocent!¡± The employees decided they no longer liked Renee. One of them even said, ¡°Hey, have you heard? Mr. Hunt hasn¡¯t returned because he¡¯s severely injured. In fact, it was all thanks to Mrs. Hunt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. ording to a reliable source, the rescue failed, and Mr. Hunt might have¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Will Jovan rece him? That¡¯s horrifying! Although Mr. Hunt is a tough boss, at least he has the personality and charm. Jovan is some insignificant ant. If he takes over H Group, I¡¯m quitting immediately!¡± Everyone was chatting in excitement when they were suddenly startled by a stern voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do?¡± The voice belonged to someone who, like Stefan, had been absent from thepany for a long time. He was none other than the secretary of H Group¡¯s CEO, Elijah. ¡°M-Mr. Young!¡± Everyone immediately fell silent. Being Stefan¡¯s personal aide, Elijah held a very high status in H Group. Sometimes, meeting Elijah was like meeting Stefan himself. ¡°What were you all talking about?¡± Elijah asked with a frown. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Having been away from H Group for a while, everything seemed to be a mess to him. ¡°Mr. Young, we were talking about¡­¡± An employee who was braver than the rest told Elijah about everything that had happened earlier. ¡®Mr. Young, if Mr. Hunt is fine, please get him toe back and keep things at bay. Now that Jovan is in charge of H Group, he¡¯s been doing many things he¡¯s not supposed to. Clearly, he wants to take over thepany. In fact¡­ In fact, he even dared to touch Stefan¡¯s wife, Ms. Everheart!¡± This employee was a huge fan of Hunt my Everheart. Right then, he let out all his negative emotions while exining what happened to Elijah. ¡°This kid even dared to touch his cousin-inw. He must have a death wish! ¡¯ Elijah clenched his fists tightly. ¡°M-Mr. Young, may I know what happened to Mr. Hunt? Why has he been absent from H Group for so long? There are all sorts of nasty rumors out there! It¡¯s affecting our reputation!¡± Another employee mustered the courage to ask Elijah these questions. ¡°It¡¯s better not to ask. Are you obliged to find out about Mr. Hunt¡¯s situation?¡± Elijah replied before pondering for a moment. ¡°Do you know where Mrs. Hunt and Jovan have gone?¡± Elijah asked Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Chapter 464 Under the night sky, a silver Bugatti Veyron rumbled along the tarmac at a devilish speed. Renee looked nkly ahead in the passenger¡¯s seat. Although she knew very well that Jovan, seated in the driver¡¯s seat, wasn¡¯t a good person, and there were definitely many traps ahead, she still remained calm. She might not have been confident when dealing with other people, but she was experienced enough when it came to idiots like Jovan. Upbeat music that sounded like rock red in the car. Jovan was visibly happy. He was smiling from ear to ear. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other tapping against the window to the beat of the music, he looked very handsome under the amber glow of the streetmps. ¡°If you haven¡¯t slept, if I haven¡¯t stopped chasing, if being awake is a crime, take these promises away, exchange them with¡­¡± The man, swaying from side to side while humming along to the song, looked somewhat like Stefan. His facial features were exquisite, and he seemed extremely attractive. For a second or two, Renee wondered if Jovan was possessed by a certain handsome guy. Why did he seem so attractive? ¡°You sing pretty well, Mr. Hunt. Five used¡¯s songs sound ordinary, but they¡¯re all challenging to sing. One could easily sound like a howling ghost or a wolf, but you made it sound just right. In fact, I prefer your rendition of this song over the original¡­¡± Reneeplimented from the bottom of her heart. Although she didn¡¯t have a good impression of this idiot, she was amazed by his singing talent. ¡°Really?¡± Jovan¡¯s smile grew wider. He nced at the woman next to him.¡± You¡¯re not the first to realize I sing well, but I think you¡¯re still the better singer.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard me sing, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. In fact, I consider myself a loyal fan¡­¡± Jovan frowned a little while he seemingly tried to recall something. ¡°Ocean¡¯s Word is much better than the bands we have today, like Five used, Sunset¡¯s Rollercoaster, and Orange Sea. They had countless fans. Unfortunately¡­ They disbanded!¡± Renee pinched her chin in surprise. ¡°You actually know Ocean¡¯s Word! Kid¡­ You¡¯re really something else!¡± She had always thought Jovan was the thoughtless kind of kid who did whatever they wanted in Beach City just because their family was rich. To her surprise, he had good taste in music. This certainly impressed Renee! Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Anybody who ys rock likes Ocean¡¯s Word. After all, their lead singer can sing and write her own songs. She also has an angelic voice. Whenever I hear her singing, it feels like my soul has been cleansed. Who could possibly resist?¡± Feeling inspired, Jovan closed his eyes to recall something. He then started singing. ¡°The ocean, the ocean of your dreams, do our memories still exist¡­¡± Renee¡¯s expression changed ever so slightly. Part of her memory was brought back. She couldn¡¯t help but sing along, ¡°You¡¯re my long-lost child. You and I once ran on that ocean of our dreams. The ocean with a faint glow on its surface. Are you still there?¡± ¡°Yes, this is how it feels! I adore your voice. Ocean in a Dream by Ocean¡¯s Word is my favorite rock song!¡± Jovan¡¯s eyes lit up while he looked at Renee. He seemed like a passionate fan. The only thing missing was a glowing stick people waved around during concerts. ¡°Erk-hem!¡± Renee realized she was a little too excited and stopped singing. She flicked her hair and said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. Ocean¡¯s Word no longer exists. You should be another band¡¯s fan!¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re around, Ocean¡¯s Word will be. You¡¯re the lead singer and the band¡¯s soul!¡± Jovan was no longer in the mood to drive. He turned and looked at Renee like a passionate fan. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Chapter 465 Renee would never have guessed that her cousin-inw, Jovan, who would hurl insults at her at any given opportunity, was actually her fan! This was way too magical! ¡°Based on what you said, you¡¯ve known me since before I even married your cousin. You¡¯re also my fan. Am I right?¡± Renee was still in a state of disbelief, but she wanted to find out if this was true. Ocean¡¯s Word was a band she formed with a few friends from theb back in college when she was bored. Neither she nor her friends were science freaks who¡¯d only stay in theb. They were all into music and dancing. In Renee¡¯s case, she was a lyricist and aposer. She also had an angelic voice. In the beginning, Ocean¡¯s Word recorded its own single and published it online. After gaining arge fanbase, they started performing in underground bars. Every show had a full audience, and its fanbase kept growing. Not getting married would¡¯ve been much cooler, now that Renee thought about it. The feeling of being on the receiving end of flowers and apuse was just amazing. Later on, due to a change of circumstances in her family, she got married to Stefan. Ocean¡¯s Word disbanded on the spot. Now, her ex-bandmates had all be big shots in the field of research. The glorious days they once had were etched forever in the flow of history ¡­ Renee never expected Jovan to dig up the past. ¡°Of course, I knew who you were. At the time, you were the purest soul I knew. To me, you were an unattainable divine goddess. I even felt remorseful when I dreamed about you!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee burst intoughter. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you shouldn¡¯t make unrealistic jokes like that. This romanticism doesn¡¯t suit you. Do you realize how ridiculous it sounds?¡± ¡°Do you doubt me?¡± Jovan seemed serious. ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll show you proof.¡± After saying that, he pressed a few buttons on the car¡¯s disy screen. After opening a file, a collection of every song and every performance by Ocean¡¯s Word appeared. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The most ridiculous part was that he took many photos of Renee while she performed. Only a genuine fan could snap those particr angles with such good lighting. ¡°This is¡­ This is amazing!¡± Renee gasped. While she went through those performance videos and photos, memories from years ago came flooding back to her. Back then, she hadn¡¯t met Stefan yet. Her parents were still around, and her family was still a force to be reckoned with. As a genius in the world of academia, she could do whatever she wanted. Life was perfect. Now, after an exhausting marriage with the man she shouldn¡¯t have even loved to begin with, the scars from her healed wounds were still there. She could still feel the pain and hopelessness! ¡°Mr. Hunt, I don¡¯t quite get it. Since you knew me back then and were also a fan of mine, why were you always against me? You¡¯d insult me at any given chance and leave me in embarrassing situations. Are you schizophrenic?¡± Renee asked out of curiosity. After spending only a short amount of time with him, she already had apletely different opinion of him. Perhaps, he wasn¡¯t as corrupted on the inside as she had thought. Perhaps ¡­ he just wasn¡¯t that easy to deal with Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Forthat reason, Renee had to refrain from appearing too curious. She sat quietly in the passenger¡¯s seat. Soon, the traffic began to ease as they gradually entered the suburbs. The surroundings gradually got darker. There weren¡¯t even streetmps to light the road. It only got creepier by the second. Unsurprisingly, this was the kind of ce where bad people did terrible things. Renee wasn¡¯t afraid, however. With her abilities, she could fight ten more Jovans even if her legs had only just recovered. ¡°Hey¡­ Where are you taking me?¡± Renee was getting a little impatient. She was visibly unhappy. ¡°Be patient. We¡¯ll be arriving soon.¡± Jovan said before making a turn onto a small, dark road. There were lush cypress trees on both sides of the road, which stood upright like triangr gs. Renee rolled down the window and looked around. Why did this ce seem a little familiar? After that, she suddenly recalled that this was the gravesite where she and Stefan had fallen and gotten hurt. ording to rumors, this was an elite gravesite. Those who were buried here were said to be able to have a luxurious lifestyle in the afterlife. However, for the living, being here for too long would run the risk of bumping into unholy things. It was a taboo for most. Why did Jovan bring her to a creepy ce like this in the middle of the night? Her cast had only just been removed. She didn¡¯t want to fall again! ¡°Turn around!¡± Reneemanded. ¡°I don¡¯t like it here. I want you to turn around right now.¡± However, Jovan refused to cooperate. He sneered. ¡°I¡¯m behind the wheel now. What if I refuse?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°In that case, don¡¯t me me for having to do this!¡± Renee red at him coldly before pressing a pocket knife against his neck. ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of nowhere anyway. There are more ghosts than humans. When pushes to shove, I¡¯ll have no choice but to slit your throat and bury you right where we are!¡± Jovan was nowhere near a coward. On the contrary, he appeared excited. His eyes lit up while he stared at Renee. ¡°In that case, do it. I¡¯d willingly die in the hands of a beauty!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m incapable?¡± ¡°Of course, you are¡­ If it¡¯s too hard, I¡¯ll help you!¡± Jovan eximed before suddenly grabbing Renee¡¯s hand and pulling it into his neck. This instantly left an open wound on his neck, and he started bleeding. Renee immediately pulled away and yelled angrily, ¡°Are you crazy, Jovan? Kill yourself if you want to, but don¡¯t do it while I¡¯m here. You¡¯ve gonepletely mad!¡± Her Swiss knife had a sharp de that could even cut through some steel. It was only several inches in length, but it was highly lethal. This was the first weapon she had ever received from her grandfather. All these years, she had kept it with her for self-defense. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t even have to use it. There was a saying that once a pocket knife like this was opened, it had to draw blood, or it would be blunt. Although Jovan was a madman, he fulfilled the criteria for this saying. His blood wasn¡¯t drawn in vain. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. If you wanted to pull a prank on me, you¡¯ve seeded. Unfortunately, I have no intention of ying along any further,¡± Renee put her pocket knife away. She tried to open the door to get out, but she realized Jovan had already locked the car. ¡°We haven¡¯t arrived at our destination. Why are you in such a hurry? Wouldn¡¯t all these miles we¡¯ve traveled go to waste?¡± Jovan sneered before calmly turning on the engine. His neck was still bleeding, but it was as if he couldn¡¯t even feel it. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to tend to it. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stop the bleeding first?¡± Renee asked in a disgusted tone while she stared at him. Imagine a man smiling creepily in the middle of the night while driving through a remote cemetery. His neck bled, dying his shirt in red¡­ It was honestly nothing short of bizarre Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Jovan¡¯s smile broadened. He stared at Renee with glistening eyes. ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± Renee remained silent. ¡°If bleeding a little can make you worry for me, I don¡¯t mind getting beheaded just to see you smile,¡± he added. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Renee rolled her eyes before tossing him a handkerchief. Jovan dangled the handkerchief in front of his nose and took a big whiff at it. He then reluctantly wrapped it around his bleeding neck before tying a knot. ¡°Such a wonderful handkerchief. It¡¯s a pity,¡± he said with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯ve truly gone mad!¡± Renee rubbed her temples. She regretted her decision. At first, she thought Jovan was a big idiot, and she could easily extract important information about H Group from him. To her surprise¡­ He was only pretending to be dumb all this time. He was a mad person and not as easy to manipte as she had thought. ying along would only dy her own n. It even resulted in conflict between her and Liam. ¡®I made a huge mistake!¡¯ This guy was crazy. She could only let him drive to their destination before she tried to escape. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. They made a left turn before arriving in front of a wide tform. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Jovan stopped the car and looked at Renee. There was a mysterious look on his face. ¡°Trust me. You won¡¯t regreting here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I sure wish so!¡± Renee replied with fake enthusiasm, but she already had something else nned. She saw Jovan getting out of the car, and she did the same. When Jovan started walking toward her, she kicked him in the stomach and snatched the car key from him. ¡¯It¡¯s my bedtime. I don¡¯t have time to waste here with you. If you like it here, you can stay. I¡¯m going home,¡± Renee said before unlocking the car and getting in from the driver¡¯s side. She prepared to turn on the engine. After being kicked, Jovan felt as if his internal organs were crushed. Blood spilled out from his mouth. However, he seemed even more excited than before. He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and stared at her. ¡°Are you sure you want to leave? Can¡¯t my proud and handsome cousin make you stay?¡± Renee¡¯s facial expression froze. She stepped on the brake and asked,¡± What do you mean? Be specific!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard?¡± Jovan propped up his upper body with his long arms. He had a creepy smile on his face. ¡°Many people have been specting where Stefan had gone. He hasn¡¯t been seen in public for two weeks. Why was I suddenly asked to return to the country to hold the fort? Aren¡¯t you curious at all?¡± ¡±H-He was heavily injured. He¡¯s probably recuperating now. That¡¯s why there hasn¡¯t been any news from him.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes glistened. When she connected the dots to this unusual ce, she had a bad feeling about what might have happened. However, she refused to believe it. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s merely recuperating?¡± ¡°C-Could there be some other reason?¡± Renee asked. She seemed perplexed. She kept telling herself that Stefan was a tough man. Nothing could kill him. She was certain nothing had happened to him. Jovan sneered. ¡°What are you afraid of? Make a wild guess. I believe¡­ you already have the answer, don¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Chapter 468 Renee shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer, and I don¡¯t want to make a guess. I¡¯m also not in the mood to listen to your nonsense. You¡¯d better get out of the way, or I¡¯ll run you over!¡± Jovan satzily in front of the car. He ignored Renee¡¯s warningpletely. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve grown much stronger in the past few years, but you¡¯re still as much of a coward as ever. You don¡¯t even have the guts to face the truth. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s sad that you have to lie to yourself like this?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Renee eximed. ¡°I¡¯m saying this for thest time. Get out of the way!¡± She ced her foot on the gas pedal. All she needed to do was step on it lightly, and Jovan would be crushed into a pulp of flesh. ¡°Hehe. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to change my dying cousin¡¯s fate by running me over?¡± Jovan slowly got up. He propped his arms on the hood and smiled creepily at her. ¡°Weren¡¯t you curious why I brought you to the middle of nowhere? Look around. Don¡¯t you think this gravesite has very good feng shui? I heard the Hunt family specifically chose this ce for Stefan. Once it¡¯s time to bury him, my proud, aloof cousin will be trapped here forever¡­¡± Renee¡¯s head was pounding. Her mind went nk. She couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying and couldn¡¯t be bothered to try. She kept repeating the phrase ¡®my dying cousin¡¯ in her head! ¡®No. This isn¡¯t possible. How could Stefan be dead? If a cat has nine lives, he has ten!¡¯ Renee refused to believe Stefan was dead. ¡°You know very well whether I¡¯m lying or not. If you don¡¯t believe me, you cane and look at this grave. His tomb has already been erected in advance. The irony is¡­ Since you¡¯re his wife, your name was also inscribed on it. It¡¯s hrious!¡± Jovan crossed his arms and looked at therge tomb ahead. There was a sarcastic look in his eyes. ¡°When I think about it, sometimes, life can be quite meaningless. It doesn¡¯t bother how capable or amazing someone is; at the end of the day, one is still a mere mortal. Once a person dies, he¡¯s no different from an insect or a pest. Everything goes back to dust. I can step on him if I so wish!¡± He added before stepping on Stefan¡¯s ck-and-white photo on the tomb. ¡°Stefan, aren¡¯t you all that amazing? Haven¡¯t you always been number one? Why don¡¯t you get up and fight back? ¡°Do you have any idea how I¡¯ve always lived in your shadow? When other people get a score of 99 on an exam, they receive praise. When I did the same, I got beaten up. It¡¯s all because you¡¯d always get a score of 100! ¡°I lost sleep and skipped meals to make H Group one of the top three yers in the market, but I was transferred abroad to work on sideline projects all because of something you said! ¡°Everyone criticized me for being an idiot and a womanizer. They said I brought shame to the family, but nobody knew I had to bepared to you at all times. How was I supposed to ever stand out? ¡°Fortunately, God is fair. You died for a woman. It gave me an opportunity toe back. From now on, I¡¯ll reim everything that I once lost, including the woman of my dreams!¡± Jovan uttered excitedly. The smile on his face was bing cold and twisted. He stomped fervently on Stefan¡¯s photo, letting out all those years of jealousy he had concealed! ¡°Stop it!¡± Renee had gotten out of the car at some point. ¡°You¡¯re insulting a dead person. Can you even call yourself a gentleman?¡± ¡°Do you feel bad for him? Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Jovan lifted his foot and turned sideways to look at Renee. He smiled. ¡°I was never a gentleman, to begin with. I bring shame to the family. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never heard about that¡­ I couldn¡¯t do anything to Stefan when he was alive, but I can insult him all I want now that he¡¯s dead!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°You¡¯re mad. Even if Stefan¡¯s dead, he¡¯ll always be stronger than you!¡± Jovan¡¯s eyes glistened briefly. He approached Renee one step at a time. ¡°Is that so? What can he do right now? My footsteps are on his face, and I¡¯m about to sleep with his wife in front of him. All he can do is watch. Do you call that strong?¡± ¡°Shameless!¡± Renee pped Jovan hard across the face. ¡°You¡¯re a loser. Don¡¯t ever think you can get close to me!¡± Renee still felt angry even though she¡¯d said those things. She lifted one leg and kicked Jovan in the stomach. ¡°Hmph!¡± Jovan curled up and kneeled in front of the tomb. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee stood behind him and stepped on his back. ¡°This is how you should behave in front of your brother. If you can¡¯t seem to learn it, I don¡¯t mind teaching you again.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Keep treating me like this. Don¡¯t stop. I like you when you¡¯re like this!¡± Although Jovan was clearly almost beaten to death, he seemed unusually excited. In fact, his eyes were even glistening. ¡°You asked me why I admired you so much but insulted you at every given opportunity after you married Stefan. I¡¯ll tell you why. It¡¯s because you let me down!¡± Jovan eximed with his eyes closed. ¡°You¡¯re evidently a capable, talented, bright, and divine being, but you married the man I hated and looked down on the most! Stefan is an emotionless robot, but you were willing to disband Ocean¡¯s Word and be a boring, rich housewife for him. You carefully sucked up to everyone in the Hunt family and stayed with a man who didn¡¯t even love you. You had huge potential in life, but you wasted it away. It felt like watching the person you love falling into a pool of disgusting waste. Who else should I humiliate but you?¡± Jovan¡¯s words left Renee in shock. ¡°Y-You¡¯re unbelievable! You¡¯re an absolute pervert!¡± Renee eximed. She never realized that a man she barely knew would think of her so highly ¡­ Was this a case of a fan turning into a hater? Anyway, he was as mad as a hatter! ¡°From your reaction, it seems that you probably haven¡¯t moved on. Unfortunately, Stefan is already dead. You have no choice but to move on. Why don¡¯t you consider me? It won¡¯t be long before the entire H Group falls into my hands. I can give you everything you want!¡± Although Renee was still stepping on Jovan, he sounded fully confident. Renee appeared annoyed. ¡°I can fight for what I want. I don¡¯t need anyone else to give me anything. I refuse to believe Stefan is dead. It¡¯s all in your head!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Liam to verify the truth. That is¡­ If he¡¯s still willing to talk to you.¡± Jovan smiled arrogantly. He eliminated two rivals in romance in a single night. This excited him far more than taking over H Group Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Renee couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste any more time with Jovan. She turned around, entered the car, and drove away from the gravesite. She didn¡¯t once look at Stefan¡¯s so-called tomb. That was because she believed from the bottom of her heart that he was still alive¡­ Under the moonlight, Renee returned to Leia¡¯s apartment in the city center as quickly as she could. She had been through too much today. She was exhausted, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She wanted nothing else but a good night¡¯s sleep. As soon as she opened the door, she realized that Liam was also there, apart from Leia. After their fight in H Group, it felt a little awkward when they locked eyes. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re finally home. Liam almost called the cops,¡± Leia said with a long sigh. She wrapped her arms around Renee¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll cook something for you if you are.¡± Renee shook her head. She looked tired. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯m just a little sleepy. I think I need a good, good rest. Goodnight.¡± After finishing her sentence, she walked past Liam and headed toward her own room. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Sleep?¡± Leia sensed something was amiss while she looked at Renee from behind. Had Renee received news about Adie? Knowing Renee, she wouldn¡¯t be in the mood to sleep right now and would definitely be trying everything she could to find Adie! ¡°Renee, did Jovan bully you? Why do I sense that something¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Leia asked out of concern. She knew Renee and Liam had already broken up. In fact, she also knew that it was all because of Jovan. She felt that it wasn¡¯t fair for Liam. After all, Liam had sacrificed a lot for this rtionship. If Stefan was the one who won, it would¡¯ve been fair game. However, if Jovan was the one who stood in their way, even Leia, who was an outsider, felt it wasn¡¯t justifiable. Leia initially nned to lecture Renee on this, but she didn¡¯t have the heart to do it after seeing the state Renee was in. ¡°Tell us if he bullied you. Liam and I won¡¯t let him off the hook!¡± Leia said angrily while holding onto Renee¡¯s shoulder. Renee looked up and smiled bitterly. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m someone he can bully?¡± ¡®That¡¯s true. You¡¯re strong enough to fend that loser off!¡± Leia felt even more confused now. ¡°So, what exactly is wrong? Did you receive bad news about Adie?¡± Leia asked. ¡°It has nothing to do with Adie. I¡¯m just tired. I want to stop thinking and have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Renee¡¯s voice got weaker and weaker. It sounded as if she was struggling to even breathe. This was completely unlike her usually energetic self. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Renee forced a smile and reached for the door¡¯s handle. She then walked in lifelessly Chapter 471 Chapter 471 Chapter 471 ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Leia was still worried. She turned to look at Liam.¡± Liam, think of something. Renee must¡¯ve experienced something devastating. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be so downtrodden. Although you guys broke up, you can¡¯t just ignore her. Didn¡¯t you wait all night to talk to her after she returned? Why are you being silent?¡¯ Leia had always been hot-headed. She directly pushed Liam into Renee¡¯s room and closed the door with a bang. She then locked the door from the outside. Liam instantly panicked and tried to open the door, but it wouldn¡¯t budge.¡± Leia, damn it! Open the door!¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t care. You have to make Renee feel better tonight. Otherwise, don¡¯t even think abouting out,¡± Leia uttered. Worried that the lock might not hold, she even attached a steel bar as atch for good measure. It couldn¡¯t be helped -her brother was too passive-if she didn¡¯t lend him a hand, he wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance! Renee and Liam were left in therge room all alone. They looked at each other. ¡°rm sorry. You know how my sister never thinks things through.¡± Liam chucked his hands into his pockets. He pretended to be casual and nonchnt. It was as if their argument in H Group had never happened. Renee smiled exhaustedly. ¡¯I¡¯m the one who should apologize. Jovan is a nutcase. I thought I could get some useful information from him, but I realized he was full of nonsense. It was aplete waste of my time. It even affected our rtionship. I¡¯m such an idiot!¡± Renee¡¯s head hung low while she sat in front of the dressing table. She buried her head in her hands, and her shoulders trembled slightly. Liam frowned when he saw this. He felt bad for her. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve found out. Cry if you want to. You don¡¯t have to pretend that you don¡¯t care. This isn¡¯t something to be embarrassed about.¡± From the moment Jovan showed up, Liam knew that it was impossible to keep Stefan¡¯s death a secret. He reacted so strongly in H Group and insisted on not letting Jovan get close to Renee, worried that Renee couldn¡¯t handle the news. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, she still found out in the end¡­ ¡®Haha. I¡­ What have I found out? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Renee was still pretending, but she wasn¡¯t doing a good job at it. This made Liam feel even worse for her. He walked up to her and gently patted her on the shoulder, as though channeling energy into her body. ¡¯Just let it out. After all, he¡¯s the man you once loved deeply. It¡¯s normal that you¡¯d want to cry for him.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t stay sad for too long. You have to get back on your feet and live your life. Adie and Abby are still waiting for you. You can¡¯t give up¡­¡± He added. ¡°Don¡¯t make things up!¡± Renee suddenly looked up at Liam. Her eyes filled with tears of anger. ¡°Jovan lied to me, and so did you! Do all of you think I¡¯m so easy to fool? Stefan is a tough man, and he won¡¯t die so easily. This is aughable lie!¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to face the truth. Well, let¡¯s just pretend he¡¯s still alive. If it makes you feel better, I¡¯ll tell you he¡¯s still alive too. You can stop crying for him.¡± Liam could tell Renee was greatly affected by Stefan¡¯s death. Renee was normally not quite as weak. Why wouldn¡¯t she be able to face the truth? Since she was unwilling to ept the truth, he¡¯d continue lying to her for the rest of his life. This was what he nned to do from the very beginning. ¡°Whether he¡¯s dead or alive has nothing to do with me. I won¡¯t shed a single tear for him. Even if he died saving me, I could only say that he¡¯s too unlucky¡­¡± Renee took a deep breath and walked shakily to her bed. She fell onto the bed and said with her back to Liam, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I want to sleep. Save it for tomorrow.¡± Liam looked at her scrawny figure as she wept and shook uncontrobly and felt like he had been stabbed in the chest¡­ ¡®Stefan, are you dead or alive? If you¡¯re alive, juste out. How can you call yourself a man when you make a woman cry for you? Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Meanwhile, at a child-friendly hotel in Beach City, Adie sat cross-legged on a couch in one of the suites, eyes glued to Happy Sheep and the Big Gray Wolf on television. Briar brought some washed fruits to Adie with a big smile on her face.¡± Adie, have some fruits. You need the vitamins.¡± Adie smiled in an adorable manner. ¡°Thank you, Aunty Desrosiers. You¡¯re a beautiful and kind person. No wonder you¡¯re Mommy¡¯s good friend.¡± ¡°You are such a sweet-talker.¡± ¡®Of course. I get to eat super sweet fruits that you personally washed. My mouth naturally bes super sweet too!¡± Briar couldn¡¯t stop smiling throughout her conversation with Adie. Although she kept reminding herself that Adie was Renee and Stefan¡¯s child and that the child would severely dy her marriage into the Hunt family, meaning he couldn¡¯t be spared, she couldn¡¯t resist his angelic smile. He was so sweet with the things he said that she couldn¡¯t help but want to be close to him. She yearned to give him good food and nice clothes. It was insane! Initially, she nned to get William to send Adie to Water Dock, where he would be handed over to a unique individual. However, she couldn¡¯t make up her mind and kept dying. Due to the urgent andplicated situation, she steeled herself and decided to send Adie away tonight. She couldn¡¯t drag this on¡­ She held the te of fruits and sat next to Adie. With his cheeks all puffed up, he looked like a hamster that was munching on grapes. Her heart nearly melted. Adie waspletely focused on the cartoon. Briar couldn¡¯t resistughing. ¡°Adie, do you like Happy Sheet and the Big Gray Wolf? Do you hate the wolf?¡± Adie shook his head. ¡°Not at all. I don¡¯t hate the wolf. It might seem bad, but it¡¯s actually not that bad. Although it wants to eat the sheep in every episode, it keeps failing. I think it¡¯s not only because the sheep is smart but because it doesn¡¯t actually want to eat it. They¡¯re just ying!¡± ¡°l-ls that so?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Adie reached out to Briar. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, Aunty Desrosiers, you can watch the show with me. After watching it, you¡¯ll realize it¡¯s quite adorable despite how everyone hates it. Mommy once told me that nobody is entirely good or bad in this world. If a bad person is willing to be good, he can be a good person too. He deserves to be liked by everyone.¡± ¡®Your mother¡­ She¡¯s good at sharing important values with you.¡± Briar had aplicated expression on her face after hearing Adie¡¯s philosophical thoughts. Why did she sense that there was an underlying message? But he was only four years old. How could he be so smart? She had to be overthinking. ¡°Adie, what your mother said makes sense, but here¡¯s my advice. There are more viins in this world than you imagine. In fact, sometimes, bad guys will always be bad guys. It¡¯s hard for people to change. You have to be careful and don¡¯t trust strangers too easily. Don¡¯t go home with strangers, either. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even know if you get sold!¡± ¡°In that case, are you a bad person? Will you sell me to human traffickers?¡± Adie asked. ¡°O-Of course, I¡¯m not a bad person!¡± Briar felt a little guilty after being asked that question. She stammered when she answered him. She had only shared her thoughts so that Adie wouldn¡¯t fall into the hands of bad people in the future. In reality, though, she hadn¡¯t thought too much about it. Coincidentally, her mother was the one who taught her this. Her mother was a homewrecker who humbly served her father. That was how she managed to make his wife leave and create a reasonablyfortable life for Briar. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Briar¡¯s mother had been telling her since she was a kid that being born was a woman¡¯s first reincarnation, while getting married would be her second. Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Chapter 473 Good men were scarce, and women needed to have thick skin to win them over and keep them. The more ruthless one was, the more stable one¡¯s position in the household would be. Weak women would only be discarded -even their children would end up suffering. Therefore, Briar had no other talent thanpeting for men. She fought hard for Tristan and had him wrapped around her fingers. Tristan thought she was pregnant with his child but in reality¡­ The child didn¡¯t even belong to the Hunt family. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. In other words, even if her baby was healthy, she wouldn¡¯t keep it. Renee happened to be the perfect scapegoat. Stefan was the man Briar had set her sights on. She was willing to pay any price to get married to him. ¡°Adie, you have to believe that I¡¯m a good person. I would never hurt you. You should be grateful that your mother has a good friend like me,¡± Briar said with a smile while she gently ruffled Adie¡¯s head. She made up her mind right there and then. The kid could only me himself for being Renee¡¯s child! Suddenly, Adie stopped watching the cartoon. He turned around and stared at Briar with wide eyes. ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter?¡± Briar panicked at the sight of his intense stare. He looked way too much like Stefan. Their eyes were practically the same when he didn¡¯t smile. His piercing gaze seemed as if it could see through her. ¡°Nothing. I just think that you¡¯re a good person. I like you a lot. I¡¯m d I got to know you. I¡¯m so happy¡­ Give me a hug, Aunty Desrosiers!¡± After saying that, he opened his arms passionately and wrapped them around Briar¡¯s neck. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Briar froze. She didn¡¯t dare to move. Adie was soft to the touch. She felt a gentleness in the deepest part of her heart. However, despite the passionate hug, she couldn¡¯t see the look of disappointment on Adie¡¯s face. He already gave this mean aunty a chance, and he didn¡¯t want to punish her too severely. However, she still hadn¡¯t learned her lesson. She couldn¡¯t me her for what he would do next¡­ ¡°Adie, it¡¯s gettingte. Finish your milk and go to bed!¡± Briar hesitated for a long while. In the end, she still offered him the milk that had arge number of sleeping pills infused. ¡°Alright. Thank you. Aunty Desrosiers.¡± Adie picked up the ss of milk and emptied it in a few gulps. Soon, he was sound asleep. Briar couldn¡¯t wake him up no matter how hard she tried. ¡°Don¡¯t me me, kiddo. It¡¯s all your mother¡¯s fault. You might be very adorable, and I really do like you, but you¡¯re Renee¡¯s son, and I can¡¯t keep you around!¡± Briar sat on the edge of the bed and silently looked at Adie. Amid her fierce, steely expression, however, was a tinge of sadness. And that was when the doorbell rang.. Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Briar stood up and went to the door. Outside stood William, her biggest admirer. ¡°I¡¯m here for my reward!¡± William barged in and pressed Briar against the wall. He began kissing her passionately. Briar lifted her arms and let him do what he wanted without any expression on her face. She even seemed annoyed. After a few kisses, William found it pointless and harshly let her go. ¡°If you don¡¯t like me at all, why did you promise you would give yourself to me as a reward for completing the mission?¡± William asked. He pinched her cheeks with his long fingers. ¡°You¡¯re like a log. There¡¯s no warmth and no response from you. Are you rewarding me or humiliating me?¡± he asked through clenched jaws. Briar sneered. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I¡¯ve always kept my promises. If I promised you something, I¡¯d give it to you, but not now¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s your excuse this time?¡± William was losing his patience. ¡°I¡¯ve considered you my one and only love interest for many years. I¡¯ve never let myself forget that. Back when you were young and naive, I didn¡¯t even dare to kiss you. I only realized how much of a bitch you were after we broke up¡­ ¡°Why could other men easily get their hands on you, but I couldn¡¯t? This is my only regret, and it¡¯s the only thing driving me mad. I even dream about you. I¡¯ve done so many things I swore I¡¯d never do just to be with you. In fact, I even hurt a kind girl. Are you telling me that you want to change your mind now?¡± The more he said, the more extreme he became. His grip also tightened. ¡°Don¡¯t force me. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for killing us both. Well go to hell together!¡± Briar wasn¡¯t afraid. She snickered. ¡°William, you¡¯re losing control. Look at your crazy self. Are you still the same gentleman who dreams of bing a doctor?¡± ¡°Do you finally realize that I¡¯ve lost control? It¡¯s all your fault. Is my love for you so cheap?! Why must you toy with my feelings?¡± Briar¡¯s gaze became increasingly cold. She cut to the chase. ¡°You lost control over that bitch¡¯s friend, Leia. You didn¡¯t expect to actually fall in love with her. You say you loved me and would do anything for me, but you so easily developed feelings for someone else. You¡¯ve only known her for a few months¡­ Men who im to be devoted like you can never stay true to their words!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s not true!¡± William was initially furious, but he now seemed frantic. His gaze darted around, ¡°l- lt¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m sure I was only acting. I was using her to gain ess to Renee¡¯s secrets. I intentionally got close to her, and I even recorded a video of us sleeping together, just so I could ckmail her into hurting Renee¡­ I did all of this to make you happy and to make you mine. I¡¯ve already proven that I love you the most!¡± William argued. ¡°Well said and well done too. Unfortunately, you can fool others, but not me. Even if I really do give myself to you, you still won¡¯t be satisfied. Not only that, but you¡¯ll fall into despair. You¡¯ll be in pain because you¡¯re afraid of losing Leia¡­¡± Briar said while lifting her phone up. ¡°I recorded everything you just said. If you really meant what you said, send this voice recording to Leia,¡± she added. ¡°What? You¡¯re insane!¡± William panicked. He snatched her phone away and deleted the voice recording. He was so nervous that his fingers were trembling. Briar observed all this before bursting intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! See? Men like you never mean what you say. You¡¯re full of lies. To you, love is like a bubble that pops with a single poke. I¡¯ve known long ago that there are no men in this world who could love only one woman. The day men can be trusted is the day pigs fly!¡± After making sure the voice recording was deleted, he finally calmed down. ¡°Leia is a kind, naive girl. I¡¯ve hurt her enough. I don¡¯t want to keep ying this game. From now on, I won¡¯t do anything for you.¡± William finally realized howughable his attempt to be with Briar was. For the sake of this pursuit, he had done many wrong things. He had turned from an upright, kind person into a demon. He hurt the innocent Leia. He didn¡¯t want to keep making these mistakes¡­ ¡°Hmph. Do you think you can call it quits whenever you want?¡± Briar asked sarcastically. She began mocking William for his naivety. ¡°You¡¯ve fallen into the abyss from the time you started getting close to Leia, for my sake. You¡¯ll be naive to think you can climb out of it now! ¡°Did you think you could wipe away all the ugly things you did by deleting this voice recording? Hahaha! I¡¯ve always been careful with everything I do. I already uploaded this voice recording to the cloud. Not only that, but I also have a copy of the video of you having sex with Leia. It¡¯s all saved on my cloud disk. Do you think your naive Leia would have a breakdown and kill herself after I publish it online?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± William reached for Briar¡¯s neck. ¡°What is your cloud disk¡¯s password? Delete those videos right away. I don¡¯t want to y your game anymore. I¡¯m counting down from three¡­ Tell me the password, or I¡¯ll strangle you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you finish counting down from three. It took me so much effort to draw a card I could use against Renee. Did you think I¡¯d give it up so easily? Unless¡­ You do onest thing for me.¡± Briar noticed the hesitation in William¡¯s eyes. ¡°As long as youplete this task, I¡¯ll delete everything, be it a voice note or a video. You can also use me however you want. If you think I¡¯m an eyesore, I can even disappear from your lifepletely. I wont get in between you and Leia. Nobody will find out about all those nasty things you did¡­¡± She added. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. William gulped. His willpower wavered. ¡°Are you sure you can keep your promise?¡± ¡°Yes, but only if you carry this task out perfectly.¡± ¡®What do I have to do?¡± William asked. Briar didn¡¯t answer him. Instead, she looked in the direction of the bedroom where Adie was sound asleep. She didn¡¯t need to say anything further.. Chapter 475 Chapter 475 Chapter 475 William saw Adie, who was fast asleep, and his expression changed instantly. ¡°Briar, are you mad? How could you do this to a child? He¡¯s still so young. He shouldn¡¯t be taken to Carmine Pawnshop¡­ You should know when to stop! Aren¡¯t you afraid that karma wille back to bite you?¡± A while ago, he received an order from Briar to deliver something ¡®unique¡¯ to Water Dock¡¯s Carmine Pawnshop. On the surface, Carmine Pawnshop sounded like a proper pawnshop where various precious treasures from around the world were gathered, but in reality, it was a breeding ground for evil. The pawnshop¡¯s owner was mysterious and had a powerful background. He once imed that if a pawnbroker could give him something precious, he would fulfill any of their wishes. Some traded invaluable treasures for the love they so desired, while others traded their organs for immeasurable wealth. All in all¡­ As long as the owner was willing to ept the item one offered, one¡¯s deepest desires could be turned into reality. Since Briar was able to offer Adie to Carmine Pawnshop, she must¡¯ve negotiated a deal with the owner. All she needed now was someone reliable to deliver Adie to Carmine Pawnshop, and the deal would be official! ¡°Tell me the truth. What did you ask Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s boss to give you ¡­ Money? Power? Health?¡± William couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard he tried. ¡°You have everything now. This child is only starting out in life. If the shop takes him in, his life will be in ruins. Stop this while you can!¡¯ ¡¯Hehe!¡± Briar was like a proud peacock. She stood proudly under the warm orange light while she laughed sarcastically. ¡°You were the one who did all those unspeakable things. Now, you¡¯re the one pretending to be a saint. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little toote? Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡®You found your happiness in romance, and now you want to leave. Me? I have nothing and no one. The man I love has gone missing. The Hunt family I longed to be a part of thinks I¡¯m the bearer of bad luck. I don¡¯t even have the chance to be a mother now. If I don¡¯t give it onest shot, my mother would turn in her grave. She¡¯d me me for being an embarrassment¡­ So, do you think I¡¯m going too far?¡± All these years, she¡¯d been pretending to be a fool to solicit pity from others. She and Stefan were getting closer and closer, and it was only a matter of time before she got married into the Hunt family. Who would¡¯ve thought that Renee would suddenly show up? She seemed to be practically impossible to get rid of! As soon as Renee appeared, Stefan lost his soul. All of Briar¡¯s efforts for the past four years had gone to waste. How could she not hate Renee? Naturally, Briar knew she was no match for Renee and needed someone stronger to help her. Coincidentally, Adie was a ¡®treasure¡¯ the owner of Carmine Pawnshop took interest in. They got along right away! ¡®I don¡¯t have another choice. I can¡¯t lose. Being nice will only lead me down the path of destruction¡­¡± Briar clenched her fists and red coldly at William. ¡°We¡¯re both the same. If this child isn¡¯t delivered to Carmine Pawnshop without the stipted period, we¡¯ll both be in deep trouble. Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s owner won¡¯t let us off the hook. If you keep hesitating, you¡¯ll lose everything, including your beloved Leia!¡± Briar¡¯s words broke through William¡¯sst line of mental defense. There wasn¡¯t anything he was personally afraid of, but he couldn¡¯t put Leia in danger. Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s owner was known to be a cold-blooded demon. If they really did make him upset, he might exact revenge on them indiscriminately¡­ William took a deep breath. He walked to the bed and picked Adie up, who was sound asleep. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This kid might be smart, but he trusts me too much. I gave him some milk infused with sleeping pills. It¡¯ll keep him asleep until you send him to the pawnshop. All you have to do is be the delivery man. I¡¯m sure you can do a good job,¡± Briar said while crossing her arms. She sounded like a heartless snake or scorpion. ¡°Briar, you¡¯re not even human!¡± William eximed. He looked at the adorable Adie in his arms, and his face disyed a look of pain. He felt extremely guilty. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 Chapter 476 ¡°I could say the same about you!¡± Briar looked at William. Just as she was about to start mocking him, she caught sight of Adie. Her heart ached a little. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists tightly. She couldn¡¯t go easy on him! ¡°This is thest time I¡¯ll do anything for you. I hope you can keep your promise. Delete those videos and voice recordings on your phone. We owe each other nothing after this. Well pretend we don¡¯t even know each other! ¡® William eximed before leaving the hotel with Adie. Briar stood where she was and watched them leave. She didn¡¯t move for a very long time, and there wasn¡¯t any expression on her face, not unlike a soulless corpse. After remaining silent for a while, she squatted and beganughing like a lunatic. She even started rolling on the floor while sheughed¡­ ¡¯Hahaha! Briar, you¡¯re such a sad case. Even that fool who loved you the most decided to leave you for good. You deserve to have nothing!¡± Briar mbered onto her feet and looked at the ss Adie used in the living room. She also saw the clothes and toys she bought for Adie. Although she felt a little disappointed, she forced herself to not feel anything. Since she¡¯d already lost everything, she couldn¡¯t afford to lose anymore.¡¯ Renee¡­ It¡¯s time for you to die!¡¯ *** William carried Adie to the backseat of his car. After strapping on Adie¡¯s seatbelt, he even draped a small nket over Adie. This kid was good-looking and adorable. There was nothing to dislike about him. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. The thought of sending Adie to the hell-like Carmine Pawnshop made William want to kill himself. Mr. Q, Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s owner, gave the final order that they had to send Adie over before the break of dawn. If it didn¡¯t happen, the contract would be nullified, and he¡¯d exact revenge on him and Briar. After hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped on the gas. While the car moved forward at a reasonable speed under the pale moonlight, William struggled with conflicting thoughts in his mind. That was when he received a call from Leia. William was pleasantly surprised. He frantically picked up the call. ¡®Baby, have you finally stopped being mad at me? Are we not breaking up anymore?¡¯ Leia¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Don¡¯t take it the wrong way. We¡¯re definitely breaking up. However, if you perform well, I might just reconsider my decision.¡± ¡°Just tell me what you want. I¡¯ll do anything for you!¡± William eximed earnestly. ¡¯I¡¯ll tell you the truth. My friend is in a tough spot. I think she¡¯s probably too worried about Adie. Didn¡¯t you say you had a friend who¡¯s the chief at a police station? Can you ask him to find Adie as soon as possible?¡± Leia was worried William might have approached her with ulterior motives. That¡¯s why she decided to break up with him temporarily. She didn¡¯t want to affect Renee. However, if he could find Adie, she¡¯d naturally have nothing to worry about, and she could also get back with him in peace. To be honest, she also wanted to test if William was genuine. ¡°This¡­¡± William looked at Adie, who was sound asleep in the backseat, and his willpower began to waver Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Chapter 477 ¡°Leia, if you find out one day that I¡¯m not as simple as you imagined, and I turn out to be a bad person, would you¡­ Would you forgive me?¡± William asked. ¡°Why are you asking that? I knew you were up to no good¡­ But it depends on how you define being bad. If you hurt me, I¡¯ll decide if I should forgive you based on how serious it is. However, if you hurt my friend, I will never forgive you. In my heart, Renee will alwayse first. She¡¯s more important to me than anyone else. If you cross this line, you and I are over for good. Do you understand?¡± Leia asked. To her and her brother, Renee wasn¡¯t only a good friend. She was the person who gave them a second chance at life. They treated her like their idol, and they were determined to protect her to the ends of the earth. William¡¯s facial expression froze after hearing this. He remained silent for a long while before replying. ¡°Alright. I understand. I know what to do.¡± Leia was confused. ¡°What do you mean? Why are you beating around the bush? Are you going to ask your friend for help or not?¡± ¡°Leia, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t help you with this. If you want to break up with me because of this, then so be it.¡± William¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°I¡¯m a bad guy, and I¡¯m also an idiot. I don¡¯t deserve to live. However, I never regretted meeting you and falling in love with you. Thank you for saving me. I love you, Leia. Goodbye!¡± ¡°William, you¡­¡± William hung up before Leia could finish her sentence. He was already crying. It wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce from what Leia said-if he came clean right now and returned Adie to Renee, they might still be able to get back together. However, if he sent Adie to Carmine Pawnshop, their rtionship would be over for good. He loved Leia. Naturally, he didn¡¯t want their rtionship to end. However¡­ More importantly, he was worried she would get into trouble because of him. Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s owner might exact revenge on her. That¡¯s why he¡¯d rather go through with the breakup than take the risk¡­ Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kiddo. I don¡¯t want to hurt you either, but if I don¡¯t do this, the woman I love will get hurt. I hope Mr. Q wants you because he genuinely likes you.¡± William turned around and looked at Adie. He sounded apologetic. Despitemitting an evil crime, William was a reasonable person. That¡¯s why he¡¯d already thought of a way to redeem himself. Once he sent Adie to Carmine Pawnshop, he¡¯d offer a clear exnation to everyone. The car eventually stopped at a gas station. William was feeling awful. He decided to get out of the car for a smoke. Just as Briar had said, Adie was still sound asleep due to the sleeping pills¡¯ effect. However, when William walked far away, Adie got up. Adie knew ahead of time that Briar was up to no good, so he swapped the ss of milk infused with sleeping pills with a regr one when she wasn¡¯t paying attention. He was only pretending to be asleep all this time. Therefore, he heard everything Briar and William said. He was intrigued by the Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s owner that they spoke about. He wanted to meet this guy. If this person turned out to be capable, Adie might even try persuading him to work for Mommy. After all, Mommy had been working hard for many years. Even if Liam was there to help her, he couldn¡¯t do much for her. The more, the merrier. Mommy would have an easier time too. However, Briar was too evil. Not only did she hurt Mommy, but she even tried to sell him. He couldn¡¯t forgive her. Adie retrieved his phone and dialed 911 ording to n. ¡°Police officer, help me. I¡¯ve been kidnapped and sold by Briar Desrosiers, a human trafficker. She¡¯s at Hotel XX right now. Hurry up and arrest her. Oh, and send someone to save me. My name is Aiden Everheart. My Mommy is Renee Everheart, and my Daddy is Liam Osborne. Ahh¡­ The bad guy is here!¡± Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Chapter 478 Adie hung up right after divulging the key information. He also switched off his phone¡¯s GPS system so that the police wouldn¡¯t find him too soon. On top of that, he intentionally left his belongings behind at the hotel when he left earlier. If the police caught Briar now, there¡¯d be solid evidence of her crime. ¡®Hehe!¡¯ After William finished smoking, he returned to the car. Adie was still sleeping. William couldn¡¯t resist sighing. ¡°Poor kid.¡± He filled up the petrol tank and started driving faster than before. Water Dock was even brighter at night than during the day. All types of people were out and about. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even dare enter thiswless ce. Men would have their organs harvested, while women would be forced into prostitution. As for fair, good-looking boys like Adie, one could only imagine the horrors that would befall him if he was caught on the streets! William¡¯s legs were shivering when he drove into this area. Unfortunately, their car was stopped less than a mile away from Carmine Pawnshop. Bang! One of William¡¯s car tires ruptured. A man with one eye walked over with a watermelon knife while chewing gum. ¡® Hey, you must be real bold,ing to Water Dock in the middle of the night. Your tire¡¯s blown. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m here to help.¡± William held onto the steering wheel tightly. ¡°Thanks but no thanks. I have a spare tire.¡± ¡°Your tire is inferior to mine. My tire is the passport you need to enter Water Dock. I guarantee you¡¯ll be able to go wherever you like when you have it on. Otherwise, you might just suffer more punctures!¡± Clearly, the one-eyed man was the person who intentionally caused William¡¯s tire puncture. His objective was to demand money. William couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue any further. ¡°How much does your tire cost?¡± ¡°That depends on what valuable goods you have.¡± The one-eyed man chewed on his gum before looking into the car. He was initially searching for expensive goods, but his eyes lit up when he saw Adie, who was sleeping in the backseat. ¡°Your kid here looks valuable. He¡¯s fair and adorable. I¡¯ll adopt him as my son.¡± No way! Somebody has already made a booking. You better not get any wrong ideas. If you want money, make an offer!¡± William eximed. ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll do whatever I want. Stop yapping!¡± The one-eyed man pped William across the face and swung his watermelon knife around. ¡°Cut the crap. Get out of the car right now. This kid is mine. Otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll chop your head off!¡± ¡°Dream on!¡± William quickly rolled up the window and locked the doors. He then stepped on the gas as hard as he could, intending to drive directly to Carmine Pawnshop. However, the one-eyed man, an influential person in the dock, immediately ordered someone to block his way with another car. He then struck his watermelon knife against the car door. ¡°Damn it. Get out, or I¡¯ll chop your head off!¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°This¡­¡± William panicked. He didn¡¯t expect the man to be so unreasonable. Just as the rumors imed, Water Dock was as terrifying as hell. It exined why Briar sent him! ¡°What are you waiting for? Step on it!¡± Adie could no longer pretend to be asleep. He got up and started yelling at William. Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Chapter 479 ¡°Ahh!¡± Adie¡¯s voice sent William, who was already tense and nervous, screaming. ¡® Kiddo, y-you¡¯re awake?¡± William stammered. Adie rolled his eyes and started giving orders. ¡°Idiot. I¡¯ve been awake for a long time. Look ahead. Pedal to the metal all the way. Turn the car as much to the left as possible, and force your way through. Otherwise, we¡¯re both doomed!¡± Adie initially wanted to pretend to be asleep, but this man didn¡¯t seem the least reliable. Although it was obvious the other party was driving their way, he still hesitated and didn¡¯t go full speed ahead. Adie was terribly anxious. ¡°Huh? What?¡± William¡¯s jaw dropped. He looked ahead and realized that he ought to follow Adie¡¯s instructions. Without thinking too much, William held onto the steering wheel tightly.¡± I¡¯m going to make a rapid turn. Sit tight!¡± Vroom, vroom, vroom! The roar of the car¡¯s engine echoed throughout the dock. The vehicle headed toward a gap on the left, and just when it seemed they would get through, another car showed up from the opposite direction and blocked their way to Carmine Pawnshop. The worst part was that William¡¯s tire waspletely ruined this time. The car couldn¡¯t be driven unless he reced it with a new one! ¡®What do we do now?¡± William fell into despair with his hands on the steering wheel. He didn¡¯t mind dying, but the consequences would be unimaginable if this boy fell into the hands of the one-eyed man. ¡®Kiddo, I¡¯ll open the doorter, and you¡¯ll jump off after that. Run to Carmine Pawnshop and tell them your name. They¡¯ll probably be able to protect you!¡± Although Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s name was mysterious to outsiders and was perceived as very powerful, their boss, Mr. Q, had a decent reputation. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Apart from always getting revenge on his enemies and being heavy- handed, he¡¯d never done anything too perverse. Therefore, it was better for Adie to fall into Mr. Q¡¯s hands than the one- eyed man. ¡°Look after yourself first. He¡¯s about to break your window.¡± Adie pointed out the window while calmly warning William. William watched as the one-eyed man broke the window after hitting it with his watermelon knife several times. Immediately after that, the man reached in and unlocked the car with force. ¡°Bloody hell. Why would you even try to run away from me? You over-estimate yourself!¡¯ ¡®What are you doing? How can you kidnap a child so openly? There arews in ce for this. I¡¯ll call the cops if you don¡¯t stop!¡± William argued while trying to reach for his phone. ¡®Laws?¡± The one-eyed man punched William in the head. ¡°Hahaha! People willugh at you for being an idiot if you bring up thew in Water Dock. Here, the size of one¡¯s fist is thew. This kid ising with me today, no matter what!¡¯ After being punched, William felt dizzy. He was a doctor who merely used surgical knives. He was no match for the one-eyed man. When he saw the one-eyed man opening the door to the backseat, he started yelling in Adie¡¯s direction. ¡°Kid, run, now!¡± However, Adie didn¡¯t panic. He crossed his arms. ¡°Hey, one-eyed guy, are you sure you want to take me with you? I¡¯m afraid you might not have what it takes!¡± ¡®Hehe. This kid is interesting. He¡¯s got guts. That makes him perfect as my adopted son. Tell me. Why do you say I might not have what it takes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s owner specifically asked for me. If you want me, that means you¡¯re going against him. Why don¡¯t you take me to Carmine Pawnshop and fight with their boss? I¡¯ll go with whoever wins,¡± Adie said in a logical manner. ¡°Oh my god. You¡­ You actually knew?¡± William nearly passed out after being hit. He was shocked when he heard what Adie said! ¡°Are you kidding me? Mr. Q has been very mysterious since he took over Carmine Pawnshop four years ago. Hees goes to Water Dock several times a year. Why would he want a kid like you? Why would I fight him? Chapter 480 Chapter 480 Chapter 480 The one-eyed man didn¡¯t believe what Adie said at all. He gradually lost his patience and directly picked up Adie by his cor. ¡°Kid, you better start telling the truth, or I¡¯ll hit you just like how I hit him!¡± ¡°L-Let him go!¡± William pressed himself onto his feet and tried to stop the one-eyed man. In the end, he was sent flying with a punch. ¡°Let me go, or you¡¯ll be in deep trouble!¡± Adie shouted angrily. He fought as hard as he could, refusing to get into the one-eyed man¡¯s car. ¡°Shut up, kiddo. You deserve a beating!¡± Just as the one-eyed man was about to p Adie across the face, a car suddenly sped over and crashed into his car, sending it flying. ¡°Damn it! Who the hell¡­¡± The one-eyed man began cursing, but his knees went weak the moment he saw the car¡¯s registration. He directly went down on his knees and didn¡¯t even dare to make a sound. Adie took the opportunity to set himself free. He slowly walked up to the heavy, off-road vehicle and looked directly at the driver¡¯s seat. The window wasn¡¯t rolled down on the driver¡¯s side, but he could vaguely see a man in a ck windbreaker. He wore a pair of ck sunsses and seemed like a cool guy. Everyone went down on their knees and pressed their foreheads against the ground. It was as if they were looking at Satan, who controlled their fates. Adie stood on his tiptoes and knocked on the window. He was frowning, and he seemed to be a little angry. After a while, the car¡¯s window slowly wound down. ¡°Are you the boss of Carmine Pawnshop?¡± Adie asked. The man smiled coldly. The sunsses nearly covered half of his face, but they couldn¡¯t conceal the cold vibe he gave off. ¡°Are you Aiden Everheart?¡± The man asked calmly in a deep voice. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am indeed Aiden Everheart. You can call me Adie.¡± Adie stood upright and continued talking. ¡°You should speak to me after getting out of the car. This is basic courtesy.¡± The man couldn¡¯t resist raising his brows. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°In that case, we can¡¯t be friends. I won¡¯t introduce you to my Mommy either. She said I shouldn¡¯t be friends with impolite people.¡± The man remained silent for a while. He actually opened the door and got out of the car. Towering over six feet, with the ck windbreaker on, he had a quietly mysterious and domineering aura. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The one-eyed man carefully looked up. He instantly felt intimidated by the man¡¯s imposing manner. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for trying to steal what belongs to you¡­ Please forgive me, Mr. Q! Please!¡± He now believed that what Adie said was true. Mr. Q really did specifically ask for Adie. Nobody in Water Dock dared to offend Mr. Q, and everybody obeyed him. The one-eyed man was doomed this time! Mr. Q ignored the one-eyed man and turned to look at Adie instead. He reached out to shake the kid¡¯s hand. ¡°Can we be friends now?¡± Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Adie stroked his chin and furrowed his brows as he seriously contemted the matter for a while, looking just like a tiny grown-up. When he was done thinking, he tiptoed and held out a hand for Mr. Q to shake, solemnly telling him, ¡®Since you¡¯re repentant of your mistakes, then we can be friends. A pleasure to meet you. Your guidance will be much appreciated.¡± The man¡¯s frozen lips arched up ever so slightly without him noticing it. He even bent down his body involuntarily so that he could get closer to the kid. ¡°Pleasure to meet you too,¡± he replied in a deep voice. ¡°Your guidance will be much appreciated as well.¡± Adie was outstandingly tall for a four-year-old boy, but standing in front of a man who was well over six feet tall still made him look tiny inparison, as he was not even as tall as the man¡¯s long legs. Yet the sight of them together standing side by side made such aical contrast that they looked inexplicably cute together. Everyone around them, including William Jones, was dumbfounded. On one hand, they were amazed by the calmness and courage of Adie, a mere four-year-old kid. On the other hand, they were also astonished by the rare warmth and tender side shown by Mr. Q, who was generally feared by everyone. So you really could not judge a book by its cover after all! Just as still water could hide unfathomable depths below its surface, their one meeting with the man himselfpletely eradicated the image of Mr. Q they had in mind after hearing countless rumors about him!Original from N?velDrama.Org. William nursed the sore spot where he got kicked as he was clouded in a dilemma. Was this his golden chance to save his own skin, or should he beg for Mr. Q¡¯s mercy so he would let the kid go? Judging from what he saw, the tall and handsome man seemed to exude an excellent temperament. He looked much more sensible than the one- eyed man, so William thought he might not be a senseless psychopath who would not listen to any reasoning after all. But before he could open his mouth, it was Adie who walked up to him and told him, ¡°You¡¯ve sessfully brought me to Carmine Pawn Shop. You¡¯vepleted your task, so you can go back and tell Mommy that I¡¯m fine now. Tell her that I¡¯ve made a new friend and I won¡¯t be seeing her for a while.¡± ¡°Ki-Kid!¡± William waspletely caught offguard. Bewildered, he replied,¡± Do you have any idea what you¡¯re talking about?! This is an extremely dangerous ce and this friend of yours is not a good person! We should instead be begging him so he¡¯d let go of you, that way you¡¯d be able to go home and meet up with your mother soon, so she won¡¯t get worried about you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Adie assured him. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I went missing. Mommy¡¯s pretty strong and calm about it now. Just tell her that I¡¯ll surely go home once I¡¯m done ying with my new friend, okay? Bye bye!¡± Adie waved William goodbye and walked away, but returned again after a few steps to tell him, ¡°By the way, you shouldn¡¯t be friends with Briar Desrosiers anymore. She¡¯s a really naughty person, and there¡¯s no hope of her ever turning nice. You¡¯re pretty naughty too, but there¡¯s still hope for you if you¡¯d improve yourself. Anyway, thanks for being my driver and bringing me here today! Goodbye!¡± The little man then went over to Mr. Q, raised his chin to look up at him and bluntly told him, ¡°It¡¯s done. You can take me away now.¡± The off-road vehicle was very tall, but Adie stretched out his sprightly arms and legs to climb up like a heart-achingly adorable little monkey. No one had ever dared to speak that way to Mr. Q except for those with death wishes, yet Adie seemed to have acquired a special immunity against this man¡¯s frightening aura. Not only was hepletely unafraid of him, but he was also even giving Mr. Q orders! But what was even more puzzling was Mr. Q¡¯s reaction. Not once did he show a sign of anger or impatience with this boy. Not only that, he even tenderly and thoughtfully put on Adie¡¯s seatbelt, which was an incredible sight to behold! He could not be any more gentle and kind to the boy if he had been his biological father! ¡°Sit tight,¡± the man reminded Adie in a deep voice as the boy sat in the passenger seat next to him. Adie leaned back against the seatckadaisically, his round, chubby facepletely untroubled and at ease as he told the man, ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to drive so fast, because no matter how fast you are, you¡¯ll never beat Mommy¡¯s speed. You guys are nothing but loserspared to her! Chapter 482 Chapter 482 Chapter 482 The car soon arrived at the infamous Carmine Pawnshop. The ce was rumored to be a treasure house, filled with disys of rare treasures, curious cultural antiques, exotic animals, and other peculiar paraphernalia from all over the world. Nevertheless, the actual pawnshop did not upy arge area at all. In fact, it was just a simple building. It did not even have that many guards surrounding it, so it looked no different from the other buildings in the area. The car drove into the pawnshop¡¯s private garage. Mr. Q parked the car and turned to Adie, and asked him in a leisurely tone, ¡°Are you sure you want to go inside? You do know that anyone who¡¯s stepped into Carmine Pawnshop gives up the control of their own fate, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a kid,¡± Adie replied chirpily, blinking his big bright eyes innocently,¡± so anything I say doesn¡¯t count. As for you being in control of my fate, you¡¯ll have to ask for Mommy¡¯s permission before you can do that.¡± Adie had always been an expert in using his status as a child to his own advantage. He was clearly much smarter than many adults! ¡°Your mommy again, huh?¡± The man drummed the steering wheel with his long slender fingers. The feather mask could not fully conceal his handsome face, just as it could not conceal the yful smile on his lips as he added, ¡°You¡¯ve been going on and on about your mommy all the way here. Is she really that great? Do you love her very much?¡± ¡¯Of course I do!¡± Adie¡¯s eyes were pure and innocent as he answered the question. His voice was firm, and he was filled with pride. ¡°Mommy¡¯s the greatest person in the world! She can do anything! No one on this is better than her! I love her very, very much!¡± But then his bright eyes quickly dimmed, and in a lowered voice Adie added, ¡°But right now, Mommy¡¯s facing an opponent, so I must find a way to help her eliminate this opponent. I don¡¯t want her to be too tired.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± the man could not help but raise his eyebrows. Adie waspletely undaunted even as he was faced with the man¡¯s intimidating aura. Instead, he went straight to the point and clearly stated his intentions of seeking this man out. ¡°You must be curious about the identity of this opponent of hers, aren¡¯t you? Well, it¡¯s really not that hard to guess. Mommy said this man is a mean viin. Everyone in Beach City wants to defeat him. I guess you want to defeat him too. That¡¯s why I came to find you. I hope you can be Mommy¡¯s helper, and when Mommy finally wins. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be very generous in rewarding you¡­¡± The man¡¯s expressions beneath the mask became even moreplicated now. He coldly asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me who this mean viin is?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you guess? It¡¯s Stefan Hunt, the president of H Group, of course! You¡¯re an idiot, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Adie pped his forehead, looking very disappointed. He had expected Mr. Q to be powerful and intelligent, but he unfortunately turned out to be so stupid. Even Daddy Liam was smarter than him! If he had known this, he would never choose him to be his mother¡¯s helper! ¡°That man, huh? Well, he is pretty impressive, I¡¯ll give you that. So what does your mommy think of him?¡± ¡°Mommy said Stefan Hunt is the most arrogant, cunning, and ruthless person in Beach City. He¡¯s also the person she regrets ever knowing the most! And because he¡¯s always so cocky he ends up offending many people! The whole of Beach City wants to defeat him! If you add up all of his enemies together, you¡¯d get more people than the water in the sea!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The man suddenly clenched his fingers. The smile on his lips turned cold and stiff, and the expressions underneath his mask were inscrutable. He stared at Adie¡¯s little face from behind the mask, regarding the boy¡¯s adorable face, healthy red lips, and clean white teeth. He then brusquely asked, ¡°Did your mommy ever tell you who your daddy is? Chapter 483 Chapter 483 Chapter 483 ¡®Well, about that¡­¡± Adie¡¯s eyes darted around as he contemted the question. He figured that he could not possibly let this man know that he was the viin Stefan Hunt¡¯s own son himself, since that would lessen the chances that he would want to be his mother¡¯s helper. With that in mind, he told the man in a serious tone, ¡°My daddy is Liam Osborne. You do know him, don¡¯t you? Mommy told me that he¡¯s not too shabby himself. He¡¯s the future heir to the Osborne family, which is one of the eight great families of Beach City. Mommy also said that with thebined strengths of the Osborne family and the Everheart family, defeating the Hunt family is only a matter of time!¡± ¡°Is that so? Hmph, your mommy is pretty ambitious, isn¡¯t she?¡± Mr. Q¡¯s words sounded especially curt and surly, as if he was upset about something. ¡®Briar Desrosiers, you sly woman! How dare you lie to me?!¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s fine,¡¯ he thought. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter whether this kid has the blood of the Hunt family or not. As long as he¡¯s Renee Everheart¡¯s son, then this deal is definitely worth it!¡¯ Without any emotion on his face, he opened the car door and stepped out, striding into the pawnshop with his long legs. Adie, utterly unafraid, followed him in bouncing little steps, as if it was just another normal day of going back home for him. He was truly a free spirit. An attractive young man in a long white coat warmly greeted the man as soon as he got inside. ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Q! So¡­ this is the priceless treasure you were talking about?¡± The young man was called Chase Cheever. He was the person in charge of the Carmine Pawnshop. Although he was still young, he was gifted with a pair of shrewd piercing eyes that made him the leading figure in the item appraisal circle. Everything in the pawnshop had to go through his appraisal before they were epted here. As Chase noticed Adie, he looked the boy up and down, scrutinizing him, before disying a confused expression. ¡°What an adorable baby this boy is! He is good-looking, for sure, but I can tell at a nce that he¡¯s been brought up like a prince. He won¡¯t be able to work much, and he won¡¯t be worth that much money either. What need do we have for someone like him?¡± He had heard a few days ago that Mr. Q would go out and procure a new ¡® rare treasure¡¯ he had found himself. He had not slept at all after hearing that, as he was just too excited to see what Mr. Q would bring back. But this is just¡­ a useless brat?! ¡°You don¡¯t need to know anything about that,¡± replied Mr. Q. ¡°All you need to do is make sure he is well taken care of in the next few days.¡± Mr. Q put his hands in his pockets and turned around to look at Adie with a somewhat cold attitude, as if trying to maintain a distance from the boy. But then Adie unexpectedly ran up to him and clung onto his leg like a ko bear before dering in a pure childlike voice, ¡°I knew you¡¯re a good person, Little Q!¡± Mr. Q¡¯s whole body stiffened. He neither pushed the boy away nor embraced him. Adie raised his soft and chubby face and smiled as brightly as a flower in full bloom. Then, in a voice that sounded as adult-like as he could muster, he said, ¡°Congrattions. You passed my test. I can introduce you to Mommy without any worries now. If you work hard as her helper from now on, your future will be bright!¡± Both Mr. Q and Chase were rendered speechless. Chase began to understand why his boss wanted this little brat now. His audacity and courage alone were beyond the reach of some adults. He was indeed a precious gem, and if they continued to polish him, the power he might attain in the future could be immeasurable! He assumed that the brat¡¯s antics would lead Mr. Q to erupt in rage. After all, rumors had it that he despised being physically close to anyone. Surprisingly, not only did he not lose his temper, he even gently caressed the boy¡¯s head and gently reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t get cheeky.¡± Could¡­ Could it be that this little brat was actually Mr. Q¡¯s illegitimate son?! The next day, Leia gingerly unlocked the door to Renee¡¯s bedroom and cautiously leaned half of her body into the room, and looked around. All she saw was everything in the room in impable order just as it had always been. There was not a trace in there to suggest that anything ¡± passionate¡¯ had happenedst night as she expected. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Her best friend Renee was lying on the bed with her back turned towards the door. She was sleeping very soundly, wrapped up in a thick beige nket Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Chapter 484 Meanwhile, her useless brother was indolently lying on the couch, sound asleep. His clothes were still in perfect order. Not even his hair was the slightest bit ruffled up! There was no need to guess. There was definitely nothing ¡°interesting¡± going onst night at all! Leia sighed. These two had been dragging it out for close to ten years now, yet they were still stuck in this ambiguous ¡°friend zone¡± after all this time. She was almost irked to death thinking about it! ¡°Ahem!¡± Leia dragged her feet into the room and yanked the curtain open, flooding the room with bright sunlight. ¡°Wake up, both of you! Time to get up!¡± Liam woke up with a grimace and promptly got up to his feet and grabbed his sister from the back by the cor of her shirt. ¡°You little sh*thead!¡± he hissed. ¡®So you finally opened the door, huh? You¡¯re getting too bold for your own good if you have the audacity to y this kind of stupid prank! If you didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d teach you a sore lesson today, then you¡¯re about to get a big reality check on how frightening your brother can be!¡± ¡¯Ah!¡± Leia screamed and struggled in resistance, but against her brother, she was nothing but a helpless little bird, and had no chance of escaping his grip. ¡¯Let me go, you idiot! I only did it to help you guys! What a shame! All my good intentions and painstaking efforts were totally wasted on you!¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s going to kill me!¡± Leia continued to make a loudmotion, now turning to Renee for support. ¡°You¡¯ve got to help me, Renee! My brother¡¯s gone crazy! He¡¯s really going to kill me!¡± Despite the hugemotion between Liam and Leia, Renee surprisingly stilly quietly in bed in the same position the whole time, just as if she had been reced by a mannequin. ¡°That¡¯s strange,¡± Leia noticed after fighting with her brother for a while.¡¯ Why do I feel like there¡¯s something wrong with Renee?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you tofort herst night?¡± she asked her brother. ¡°How did she end up this way? Did someone hurt her?¡± ¡°Do you think anyone could hurt someone like Renee?¡± replied Liam, putting his hands in his pockets. He looked at Renee, whose back was turned towards them, and softly added, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, I think she¡¯s just in a self-healing mode.¡± ¡°Self-healing mode?¡± Leia asked, puzzled. But judging by how calm her brother seemed, perhaps Renee was in no big trouble after all? Liam slowly added, ¡°When a person gets hit by a huge psychological blow and bes seriously traumatized, they¡¯ll get into a self-healing mode like some animals do. Some would bawl their eyes out, some would make a hugemotion, some would overeat or turn to alcohol to help them cope, and some would even turn to sex and be promiscuous. My guess is that our boss here probably chose to sleep in order to heal her trauma.¡± ¡°No way,¡± argued Leia. ¡°The Renee that I know has full confidence in Adie¡¯s ability to survive. She can¡¯t be so worried about her son that she became traumatized, can she?¡± ¡°Who told you it has anything to do with Adie?¡± replied Liam. He heaved a long sigh. He had no desire to keep the truth of the matter a secret anymore, so he exined, ¡°Stefan Hunt is dead. In fact, he died trying to save Renee. The doctors couldn¡¯t save his life. Perhaps Renee just can¡¯t ept the reality of his death at the moment, so she¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Leia¡¯s eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets. ¡°Stefan Hunt is dead?! This is earth-shattering news! Never mind her, I don¡¯t even think I can believe that¡¯s true! I¡¯ve heard of rumors about his death, but no one actually believed it! This is Stefan Hunt we¡¯re talking about after all! How could Beach City¡¯s most powerful man just die so easily like that¡­?¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡¯It¡¯s not just a rumor,¡± said Liam, ¡°because I saw his corpse on a stretcher wheeled out of the operation room with my own eyes. His body was lying stiff under a white cloth.¡± Liam was filled with conflicted emotions. To him, Stefan Hunt had always been an opponent both in business and in love. He had been anticipating the day Stefan was finally eliminated, yet now that he had actually died, he felt inexplicably lost. The man that he had always aimed to surpass was now gone forever before he had the chance to actually surpass him. Because of that, Stefan Hunt had be a forever insurmountable godlike figure. How could he not feel disheartened by it then? The whole room was now filled with a dull and somber air. Just then, Renee¡¯s phone on the nightstand suddenly rang.. Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Liam and Leia exchanged looks. They thought that Renee was still sleeping soundly, so they decided to take the call for her. But before they could reach for her phone, Renee suddenly got up without a noise and calmly answered the phone. ¡°Hello, Officer. Yes, I¡¯m Renee Everheart. Aiden Everheart is my son. Is there any news of his whereabouts?¡± The conversation went on for a little longer, then she finally nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± Renee¡¯s lovely face was calm and serene. There was not a trace of perturbations at all and she showed no emotion throughout the whole phone call. Instead, it was the twins who were excited and agitated to no end by thetest development. ¡°Was that the police, Renee?¡± Leia asked with gleaming eyes. ¡°Have they finally found Adie?¡± ¡°The officer only told me that they¡¯ve caught the person who kidnapped Adie,¡± Renee answered calmly. ¡°As for the rest of the details, well have to go there to find out.¡± After speaking, she then nonchntly stretched her body and walked into her closet like nothing extraordinary happened and began to choose the clothes she was going to change into. Her reactions were simply too calm and cool-headed that it made Leia and Liam even more worried. Liam studied Renee with a severe expression and cautiously asked her,¡± Are you okay, Boss?¡± Renee¡¯s slender fingers were leafing through her numerous beautiful dresses, but she suddenly paused when she heard Liam¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± she shrugged and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not as fragile as both of you think I am. I¡¯m not turning to sleep to cope and I¡¯m not in any kind of self- healing mode. I¡¯m just exhausted and I needed some rest, in and simple. Now that I¡¯m well-rested, I feel as good as new.¡± But this did not convince Leia at all. Still concerned, she walked up to Renee and put her arms around her shoulder. She was choked up and her eyes were reddening when she told Renee, ¡°I know this must be hard for you, Renee. There¡¯s no denying that Stefan Hunt was a douchebag, but he was still the man you used to love with all your heart. I know for a fact that you can¡¯t bepletely indifferent after he died trying to save you. You need to vent your emotions, Renee. You can cry, you can scream, you can even eat or drink if you like. Just let it all out. Don¡¯t keep it all pent up inside, otherwise it¡¯s going to explode one day and hurt you!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I do feel sad, but I¡¯m really not that sad at all. I just feel a little lost, that¡¯s all.¡± Renee let out a long sigh and turned her head towards Leia, assuring her,¡± Don¡¯t worry about me. I know what I¡¯m doing. It doesn¡¯t matter whether that man is dead or alive. Well still keep on with our old n¡­ I believe that soon enough, the Everheart family and the Osborne family will rece the Hunt family in bing the most powerful families out of the eight great families of Beach City!¡± Leia wanted to say something more, but Liam gave her a look to stop her. At the moment, anything they said would only fall on deaf ears. Ultimately, Renee just had to realize it herself. Original from N?velDrama.Org. After a little rest, the three of them then drove to the police station as fast as they could. As the parent of the missing child, Renee was called into the interrogation room alone by the officer handling the case after having filled out some forms. Leia and Liam, on the other hand, were asked to stay outside in the waiting room. The officer handling the case was a man in his early thirties. After opening the door to the interrogation room, he pointed at a chair where Renee was expected to sit before taking a seat across from her and then beginning the questioning. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Everheart. Last night we received a call from your son, Aiden Everheart. He informed us that he was a victim of child trafficking and even provided the exact time the crime took ce, the name and address of the trafficker, and the evidence of the trafficking taking ce. We would like to know, has your son really gone missing?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Renee nodded, ¡°my son has indeed gone missing. My friends and family have been looking for him everywhere, and because he had gone missing a few times before in the past, we decided it wasn¡¯t yet time to report it to the police. Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Chapter 486 The police officer in charge of recording the interview could not help looking up at Renee. He frowned and reproached, ¡°Your son has been missing for so long, and you still wouldn¡¯t report it to the police? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too reckless as the parents? Thank god the child was clever enough to report it to the police himself! Although we still haven¡¯t figured out where he is, we¡¯ve caught the suspected kidnapper, so the situation might not end up so serious after all.¡± Renee nodded repeatedly, ¡°You¡¯re right, Officer. We, as adults, have certainly been too neglectful.¡± But in her head, she silently thought, ¡®I wonder which unlucky guys had to deal with Adie this time. They should count their blessings if they didn¡¯t end up getting sold into a human trafficking ring by him!¡¯ Adie had run away on his own many times before, so it was inevitable that he would encounter bad guys with sinister motives against him, but each time it always ended with the kidnappers calling the police for help themselves after realizing that they could not deal with the true menace that was Aiden Everheart! ¡°The suspect has confessed to the crime,¡± said the officer in charge, ¡°but she refused to reveal the child¡¯s whereabouts. Instead, she asserted that she intended to harm your child because she has a personal grudge against you. She has made a request to talk to you alone.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. ¡°Personal grudge?¡± Renee suddenly tensed up and seemed slightly more concerned now. She had indeed made quite a few enemies by that point, and she knew that those who would hold grudges against her were certainly no saints. If it was true that Adie had fallen into their hands, then perhaps her son was in much more of a bind than she thought. Renee clenched her hands and promptly asked, ¡°Where is she? Let here and talk to me!¡¯ ¡°Okay,¡± replied the police officer. He then spoke into the inte, ¡°Bring her in.¡± Soon, the door to the interrogation room opened, and in came a woman whose hands were bound by handcuffs that glinted under the light. It was Briar Desrosiers. Her face was stony and lifeless, but as soon as she saw Renee, it was as if she was sshed with a bucket of ice-cold water. She seemed to be reanimated in an instant. With a cruel smirk on her face, she said, ¡°Why did you have to hurry over here so quickly, Renee Everheart? You should¡¯ve just wait a little longer. Someone would¡¯ve gone to you and told you what became of your poor Adie!¡± Renee tried her best to restrain herself from killing Briar right then and there. She coldly said, ¡°You should¡¯vee straight to me if you hold any grudges against me. Why did you have toy your filthy hands on an innocent child? Aren¡¯t you afraid of divine retribution?¡± ¡°So now you¡¯re talking about going straight to you instead of an innocent child, huh? Why didn¡¯t you think of that when you killed my baby and caused me to lose the chance to ever be a mother again?!¡± Briar was now so agitated that she acted like a rabid dog, lunging toward Renee and screeched, ¡°You¡¯re the reason why my baby died! Because of that, I¡¯ll never give your son a chance to live a good life. God is so kind to you, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s given you such an adorable son! I do like the boy myself, but it¡¯s too bad that he has your dirty blood in his veins. For that, I¡¯ll do anything to make sure he suffers a fate worse than death!¡± ¡°Soon enough, you¡¯ll find out what happened to your poor child. By then, I wish that you¡¯ll live the rest of your life gued by guilt and shame, because you¡¯re the reason he had to suffer!¡± The police officer quickly subdued her and sternly warned her, ¡°That¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t force our hands or we¡¯ll have to use a tougher measure to contain you!¡± ¡°Go ahead!¡± Briar sneered sinisterly even as her head was pinned onto the table till her face was smooshed out of shape, putting her in a humiliating position. ¡°I¡¯m not scared! Just do whatever tough measure you want on me! I don¡¯t care anymore because I¡¯ve got what I wanted. That boy is ruined now! You will suffer for the rest of your life, Renee Everheart! Even if I die now, I¡¯ll die happy and in peace!¡± Carmine Pawnshop was an infamous ce in the underground market where anyone who stepped through its doors would have no chance of turning back. Their boss, Mr. Q, was known to be Stefan Hunt¡¯s deadliest enemy. It was not hard to guess at all what kind of painful fate would befall Adie, with him being Stefan¡¯s son. After all, if Briar was going to attack Renee, she had better attack her where it would hurt the most, and what would hurt a mother more than seeing her own child suffer? Renee was so enraged that she trembled, but she still managed to keep herself under control. With a perfectly calm demeanor, she asked the police officer, ¡°Could you please leave this room for a while? I¡¯d like to talk to her alone. Chapter 487 Chapter 487 Chapter 487 After considering Renee¡¯s request, the police officers agreed to leave the room. Only Renee and Briar were left in the interrogation room, even though in truth, their every word and their every move were monitored by the police. Although she was handcuffed, Briar still appeared proud and arrogant. She chuckled menacingly and asked, ¡°Did you think that I¡¯d tell you where your son is just because you chased them away?¡± She chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re too naive! The only reason why I attacked your son is that I wanted to take revenge on you. Now that I see how much you suffer, there¡¯s no way that I¡¯d back down!¡± ¡¯Suffer?¡± Renee nonchntly leaned back against the chair with a cool and carefree sneer on her face. ¡°What makes you think that I¡¯m suffering? I know how smart my son can be, and I¡¯m confident that he¡¯ll find his way out of trouble in no time. As for you¡­ as soon as I insist on bringing on the charges against you, there¡¯s no other oue for you but to spend the rest of your life rotting in jail. I do feel sorry for you, you know.¡± ¡¯I¡¯ll admit that your son did seem a little clever, but if you think that he¡¯ll be able to outsmart the guy that now possesses him, then you¡¯re nothing but an idiot! I think you¡¯d better just wake up from your daydream and face reality!¡± Briar noticed how Renee¡¯s face was turning pale from anger and she felt as proud and satiated as a bloodthirsty demon who was finally able to get a taste of fresh and delicious blood. She was fully aware that the interrogation room was monitored, so she walked up to Renee and whispered in her ear, ¡°I suggest that you go home early and stop wasting your time here with me. You won¡¯t get anything from me, so why don¡¯t you use the time that you have to order a child¡¯s coffin instead? You want to send him off properly, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡¯Shut up!¡± Those heinous words proved too much for Renee. She was utterly incensed. She shot up to her feet and reached out her long arms before enclosing her fingers around the Briar¡¯s neck. Her beautiful eyes were gleaming with a chilling light. ¡°If you want to die so badly, then I¡¯ll grant your wish right now!¡± Briar could not breathe. Her face was flushed red, but even so, she cackled maniacally and egged Renee on, ¡°Go ahead! Do it! This is exactly what I want! If you kill me now, then your life will be ruined too. Stefan will never forgive you, and he will never let you go unpunished for this. Then I will live on in his heart forever! Perfect!¡± Renee¡¯s frozen eyes suddenly betrayed some slight perturbations. ¡°Stefan Hunt?¡± she brusquely replied. ¡°He¡¯s nothing but a dead man now. There¡¯s no use in bringing him up now. You¡¯re just making a fool of yourself! ¡ö ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Briar, who had seemed arrogant the whole time, seemed to be hit by a bolt from the blue at the moment. She was staggering on her feet, hardly able to keep herself from falling. ¡°You heard me right,¡± Renee snapped back in a biting voice. She could tell that Briar probably had no idea about Stefan¡¯s death yet. She focused her icy gaze on the woman and added, ¡°The man you¡¯ve always depended on is now gone forever! There¡¯ll be no one else to rescue you now! If you agree to cough up Adie¡¯s real whereabouts right now, I might consider not going further with the charges against you and I¡¯ll pretend that none of this ever happened.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Briar had aplete breakdown. With tears streaming down the corners of her eyes, she yelled, ¡°You¡¯re lying to me! Stefan is invincible! He¡¯s the most powerful man in Beach City! How could he just die? Did you think that you could intimidate me into telling you where your son is by lying to me like that? You should¡¯ve made up something more believable! Save your breath! I don¡¯t believe you!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not,¡± said Renee, releasing the fingers that had been pressing on the veins on Briar¡¯s neck. She had lost all patience with Briar, and could now only bother to coldly tell her, ¡°I gave you a chance, but you just tossed it away, so don¡¯t regret itter.¡± The police officers had been guarding the door and were ready to charge into the interrogation room at any moment. But then they saw Renee walking out of the door, and they collectively sighed in relief. ¡°How did it go?¡± an officer asked. ¡°Did you get any useful clues from her?¡± Renee smiled faintly at the police officers, but no one could tell what kind of emotions were on that lovely face of hers. ¡°I just had a heart-to-heart chat with Ms. Desrosiers just now, and found out that this is all just a misunderstanding. If there¡¯s nothing else going on, please release her as soon as possible.¡± The police officers quickly exchanged looks in confusion when they heard her. ¡°Ms. Everheart, was that a joke? The suspect kidnapped your son and you¡¯re asking us to release her?¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Renee raised her brows, and her smile broadened. In an apologetic voice, she replied, ¡°My son has been a really naughty boy. He knew that Ms. Desrosiers and I don¡¯t get along, so he decided to call the police on her, hoping that the police officers would take away the person that had been mean to me. I¡¯ve found out where he is now, so I must deeply apologize for all the trouble we¡¯ve caused you. I will make a 150,000-dor donation to the construction funds for this police station aspensation. Please forgive us for this mistake.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The police officers there were all dumbfounded Chapter 488 Chapter 488 Chapter 488 ¡°Thank you for all your hard work. I¡¯ll excuse myself now.¡± Renee then nodded slightly at the police officers, turned around, and left. Meanwhile, Liam and Leia had been anxiously waiting for Renee in the waiting area. As soon as they saw hering out, they rushed toward her in excitement. ¡°You¡¯re finally out, Boss! So what¡¯s the situation? Do we know Adie¡¯s whereabouts now?¡± Renee had no desire to say too much, so she simply told them, ¡°If you see Briar Desrosiersing out later, capture her immediately. She knows where Adie is.¡± ¡°Briar Desrosiers?¡± Leia lost her temper as soon as she heard the woman¡¯s name. ¡°That nasty b*tch! Why does it have to be her again? Don¡¯t tell me that she¡¯s the one who kidnapped Adie?¡± Renee neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, she turned to Liam and said, ¡°I must rely on you for this. I believe the Osborne family is vastly experienced in this sort of matter.¡± The Osborne family started their business by dealing with many underground groups and ck markets. They made their name by constantly dancing on the knife¡¯s edge, so they inevitably picked up a torture method or two along the way. They certainly had more than enough skills to make Briar Desrosiers sing. Renee had intended to let Briar go once she obliged her and revealed Adie¡¯s whereabouts, but it seemed that the gentle method did not work on Briar, so she could not be med for resorting to the cruel method instead. The only reason she asked the police to release Briar just now was to make it more convenient for them to ¡°have a nice talk¡± with Briarter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Liam assured her, his captivating eyes gleaming with a frightening cold light. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she reveals every single detail she knows soon.¡± In the past, Stefan had always protected Briar, so he had to be careful and not go too far when dealing with her. But now that her protector was gone, he had nothing to worry about anymore! Briar was startled when she heard the news that she would soon be released, but it also came as a pleasant surprise for her. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Mr. Hunt demanded you to release me, didn¡¯t he? I knew it! Stefan would never abandon me!¡± Briar wept with joy and wiped her tears away excitedly. ¡°You¡¯re free now, so just hurry up and go! Don¡¯t waste our time here with your nonsense!¡± The police officer kept hastening her to leave, and was in no mood to chat with her. Now that she had regained her freedom, the first thing Briar thought of doing was to pick up her phone and call Stefan. But no one answered her call. ¡°This can¡¯t be right. Stefan wouldn¡¯t ignore me after getting me out of jail. Unless¡­¡± Briar was no fool. She immediately sensed that there was something fishy going on. Now was not the safest time for her to leave the police station. Just as she was trapped in a dilemma, someone gently patted her on the back¡­ ¡°Excuse me, are you Ms. Desrosiers?¡± Briar turned around. She was somewhat puzzled when she recognized the person in front of her. ¡°J-Jovan Hunt?¡± Jovan smiled affably with his hands in his pockets. ¡°You¡¯re okay, aren¡¯t you?" Stefan asked me to take you home Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Chapter 489 Liam had been waiting outside the police station for ages, but Briar Desrosiers was still nowhere to be seen. His patience was wearing thin, so he threw caution to the wind and went inside to ask the police officer who handled Briar¡¯s case. That was when he found out that Briar had been released a long time ago. ¡°Damn it!¡± Liam cursed with a scowl before immediately reporting the development to Renee. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Boss. This is all my fault. That cunning woman must¡¯ve guessed that we were trying to ambush her outside, so she escaped through another exit.¡± ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll find another way then.¡± At the time, Renee was sitting in front of theputer in her apartment, her fingers incessantly tapping on the keyboard as she tried to track Briar¡¯s movements in the past few days. She found out from the police officer in charge that Briar was arrested in a five-star luxury hotel, so she hacked into the surveince system of that hotel to sniff out any helpful clues. She did not find any clues. She simply saw Briar Desrosiers taking care of Adie as if he were her own son. She even took Adie out to shop for everything the boy desired-be it snacks, clothes, or toys! What infuriated Renee even more was how she saw Adie affectionately holding Briar¡¯s hand in the surveince video, as if he now regarded Briar as his real mother! He was acting all cheerful and bubbly, looking nothing at all like a boy who was kidnapped! ¡°Oh, my God¡­ My blood pressure is rising¡­¡± Renee massaged her temples. She wished she could climb through the screen and spank the cheeky boy!Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Look at that. My dear eldest child! It¡¯s like he¡¯s trying to make my blood boil! We¡¯ve all been so worried about him, yet he¡¯d been happily following someone else as if he was a puppy on a leash all along! Oh, the betrayal!¡± Leia, who was sitting next to Renee, almost burst intoughter as she watched it all y out on the screen. ¡°Hahahaha, who would¡¯ve thought that our cool handsome guy would have such a sweet and docile side? I guess the lure of snacks and toys had more influence on him than his own biological mother¡­¡± But just as she wasughing away at Adie¡¯s antics, her expression suddenly froze. She clenched her fists. The cause of this drastic change was in the surveince video, where she saw William Jones, her boyfriend whom she was madly in love with, was knocking on Briar Desrosiers¡¯ door! Renee noticed this too and she hastily turned off the monitor as quickly as she could. Then, she got up and stretched her body before deliberately changing the topic, saying, ¡°Forget it! I won¡¯t bother checking it anymore! If that little rascal was so smart that he could hand Briar Desrosiers to the police himself, then he¡¯s probably fine. He¡¯lle home once he¡¯s had enough fun.¡± Leia¡¯s throat felt tight, and her eyes began to sting. She tried her best to keep calm as she looked up at Renee and asked her, ¡°D-Did you see that just now?¡± Renee did not have the heart to upset Leia, so she acted dumb, albeit poorly, and replied, ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± ¡°I beg you. Please y that video again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. The permission has expired so we can¡¯t watch it anymore.¡± But Leia was not so easily fooled. She grabbed Renee¡¯s arms and repeatedly pleaded, ¡°You¡¯ve got to help me hack into that surveince video again, Renee! I need to know if I was just imagining what I saw!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to see it again. You weren¡¯t imagining it.¡± Renee sighed helplessly and decided toe clean with everything that she knew. ¡°William Jones does indeed know Briar Desrosiers. In fact, they used to be in a rtionship with each other.¡± Leia was aghast. Not only was she heartbroken, she suddenly felt as if she was the biggest dumbass in the world and could not stop herself from pping herself across her face. ¡°I¡¯m such a moron! How could I just let him trick me and use me all this time¡­ No wonder why he¡¯s been asking about you all the time! He approached me with an ulterior motive all along!¡± ¡°Stupid, stupid me! It¡¯s all my fault that Adie went missing! I¡¯m so sorry, Renee! I¡¯ve caused you trouble again! You have to beat me up. Otherwise I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself! Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Chapter 490 Leia felt that she hadmitted a heinous crime against her best friend. Tears poured down like rain on her face as she took Renee¡¯s hands and pped them on her own body, wishing that she could make amends to Renee by dying. ¡°Nonsense! How can I ever me you? The only person at fault is that bastard William Jones.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Renee gently wiped away Leia¡¯s tears and patiently exined to her as if she was Leia¡¯s mother, ¡°Now you¡¯ve learned your lesson, right? Men arepletely unreliable, so from now on, you must always be on guard. Don¡¯t just listen to your heart; use your brain as well, otherwise someone could be ying you like a fiddle and you won¡¯t even notice it!¡± Leia nodded repeatedly. She clenched her fists and angrily vowed, ¡°I¡¯ll never forget it! Being with men only leads to a lifetime of misfortune, and trusting in men only leads to three whole lifetimes of misfortune! Once I¡¯m done killing that b*stard William Jones, I¡¯ll be a nun and live in a monastery for the rest of my life!¡± Renee could not help butugh at Leia¡¯s sweet silliness. ¡°You probably shouldn¡¯t kill him yet,¡± she told Leia, ¡°because now that Briar Desrosiers is missing, William Jones is the only one who must know where Adie is, since he is Briar¡¯s minion.¡± She must hurry up and drag that ungrateful son of hers home as soon as possible, otherwise the little rascal might totally forget his real mother and only regard aplete stranger as his mother! Coincidentally, just as Leia was about to call William Jones to confront him, she received a call from the man himself. ¡°Well!¡± Leia answered the phone as she gritted her teeth, bristling with rage. ¡°Good evening, Dr. Jones! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve still got the gall to contact me!¡± ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve found out the truth. Are you free? Can we meet up? I¡¯ll confess everything.¡± ¡°Okay, then! At least you¡¯ve still got some honor left!¡± They then agreed on the ce where they would meet. Leia hung up the phone and began to furiously ransack the ce. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Renee asked. ¡°I¡¯m looking for my gun. My brother gave it to me so I can protect myself. I¡¯ve always treated it as a toy and never expected that there¡¯d be a day when I would have a reason to use it!¡± Eventually, she found the short-barreleddy¡¯s pistol on one of the shelves in the study. She wiped the muzzle of the gun and scoffed, ¡°Once he hands Adie over to us, I¡¯ll kill that *sshole in one shot! He should¡¯ve known better than to deceive an Osborne woman!¡± Renee stood aside watching her best friend, and could not help but shake her head. She knew Leia very well, and she was certain that Leia would never have the heart to actually do it. Leia was just like her¡ªtheir hearts were too soft. No matter how much someone might hurt them, they still could not completely hate that person, much less wish them dead. Stefan¡¯s death was the perfect example. Instead of filling her with joy and satisfaction, his death only made her feel a sense of loss. The kind of loss you got when a certain corner of your heart that had been aching for a long time was suddenly cut off and removed. The pain was not relieved because of the removal at all, but instead was merely reced by a sense of emptiness. Renee paused and had to wilfully stop herself from thinking about that man, because the thought of him always brought a pang of uncontroble pain in her heart! William Jones had told Leia to meet him at a hip restaurant near South Bay Beach. It was the ce where he and Leia had their first date. William sat alone at a table, watching the waves hit the shore and retreat back into the sea. He bitterly gulped down ss after ss of drinks. Once Leia parked her supercar, she stormed into the restaurant and spotted William with a mere nce. ¡°William Jones, you son of a b*tch! I¡¯ll make sure you die a horrible death!¡± She rushed straight towards the man and pped him on both sides of his face right away. She then grabbed his hair and demanded, ¡°Tell me where Adie is right now! Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Chapter 491 After that fierce beating, it soon attracted a lot of onlookers to surround that scene. Renee found a rtively remote ce and casually sat down. After that, she crossed her legs elegantly. She would protect Leia if William dared to resist, and teach him a hard lesson. However, William¡¯s reaction was beyond her expectation. Leia pped him four or five times hard, but he did not even frown. He still wore a passionate and loyal expression. ¡°Lei, can I hug you?¡± William¡¯s cheeks were filled with finger marks, but he extended his arms as if he felt no pain. He just wanted to pull his beloved woman into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t you f*cking touch me! You scumbag!¡± Leia became angrier as she moved both her hands to p him several times until her hands ached. The onlookers could not take it anymore, and they started criticizing her. ¡°This woman is too violent! Does she think she¡¯s a princess? She can¡¯t p her man this way no matter how much he adores her. If she were my woman, I would break up with her right away!¡± ¡°This man is so cheap. He was still trying to please her when she pped him like that. Serves him right!¡± ¡°Look! Why aren¡¯t the women speaking up? Doesn¡¯t it count as domestic abuse if a woman hits a man?¡±Original from N?velDrama.Org. Leia was already annoyed. When she became the target of scorn now, she roared at the onlookers angrily, ¡°Do you guys have nothing better to do? Can¡¯t you stop talking? Get lost! If not, I¡¯ll p you guys too!¡± However, the others did not stop talking but criticized her more further. ¡°This handsome man looks refined, handsome, and charming. This woman doesn¡¯t deserve him at all¡­¡± The most outrageous thing was that a young woman tried to help William. She held his arm and stated enthusiastically, ¡°Handsome, your girlfriend is so violent and willful. She doesn¡¯t love you at all. Why don¡¯t you break up with her, and I¡¯ll be your girlfriend.¡± Consequently, Leia flew into a rage and dragged William behind her. She then imed her ownership in front of that young woman. ¡°This f*cking scumbag is mine. Even if I beat him to death, he¡¯s mine. It¡¯s not up to a shorty like you to snatch what I give up!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a say in this. You¡¯ve got to ask his opinion. No man can take it no matter how beautiful and rich you are because you¡¯re such a violent woman.¡± The young woman brushed past Leia and encouraged William, who was behind Leia. ¡°Handsome, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ve long yearned to break up with her. Don¡¯t be scared. If you feel threatened, blink your eyes. We¡¯ll help you escape from such a violent woman!¡± William¡¯s face became swollen from the ps. His handsome and refined face appeared quite pitiful. However, he smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Guys, don¡¯t worry about me, and don¡¯t get my girlfriend wrong. We get along like this. I love her, and she loves me too. This is our way of showing our love for each other. The more vigorously she ps me, the more it shows that she loves me. My love for her will grow too¡­ You guys won¡¯t understand our happiness!¡± After he made that remark, everyone was bbergasted. Leia inevitably screamed, ¡°How crazy!¡± The young woman looked awkward. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave you be.¡± Since both of them were willing, the onlookers left in dismay. ¡°Leia, they¡¯re finally gone. Just p me until you vent all your anger out.¡± William held Leia¡¯s hand and closed his eyes. He willingly waited for Leia to p him. He felt that it was his greatest happiness at the moment since Leia was willing to p her. Besides, he was over the moon since she was willing topete for his affection against another woman just now. He imed sincerely, ¡°I¡¯m willing to be your ghost even if you beat me to death!¡± ¡°Urk!¡± Leia covered her mouth, and she almost vomited Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Her deep hatred had turned into extreme disgust. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡®Do you want to die? I¡¯ll help you!¡± Her gaze turned extremely cruel and wild. She wanted nothing but to shoot him to death to vent her hatred for being lied to and fooled, but s¡­ she could not bring herself to do so. ¡°Cut the crap! Give Adie back to us. From now on, well have nothing to do with each other!¡± However, William shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you where the boy went even if you kill me, because the other party is too dangerous. You guys can¡¯t afford to offend that person. If I tell you, you¡¯ll be in danger. I¡¯vee to a desperate end now, and I¡¯m left with no choice¡­¡± ¡°William Jones!¡± Leia was pissed off and kicked him in the stomach. ¡°Do you know how important Adie is to Renee and me? If you feel a tinge of guilt or regret, you¡¯ll tell me immediately. Don¡¯t make me kill you!¡± William covered his aching belly and was in pain. His gentle eyes had always been filled with brightness. Now they were filled with tears. He seemed to be grieving. He extended his arms again and almost pleaded with her, ¡°Leia. Hug me, okay?¡± Leia was struck speechless. She realized that it was useless no matter how much she beat, scolded, and threatened him. Hence, she changed her n and softened her tone. She asked, ¡°Will you tell me the truth if I hug you?¡± William was stunned for a while before he nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell you everything as long as you hug me.¡± ¡¯Fine, I¡¯ll hug you.¡± Leia also extended her arms to hug him. However, she felt greatly disgusted inwardly. That scumbag had lied to her. Now he even pretended to be passionate. She was greatly disgusted. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had to make him tell her Adie¡¯s whereabouts, she would have shot him to death long ago. ¡°Leia, you know what? I never expected to fall for you¡­¡± William hugged her very tightly as if he wanted to make her a part of him. ¡°Do you remember the first time we met? It was at this very restaurant too. You were teaching a scumbag a lesson at the time who bullied a young woman. You kicked him several feet away. You even pointed at him and imed that you hate the kind of coward who bullied girls the most. You made him remember your name. You told him you¡¯re the most heroic woman in Beach City, Leia Osborne¡­ ¡®I thought that you were too violent at that time, and you were not at all my type. I thought that no men would like you, but¡­ I only spent a month with you before I fell head over heels for you! ¡¯You¡¯re adorable, kind, and loyal. You¡¯re as naive and innocent as a child. I feel like the absolute sinner every time I approach you¡­¡± Leiay in his arms, but she rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. She yearned to interrupt his sentimental confession, but she could only keep up the act to find out where Adie was. ¡°I¡¯m filled with great remorse. I let Briar control me forthat ridiculous obsession in my mind. In the end, I hurt you and your friend. I¡¯m a sinner, and I don¡¯t deserve your forgiveness.¡± ¡°Hmph! You know your ce well. Now it¡¯s time for you to make up for it. Don¡¯t stall for time. You¡­¡± ¡¯Ahem! Ahem!¡± William suddenly coughed vigorously. Besides, he was on the verge of copse. Leia noticed that something was amiss. When she looked up, she found dark blood oozing from his lips. He smiled at her and confessed, ¡°Leia, I¡¯ve wronged you, but my love for you is real. I know that you can¡¯t bring yourself to do it. So I¡¯ll kill myself to give you an exnation. Chapter 493 Chapter 493 Chapter 493 William was quite weak now. He found it hard to stand, so he leaned his head against Leia¡¯s shoulders. He had long known that he hadmitted an unforgivable crime, and it was no longer possible for him to be with Leia. Hence, he was determined to die. He just wanted to see and hug her onest time. He had consumed a strong poison before meeting her. Now the poison started to take effect. ¡°Leia, this is what I deserve. I regret many things, but the one thing I don¡¯t regret is getting to know you. I have no regrets now that I can die in your arms¡­¡± William spoke intermittently. He exhausted hisst effort to hug Leia as long as he could. Leia¡¯s eyes became red as she said fiercely to him, ¡® William Jones, you¡¯re just a cunning man. What tricks do you want to pull now? A sympathy getting ploy, isn¡¯t it? I won¡¯t believe you! Til count to three. Tell me where Adie is right away. If not, you¡¯re going to suffer. Three, two¡­¡± Renee was sitting quite far from them, so she could not hear their conversation at all. She just saw her beat him up. Then she hugged him, and he cried and wailed piteously. At a nce, it was a veryplicated entanglement. They could not separate from each other at all. She was fine with it. Although William was a scumbag, she would give them her blessing if he turned over a new leaf and be with Leia sincerely. After all, the most interesting thing about love was that it would make a conscious person lose their mind and principles. Frankly speaking, people knew that love was a piece of crap. No matter how others around them tried to dissuade them from that, they would still enjoy it greatly if they got deeply involved in it. Renee even felt that she would fall in love with Stefan again if he were still alive. They would just go around in circles. That was the typical mindset in love. People always imed that it was disgusting and stupid, but she rather enjoyed it. Stefan¡­ Why was she thinking about him again? Renee shook her head and lifted her ss to take a sip. She tried her best to stop thinking about him. At that time, a waiter carried a light blue cocktail over and put it in front of her. ¡°Excuse me, miss. A gentleman bought this ss of Blue me for you.¡± Renee did not even look at it before she replied indifferently, ¡°Just put it there.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She was devastatingly charming. There were endless people trying to hit on her, buy her a drink, or ask for a light, from the moment she took her seat. Naturally, she would not even look at that ss of Blue me. ¡®The gentlemen wished that you could give it a try. He ims that it¡¯s your favorite.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She retrieved her gaze and looked at that ss of cocktail. Her gaze instantly changed as she lifted the ss to take a sip. That familiar taste filled her with agitation and anxiety. Renee quickly stood up and asked the waiter with a sharp gaze, ¡°Where¡¯s the gentleman who bought me the drink?¡± Tm sorry. He has left.¡± ¡®What does he look like? Is he very tall and handsome? Does he carry a cold and condescending aura?¡± ¡°He¡¯s indeed handsome, but he looks very aloof and distant. Do you guys know each other?¡± Renee did not answer his question but continued asking agitatedly, ¡°Which way did he go?¡± Humph! Of course, he was more than her acquaintance. She specially designed that cocktail. The vodka¡¯s fierceness was blended with the freshness of mint. It was then mixed with lime-vored soda water. Its chemical reaction turned the color of the drink into a mncholy blue¡­ She had only made that drink for Stefan before. So, she was certain that the man who bought her that ss of cocktail was Stefan. That discovery was like some kind of stimnt drug. Consequently, Renee became quite excited and anxious Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Chapter 494 She knew that he was not dead. He was so tough, even tougher than cats with nine lives. How could he just die like that? Renee learned from the waiter that Stefan had left from the side door. So she wanted to run after him through the side door immediately¡­ ¡°Ah! Someone¡¯s dead!¡± Someone pointed at William, who fell to the floor motionlessly and screamed. Most of the people in the restaurant dispersed in fear. However, some bolder people surrounded the scene. ¡°William, you scumbag! Stop pretending you¡¯re dead. I wont believe you. I¡¯m warning you. Get up now!¡± Leia was so scared that her face turned pale. Her hands trembled as she ceaselessly pushed the man who was lying on the floor. Renee realized that something was wrong, so she came back from the side door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Renee pushed the crowd aside. She frowned and asked with a low voice. Someone pointed at Leia and used her loudly, ¡°This woman is a murderer. She¡¯s been pping this handsome man just now. Now she beat him to death!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her. Call the police now to lock her up. Don¡¯t let her run away!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. No way!¡± Leia shook her head. She was quite helpless. ¡°This scumbag looks refined, but he¡¯s not that weak. How could he die just because I pped him several times? ¡°William, stop pretending. Do you think it¡¯s funny? Get up now!¡± The others were soon enraged as they condemned her with indignation. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s pretending. You¡¯re a beast. You beat him to death, but you refuse to let him off!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny it. We¡¯re all witnesses. The police will arrive soon¡­¡± Renee had a headache from all the noise. She kept a cold expression as she roared, ¡°Just shut up!¡± Undeniably, her aura was quite powerful. Everyone soon kept quiet out of fear. ¡°Ren, hurry up and see what trick this scumbag is trying to pull¡­¡± Leia reacted as if she had seen a savior. She immediately gave up her spot to Renee and pretended to say without concern, ¡°I wont stop him if he wants to die, but he hasn¡¯t told me where Adie is. We can¡¯t let him die this easily!¡± Renee said nothing before she half kneeled on the floor and touched the dark blook beside William¡¯s lips. She then sniffed it and said lowly, ¡°He might have taken poison beforehand. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s not a small dosage. He¡¯s ruthless.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Leia felt like she had received a great blow as she looked at the man on the floor coldly. Her vision gradually became blurry, and she could not hold her tears back. She did not expect that he would choose to end things that way. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Was it because of his guilt or weakness? Renee looked at Leia with great heartache. She then immediately said,¡± Don¡¯t be sad first. It¡¯s not long after he¡¯s been poisoned. We can probably save him if he¡¯s rushed to the hospital for a gastricvage now.¡± ¡°He wants to die. Why should we save him?¡± Although Leia said that, she tried her best to get him up and was about to rush him to the hospital. When the onlookers saw that, they gave her a hand. Renee watched from afar, but she did not follow Leia. She believed that Leia could take care of it on her own. On the other hand, she now had a much more important thing to deal with. Renee walked toward the side door¡­ She had to find Stefan that night Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Chapter 495 The side door led directly to the beach, and the sea breeze blew at the surface of the ocean, sending waves against the beach. It was nowte at night, so it was rather dim at the beach. There were not many people around, just a few couples taking walks. Renee stepped on the uneven beach sand. Herrge, clear eyes scanned the coastline back and forth quickly. The sea breeze made her hair messy and ruffled the hem of her white dress, revealing her slender legs. She was like a subus running wildly in the dark. There was a different touch of charm to her¡­ Renee looked around for a long time, but it was to no avail. Her excitement gradually turned into disappointment. She cursed inwardly, ¡°Stefan, damn it! Are you ying hide-and-seek with me? How childish!¡± She suddenly felt that she was a bit foolish, and she wanted to stop the game now. After all, he would appear one day if he was still alive. While dwelling on that, she bent down and dusted off the sand on her calves. She then smoothed her long, messy hair behind her ears and was ready to go home. When she got to her feet, she suddenly discovered a familiar and upright figure. He was standing around three hundred feet in front of her, facing the ocean and staring at it gloomily. Although the lighting was not good and she could not see it very clearly, that figure was exactly the same as Stefan¡¯s. He looked so tall and cold, especially his side face. He appeared exceptional and gloomy¡­ Who could it be if it wasn¡¯t Stefan? Renee¡¯s gloomy eyes lit up again. Her eyes glistened with excitement now. ¡¯Stefan!¡± She almost subconsciously blurted his name out. However, Stefan did not stop but turned around to run when he heard her voice. Renee was slightly stunned. Her desire to win was suddenly aroused as she ran after him. ¡°Hey, why are you running? Stop!¡± Although her leg injury had just recovered and she could not exercise vigorously, he was nearby. She could not let him run away again. The fine sand on the beach made her steps uneven. It was easy to fall. While ¡®Stefan¡¯ was running away, he bumped into something and stumbled. Poof! He fell t on the ground. Renee followed closely behind him as fast as she could. Like a police officer who was pursuing a criminal, she pressed the man underneath her. ¡°Humph! Stop struggling. You can¡¯t run away. Did you do anything shameless that you can¡¯t face me?¡± When things turned out that way, the man gave up struggling and smiled helplessly, saying, ¡¯It¡¯s been a long time. You¡¯re still so relentless. If it was Stefan, I don¡¯t know if he could survive this or not.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Renee¡¯s expression changed immediately because she was caught off guard. Julian turned around. His face resembled Stefan¡¯s so much. Now he was full of apologies. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just wanted to buy you a drink, and I didn¡¯t want to bother you. Now it looks like you might have gotten the wrong idea. Their distance was quite close, and her long legs were pressed against his waist in apromising position. Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Chapter 496 Renee grimaced and hurriedly let Julian go. Then, she got up and made herself look presentable. She said coldly, ¡°Are you saying you made that ss of Blue me earlier?¡± Julian looked nonchnt as he remained seated on the beach sand. Julian propped his arms and looked up and Renee. Then, he asked in reply,¡± What? Did you think Stefan made it for you?¡± Renee rolled her eyes coldly before shifting her gaze to the deep dark sea. She pursed her lips and said nothing. Julian exined, ¡®Stefan made this drink for me before. I pestered him for a long time before he gave me the recipe. He said it was your creation. I found the drink interesting. The heat of vodka and the coolness of the mind are the most ipatible things. However, they created such a magical chemical reaction together¡­ Well, it¡¯s just like you and Stefan.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee snorted disdainfully. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I didn¡¯t think much and concocted it on a whim. I didn¡¯t remember the recipe until you reminded me of it.¡± ¡°Why are you still acting tough? If you really forgot the recipe, why did you chase after me so frantically just now?¡± ¡°So, were just tricked me?¡± Renee red at Julian and questioned him in annoyance, ¡°You teased me like I¡¯m a fool. Do you think it¡¯s cool? I should¡¯ve known. All men in the Hunt family are abnormal. Stefan is cold. Jovan is crazy, and you¡¯re childish!¡± Thinking back, the image of her frantically chasing over Julian and shouting at him was just too embarrassing. Renee was not only angry with Julian. Instead, she was mad at herself for losing her mind over the man¡¯s side profile, which resembled Stefan¡¯s. How could she? Julian did not defend himself. He patted the seat next to him and invited Renee. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for four years. A lot has happened since we parted. I¡¯d like to talk to you.¡± Renee refused ungraciously, ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing to say to you. It¡¯ste. I¡¯m going home.¡± Renee did not have much to talk about with Julian. As far as she was concerned, Julian and Stefan were on the same team. Renee did not want to get involved with anyone in the Hunt family! ¡°What if it¡¯s about Stefan?¡± Julian watched as Renee turned away coldly and indifferently. Then, he said meaningfully, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about how is he now?¡± Renee¡¯s fingers stiffened. Atst, she turned over, followed Julian, and sat on the beach. ¡°Go ahead. Let me hear what you can say!¡± Renee felt extra awake as the cool sea breeze and humid moisture enveloped her. She never believed that Stefan was dead and needed a firm answer from Julian. Julian stared at the undting sea with mncholy in his eyes. He said with a faint smile, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Stefan is still alive. If I said that, would you hit me?¡± Renee clenched her fist and said through her gritted teeth, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hit me first. I¡¯ll tell you what I know, and I hope it¡¯ll help you¡­¡± Julian began telling his story. ¡°H Group has been growing at elerated growth. Thepany seems to be developing quickly in the past four years, but there are many problems and viciouspetition. Many want to snatch the power. If Stefan had really gotten into something bad, it wouldn¡¯t be an ident. It¡¯s nned, just like Tristan¡¯s death years ago!¡± Renee was shocked. ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ Stefan and Tristan were both murdered?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Julian nodded. ¡°If I¡¯m right, it¡¯s likely that the same forces are plotting against them, and l-l need your help! Chapter 497 Chapter 497 Chapter 497 ¡¯Me?¡± Renee furrowed her brows, unable to figure out Julian¡¯s n. Comment by _ Lunaelle: who is this? Comment by May: Updated. Renee was just a stranger to Stefan and had nothing to do with the Hunt family. How could Julian ask her for help? Julian must be overestimating her kindness. Julian continued with a grave expression. ¡°Six months ago, I stepped down as Chief R&D Officer at KCL Group and sold some of my shares. KCL Group has changed ownership now. I heard that the new chairman is also from a technical background, but is more business-minded than me. He¡¯s going to carry out a radical reform of the whole group, from all levels of staff, internal management, and external partners. I¡¯m no longer as influential after stepping down from my position¡­¡± Renee arched her brow and said nonchntly, ¡°A business is like a kingdom. Changes are inevitable, even for a prosperous kingdom. So what exactly are you trying to convey?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a free spirit. I love freedom and don¡¯t want to be involved in these business disputes. I don¡¯t care about KCL Group¡¯s future, but KCL Group and H Group have always worked well together because of my rtionship with Stefan. The two groups have been inseparable.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now that Stefan is in trouble, and the new chairman wants to make changes, I¡¯m worried. The partnership may be affected¡­¡± Julian let out a long sigh. He said worriedly, ¡°Stefan has been holding H Group together. Now, troubles are everywhere. H Group will sign a strategic cooperation agreement with KCL Group on the G6 Chip. The cooperation is significant enough to overturn the entire technology industry. It mustn¡¯t go wrong, or it¡¯ll be devastating to H Group!¡± ¡°So?¡± Renee said coldly, ¡°What does H Group¡¯s future have to do with me? How can I even help?¡± ¡°If you want, you can!¡± Julian wore an unfathomable smile and said calmly, ¡°Stefan¡¯s life is uncertain now. There are all kinds of rumors out there. H Group has no leader now. More importantly, people like Jovan are waiting to strike at a time like this. It¡¯s especially critical to have someone to represent Stefan andplete the deal with KCL Group in Stefan¡¯s stead¡­¡± Renee finally understood Julian¡¯s intention andughed. ¡°Are you asking me to put the business back on an even keel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I mean.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? I¡¯m divorced. How can I represent my ex-husband? Do you find Beach City too calm? Must you stir up such drama to liven up the city?¡± Julian exined with a serious face, ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Everyone knows that you¡¯re irreceable to Stefan. He even personally starred in Hunt My Everheart to get you back. As long as you hold a press conference and announce that you and Stefan are married again, it would make sense for you to act as his representative to handle the H Group¡¯s matters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Renee interrupted Julian¡¯s proposal in a fury. ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t a child¡¯s y. I¡¯m already divorced. Your proposal is simply absurd. I¡¯ll never agree to it.¡± Julian said, ¡°Take it easy. Gaining people¡¯s confidence is just the first step. More importantly, you have to maintain the KCL Group¡¯s trust. Take this chance to restructure H Group and remove those who should begone. Also, find out who¡¯s behind Tristan and Stefan¡¯s murder, and let their souls rest in peace¡­¡± ¡°Finding the murderer is the police¡¯s responsibility. I can¡¯t help.¡± Renee found Julian¡¯s proposal absurd. She stood up and refused to talk to Julian anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about Stefan¡¯s death at all? Don¡¯t you want to avenge his death?¡± Julian thought Renee was not such a cold-hearted person. Otherwise, he would not have gone all the way to approach her for help. Renee exhaled and wore a cold expression. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t care whether he¡¯s dead or alive. You have the wrong person.¡± Julian looked at Renee¡¯s fading figure as she walked away. He could not help but shake his head, feeling sad for Stefan. ¡®As soon as a woman stops loving a man, her heart turns colder than stone! Tsk. Poor Stefan. If only you knew this would happen. Would you regret what you¡¯ve done?¡¯ Julian thought. Renee returned home in the night, feeling distressed Chapter 498 Chapter 498 Chapter 498 From Julian¡¯s words, Renee could tell that H Group was in trouble this time. Stefan had gone missing at such a critical moment, and his fate was unknown. Even if Stefan were alive, he would probably be in a difficult situation. Even so, what did it have to do with her? The rise and fall of an empire was normal. Besides, H Group was the industry leader for many years. It was only normal for H Group to decline after so long. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Even if she promised Julian to run the business in Stefan¡¯s stead, she could not restore the declining business. However, Renee was curious to know who had the guts to plot against the heir to the Hunt family twice in a row. As she thought of that, she opened herptop and looked for information about Tristan¡¯s murder years ago. Unfortunately, there was very little information about Tristan on the inte. There was almost nothing. Renee thought the Hunt family might have specifically restricted public information to keep Tristan¡¯s death from the public eye. Tristan¡¯s case happened five years ago and took ce in Newrest. Renee thought the local police might have a detailed case record, so she nned to hack into the local police¡¯s records. The Newrest police file system was notoriouslyplex and used the most primitive binary key code, which was Renee¡¯s weakness. Years ago, Renee lost to Haze in a global hackingpetition because of this oversight. Haze happened to be an expert in this area. Renee wondered if she had to ask for Haze¡¯s help again. However, it was not fun to engage with Haze. Haze had been very quiettely and did not bother her. Approaching Haze at this time was just asking for trouble! After thinking about it, Renee decided to take matters into her own hands. She wanted to try and hack into the system herself. Renee tapped her fingers on the keyboard and tried breaking in multiple times but failed each time. At last, her numerous attempts had alerted the local police, and they were targeting her IP address. -Sh*t!¡± Renee had to quit first just to be safe. She decided to forget about it. After all, these had nothing to do with her. It was not worth wasting her time. If she had the time, she might as well check on Adie¡¯s whereabouts. She wondered how Leia was doing and whether Willian got rescued. If William survived, would he tell them where Adie was? Renee became worried about Adie¡¯s situation again. At the same time, the doorbell rang. ¡°Who¡¯s here at this time of the night?¡± Renee shut herptop impatiently and went to the door Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Renee opened the door and was overjoyed to see who had arrived at her doorsteps. It was none other than Adie! Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡®Mommy, it¡¯s been a long time. I miss you so much! Hug me!¡± The handsome little Adie opened his arms towards Renee calmly. He was neat and clean. He seemed save and did not fall into the wrong hands earlier. Adie¡¯s arrival took Renee by surprise, but soon anger filled her. She crossed her arms and began to lecture Adie with a stern face. ¡® Adie. Did you have a lot of fun beforeing to me?¡± ¡°I was only away from Sun Ind for a short moment. How dare you? Do you think we won¡¯t be worried? Are you trying to make me angry?¡± ¡°Hey, Mommy. Calm down. I¡¯m back now¡­¡± Little Adie shrugged indifferently. He expertly jumped into Renee¡¯s arms and put on the most innocent and cute look on his face. He looked at Renee with his big, shiny eyes and blinked adorably. ¡°Mommy, you know me well. What¡¯s there to worry about? You¡¯re getting too worked up¡­ But I know that¡¯s because you love me too much. Mommy is the best. You¡¯re the best in the world. I love you the most!¡± Adie knew Renee well, after all. He knew Renee was soft-hearted and easy to persuade. Whenever he got into trouble, he would sweet talk and act adorably to have her forgiveness. However, it was not so easy to fool Renee this time. Renee resisted the urge to pinch little Adie¡¯s chubby little face. She said sternly, ¡°Aiden Everheart, stop giving me that face. I wont fall for it. So tell me honestly. What are you nning to do with all this commotion?¡± Acting cute did not work this time. Seeing that, Adie stopped pretending and reverted to his usual cold and arrogant look. He exined, ¡°Well, I was worried about you. I¡¯m afraid you might get hurt in Beach City alone, so I¡¯m here to protect you!¡¯ Renee was lost for words. She held her palm to her forehead and felt an immense headache. Just listen to that. Had a four-year-old child really said that? There were many times when Renee felt that Adie was the better version of her and Stefan. Adie was only a young child, but he was not easy to deal with. Renee frequently lost to Adie in their long battle of wits! ¡°You¡¯re just a child. Staying safe is the greatest protection for you. How could you leave Sun Ind without a word? You had no adult to apany you. If you run into thugs, who¡¯ll save you? You¡¯re so small. Anyone could easily capture you and kidnap you!¡± ¡®No way.¡± Adie was full of confidence. ¡°I¡¯m smart. Thugs only rely on brute force. Those who try to hurt me are already with the police. Mommy, it¡¯s not the first time. You should know that.¡± Renee fell silent. Adie had such a good point and left her speechless. ¡®Mommy, don¡¯t be so worried! I came to protect you. You shouldn¡¯t be angry. Instead, you should reward me well!¡± Adie proposed in a logical and unhurried manner. ¡°Reward you?¡± Renee was pissed off andughed. Adie was indeed amazing. He could easily trick her with his logical exnation. It was as if staying angry was simply unreasonable. Renee responded to Adie with a kind smile. She said gently, ¡°You want a reward, right? Be a good boy and wait for me. I¡¯ll get it for you now!¡± Adie instantly let out a sigh of relief. He nodded with a bright smile, ¡°Okay, Mommy. I know you¡¯re the best and most understanding Mommy.¡¯ Shortly after, Renee took out a ruler. She raised her eyebrows and snapped at Adie, ¡°Get down on your knees and hold out your hands! Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Adie behaved this time. He knew Renee was furious, so he listened to her orders obediently. Adie got down on his knees at once and held out his hands cooperatively. He faced Renee¡¯s anger calmly. ¡°Mommy, go ahead. You should calm down after hitting me. Don¡¯t stay angry. Anger is bad for your health. It¡¯s okay for me to be in pain.¡¯ ¡¯You¡¯re still being slick, aren¡¯t you?¡± Renee got furious and hit Adie¡¯s palm with the ruler. She questioned with a stern tone, ¡°Do you know what you did wrong yet?¡± It was a painful hit. A red mark immediately emerged on Adie¡¯s tender skin. Even so, Adie remained strong. Although his eyes were full of tears, he did not cry out. He raised his chin and said stubbornly, ¡¯I didn¡¯t do wrong. What¡¯s wrong with protecting Mommy?¡± ¡°Adie!¡± Renee was so angry that she hit Adie with the ruler again, harder than the previous time. Renee had no other choice as the little one was getting more and more disobedient each day. She could barely control him anymore. She had to teach him a hard lesson before he got himself into more trouble. With this in mind, Renee hit Adie several times and said harsher than ever, ¡¯ You won¡¯t admit your mistake, will you? I¡¯ll punish you until you admit your mistake!¡¯ ¡°Boo-hoo!¡± Adie was just a child after all. Finally, he could not hold back anymore and finally cried out. However, he remained stubborn as he cried. ¡¯ Mommy, go ahead and hit me. Even if you beat me to death, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong. I just want to protect you. I don¡¯t want Bad Daddy to hurt you!¡± Renee froze. ¡°What¡­ What do you mean by Bad Daddy?¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 501 Chapter 501 Adie wiped his tears and stared at Renee with a pitiful look, ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t have to hide anything from me. Abby and I know everything! Daddy Liam isn¡¯t our real daddy! It¡¯s the big bad Stefan!¡± Renee panicked. She had never mentioned Stefan¡¯s name in front of the two little ones! ¡¯I have a recorder in the study and heard every meeting you had with Daddy Liam¡­¡± ¡°I know Stefan is our real daddy. I know that he mistreated you and broke your heart. He has hurt you¡­¡± ¡®You¡¯ve been working so hard all these years, taking care of us, dealing with Azure Group, and staying up all night in theb doing experiments. You did all that in order to defeat him early. It¡¯s so that we can return home as soon as possible and live in peace, right?¡± The little one sobbed and revealed everything. ¡°What¡­¡± Renee could not imagine how much Adie and Abby had gone through at the tender age of four. She did not want her children to grow up in hatred, so she exined, ¡°I worked hard not because of him. I just want to give you a better life. I want to revive our family and bring the Everheart family back to glory¡­¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡®The Everheart family used to be very powerful and admirable. Your grandparents, especially your great-grandfather were incredible people, so you should¡­¡± ¡¯I know, so I want to contribute too!¡± Little Adie said with a proud expression, ¡°Mommy has been working so hard. I want to help share the burden, so I went to Bad Daddy¡¯spany and got the important document that Mommy and Daddy Liam mentioned¡­ ¡°Important document?¡± Renee had just begun educating Adie with love. So how did the topic change so drastically? Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Chapter 502 Liam was about to give Adie a huge lecture, but the little one interrupted him. ¡°Daddy Liam, I have a question. Is it wrong wanting to protect Mommy?¡± ¡°Of course not. We¡¯re men. It¡¯s our duty to protect her.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m just a kid stupid enough to be tricked by the bad guys?¡± ¡°No, of course not. Adie is such a smart boy. You¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be fooling the bad guys.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I want to protect Mommy and help her. I can keep myself safe. So what did I do wrong?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Liam rubbed his chin and instantly agreed with Adie. Adie had a good point. Liam backtracked immediately and advised Renee instead, ¡°I think Adie has a point. His punishment was unfair. Well, don¡¯t be angry. I think¡­ Maybe you should apologize to Adie.¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Liam!¡± Renee stomped her feet in anger. ¡°He¡¯s just a foolish kid. How can you go along with him? Are you trying to piss me off?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just being honest. Adie isn¡¯t an ordinary child. You should respect him and give him the freedom to y. Don¡¯t limit him.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Daddy Liam is right. Mommy, you should respect and trust me. Let me be responsible for taking care of you as soon as possible. I want to protect you.¡± Liam and Adie took turns convincing Renee. ¡°Enough. Do you know the woman you met earlier? She has long nned to hurt you. You even followed her around like a sillypdog. She fooled you with just some toys and snacks. Isn¡¯t that embarrassing?¡± Renee felt scared thinking about it again. Briar certainly had the intention to kill Adie. It would have been unthinkable consequences if not for Adie¡¯s lucky escape! ¡°No way!¡± Adie pouted in disdain. ¡°I knew she was no good. I¡¯ve been ying dumb with her so she could send me to Mr. Q¡­¡± ¡°Who is Mr. Q?¡± Renee listened in confusion. ¡°Mr. Q is very powerful. I specially chose him to help you deal with Bad Daddy. He made me a promise and is willing to be your follower and follow you to greatness.¡± Adie exined with an adult-like and proud expression. Liam frowned incredulously. He lowered his voice to confirm, ¡°Mr. Q? Are you talking about the owner of Carmine Pawnshop?¡± ¡°Yup. He has a lot of treasure at home. When the timees, I¡¯ll make him pick two for you.¡± Adie lifted his chin and said delightedly. ¡°How is that possible? The owner of Carmine Pawnshop is notoriously mysterious and difficult. People nicknamed him the Midnight Demon. Why would he listen to you and be Renee¡¯s follower?¡± Liam was astounded and thought Adie was lying. Adie said nonchntly, ¡°Why not? He must be impressed by Mommy. Daddy Liam, you¡¯re the same. You¡¯re good too, but you¡¯re working for Mommy too, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Adie¡¯s statement made Renee and Liam look at each other in speechlessness Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Chapter 503 Renee had led a reclusive life in the past few years and focused on her experiments at Sun Ind. She was oblivious to the outside world and naturally did not know about Mr. Q¡¯s story. She was a little frightened to hear about the mysterious Mr. Q from Liam and quickly pulled Adie aside to check on him carefully. She asked nervously, ¡°Did that Night Demon hurt you or do anything strange to you?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nope. Mr. Q was nice to me. He gave me whatever I wanted. I asked him to work for you, and he agreed¡­ But he¡¯s a little busytely. He said he had to go out of town. I¡¯ll arrange for you two to meet when he¡¯s free.¡± Adie crossed his arms, looking like a leader with everything under his control. Renee furrowed her brows, still feeling puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s so strange. Mr. Q is a powerful man. He even made a deal with Briar. Why didn¡¯t he hurt Adie? He even promised Adie to be my follower?!¡± Liam thought it was not a big deal. He randomly guessed, ¡°What else could it be? He must be impressed by Adie¡¯s cuteness and can¡¯t bear to hurt him! Maybe he¡¯s just joking with the kid about being your follower. Don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡± Renee shook her head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that simple. He¡¯s definitely up to no good. We can¡¯t take it lightly.¡± ¡°How should I put it? Carmine Pawnshop was notorious in their early years. They probably came by their enormous wealth immorally back then, but they¡¯ve slowed down and are ready to stop¡­¡± Liam paused suddenly and remembered something. He added, ¡°However, some suspected that the men from Carmine Pawnshop were behind Tristan¡¯s murder. Carmine and the Hunt family have always been enemies. Four years ago, Stefan almost died after a big conflict between them. Carmine has slowed down since then. They still have a bad reputation but stopped doing things immorally.¡± Renee listened with a serious expression and fell into deep thought. Could Mr. Q be rted to Stefan¡¯s death? Renee looked back at theptop on her desk and let out a long sigh. If only she could hack into the Newrest police file system and retrieve the details of the shooting case which led to Tristan¡¯s death. Would the truthe to light? ¡°Boss, don¡¯t overthink. Adie is back safe and sound. No matter his purpose, we don¡¯t have to fear him.¡± Liam looked at the worried Renee and consoled her again. ¡°Yeah. I worry too much.¡± Renee rubbed her temple. She did not want to spend too much time on the matter. After all, Stefan¡¯s life or death was none of her business. She just wanted her children to be safe. Renee put the ruler away and looked at Adie¡¯s swollen hand with heartache. ¡°Promise me. From now on, don¡¯t go around without my permission, okay?¡± Adie nodded. ¡°I understand, Mommy. From now on, I¡¯ll ask for your permission before going anywhere. Don¡¯t be angry anymore, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. Give me a kiss, and I won¡¯t stay mad.¡± Renee pointed to her cheek. ¡°Ah. You can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± Adie opened his hands and tiptoed, giving Renee a firm kiss. He ran his little hands along her head and coaxed her, ¡°Ren, be good. Don¡¯t be angry anymore, or I¡¯ll be sad.¡± Renee went speechless at Adie¡¯s actions. The next few days, Renee kept herself busy with the Everheart Residence¡¯s redevelopment and Azure Group¡¯s matter. It was as if Stefan¡¯s death was just a small chapter in her life. She simply ignored it without mentioning anything about it Chapter 504 Chapter 504 Chapter 504 However, the more Renee behaved this way, the more worrying it was. Liam thought venting negative emotions was necessary. How Renee constantly repressed her emotions might make matters worse in the long run. Therefore, Liam and Leia discussed the need to find a way for Renee to vent. After the discussion, Leia patted her chest and reassured Liam confidently, ¡°Fine. I understand. I¡¯m good at that. Just leave it to me!¡± Leia finally broke up with William after he was rescued. She had been suffocating anyway and could not wait to vent! At the moment, Renee was sitting in a conference room at Azure Group headquarters. It was an important meeting with thepany¡¯s executives. Renee was not nominated to hold any position in Azure Group over the past few years. Liam had made all the major decisions as thepany president. Even so, the executives knew Renee was the soul of thepany. Azure Group was just a small technologypany in the industry. Without Renee¡¯s effort behind the scenes,petitors in the industry would have eaten Azure Group. Even so, many of these executives disliked Renee. The first on the list was Liam¡¯s third sister, Laura Osborne. The Osborne family had eight children, and the eldest to the fifth were all girls. Liam was the only boy in the Osborne family and naturally took on the responsibility of carrying on the family¡¯s legacy. Liam had five elder sisters. His third sister Laura was the strongest and most business-minded. She had been managing the Osborne family business together with Liam. In the beginning, Liam requested his father for money to set up Azure Group, saying he wanted to break into the field ofmunication technology. The Osborne family business started in the gray market and revolved around it. Liam¡¯s familyughed at him for his sudden career change. They thought he set up thepany to pick up girls, and thepany would copse sooner andter. After all, H Group had about seventy to eighty percent market share as the leader in the communication technology industry. How could Liampete? Liam¡¯s third sister Laura was the only one supportive of him. She even invested in thepany and became the thirdrgest shareholder of Azure Group. As Azure grew, so did Laura¡¯s appetite. She was no longer happy to have someone outside the family with a higher authority above her. Therefore, when Renee spoke, Laura objected immediately. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°From what Miss Everheart is saying, a huge capital injection is required in opening new R&D and manufacturing sites. It¡¯s too risky and not in line with Azure Group¡¯s current ns. I disagree.¡± Four years ago, Renee wanted Azure Group to build its own product development and manufacturing base. At that time, the majority of the top management, including Liam, opposed her proposal. However, because Renee insisted, Liam finally overcame the objection and secretly diverted arge amount of money from the Osborne family to support her unconditionally. Unfortunately, the production and R&D center was not profitable and lost all the money. Laura questioned Renee with a stern expression, ¡°The investment for apany to build its own R&D and manufacturing base is enormous. The Osborne family has depleted much of its financial resources in supporting Azure Group over the years. We¡¯ve only been able to get some relief, and now you propose this. I can¡¯t help but wonder, Miss Everheart, are you trying to lead Azure Group to glory or its end? Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Renee seemed unruffled by Laura¡¯s questions. She responded calmly, ¡°The only way for a technology company tost in the long run and avoid being a middleman dealer is to establish major centers for production as well as research and development. Meanwhile, a normal enterprise generally needs three to five years from inception to profitability¡­¡± ¡°Azure Group has been established for four years. Soon, well reach the fifth year. I promise you that this year will be a good year. Everyone here will make a big fortune!¡± The management unceremoniously disagreed with Renee¡¯s ambitious words. ¡°You¡¯re talking big again¡­ Miss Everheart, you¡¯ve been talking big for the past four years. When will we get something real?¡± ¡°The industry is declining now. Ourpetitors are cutting back costs withyoffs and nt closures. Keeping costs low is the most important right now, while you¡­ How could you increase spending to build more production and R&D centers! That¡¯s such a waste of money!¡± ¡°I heard that H Group will soonunch the G6 Chip phone. Our market share will decline soon. Our survival is on the line. How could we hope for any profit?!¡± The executives clearly had long held a grudge against Renee, but no one dared to voice out because of Liam. Liam was out of town for this meeting, so Laura took the lead, ready to embarrass Renee. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯ve been far away all these years. You probably don¡¯t know much about the company¡¯s difficulties. While you¡¯re here today, please allow our CFO, Mr. Schwartz to present our true ounts¡­¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. After saying that, Laura turned to Schwartz in the corner. Schwartz stood up and bowed to the crowd. He said with a heavy expression, ¡°Azure Group has indeed grown over the years. However, the operating costs have risen significantly. The construction of the two centers costs a lot of resources. At present, our ount is already in a serious deficit. Don¡¯t talk about profits. If we can¡¯t obtain new investments, even survival is difficult¡­¡± Schwartz made a detailed data graph regarding thepany¡¯s financial situation. Indeed, it looked really rming. Renee furrowed her brows hard. She had no idea that Azure Group was in a financial crisis! Renee had been working with Liam on Azure Group for several years. Liam alwaysined about having no money and running out of resources but still presented only good results to her. As a result, Renee could do research and nning in peace. However, in reality¡­ Laura grunted at Renee¡¯s stunned expression. ¡°Seems like my crazily-in- love brother has been reporting only the good news and not the bad. He must have made you very happy. To be frank, Azure Group won¡¯tst much longer. Neither will the Osborne family. If you¡¯re looking out for the group, you shouldn¡¯t give Liam more problems now. We no longer have extra funds to build this and that!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Miss Everheart, please! Have more consideration. We can¡¯t build any new centers anymore!¡± Most of the management was conservative and agreed. Besides, the group had cash flow difficulties. The management wanted business as usual and could not afford much higher risk. After a long silence, Renee said sternly, ¡°I understand thepany¡¯s situation now. I¡¯m sorry for the suffering I caused you. I¡¯ll find a way to solve the funding issues.¡± After the meeting ended, Renee felt a little heavy-hearted. She was too idealistic and thought everything would be easy and smooth. She never thought that Liam had been shouldering the burden! Renee suddenly felt exhausted. All she wanted to do was have a drink and rx a little. At the same time, her best friend Leia called. ¡°Hey, Ren. Are you free? Sob¡­ My heart is breaking¡­ Will youe and have a drink with me?¡± Leia wailed. Renee had been worried about Leia and wanted a chance tofort her. Therefore, she agreed without hesitation. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Where are you? I¡¯ll be right over. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Chapter 506 ¡¯We¡¯re going to The Blue Inn. I booked the best seats and the strongest alcohol. We won¡¯t be going home sober tonight!¡± Leia sounded like she was already tipsy and excited. The Blue Inn! This bar was very popr as ofte. Renee had heard about it a long time ago. The Blue Inn was the ce women frequented when they wanted to be entertained. In the current era, women in the city were under a lot of stress. Those who worked, those who had failed rtionships, those with children, and those taking exams¡­ Like men, they all needed a way to rx. When this bar wasunched, it became very popr right away. That¡¯s why Renee hadn¡¯t been able to make a reservation there all this time. She had long wanted to go there to experience what it felt like. Without wasting any time, Renee walked out of the office and hailed a taxi to get to The Blue Inn. Although it wasn¡¯t even nighttime yet, The Blue Inn was already crowded. All the men who worked there, including the waiters, the bartenders, and the entertainers on stage, were handsome guys, and they were all at least six feet tall. The moment Renee walked in, she was mesmerized by all the good looking men. The best part was that all the customers here were women. There weren¡¯t any annoying men to ruin the fun by pestering her. On the contrary, the women were allowed to mess with the handsome, six- foot-tall men. ¡°Renee, over here!¡¯1 Leia waved passionately at Renee from the second floor where the most luxurious seats were located. She had on a shiny dress and a pair of ck high heels. Renee was surprised. From their phone conversation earlier, it sounded like Leia was devastated. Why did she seem to be having so much fun now? With guidance from a handsome waiter, Renee made her way to the second floor where Leia was seated. If nothing else, the view here was great. They could see all the performances in the bar clearly. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re finally here. It¡¯s so boring drinking on my own. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re here!¡± Leia picked up a bottle of alcohol and handed it to Renee. ¡°We are both having a hard time with our rtionships. There aren¡¯t any outsiders here. It¡¯s a paradise for women. We don¡¯t have to hold back at all. We can cry,ugh, dance, and have fun with men if we want. Anyway¡­ Set yourself free!¡± Leia eximed. Renee looked at the empty cans and bottles nearby. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It seemed that William had hurt Leia very badly. She had to drink this much to drown her sorrows away! ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll drink as much as you do. Let¡¯s get through this together!¡± Renee epted the bottle and emptied it in one go. It might seem like she was trying to console Leia, but wasn¡¯t she also trying to console herself? She intentionally avoided thinking about and mentioning the things that happened recently. She was like a cicada that wrapped itself tightly within its cocoon. After drinking the strong alcohol, Renee felt herself opening up¡­ Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. With the scrunchies taken off, her hair flowed freely downward. She removed her jacket and tossed it aside. She was getting even more excited than Leia Chapter 507 Chapter 507 Chapter 507 The music being yed in the bar was excellent, and the lighting was also splendid. Renee and Leia, two women who weren¡¯t faring well in their love lives, each held a bottle of alcohol in their hands. They danced fervently to the upbeat music and ignored everything and everyone else. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re not an emotionless person. I¡¯m sure you feel something with Stefan being gone. I¡¯m certain you¡¯re feeling sad right now. You want to cry and let it all out, don¡¯t you?¡± Leia asked. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Just cry to your heart¡¯s content. All the women here cry over love, and I¡¯m one of them. Stop pretending to be strong. It¡¯s not wrong for women to cry!¡± Leia shouted amidst the loud chatter around them. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m not sad. I¡¯m happy. Can¡¯t you see?¡± Renee was smiling from ear to ear. She took a few morerge gulps of alcohol. ¡°That guy is like a ticking time bomb. I couldn¡¯t even sleep in peace with him around. Now that he¡¯s detonated on his own, I¡¯m no longer in danger. If anything, I should be celebrating. Why would I be sad? Come on, let¡¯s celebrate the fact that Stefan is gone for good! Cheers!¡± Seeing how Renee was nonchnt about the whole situation, Leia instantly felt she was being too petty. ¡°You¡¯re right, Renee. There are plenty of fish in the water¡­ Look all around us. Every man in this bar is attractive. We shouldn¡¯t be so hung up about those two rotten apples!¡± Leia eximed before stopping the waiter who served them their drinks. ¡°This bar has been very poprtely. I heard there¡¯s a special program for women who want to be entertained. What is it?¡± ¡°Are you two interested?¡± The waiter smiled warmly at Renee and Leia.¡± That¡¯s right. There is indeed a special performance by The Blue Inn, and that involves exotic dances by all types of good-looking men. The grand finale for tonight is a performance by one of our male escorts, Isaac! ¡°Countless women are here for Isaac. They¡¯d fork out thousands just to touch Isaac, and they¡¯d even fight each other for a drink with him. It¡¯s¡­ exciting, to say the least!¡± ¡±A male escort?¡± Renee raised her brows. Her interest was piqued. ¡°When does this performance start? I¡¯d like to see what this male escort looks like! ¡®You¡¯re here at the perfect time. The show is about to begin. Look, the women are already rubbing their palms together. They¡¯re all fighting for the best seats!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, the lights in the bar suddenly went out. After that, a single spotlight was directed at the center of the stage. Several half-naked men with muscr figures began dancing to the music. The crowd went wild. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Come on, Renee. Let¡¯s join in the fun!¡± Leia was already tipsy. She pulled the equally tipsy Renee along to the performance area on the first floor. Since the two were more aggressive, they soon made their way to the front row. They were having the time of their lives. In fact, they even began interacting with the handsome men on the stage. The women around them were all envious of them. After several performances ended, the bar became dark again. When the lights came on, dry ice was released all around the stage. A tall man in a tight-fitting white shirt, ck overalls, and a ck mask appeared through the mist with a microphone in his hand. ¡®Woah! He¡¯s so handsome! Isaac! Isaac! Isaac!¡± The women screamed at the top of their lungs. ¡®Is this the male escort that the waiter talked about? How are we supposed to know if he¡¯s good-looking with a mask on?¡¯ Renee asked. She couldn¡¯t get it. ¡°What do you know? The mask is Isaac¡¯s unique trait. Nobody can take it off easily!¡± ¡®We don¡¯t care about his face. The best parts about him are his lips, his fingers, and his body. Those are qualities that make him irresistible! Chapter 508 Chapter 508 Chapter 508 The women were very protective of Isaac. In the beginning, Renee didn¡¯t take them seriously. However, after watching this male escort dance, she realized he really was gifted for this industry. His full hips, thin lips, and those long fingers¡­ Who could resist? ¡°Isaac, you¡¯re so handsome! Isaac! Isaac!¡± Under the influence of alcohol, Renee was behavingpletely unlike her usual self. Like the women around her, she began screaming excitedly at the men on stage. Perhaps, this was when women could truly rx. Leia was a little surprised by how Reneepletely let herself go. It turned out this was what Renee liked¡­ If she¡¯d known earlier, she¡¯d have made arrangements sooner! After the show ended, Isaac went off the stage. Everyone was still shouting for an encore. Renee jumped and screamed so hard that she was sweating and out of breath. After she and Leia returned to their seats, Renee immediately quenched her thirst by drinking alcohol. She soon finished drinking another bottle. By then, she could barely stand. She slouched against her seat. ¡°Renee, what did you think about that male escort earlier?¡± ¡°He¡¯s gorgeous! I couldn¡¯t stop staring at him!¡± ¡°Great. Just wait here!¡± Leia eximed. It was rare for her to see Renee this interested in another man apart from Stefan. To help Renee move on sooner, Leia went backstage and looked for Isaac. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, kid. My friend likes you. This card has 70,000 dors in it. Talk to her and cheer her up, but make sure you don¡¯t touch her. Do you think you¡¯re up for the job?¡± Leia asked before pressing a card against his chest. At this moment, Isaac was still wearing a mask. His sexy lips made him seem charming when he smiled. To be honest, he had already noticed Renee and Leia back when he was performing. Renee, who looked like a cool girl, was especially appealing to him. He wanted to befriend them both. Isaac held onto the card and asked, ¡°What if she wants to touch me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not allowed either!¡± Although Leia was a little drunk, she still had a clear head. ¡°I¡¯m not hiring a prostitute for my friend. I¡¯m also asking you to cheer her up. In other words, you¡¯ll only be there so that she can vent her negative emotions. You cannot cross the line. I¡¯ll check on her tomorrow. If you dare do anything to her, you¡¯ll be dead!¡± Isaac nodded and shrugged in disappointment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m getting paid, and I¡¯ll do whatever you say. I¡¯ll also not do what you tell me not to. I ept this offer!¡± Leia walked away feeling assured after hearing what he said. Renee, who was lying down on her seat, looked up at the dazzling lights. She felt dizzy, and she wasn¡¯t sure if this was a dream or reality. A tall man slowly walked toward her. He then looked down at her from above. ¡°It¡¯s you, the male escort¡­¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks were flushed. She was smiling like an idiot. ¡°Let me see what you look like.¡± She tried to remove Isaac¡¯s mask, but he avoided her touch before picking her up horizontally. ¡°You should get going,¡± he said Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Renee felt gravity pulling away from her. She wrapped her arms around Isaac¡¯s neck. ¡°Hey, you sure are a professional male escort. You picked me up like a princess right away. Such a good boy!¡± Renee touched his face. His chin was extremely attractive, and the stubble on it was also a little prickly. His male hormones went through the roof! Isaac carried Renee into a high-ss, private room under all the women¡¯s gazes. The room had dim lights that created a romantic ambience. There was arge, round water bed in the center of the room. Clearly, it was specifically designed for rich folks. It was hard not to think inappropriate thoughts when one was inside. ¡°Why did you bring me here? You¡¯re not offering your body for money, are you? I didn¡¯t bring any money with me today. I can¡¯t afford you. Put me down!¡± Renee struggled to set herself free. She was at least sober enough to protect her own reputation. ¡°I have boundaries. Although you are my type, I don¡¯t sleep with gigolos. Besides, I never do anything inappropriate. If I do, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to handle it¡­¡± While she spoke, she pinched Isaac¡¯s perfect face and smiled like an idiot. ¡¯ Has your mother never told you that pretty boys like you should be wary of women?¡± ¡°Watch your tongue,¡± he said coldly but gently. He carefully put her down on a couch and asked, ¡°Are you thirsty? I¡¯ll get you a ss of water.¡± As soon as he stood up, Renee hugged his arm like a ko. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t leave. I¡¯m not thirsty. Can I have some alcohol?¡± Mommy?! His lips twitched visibly. This woman¡­ How much did she drink? How could she be so drunk? ¡°After all that, you think I¡¯m your mother?¡± He asked coldly. ¡°You¡¯re not obedient at all. How can you yell at me?¡± He was speechless. Blurry-eyed, Renee smiled at the man. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were my mother. I thought you were my dead ex-husband¡­¡± The man was clearly stunned. ¡® How so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you have the same unapproachable vibe as he does. Your lips also look a lot like his. They¡¯re thin, soft, and just like jelly!¡± Renee reached out and poked the man¡¯s lips before nodding satisfactorily. ¡°Hmm ¡­ It feels the same to the touch too. Soft and bouncy. It¡¯s so tempting!¡± Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Your Adam¡¯s apple is also sexy like his, and so is your chest. I think you have an even better body than most models. Who could resist?¡± Reneeplimented while she touched his body parts that she mentioned. Once she was done, she prepared to pull away. However, the man pressed against her hand and smiled vaguely. ¡°Your friend said you weren¡¯t in a good mood, and she wanted me to cheer you up. Since you like my body so much, I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want to me without having to pay any money¡­¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks were already flushed from the alcohol. Now, it seemed to turn even redder. She chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re the ace of this bar. Countless rich women vie for your attention. If your boss found out that you¡¯re selling your body for money, he¡¯d kill you!¡± ¡°None of those rich women can compare to you. Since you already thought I was your husband, how could I not serve you with all my heart? Chapter 510 Chapter 510 Chapter 510 His eyes lit up beneath the mask. Although he was intentionally making these seductive remarks, it didn¡¯t seem like he was fooling around. On the contrary, he seemed to mean every word he said. In that instant, Renee was nearly convinced. When their gazes locked, Renee felt a jolt of electricity coursing through her body. She instantly came to her senses and sighed while she shook her head. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Look at you. You¡¯re very professional, and you know the right things to say, but¡­ At the end of the day, it¡¯s all fake. My ex-husband died. Even if you looked like him, you¡¯d only look like a dead person.¡± The man¡¯s stiff lips curved upward. He was smiling yfully. ¡°You seem very sad. You must have loved your ex-husband a lot. Were you devastated by his death?¡± ¡°Not quite!¡± Renee burped. She theny down on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°I just feel¡­ That it happened too suddenly. It¡¯s like finding out the author had stopped writing just as you arrived at the most interesting part. My ex-husband was a scumbag, but he didn¡¯t deserve an ending like this!¡± ¡°Is that all?¡± The man didn¡¯t seem too pleased with Renee¡¯s answer. ¡°Don¡¯t you have the slightest bit of feeling for him?¡± Renee remained silent. She continued staring up at the ceiling. Suddenly, her vision turned blurry as if dust had gotten into her eyes. The man observed her from above. He frowned a little when he saw the tears in her eyes. ¡°Are you crying?¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee sniffed. ¡°Dust got into my eyes.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The man silently looked at her for a long time. He eventually let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re already pissed drunk, but you still have a sharp tongue. It¡¯s not cute at all!¡± He leaned against the couch and moved closer to her without realizing it.¡¯ If you want to cry, go ahead and let it out. Besides, your friend hired me to cheer you up. If there¡¯s something that makes you upset, you can tell me about it!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m tired. I want to sleep.¡± Renee closed her eyes. It felt as if she would soon start crying. She was like a child when she hugged his arm again. ¡°Just be my pillow for a while.¡± This man made her feel safe. With the alcohol kicking in, she soon fell asleep¡­ Despite slipping in and out of consciousness, she felt the gentle touch of a butterfly on her lips. It made her crave for more. This felt a lot like the way Stefan made her feel in the past! She opened her mouth a little and sucbonsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. However, in the end, he gently patted her on the back. ¡°Sleep, silly woman!¡± Meanwhile, the real Isaac was tied up in the bathroom. He seemed terrified. ¡°Let go of me. W-Who are you people?¡± Isaac asked. A man dressed in ck looked down on him. ¡¯ Keep it short. Our master is only borrowing your identity for a while. Anyway¡­ Just do whatever we tell you to do. You¡¯ll get rewarded after the job is done!Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 511 Chapter 511 The next day, Renee woke up with a terrible headache. ''Damn, being hungover is awful... I''m too old for this! I shouldn''t drink so much next time.'' Renee stretched a little, threw her nket off her, and got out of bed. A sh of yellow caught her eye, and she turned to see a bouquet of sunflowers, her favorite flower, next to her pillow. There was a card beneath it, and she picked it up curiously. "Good morning, sunshine. I hope you felt better afterst night. You''re always wee toe see me again... XOXO, your confidant." Confidant?! Renee could only remember bits and pieces ofst night, but even those few memories made her blush. She knew she had a lot of alcohol, and had a fantastic time with Leia. In the end, Leia paid for a male escort for her, and she happily epted her friend''s gift. They''d kissed, and... Renee''s cheeks turned red, and she shook her head vigorously. She didn''t dare think about it anymore. She quickly looked down, and upon realizing her clothes were no different fromst night, she sighed in relief. She couldn''t deny that the male escort made her feel special. There was something familiar about him. He was calm and collected... just like Stefan! Could that male escort be Stefan?Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Suddenly, the door opened, and Leia walked in. She looked around the room suspiciously, then frowned. "Where''s the hottie fromst night? Has he left already?" She looked Renee up and down, a smirk on her face. "So, how did it go? Did he cheer you upst night?" Renee rolled her eyes. "So, you did hire him. No wonder he was so diligent and considerate." "I could tell you liked him¡ªyou let loosest night because of him. That rarely happens, so of course I had to make sure you spent some quality time with him... After all, if nobody newes into your life, how will you move on from the past?" Leia pointed out. She could tell from the state Renee was in that the seventy thousand was well spent. Renee was finally smiling again. She seemed full of life too, much unlike the lifeless zombie she had be recently. "Looks like that male escort did a good job. My money didn''t go to waste!" Leia ced her hands on Renee''s face and nodded repeatedly, very satisfied with the oue. "Hold on! Weren''t you worried he would hurt me? It was just the two of us in that room, you know," Renee protested. "That''s impossible!" Leia said firmly. "First of all, there''s no way he''d have the guts to do something like that since I paid him in advance. He wouldn''t get paid if he so much as touched you, and if he tried anything, I would have killed him. Second of all, he still doesn''t have what it takes. Even when you''re drunk, you can still easily fend him off, unless..." Leia suddenly stopped talking, and smiled suggestively. "Unless what?" "What do you think?" Leia asked, waggling her eyebrows. Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Chapter 512 N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Leia gripped Renee¡¯s shoulders, staring intently at her. ¡°Unless you forcibly slept with him, what you¡¯re worried about couldn¡¯t possibly have happened ¡­ So tell me, did you sleep with the escort? If you did, I¡¯ll probably have to pay him more than seventy thousand!¡¯ Renee¡¯s cheeks turned red. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so.¡± To be honest, Renee wasn¡¯t sure if they slept together or not, but the kiss definitely happened. She knew it because she felt the same way when Stefan kissed her! Despite being in her twenties, Renee had only ever kissed and had sex with one man ¨C Stefan. That¡¯s why she wasn¡¯t sure¡­ Was that how all kisses felt? ¡®What do you mean?¡± Leia instantly felt something was amiss. ¡®Did you really sleep with him after getting drunk? If you did, I¡¯ll believe you¡¯ve truly moved on from that scumbag!¡± Renee had no choice but toe clean. ¡°To tell you the truth, I think we kissed while I was drunk. It felt like I was kissing Stefan ¨C it was so familiar¡­ IV Renee stared at her best friend and asked hesitantly, ¡°You know that I don¡¯t have much experience in all this. Does kissing feel the same with every person?¡± ¡°Umm, about that¡­¡± Leia trailed off, not sure how to exin. ¡°It¡¯s pretty different. Honestly, I¡¯m not that experienced either ¨C it¡¯s all theoretical knowledge. Like you, I¡¯ve only ever done it with one person!¡± Birds of a feather really did flock together. These two often talked about watching handsome men, but in reality, they were as naive as one could get! Renee frowned. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to suspect that the male escort might actually be Stefan. After all, it felt too familiar!¡± Leia couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she patted Renee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I knew it¡­ You still haven¡¯t moved on. You¡¯re even hallucinating! I admit he does resemble Stefan somewhat, but how can a dead person come back to life? Besides, he¡¯s the CEO of a bigpany, so why would he work as a male escort? It¡¯s impossible! To me, he may look like Stefan, but it doesn¡¯t feel like him¡­¡± To Renee,st night felt like a gentle dream. She was determined to get to the bottom of this. ¡°Instead of making wild guesses, why don¡¯t we just ask him? I don¡¯t think he¡¯d lie if we¡¯re paying him.¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± Leia agreed eagerly, and pulled Renee to the back of the bar to look for the male escort, Isaac. At that moment, Isaac was fixing his hair in front of the dressing table. His mask was on the table. When Renee and Leia walked in, they saw him from behind. He was wearing a ck shirt, which showcased his broad shoulders, and his hair was thick. There was a charming masculinity about him that Stefan also shared. Renee stopped walking. Suddenly, she felt a little nervous. She had mixed feelings ¨C a part of her hoped he was Stefan, but another wished for the opposite. Leia, on the other hand, was getting impatient. She strode over to him and pped his shoulder. ¡°Did you do anything to my friendst night?¡± ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The man smiled and turned around. He looked at Renee intently. ¡°Did you have funst night? Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Chapter 513 The moment Renee saw the man¡¯s face, she felt a great sense of loss. He was definitely attractive. He had soulful eyes, a pointy nose, sexy lips, and a defined jawline¡­ Everything about him was perfect. Although he looked like Stefan in almost every aspect, he wasn¡¯t Stefan. She really had hallucinated him! Renee wanted tough. She should be d that Stefan died because it saved her a lot of trouble. On top of that, she no longer had to worry about her children being taken from her. She probably only hoped he was alive because she was drunk! ¡®Thanks for making me feel betterst night. It really helped.¡± Renee smiled politely at Isaac, then turned to Leia. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡¯ ¡®Huh? Are we leaving already?¡¯ Leia asked in surprise. Her friend was so unpredictable sometimes! A second ago, Renee had insisted that the man felt familiar and gave her a sense of security. However, when she was in front of him, she tried to run away. He was almost as handsome as Stefan, so what was the issue here? Leia stared at Isaac¡¯s handsome face for a long time. Finally, her eyes lit up, and she snapped her fingers. ¡°I know what it is!¡± ¡®What¡­ is it?¡± Renee asked with a confused look on her face. ¡¯I know why you¡¯ve lost interest!¡± Leia eagerly started to exin. ¡¯His facial features are perfect, but his eyes make him seem a little too feminine. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t find him masculine enough. Look, once he puts on his mask, his femininity instantly disappears. Do you feel anything for him right now?¡± Leia eximed, urging Isaac to put his mask on. Isaac obediently did as he was told. It was true ¨C he did look like a different person after putting on the mask. There was a sense of coldness and arrogance about him, and the lower half of his face looked like Stefan¡¯s. ¡®What do you think? Has the sense of familiarity returned?¡¯ Leia asked. Renee nced at him, but still didn¡¯t feel anything. Honestly speaking, Isaac looked a lot like Stefan with the mask on. She nearly mistook him for Stefan, but she no longer felt the same way about him like she didst night ¡°I had too much to drinkst night, which was why I lost control. Now that I¡¯m sober, I won¡¯t act so crazily. Let¡¯s not waste Isaac¡¯s time, I¡¯m sure he needs to get back to work!¡± Renee¡¯s head was pounding as she pulled Leia away. The two walked out of the bar and hailed a taxi back home. Leia was miserable throughout the journey. She had finally found someone who could help Renee move on, but now that Renee was sober, she was suppressing her emotions again. Leia was truly worried about her. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. She needed to find a way to make this male escort more attractive! Back in the apartment, Adie was watching cartoons on the couch, but he was clearly distracted. He frequently looked at the door, and he seemed anxious. Beep, beep! As soon as Adie heard the door being unlocked, he hopped off the couch and dashed to the door. ¡°Adie, why are you up so early? Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Renee felt warmth bloom in her chest when she saw her son waiting for her. She bent over to hug Adie, but he took a step back and put his hands on his hips sternly. ¡°Mommy, you didn¡¯te homest night. You misbehaved. Tell me the truth! Where did you go?¡± ¡®Umm, about that¡­¡± Renee felt a little awkward and didn¡¯t know what to say. She couldn¡¯t tell Adie that she got drunk at a bar and spent money on a man, could she? Adie would definitely lose all respect for her! ¡°I finished workte, so I decided to spend the night in the office. Sorry for making you worry, Adie.¡± Renee picked up Adie and muttered an excuse, feeling a little guilty. After all, Adie wasn¡¯t exactly gullible. As expected, Adie took a deep breath before taking a few sniffs. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re lying. You reek of alcohol! You went drinkingst night, didn¡¯t you?¡± When Leia heard this, she immediately came clean about what happened.¡± That¡¯s right! I asked your mother out for a drinkst night because she¡¯s been a bit downtely. Work has been exhausting, and she needed to rx a little.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Adie scowled angrily. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous out there, and Mommy is so pretty. Not only were you drinking, you even stayed out the whole night. What if you bumped into bad guys?¡± Adie knew he was only a child, and adults wouldn¡¯t listen to him, so he decided to get help. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to call Daddy Liam and ask him to keep an eye on his wife!¡± Renee was a little sad when she heard this. She squatted down and ruffled his hair. ¡°Baby, I haven¡¯t told you yet, but Daddy Liam and I are no longer together. However, it doesn¡¯t affect you in any way ¨C Daddy Liam will still love and protect you as he always has.¡± ¡°Did you two break up?¡± Adie blinked. ¡°Will Daddy Liam still love and protect you too?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡¯ Renee didn¡¯t know what to say. After all, rtionships between men and women were complicated. Even if she tried to exin it, Adie might not understand. However, Adie was very smart. ¡°Mommy, I know Daddy Liam will fall in love with another woman and protect her instead. He will no longer love and protect you. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Renee smiled at her son warmly. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll have to love me and protect me instead.¡± Liam had done so much for her over the years. Now that their rtionship had officially ended, she genuinely hoped that he could meet someone who deserved his love and protection. Leia was worried Adie might feel disappointed, and she quickly tried tofort him. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. They might not be together anymore, but they still have feelings for each other. Don¡¯t worry, Adie. My brother will always put you and Renee first. He¡¯ll do his best to protect you both!¡± ¡°It¡¯s different now because they¡¯ve already broken up. I¡¯m not as gullible as other kids, so don¡¯t try to trick me.¡± Adie frowned contemtively. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to do something for the sake of Mommy¡¯s happiness.¡± Renee and Leia exchanged concerned nces. ¡°What are you talking about?Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Chapter 515 Adie pouted and said firmly, ¡®From now on, I¡¯ll do my best to find Mommy a husband. He¡¯ll share Mommy¡¯s workload, love her, and protect her!¡± Renee felt her heart warm when she heard this, and she couldn¡¯t resist kissing Adie¡¯s cheek. ¡°Adie, you¡¯re the best, but work isn¡¯t that tough, and I have you to love and protect me. That¡¯s more than enough, so you don¡¯t have to find someone for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different!¡± Adie clenched his fists, trying to get his point across. ¡°I¡¯m your son, not your husband. What you need now is a husband, and that¡¯s why I need to find you one.¡± Renee stared at Adie, at a loss for words. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Leia burst intoughter, and grinned at Renee. ¡°In my opinion, you should just let Adie find you a man. If he does find you a knight in shining armor, he¡¯d also be finding a father for himself. Wouldn¡¯t that be killing two birds with one stone? I¡¯m sure Adie¡¯s judgment is better than yours; whoever he chooses can¡¯t possibly be any worse than a certain someone, don¡¯t you think?¡± Renee didn¡¯t take what Adie said seriously and nodded absently. ¡°Alright, Adie. I¡¯m counting on you to find the man of my dreams. I¡¯m very vain, so I need a man who¡¯s tall and handsome. Good luck!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy, I¡¯m vain too. I¡¯ll definitely find you a handsome man!¡± The two bumped fists in agreement. Renee had a little too much to drinkst night, and she was having a pounding headache. While Adie watched cartoons in the living room, she entered the kitchen to make herself some soup for her hangover. She cut a pear into pieces, soaked some white fungus, and added both into a pot of water. She then let it simmer for an hour. Leia entered the kitchen with a bowl of ice cream, and leaned against the kitchen ind as she said to Renee, ¡°Renee, to be honest, I think breaking up with my brother was a good move for you. You didn¡¯t love each other, so instead of getting married, you two should just remain friends. It¡¯s better for both of you that way.¡± Renee smiled faintly as she cut a watermelon. ¡°I know there isn¡¯t a man alive who will love me and my children more than your brother does. Losing him was my loss, but I genuinely hope he can find a woman who deserves him. As for myself, I don¡¯t n on getting married. Being single isn¡¯t that bad. I don¡¯t have to deal with people I don¡¯t like, and I¡¯ll have so much more freedom. All I want to do is to raise my children. Once they¡¯re old enough to have their own families, I can do whatever I want. I¡¯ll be able to travel the world, read books, or even be a nun!¡± ¡°Be a nun?¡± Leia was taken by surprise. ¡°You¡¯re barely thirty! You don¡¯t have to get married, but you can still get into rtionships. There are plenty of fish in the water!¡± Renee focused on cutting the watermelon, and just smiled without saying anything. ¡°In my opinion, the male escort fromst night wasn¡¯t too bad. At the very least, he can make you happy. You don¡¯t have to be stressed all the time¡­¡± Leia recalled how Renee had screamed for the male escort from below the stagest night. She just wanted Renee to feel young and free like that again Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Leia wholeheartedly believed that life should be lived to the fullest, without stress or misery. That was all she wanted for her best friend. At the very least, she didn¡¯t want Renee to give up on romance at the young age of thirty all because of a selfish scumbag! ¡®Isaac has another performance in a few days, so why don¡¯t we go back then and have a good time? Also, I heard that The Blue Inn hires handsome new performers every few days or so. They always fight for the top spot, so if you get bored of Isaac, we can always find you someone else. You know, I think we should try to view rtionships the way men do. We should only care about their appearance, and never get emotionally invested. That way, well never get hurt, right?¡± Renee chuckled, her eyes gleaming with mirth. ¡°Leia, what happened to you? In the past, all you talked about was undying love; you¡¯d even pray for a man who loved you with all his heart. How did youe to this sudden realization?¡± ¡°Well, I guess it was when I got fooled by that scumbag.¡± Leia let out a long sigh. ¡°William is a pretty good actor. He was ying me like a fiddle the whole time! Did you say that poison was fake? Why didn¡¯t it kill him? I can only me myself for not shooting him and killing him back then!¡± Leia growled, stomping her foot in frustration. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t get upset. I think he¡¯s realized what he¡¯s done wrong, and he risked his life to make up for it. If you still can¡¯t move on, give him another chance. You don¡¯t have to worry about me -1 won¡¯t mind.¡± Renee could tell that Leia still hadn¡¯t moved on despite how much she imed she hated William. That¡¯s because the opposite of loving someone wasn¡¯t hatred, it was indifference.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The more Leia said she hated him, the more obvious it was that she loved him. William still had an important ce in her heart, and his betrayal had hurt her deeply. However, Renee knew Leia was a devoted friend, and she would feel bad getting back with William after what he did to Renee; that was why Leia had cut off all ties with William. ¡®Fat chance! I¡¯ve seen through his facade, and I can¡¯t trust him anymore. With a ce like The Blue Inn, I can meet handsome, young men every night. Why would I give up all that for one guy?¡± Leia hugged Renee¡¯s arm like a child. ¡°I don¡¯t care, you¡¯re going there with me again! Friends have to share good things with each other, and looking at attractive men is one of those things!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t say no. ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± After drinking her soup, Renee switched on herputer to settle some matters rted to Azure Group. Azure Group was now entering a period of rapid growth, and it needed more investments. However, thepany was seriouslycking finances. With their source of capital cut off, she needed to find an alternative, or their four years of hard work would go down the drain. Liam had been contributing far too much over the years, so Renee was too embarrassed to ask the Osborne family for more financial aid. Additionally, the families in Beach City that were capable of offering help were all on the Hunt family¡¯s side. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t help the Hunt family¡¯s rival. ¡®Ahh, what a pain!¡¯ Renee grumbled inwardly. Suddenly, Renee received a call, and she answered it cautiously. The voice on the other end of the line was soft and maic. ¡°Been a while, hasn¡¯t it? I heard you¡¯re in need of cash. Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Chapter 517 The person on the other end of the line was none other than Jovan, the mad man who had been making headlines in the business realm as ofte. In the past, Renee used to think that he was an idiot who relied on his status in the Hunt family to live a lavish lifestyle. However, after that incident, her impression of the man changed. Anybody who came from a rich family and managed to carve his own path in the cutthroat field of business couldn¡¯t possibly be an idiot. In fact, people like him who pretended to be fools were the hardest to deal with! Renee didn¡¯t want to waste her time on him, and ended the call without saying a word. As usual, she browsed financial websites to check thetest financial news. To her surprise, Stefan, who used to be the business circle¡¯s favorite subject, was now the person everyone hated. Comments like ¡®H Group¡¯s CEO, Stefan Hunt, is suspected to be dead. What lies ahead for H Group?¡¯,¡¯ Mr. Hunt is having a good time out there while H Group¡¯s employee morale diminishes, and thepany is about to crash¡¯, and ¡®Stefan runs away with thepany¡¯s earnings, the shareholders are left with nothing but debt and are being forced to jump off buildings¡¯ could be seen everywhere on the screen. Since Stefan¡¯s death hadn¡¯t been announced to the public, there were all sorts of spections out there. People who used to support Stefan didn¡¯t dare say anything, and those who hated Stefan used this as an opportunity to degrade him even further. Mediapanies were taking full advantage of the situation. They¡¯d probably caught wind of Stefan¡¯s death long ago, and with the nderous rumors being circted, they were happy to portray Stefan as an hical person who¡¯dmitted heinous crimes. The most shocking thing was that a news website, which was founded and operated by paparazzi, was circting rumors that Stefan had casual rtionships with men. They imed he had ended up contracting AIDS and died, and that he and his wife got divorced because of his sexual orientation! All this was just to get attention, but it was still frustrating to see. ¡°Damn it, which mediapany is this?! They¡¯re going too far!¡± Renee was furious when she read the article. Stefan was once worshipped like a god, but the very same mediapanies that had once sung his praises were now insulting him ruthlessly. Didn¡¯t they feel guilty ndering a dead person? ¡®Oh, Stefan, aren¡¯t you the coolest and strongest person in the world? Your reputation is falling apart. Can you really just let this happen without doing anything about it? If you have what it takes,e out and put them all in their ces!¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Ironically, now that Stefan¡¯s image was in tatters, everyone was now praising Jovan, the very same person they had considered a useless idiot before this. In fact, a few financial experts had predicted that Jovan, who apparently had a good mind for business, was the person most capable of leading H Group out of the precarious situation it was in. Jovan, supposedly, would be the overlord who dominated the business realm in Beach City in the uing twenty to fifty years. An anonymous source had even spread rumors that Jovan and Renee were meant to be together, and that Stefan was the one who hade between them years ago. However, Jovan was now making a gloriouseback and reiming what belonged to him! Renee had to admit that the business realm was just as fake as showbiz. When one was doing well, everyone would shower that person withpliments. However, when that person¡¯s business started going downhill, everyone would step all over that person. Even a random stranger would spit on them! Renee was getting angrier by the second, and at that moment, she received another call from Jovan. She immediately answered the call and snarled, ¡°Jovan, are you crazy? Do you want to get beaten up again?¡± Jovan was getting on her nerves! It seemed like she hadn¡¯t kicked him hard enough back at the cemetery. It¡¯d barely been a few days, and he was already behaving like a lunatic again Chapter 518 Chapter 518 Chapter 518 However, Jovan wasn¡¯t angry at all. On the contrary, heughed in amusement. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up. I can solve Azure Group¡¯sck of capital. Renee scowled at the sight of the rumors on herputer screen. ¡°Sure. Clearly, we need to talk!¡± They agreed to meet at an elegant little cafe. Jovan arrived ahead of time. He was dressed casually in a beige sweater and apricot trousers. He seemed rxed and approachable, unlike his usual mad and sinister self. He smiled pleasantly when he saw Renee. ¡°I ordered a Matcha Frappino for you. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s your favorite drink.¡± Renee was a little surprised that he knew this. She reached for a chair and sat down. There was even a bouquet of sunflowers next to her coffee that seemed to be a gift for her. Jovan¡­ He¡¯d done a lot of research on her, hadn¡¯t he? How else would he know her favorite things? ¡°What are you up to? Why do you know all these things about me?¡± Renee asked, warily staring at the man in front of her. Jovan was handsome. Compared to the aloof and moody Stefan, Jovan seemed more easy-going. He looked like the typical rich kid who¡¯d spend his family¡¯s money unwisely. Who would¡¯ve thought that someone like him was a crazy fanatic? Jovan took a sip of his coffee and smiled. ¡°I thought you¡¯d know how I feel about you after that night. I¡¯m your loyal fan, so I don¡¯t need to do research to know the things you like. As for these flowers¡­¡± His eyes were gleaming as he stared at her hungrily. He obviously wanted Renee all to himself. ¡°When a man gives a woman flowers, it means he has officially decided to pursue her. You¡¯ll be mine sooner orter!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Renee felt goosebumps all over her body, and she subconsciously moved back a little. ¡°Jovan, what¡¯s wrong with you? Do you really think you stand a chance just because Stefan is no longer around?¡± She sneered, ¡°Grandpa Hunt single-handedly built H Group, so without his permission, you¡¯ll have no part in it. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too impatient by bribing mediapanies and falsifying rumors? Your cousin is no longer around, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can step all over him. You¡¯ve gone too far with those baseless rumors. If you still consider yourself a human, make it all stop. A man who bullies the dead is no hero!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Renee only agreed to meet Jovan so that she could lecture him about this. She wanted him to stop bribing mediapanies and spreading those ridiculous rumors. Jovan¡¯s gaze instantly became cold. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re only here because you want to defend my dear dead cousin. He treated you like crap, and yet you still have feelings for him. I honestly don¡¯t know what to say!¡± Renee gritted her teeth and bit out,¡¯l don¡¯t have feelings for him. Any sane person would find your behavior despicable! You could¡¯ve made anything up, but you decided to spread rumors that he contracted AIDS. He¡¯s your cousin! Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma?¡± Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Chapter 519 ¡°Haha! AIDS?¡± Jovan burst intoughter. ¡°Which mediapany did that? How brave. My cousin would be turning in his grave if he knew.¡± Renee rolled her eyes. ¡°You can drop the act. Just own up to it if you did it. I can tell you¡¯re the kind of person who¡¯d do something like this.¡± Jovan stared at her for a long time, then asked, ¡°Do you really have such a bad impression of me?¡± He let out a long sigh, and he seemed a little hurt. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not, but I really didn¡¯t start that rumor. All I did was spread one rumor, which is about fifty percent true.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Seeing how mysterious he made it sound, Renee couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you read about how Stefan¡¯s ex-wife and Jovan used to be together? Back then, Stefan came between the two of them and separated them by force. Now that Jovan has made his glorious return, he swears to reim the love of his life¡­¡± Jovan smiled giddily. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m the person who spread that rumor.¡± Renee was speechless. Who in their right mind would say that the rumor was partially true? It was clearly a hundred percent false! Jovan sensed Renee¡¯s anger, and exined patiently, ¡°As the man in the rumor, it¡¯s true that I used to have a one-sided crush on you. It¡¯s also true that I want to make you mine again¡­ So, strictly speaking, it isn¡¯t a rumor, but my way of announcing my intentions to the world!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee was fighting the urge to pour her coffee on him. Of all the men she¡¯d met, Jovan was the most thick-skinned! ¡°I don¡¯t care if you spread the rumors or not, but I¡¯m sure you had a hand in those nastyments. I suggest you don¡¯t push it. Don¡¯t think you can bully someone just because they¡¯re gone. I¡¯m his ex-wife, and I¡¯m still alive. By insulting him, you¡¯re also insulting me. I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± Renee said threateningly. After speaking, she turned around to leave, not even ncing at the coffee or flowers. She¡¯d already issued Jovan the warning she wanted to. If he dared to do anything inappropriate, she wouldn¡¯t hold back! Jovan smiled coldly as he watched her leave. ¡°Do you really love him that much? What¡¯s so great about him? He clearly hurt you, but you still miss him. Why are you still protecting him even when he¡¯s dead?¡± Renee stopped walking, but she didn¡¯t answer Jovan. ¡°Was it because he was handsome, or was it because he was immensely wealthy? Or was it because he was H Group¡¯s CEO?¡± Jovan couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard he tried. He slowly got up and approached Renee. ¡°Turn around and take a good look. I¡¯m just as handsome as him, and I have money you can spend as you like. In fact, I¡¯ll be H Group¡¯s CEO in a week. I¡¯m much better than Stefan, and I love you more, so why do you keep pushing me away?¡± Jovan looked at Renee¡¯s slim figure, and recalled how she used to sing so passionately on stage. The memories of her under the spotlight stirred up feelings in him that he¡¯d been suppressing for years. He just couldn¡¯t take it Chapter 520 Chapter 520 Chapter 520 ¡°Renee, I don¡¯t care if you want money, fame, or even H Group. I can give you all of it¡­ All you need to do is turn around and look at me!¡± Jovan begged, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He reached out and pulled Renee to him. The oue was rather predictable. Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. Renee grabbed him by the shoulders and flung him to the ground forcefully. Hended on the ground heavily, and as he gasped for air, Renee ced one high-heeled foot on his chest. It was like she was looking down at him from miles above. ¡°Jovan, you¡¯re an idiot. Do you think I fell in love with Stefan for his looks or status?¡± Renee looked at Jovan in disgust. ¡°I loved him because of his kindness, integrity, and principles, which are things you¡¯ll never have. Even if he¡¯s dead, you won¡¯t ever be able to surpass him!¡± ¡°Haha! Kindness? Integrity? Principles?¡± Jovanughed as if he¡¯d just heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°I can only say that Stefan is a great actor. So many years have passed, and you still can¡¯t see through him. He¡¯s nothing but a cold-blooded snake. He even hurt his own brother to im the position as H Group¡¯s CEO! Don¡¯t you think his death is God¡¯s way of punishing him?¡± ¡°What are you saying? Are you making things up again?¡± Renee hissed, stepping down on Jovan until he wheezed. ¡°What did you mean when you said he hurt his own brother?¡± Based on what Renee knew, Stefan loved his brother, Tristan, dearly. Four years ago, Tristan died in an ident, and Renee could still remember how devastated Stefan was when it happened. Jovan was clearly lying! ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t believe me. If you had ess to the files of the shooting back then, you¡¯d know the truth.¡± Jovan¡¯s chest hurt from being stepped on, but he still smiled wickedly. ¡°The person you slept next to was a scheming demon. Tsk, tsk¡­ Just the thought of it makes meugh!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee kicked him twice, still refusing to believe him. ¡°H Group will be holding an inauguration ceremony for its new CEO next week. Unfortunately, Stefan won¡¯t be there to see it. He¡¯s worked so hard every step of the way, but I¡¯ll be the one benefiting from all his hard work. So what if he¡¯s unable to rest in peace? He can¡¯t do anything to me anymore,¡± Jovan said casually. ¡°I hereby extend an invitation to you. You have to be there. H Group would be very willing to work with Azure Group in the future. As a sign of my sincerity, I¡¯m willing to fork out the forty-five million Azure Group is in dire need of. What do you say?¡± Jovan smiled at her charmingly. His offer was tempting, but Renee just scoffed nonchntly. ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate just yet. H Group¡¯s CEO isn¡¯t an easy position to hold. If you dare do anything to mess things up, I¡¯ll be the first to hunt you down! Chapter 521 Chapter 521 Chapter 521 After Renee left the cafe, she drove aimlessly through the city. Although Jovan was a lunatic, and the things he said could hardly be trusted, she was still affected by what she heard. Renee was also very curious about how Tristan died four years ago. Was it an ident or was someone behind it? If someone was behind it, who was it, and was Stefan the victim¡­ or the perpetrator? It seemed Renee would have to find a way to hack into the Newrest police department¡¯s filing system to get her hands on the files of Tristan¡¯s murder! With this thought in mind, Renee turned the car around and soon arrived back at her apartment. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Leia had gone out to settle something, so Adie was the only one at home. Ever since thest beating, Adie had be much more obedient. Without Renee¡¯s permission, he wouldn¡¯t dare go to ces he wasn¡¯t supposed to. After getting bored of watching cartoons, he had switched on Renee¡¯sputer to y Tetris. When Renee walked in and saw Adie behaving, she felt relieved. ¡°Adie, I¡¯m home. Come and see what I got you.¡± Renee called as she held out a package. However, the little boy was too immersed in his game. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m busy right now. We¡¯ll talk after I¡¯m done.¡± Adie didn¡¯t even turn around, and continued tapping on the keyboard with a frown. He was paying full attention to the game. Renee couldn¡¯t resistughing. ¡°All you do is y games and watch cartoons. What could you possibly be busy with?¡± She asked while unwrapping the box. There was a strawberry mousse cake inside ¨C Adie¡¯s favorite type of cake. She thought Adie woulde running after smelling it, but he didn¡¯t even turn around. Renee couldn¡¯t help but feel a little worried. ¡®Adie¡¯s gaming addiction is getting worse. I need to do something about it!¡± ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to enroll you in a kindergarten. Once your sister and Margaret are here, you¡¯ll both have to start going to kindergarten, and live like ordinary four-year-olds¡­¡± ¡°Kindergarten?¡± Adie finally turned to Renee and pouted sulkily. ¡°That¡¯s where kids go. I refuse.¡± ¡°You¡¯re four years old, Adie, so that¡¯s where you should be going. What else will you do? y games and watch cartoons all day long, and run off to ces you shouldn¡¯t?¡± Renee chided him gently. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re addicted to the game. I bought you your favorite strawberry cake, but you didn¡¯t even nce at it¡­¡± Renee nagged as she walked over to Adie. However, when she saw what Adie was busy with, she froze, shocked beyond reason. ¡®Adie, t-the system you hacked into. Could it be¡­¡± Renee trailed off, her eyes wide in disbelief. ¡°Mommy, this is the Newrest police department¡¯s filing system. I checked your search history. You seemed to have tried hacking into their system, but couldn¡¯t get in. That¡¯s why I decided to help you,¡± Adie answered cheerfully. He made it sound as if he was merely ying Tetris. ¡°H-How did you do it?¡± Renee gasped Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Renee couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I never taught you binary¡­ How did you manage to do it? Also, did you use the anti tracking code? We can¡¯t afford to expose our IP address, otherwise-¡° ¡°Shh!¡± Adie cut Renee off. ¡°I learned it from a book, and it¡¯s ny percent done. Stop nagging, or you¡¯ll interrupt my train of thought.¡± Renee held her breath, not daring to say anything further. After all, she nearly copsed thest time she tried, and she only managed to reach seventy percent. If Adie actually seeded, she¡¯d have to call him her master! After over ten minutes of breathing softly and paying close attention, Renee saw the progress bar move from ny percent to ny-five and eventually one hundred percent. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Unbelievably, Adie had managed to single-handedly hack into the system! ¡°Adie, you¡¯re amazing! I¡¯m so impressed!¡± Renee was so excited that she showered Adie with kisses. If she was a genius hacker, then Adie was definitely a god-like hacker. Aside from Phoenix and Haze, another champion in the Global Hacker Championship was born! ¡°It¡¯s a piece of cake,¡± Adie replied calmly. ¡°Mommy, since I¡¯ve proven my intelligence, do I still have to go to kindergarten?¡± Renee instantly became stern. ¡°Of course, you do. You have to learn with the other kids.¡± ¡°But you already said I was amazing. I know everything they¡¯re learning, so isn¡¯t it just a waste of time?¡± ¡°Are you sure you know everything?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s so easy!¡± Adie boasted. Renee cleared her throat. ¡°In that case, sing the song ¡®A Good Rabbit¡¯ for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so childish!¡± Adie eximed, his eyes wide in indignation. ¡°But all the other kids know these things!¡± Renee ruffled Adie¡¯s hair. ¡°Like you, I was a fast learner when I was a kid. All the teachers said I was a genius, and one that was gifted in every aspect. You¡¯re not only there to learn academic knowledge, but you¡¯re also there to learn how to coexist with other people, how to make friends, and how to fit into society¡­¡± Renee nodded her head and added firmly, ¡°There are many things for you to learn in kindergarten, like how to be humble. Don¡¯t be too proud, or you¡¯ll be an arrogant man like your father when you grow up. If that happens, I¡¯ll be very upset!¡± Her children had spent most of their childhood on Sun Ind. Although Renee had hired a team of professional teachers to teach them all sorts of things, they were still a bit behind in general knowledge and social skills. That¡¯s why it was necessary for them to go through the formal education system. ¡±Ah, I wouldn¡¯t want to be a bad person like Daddy. Fine then, I¡¯ll go to a childish kindergarten for a while.¡± Adie reluctantly agreed, and Renee felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders. ¡°Good boy. Here, have some cake. I¡¯m going to be busy for a while,¡± Renee said approvingly as she sat in front of theputer. She had to search for all the files rted to Tristan¡¯s death. Adie started eating the slice of cake, and after a while, he asked, ¡°Mommy, is Daddy really a bad person?¡± Chapter 523 Chapter 523 Chapter 523 ¡°Well../ Renee was at a loss for words. Was Stefan really a bad person? He was just emotionless and full of himself. Although he behaved like a cold, indifferent machine to achieve his goals, he had never hurt anyone on purpose. Usually, the people who got hurt had done something wrong in the first ce. When Renee thought about it, he couldn¡¯t be med¡­ However, if Tristan¡¯s death had something to do with Stefan, then he was definitely a bad person! Renee hoped she could find some clues from the police department files, but she discovered that the footage of Tristan being shot had been deleted by someone four years ago. ording to police records, the person who destroyed the footage was none other than the only witness of the shooting ¡­ Stefan! ¡°That¡¯s strange!¡± Renee was surprised. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The only footage that could ascertain the real cause of Tristan¡¯s death was destroyed by the only witness of the crime. Whether it was an ident or not depended entirely on what the witness said. On top of that, Tristan had been preparing to return to the country and inherit H Group before he died. His sudden death meant that Stefan had be the sessor instead. This made it all the more suspicious! After Tristan died, the Hunt family had expended a lot of manpower and resources to suppress the news. Back then, not a single mediapany dared to publish articles about it, and none of them dared to pose any questions. Anyone who made a sound was instantly silenced by H Group. Rtively speaking, freedom of speech was a big thing in Beach City. However, the Hunt family made such a big mystery out of the death of their heir, Tristan. If it wasn¡¯t because Stefan felt guilty, why else would they do it? Now that Stefan was dead, there was no way of proving whether he was a good person or a bad person. Naturally, there was no point in investigating further! ¡°Ah, this is so annoying!¡± Renee stared at theputer screen for so long that her head hurt. She took off her sses and rubbed her forehead wearily. ¡®Forget it. It doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯ she thought tiredly. She had no idea why she was getting so worked up over her ex-husband¡¯s family matters. It wasn¡¯t like she had nothing else to do! Renee told herself she wouldn¡¯t care any longer, but she still couldn¡¯t help but ponder about it. She was distracted the entire day. In the end, she couldn¡¯t keep it in anymore. She decided to go to the person who had the most power in the Hunt family, who was also the person nicest to her ¨C Grandpa Hunt. Grandpa Hunt treated her like his own granddaughter. She had disappeared without a trace for four years, and now that she was back, there was every reason for her to pay him a visit. Coincidentally, Leia had also returned home. Renee was confident that she could look after Adie while she was away. By the time Renee arrived at the Hunt family¡¯s residence, it was already nighttime. Their personal chef was preparing dinner, while Grandpa Hunt was reading about national history in the study. This was how a retiree spent his time. When the housekeeper saw Renee, he was shocked for a while. Aftering to his senses, he quickly informed Grandpa Hunt about her arrival. ¡°Master, look who¡¯s here!¡± Grandpa Hunt looked up and saw Renee standing outside the study. He was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Oh, my dear child. I¡¯d heard you¡¯d returned to Beach City, and have been waiting for you everyday. Why didn¡¯t youe sooner?¡± Renee walked in with an apologetic smile on her face. ¡°Sorry, Grandpa. I was so busy and couldn¡¯t find the time. Once I got some free time today, I immediately came over. Please don¡¯t get mad! Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Chapter 524 ¡°Silly child, I couldn¡¯t possibly get angry at you. If I were to get angry at anyone, it¡¯d be my troublesome grandson¡­¡± Grandpa Hunt huffed in annoyance. ¡°His wife went missing for so many years, and yet he couldn¡¯t even find her. What an embarrassment!¡± From the way Grandpa Hunt criticized Stefan, Renee figured that he probably hadn¡¯t found out about Stefan¡¯s death yet. ¡°Grandpa, have you¡­ heard about anything major recently?¡± Material ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Like what?¡± Grandpa Hunt smiled sadly. ¡°Are you referring to my useless, dead grandson or the fact that H Group will soon be transferred to someone else?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Renee looked down with an awkward expression on her face. It seemed that Grandpa Hunt knew about everything. If that was the case, why did he seem so calm? Grandpa Hunt could tell that Renee was confused. He sighed softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m getting old, and a lot of things are out of my control now. Everyone has their own fate that¡¯s been decided by God. Even if we find something that¡¯s hard to ept, we have no choice but to ept it.¡± Renee had initially nned to ask Grandpa Hunt about whether he knew what really happened when Tristan was shot. However, asking this now would be like rubbing salt into a wound, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask him. ¡°My dear child, you¡¯ve been away for so many years. How have you been doing?¡± Grandpa Hunt asked curiously and looked Renee up and down. ¡°I spent a couple of years abroad, Grandpa. It¡¯s been good.¡± Renee nodded slowly. ¡°I can tell you¡¯ve been doing well ¨C you¡¯ve gotten a lot fairer. Since your marriage to Stefan left you with a lot of unhappy memories, you really did make a good choice by getting divorced.¡± The old man let out another long sigh. ¡°Unfortunately, you weren¡¯t able to give birth to a child despite being married for four years. There are no grandchildren for me to miss¡­¡± Grandpa Hunt¡¯s eyes lit up suddenly, and he stared at Renee. ¡°There are no outsiders here, so you can tell me the truth, Renee. Do you still have feelings for Stefan? If he was alive, would you consider remarrying him and having children with him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Renee answered decisively. ¡°I won¡¯t change my mind once I¡¯ve decided something. I admit that I loved him back then, so much so that I got badly hurt by him. However, I¡¯ve learned my lesson, and won¡¯t repeat the same mistake,¡± she added. ¡°Now that he¡¯s gone, do you feel sad? Do you miss him?¡± Grandpa Hunt asked. Renee couldn¡¯t bring herself to lie. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from missing him, and she couldn¡¯t get him out of her mind. Hence, she just kept quiet. ¡°Alright, I get it. You¡¯re a good kid. Stefan was too immature and put you through a lot. Now, he¡¯s the one who has to suffer. This is probably fate.¡± Grandpa Hunt looked contemtive. The two chatted for a while, but Renee was distracted throughout the entire conversation. Grandpa Hunt could tell there was something on her mind. ¡°If you have any questions, go ahead and ask them. It¡¯s tough seeing you like this.¡± Renee didn¡¯t hold back after hearing this. ¡°Grandpa Hunt, was Tristan¡¯s death really an ident? Did you ever suspect there might be more to it than meets the eye? Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Chapter 525 ¡°We aren¡¯t sure if it was an ident. The only witness was Stefan, who said it was, so it had to be the case¡­ The dead shall remain dead, and I no longer want to dig up the past,¡± Grandpa Hunt said cryptically, making Renee even more curious about the whole thing. ¡°Well, did you know that apart from Stefan being the only witness, he was also the one who deleted the footage of the incident? Don¡¯t you find that strange?¡± Renee urged. Grandpa Hunt smiled a little, not surprised by the information. ¡°It¡¯s normal. They¡¯ve both been close since they were children. Stefan looked up to his older brother, and followed Tristan wherever he went. Tristan died in such a painful way, so maybe Stefan destroyed the footage because it ruined his good memories of Tristan and hurt him too much. It¡¯spletely understandable.¡± Although it sounded convincing, it wasn¡¯t enough to persuade Renee. ¡°I heard that Tristan was supposed to be the sessor of H Group, but he met with an ident just as he was about to return to the country. Thepany ended up in the hands of Stefan, who was the only witness of the ident. Don¡¯t you find any of this suspicious?¡± Renee was unusually emotional when she asked this. She needed to find out the truth behind this incident. She hoped that the person she loved so deeply wasn¡¯t the kind of scumbag who would hurt his brother for his own benefit! ¡°Suspicious?¡± Grandpa Hunt asked coldly. ¡°Are you trying to say that Tristan died because of Stefan? Is that it?¡± Renee didn¡¯t answer, averting her gaze guiltily. There were too many coincidences in this matter, but she didn¡¯t want to make any errors in her judgment, which was why she hade to Grandpa Hunt for answers. Unfortunately, Grandpa Hunt didn¡¯t give anything away. ¡® Renee, you knew Stefan. Do you really think he was the kind of person who would do something like that?¡± ¡°Even if Stefan was heartless and emotionless, I doubt he would do something like that. I couldn¡¯t possibly have been that blind¡­¡± Renee mumbled. ¡°In that case, trust your instincts. The Hunts are good people, and you wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with him if he wasn¡¯t,¡± Grandpa Hunt said gently, and stifled a yawn. ¡°Alright, child. I¡¯m getting tired. If you don¡¯t have any more questions, you may leave. Come back once you¡¯ve thought things through, and if you have any other questions,¡± he said finally. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee still wanted to talk, but Grandpa Hunt had already closed his eyes. ¡°Please rest well then, Grandpa. I¡¯ll visit again when I have the time,¡± Renee replied softly. After Renee left, Grandpa Hunt opened his eyes and turned to a nearby shelf, a stern expression on his face as he growled, ¡°She¡¯s gone. You¡¯ve eavesdropped for long enough, soe out already!¡± Stefan stepped forward calmly, his arms crossed over his chest. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Grandpa Hunt was already upset, and seeing Stefan in this nonchnt state made him even angrier. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what she said? She no longer has feelings for you, and she won¡¯t get back together with you. In fact, she even suspects that you killed Tristan! How terrible of a husband were you that she¡¯d think of you this way?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just too dumb to tell right from wrong,¡± Stefan scoffed, his voice as cold as ice. If it hadn¡¯t been for the bigger picture, he¡¯d havee out and knocked Renee on the head so she¡¯d be able to think clearly Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Chapter 526 ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re the real idiot here!¡¯ Timothy scowled. ¡°Her impression of you was already at an all-time low, and now you¡¯re faking your own death?! What the hell were you thinking? You were already growing apart, but this time, you¡¯ve really dug your own grave! How are you going to mend things now?¡± Stefan replied, ¡°I have my ns. She hated me when I was alive anyway, so I can just use another identity to stay by her side and win her heart again.¡¯ ¡®Have you lost your mind?!¡± Timothy was furious. ¡°Who do you think you are? In everyone¡¯s eyes, you¡¯re already dead! Do you think she¡¯d stay single forever just to mourn your death? I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re nning, I just need you to clean this mess up! The more you stall, the harder it gets to deal with! You¡¯ll regret it if she marries a random man just to fill the hole in her heart!¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze grew cold, his possessiveness showing as he growled, ¡°I will never allow that!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. The reason he chose to fake his own death was so that he could capture all of H Group¡¯s rivals. So far, the n seemed to be going extremely well, and all they needed to do was wait for the right moment to seize those who were against thepany. However, his grandfather¡¯s words, along with Renee¡¯s, made the man feel slightly panicked. He was worried that they¡¯d drift further apart, so much so that they wouldn¡¯t have the chance to get back together again. After all, the woman was even starting to suspect that he had murdered his own brother. He waspletely innocent when it came to his brother¡¯s death ¨C his grandfather was the one who had ordered him to destroy the evidence from back then. ¡°Grandpa, I still don¡¯t understand why you asked me to destroy the footage of Tristan getting shot, and why you wouldn¡¯t allow me to hire someone to investigate it¡­ Now look at what¡¯s happened -1 can¡¯t clear my name at all! It looks like I¡¯m a cold-blooded murderer who killed my own brother just to inherit thepany!¡± Stefan sighed. Moreover, now that he was ¡®dead¡¯, he wouldn¡¯t be able to exin himself to Renee, no matter the usation. ¡®This is so frustrating!¡¯ He thought. ¡°I have my reasons. And if what you saw was an ident, it will be known as an ident as well. People who truly know you wouldn¡¯t doubt your innocence, so I¡¯m sure Ren wille to the right conclusion.¡± ¡°I sure hope so.¡± Stefan was still worried, feeling like he should do something instead of sitting back and watching the situation unfold. After Renee left the manor, she seemed quite spaced out when driving. Timothy¡¯s words did ease her mind in a way, and now she wondered if she was just being too dramatic about all this. ¡®Hunt respected his brother so much, and I saw how depressed he was at Tristan¡¯s funeral. How could he possibly be the murderer?¡¯ With that thought, Renee felt her mood brightening, as if a weight had been lifted off of her chest. Just then, an unfamiliar number popped up on her phone screen. She answered the call with a frown, and instantly heard a man¡¯s panicked voice on the other end of the line. ¡°Miss Everheart, pleasee to The Blue Inn now! You have to save us! Chapter 527 Chapter 527 Chapter 527 ¡®What the hell?¡± Renee dismissed it quickly and hung up. However, Leia called her soon after, hurriedly saying, ¡°Ren, where are you? Come to The Blue Inn, quick! If you don¡¯t, your little escort is going to lose his purity card!¡± ¡°Lose his purity card?¡± Renee was confused. ¡°Yeah! One of the employees in the pub called and asked me for help, saying that your favorite escort¡¯s poprity has gotten him into trouble! Somedy boss took a liking to him and offered 150 thousand dors to spend the night with him, but he told her that he was saving himself for you! V ¡°What on Earth¡­ Saving himself for me?¡± Renee was in sheer disbelief. She had only made out with that handsome man briefly, and she hadn¡¯t even beenpletely sober at the time. She thought, ¡®We didn¡¯t even do anything, but he¡¯s saying he¡¯s saving himself for me? Are you sure this isn¡¯t a prank?!¡¯ ¡°Ah, they¡¯ve gotten into a fight! There might be a lot of escorts here, but none of them have the strength to defend themselves! Thedy boss even ordered a bunch of her underlings to destroy the ce! Even if you¡¯re not doing it for Isaac, at least do it for the pub!¡¯ Leia seemed agitated as she tried to persuade her friend. She had been struggling to find a way to bring the two together, but now that there was a chance for Renee to be the heroine and save her knight in distress! Leia mused, ¡®This must be what people call fate!¡¯ Although the escort was just part of the pub¡¯s staff, and couldn¡¯t be considered a suitable partner for Renee, Leia figured that her best friend needed some good entertainment now that Stefan was gone.Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Ren has currently locked herself away, which is why she needs someone like that escort to take her on a ¡®wild¡¯ adventure, so that she can finally move on from her past!¡¯ Unfortunately, Renee didn¡¯t seem interested, her expression cold. ¡°Call the cops then. What does this have to do with me? I¡¯m busy, so bye!¡± ¡®Wait! Of course it involves you! He only offended thatdy boss because of you! Can you really bear watching your darling little escort get tortured by that evildy?!¡¯ ¡®I heard that woman has made quite the name for herself too, as she¡¯s known for her extreme fetishes¡­ People call her a beast, especially since she has a history of torturing beautiful men just to satisfy herself! Ah, your little escort seems so fragile too, I can¡¯t even bear to imagine¡­¡± ¡®Besides, it¡¯s not like the cops have control over everything! If you won¡¯te and save him, your little escort mighte and haunt you in your dreams, dragging his bloody body towards you¡­¡± ¡°Hold it!¡± Renee was slightly frightened, gulping. ¡°Fine, just stop talking. I¡¯ll go over and check it out right now.¡± In all honesty, Renee had mixed feelings towards that escort. On one hand, she figured that a stranger¡¯s life had nothing to do with her. However, she was still able to see Stefan¡¯s shadow in him, whenever he had his mask on. Thinking about how thatdy might torture ¡®Stefan¡¯¡­ She couldn¡¯t bring herself to stand by and do nothing in such a scenario. As she arrived at The Blue Inn, she first noticed how quiet the pub was, in contrast to its usual liveliness. There were two muscr men standing at the entrance, blocking Renee¡¯s way. ¡°Our boss has reserved the entire pub tonight, so go back the way you came from!¡± ¡®Get lost!¡± Renee decided that it was better to talk with her fists, then kicking the two men right in the gut, sending them flying backwards. After that, she continued walking into the pub with a frosty elegance, sessfully reaching the hall with ease. She then saw the escort, Isaac, wearing his signature feather mask, being cornered by a big, fierce- looking, blonde woman. ¡®Hey handsome. Oh, just look at your innocent face, I like that. Come have some fun with me, why don¡¯t you? I promise I¡¯ll treat you well¡­¡± The woman said as she held out her chubby hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Isaac was forced into a corner, with no other way out. Despite his pitiful situation, he still radiated a natural majesty, and his tone was hostile. ¡®I¡¯ve told you that my heart belongs to someone else! I want to be her one and only! So please, keep your hands to yourself! Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Thedy boss was incredibly angry after hearing that. ¡°So that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to y it, huh? Fine then, I¡¯ll be the bad guy! Hold him down!¡± After that, two men in ck grabbed hold of Isaac¡¯s arms, securing him in ce. The bossdy then brought out the whip she carried around at all times, then shed it towards Isaac¡¯s chest. In an instant, the man¡¯s white dress shirt was torn open, with streams of blood flowing down his skin. His gorgeous looks, along with his cold elegance, made it a hauntingly beautiful sight. ¡°rm asking you once again! Are youing with me or not?!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t go with anyone but her!¡± With that, the escort earned himself yet another few shes. The pub¡¯s owner and employees were watching fearfully from the side, not daring to lend a hand at all. The ce was filled with thedy boss¡¯s underlings, so it would cost their lives to even speak up against this ordeal. When the wickeddy lifted her arm again, she noticed that she was unable to move her whip. She turned around, and was greeted by Renee¡¯s cold, terrifying re. ¡°How dare you harm my escort?!¡± Renee growled, and forcefully yanked on the other end of the whip, hurling the 400-pound-woman a mile away. Everyone gasped loudly, not expecting Renee to be that strong. ¡°Let go of him!¡± Renee ordered the two men who were still holding Isaac down. The men refused to cooperate, but as they were about to threaten her, Renee kicked them both in their faces. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the thugs were nothingpared to the woman¡¯s agility and skills. Beneath the feather mask, Isaac¡¯s eyes shimmered like the stars in the night sky. ¡°I knew you¡¯de to save me.¡± For some reason, Renee felt this man¡¯s demeanor shift entirely when he had the mask on. His majestic and frosty aura just seemed so simr to ¡® that person¡¯¡­ Moreover, she even felt her heart skip a beat when she met his gaze. She thought to herself, ¡®Damn, this mask has better effects than stic surgery! Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. I just wish he could sew that thing to his face for eternity!¡¯ She nced at the man¡¯s torso, and couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. She reached out to him and said, ¡°Stay behind me. No one can hurt you if I¡¯m protecting you!¡± The man instantly limped over and hid behind Renee like an obedient little rabbit. His voice sounded pitiful as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m trusting you with my life then! You have to take responsibility for me!¡± ¡¯Responsibility?¡¯ Renee found his statement quite odd. ¡®Is he trying to scam me?!¡¯ Despite this, she knew that Isaac would be tortured to death if he ended up in that woman¡¯s hands. Thedy boss got up from the ground with her underlings¡¯ help, ring at Renee angrily despite her injuries. She looked as if she wanted to skin the woman alive. ¡¯Looks like this is going to be one nasty fight¡­¡¯ Renee thought to herself, but didn¡¯t back down in the slightest. She balled her fists, getting ready to strike. She figured that she could use the practice. The woman approached Renee, pointing at her and scowling. ¡°Hmph, you better have what it takes to protect this escort forever! Otherwise, I¡¯ll be sure to find a way to get him, if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡± With that, she just¡­ left Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Chapter 529 ¡°Huh?¡± Renee watched as the gang left the pub with a confused expression on her face. She wondered, ¡®What just happened?! Was thatdy toying with me? How could she just leave like that?!¡¯ Everyone in the pub was instantly relieved, and they quickly surrounded Renee. They stared at her in adoration as if she was their idol, nearly falling to their knees to express their gratitude towards her. ¡°Miss Everheart, you truly are a heroine! Your fighting skills are even better than that viral video from a while ago! You¡¯re our goddess!¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, please take care of our pub from now on! You know how some women are wild and unreasonable when ites to the service industry! The escorts in my pub have been harassed multiple times up till now!¡± The pub owner sobbed uncontrobly. ¡°Especially our Isaac, his charm brought a lot of business ever since his debut, but it also attracted a lot of unwanted attention! That woman from earlier was quite powerful too! If you hadn¡¯te here to save him, he probably would¡¯ve¡­¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Renee didn¡¯t reply, and instead turned to look at the escort behind her, asking softly, ¡® How are you feeling? Can you stand?¡± Isaac stumbled as he stood up straight, coughing slightly with his face turning pale. His voice sounded weak as he responded, ¡°Mhm. I¡¯m just worried about that customer seeking revenge after today, I did offend her after all. I¡¯m scared that she might capture me in the future! Oh¡­ what do I do?¡¯ The man swayed on his feet, looking as if he was going to faint. ¡°Careful!¡± Renee reacted quickly and caught the man in her arms. Isaac immediately went limp, cing his arms over Renee¡¯s shoulder as he fell into her embrace. Seeing this, a few escorts looked rather envious as they gossiped with one another. ¡°Dang, look at Isaac¡¯s irresistible charm. He¡¯s such a great flirt!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me him, to be honest. I¡¯d run into the arms of a beautiful and strong sugar mommy too!¡± The pub owner quickly said, ¡¯Don¡¯t you worry, Isaac. With Miss Everheart protecting our pub, no one will ever dare to harass you ever again! You have to repay her kindness however you can, alright? Don¡¯t let her efforts go to waste!¡± ¡°Umm, well¡­¡± Renee wanted to say that she merely came to save them on a whim and never intended to provide protection at all, and she didn¡¯t even think of taking responsibility for this escort. She was a busy woman after all, and simply didn¡¯t have the time to do any of that. However, the pub owner didn¡¯t give her a chance to exin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Everheart. We¡¯re not a bunch of freeloaders, we¡¯ll be sure to pay you a protection fee, of course! Besides that, you can choose any escort you¡¯d like to take home, including our star escort, Isaac¡­¡± Renee observed each and every one of the beautiful men, all of which possessed charisma and good looks. It was hard for her to not feel tempted. Isaac likely felt her eyes wandering, which made him frown coldly, coughing lightly. ¡°Ah, it hurts!¡¯ Renee lowered her head to look at the man¡¯s blood-drenched shirt, and her expression softened. She then furrowed her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Someone get him to a hospital now, his wound might be infected!¡¯ The pub owner nodded profusely. ¡°That¡¯s right, Isaac¡¯s wounds seem pretty serious. Can someone take him to the hospital?¡± ¡°No!¡± Isaac refused, looking at Renee pleadingly instead, hugging her even tighter than before. ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­ You¡¯re the only one who can protect me now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Renee felt rather awkward, thinking. ¡®So, now he¡¯s my responsibility?!¡¯ ¡®Yeah, that¡¯s true, Isaac will definitely be targeted for the next few days! Please help him till the end, and take care of him for a few days¡­¡± The pub owner continued persuasively, ¡°Isaac is a good kid, and he won¡¯t give you any trouble. He¡¯ll even do your chores, and be the apple of your eye! Trust me, you won¡¯t regret taking him in!¡± ¡°Taking him in?¡± The woman seemed reluctant, but did express some interest in trying. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound appropriate¡­¡± Her rationality was telling her that she had to reject the offer, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to push away this gorgeous yet pitiful beauty Chapter 530 Chapter 530 Chapter 530 ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll just treat his wounds first!¡± Just as Renee was going to send him to the hospital, Isaac shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t need to go to the hospital, it¡¯s not that serious. Just send me back home so I can rest for a couple of days.¡± Renee figured she¡¯d be able to send this clingy man away this way, and at that point, would have done everything she could to help. She¡¯d be able to leave him without feeling any guilt then. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Isaac¡¯s ce was just nearby, and it was a single-story house, with only one bedroom inside. The furnishings were rather minimalistic, which didn¡¯t seem to match his seductive appearance. ¡°Alright, I got you home. Get some rest, okay? It¡¯s gettingte, so I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Renee was wary of heading in, as it was quite inappropriate for her to enter a man¡¯s home in the middle of the night. On the other hand, Isaac¡¯s tall figure felt immensely fragile without her support; it looked as if he was going to fall unconscious if she let go of him. His thin lips were pale, but they curved up into a sly smile. ¡°What? Do you not dare toe in? Are you worried I might eat you up?¡± ¡°Not really!¡± Renee brushed her hair back, looking the man up and down as she gulped. ¡°I¡¯m just worried I won¡¯t be able to control myself from eating you up.¡± The man was speechless, and his expression immediately turned frosty. Truthfully, this man was not Isaac, the star escort, but the incredibly hot- tempered and possessive Stefan Hunt. He had arranged the incident earlier, and using Isaac¡¯s identity, he tricked everyone just so that he could shamelessly stay by Renee¡¯s side with a reasonable excuse. The man was worried that it might have been difficult for him to get closer to her due to his identity as a star escort. However, it seemed that it was theplete opposite of what he anticipated. ¡®Renee Everheart, are you a woman of no principles?! How could you sumb to temptation so easily?!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m yours anyway. You can have me however you want, I won¡¯t have the slightestint,¡± Stefan said in a sarcastic tone, gritting his teeth. ¡°Umm¡­¡± His words only made Renee ufortable. She merely wanted to tease the escort, so that he¡¯d realize how dangerous this society could be and back off. Instead, she found that this man was no easy prey either, as he was able to turn the tables easily. Renee tried her best to act serious, her expression stern. ¡® Hey, know your limits, okay? Don¡¯t joke around like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not though¡­ I can¡¯t possibly repay your kindness, I only have my body to offer.¡± Stefam lowered his head, seemingly saddened. ¡°I know you dislike my background. You probably think of me as a lowly sex worker, and that I have no right to stand by your side. But I don¡¯t regret making this decision, even if it brings me pain in the long run¡­¡± Renee was once again filled with sympathy for this man, andforted him. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say that, you know that¡¯s not what I meant. How could I possibly dislike you when you¡¯re such a pretty boy? I just¡­¡± ¡°Ow!¡± Stefan stumbled towards the sofa and leaned against it. His sexy and alluring abs could be faintly seen under his white shirt. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Noticing this, Renee gulped nervously. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to help me anymore ¨C you don¡¯t even have to help me apply any medicine. I can handle this on my own, I¡­¡± The man said, but then started coughing with a weak expression. No one could possibly ignore that beautiful yet pitiful face of his. Hence, Renee still couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart skipping¡­ ¡®Wait, no, I just feel bad for him!¡¯ She then walked into the room and asked the man, ¡°Where¡¯s your first aid kit? I¡¯ll help you out! Chapter 531 Chapter 531 Chapter 531 ¡°It¡¯s inside that shelf over there, at the doorway. I¡¯m so sorry for all this trouble,¡± Stefan said while panting softly, as if he was so frail that he couldn¡¯t do anything himself. He had truly mastered the art of being a knight in distress. Renee found the first aid kit, which contained bandages, antiseptic cream, and some basic essentials. As she got to the sofa, she stared at the man¡¯s perfect facial structure, along with his beautifully sculpted body and frosty aura. The woman thought to herself, ¡®What eye candy! He¡¯s like a damn incubus!¡¯ ¡°Take your shirt off,¡± Renee ordered, looming over him like an experienced maneater. ¡®Oh my god, she¡¯s so bold!¡¯ This time, Stefan was the one who felt quite bashful, and covered his chest with both arms, asking, ¡°Why? I can¡¯t do much in my current state¡­ But if you insist, I¡¯ll still try and do my best to please you.¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks turned red as she clenched her jaw. ¡°What are you thinking? I was going to apply medicine for you! How am I supposed to do that with your shirt on?!¡± His shirt had been torn from the whip¡¯s impact, and with the bloodstains from his wounds, it looked as if there were roses blooming from his body. Itplemented his delicate demeanor, and she couldn¡¯t help but want to gawk in awe for just a little longer. However, she had to ask him to strip, for the sake of applying medicine on his wounds. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s voice sounded slightly disappointed. He was quite excited a while ago, ready to ¡®sacrifice¡¯ himself despite his injuries, just to satisfy her desires. Yet¡­ she had just wanted to help treat his wounds all along. ¡¯No matter. We have all the time in the world. I¡¯m sure my fit body will seduce her at some point!¡¯ Stefan¡¯s slender fingers unbuttoned his shirt slowly, revealing his seductive corbones, then his broad chest and washboard abs¡­ Renee¡¯s eyes were fixated on the man, as if she was admiring a beautiful masterpiece. She even started blushing the more she watched, making her face seem like a juicy peach. Her usual cold demeanor was gone, and she looked quite cute like this. She thought to herself, ¡®Tsk tsk, just look at that body¡­ As expected of the star escort of the pub! If this is what I get to see for free, and from such a close distance, it was worthing by tonight!¡¯ ¡°Your face looks a little red, should I stop?¡± Stefan felt quite conflicted seeing Renee falling for him slowly. In a way, he was happy about his undeniable charm. On the other hand, he found the woman too easily tempted, which could mean that she might run off with some random beauty given the chance. ¡®Turns out I can¡¯t rx for even a second -1 have to perfect my figure to catch her eye!¡¯ ¡°Do I need to?¡± Stefan¡¯s passionate eyes gazed at the woman, his voice husky as he tempted her. ¡°If you need it, I can continue.¡± ¡°Enough! Y-You don¡¯t have to!¡± Renee was so embarrassed that she stammered, waving her hands to stop him. If he continued stripping, they would be exploring theher regions at that point, and she didn¡¯t know if she could hold herself back then. Stefan smirked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Okay then, you can start applying the medicine now.¡± The man then closed his eyes,ying on the sofa with his sexy torso exposed. He looked as if he was trying to seduce her, while giving her full permission to every part of him. Seeing this made Renee¡¯s heart pound vigorously, and she blurted out,¡¯ Well, don¡¯t mind if I do¡­ I mean, stay still, okay?!¡± She then took out a few cotton buds and smeared them with antiseptic cream. Renee gently and delicately disinfected his wounds. ¡°Good thing thatdy held back for your sake, these wounds don¡¯t seem to be too deep.¡± Stefan smiled softly, thinking to himself, ¡®Of course she held back, it was all just for show. But I am quite satisfied with that woman¡¯s acting.¡¯ After that, it was time for her to bandage the wounds. ¡°This might hurt a little.¡± She then brought out a gauze bandage and slowly wrapped it around his torso. As she did, the first thing she noticed was how hard his abs were. The man¡¯s muscles were just right to the touch. It was as if he had the perfect ratio of muscle and fat. She wondered, ¡®Oh god, not only does he somewhat look like Stefan, his body feels so simr to his too! This is killing me!¡¯ At that moment, Renee was seeing the escort as Stefan¡¯s substitute. She wasn¡¯t able to enjoy such privileges when she was still with Stefan, but now, with this escort, she could touch him wherever she wanted¡­ It was truly an exciting, scandalous thought. Stefan narrowed his eyes, pressing his lips together as he let out a soft moan. He looked as if he was in pain. Renee was frantic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Does it hurt? Hold on a little longer, I¡¯ll make this quick!¡± Stefan took a few gulps, the veins on his neck starting to be visible. He was obviously trying to hide his pain. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°O-Okay, I¡¯m done. You can put your shirt back on.¡± Renee quickly finished and got up, intending to keep a distance from the man. ¡®I let my hands wander a little too much just now! Forgive me!¡¯ She thought. Suddenly, Stefan grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her down, taking the lead this time as he stared at her with fiery eyes. ¡°Wh¡­ What are you doing?¡± Renee felt slightly nervous. The man¡¯s eyes looked like they held some kind of enchantment, making her feel as if she was trapped with eternal butterflies in her stomach. ¡°How could I not repay you when you¡¯ve saved me, and personally treated my wounds?¡± ¡°Uh, you don¡¯t have to, it¡¯s really not a big deal! You don¡¯t have to repay me with your body¡­¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t hate me¡­¡± Stefan murmured and leaned down, softly kissing her neck with his thin lips. Seeing the woman¡¯s earlobes turning red, he couldn¡¯t help but feel rather pleased. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Renee shook her head, making sure she maintained a clear mind so that she wouldn¡¯t sumb to this incubus¡¯ temptation. ¡°I may be a divorcee, but even if my ex-husband died, he¡¯s still my first love! You can¡¯t do anything you want just because you kind of look like him¡­¡± Renee warned with a cold expression, her leg poised to kick the man off of her. Stefan was about to burst out inughter, but seeing how Remee was going to attack him, he exined in a serious tone, ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood me, I wasn¡¯t going to¡­¡± ¡°So what were you going to do then?¡± ¡°I heard from your best friend that you¡¯ve been in a bad moodtely, and you¡¯d likely need someone to listen to you vent your emotions. I¡¯m actually a professional at this,¡± Stefan said in a soothing voice, tricking her even further. This made Renee quite intrigued, so much so that she fully ignored the intimacy of their current position. ¡°Stop beating around the bush. If you weren¡¯t talking about that, what else could you be a professional at?¡± Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Chapter 532 Stefan seemed serious. ¡°On the surface, I¡¯m just an escort, but I¡¯m actually a therapist too. I can provide professional therapy, and I am skilled in hypnosis as well. Your best friend mentioned that you have a lot of unhappiness suppressed, so I hope you can open up to me. If you trust me, I can help you come out of that darkness.¡± ¡°A professional therapist?¡± Renee was quite surprised. She really thought the man¡¯s bread and butter was his looks. ¡°What¡¯s with that look?¡± Stefan smiled lightly, brushing her hair to the back with his long fingers. ¡°Do you not believe me? Or do you feel disappointed¡­ Well, I can still actually pay special attention to your body too, if you want me to.¡± ¡°No thanks!¡± Renee¡¯s face turned red, and she pushed the man away forcefully as she sat up straight. Her tone was frosty as she said, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t believe you! You¡¯ve been flirting with me the whole night! How could you be a professional therapist?!¡± Not only did professional therapists need to possess a lot of knowledge, they¡¯d need to have a strong, natural sense of empathy as well. Hence, she just refused to believe that a pretty escort like him could ever be in the field. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, we could always try a little experiment.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°What experiment?¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of the HTP test?¡± ¡°Kind of¡­ It¡¯s basically just drawing a house, a tree, and a person on a nk piece of paper, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Stefan nodded. ¡°After you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll analyze it for you. If my analysis is correct, you¡¯ll believe me then, right?¡± This piqued Renee¡¯s interest, and she agreed right away. ¡°Fine then. We¡¯ll see if you¡¯re a fraud or not once this is over!¡± Stefan then found a paper and a box of color pencils, handing it to Renee with a glint of excitement in his eyes. ¡°You may start now.¡± Renee took the materials and sat down in front of the coffee table, drawing with an intensely focused expression. She might be a prodigy in almost every field, but drawing was the only thing she could never master for some reason. ¡°First a house, then a tree¡­ I¡¯m going to add some fruit onto the tree, and now the people¡­¡± Stefan was sitting next to her at the time, and watching her draw like a child made him want tough. He was just so used to her spiteful attitude, which contradicted her current sweetness. Itpletely melted his heart. He couldn¡¯t even resist the sudden wave of affection that bloomed in his chest, and he reached out to pat her head gently. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Renee was immediately rmed, ring at him with a frown. Stefan retrieved his arm calmly. ¡°Nothing. There was just a mosquito on your head.¡± ¡°What? Why would a mosquito bite my scalp? You¡¯re being so suspicious!¡± Although Renee didn¡¯t trust him, she didn¡¯t question any further either. Instead she pointed to her drawing and said, ¡°I¡¯m done, so go ahead. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± The man picked up the piece of paper and scanned it thoroughly. His lips were pursed, and a solemn expression appeared underneath his masquerade mask Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Renee huffed and smiled, thinking to herself, ¡®He sure knows how to put up an act. I really wonder what you¡¯re going toe up with!¡¯ ¡°Looks like what your best friend said was true, you¡¯ve repressed a lot of emotions in your heart. You¡¯ll be past your limit soon¡­ If you keep this up, you¡¯d be at risk for depression¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh, I¡¯m enjoying life to the fullest, and I¡¯m in great shape! What would I even be depressed about?¡± ¡°You can lie to me, but your drawings can¡¯t¡­¡± Stefan furrowed his brows. ¡¯ People would normally draw a house with a chimney. Even if they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d have a door, or maybe windows¡­ All of these symbolize an exit for their emotions.¡± ¡°But your house has no chimney, no doors, and no windows¡­ it¡¯s apletely closed-off space. This indicates that you have purposefully isted yourself, and are unwilling to show anyone your true emotions¡­¡± Renee was speechless, clenching her fists as she was unable toe up with a reply. Sure enough, this proved the man did have some skills in psychology. Although she had been acting tough, showing everyone that she was fine and dandy, the woman was indeed hiding her negative emotions deep within her heart, unwilling to tell anyone about them. ¡°The tree next to the house stands tall, and it has very deep roots. This shows that you have a very loving family, and you love them very much. You intend to repay them in some way for raising you, right?¡± ¡°And the tree bearing fruits means that you focus on the oue on most things. It could be that you have certain things that you wish to obtain results from, which became an obsession.¡± Renee remained silent as she wondered, ¡®This escort isn¡¯t just skilled, he¡¯s a master at this! How is his analysis so urate?!¡¯ Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Stefan continued, ¡°You also drew a man, a woman and a child in front of the house. So it seems that you have a soft heart, despite your tough exterior. You would much rather prefer aplete and happy family, rather than possessing power and status, right? But you are ashamed of your own ideals, which is why you drew these people small, as if you¡¯re intentionally trying to hide what your heart desires most.¡± Renee let out a long sigh, bowing to the man. ¡°I¡¯m impressed, you got everything right. I believe you now.¡± She had a lot of secrets within her heart, and she was unwilling to face any of them, even going as far as to allow them to rot with time. She was carrying the Everheart family¡¯s will, and she was determined to seek revenge for her parents. Thus, she decided that men, and her dream for an ideal family, would only be an obstacle to her current goals. ¡°Problems will arise when you close yourself off for too long. Mental health is just as important as physical health, after all. If you trust me, you cane and vent to me. I wasn¡¯t joking when I said I wanted to stay by your side, you know?¡± Stefan said genuinely as he stared at her. In actuality, he really wasn¡¯t lying when he said he was a professional therapist, he had indeed taken the tests to receive a license years ago. He did this in order to find a way to heal from his own issues. His brother¡¯s death was just too much for him at the time, and if his survival instinct wasn¡¯t strong enough, he likely would¡¯ve taken it to an extreme. Before seeing Renee¡¯s drawing, he thought the woman was just temporarily depressed over some matters, yet¡­ she was suppressing herself so much that her negative emotions became even stronger than what he felt back then. If this had gone on any longer, she would¡¯ve met with a terrible fate. Heartbroken, Stefan really wished to be the light in her heart, so that he could bring her out of that abyss of despair¡­ ¡°I know you need me, so let me save you¡­¡± Stefan said softly as he held onto her hand. Warmth radiated from hisrge, strong palms, which oddly gave Renee a sense of security. She then let her guard down and took a deep breath.¡± Okay.¡± Stefan changed the lighting to a warm orange tint, lit up a few aromatic candles to help her rx, and yed a soothing melody on the record yer. He pointed towards a soft armchair and guided Renee towards it. ¡°Alright, tell me all your secrets. Chapter 534 Chapter 534 Chapter 534 However, the woman still chose to reject his offer. ¡°Maybe some other day. I¡¯m getting tired, so I¡¯ll go get some rest.¡± Despite believing the man¡¯s upation, she still chose to lock these secrets away. There were just some things she¡¯d rather hide than face¡­ Stefan didn¡¯t push her any further, but was still quite devastated. He wasn¡¯t sure if Renee was depressed over his ¡®death¡¯, but he knew for a fact that she wasn¡¯t as happy as she seemed on the outside. It was as if she was an onion, wrapping herself inyers uponyers to turn herself into someone everyone would like. ¡°The past few years weren¡¯t kind to you, were they?¡± Stefan asked in a deep and solemn voice. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. Renee smiled bitterly, beingpletely honest with him. ¡°Yeah.¡± The only people in the room were herself, and this escort, who was merely an acquaintance. Without her loved ones and rivals around, she didn¡¯t want to y pretend any longer. Pretending to be depressed might be easy, but trying to fake happiness was just¡­ too difficult and taxing. Stefan fought his urge to hug her, and said in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Have a good rest, tomorrow will be a better day.¡± Apart from being a therapist, he was also quite an excellent hypnotist. With the fragrant aroma and his gentle words surrounding her, Renee was able to fall into deep sleep on the soft lounge chair¡­ The next day, as birds chirped and sunlight shone through the windows, the woman woke up from her slumber. She stretched with a satisfied smile on her face, noticing how this was the first time she felt so rxed in years. ording to research, one session of hypnosis could help improve sleep quality, so much so that it would feel as if one had slept for ten whole days. She had always thought of that as some kind of nonsense, but it seemed that it were true after all. Hence, she was naturally pleased with the escort¡¯s services. On the coffee table next to her was, once again, a bouquet of sunflowers and a note attached to it. [Good morning, my muse. Any low points you experience now will soon be the past, so I hope you can rise to the top once again, and face the bright sun as if you were a beautiful sunflower. ¨C Your Support] Renee¡¯s lips slowly curved up into a lovely grin, her heart filled with warmth. This time, she chose to take the bouquet home. When she opened the door to her apartment, she found Leia standing at the doorway with her arms crossed. It seemed that she had been waiting for her, and that she had a lot of questions to ask. ¡°Ren, I told you to save your knight in distress, but did it really have to take a whole night? Was it really that bad?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Renee felt quite awkward, not knowing what to say. She even wondered. ¡®Why does it feel like I¡¯ve been caught having an affair or something?¡¯ Leia was instantly intrigued, and wanted to gossip. She held Renee by her shoulders and urged, ¡°Hey, be honest with me¡­ Did you ask your little escort to repay you with his body, hmm?¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, the little escort certainly knows you, huh? He even got you your favorite flowers. And look at your smile ¨C you must¡¯ve had a good night¡¯s sleep!¡± Renee nodded. ¡°Mhm, I did.¡± Leia nearly choked on her saliva, then let out a loud screech. ¡°Ah! Oh my god, you did sleep with him! You finally let go! I¡¯m so happy I¡¯m going to Chapter 535 Chapter 535 Chapter 535 ¡®What are you even saying? I literally just had a good night¡¯s sleep. Nothing else.¡± Renee said as she ced the sunflowers into a ss vase. The yellow sunflowers looked golden under the gentle sunlight, giving off a soft scent. These flowers were just right, as it wasn¡¯t too sharp, like a rose, nor was it too simple, like an orchid. ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t expect this at all. I guess this is what they mean by¡¯ don¡¯t judge a book by its cover¡¯, but that little escort is a professional therapist!¡± ¡°He was able toe up with an urate analysis with just one drawing! He¡¯s also a master hypnotist too! I just¡­ feel really secure andfortable with him.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Just then, Adie opened his bedroom door with a fuzzy teddy bear in his arms, walking out to the living room groggily. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re finally back¡­ I heard from Aunt Leia that you were very busy, so you had to work overtime. You must be tired¡­¡± The little one then gave Renee a big hug, patting her on the head as if she was the child now. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy, I was doing my best to pick a husband for youst night. Someone wille and take care of you and lessen your burdens soon. Then you wouldn¡¯t have to feel so tired all the time.¡± Renee found the boy¡¯s serious expression quite funny. She patted Adie back on the head and replied, ¡°Thanks, Adie. As a reward, I looked into a few nice kindergartens for you too. I¡¯ll be taking you to those ces today.¡± This made Aiden quite speechless. However, Renee wasn¡¯t joking out of spite, she really had chosen a few kindergarten for her children. Seeing that it was a weekend with nice weather, she was going to bring Adie to each and every one of them so that he could choose the one he liked most. Her first choice was Monte Perry, an international school. Despite having been established during recent years, their strong faculty and top-notch facilities, along with their simple enrollment process, made this kindergarten a top pick among foreigners. Since Renee registered Adie and Abby¡¯s birth certificates in a small country within North Varangia, they two were legally considered foreigners, and could only be admitted into international schools as such. More importantly, enrolling them in international kindergartens like these would lessen the probability of bumping into anyone they know. With that, it would save her quite a lot of trouble as well. The woman quickly dressed the little guy in a cartoon T-shirt with denim suspenders and an orange cap. This made Aiden look extremely cute, so much so that anyone would wish they could give him a hug and a kiss. The two soon arrived at Monte Perry. Since it was during their open day, there were many parents who came to visit, with most of them being foreigners. ¡°Mommy, I like it here, it looks like Hogwarts! I want to take Abby here on an adventure some day!¡± Aiden was rather fond of the kindergarten, which looked somewhat simr to an ancient castle. His little mind was already making ns on how to explore the ce with his sister, which made him look visibly excited. ¡°I knew you and Abby would like a kindergarten like this.¡± Renee instantly felt relieved as soon as she noticed how overjoyed the child seemed, but there was still one problem that persisted. The kindergarten was known to be quite strict with their enrollment requirements, and they were quite demanding. Not only did they have to interview each student, they would interview the parents as well. Every year, parents would dump millions and thousands of dors into the school as ¡®donations¡¯ just so they could secure a ce for their child. Some would even offer billion-dor projects to the school¡¯s administrators, or get into physical fights with each other. It was truly quite¡­ the sight. Now, Renee needed two slots for her twins, which meant that it was twice as difficult as it was already. However, she was fully confident that her children wouldn¡¯t even need to take any tests. They could just easily unt their adorable looks towards the principal and everything would go smoothly. ¡°Adie, listen to Mommy, when we meet the principalter, be the nicest you can ever be. Show them all your smarts and cuteness so that they¡¯d be fond of you.¡± ¡°Be fond of me?¡± Aiden put his hands into his pockets, seemingly prideful. ¡¯ I¡¯m good at that.¡± After their discussion, the two headed towards the interview area, waiting for their turn to be called. Suddenly, a familiar voice could be heard from behind them. ¡°Everheart?! Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Renee turned around and found that the person speaking was one of her ex inws, Stefan''s cousin, Charlotte. Back then, Charlotte was the one and only beloved princess of many, and she would always view Renee as a thorn in her flesh. Hence, she naturally never treated her with respect. However, ever since Renee got a divorce, she no longer tolerated this so-called princess¡¯ behavior and taught her a few lessons as a result. Thus, Charlotte started restraining herself as well. It had been four years since the two saw each other, so bumping into each other now felt quite unfortunate. "It really is you! And here I thought I was hallucinating!" Charlotte eximed. She was wearing extremely expensive attire, consisting of Chanel clothing, with a pink Hermes purse that likely cost thousands, and a pair of beige colored heels which were limited-edition Givenchy.It was as if she was deliberately trying to unt her wealth to the world. Renee looked the woman up and down, she found her rather pitiful. It had only been four years, but Charlotte, who was supposed to be in her early twenties, no longer looked like the young bossy princess she used to be. Instead, she looked just like every other rich wife, blindly chasing after branded products, losing her spark. From what she heard, Charlotte married a rich businessman within the North City a year after the woman left Beach City. Due to her getting pregnant before marriage, her inws weren''t all that fond of her. They had even gone as far as to request for a DNA test as soon as the child was born, which was an absolute insult. Hence, it was natural to think that Charlotte wasn''t quite living the best life for these past few years, despite how she appeared on the outside. "Long time no see." Renee nodded emotionlessly, still greeting her out of courtesy. At the same time, she noticed that there was a little boy, who seemed to be around Aiden''s age, standing right next to Charlotte. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. However, his apparel waspletely different from Aiden¡¯s. The little boy was donned in branded clothing, his hair was clearly brushed back with lots of hair gel as well. Moreover, his arrogant expression, as he puffed up his chest and lifted his chin, looked exactly the same as Charlotte''s. Charlotte seemed to be staring at Aiden too, gazing intently. This was because Aiden looked very simr to when Stefan was a young child, which made her ponder deeply. "This boy can''t be..." Just as Charlotte was about to ask, her son let out a haughty scoff. "Mommy, just look at what they''re wearing! They look like beggars but they''re still shameless enough to show up at Monte Perry! Let''s ask the principal to kick them out!" "Now now, Casey, we have to be polite, okay? Thisdy here is...kind of an old friend of mine, and as for this little boy..." Charlotte then stared at Renee with a cocky face, questioning her. "I was wondering why you disappeared for four years, so you''ve gone ahead and secretly gave birth, huh? Who''s the father? Don''t tell me it''s my unfortunate cousin." Renee still maintained an expressionless face, not admitting or denying to anything. Instead, she retorted, "What do you think?" "Well of course he isn''t!" Charlotte''s eyes were filled with disdain. "Although this boy looks simr to Stefan, I know you, Everheart.You''re a smart little gold digger, so if you really were having his child, you would''ve clung to my cousin no matter what.But you didn''t, and you even left the city without a trace! If I were to make a guess..." "You were definitely having an affair, and was scared my cousin would find out and punish you for it! That''s why you hid like a coward!" She said such degrading statements because she wanted to take this chance to release her pent up rage against Renee, and so that she could spite the woman into telling the truth.However, Renee completely ignored her insults, and stayed calm the whole time. "Mhm, you''re so totally right, what amazing detective work." This reaction made Charlotte fume, as she yelled, "So you really did cheat on my cousin, you wench! Good thing I bumped into you today, I''ll just have to teach you a lesson in Stefan and the Hunt family''s stead!" After that, the woman raised her arm, getting ready to p Renee across the face. Renee then grabbed her by the wrist, as if she were holding onto a little chicken, then flipping her entire body to the ground. There were many parents and children around them, waiting for their turn to have an interview.Hence, they were rather stunned to witness such a scene. Chapter 537 Chapter 537 Chapter 537 "You''ll have to check your abilities before you try to attack me.If you dare to act rudely again, you''ll be sorry!" Renee warned as she loomed over the woman, her expression as frosty as ice. Charlotte instantly deted,ying on the ground a mess silently. She thought to herself, ''How is Everheart even cockier than before?! It''s been four years, so hasn''t she learned to tone down a little?! It''s like I can''t afford to offend her at all! ¡®Could it be that her lover gave her the ability to act so recklessly?¡¯ "You wickeddy! How dare you bully my mommy? I''ll bite you!" Charlotte''s son immediately lunged over in a crazed manner, opening his mouth wide open as he grabbed onto Renee''s arm. "Let go of my mommy, you mad dog!" Aiden was not an easy target either, as he angrily pushed Casey to the ground, then sitting on top of him. "How dare you bite my beloved mommy?! I''d say you don''t treasure your teeth, so let me pluck them all out for you!" N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "Wahhhh, Mommy! Mommy, save me!" Casey was so frightened that he burst into tears, wailing loudly as he pleaded with his mother. However, Charlotte was still getting stepped on, which meant that she was unable to save herself, so she was at a loss. More and more parents and children crowded around the four, whispering amongst each other. "Oh my, this mother and son sure are fierce!" "We mustn''t let someone like them in Monte Perry! Our children would be badly influenced!" Just then, the principal, who was previously in the interview room, walked out with a chilling expression after hearing themotion. "What happened?" The principal was a middle-aged woman, her eyes were quite sharp, clearly indicating that she was a strong independent figure. Renee tidied herself upposedly, turning to Aiden. "Adie, greet the principal." Only then did Aiden reluctantly let go of Casey, shing the woman an adorable bright smile. He then chirped politely, "Hello, Miss Principal." ¡®What a handsome and adorable child!¡¯ The principal couldn''t help but exim in her mind the moment she saw Aiden. She had more than a decade of experience in running a kindergarten, and had seen several adorable kids during those years, yet this little boy was definitely the most good looking one she''s ever seen. His big doe eyes looked like beautiful ck pearls, and his tall nose made his facial features seem more defined than most children. His soft rosy cheeks looked as squishy as marshmallows, which made anyone wish they could give him a kiss. Initially, she was quite mad to see the little kids fighting, but his face was enough to make any rage subside within seconds. "What''s your name, boy?" The principal squatted down as she asked in a gentle tone. "My full name is Aiden Everheart, but you can call me Adie!" "You''re such a good kid, Adie.But it seemed to me that you were fighting with that little kid over there.Can you tell me what happened?" "Adie wasn''t fighting, Adie was just protecting Mommy..." Aiden proceeded to exin everything in detail, then pointed to the teeth marks on Renee''s wrist. "Miss Principal, was I really wrong to protect Mommy?" Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Chapter 538 Although Aiden was asking a question, he was clearly forcing the principal to pick a side.He just couldn''t let his mother get bitten and endure such humiliation for no apparent reason.He had to get justice for his mother. The principal cleared her throat, and put on a solemn expression, revealing her stance in front of everyone. "Adie, I understand the situation now.You were right to protect your mother, and you were very brave.But you were too reckless and violent when trying to do so.I think you weren''t being rational, and that you were technically just as wrong as Casey here.What do you think?" "You''re right, Miss Principal, I was wrong." Aiden nodded as he blinked innocently, then turned to Casey with an apologetic attitude. "I''m so sorry, I shouldn''t have pushed you just now." The principal was absolutely in awe of his understanding and emotional intelligence. This had also change the minds of many surrounding parents, who were quite judgemental a while ago. They even started praising Aiden for his humility. On the other hand, Charlotte''s son was still crying uncontrobly, losing control of his emotions. He threw his bag at Aiden and screamed at the top of his lungs, "How dare you bully me! I''ll kill you! I''ll ask Daddy to kill you! My daddy is very strong, so I''ll ask him to rip you apart!" "Adie, watch out!" Renee quickly dragged Aiden towards her to prevent him from getting hurt. The others parents around them were rather shocked, protecting their children with themselves one by one as well. "Does this kid have anger issues? This is terrifying!" Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "That''s what we typically call a brat.He has no manners at all! Did his parents not raise him properly?!" Charlotte found her son somewhat embarrassing too, and growled softly. "Casey, shut up!" For the sake of being the bigger person, Renee voluntarily put her ego down and spoke to Charlotte. "We both were at fault, so since Adie apologized, I am hereby apologizing to both you and your child too.Our children will be ssmates from now on, so let''s let bygones be bygones." Charlotte, however, didn''t buy it at all.She scoffed arrogantly and said, "How very shameless, Everheart.Your son might not even be qualified to study at Monte Perry, so what makes you think he has the right to be ssmates with my son?" "My husband would donate three million dors every year to the school, and how much are you going to donate, huh?" "Do you know that all the kids who attend this school are either from powerful or wealthy families.But look at how poorly you''re dressed! You''re just going to make us look bad! Before Renee could retort, the principal stepped forward and exined with a frosty expression. "Miss Milford, you''ve misunderstood, Monte Perry doesn''t only ept children from rich and powerful families.We value a child''s attitude and abilities, along with their upbringing, their parents¡¯ morals and etc." "As long as Adie is a suitable candidate, he will stand a chance at bing a student of Monte Perry." Charlotte was so angry that her face turned red, clenching her fists tightly, She warned the principal in a furious tone, "How dare you go against my word?! You''re just a mere principal! Do you know who my husband is?! I''ll be honest with you here, your school director works with my husband! I can ask him to fire you right now!" The principal might be a woman, but she was still a woman with strength and principles.She held more integrity than most men, so she was not afraid of Charlotte''s threats in the slightest. "I know, Miss Milford, your husband is Zachary Johnston, a famous businessman within North City.The Johnstons have indeed provided a lot of support to our kindergarten for thest few years, which granted your child an opportunity to study here." "However, that doesn''t mean you have the right to decide who studies at our kindergarten." "I can tell that Adie excels in every aspect, then we shall wee him as a Monte Perry student, if he is able to pass the interview that is.If you think this is unfair, you can surely try and use your connections, so that the school director fires me!" The principal''s words were just and sound, which easily won a round of apuse. Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Chapter 539 "You...You..." Charlotte felt as if her pride was crushed entirely at this point.Her eyes reddened as she shouted, "Do you think I won''t dare to do that?! I''ll have you know that my husband loves me a lot! If he finds out that me and my son are being mistreated like this, all of you here will have to pay!" Renee huffed coldly. Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org. "If he loves you so, have hime over to stand up for you.I''d really like to see just how powerful this man is for you to act as if you won''t face any consequences." "That...If you insist then! Just you wait!" Charlotte decided to go with the flow, since it was quite hard to defuse this situation right then.She dialed Zachary''s number, speaking in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Babe, someone''s attacking me and Casey! Come over quick, you have to stand up for us!" Back then, her husband would not prioritize her in the slightest, especially being a womanizer.He just so happened to be nearby the kindergarten due to a business meeting. Hearing that his son was being attacked, he immediately rushed over out of rage. A whileter, arge Meredez-Benz drove into the kindergarten with a high profile, as a tall man got out of the car. So there he was, one of the richest businessmen in North City, Zachary Johnston. "Who dares to attack my son?! Do you have a death wish?! Step up right this instant!" Zachary yelled angrily. The parents and children surrounding the few started backing away, worried that they might get caught in the crossfire. Zachary was still considered a powerful figure after all. Moreover, his business was somewhat associated with borderline illegal affairs, and his tactics were rather wild.It would be unwise to provoke the man. Seeing how his father was here, Casey felt incredibly cocky as he dashed over to Zachary. "Daddy! You''re finally here! These two bad guys are bullying me and Mommy so much! Help us and beat them up now!" Charlotte was bawling her eyes out as well. "Babe, you have to stand up for me and Casey! That kid beat him up while sitting on him too...If you don''t teach them a lesson, the Johnstons would bepletely ridiculed!" "That''s the little brat?!" Zachary pointed at Aiden with a disdainful expression. "Whose kid is this? Who is your father, huh?! Have you lost your mind? How dare you bully my son?!" Aiden, however, was quite courageous and said, "That''s right, I fought your son.He bit a person like he''s some kind of mad dog! Beating him is a lighter punishment than he deserves..." "Besides, I don''t have a daddy, nor do I need one! I just need my mommy.My mommy is amazing, and none of you are a match for her!" After hearing this, Zachary bursted out inughter. "Hahaha, you sure talk big, little boy! I''d like to see who your mommy is then!" He then moved his gaze upwards, and scanned Renee up and down. Suddenly, his expression shifted. "Why do you look so familiar? You...You can''t be..." "Your eyes aren''t deceiving you, I am Renee Everheart.Since you''re part of the Johnstons from North City, you should know who I am, at the very least." Renee said dismissively with a cold re. "If you''re Renee Everheart, then...Liliana Scheneider is your grandmother?!" Zachary''s face turned pale as he fell to his knees.He stumbled over his words. "So you''re the descendent of our savior! I''m so sorry for not recognizing you sooner! So terribly sorry!" Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Everyone froze, especially Charlotte, who didn''t know how to read the room.She grabbed Zachary''s arm and mumbled, "What are you doing, babe? At least stand up for me and Casey! Why are you kneeling in front of this woman?!" "She''s just a lowlymoner now, and my brother kicked her out after she cheated on him! This woman is a sinful cheater! So how could you kneel for her? What happened to saving face? Are you not worried you''d get bad for doing that?!" "The f*ck you mean by bad luck?!" Zachary was so mad that he pped Charlotte across the face. "You idiot! If it weren''t for Liliana Scheneider back then, our family would''ve been destroyed long ago..." "Everything you get to enjoy now, the food we eat, the purse you''re holding, the shoes Casey is wearing...we can only afford all of that because of our saviors, the Scheneiders! If you dare to disrespect them one more time, I''ll f*cking divorce you!" Charlotte covered her swollen cheek with one hand, and retorted, "How is that possible?! The Scheneiders of North City fell from grace long ago! They were hunted down by their rivals so much that they couldn''t even protect themselves! So how could they possibly lend a helping hand to the Johnstons?!" "The Johnston family achieved everything on their own, what does it even have to do with the Scheneider family?! Besides, so what if Everheart is Liliana Scheneider''s granddaughter, do you really have to act like she''s the one who helped you?!" Charlotte screamed. She had actually been quite obedient ever since she married the man, and figured she''d enjoy life as a rich wife with how deep the Johnstons¡¯ pockets are. Hence, she always listened to every single word Zachary said, and dared not to go against him. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Yet, this time, she found it extremely humiliating with Zachary basically groveling before Renee, which led to their first ever argument as a married couple. "You stupid woman! Are you trying to defy me now?! How dare you disrespect my savior?! Kneel down! Now!" Zachary ordered harshly. "I will not!" Charlotte balled her fists up and gritted her teeth. "I''d rather die than to kneel before this witch!" "Is that so? Then I''ll just have to divorce you right now!" Zachary roared with reddened eyes, clearly at his limit. "You..." Charlotte started tearing up right then and there.She naturally didn''t wish for a divorce, but the situation required her to kneel.She absolutely refused to kneel before Renee, the woman she had always looked down upon. That would be an absolute hit to her ego, and she''d rather face death than to experience that. "Zachary Johnston, if you really want to bring that up, fine! Let''s get a divorce then! I''m done enduring your antics anyway!" Charlotte pointed at the man, not backing down at all.She hadn''t quite been happy during their entire marriage anyway, despite having all the riches in the world. However, her pride didn''t allow her to be someone who was kicked out of the family, nor did she want to hurt her son. Thus, she couldn''t bring herself to get a divorce. Now that it hade to this, she no longer wished to hide her true feelings. At the very least, she didn''t want to seem weak in front of Renee. Renee, on the other hand, found the situation rather odd, especially with Zachary kneeling before her and Charlotte crying profusely. ¡®I just came to take a look at this kindergarten with Adie! How did I end up messing up someone else''s rtionship? ¡®Tsk tsk tsk.Looks like I''ll have to step in" "Mr.Johnston, please get up first.Even if my family helped you, I didn''t have a part in that.You two really don''t have to get a divorce because of me.I can''t possibly bear knowing that I was the cause of a broken marriage." However, Zachary seemed as if he was glued to the ground. "Miss Everheart, you''re thest remaining descendant of the Scheneider family now.Back then, your family had to face such a terrible fate...It was a shame that my family was just starting up then, and we couldn''t help you the way you helped us." "For decades, my father felt extremely guilty because of that.He would always tell me to appreciate and repay someone''s kindness at all costs.So thanking you now is considered good karma for my family..." "Since my dumb b*tch of a wife refused to apologize for what she did to you earlier, and insulted your son, I have decided to divorce her.You don''t have to persuade me otherwise!" "Ah, hearing this kind of reminds me of a lot of sad memories though..." Renee let out a long sigh. Back then, her grandmother''s family, the Scheneiders of North City, had really thrived tremendously. Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Even though she had not seen it with her own eyes, Renee had heard a lot of rumors. Everyone kept saying that her grandmother was a strange woman and that she had carried the Schneider family to glory with her own strength to be the top family in North City. Back then, whether it was the Hunt family from Beach City or the Baldwin family from Sutton, all of them were subordinates of the Schneider family. But such a legendary family had been extinguished by unknown forces within a month. Since then, the Schneider family declined in North City, and eventually, the legend became an actual myth. Strangely enough, although the Schneider family fell, the Everheart family rose. Some said that the rise in the Everheart family¡¯s reputation was thanks to Liliana¡¯s maniption behind the scenes. But decadester, the Everheart family also fell in a tragic way, ending up with the same fate as the Schneider family! Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Renee had almost no recollection of her grandmother and only recalled that the older woman was powerful. She was a strange woman who couldn¡¯t stand to lose to men. She had tried inquiring about the Schneider family and her grandmother, but her grandfather had explicitly forbidden her to dig further. Before the older man died, he repeatedly told Renee that she should never look into the Schneider family nor try reviving the Everheart family. He told her to be good and marry Stefan and live a happy life. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to rest in peace. Her grandfather said that Stefan was worthy of trust and the only man who could protect her and give her happiness. Renee had once firmly believed the older man¡¯s words. She carried out her duties as the youngdy of the Hunt family sincerely, but it turned out to be counterproductive. She didn¡¯t get any happiness and was only rewarded with disappointment and hurt. In fact, Stefan wasn¡¯t even alive anymore. This further proved that her grandfather¡¯s words held no real significance. A woman¡¯s own happiness would always be up to her to get it. From now on, not only would she revive the Everheart family, but she would also avenge both the Everheart and Schneider families! ¡°If you really consider me your family¡¯s savior and want to repay the favor, will you promise me one thing?¡± Renee asked condescendingly with her head lowered. ¡® Please tell me what it is. As long as my family can do it, we will do our best,¡± Zachary pleaded as he looked up, looking attentive and sincere. Everyone in the room, including Charlotte, was curious about what Renee would ask for. Renee smiled calmly and said, ¡°Then, promise me you won¡¯t divorce your wife. After all, you already have children together. Speak and act with more consideration, hmm? The child is still young, and you can¡¯t let him be a sacrifice for your rtionship struggles, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Zachary paused and hastily replied, ¡°I understand. Please don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take good care of my family and won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Everyone present felt that Renee had a generous heart. She was repaying her grievances with virtue, and they couldn¡¯t help but apud her actions. Renee didn¡¯t say anything else and turned to the principal. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry that this drama has dyed the interview. Let¡¯s not waste any more time and get to it!¡± The principal gave Renee an appreciative look and nodded. ¡°With what you and Aiden have achieved, I believe that you will pass the interview.¡± With that, a group of people walked toward the interview room. Charlotte was still rooted to the spot in confusion. She couldn¡¯t believe that Renee would help her. It was impossible! There must be some kind of ulterior motive! ¡°Wait!¡± Charlotte called out to Renee and sneered, ¡°Renee, are you trying to pretend to be a saint? Just use whatever dirty tricks you have up your sleeves! Stop hiding in the dark! With you pretending to be a good person, I¡¯m made out to be the bad guy! Are you expecting me to just let go of the fact that you cheated on my brother?!¡± ¡°Sir, I recall Monte Perry¡¯s rule stating that the kindergarten doesn¡¯t ept students from single-parent families. Renee is immoral! She cheated on my brother and gave birth to this illegitimate child! They completely don¡¯t meet the registration requirements! Chapter 542 Chapter 542 Chapter 542 ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s words left the principal in a dilemma. When Monte Perry Kindergarten was established, the familymittee had jointly proposed a rule to raise the school¡¯s admission threshold and ensure the student poption¡¯s quality. Over the years, the kindergarten had strictly enforced this rule and did not ept children from single- parent families. Even though the principal of the school appreciated Renee¡¯s decent and kind-hearted stance and liked Aiden¡¯s intelligence and cuteness, she couldn¡¯t make a special exception before so many parents. ¡°What¡¯s with your hesitation? As the kindergarten principal, you can¡¯t always break the rules, can you? Children from single-parent families are problematic and have wed character! Having them attend school with children from normal families will definitely affect the regr children! We can¡¯t let that happen!¡± Charlotte spoke with such righteous indignation, and the parents around her also fanned the mes by agreeing with her statement. The principal seemed to be in a tough spot, and there didn¡¯t look like she could do anything, so she said helplessly, ¡°Parents, please calm down. I¡¯ll¡­ figure something out.¡± ¡°Figure something out?¡± Some parents present had simr bad attitudes and regarded Renee and Aiden as scourges, saying, ¡°The best thing to do is to get rid of this mother- son pair. Letting their kind stay here will only disrupt the harmony and warmth of Monte Perry Kindergarten!¡± Renee¡¯s beautiful face instantly darkened. Her gaze sharpened and became like knives as she stepped toward the parent who spoke and said fiercely, ¡°You better keep your mouth shut before I make your child have only a single parent!¡± The air around Renee was cutting and powerful, and the mother fell silent instantly. She hung her head low and was so fearful that she didn¡¯t dare look into Renee¡¯s eyes. She wasn¡¯t the only one. The other parents who previouslyined and muttered were now too scared to say anything, leaving Charlotte to look like a clown after humiliating Renee and her son. In the end, of course, Zachary¡¯s p subdued her! Renee was distraught. She had thought about the possibility that Aiden and Abigail would be discriminated against because they came from a single-parent family, but she didn¡¯t think that the environment would be so harsh and that society would be so malicious toward single-parent families that there would be restrictions from attending school. Renee didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for the principal, so she said to the crowd, ¡°Since it¡¯s a rule, I¡¯m not unreasonable, and I won¡¯t force something that¡¯s not meant to be. If Monte Perry doesn¡¯t wee us, I trust there are other more inclusive kindergartens that will. ¡°But I want to tell you that children from single-parent families aren¡¯t evil monsters, much less the gue. There is no need for you to avoid them to this extent. Whether a child is good, kind, and has the right outlook in life¡­ depends on how their parents teach them by example. Parents full of prejudice and short-sightedness will only bring up children with the same mindset!¡±N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. After Renee finished speaking, she took Aiden¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± Some of the parents cursed Renee, thinking she was acting high and mighty, but some were thoughtful and even guilty as they hung their heads. The principal watched Renee and Aiden leave and felt ashamed. She had interacted with many students and parents, and Aiden and Renee were definitely the best of the lot. They were a hundred times better than many of the so-called normal families, but Monte Perry Kindergarten had to reject them because of that one stupid rule! The principal secretly vowed in her heart that she would find a way to gain admission for Aiden! As it was almost evening when they left Monte Perry, Renee searched for a family restaurant so that Aiden could have dinner. The little boy was unusually quiet the entire way. Although the kid tried to act cool since he was a child, he still took after his scumbag father, where few words exited his mouth Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Chapter 543 But Aiden was unusually quiet today, and it was obvious that the little boy was upied with his thoughts. Renee could guess that the incident just now must¡¯ve upset the child, and she was instantly distressed. ¡°Adie, what are you thinking? You¡¯re frowning too deeply. Can you tell Mommy about it?¡¯ Renee asked gently. She had raised her two children in a more rxed fashion, giving them the leeway to do whatever they wanted to do. She never interfered with their natural progression and rarely lectured them. The only thing she required from them was that if there were anything that made them unhappy, they would have to tell her at the first opportunity and not conceal the thought. So, while Aiden acted like a cold child, he was still willing to share his thoughts with Renee. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He looked down at the ground and pouted before looking up with wet, round eyes at Renee and said, ¡°Mommy, is it because I¡¯m not good or smart enough? That¡¯s why all those uncles and aunties didn¡¯t like me and drove me away, huh? Is that why they didn¡¯t want me to attend that kindergarten?¡± Renee¡¯s clenched her fist tightly after she finished listening to her son. Sure enough, Aiden was unhappy because of what had happened. Her heart tightened momentarily, and she cautiously replied, ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Adie. You¡¯re such a smart and well-behaved boy. They must be blind to not see your worth. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll just find a kindergarten that will wee us, okay?¡¯ ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t have to coax me. They don¡¯t wee us because I don¡¯t have a daddy, right?¡± ¡°Um. Well¡­¡± ¡°So, I was just thinking about this daddy thing¡­ Even though it¡¯s not much use, there are still some benefits to having him, right? Take today, for example. If I had a daddy, even if he was in apletely vegetative state, our family would still be considered normal and whole, right? Then we¡¯d meet the criteria for Monte Perry¡¯s admission, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the logical reasoning¡­¡¯ Renee replied with a nod, and her heart tightened even more. Even though she was already strong, there were many instances in which she couldn¡¯t make up for what her childrencked, no matter how hard she tried. Sometimes she wondered if she should find someone to marry so that, at least on the surface, Aiden and Abigail would have a father and wouldn¡¯t need to face the discrimination they faced today. However, marriage wasn¡¯t a simple matter. Once there was a legal rtionship, there would be pain involved. It would harm the other party, herself, and she didn¡¯t think she could ovee the hurdle in her heart right now. Otherwise, she would have already married Liam! ¡°That¡¯s okay. I know what to do,¡± Aiden said as he brightened up. He seemed to be in a better mood as he dug into his pasta happily. Renee was confused, but she asked with a smile, ¡°What are you up to?¡± Aiden said seriously, ¡°I can¡¯t attend Monte Perry Kindergarten because I don¡¯t have a daddy. To solve this problem, I just need to find a daddy for myself, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Do you have any suitable candidates in mind?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve been choosing for many days, and someone has already qualified! Not only can he be my daddy, but he can also be your husband!¡± Aiden gloated smugly. Renee took the child¡¯s words for granted and said, ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Our Adie is the greatest! I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Chapter 544 It waste at night, and all was silent. Aiden made sure Renee was asleep before quietly peeking from under the covers. He hid in the bathroom with a walkie-talking in hand. His brows furrowed seriously as he whispered, ¡°Emergency, emergency. Come in Q,e in Q.¡± Not long after, a response came from the other end of the walkie-talkie. ¡°Roger. Q here. Please go ahead, Adie. I repeat, please go ahead.¡± ¡°Come and meet me at Apartment XX right now. Immediately!¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Copy that!¡± After the exchange, Aiden put away the walkie-talkie and quietly left the house. At the apartment¡¯s gazebo, Mr. Q was wearing a mask and a ck trench coat. The tall figure had already arrived as promised. At the same time, Aiden carried his small briefcase and walked briskly to the rendezvous point under the moonlight. ¡°You¡¯re right on the dot, Q. I knew I didn¡¯t pick the wrong man! You get ten points for that,¡± Aiden generously praised the man who stood as tall as a mountain. ¡°Did you bring the stuff I wanted?¡± Mr. Q turned and asked seriously, revealing his stern brows and eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s all good. Satisfaction guaranteed,¡± Aiden replied. In an equally serious manner, he asked in return, ¡°Have you prepared what I asked for?¡± ¡°Done, as you requested.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get on with the exchange!¡± The two held out their respective items and exchanged them under the nket of the night. The atmosphere was tense and solemn, and to outsiders, they may even look like some underworld deal being carried out. Aiden handed Mr. Q a stack of photos and a video. The subject of the photos and videos was none other than his mother, Renee. ¡°Not only did I get Mommy¡¯s perfect side, but I took a picture of her drooling in her sleep and even vlogged it! How¡¯s that? I¡¯m good, right? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s worth every penny!¡± Aiden bragged as he raised his chin proudly like a little adult. Mr. Q flipped through the photos, and the stern look on his face unconsciously softened. He had to admit that the woman in the pictures really did seem to have a thousand faces. Sometimes it was cute, sometimes innocent, sometimes flirtatious, and sometimes even silly, especially with the sound of her snores. There was a kind of indescribable sense of cuteness, and all her angles spoke of nothing but pure beauty! ¡°Not bad. Top quality stuff that¡¯ll let me understand your mother better. I like them!¡± The man put away the photos carefully and was obviously in a good mood. ¡°Your goods aren¡¯t bad too. This game console has been out of the market for so long, yet you actually managed to get it for me. It looks like you put in a lot of effort too! Another ten points to you!¡± Aiden held the newly acquired game console as he yed with full concentration. Like Renee, the little boy was an avid video game enthusiast and collected all kinds of game consoles. Mr. Q¡¯s pawnshop was literally a treasure house, so it was natural there were a variety of older game consoles that had long gone out of production. The two stroked a deal and would often carry out their ¡°trades¡± at night like this. In general, ten beautiful photos of Renee could be exchanged for a game console. Every time Aiden got a new console, Mr. Q would patiently y it with him Chapter 545 Chapter 545 Chapter 545 With one deal after the next, Mr. Q gradually overcame the other men to be Aiden¡¯s favorite and most suitable ¡®daddy1 candidate. As for whether Mr. Q would be the most suitable ¡®husband¡¯ for his mother, Aiden had to further examine him to be sure. ¡°Q, let me tell you something¡­¡± After ying with the game console enthusiastically, Aiden suddenly turned serious and said, ¡°I went to the kindergarten with Mommy today, and we were bullied. They said I couldn¡¯t attend that kindergarten because I didn¡¯t have a daddy. I really liked that kindergarten, and It makes me so sad that I¡¯m not allowed to attend. Is it true that children without a daddy like me are always doomed to be inferior?¡± Mr. Q¡¯s brows suddenly furrowed deeply, and he asked in a low voice, ¡°How can you not have a daddy? Didn¡¯t you say that your daddy was Liam, the sixth son of the Osbornes?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Since we¡¯re already so close, I will tell you the truth. Indeed, Daddy Liam is my daddy, but he¡¯s not my real daddy. Mommy has already broken up with him, and she doesn¡¯t want to give him trouble. Because of that, I¡¯m not allowed to look for him¡­¡± ¡°Broken up?¡¯ N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Mr. Q¡¯s tone seemed a little yful, but he followed up with more urgency,¡± Then, do you know who your real daddy is?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Aiden hooked a finger toward the man with a mysterious look on his face. ¡°Come closer and give me your ear. I¡¯ll tell you!¡± The man frowned, but he did as he was told. He bent down and brought his ears closer to the child. There was clear tension in the man¡¯s broad shoulders as he waited with bated breath. Aiden blinked his big eyes and said cutely, ¡°It¡¯s a secret, but I don¡¯t actually have a daddy. I only have a mommy. Mommy said she carefully raised me in a spirit stone for several months, then ¡®boom,¡¯ and I popped right out!¡± Mr. Q was speechless. He must be a real dumb*ss to let a little kid tease him like this! ¡°Q, don¡¯t you believe it?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ What do you think?¡± Naivety and pureness filled Aiden¡¯s ssy eyes, and he hurriedly exined, ¡°I really didn¡¯t lie! Mommy told me that! You can ask her next time if you don¡¯t believe me.¡¯ Even though Aiden hadn¡¯t believed it back then when Renee had exined it to him like this, this kind of statement used to coax idiots were really what Renee had told him. If he used the same words she did, Aiden shouldn¡¯t be lying, right? After all, Mr. Q and that jerk, Stefan, were enemies, and if Aiden were to divulge the truth to Mr. Q, his life would probably be in danger. He wouldn¡¯t have the chance to find a daddy if that happened, much less a husband for his mother! ¡°And?¡± Being yed by the little kid like a fool, Mr. Q wasn¡¯t sure whether he should be angry orughing, so he asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of telling me all this?¡± Aiden¡¯s eyes shone brightly. He gave Mr. Q a sunny smile and said kindly,¡± Don¡¯t you think I¡¯m pitiful for not having a daddy? Don¡¯t you have the impulse to be my daddy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a possibility.¡± ¡°You barely meet the qualifications to be my daddy, but to be my mommy¡¯s husband, I¡¯ll still need to think about it and do some tests. If it works out, I¡¯ll arrange a meeting with my mommy. If it fails, I¡¯ll look around to pick someone else for her,¡± Aiden said, logically exining Mr. Q his ideas. Mr. Q indifferently asked, ¡°Did your mother agree to all this nonsense?¡± ¡°What do you mean by nonsense? My mommy is a young, single woman in her prime, and it¡¯s only natural that she finds someone. She not only agreed but even encouraged me to find someone for her. It¡¯s just that¡­ my mommy is very demanding!¡¯ ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s hear it, then,¡± Mr. Q said with great interest. ¡°First of all, my mommy likes tall, handsome young men. So, men below 188 centimeters, under thirty years old, andcking good looks fail the criteria immediately.¡± Aiden rubbed his chin while talking as he continued to consider Mr. Q¡¯s eligibility. ¡°I¡¯ve known you for so long, and your height and age seem fine. I just don¡¯t know how you look. You might want to start by taking off your mask? Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Chapter 546 ¡°Hmm¡­¡¯ Mr. Q hummed with a regretful expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a pity my face is disfigured. I have a long scar, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t take off my mask. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t meet your mother¡¯s requirements.¡± Aiden stared at the man for a long time, a frown on his little face. He seemed conflicted for a long time before he waved his small hand and said boldly, ¡°That¡¯s okay. Even though Mommy likes pretty faces, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll consider my opinion. I can help put a good word in if you¡¯re good enough in other aspects. Besides¡­ I think your features look perfect. Even with the mask on, you still look great. I¡¯m sure you can charm my mommy into a daze.¡± Mr. Q¡¯s lips curled up, and he said with a touch of teasing, ¡°Is your mother so superficial that she only cares about what¡¯s on the outside?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Aiden protested while shaking his head. Then, he sighed andmented, ¡®If she did, why would she have married that jerk, Stefan, in the first ce? She ended up getting so badly bullied. What did he have apart from a handsome face? ¡°Is it possible that your mother was not only interested in his good looks but also in his great personality, talent, inner qualities, and also capabilities?¡± ¡°Come on! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. There was disgust on Aiden¡¯s face, and he looked as if he wanted to throw up as he said, ¡°Do you not know who Stefan Hunt is? He¡¯s famous in Beach City for being cold-blooded and having a vtile temper. As for his talent and inner qualities¡­ I¡¯m guessing he has none. Why then would he be so ignorant, leaving a good wife like my mommy alone and running around to mess with other women?¡± ¡°Did your mother tell you that?¡± ¡°Of course not. I secretly listened to what Aunt Leia said and checked it out. Stefan was really a bad jerk who failed my mommy. If I see him, I¡¯ll definitely beat him up for my mommy!¡± Aiden¡¯s fists were clenched tightly, and he didn¡¯t look like he was joking. When he learned that his father was a scumbag, he decided he would teach the useless guy a lesson and seek justice for his mother. It was unfortunate that Aiden had been in Beach City for so long, but he hadn¡¯t caught even a glimpse of the man! Mr. Q calmly said, ¡°Capabilities are also part of a charm. Since you¡¯ve checked, you should know that Stefan had robust capabilities in business. All his endeavors are very sessful, and perhaps that¡¯s what got your mother infatuated with him.¡± ¡°I agree that he¡¯s quite capable, but Mommy is not any less good than him. They¡¯re evenly matched. So, in conclusion, he still relied on that pretty face of his to win over Mommy! Other than having a good-looking face, he has nothing else!¡± When he said that, Aiden¡¯s brows were deeply furrowed, and he clenched his fists even tighter. There was a look of sorrow and anger on his face as he continued, ¡°Adults say that lust reduces a person¡¯s vignce to ashes, so howe Mommy doesn¡¯t understand that?!¡± ¡°Having learned from the past, I won¡¯t let Mommy repeat the same mistake! The outside of a person is important, but the inside is even more important! I want to choose a husband for my mommy with better insides than the outside!¡± Mr. Q became interested and asked, ¡°You have a good head on those shoulders. How do you intend to choose?¡± ¡°First of all, he has to be good to my mommy and can take care of her. With that said, the first step of the test is to check if he has a good temper. He has to be able to do housework and know how to cook a good meal¡­¡± Aiden sized Mr. Q up like a boss considering a new recruit for hire, then said in a serious manner, ¡°Q, I see that you have a good temper. You showed up on time for your appointment in the middle of the night and yed games with me with a lot of patience. Those qualities alone make you better than that jerk. Do you usually do housework?¡± ¡°asionally, but I can do all the chores if necessary.¡± ¡°Not bad! Not bad at all!¡± Aiden said and nodded in satisfaction before asking, ¡°What about cooking? Do you know how to make any delicious dishes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t cook much since I usually leave it to a chef, but I can whip up a few special dishes. If I pass the assessment, I¡¯ll cover all three meals daily for you and your mother.¡± Mr. Q seemed to be interested in both the position of Aiden¡¯s daddy and Renee¡¯s husband and had been actively fighting for both the entire time. When Aiden saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but be more serious. ¡°Currently, it¡¯s all talk and no action. Why don¡¯t you prepare some of your special dishes now, and I¡¯ll let my mommy taste them? If she thinks they¡¯re delicious, you pass the test. However, if she doesn¡¯t, you¡¯ll have to enroll in a cooking ss to keep practicing. What do you think? Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Chapter 547 ¡°No problem,¡± Mr. Q agreed easily, then fist-bumped Aiden to seal their alliance. Early in the morning, Renee woke up in a daze when the sharp sound of the doorbell rang out. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s too early for this¡­ Who is it?!¡± Renee yawned widely as shezily went to open the door. When the door swung open, there was a sliver of Monte Perry Kindergarten executives, led by the school director, they were dressed in formal wear, and each held a bouquet in their hands. They bowed in unison to Renee and shouted, ¡¯Good morning, Miss Everheart! We¡¯re sorry! Please forgive us!¡± Renee took a step back in fright. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, you brought your son to register at our school yesterday, and unpleasant things ensued. After I learned what happened, the staff involved were seriously dealt with, and we abolished that ridiculous rule as soon as we could. We, the teachers and students of Monte Perry Kindergarten, would like to wee you to our school warmly! Please ept these small gifts as a small token of our apology.¡± After the director finished speaking, he instructed the staff to ce the beautiful and expensive gift into Renee¡¯s hands. Renee was overwhelmed and confused. ¡°A school rule isn¡¯t something you can change as you please. Other parents will have something to say about it. There¡¯s no need to apologize. It was my fault for not checking clearly before. I¡¯ll just register at another kindergarten so you guys wont have so much trouble.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine! The school rule was wrong, and wrongs should be corrected immediately! Please forgive us and give us a chance to reform. Miss Everheart!¡± Once the director finished speaking, he took the lead and gave a deep bow to Renee, the other staff standing with him following suit after a beat. ¡°Are you sure no one forced you into doing this?¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Renee didn¡¯t believe that this group of high and mighty leaders would suddenly grow a conscience and abolish that ridiculous school rule! If they had wanted to do so, they would have done so already and not wait until now. Someone must have given them a push or a rude awakening for them to act this way. But¡­ Who could it have been? ¡°No one forced us. We all did it willingly and sincerely, and we¡¯re here to invite your son to be a student of our school! Please, give us your consent, Miss Everheart!¡± The school director once again bent low. Any lower, and they would be kneeling on the floor and begging. Renee couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. She would eat her shoe if they weren¡¯t forced to do this! ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. My son likes your kindergarten anyway, so I¡¯ll have him ready when the timees. You may leave.¡± The school director was immediately relieved, hurriedly wrapping up the deal. ¡°Then, we won¡¯t impose on your anymore. Miss Everheart. All our staff and students eagerly await your arrival at our kindergarten!¡± No sooner after this bunch of people left, another wave of people came knocking on her door. Excuse me, are you Renee Everheart?¡± a young boy asked Chapter 548 Chapter 548 Chapter 548 ¡°And who are you?¡± Renee asked with a bewildered look on her face. ¡°Hello, Miss Everheart. I¡¯m an employee from Scud. A customer entrusted me to deliver breakfast to you. It¡¯s freshly baked and piping hot, so please be careful. Please sign here.¡± ¡°Breakfast?¡± Renee was even more confused. Who would personally make breakfast for her in the morning? ¡°Can I know who sent it?¡± ¡°The client would like to stay anonymous.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know who sent it, so I definitely won¡¯t sign it. It¡¯s best you send it back to where it came from.¡± Renee was very guarded. Her address was hidden, and only Liam, Leia, and Aiden knew it. Yet today, arge group of people had suddenly dropped by. Something had to be going on! Her face turned cold, and she was about to close the door when Aiden suddenly ran out. ¡°Wait, Mommy! I had this breakfast specially made for you! You must try it!¡± The little boy tugged on Renee¡¯s hand and said sincerely, ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re an adult that can take care of yourself so well, and you don¡¯t let me or Abby worry. But you said you always forget to take your breakfast, so I thought it must be because the food doesn¡¯t attract you enough, so I got a famous chef in Beach City to customize a nutritious and delicious breakfast for you. We must ensure you¡¯re healthy and have enough meat on your bones!¡± At the same time, Aiden was thinking to himself, ¡®Q, your cooking skills better be good, or this will end up in embarrassment!¡¯ ¡°Oh, my darling! Was it you? You¡¯re so considerate!¡± Renee was moved to tears as she pulled her son into her arms and kissed his cheek a few times. Then, she took the box from the delivery boy and said proudly, ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely eat everything up!¡± When she opened the thermos box, both mother and son were shocked, and they couldn¡¯t help but let out sharp gasps. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. The box was filled to the brim with a variety of food! From the outside, it didn¡¯t look possible to fit so much in the box. There were at least a dozen different types of food in there! There was French Toast, fruit sd, scrambled eggs, sausages, and the list went on. ¡°Adie, are you sure you got a Beach City chef and not a breakfast store owner?¡± Renee pulled out the smaller lunch boxes from the bigger box and ced them on the table, still in a state of disbelief. Which celebrity chef would have so much time to prepare so many types of breakfast food all at once? To prepare so many kinds of food in such a frenzied manner, even if they ate this for one month, they would probably still be eating something different every day! Aiden looked at the table that was nowden with various different kinds of food, and he couldn¡¯t help but swallowed as the delicious aroma wafted to his nose. Q really was sincere in this attempt, wasn¡¯t he? Aiden had only mentionedst night that Renee was a picky eater, so to try preparing a more unique breakfast for her. He hadn¡¯t expected Q to be so attentive! The spread was no less than a five -star hotel breakfast standard, and Aiden had to give Q another ten points for this! ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just eat what you like, Mommy. Try a little of everything, and you¡¯ll know which one you like best. It¡¯s not like you lose anything by not eating, right?¡± ¡°You little rascal, being so logical. You got me dumbfounded for a moment. N Aiden¡¯s words cleared Renee¡¯s muddled mind, and she picked up her utensils and started to eat. In fact, it wasn¡¯t only important to have such a mindset for breakfast but also when finding a man. Take herself as an example. She was a young woman in herte twenties, and the only man she ever had was Stefan. Her first kiss was with him, and so was her first night. Sigh. After all had been said and done, she had a soft spot for Stefan simply because she had never ventured out of her shell before! This wasn¡¯t a good habit, and it needed to be changed Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Chapter 549 In Renee¡¯s opinion, the male escort wasn¡¯t too shabby. He was not only handsome, but he also had a fine figure with good muscles. He was also understanding and was fine with her being intelligent and beautiful. When she was less busy, she would consider this again. Apart from him, Jovan was also quite good-looking. If she had the time, she would tease him again. It should be fun. Julian wasn¡¯t too bad either, and she could call him into her hacking team. Haze was even more capable. She still needed to get the time and ask him to teach her binary coding. Renee picked up a slice of bread and took a bite, chewing as she decided. ¡®What¡¯s so irreceable about him? He¡¯s just a dead old tree now. The world is big, and there are plenty of men out there, just as varied as the types of foodid before me. I should take my time and try them out slowly. I will eventually find the right one that suits me!¡¯ Only, as Renee continued to chew, her expression turned ugly. Damn¡­ The bread that the Beach City¡¯s famous chef made was so hard! She could barely chew through it! It felt like her teeth were about to break! ¡°Does the bread taste good, Mommy?¡± Aiden asked with an innocent look, his chubby face resting on his palms. ¡°A-ahem. l-it¡¯s okay.¡± Renee, not wanting to hurt her son, forced herself to finish the bread in her hand. Next, she picked up a slice of bacon¡­ Seriously? It tasted like it had been dunked in salt! It almost choked her to death! Renee reached for her ss of water and gulped the entire ss down. ¡°How was the bacon, Mommy?¡± Aiden continued to ask innocently. ¡°l-it¡¯s not too bad either, but I feel thirsty after eating it,¡± Renee said. It felt like she had taken part in the worst cookingpetition in the world. She could barely swallow any of the food! ¡°Are you full, Mommy? What do you think of this chef¡¯s cooking?¡± Aiden asked with great anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m done. I rate it ten points.¡± ¡°Wow! That¡¯s great! A perfect score!¡± Aiden couldn¡¯t help but cheer silently for Q. However, Renee took a deep breath and said hoarsely, ¡°Full score is one hundred points.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Adie, I don¡¯t know where you found this chef. I ept your lovely thoughts, but can you help me tell this chef that though his food looks good, can he not cook again? I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t resist ttening his face if he does!¡± Renee wanted to pretend that it was good till the end, but this celebrity chef in Beach City was too ¡°powerful.¡± The appearance of the food was beautiful and mouth-watering, but a single bite would cause nightmares for years! She couldn¡¯t help but want to throw up! Aiden carefully picked up some scrambled eggs and tasted them, and he immediately gagged and spat them out. ¡¯Oh my god! This is so salty! Ew!¡± How could the food Q made be so inedible?! How was he supposed to take care of his mother in the future and make sure she had enough to eat? No. Adie needed Q to improve his cooking as soon as possible. ¡°The cooking skills of this chef may need some improvement. I¡¯ll ask him to improve, and it¡¯s going to be delicious, and it¡¯ll suit your taste next time, okay?¡± Aiden assured Renee with a pat on the back. ¡°There¡¯s going to be a next time?¡± Renee wanted to die when she heard that and said with a bitter smile, ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, right?¡± ¡°No! You need to give him another chance!¡± Once Aiden had pacified Renee enough, he slipped out of the room, pulled out his walkie-talkie, and called Mr. Q Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Chapter 550 ¡°Emergency! Emergency! Calling Q! Calling Q!¡± Aiden had just called out on the walkie-talkie when Mr. Q responded immediately as if he had been waiting there all along. ¡°Q speaking! Q speaking!¡± The man asked confidently, ¡°Have you had breakfast? Have my superb cooking skills amazed you?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It wasn¡¯t amazing. It was terrifying! Mommy almost called the police after eating your dark cuisine,¡± Aiden replied as he threw up his hands helplessly. ¡°Dark cuisine?¡± Mr. Q¡¯s voice turned cold, obviously disagreeing. ¡°That food was carefully made ording to the cooking instructions, and I poured my passion and love into them¡­ Just to make the bread, I spent an hour kneading the dough. How could you call those a dark cuisine?¡± ¡°Okay, fine. I see your sincerity, but it¡¯s a fact that you don¡¯t have a talent for making good food. This is your shoring, and you have to make up for it quickly. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to choose someone else¡­ I must find someone who can care for my mommy, make lots of delicious food, and keep her healthy and plump.¡± Aiden¡¯s tone was exasperated and strict. ¡°Give me another chance. I promise to amaze you with the next meal.¡± Mr. Q made a solemn promise. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll give you a chance. After all, I¡¯ve already chosen you as my daddy. But¡­¡¯ Aiden¡¯s delicate and handsome face wrinkled up, looking very troubled, ¡°Since your cooking is so bad, do you have any other strengths topensate for it? Otherwise, it¡¯ll be hard for me to vouch for you!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°Other strengths¡­¡± Mr. Q thought briefly and asked, ¡°I have money. Does that count?¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t have money? My mommy has it too!¡± ¡°But I have a lot of money. However much your mother wants, I can give it to her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good! Great! Take another ten points for that!¡± Aiden smiled and said into the walkie-talkie. ¡°Mark your words! Whatever amount my mommy wants, you¡¯ll give it to her¡­ Let¡¯s end our call for now. We¡¯ll talk again if anything elsees up. Bye!¡± Mr. Q was speechless. Had he just been tricked by a child who was not even five?! At this moment, in the study, Renee Everheart was also fretting over the word ¡°money.¡± Azure Group had been in deficit, and it was a problem that had yet to be resolved. The nned production and R&D center had to be built on schedule, or four years of effort would go in vain. She scanned her contact list and found that there were few people she could turn to for help. The Osborne family had already subsidized her costs by a lot, so she couldn¡¯t ask Liam Osborne to fill this bottomless pit. Haze did have the ability, but when she thought about the Baldwin family behind him, she knew she couldn¡¯t afford to provoke them, which meant she could only avoid them. Others who used to be friends with the Everheart family couldn¡¯t be counted on at this time, let alone extend a helping hand¡­ Did that mean she had to endure nausea and ept Jovan Hunt¡¯s support? But that guy was a lunatic. Once she got involved with him, it would be hard to shake him off. She could use some ¡°special¡± rtionships, but the cost was to return to that ¡°circle¡± and continue to bear the carnage and the cruel and dangerous pressure there. She promised her grandfather that she would not return to that circle, and she would not do so for the sake of her two children¡¯s peaceful upbringing. The veryst option was to sell Sun Ind, which, if sold, would easily cover the losses of Azure Group. However, Sun Ind was paradise for her and her children, and she really couldn¡¯t bear to part with it.. Chapter 551 Chapter 551 Chapter 551 ¡®Argh! Every path I see ends in a roadblock! On the surface, it looks like there are many ways to Rome, but in reality, they''re all blocked!" Renee repeatedly sighed, almost driven mad by the problem. "Mommy, are you unhappy?" Aiden asked worriedly after pushing the door open to see Renee sighing. "No.I''m very happy.I''m a winner in life with you and Abby by my side.Why would I not be happy?" "Mommy, stop lying to me.You''re clearly forcing your smile, and you blink a lot when you lie.I''m not a three-year-old anymore.I''m almost five, you know? Can you please stop insulting my intelligence?" "Uh, well..." Like a thief caught in the act, Renee''s smile froze on her face. After all, with Aiden''s intelligence, her poor acting skills were a joke that would be easily exposed.So, she stopped pretending and was honest with Aiden. "Adie, I''ve encountered a problem recently and need a little money.We may have to sell Sun Ind temporarily to solve this problem.Are you and Abby okay with that?" Selling the ind was herst resort and also the most painful decision she could make.So, she needed Aiden and Abigail''s agreement. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Of course not!" Aiden replied without hesitation and firmly added, "Sun Ind is our home, and we have many happy memories there.We can''t sell it,e what may!" "You''re right!" Renee patted her head and slumped down in her chair.She looked up at the white ceiling with watery eyes and whispered, "I just lost my mind for a bit since I was in a hurry.I''m sorry, okay? I won''t sell Sun Ind.I''ll think of something else." Aiden pulled on Renee''s arm eagerly and said, "Mommy, if you need money, that''s easy.I know someone who has a lot of money.Whatever amount you need, he''ll give it to you." "Oh? Who is it? Let''s hear it." "Mr.Q!" Aiden gleefully said as he took the chance to promote the man further. "Mr.Q is a really nice person, and he''s super rich.His treasure house has all sorts of exotic treasures from around the world.If you take just one piece and sell it, you can make a lot of money! "I have a close rtionship with him, so if you need money, just let me know, and I''ll talk to him.He can solve your problem easily!" Renee naturally didn''t take it seriously and smiled gently. "Really? Ah, our Adie must be really amazing to know such a wealthy friend." Aiden pouted and denied seriously, "We''re not friends! We just have a special rtionship!" "Haha! How special is it? Can I know?" "Not for now." Aiden didn''t want his mother to know that Mr.Q was the man he had picked for her until he was done with his investigation.His mother would beheartbroken if Mr.Q turned out to be a scumbag in the end. "Oh, you rascal.You''re always so imaginative and mysterious!" Reneeughed as she pinched Aiden''s nose.She obviously didn''t believe a single word the child said. After all, Mr.Q was a super big shot who was both mysterious and ruthless.He was also known as the Night Demon. With that said, he wouldn''t have the time to hang out with a little kid like Aiden! Aiden was about to argue, but Leia suddenly burst into the room. Panting for breath, she struggled to get her words out. "Ren! Something bad has happened!" Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Chapter 552 "What happened? Calm down and tell me," Renee said. Her brows furrowed deeply as she helped Leia, who was trembling in exhaustion, up. "My brother...My brother is in trouble!" Leia eximed, her pretty face now as pale as a ghost.She took a deep breath before stammering, "Earlier, he went to get a loan at the bank to solve Azure Group''s financial issues.He used his shares in Osborne Group as coteral.Initially, everything was fine, and he simply needed to repay the money on time.But somehow, my father got wind of it..." Renee''s grip on Leia''s arm tightened as a foreboding feeling of dread overcame her. "What happened?" "You know how my father is.When he''s angry, he doesn''t care about anything.You know how we Osbornes started our business in the grayer parts of the industry, don''t you? He''s using his old ways to punish Liam! H-he¡¯s going to be beaten to death at this rate!" Leia gushed out everything and burst into tears.She looked helpless as she begged Renee, "Ren, please think of a way to save my brother! He''s going to die!" "Okay.Stop crying.Where are they now? I''ll go see them," Reneeforted Leia as she packed her things and prepared to leave.She didn''t know Geronimo well, only that he was a stubborn, deeply conservative old man who ruled his family with an iron fist. As the long-awaited heir of Geronimo, Liam was the secondrgest shareholder of Osborne Group and had always been his family''s favored child. Liam, however, had quietly mortgaged his shares to cover a small technologypany¡¯s financial hole. Even as an outsider, Renee was furious at what he had done. "Your brother has really lost his mind this time.Even if he trusted Azure Group and me, he shouldn''t gamble the future of Osborne Group like this.What if our project fails? What if Azure Group goes bankrupt? Did he think about the consequences?" "Who''s to say he hasn''t? My brother is motivated by love.In the past few years, he supported your career and expanded Azure Group to the point of almost emptying out our family''s coffers! My father has been unhappy about it for a while now, but he never expected Liam to take out a loan using his shares as coteral! This time, my father might actually kill him to vent his anger!" "It was my fault.I was too slow to realize that this would happen," Renee said, hanging her head low as she was consumed with guilt. Renee had always thought that Liam was funding Azure Group with Osborne Group''s approval.She never imagined that he was struggling to this extent. "Hey, it isn''t your fault.Clearly, someone has been spreading rumors.My brother wouldn''t be in this tough situation if there weren''t! Let''s focus on how to save him first!" "You''re right.Let''s not waste any more time.We have to go." Before leaving, Renee instructed Aiden not to run around and ensured he had enough food and water. With Aiden''s intelligence, she trusted he could take care of himself. Renee and Leia drove the car t-out, arriving in no time at the Osborne residence, a luxurious mansion in the western district. From afar, Renee could hear Geronimo''s thunderous voice, "Don''t stop me! I''ll beat this loser to death today! He''ll take nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-one hits from this iron whip! Not a single blow will miss! I''ll beat anyone who tries to stop me!" In the living room of Osborne Mansion, Geronimo''s five sisters and five sons-inw, Mrs.Osborne, and Hayden Jacobs, were all present. Liam, who was usually charming and elegant, was nowpletely unrecognizable.His sturdy back was covered in cuts and bruises, and there was not a single inch of skin was left unblemished.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Chapter 553 "Dear, stop beating him! If you continue, you''ll kill our son...!" Hayden cried as she held Liam in her arms. Tears flowed down her face as she begged, "Liam is your only son! You have a huge business! If you kill him, who will inherit it?" "Mom, I don''t like that you said that!" Laura, the third daughter of the Osborne family, sneered, "You make it sound like we''re not part of the family! What? Did you pick us up from the roadside? Even if Liam is no more, it''s not like the Osborne name will go extinct! What century are we in? Why do you still prefer sons over daughters?" "That''s right!" Geronimo eximed. "Liam is not my only descendent! If I beat this loser to death, I still have six daughters! Every single one of them brings me less heartache than this loser, especially Laura! The family business I handed to her has been flourishing these years, and I''d be at ease if I handed them all the business!" Laura smirked, then said to Liam, who was kneeling in the middle of the room, "When you took that money to start Azure Group, you didn''t just use it to pick up girls, did you? We thought you were over that, but who would have thought you would be more addicted the more you invested?You took all of the Osbornes'' money and threw it at Stefan''s wife, and what was the result? She got tired of ying with you, obviously.Did she thank you? Did she let you touch her? You''ve been licking her shoes for so many years.Did you get anything out of it? Now you''re almost dead from getting beaten.Do you think she cares?" Liam clenched his fist tightly, and he red at Laura with reddened eyes, sneering, "Dear sister, I warn you to speak respectfully.The boss is my savior, and she holds a sacred ce in my heart! If you continue with such disrespect, don''t me me for ignoring our rtionship!" Geronimo became angrier when he heard those words. "You brat! You''ve been bewitched! I''ve had an outstanding life and experienced countless women! How could I have given birth to such an idiot who gets affected by love? What shitty retribution is this?!" The older man was furious that he raised the iron whip in his hand and brought it down fiercely again. "You''ll be ruined in that woman''s hands sooner orter, so I might as well just kill you today and get it over with!" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Stop!" Renee''s voice rang out clear and firm. Everyone turned to the door. Liam, who had been calm, immediately became angry and shouted at Leia, "You stupid girl! Are you crazy? Why did you tell her?!" "Liam, you''re still putting up such a brave front? If I didn''t get Ren here, Father would have killed you!" Leia cried as she rushed over and hugged Geronimo''s arm. "Father, Liam is my twin! Our lives are connected.If you really want to beat him, then beat me as well! If he dies, I can''t live either!" "Lei, get up! Your brother doesn''t know any better, but you don''t have to follow his example! If you''re not careful, I might identally hit you with the whip!" Liam was the most favored child in the family, but Leia, the youngest daughter, came after him.So, when Geronimo spoke to her, he unconsciously toned down a little. "No! Either you stop hitting Liam, or you hit the both of us together!" "Come! Take her away!" Geronimo ordered his subordinates coldly. Renee walked up to Geronimo and said humbly, "It''s been a while, Uncle Geronimo.I think the one you''re really angry with isn''t Liam but me, the real culprit of this mess.So, as long as you forgive Liam, I''m willing to pay the price!" Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Chapter 554 "Oh? Did the sun rise from the west today? The redhead whose shoes my son has been licking has finally decided to show up?" Geronimo hissed venomously as he studied Renee from head to toe as though he was looking at a commodity. Then, he sneered, "Are you really willing to pay any price to save this loser?" Renee nodded, her eyes determined. "I''ve never gone against my words." "Good.At least you still have some conscience." There was aplicated look in Geronimo''s eyes when he looked at Renee, and it was unclear if it was appreciation or contempt. Then, he said in a vague tone, "You have quite a devastatingly beautiful face, I must say, to be able to charm my son to this extent..."Liam, who was still kneeling on the ground, furrowed his brows when he heard that. "Boss, just ignore me and leave!" he pleaded emotionally. "I''m my father''s favored child! No matter how angry he is, he won''t kill me.But if you fall into his hands, I don''t dare to imagine what kind of sick things he''d do to you with how rogue he is!" This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Geronimo was known as a phnderer in their circle. In addition to his seven children, he had many illegitimate children outside and countless affairs! How could Liam not know about his father''s cheating ways? It was natural for him to be concerned about Renee because of that! Renee, however, was calm. She even smiled charmingly and said, "Sick things, huh? I''ve seen a lot of those, so what''s one more?" She had heard about Geronimo''s affairs, but she believed the older man wouldn''t make such a pass at her. "Shut up!" Geronimo was furious at the conversation he heard between the two, especially his precious son, who he had spoiled from a young age. Not only was he a lovesick idiot, but he was also stupid enough to think that Geronimo would be so lustful that he would go after any woman before him?! "My request is simple. Since that loser son of mine has licked your shoes for so long and almost emptied the family''s coffers and even racked up a sizable debt, you can''t possibly expect you won''t have to repay. Why don''t you marry him and work for him for the rest of your life to atone for your sins?" This request came entirely out of expectation and it dumbfounded everyone. Especially Laura. She red at Renee and said disdainfully, * Dad, are you crazy? You want a divorced woman to marry Liam?!" The Osborne family''s eldest daughter, Yvonne, also shook her head and sighed. "Dad, you should think twice.Liam can fool around with a divorced woman like her, but to really marry her into the family...It''d be a disaster!" "Yeah! Even if she wasn''t divorced, she''s an Everheart and Schneider descendant! You know how difficult those families are! We''re no match for the Hunt family, certainly not something we can handle!" Geronimo ignored the nasty reactions and continued to look at Renee. "You should take a stand, hmm? You can''t enjoy all the benefits and refuse to give anything in return, right?" Geronimo was not the only one waiting for Renee''s answer. Liam also held his breath and watched her closely. Renee, who was initially calm, was now in a panic.She knew very well that she had no feelings for Liam, and they had only broken up recently. Whether she agreed or refused, both would be awkward. "If this can really help relieve your anger, Uncle Geronimo, then I''ll happily agree to marry Liam. That one was originally one of our ns for this year anyway." Renee eventually agreed to Geronimo¡¯''s request with the greater good in mind, but the man ended up ridiculing her after she agreed. "Hahah! You''re delusional!" Geronimo sneered from the high horse he was on. "What makes you think that the Osbornes would want a low-quality item that someone else has swept out of their house? My loser son may be a lovesick idiot, but I''m not. Not to mention, you don''t love my son at all! Even if you two really loved each other, I would never allow you to be my daughter-inw! "The Hunts have oppressed us at every turn.If I were to take a woman that the Hunts rejected, my reputation would be in shambles! Even if you don''t have a brain and think with your toes, it''s impossible for that to ever happen!" Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but they also didn''t forget to take a jab where they could. ¡°All of you, shut up! Don''t talk about Ren that way! Have you forgotten that she saved Liam and me before? With our family''s status, even if we cultivated another eight hundred years, we''d still not be able to match up with Ren!¡± Leia yelled angrily at her family, and her cheeks flushed red. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Take her away!¡± Liam ordered Leia, his head hanging low and fists clenched. His goddess and savior had been humiliated by his family! He was so ashamed that he couldn''t even find the courage to look at Renee! "Geronimo, you better beat me to death today, or don''t me me for bing a rebel!" Liam coldly warned Geronimo. Although the older man was his respected father, he had touched something precious of his! It wasn''t something he could tolerate! "You stupid beat! How dare you say such damning things to me just for the sake of a used woman! Fine! I''ll fulfill your wish and beat you to death!¡± Geronimo had also been driven to desperation by Liam''s words, and he brought down the whip two more times, where it struck skin and flesh with impunity. Hayden naturally cried for him to stop, and the entire scene became chaotic again. "Enough!" Renee, who had been silent the entire time, said indifferently, "Uncle Geronimo, your opinion was very objective, and I wholeheartedly agree. As a divorced woman, I should have kept my distance from your son. However, not only have I failed to do that in the past few years, but I''ve also gotten close to him and shamelessly enjoyed the benefits of his efforts. I was too selfish.¡± "Hmph! At least you have some self-awareness!" The reason for Geronimo humiliating her in this manner was because he hoped it would make Renee understand her status and stop seducing his precious son in the future. Renee continued, "The money Liam spent on me all these years and the money he borrowed from the bank, I''ll repay it all with a three percent interest, principal included. Please don''t me him anymore. All of it is my fault, and I''ll fix this mess myself!¡± "Those are some nice words. The money my son spent on you over the years is probably between three to five billion. You say you''ll repay it all with a three percent interest. Where are you going to get the money?" Geronimo was very dismissive. In his opinion, Renee was just a rich abandoned woman whom Stefan had kicked out. She could hardly protect herself, let alone obtain such an impossible amount of money! "You don''t have to worry about that!" Renee said coldly. ¡°I''ll say it clearly now. In three days, I''ll pay the money back in full, but you have to keep your promise and not give Liam any more trouble!¡± "Hah. Fine. In three days, here with the same people. Let''s see how you''ll make it up, hmm?¡± Geronimo looked at Renee as if she were a joke, then put away his whip and said to Liam, ¡°If she can reallye up with that much money in three days, I''ll transfer the shares of Osborne Group back to you and never interfere with your affairs again!¡± "Goodbye!" Renee saw that Liam was safe for now, so she turned and left without saying another word. Liam had been beaten to an inch of his life, yet he still held strong and gritted his teeth as he tried to chase after Renee. "Boss, wait for me...¡± Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Renee was already walking out of the Osborne Mansion when she heard Liam shouting her name from behind. She stopped but did not turn around. ¡°Why are you following me?¡¯ she asked him coldly. ¡¯Just go back and get a good rest. That whipping must¡¯ve done a great deal of damage to your body. Be careful or it might make you impotent.¡± ¡°Boss¡­¡± Liam¡¯s lips were pale. His whole body seemed fragile and his handsome face was twisted by a look of excruciating pain. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Boss! Please don¡¯t be angry with me!¡¯ All these years, his family never liked it when he was too close to Renee, but as long as he made sure to keep it all under a low profile, they always kept their distance and never interfered too much with his life. But he made a mistake this time. Had he not taken such a monstrous risk and angered his father, Renee would not have been humiliated by his own family. ¡°You idiot¡­ How could I possibly be mad at you?!¡± ¡°Then why are you turning your back on me? You don¡¯t want to see me ever again, do you?¡± ¡°You really are an idiot¡­¡± Renee shrugged resignedly. The reason why she could not turn around and look at him was not that she was angry with him in any way, but only because she was too ashamed to face Liam right now. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should apologize to you, Liam. You¡¯ve given me so much help and support all these years. You never hesitated to jump into the abyss with me. I took it for granted that everything was fine¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the abyss!¡± Liam interrupted agitatedly. He stepped forward and added, ¡°You are the light of my life. I would dly follow you anywhere, and I would dly do anything for you because I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Renee raised her hand and abruptly cut off Liam¡¯s confession. She gently added, ¡°I owe you too much, Liam, and it¡¯s time for me to repay you. I¡¯ve found a way to get that money, so all you need to do right now is wait patiently for the good news, which I will bring you soon.¡± ¡°But how?¡¯ Liam furrowed his brows deeply. That money was noughing matter. His father even said that it might be as high as 500 million, or even 800 million dors! He simply could not think of any way that Renee could suddenly cough up that ridiculous amount of money, unless¡­ Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about going back to the old way of life and joining that group of sly pigs again, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s just too reckless, Boss!¡± In the past, he would have loved nothing more than to get Renee to return to her old ways. After all, she was just too cool and too powerful then! The world was her oyster and she could dictate the weather if she wanted to! But things were different now. She was now a mother to two adorable kids, Adie and Abby, and a quiet and peaceful life suited her more now. If it turned out that Renee¡¯s solution to her current problem was to go back to her old ways, then he would probably feel so guilty that he might kill himself! ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± Renee bluntly refuted Liam¡¯s assumption. ¡°I promised Grandpa that I¡¯ll never do that ever again for the sake of Adie and Abby, so you have my word that I¡¯ll never get involved with those pigs ever again.¡± Certainly, the idea was tempting. After all, with her old ways, she could easily get hundreds of millions of dors without lifting a finger. But that lifestyle was simply too precarious. She narrowly escaped with her own life, and the mere thought of it would make her break out in cold sweat. No, there was no way that she would ever go back there! ¡°Then how¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know the details right now,¡± Renee asserted. ¡°I may be poor, but I still have enough fixed assets to settle the money.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I know exactly what kind of predicament you¡¯re in right now. You don¡¯t have any fixed assets, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Enough! Stop interrogating me! I¡¯m still your boss, aren¡¯t I? In that case, you should trust in my abilities and believe that I know what I¡¯m doing! Have I ever disappointed you before?¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­¡± Renee¡¯s bold confidence put Liam somewhat at ease, but he was still concerned for her. Nevertheless, he knew what she was like. If she did not want to reveal something, he could ask her till his mouth went dry and she would still keep her lips sealed. He also knew that Renee would never give up till she was able to pay up, so he decided to just give up the matter for now. ¡°No matter what solution you¡¯ve thought of,¡± he told her, ¡°just remember to be careful and stay safe, Boss! If there¡¯s anything at all that I can do to help, just say the word and I¡¯ll be there! Chapter 557 Chapter 557 Chapter 557 ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee waved her hand goodbye and walked away. But she soon paused and turned around to ask Liam, ¡°By the way, do you know where Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s exact location is?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Liam was immediately rmed by her question. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Just answer the question!¡± Renee replied sternly, looking displeased. ¡°It¡¯s near the Water Dock, but it¡¯s a really dangerous ce, Boss. It¡¯s awless no man¡¯snd where even the Devil himself could get conned out of the clothes on his back!¡± Liam had been to that ce with his father once or twice before, and it left a distinct impression in his mind. Suffice it to say, the experience had fueled his nightmares ever since! ¡°Besides, Carmine Pawnshop is nothing like the ordinary pawn shop that you might expect. You must know that the pawn shop¡¯s owner, Mr. Q, is known as the Night Demon. Don¡¯t even think about making a deal with him -it¡¯s no different than selling your soul to the devil! You¡¯ll cross a line where there¡¯s simply no return!¡± After listening to this, not only was Renee not afraid, but it even piqued her interest. A demon, huh?! She began to anticipate meeting this mysterious man now! Still, she did not want to worry Liam, so she lied to him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I was only asking because I kept hearing Adie talking about the ce¡­ You don¡¯t actually think that your boss is that stupid, do you? Even if I wanted to make a deal with them, what on earth do I have to trade?¡± When she got back to her apartment, Adie had already had his dinner and was now in the study. He sat on the couch, reading a book, with his feet dangling in the air, looking heart-achingly adorable. ¡°What a good boy you are, Adie! You already know how to take such good care of yourself!¡± Renee sat down next to her son and gently patted his little head. ¡°Of course, Mommy! I know how hard you¡¯re working, so I don¡¯t want to be a burden to you.¡± Adie was reading an advanced physics textbook. His knowledge had already reached the level of a university student now, making him a bona fide child prodigy. Yet this fact only made Renee worry about him. Because he was so far ahead of his peers, Adie was quite a lonely childpared to kids his age. But days like these would soon be over. Renee then enthusiastically told her son, ¡°Adie, guess what? The headmaster of Monte Perry Kindergarten told me today that they¡¯ve abolished that horrible rule and agreed to wee you and Abby to the kindergarten! I¡¯ll bring Abby and Aunt Margaret over in a few days and we¡¯ll all be together again, okay?¡± She expected Adie to be leaping with joy after hearing the news, but the boy reacted very calmly and merely said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be settled this quickly. Looks like that guy¡¯s the real deal.¡± ¡°What guy?¡± asked Renee, confused. She did find it suspicious how the kindergarten would take a 180- degree turn on their rules so suddenly. Did Adie know the actual reason for this? ¡°Um, Superman! I asked Superman to help mest night. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d fulfill my wish so quickly! Superman is so awesome!¡± Adie¡¯s face was full of satisfaction. Right now, he regarded Mr. Q as one of the best candidates to be his mother¡¯s future husband, but he did not want to reveal too much before Mr. Q really passed the test, for fear that his mother might fall too crazily in love with him too soon. Hence, he would only refer to him as ¡°Superman¡± for now. ¡°Is that so?¡± Renee gently replied, not suspecting that Adie was hiding anything. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then Superman must be an awesome guy! Oh, how I wish I had someone like Superman to fulfill all my wishes too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Adie wrapped his arms around his mother¡¯s neck and warmly told her, ¡°All you have to do is find a husband you can do anything for you¡­ But don¡¯t worry, Mommy! I believe that you¡¯ll find your Superman soon!¡± It was already gettingte. Renee put Adie to bed and quietly tiptoed out of the kids¡¯ room. She went into her own room, changed intofortable sportswear, tied her hair up into a high ponytail, and confidently walked out of the door.. Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Chapter 557 ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Renee waved her hand goodbye and walked away. But she soon paused and turned around to ask Liam, ¡°By the way, do you know where Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s exact location is?¡± ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Liam was immediately rmed by her question. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Just answer the question!¡± Renee replied sternly, looking displeased. ¡°It¡¯s near the Water Dock, but it¡¯s a really dangerous ce, Boss. It¡¯s awless no man¡¯snd where even the Devil himself could get conned out of the clothes on his back!¡± Liam had been to that ce with his father once or twice before, and it left a distinct impression in his mind. Suffice it to say, the experience had fueled his nightmares ever since! ¡°Besides, Carmine Pawnshop is nothing like the ordinary pawn shop that you might expect. You must know that the pawn shop¡¯s owner, Mr. Q, is known as the Night Demon. Don¡¯t even think about making a deal with him -it¡¯s no different than selling your soul to the devil! You¡¯ll cross a line where there¡¯s simply no return!¡± After listening to this, not only was Renee not afraid, but it even piqued her interest. A demon, huh?! She began to anticipate meeting this mysterious man now! Still, she did not want to worry Liam, so she lied to him, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I was only asking because I kept hearing Adie talking about the ce¡­ You don¡¯t actually think that your boss is that stupid, do you? Even if I wanted to make a deal with them, what on earth do I have to trade?¡± When she got back to her apartment, Adie had already had his dinner and was now in the study. He sat on the couch, reading a book, with his feet dangling in the air, looking heart-achingly adorable. ¡°What a good boy you are, Adie! You already know how to take such good care of yourself!¡± Renee sat down next to her son and gently patted his little head. ¡°Of course, Mommy! I know how hard you¡¯re working, so I don¡¯t want to be a burden to you.¡± Adie was reading an advanced physics textbook. His knowledge had already reached the level of a university student now, making him a bona fide child prodigy. Yet this fact only made Renee worry about him. Because he was so far ahead of his peers, Adie was quite a lonely childpared to kids his age. But days like these would soon be over. Renee then enthusiastically told her son, ¡°Adie, guess what? The headmaster of Monte Perry Kindergarten told me today that they¡¯ve abolished that horrible rule and agreed to wee you and Abby to the kindergarten! I¡¯ll bring Abby and Aunt Margaret over in a few days and we¡¯ll all be together again, okay?¡± She expected Adie to be leaping with joy after hearing the news, but the boy reacted very calmly and merely said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be settled this quickly. Looks like that guy¡¯s the real deal.¡± ¡°What guy?¡± asked Renee, confused. She did find it suspicious how the kindergarten would take a 180- degree turn on their rules so suddenly. Did Adie know the actual reason for this? Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Um, Superman! I asked Superman to help mest night. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d fulfill my wish so quickly! Superman is so awesome!¡± Adie¡¯s face was full of satisfaction. Right now, he regarded Mr. Q as one of the best candidates to be his mother¡¯s future husband, but he did not want to reveal too much before Mr. Q really passed the test, for fear that his mother might fall too crazily in love with him too soon. Hence, he would only refer to him as ¡°Superman¡± for now. ¡°Is that so?¡± Renee gently replied, not suspecting that Adie was hiding anything. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then Superman must be an awesome guy! Oh, how I wish I had someone like Superman to fulfill all my wishes too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Adie wrapped his arms around his mother¡¯s neck and warmly told her, ¡°All you have to do is find a husband you can do anything for you¡­ But don¡¯t worry, Mommy! I believe that you¡¯ll find your Superman soon!¡± It was already gettingte. Renee put Adie to bed and quietly tiptoed out of the kids¡¯ room. She went into her own room, changed intofortable sportswear, tied her hair up into a high ponytail, and confidently walked out of the door.. Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Chapter 558 It was one in the morning. Everything was quiet and peaceful everywhere else, but here at Water Dock, things had only just warmed up. It was the most chaotic time of the day, when all kinds of colorful characters began to show up. Renee hade to Water Dock on her own, with nothing but a ¡®top-secret¡± map of the area that she bought at a high price from the second-hand market. She headed straight to Carmine Pawnshop. Water Dock had indeed lived up to its reputation. It was every bit as much of thewless, ¡°no man¡¯s land¡± it was rumored to be, where burning, looting, robbing, and killing took ce at almost every corner. Anything that was too sickening to be found in civilized society was nothing but a normal urrence here. It was truly a dreadful ce to be. The whole area of Water Dock was actually not thatrge, but it was divided into three main zones- upstream, midstream, and downstream. The upstream area was at the outermost edge. It was rtively the most¡± normal¡± zone here, where a trading center was located. Here you could find all kinds of goods, and if you looked hard enough, you might even leave with a good deal in your hands. It was certainly the safest area in the Water Dock. Things began to stray off the beaten track in the Midstream zone. Here you would find illegal casinos, illegal racetracks, illegal brothels, and an illegal marketce for all kinds of shady goods. This was also a ce where you could find groups of thugs and ruffians who had no fear of death. They would do anything for you as long as you agree to their price. Unsurprisingly, people get killed here every day. The downstream area, however, was basically purgatory on Earth. Danger lurked in every corner and most normal people would never dare get close to it, let alone set foot there. It was just as Liam had described-even the devil himself might get conned out of the clothes on his back here. Yet here was the ce where Carmine Pawnshop was located, in the deepest bowel of the downstream zone in Water Dock. It was right in the center of an absolute hellscape, and just from this fact alone, one could guess what kind of man Mr. Q, the owner of Carmine Pawnshop, really was. You would have to go through an ordeal just to meet him! If Renee was not so desperate to get the money, she would¡¯ve never even imagined having anything to do with such a shady guy. But she was not afraid of him in the least. After all, she used to be an infamous figure herself back when she was still in the circle. She had been to many godforsaken ces that were a thousand times more ursed than Water Dock, so she was perfectly in her element in this kind of ce. But she had two children to think of now. This made her a lot more cautious than she was in the past. Back then, she would dive headlong into anything without a care for the consequences. The very thought about how reckless she used to be made her shudder! It was still early, so Renee parked her car in a parking lot in the upstream zone with a n to go to the famous antique market first. The antique market was located in the upstream zone. It also acted as the entrance to Water Dock. Because of its special location, many rare treasures from all around the world were smuggled and sold. Countless people have made their fortune here, but just as many had their life ended here as well because of their greed. The antique market dazzled with lights and bustled with activity. Traders and peddlers were shouting, advertising their wares to the rest of the market which was filled with a flurry of people. ¡°Come and take a look! This is a genuine ss urn from Ulria! It¡¯s the only one of its kind in the whole world! It¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime deal! Don¡¯t miss out on a great deal¡­¡± ¡°Feast your eyes,dies and gentlemen! These are sacred stone beads from the Western Hignds! Legend has it that these were blessed by angels! These are only meant for those who are destined to have them!¡± II It Renee was both fascinated and overwhelmed by the sight of rare treasures all around her as she strolled through the market. Never would she have guessed that there would be such an exciting ¡°treasure trove¡± right here in Beach City, where one could buy whatever their heart desired. She then came across a smaller stall attended by an old man with a gray beard and dark skin who was engrossed in ying his fiddle. His stall was rtively simple and somewhat shabbypared to the others around it, consisting only of a table covered by a coarse linen cloth where a few pieces of jade, ancient paintings, ceramics, and other knick knacks were lined up on. It was hard to tell where these objects came from, but they seemed to have been dug out of old tombs and graves. What caught Renee¡¯s eye the most was the stack of cards right next to these treasures. She looked closer and realized that they were tarot cards. This inexplicably piqued her interest, so much that she asked, ¡°Are you good at predicting the future, old man?¡± But the old man did not even open his eyes. He was lost in his music, passionately pouring his heart out to the song he was ying on his fiddle. Renee thought the song he yed was familiar. She thought it sounded rather like a song called ¡°Destiny¡±. Seeing that the old man was so absorbed in the music, Renee thought it best not to disturb him, so she was prepared to leave. Just then, the old man finally finished ying his song and stopped her,¡± Where are you going, young lady? I¡¯ve been waiting for you for so many years. The person I was destined to meet is finally here.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for me?¡± Renee asked. She was even more fascinated now. With a smile, she asked, ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°You can put it that way.¡± ¡°Then tell me, who am I?¡± Renee waited eagerly for the old man¡¯s answer with a yful smile on her face. She had heard of swindlers and conmen who could tell someone¡¯s fortune by just randomly picking a name-statistically, there woulde a time when they¡¯d get it right. That was why she absolutely did not believe that this old man could guess her real name. After all, her last name was pretty rare and her first name was not amon one either Chapter 560 Chapter 560 Chapter 559 Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. The old man raised his eyebrows, and with a half-smile said, ¡®You are the granddaughter of Liliana Schneider, the heroine of North City, correct?¡± The smile on Renee¡¯s face faded. She became serious in a heartbeat as she asked, ¡°How did you figure that out?¡± If he had guessed her name correctly, she could still have assumed that the old man must¡¯ve loved reading gossip about famous people. As Stefan Hunt¡¯s ex-wife, her name and face were considerably recognizable. But the old man managed to guess her grandmother¡¯s name, and that was nothing short of amazing, because the Everheart family never publicly announced that the woman her grandfather married was the one and only Liliana Schneider from North City! ¡°It looks like I got it right.¡± The old man stroked his beard, then asked, ¡°Do you believe in my skills now?¡± ¡°If you figured that out based on your fortune-telling skills,¡± Renee sped her hands together, ¡°then you must be the master of all master fortune tellers! I humbly bow to your iparable mastery!¡± ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you draw a card and ask the question that your heart yearns for an answer?¡± The old man¡¯s gaze shifted to the deck of tarot cards as he made the suggestion. ¡°Sure! I was nning to do that anyway.¡± Renee enthusiastically leafed through the cards and spent ages before she finally drew one from the stack. The old man took the card, nced at it, and said, ¡°Two of Cups. What would you like to ask, young lady?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee bit her lips. She hesitated for a while before replying, ¡°I want to ask, will I ever get married again before I die?¡± She felt ashamed of herself as soon as she uttered those words. She had sworn off love and romance for the rest of her life! This was so out of her character! Yet, she really did want to know if she would ever love another man again, or perhaps if she would be willing to get married once more. She just refused to believe that Stefan Hunt would be the only man she would love in her entire life. He was dead now anyway, and she could not spend the rest of her life as his widow, mourning him, right? ¡°As lofty as the mountain, as boundless as the sea, an unrivaled pair, their union shall stand through eternity¡­ You really are a one-in-a-million couple!¡± The man recited Renee¡¯s fortune with a meaningful smile on his face, but Renee herself was utterly perplexed. ¡°What does that mean exactly?¡¯ ¡°It means that your marriage is longsting, unlike any other couple in the world. You don¡¯t have to worry that you will grow old and die alone.¡± Renee could not help butugh after hearing the old man¡¯s words. ¡°Are you saying that I still have the chance to meet the man who will spend the rest of my life with me, right?¡± ¡°You can put it that way.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Renee was now relieved. ¡°That¡¯s so good to hear!¡± She knew that she was nothing like thosedies in the olden days who dedicated their lives to loving one man for the rest of their lives. She could not possibly love Stefan Hunt alone, for the rest of her life! Sure, she still could not forget him now, but she was confident that one day, she would meet another man who would make her fall in love with him andpletely wipe Stefan out of her mind¡­ Renee nced at her watch. It was time to get ready for business now. She then paid the old man the fee for the fortune-telling and was about to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± the old man stopped her. ¡°We¡¯re destined to meet each other, youngdy, so I would be remiss if I don¡¯t leave you with a gift. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Chapter 560 ¡°A gift?¡± Renee stopped and turned around, looking at the old man with interest. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. How lucky could she be today, to receive a gift from such a legendary person?! She nced at the old man¡¯s stall. Any one of those items was either priceless or incredibly rare-she could easily make a fortune selling any of them! But the old man had no intention to give her any of his wares. Instead, it was something that he carried with him. ¡°Take this silk handkerchief, youngdy. One day, it will give you much- needed guidance.¡± The old man then stretched out his branch-like arm towards her, handing her a finely crafted silk handkerchief. ¡°This silk handkerchief¡­¡± Renee was astonished when she saw the pattern on the handkerchief. There was a phoenix and some red spider lilies embroidered on the handkerchief, it looked simr to the pattern she saw on the quilt her grandmother had left her all those years ago. Perhaps it might even have been made by the same person. It¡¯s a shame that the quilt was destroyed in that fire¡­ Just as she was about to ask the old man where he got this silk handkerchief, a woman with her head covered in blood rushed towards her and clung onto her leg. ¡°Help me!¡± she shouted. ¡°Please help me, Miss! Those people are going to stab me to death¡­¡± The woman looked to be in her early thirties. She continued to cry, ¡°I can¡¯t die right now, Miss! If I die, then my son would be an orphan! Please, Miss! You must help me!¡± Renee initially had no intention to get involved, but when she heard that this woman was a fellow mother who was bringing up her child alone, she was suddenly moved bypassion. She helped the lady up to her feet and asked, ¡°What happened to you? Exin it to me slowly.¡± ¡°I¡­ I came to the antique market to sell something. But these people here are barbarians with no regard for thew. When they saw a weak, helpless woman like me, they immediately tried to rob me¡­¡± As she got to this point, held the bag in her arms even more tightly, before adding, ¡°What I have here is a family heirloom. If my son wasn¡¯t ill and didn¡¯t require a lot of money for treatment, I would never even think of selling this, not even to save my own skin! But those thugs had the audacity to rob it from me. They even threatened me with knives! They¡¯re horrible people, Miss! Please, you must help me!¡± Renee looked her up and down and her eyes gleamed with determination. She calmly asserted, ¡°Calm down. Although I know that Water Dock is awlessnd, since you chose to ask me for help, then I¡¯ll deal with this fair and square. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± The woman was instantly relieved, so much so that her tears even dried up. She hurriedly replied, ¡°Thank you! Thank you very much, Miss!¡± Then, about ten big burly men swarmed in their direction. They were all wearing ck suits and each was holding a huge club. They seemed to be searching through the crowded antique market for someone. ¡°Where is she?! That b*tch is slippery like an eel! How did she vanish so quickly like that?!¡± ¡°Leave no stone unturned, boys! Once you find her, make sure she pays with blood!¡± Seeing this, the woman instantly took cover behind Renee, quivering in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Renee assured her, tilting her head towards the woman. ¡°I told you that I¡¯ll help you. They won¡¯t dare to do anything with me here!¡± In no time at all, those men noticed Renee. They rushed up towards her with bloodthirsty eyes and yelled, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die then don¡¯t butt into this! Get out of the way!¡± Without a change in her expression or budging for an inch, Renee opposed them. ¡°You think I¡¯ll move just because you say so? Who the hell do you think you are?!¡± Her fierce reaction not only stunned the men in ck suits. Even the sellers and onlookers around her were astounded. A tall man in a ck suit who stood in front of the others viciously roared back, ¡°Is this your first time in Water Dock? Don¡¯t you know who you¡¯re talking to?! ¡°I¡­¡± Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Renee spread out her arms and in a helpless tone replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What I¡¯m pawning is too hard to show. All I can do is make a guarantee that your boss will definitely take a liking to it. You should take a plunge and give me a chance. If he really likes it, he might even give you a generous bonus.¡± Chase raised his eyebrows. He was beginning to find this woman more and more fascinating. Based on her oundish courage alone, he knew that she wasn¡¯t one to be underestimated. Perhaps she really did have something interesting to pawn? ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take a gamble based on your spunk and confidence. People like us in this line of work need the courage to make a bet every once in a while. I¡¯d dly introduce you to our boss, but¡­¡± His gaze shifted from Renee and fell on the woman cowering behind her. He smiled and continued, ¡°I must insist on letting us handle this woman ourselves. Please don¡¯t meddle with our business and hand her over.¡± Renee turned around and nced at the woman who was shivering in fear. She asked Chase, ¡°If I hand her over to you, what are you guys going to do to her?¡¯ ¡°We are not at leisure to divulge that. This woman has vited the rules of Carmine Pawnshop, so we¡¯re going to deal with her ording to our rules.¡± He then turned and coldly peered down at the quivering woman, saying,¡± You¡¯ve caused enough commotion, Rosie. It¡¯s time to stop ande back with us!¡± ¡°No!¡± the woman clung onto Renee¡¯s arms and pleaded with reddened eyes, ¡®Please don¡¯t hand me over to them! I beg you! They¡¯ll never let me go! I can¡¯t die! My son will die too if I die¡­ I know you¡¯re no ordinary woman, so please help me! Please!¡¯ Renee heaved a long sigh, then pried the woman¡¯s fingers off her arms one by one before saying, ¡°I want to help you, but you are in the wrong. You stole from them, so it¡¯s their right to deal with you and punish you. If I help you, it means that I¡¯m helping a thief to get away¡­¡± The woman¡¯s expression turned cold in an instant. Her tears vanished as if by magic as she sniggered, ¡°As expected of Maurice Everheart and Liliana Schneider¡¯s granddaughter¡­ Your eyes are sharp indeed. When did you realize I was lying?¡± Renee was taken aback by the fact that this woman knew her, but she then realized that if she had not, there was no reason why she would choose a fragile-looking woman like her out of all the other potentially powerful people in Water Dock to be her savior. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡¯ Chase interrupted in confusion. He was just as puzzled as the woman as he asked, ¡°How did you know that she stole something from Carmine Pawnshop? I hadn¡¯t even mentioned anything!¡± Renee turned to the woman and exined, ¡°Because the wound on her head was clearly not caused by your men. She must¡¯ve inflicted it on herself to invoke my pity¡­¡± ¡°Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s men,¡± she continued, ¡¯were all holding clubs in their hands, yet the wound on her head was obviously a knife cut. Besides, if Carmine Pawnshop was as wealthy and powerful as it was rumored to be, they could easily buy her item at a high price if they really found it that interesting. They wouldn¡¯t risk tarnishing their name, causing such a hugemotion by trying to rob and kill a woman in the middle of such a busy market¡­¡± ¡°That is why,¡± she concluded, ¡°there is only one exnation for this-the woman must¡¯ve stolen something from Carmine Pawnshop and got caught, then hurt herself to try to look like the victim to save herself!¡¯ Renee¡¯s assessment of the situation was so clear and logical, so well- founded on reasonable facts that the crowd around her apuded. The woman knew then that there was no use in arguing anymore, so she handed the treasure she had been holding over to Chase and sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve failed you, Mr. Cheever. I¡¯ve failed despite your trust and all your guidance. Just take me back and punish me however you like. I¡¯ve epted my fate.¡± Chase said nothing to her, he just turned to the men behind him and ordered, ¡°Take her back to the pawnshop and lock her up in the water prison. We¡¯ll wait for Mr. Q to decide what to do with her.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Cheever!¡± The woman closed her eyes. Though her face was cold and stony, there was still a trace of emotion left, though she seemed to have been so devastated by years of misery that only a look of despair seemed permanently etched on her face. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Renee was very familiar with the signs of exhaustion on the woman¡¯s face. It was the kind of exhaustion that any woman who had been a mother before would viscerally sympathize with. ¡°Wait!¡± Renee stopped the man who was about to take the woman away. The woman frigidly turned to her and smiled bitterly. ¡°Are you going to save me?¡± she asked. Renee shook her head. ¡°I neither have the intention nor the capability to do that.¡¯ ¡°Then what are you trying to do? Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Chapter 563 ¡°You said you have a son, and that he will be an orphan once you die. Is that true?¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a lie,¡± the woman¡¯s smile became even more bitter now. ¡¯I do indeed have a son who¡¯s seriously ill. He needs a lot of money for the treatment. That¡¯s the reason I stole from Carmine Pawnshop, that¡¯s why I broke their rules. But I guess without me my son wouldn¡¯t really be orphaned, since he still has his father¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, then.¡± The heavy burden weighing on Renee¡¯s heart lifted a little. If anything really happened to this woman, at least her child still had his father, so he would not be totally alone and abandoned in this world. ¡°Still, his father is now married to his former mistress, and they have another son who¡¯s turning a month in a few days, so I fear that he would have no time to take care of my son¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Renee suddenly became distraught again. Just as she was about to say something, Chase coldly urged the man, ¡°Stop wasting time! Take her away! ¡ö The man in the ck suit then escorted the woman as she disappeared into the darkness of the night. No one knew what eventually happened to her, much less what became of her son. Renee could not help but think of her children, Adie and Abby¡­ If anything ever happened to her, then her twins would suffer exactly the same misfortune as the woman¡¯s son, with their fates hanging by a thread¡­ Chase turned to Renee and asked her, ¡°You feel sorry for her don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I just feel sorry for her son.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be done,¡± he said. ¡°She made this choice herself. Her name is Rosie. She got divorced about three years ago. When she hit rock bottom, she couldn¡¯t even afford to fill her belly with food. By chance, I stumbled upon her and asked her toe work at Carmine Pawnshop with me. She became my helper and was pretty talented in appraising precious items. I had nned to train her as my apprentice, but¡­ it turns out that I¡¯ve been raising a wolf that would eventually betray me. How disappointing!¡± ¡°Perhaps she really was at wit¡¯s end, that¡¯s why she¡­¡± ¡°No matter how desperate she was, she has to be punished for breaking the rules of Carmine Pawnshop. You must understand that in our line of work, betrayal is the worst crime and is absolutely uneptable. If we don¡¯t set a good example, we will lose the trust and respect of the public!¡± Chase clenched his fists and seemed just as upset as Renee was. He was clearly feeling sorry for his apprentice too. Seeing this, Renee said nothing more about it and nced at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now,¡± she said, ¡°and your pawnshop is going to open soon, so can you take me to your boss now? You made me a promise, you know.¡± ¡°A gentleman always delivers on his promise. I gave you my word, so I¡¯ll naturally take you to him. Follow me¡­¡± After finishing his sentence, Chase strode forward with his long legs and led the way. His green coat billowed under the silvery moonlight, entuating his graceful figure. It was as if he was a character who stepped out of the old poems, where men were not just handsome and powerful, but graceful and delicate.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Renee was about to follow him but suddenly remembered something when she saw the silk handkerchief in her hand. ¡®That¡¯s right! I was going to ask the old man where he got this handkerchief from!¡¯ But as she turned around, not only was the old man gone, his whole stall along with all his wares had vanished into thin air¡­ Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Renee found it weird, but because she still had an important business to attend to, she had to leave the matter there. With Chase leading her, she passed through the whole of Water Dock unimpeded and finally arrived at the center of the downstream zone, where Carmine Pawnshop proudly stood. ¡°So this is the legendary Carmine Pawnshop?¡± asked Renee as she stood at the door. She looked up at the gilt letters proiming its name on the door que and very bluntlymented, ¡°It looks so¡­ ordinary!¡± From the outside, the pawnshop looked like any other mansion. It just looked too ¡°normal¡± and not at all befitting the wlessnd of heinous crimes¡¯ reputation that Water Dock had garnered over time. In fact, it looked too simple and clean if anything. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Renee found it hard to believe that such a mundane building had been hiding priceless treasures from all over the world that inspired great fear and trepidation in the hearts of many! ¡°What did you expect?¡± Chase turned around and smiled gently. ¡°Carmine Pawnshop has always been an ordinary ce. It was you people who have elevated it into a powerful, godlike establishment¡­ or should I say, twisted it into an evilir of demons. The truth is, this ce is not at all as terrifying as it¡¯s rumored. At the end of the day, we¡¯re just another pawn shop like any other.¡± ¡°You say that,¡± argued Renee, ¡°but you still ept everything under the sun, whether legal or not. You¡¯d ept it as long as it¡¯s worth good money, wouldn¡¯t you? I hear that you¡¯d even let people pawn their own lives-a deed sinister enough that befits your reputation.¡± What was truly frightening about Carmine Pawnshop was that no legal rules applied there. If anyone wanted to pawn something valuable in exchange for the life of an enemy, as long as Carmine Pawnshop deemed their offering worthy enough, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill to get it, which was a horrifying thing! ¡°The way you put it,¡± said Chase, ¡®it¡¯s as though Carmine Pawnshop is some purgatory. In truth, as our boss has mentioned before, this ce is more like a charity hall than hell.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Think about it. In your most desperate times when you have nowhere else to turn to, you bring the most valuable thing in your life here to solve the most pressing problem in your life. As long as you gain enough strength to pay the agreed priceter, you can always get that most valuable thing in your life back. If you can¡¯t get it back, then it means that thing that you pawned wasn¡¯t really the most valuable thing in your life, since you didn¡¯t strive enough to earn back what you lost. You can¡¯t me Carmine Pawnshop for being cruel or unfair, don¡¯t you think that makes sense?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee stroked her chin, thinking that what the man just said did make some sense. After all, it was precisely for this reason that she decided to make this deal with Carmine Pawnshop, confident that she¡¯d one day gain enough strength to get back the most valuable thing in her life! ¡°You¡¯re back, Mr. Cheever!¡± A beautiful female employee in a traditional dress was standing at the door, politely greeting Chase. ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Chase nodded, then led Renee into the interior section of Carmine Pawnshop. Renee was instantly mesmerized by the sights around her when she finally got inside. She was now in the courtyard of Carmine Pawnshop, which had traditional architecture, making it look like a museum where every little room was a small exhibition for countless rare items. But she was in no mood to admire these items right now. She followed Chase closely behind and asked, ¡°Can you take me to your boss now?¡¯ ¡°Not yet,¡± replied Chase inly. Then, in a voice filled with pride, he added,¡± Right now I¡¯m bringing you on a tour around the ce. Witness the true scale of our business and see how remarkable and wealthy we are.¡± He had acquired all these treasures himself by traveling to famous corners of the world, sometimes even crossing oceans, to take them back here. He¡¯d proudly show these trophies that spoke of his achievements to anyone he met. This rendered Renee speechless for a while, until she told him through gritted teeth, ¡°Can¡¯t you show me around some other time? Please just take me to your boss first. I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even if you¡¯re in a hurry,¡± Chase exined with his hands stretched out helplessly. ¡®Because our boss is really busy right now. He¡¯s got a million things to do every day. I don¡¯t even know where he is, when he¡¯de back, or when he¡¯d leave¡­¡± When he noticed that Renee was so angry he could tear him into pieces at any moment, he added, ¡°But you can take a chance and wait for him here in the internal section. He oftenes back here lately, so you might really get the chance to see him after all.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡¯ Renee¡¯s fists were tightly clenched. She really wanted to punch Chase right now. ¡°Well, I must really thank you for your help then!¡± After all she¡¯d been through, she might not even get to meet that legendary boss everyone was talking about tonight! So why the hell did Chase have to take her here in such a hurry? Was it all simply to show off his precious treasures to her? Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Chapter 565 Just then, a beautiful woman meekly interrupted them and announced,¡± The boss has returned tonight, Mr. Cheever, but he is extremely busy, so he said not to disturb him if there¡¯s nothing urgent.¡± ¡® Really?¡± Chase¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s great! Where is he right now? What could make him so busy? Did he find something precious?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Boss is in the kitchen. I think he¡¯s¡­ busy cooking.¡± The woman smiled awkwardly. ¡°Cooking?!¡± Renee felt like cursing them all. She turned to Chase and asked, ¡°Is this what you mean when you told me your boss is always so busy with a million things to do every day?!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chase could hardly believe it himself. But to mend the situation he shamelessly suggested, ¡°I guess our boss must¡¯ve found some rare precious pots to try!¡± ?? n Before she came here, she assumed that Carmine Pawnshop was a hellish ce where fearsome demons gathered, but she realized that it was more of a house full ofedians! Even their boss-the infamous Night Demon seemed to have lost his mind. Why would he be busy cooking in the dead of night if he wasn¡¯t?! ¡°I¡¯m d he¡¯s here! I¡¯ll go over there and inform him about you. Please follow Jenny for now, she will take you to the living room and my boss will meet you there.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Renee nodded and followed Jenny into the living room to wait for Mr. Q. Chase then headed straight to the kitchen, and in the distance he could already hear the mor from the kitchen, apanied by a man¡¯s voice cursing. ¡°F*** it! How is this beef so tough?! I¡¯ve been cooking it for half a day and it¡¯s still as hard as a rock!¡± Apart from the nging noise, Chase could also see billowing smoke rising from the kitchen that brought with it a shing mixture of smells. ¡°Boss¡­?¡± he cautiously said. ¡¯Could you please¡­ turn off the stove for a while?¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. His voice so startled the tall muscr man that he dropped the spat in his hand, causing it to crash loudly down onto the floor. He turned around. The face underneath the mask was still as perfectly cool as ever, and in a calm tone that still exuded an air of intimidation, he said, ¡°Who gave you the permission toe in here? You¡¯ve ruined my pot roast!¡± Chase felt that he was unjustly used, and he exined, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a long time, Boss. I called out for you, but you didn¡¯t answer me. As for the failure of your pot roast, that has everything to do with yourck of skills. You cant me me for that!¡± He continued, ¡°What¡¯s gotten into youtely, Boss? Why are you suddenly cooped up in the kitchen? Did you find some kind of rare pot? Or was it the spat? I should tell you that you¡¯re not suited for this kind of thing, Boss. You should just give up¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Mr. Q felt thoroughly humiliated that he did not know what to say. ¡¯What are you doing here anyway?¡± ¡°I just wanted to tell you that I stumbled upon a woman today, Boss. Her temperament is unlike anyone else I¡¯ve met. I could tell from a nce that she was special. She insisted on seeing you. She said she¡¯s got something very special to pawn. If you¡¯ve got some time, would you go out and meet her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy!¡± Mr. Q refused t out. If he could not manage to cook this dish properly, he would never pass Adie¡¯s test. ¡°But that woman really is unique, Boss! Even herst name sounded special! I think it was Everheart¡­¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± Mr. Q asked in a brusque tone. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and meet her now.¡± By the time he finished his sentence, he was already striding out of the kitchen, full of enthusiasm Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Renee sat in the living room, staring up at the artwork on the wall. The artist who painted the masterpiece, Dost Wurst, happened to be her father¡¯s favorite painter. Her father¡¯s favorite artwork, Evening Song of the Shepherd Boy, was destroyed in the fire. 2 The artwork in front of her was titled Snow Before the Shepherd Boy, and it resembled the Evening Song of the Shepherd Boy in several ways. It was also the artwork that her father had been looking for while he was alive but had not found it. Nheless, she was still able to locate it. This made her question whether this was destiny. ¡°Do you understand drawings as well?¡± Behind her, a stern and chilly voice spoke out. Renee was taken aback by the familiar voice and immediately looked around. The guy was towering and imposing. Dressed in all ck from head to toe, his ck feather face mask seemed delicate, surrounding him with an air of mystery. The chilly grin on his face instilled terror in everyone around him. It was easy to see why he was dubbed the Night Demon. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Q. I¡¯ve heard great things about you.¡¯ Renee was not afraid; instead, she stretched out to shake his hand while smiling cordially. The guy, on the other hand, was icy-he looked at her hand and decided not to shake it. ¡°I heard you have a very valuable item to pawn, and you insist on mying here myself?¡± he inquired. ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡± Renee agreed and added, ¡®However, the item I want to pawn isn¡¯t an antiquejewelry, or anything illegal.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Her statements piqued his curiosity, so he said, ¡°Do borate?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to sell my private ind.¡± It may be found in Southeast Aeos. The geographical position is incredible, and it has yet to be marked on a map.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not because I don¡¯t have other choices, I wouldn¡¯t be pawning thest piece of cleannd I have,¡± Renee bemoaned while looking dejected. ¡°Are there no other options?¡¯ In contrast to the ind, he appeared to be more interested in Renee¡¯s present predicament. ¡°Yes. I require funds.¡± She had no intention of telling him anything else. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll repurchase it in six months,¡± she answered with a sad grin. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. She simply required money right now, based on the circumstances. After she got through this critical juncture, money wouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore. As a result, she was willing to incur the risk of temporarily pawning the ind. Mr. Q remained quiet for a few moments before saying coldly, ¡®How much money do you need?¡± ¡°1.5 billion.¡± Renee was forthright. Heughed coldly when he heard this. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m doing charity? Even the surrounding inds are only worth a few million dors, with the most costly being several billion dors. Aren¡¯t you asking a little too much for a small ind in Southeast Aeon?¡± ¡°I dare to ask because that¡¯s what it¡¯s worth.¡± When he said it, she unlocked her phone and showed him photographs of Sun Ind. ¡°Take a look. It has a big surface area and pure, clean water. The crucial point is that the ind has a well-built infrastructure. The structures alone cost me many millions-every requirement is met-you could live on this ind for the rest of your life trouble-free.¡± The ind¡¯s structures and amenities had been paid for with her and Liam¡¯s money. The ind¡¯s value was almost equal to that of the inds on Lagooncall. Her request for nothing less than 1.5 billion dors was already reasonable. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your ind¡¯s value is. My query is, why should I spend that much money on your ind when there are over a thousand and a million inds avable to me?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Renee did her hardest to think of a reason, and then an idea rushed across her head as she replied, ¡®Because your condition is unique. You need a private retreat where you can express yourself freely andpletely be yourself.¡± Chapter 567 Chapter 567 Chapter 567 ¡°My condition is unique?¡± ¡°Yes, but please don¡¯t get mad at me for saying this.¡± Renee took the risk of offending him by pointing to the mask on his face. ¡°I heard your face was badly damaged in the fight with Master Hunt, and you¡¯ve been wearing a mask ever since. You¡¯ve even sworn to kill anybody who has seen your face. I know it may be difficult since you are afraid of frightening people and being repulsive. But when you¡¯re on that ind, all those worries will be things of the past because you can take off your mask whenever you want. Nobody will be afraid of you, nor will they dislike you. Doesn¡¯t the ind suit youpletely?¡± Mr. Q was at a loss for words when he heard this. When Renee saw his confused feelings, she said, ¡°You¡¯re enemies with Stefan, and so am I.¡± Because we are fighting the same adversary, I believe you should back me up. I need the money to fight H Group.¡± ¡°Who are you to do that?¡± Mr. Q had clearly not taken her remarks seriously. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to wait and see. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell you I¡¯d repurchase the ind if I didn¡¯t believe I could defeat Stefan.¡± Renee had everything nned out, else she would not have taken such a choice today. ¡°Do you hate Stefan?¡± he inquired. She shrugged as she was taken aback by the inquiry. ¡°I used to despise him, but not anymore. After all¡­¡± She intended to exin that she had let go of all her grudges against him after he died rescuing her, but she stopped herself when she realized that the Hunt family had yet to disclose Stefan¡¯s death to the public. However, there had previously been rumors about it, so she assumed Mr. Q was aware of it as well. ¡°There is word that Stefan is dead. It¡¯s excellent that you¡¯ve let go of your animosity towards him. Fighting with the dead, after all, is pointless.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He hesitated for a while before saying, ¡°I can buy your ind, but whether it¡¯s worth 1.5 billion, I¡¯ll have to be the judge of that.¡¯ She paused for a while before nodding and consenting. ¡°Sure!¡± After all, she was on her way to pick up Abby and Margaret. ¡°Let¡¯s make some ns and get going,¡± Mr. Q replied quietly. ¡°Are we leaving right now?¡± She suspected that something was amiss with the agreement¡¯s seamless execution. ¡®Why? Do you agree?¡± ¡°No. I simply didn¡¯t expect things to go that swiftly and smoothly.¡± In the expectation that it would be way more difficult to convince Mr. Q, she requested Leia¡¯s assistance to care for Adie for another half-month. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you needed money? Isn¡¯t it better if we get things done quickly?¡± ¡®Yes. That is true!¡± Renee nodded appreciatively. She was on the verge of dropping down to her knees and thanking him. ¡®Whoever nicknamed Mr. Q as Night Demon was obviously lying. He¡¯s a deity who gives me hope!¡± she thought joyfully. She began to wonder whether the price of 1.5 billion was too low since Mr. Q agreed to it so soon. It left her at a loss, having a strange urge to make up for the money she might¡¯ve lost. Then she feigned to be perplexed by the Snow Before the Shepherd Boy. ¡°Is this the well-known painting by Dost Wurst? Is it genuine or a forgery?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll hang a fake painting on my wall?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s incredible! My father used to enjoy Dost Wurst, and I¡¯ve been seeking this piece for a long time¡­¡± ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll ask Chase to wrap it up for you. Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Chapter 568 ¡°Wrap it up for me?¡± Renee was taken aback and perplexed. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± Mr. Q questioned, turning to face her. ¡°No. I really do!¡± She returned her gaze to the picture and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate that you give me such an expensive painting?¡± Although she had been hinting at him to give it to her, she never expected him to be so casual about it! ¡°I don¡¯t see what the problem is if you like it. It¡¯s just a piece of art. There are a lot of paintings in the pawn shop,¡± he said casually. ¡°Thank you!¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She quickly bowed and thanked him. At this moment, she thought even his face mask was charming. Money was, indeed, the most powerful force in the world. She was suddenly reminded of the elderly man¡¯s forecast that said, ¡¯As lofty as the mountain, as boundless as the sea. An unrivaled pair, their union shall stand through eternity.¡¯ ¡¯Is it possible that Mr. Q is the one I¡¯ll marry? If he were, it would be absurd considering he is Stefan¡¯s arch-adversary. If Stefan finds out, he¡¯d definitely haunt me in my nightmares, she reasoned to herself. ¡°What exactly are you thinking about?¡± Renee had been so preupied with her thoughts that she hadn¡¯t realized Mr. Q had been watching her for quite some time. Her exaggerated expression piqued his interest in what she was thinking. ¡°Nothing!¡± Renee shook her head instantly. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± she ventured cautiously after a period of silence. ¡®What?¡± ¡°Are you seeing anyone right now? Do you have a spouse? Do you have any kids?¡± Renee wasn¡¯t one to gossip, but she was intrigued by Mr. Q¡¯s want to assist her. She wondered whether he had ever had feelings for her. After all, such was the case for Jovan, so she wanted to know whether Mr. Q was the guy she was supposed to marry. Mr. Q was surprised when he heard her inquiry and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not seeing anyone and I¡¯m not married. I guess I don¡¯t have any children either.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Renee¡¯s expression got moreplicated. ¡®He¡¯s wealthy and unmarried; if he already has someone he likes, he wouldn¡¯t be a bachelor! Am I really the one for him?¡¯ She was perplexed and thought to herself. ¡°You are wealthy and have all the good qualities. Why didn¡¯t you find a girlfriend? Is it because you already have a crush on someone?¡± She persisted with her questions, hoping to get more information from him. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± the guy questioned, his face expressionless. As she peered into his eyes, she pulled in a big breath and decided she didn¡¯t want to beat about the bushes any longer. ¡°Tell me, honestly, do you have a crush on me?¡± When Mr. Q heard this, he was dumbfounded. ¡°You found my son and lied to him about wanting to be my subordinate because you want to be near me, right? Everyone says you¡¯re a Night Demon who kills without hesitation, yet you were so generous to offer me 1.5 billion dors and the artwork. You went through all that trouble hoping to make me like you. The odd aspect is that you could be enemies with anybody in Beach City, yet you choose to be enemies with Stefan. You must be envious of him since he married me!¡± Renee conducted an analysis. She wasn¡¯t a narcissist, but after the experience with Javon, she got the feeling that anything might happen. She also had to acknowledge she was indeed extremely gorgeous Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Chapter 569 ¡®You¡­¡± Mr. Q took a moment to process all Renee said before responding emotionlessly, ¡® You have a wild imagination.¡¯ ¡°Is that not the case?¡± Renee took a step closer to him before cing her palm on his chest. When he saw this, he grimaced and grabbed her hand. ¡°What exactly are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯tworry. I simply want to know whether your pulse quickened for me.¡± She raised her nce to his and smiled sweetly. He was first uneasy until a grin came over his face. He put his long arm around her waist, drew her into his arms, and murmured hoarsely, ¡®If you want to feel it, thene closer.¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks reddened instantly, and she slipped from his grasp. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡± It was his time to take the lead, and he grinned as he inched closer to Renee. ¡°You said that I am your ex-husband¡¯s adversary. ¡®The enemy of my enemy is my friend,¡¯ as the adage goes. I believe we can give it a go and be together.¡± ¡°No!¡± She quickly crossed her arms. ¡®I knew it! I knew he had bad intentions. My sixth sense is never wrong!¡¯ she thought. It was unfortunate that she had no desire of being in a rtionship right now since she wanted to concentrate only on her work. ¡°I have no intention of dating anyone.¡± She locked her gaze on his. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Mr. Q responded, shaking his head. Tm solely interested in your ind.¡± ¡°That had better be it.¡± Renee, on the other hand, was unconvinced. She believed he was lying and that she needed to maintain her distance from him so that he didn¡¯t misinterpret her and fall for her even more deeply. Mr. Q had his own aircraft. They traveled to Sun Ind as quickly as possible after obtaining an air route. The seats on the luxurious ne were close together, yet she sat 3 feet apart on purpose to preserve her distance from him. She stuck on her earbuds after the aircraft took off so he wouldn¡¯t disturb her. Meanwhile, Mr. Q swayed the crimson wine ss in his palm, gazing out at thendscape. Sun Ind and Beach City were quite a way apart. When they set off, it waste at night. Renee couldn¡¯t help but feel chilly as she sat there. She tried her hardest to withstand the cold and not say anything in order to avoid any engagement with him. ¡°Achoo!¡± After a time, she couldn¡¯t take it any longer and curled up into a ball and sneezed. ¡°Are you cold?¡¯ he inquired. ¡°No,¡± she said, refusing to tell him the truth. Mr. Q shook his head and said nothing to her. Instead, he instructed the flight attendant to raise the temperature. The aircraft soon felt warm, and she thought to herself, ¡®It¡¯s so evident he loves me for doing this!¡¯ After a few hours, the jet touched down on Sun Ind. It was quite early in the morning on Sun Ind. The air was crisp and theke was clear. The sun was slowly rising, and there was a pleasant breeze in the air. It was but a dreame true! The ind not only featured a gorgeousndscape but also numerous structures. The sunflower garden, white church, floating cottages, a floating swimming pool, and a study. Everything was present. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Mr. Q was surprised since he had not expected the ind to be this beautiful. ¡°It¡¯s worth the 1.5 billion, right?¡± she added triumphantly, seeing his surprised expression. ¡®There isn¡¯t a more gorgeous sight than this!¡± Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Chapter 570 Renee led Mr. Q to Sun Ind¡¯s center, where she and her children spent most of their time. They had to stroll through the sunflower garden to get there. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. The garden was lovely, as each sunflower bloomed beautifully and grew to be as tall as humans. One strolled in front of the house, while the other wandered in the garden. The golden warmth of the sun shined on their head and shoulders. The sight was stunning, like something out of a movie. Abby stood at the far end of the garden, wearing a yellow dress and a little hat. She had a tiny shovel in her hand and was digging a hole. ¡°Abby, the sun is up, and the temperature is rising. Let¡¯s get you home before you be ill!¡± Margaret said as she stepped to the side and fanned her. ¡°You can go home first, Aunt Margaret. I need to cover the whole farm with sunflowers. Only then can Mommy and Adie return.¡± ¡°Thisnd is enormous. It¡¯ll be night by the time you finish nting it with sunflowers. Let¡¯s go home..¡± Margaret was concerned that Abby might get ill, and she couldn¡¯t help but sound solemn. Renee had assigned her to look after Addy, so she would do her best to ensure Abby was properly cared for. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aunt Margaret. It¡¯ll be quick.¡± Her cheeks reddened as she said to Margaret. Suddenly, her eyes sparkled, and she hurried around behind Margaret to the other side of the garden. ¡°Mommy! You¡¯re here!¡¯ Renee walked towards Abby and Margaret amid the flowers, catching Abby¡¯s attention. Renee, of course, noticed Abby. Her heart melted in one instant. ¡°Abby, my sweet baby. I missed you!¡± She embraced Abby in her arms and started kissing the small girl¡¯s cheeks. Renee thought her soft and bouncy cheeks were the cutest thing she¡¯d ever seen! ¡°I miss you, Mommy. Do you not want me anymore? What took you so long toe to see me?¡± Abby sighed and inquired pityingly. Renee¡¯s heart ached as she saw the young girl¡¯s sorrowful expression. She immediately apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wanted to return in a week, but many things beyond my control urred, dying my return. Are you willing to forgive me?¡± ¡°No matter what mistake you¡¯ve made, I won¡¯t ever me you,¡± Abby whispered softly as she nodded her head and caressed Renee¡¯s neck.¡± Mommy, I love you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a sweetheart. I can no longer confront you about what you did. N Renee was quickly overpowered by Abby. She wanted to scold Abby for lying to her with Adie, but she couldn¡¯t bring it up since Abby had forgiven her. ¡°Mommy, who¡¯s this?¡± Abby spotted the guy standing next to Renee. ¡°He¡¯s¡­¡± Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Chapter 571 Renee was uneasy as she struggled to introduce Mr.Q to Abby. Abby would have driven him away with the small shovel if she had informed her he wasing to acquire Sun Ind. ¡°He¡¯s a new friend I made in Beach City,¡± she answered hopelessly since this was the only response she coulde up with. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Mommy¡¯s friend?¡± Abby stepped out of Renee¡¯s embrace and moved up to Mr. Q. She smiled pleasantly and nced at him before grasping his palm in her small hand.¡± Greetings from Sun Ind. You¡¯re my friend too because you¡¯re mommy¡¯s buddy!¡± Mr. Q¡¯s frigid expression vanished, and it was clear that Abby¡¯s kindness warmed his chilly heart. As a result, he knelt and shook Abby¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Nice to meet you, little girl. Not only am I your mother¡¯s friend, but I am also your brother¡¯s buddy. I am confident that the four of us will be great friends.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t have many friends, especially male friends,¡± Abby said, her eyes sparkling with delight. ¡°Her only pals for thest four years had been Daddy Liam and Auntie Leia. I used to think she was lonely, but now that you¡¯re her buddy, you should spend more time with her!¡± ¡°Daddy Liam? Is he your mother¡¯s husband?¡± Mr. Q inquired. ¡°No. Mommy is not married. Daddy Liam isn¡¯t our biological father; he¡¯s just our legal father,¡± Abby said truthfully. ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee coughed and rubbed her brow inconveniently. ¡°OK, Abby, that¡¯s enough. Mr. Q is a normal friend of mine. You are not required to tell him anything about myself.¡± Abby was a little angel who thought everyone was wonderful and had no defense against anything. She would tell a stranger every detail, which often left Renee in a bind. Mr. Q had a smile on his face as he stroked Abby¡¯s head. ¡°This ind is stunning. Would you mind being my tour guide and showing me around?¡± ¡°Come with me!¡± Abby took his hand in hers and raced forward without hesitation. She was full of energy and cheerful, which only made her cuter. Meanwhile, Renee and Margaret followed them. Margaret felt defensive as he questioned Renee while staring at the man¡¯s back. ¡¯Did everything go well, Miss Ren? Why did you bring a guy here unexpectedly? With the mask on, he seems strange, as if he is a wicked guy. Is he reliable?¡± Renee let out a deep sigh and told Margaret everything that had transpired. ¡°He¡¯s neither good nor evil. He is, in fact, a businessman. He¡¯se to ponder on whether or not the ind is worthy. If he enjoys it, we¡¯ll have to leave the ind and go back to Beach City.¡± ¡°Return to Beach City?¡± ¡°Yes. I found Addie and Abby a kindergarten. Although there are a few issues with constructing the Everheart house, I¡¯ll work on them gradually. The objective is that both children may have regr lives like the other youngsters.¡± She doesn¡¯t have to be as low-key now that Stefan has died since she doesn¡¯t have to worry about his taking her children away. ¡°This is great news. But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m concerned about¡­¡± Margaret replied dejectedly, her expression somber Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Chapter 572 ¡°Margaret, you can tell me about your concerns,¡± Renee said. ¡°Miss Ren, you know Addie and Abby grew up here on Sun Ind, they barely have any contact with the outside world. I¡¯m not concerned about Addie. He¡¯s a clever child who is quite defensive, so no one can trick him. But I¡¯m concerned about Abby. She¡¯s a tiny angel with no defensive abilities. I¡¯m concerned she¡¯ll encounter some nasty individuals when she leaves Sun Ind. The most important fact is that Abby has health problems and has difficulty breathing. She needs fresh air to breathe. Even here on Sun Ind, where the air is clean, she¡¯ll be sick now and again; what will happen if she moves to the city?¡± Renee seemed concerned when she heard this. ¡°This concerns me as well. But Abbie cannot constantly be shielded; she must learn from her surroundings. I¡¯ll do my best to locate a suitable location in Beach City.¡± ¡°When ites to a healthy environment, there are only two areas in Beach City where the tree coverage is greater. One is near the Everheart home, while the other is the Hunt residence¡¯s care farm.¡¯ Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Margaret, you may not know this, but the Everheart residence will be turned into a garbage disposal area.¡± ¡°What!¡± Margaret was stunned and enraged. ¡°How could they have been so cruel? Master and Mistress choose the Everheart Mansion. It is the foundation of the Everheart family. It can¡¯t possibly be a rubbish disposal site!¡± ¡°Margaret, don¡¯t be overly emotional,¡¯ Renee encouraged her. ¡®I¡¯ll fix this. The Everheart home is equally significant as Sun Ind since it has many memories. I will do all in my power to safeguard both locations.¡± Meanwhile, Abby was jumping about like a bunny, clutching Mr.Q¡¯s hand and showing him the home she lived in. ¡°This is our home, Uncle. Does it resemble a castle? I¡¯m the princess, and Addie is the prince, ording to Mommy.¡± Mr. Q looked around the home and noted that every room was arranged in a really beautiful and pleasant manner. The wind chime was constructed of seashells, bright bottles were converted into ornaments, and vivid paintings on the wall transformed the house into a dream home from a storybook. ¡°Uncle Q, do you think our house is perfect?¡± Mr. Q grinned. ¡°Your house is lovely, but there¡¯s something missing.¡± ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± ¡°What iscking?¡± ¡°Has your mother ever told you any fairy tales?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± She proudly raised her chin and said, ¡°Mommy has told me all the fairy tales in the world.¡± ¡°Well, think carefully, who else is missing besides the prince, princess, and queen in a castle?¡± Abby scowled and paused before saying, ¡°I know, the servants!¡± Mr. Q was at a loss for words when he heard this. ¡°Aside from the servants, there are the guards, the evil witch, fairies, and¡­¡± The small girl identified every character in the narrative, but none of them was the one Mr. Q was implying. ¡°Hasn¡¯t your mother told you that the most important character in a castle is the king?¡± he remarked earnestly. Your pce isplete with the exception of a king.¡¯ He cleared his throat and stood up straight, attempting to persuade the girl that he was the ideal candidate for kingship. ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Abby responded, shaking her head. ¡°My mother is the ruler of this castle. She¡¯s fantastic!¡± Mr. Q was stunned, and it seemed that Renee had a strong influence on Addie and Abby. Margaret went to the kitchen to make supper in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Renee, Mr. Q, and Abby were ying games at the dining table. ¡°How about we y truth or dare? Here¡¯s a deck of cards. Whoever receives the Joker must listen to the yer who received the King and choose between either a truth or a dare. Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Abby enthusiastically handed out the cards. This was her favorite game. Renee and Addie would constantly beat her and Margaret. ¡®Since the masked uncle is here, I must win for once!¡¯ she reasoned to herself. Renee gave Mr. Q an uneasy grin and said, ¡°It¡¯s a little childish, but she likes it. Please y with her while you¡¯re here!¡± Mr. Q hesitantly agreed. Abby soon finished delivering all of the cards. They all opened their cards at the same time. Mr. Q was dealt the Joker, while Abby was dealt the King. ¡°Yay! I won!¡± This was her first victory, and she bounced about enthusiastically, eager to punish him. Renee reminded Abby that Mr. Q was their visitor and her sponsor. ¡°Abby, he¡¯s a guest. Don¡¯t go too far.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I¡¯m not going to make things difficult for our visitors.¡± ¡°All right, then, decide whether you want me to choose truth or dare.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Dare!¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯m not afraid of anything,¡¯ he said unequivocally. Abby looked at him, blinked her bright wide eyes, and pointed at the feather mask on his face. ¡°Uncle, could you please remove your mask and show me how you look?¡± Renee worried and abruptly came to a halt before he could respond. ¡°No. Switch to another dare.¡± She recalled Liam telling her that the mask is a forbidden subject for Mr. Q and that anybody who saw his face would perish. Despite the fact that he was normal and did not appear to be a cold blooded murderer, she did not dare to take the chance. After all, those that seemed normal were the most frightening. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°However, this is the rule. He must be punished if he does not obey the rule. ¡ö Abb/s hands were on her hips. She was a girl with values. ¡°I¡¯m willing to take the punishment,¡± Mr. Q said. ¡°How would you like to punish me?¡± ¡°How bored!¡± She was disappointed and said dejectedly, ¡°I punish you with 100 pushups.¡± ¡¯100?¡¯ Renee carefully examined the guy after hearing this, fearing that he might get furious. ¡°Not a problem.¡± Mr. Qplied with her and performed the requisite 100 pushups. Throughout the exercise, he executed every single pushup correctly, without breathing heavily or flushing his cheeks. His physique was in excellent condition. Following that, a new round began. He got the King this time, while Abby got the Joker. ¡°I lost. Do you want me to tell the truth or do you want to dare me?¡± ¡°I want you to tell the truth.¡± He grinned as he continued, ¡°Did you hide any secrets from your mother? Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Chapter 574 ¡°Well¡­¡± Abby paused after sneaking a glimpse at Renee. She was, indeed, concealing secrets from Renee. ¡® You must abide by the rules. Your nose will grow long if you lie.¡± Mr. Q frowned deeply and admonished Abby. Renee was also curious and attempted to find out the truth from Abby.¡± What¡¯s the secret? Tell me, I¡¯m curious!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you, but Mommy mustn¡¯t be angry.¡± Abby blinked her eyes and smiled at Renee. ¡°Don¡¯t be concerned. I¡¯m not going to be upset. Everyone has secrets, even me.¡± Renee considered herself a more positive mother, believing that as long as her children did not do something wrong, she would support them. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Abby stated gravely, sucking in a long breath and holding Renee¡¯s hands with her small hand. ¡°Mommy, I want to tell you that Addie and I want a daddy. Despite your assurances that we can be happy without Daddy, I believe we would be happier if we had one. Can you find a daddy for me and Addie, Mommy?¡± Renee was surprised, and the warm grin on her face vanished, leaving her face gloomy. When Abby saw this, she immediately eximed, ¡°Mommy, I was kidding. We don¡¯t need a father. We are content with you. Please do not feel pressed or angry with me.¡± ¡°No. How could I be upset with you? I¡¯m just¡­¡± Renee stopped before saying, ¡°I¡¯m just shocked that you and Addie wanted a daddy.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. They had grown used to not having a father in their lives since they were born. She would attempt to obscure the character while reading a story. Furthermore, the two children were quite understanding and never indicated a need for a father before her. As a result, she assumed that they had never required their father¡¯s affection before. However, it turned out that just because they didn¡¯t say it didn¡¯t imply that they didn¡¯t want a father. They didn¡¯t tell her since they didn¡¯t want to put her under any strain. She began to be sad at the thought of her attentive children. Mr. Q replied coldly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this obvious? Every child desires a father. Even if a mother is wonderful, she will never be able to fill the position of a father. Do you not realize this? Or are you simply being selfish?¡± Renee was despondent, and hisments did little to lift her spirits. Instead, it was like pouring salt in a wound; she was immediately enraged. ¡°What do you know? You have no right to talk as a single guy without children!¡± ¡°Why do I not have the right to speak?¡± ¡°What is it that a father can aplish that a mother cannot?¡± Her inquiry astounded him. ¡°Let me think.¡± ¡°Anything a father can do, a mother can do. However, a father cannot do all that a mother can,¡± she rebutted. He was dissatisfied after hearing this. ¡®Can you tell me what things a father cannot do?¡± ¡°Breastfeed and give birth. Can you aplish any of those? If you could, I¡¯ll take back my words,¡± she sassed. Mr. Q couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. Chapter 575 Chapter 575 Chapter 575 At this time, Abby said quietly from the side, ¡°Mommy, there¡¯s something that Daddy and Mommy can do but Daddy will do it better.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Renee and Mr. Q both turned to gaze at her, intrigued about her response. ¡°It¡¯s lifting me up!¡¯ ¡°Daddy will definitely lift me up higher than Mommy. I want to sit on Daddy¡¯s shoulder and watch the scenery around me!¡± he concluded. Renee was unable to refute her remarks and was ovee with remorse. There was a physical difference between a man and a woman. A man could provide a kid with more protection and security. This was something she would never be able to make up for. ¡°Is that it? Ill lift you up.¡± Mr. Q abruptly bowed down and put out his extended arms, effortlessly cing Abby on his wide shoulders. ¡°Wow, this is very high. I can see the entire sea!¡± She was so happy that she burst outughing and put her arms around his neck, shouting, ¡°Lift me up even higher!¡± They blended perfectly with the blue water, creating a lovely, heartwarming sight. Renee was overwhelmed as she watched them from the rear. Abby was usually joyful, but this was the first time she saw herugh and scream so loudly. ¡°Perhaps I might consider finding them a father?¡± she was perplexed. The truth, however, was terrible since it was simple for her to find a spouse but difficult forthem to find a father. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. For starters, she didn¡¯t want more children, which meant she couldn¡¯t find an unmarried guy. Second, she didn¡¯t want to be anyone¡¯s stepmother. Finally, no male in the world would help take care of her children. Even if such a guy existed, she still had to like him in the first ce. However, she felt she had lost her capacity to like anybody right now. The point was, it was difficult! Margaret had finished cooking. ¡°Miss Ren, your friend is amazing,¡± she said as she followed Renee¡¯s eyes. ¡°He is excellent with youngsters. Stefan is nothingpared to him. Is he interested in you? Why don¡¯t you consider him if he is?¡± ¡°He might like me, but I don¡¯t. We couldn¡¯t possibly be together.¡± Renee replied, shaking her head. Margaret let out a big sigh when she heard this. ¡°Please don¡¯t think I¡¯m intruding on your personal problems, Miss Ren, but you¡¯ve been divorced for so long. Your children are gradually maturing. It¡¯s time to consider yourself. You¡¯re not even 30 yet. Do you intend to be single for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the harm in being single? I haveplete freedom to do anything I choose. In addition, I have you and the kids with me. I¡¯m not lonely at all.¡± ¡°You might not feel lonely now, but you will once your children have their own families. I¡¯m old, and I¡¯m not sure how much longer I¡¯ll be around. You¡¯ll realize how nice it is to have someone to chat with, to share meals with, and to walk around the park holding hands. It¡¯s good to have someone to look out for one another. There is a delight in your life that only yourpanion can provide.¡± Margaret considered Renee to be her daughter and was concerned about her personal life. She didn¡¯t want to push Renee into marriage; all she wanted was for her to meet a suitable guy. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll think about it and try to get married,¡± Renee remarked half- jokingly. Simultaneously, she pondered when her prince charming woulde. After Abby and Mr. Q had their fun, she rushed upto Renee and tugged her hand, mysteriously saying, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve made a decision!¡± Chapter 576 Chapter 576 Chapter 576 "Really? Tell me about it." Renee squatted down and gently wiped away the sweat on Abby''s face with a small towel. The little girl ran so excitedly until her puffy cheeks were red like two ripe apples, which made her irresistibly cute. "Mommy, didn''t I tell you just now that I actually want a daddy? But you haven''t been looking for one, so I decided to take Mr.Q as my father.I want him to be my daddy!" Abby said very seriously. Her eyes were twinkling like the stars. "No, you can''t!" Renee disapproved of her idea without hesitation. Stefan was, in any case, Abby''s biological father. But Mr.Q was coincidentally his nemesis, and if they were to be father and daughter, wouldn''t it mean that Abby had sold herself to her enemy? Though Renee had a grudge against Stefan, it was another matter on a whole different level.She could not make herself do something so immoral or agree for Abby to do so either. "Why not?" Abby pouted, her face filled with confusion. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "Mr.Q is a good person.He ys with me, carries me on his shoulders, and even buys me nice food.He is the best person to be my daddy." "You are so easily bought off, little girl. You are such a silly, gullible girl. If you go back to Beach City, you''d be abducted by a human trafficker in minutes..." "That''s because Mr.Q is your friend, Mommy, so I think that he must be a good man.Otherwise, you wouldn''t have brought him to Sun Ind, would you?" "Um, about this..." Abby''s question dumbfounded Renee. Embarrassed, she touched her nose and said, "You are willing to regard him as your daddy, but he might not be willing to do the same.He is a single man with a bright future.If he suddenly has a daughter your age, it will be an obstacle for him to find a wife!" She pinched the chubby face of the little girl and persuaded, "Listen to me, don''t simply make anyone your daddy.If you want one, I will work hard and find you one as soon as possible, okay?" Right then, Mr.Q came and said unhurriedly, "Abby is quite adorable.I don''t mind having such a lovely daughter." "But I do!" Renee clenched her fists and shouted agitatedly.She never thought that the fearsome Night Demon would feel sofortable and ept a stranger as his goddaughter so casually. Something must be up in his mind! Renee sternly told Mr.Q, "Don''t you just blindly y along when the child is acting childish.You are only being reckless and want Abby as your daughter just because she is cute.But do you know what it means for a four-year-old? Being a father is a very serious thing.You can''t just be one on a whim.Please don''t make this kind of joke!" After that, she brought Abby to have her meal.She had to keep a close watch and not let Abby get any closer to this man. Once the contract was signed, she would immediately cklist him from her life! Renee felt a bit dizzy and kept sneezing at the dining table. Margaret was a little concerned and asked, "Why do you keep sneezing, Miss Ren? Have you caught a cold?" Renee looked lifeless, like a wilted apple. She waved her hand and said, "I think it''s because it was a little too cold in the airne.It''s not a big deal." "Wait, I will make you some concoction to warm you up," said Margaret. She put down her cutlery and went to boil some water for Renee. "It''s not necessary..." Renee stopped her. But Margaret immediately discovered that Renee''s body was burning. "Oh my, you are running a fever, Miss Ren.You are burning up!" "Am I? I don''t think so." Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Renee tried to shake off the drowsiness in her head.She was no ordinary woman and rarely fell sick.She could not have copsed just because of the cold wind. This would make her a joke! Mr.Q stood beside her with a gloomy face and put the back of his hand on her forehead, then ordered, "Stop acting tough when you are burning up this badly, you idiot!" This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡®-Idiot?" Despite the dizziness, Renee turned to the man and felt some indescribable feelings in her heart. Apart from Stefan, this man was the second person who dared to call her an idiot.He also had a domineering aura that she had only ever felt on Stefan. She was considered assertive and headstrong, but still helplessly turned into an obedient woman under the powerful aura of this man... "Are you having a fever, Mommy? Do you feel very sick? Let me blow it away for you and see if you will feel better." Abby was so worried that she hugged her.She blew on her face trying to cool her down. Renee quickly dodged her and said to Margaret, "Don''t worry about me, Margaret.Just take care of Abby, and don''t let her near me.She has a weak immune system, and it''ll be bad if she gets infected." "That''s right.Abby''s immune system is weak.She gets infected every time any of you catches a cold.I should iste her from you properly this time." Margaret quickly pulled Abby far away from Renee while feeling concerned about her. "But you..." "Don''t worry.I will take care of her." Though Mr.Q always did not show much expression on his face, his mature and steadyposure could somehow convince people that he was very reliable. Margaret hesitated but nodded in the end. "Well then.I will cook some concoction for Miss Ren, and please make sure she drinks itter, and thank you." Then, she brought Abby to another room. Renee''s head was dizzy, and her body was limp, but she did not want to show her weakness to the man in front of her, so she stood up and said loudly, "Alright.You should go on with your work.You don''t have to take care of me.I will recover after taking a nap.I..." Just as she wanted to step forward, her legs gave out. She fell straight down, but luckily the man reacted fast enough and wrapped his arm around her slim waist. Their bodies pressed against each other in an embarrassing posture. "You are also a part of this project.I have finished inspecting the ind, and I am very satisfied with it.Now, I am inspecting you." The dark and deep eyes behind the mask gazed at the woman. "What are you inspecting me for?" Renee looked fatigued.She felt like her brain had turned into mush, slowing her reaction and failing her guesses as to what the man meant. "I am assessing if your project is worth my money." He then picked her up and asked, "Where is your bedroom? I will send you to your room so you can rest." "You don''t have to do that.My legs are fine, I can walk myself." Renee blushed even more. No one knew if it was because of the fever or if she was too embarrassed. Though she had guessed that this man had a crush on her, she was still flustered when he started taking action. "Stop wasting your energy.I will not fall for you.You should change your target.All I want from you is your money.I..." "You are thinking too much," said the man nonchntly, "I am just worried that the deal will be off once you die." "Huh? I-is that so..." "So, where is your room?" Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Chapter 578 Renee wished that this man would care less about her.She was only having a cold, not paralysis or something of that manner.She really did not want him to carry her into her bedroom. Besides, how could a man simply enter the bedroom of a woman? Nevertheless, she felt really weak now and had little energy to resist. All that was on her mind now was that she wanted to lie down and sleep, so she pointed to the staircase and said, "The first room on the second floor." And the man carried her to the bedroom on the second floor. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Renee''s bedroom and her personality were rather contradictory. The room was all pink and light blue, piled with all sorts of dolls and figures. Ace curtain hung circumferentially over the bed in the middle of the room, giving the room a beautiful dreamlike ambiance. "I can imagine that you look as cranky as a tyrannosaurus but actually have a maiden''s heart." Mr.Q put Renee on her bed and wandered around her room. Renee''s head throbbed, and she said in annoyance, "You can go about your business if there is nothing else.You don''t have to stay here." "No can do.I have promised Margaret to take good care of you." "I don''t need you to do that for me.I will be alright after taking a nap." "Then you can sleep, and I shall carry on strolling." The man bent down and started examining the models ced on the piano. Renee was very irritated and wanted to kick the ignorant man out of her room.But for the sake of the contract, she could only put up with it. So she pulled the nket over her head and fell asleep. While sleeping, she vaguely heard Margareting in and out of the room. "Are you alright?"She heard Mr.Q''s cold, crisp voice through the nket.Renee was too hot and weak to care about him, so she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. "Margaret has boiled you some concoction.Drink it before you fall asleep again." Mr.Q sat beside her bed with a bowl of steaming concoction in his hand.He was blowing on it to cool it down a bit. Renee was still curling up under the nket like a kitten, not wanting to face the outside world. Or to be precise, she did not want to face this very annoying rich man she could not afford to offend! "If you can''t drink it yourself, I don''t mind feeding you," said the man leisurely while looking at the woman who was ying dead. Renee rolled her eyes. ¡®Tsk, what a dishonest man. Why is he still not admitting that he likes me when he is being so attentive?¡¯ She wanted to know how he would feed her if she did not show her head. The next second, Mr.Q pulled away the nket covering Renee''s head, sipped the concoction, and leaned forward. Renee instantly sobered up from drowsiness and backed up in fear. "What...what are you trying to do?" The man was silent with the concoction in his mouth.His deep eyes were very serious.His intention was more than obvious. Renee gulped and surrendered. "You win.I will drink it." Mr.Q smiled in satisfaction. He swallowed the concoction in his mouth and said softly, "Don''t try to be a hero when you''re sick.Isn''t it good sometimes to be obedient?" Renee shuddered at his words, feeling nauseating.She nearly vomited when she took the bowl and smelled the concoction. "Margaret''s concoction smells so awful.I really don''t want to drink it.My body is strong and does not need this.I will recover once I''ve taken a nap." "No more bargaining.Drink it." Chapter 579 Chapter 579 Chapter 579 "What is wrong with you? What does it have to do with you if I am sick or whether I want to take the medicine or not? What are you doing being the bossy one here? Are you..." "It seems like you need me to feed you, then." The man smiled wryly and approached the woman slowly while making the gesture of wanting to "feed" her. Renee shuddered immediately. Pinching her nose and frowning, she bit the bullet and tried to gulp it down in one go. But it was damn so bitter! The woman looked up cautiously, wanting to find a chance to cheat, but her eyes met with Mr.Q''s deadly stare. So, she could only lower her head and continued drinking the concoction. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡®Oh God, why is my life so bitter, just like this concoction? I am in my own territory, yet I am still forced by a man to drink this? It is so unfair!" Seeing Renee struggle to drink the concoction, the man suddenly stood up and surveyed the room. Then, he walked to the piano and sat down elegantly. Then, like flowing water, his long, slender fingers ran across the keys while a beautiful tune slowly filled the room. Renee was taken aback. She did not expect that the man whose nickname was Night Demon actually knew how to y the piano, not to mention that he was particrly good at it.His music was like a tranquilizer. It calmed her restless heart, and she quietened down instantly. What''s even more amazing was that her body felt less ufortable, and she felt soothed. And the concoction did not seem to be that bitter anymore. She took a deep breath and tilted her head, finishing thest drop. The man continued ying the piano skillfully. He was so focused that he closed his eyes and immersed himself in the music. Renee put the bowl on the bedside table andy down, also closing her eyes. Gradually, she fell asleep. She had a beautiful dream under the beautiful tune. She dreamed of her being in a colorful garden. The air was fragrant with sweet flowers and grass, and the sky was blue. She felt as if she was in heaven. In the garden, she was smiling happily and holding her children''s hands each on one side. They ran forward together, wanting to reach the end of the sky... A tall man stood at the end of the white expanse, back facing them. He seemed to have been waiting for them for a long time... When Margaret came in and saw the empty bowl on the bedside table, she was very surprised. "You are amazing, Mr.Q, to actually seed in making Miss Ren finish the concoction.This is something I never managed to do for twenty years." Meanwhile, the man happened to finish the song, but the beautiful music seemed to be still lingering in the air. "Your youngdy might look very powerful, but she is actually a child..." He slowly closed the lid of the piano and said with a faint smile. "Coaxing alone is not enough when dealing with a child." Margaret looked at Renee, who was sound asleep, and eximed, "You really have a way of doing things.Look at how well Miss Ren is sleeping.She hasn''t slept this well for a long, long time." "Is she usually a bad sleeper?" Mr.Q gazed at the sleeping woman with aplicated expression on his face. "Yes.Miss Ren is a still woman, in fact, a very powerful young woman.She has experienced too many things and worries too much.So it is only normal that she has insomnia. "Didn''t you try to cure it?" Margaret sighed and said sadly, "We have tried all sorts of ways, from diet, medication, or the furnishing of her bedroom and the incense candles or whatever.We did everything we could think of, but the effect was only marginal.To be honest, I think this is something psychological!" Mr.Q asked grimly, "What is that?" Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Chapter 580 "What else can it be? Stefan Hunt, of course!" Margaret knitted her eyebrows tightly when she mentioned his name and sighed. "You should know about Miss Ren''s previous marriage.She put a lot of effort into the marriage and was passionately devoted to her husband, but it turned out to be so ugly in the end...Women can be indestructible, but when ites to love, it can easily be an obsession.Miss Ren is too stubborn.She has trapped herself in that failed marriage for so many years, yet she still has note out of it." Mr.Q remained silent for a long time.His facial expression was unreadable under the mask, but she could feel that his whole body was exuding coldness. "So, you are saying that she still loves her ex-husband after all these years, and she cannot sleep because she misses him too much?" "It is not like that." Margaret shook her head. "It is not necessarily love that keeps her from getting over him.She might just be unwilling to let go or simply cannot forget it." "Unwilling to let go?" "Yes.Feelings are like buying stocks.The more you invest, the harder it is to get out of.Once you start losing money, not only will you not stop, but you will gamble off more capital instead until you lose everything...There is such a huge hole in her heart that it won''t be easy for her to let go." Margaret''s words were very philosophical and thought- provoking. Mr.Q seemed to be deeply struck and said coldly, "You are right.Feelings are like buying stocks.Since it is difficult to predict the oue, the only way to ovee it is not to invest too much in it.Out of a hundred, just invest one percent of your feelings.You will then be able to withdraw any time you want and naturally not be reluctant to give it up. In confusion, Margaret looked at the man and asked cautiously, "What is your feeling toward Miss Ren then? If you only want to put one percent of your devotion into the rtionship, I will suggest you not provoke her.Because once Miss Ren gets serious about it, she would have trouble getting out of it.She has suffered once because of love.I will not let her suffer again!" "My devotion to her will depend on how much she loves me.It seems like all her love is still on her ex- husband, which makes me think that she won''t even spare me a bit." "Absolutely.As long as Miss Ren''s heart is not cured, she won''t fall in love with another man and start a new rtionship, and she will remain a depressed insomniac.This is really worrying!" Margaret felt troubled thinking about this.She could not help but pat Mr.Q''s shoulder and said, "I''m rooting for you.Miss Ren¡¯s willingness to bring you to Sun Ind shows you have a special ce in her heart.Try to make her fall in love with you sooner so her heartache cures naturally." "This is not something I can do..." said Mr.Q tacitly, " Whoever started the trouble should end it. Since it is because of Stefan, only he can cure her." Renee slept for a long time. By the time she woke up, it was alreadyte at night, and the room was lit with a dimmp. Mr.Q was lying on a recliner under themp with a book on him. He seemed to be asleep. She touched her forehead. It was no longer hot. She pushed away the nket, got out of bed, and tiptoed to the man. The scene of the fearsome Night Demon lying on a recliner and sleeping in her house with Maugham''s "The Moon and Sixpence" on him was rather... N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. peculiar! She cleared her mind and took a deep breath before waving in front of the man.The man remained still. Judging from his breathing rate, he was indeed asleep, in deep sleep, in fact. ¡®GreatI she thought. ''No matter how cautious you are, you finally fall into my hands.Today, I shall see what kind of horrors lie beneath this mask." Though Mr.Q had stated that those who saw his face would be in, he was now asleep, and she could convince him that it was just a dream. If she had seen his face, he would not kill her for a dream, right? Renee bent down and traced the man''s perfectly chiseled cheeks with her long fingers. Just as she was about to remove his mask, her wrist was restricted. "What are you trying to do?" His words seemed to crawl out of an ice dungeon. Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Renee was embarrassed. Her entire body froze, too scared to move. She smiled and said, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake, haha. There was a mosquito on your face, so I hit it for you.¡± ¡°How kind of you.¡± The man remained lying down, but his aura was very strong and a bit unruly. He forcefully pulled the woman into his arms and said with a smile on his face, ¡® Then, how should I repay you?¡± Renee halfy on the man¡¯s chest. She did not dare to struggle too hard. She was worried that, if she did, their poses would get even more awkward. She pretended to be calm and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to repay me. I was just doing you a favor back. You took care of me all night, fed me medicine, and yed the piano for me. Killing a mosquito for you is nothing inparison.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right!¡± The man said calmly, ¡¯Taking care of a patient is hard work, especially if the patient wouldn¡¯t take her medicine obediently like a good girl. I¡¯ve been busy all night, so now my back is sore and my eyelids are heavy. You wouldn¡¯t think killing a mosquito for me is enough to repay me, would you?¡± ¡®Then what do you want me to do?¡± Renee asked through gritted teeth. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. This despicable man just turned the tables on her. ¡°Nothing much. I just want you to massage my shoulders, rub my legs, and sing a little song for me.¡± Renee¡¯s expression darkened. ¡¯Don¡¯t push it. I don¡¯t like this kind of joke.¡± Mr. Q thus let go of Renee. He looked out of the window at the bright moon which shone like a jade and muttered, ¡°In that case, can you spend some time to chat and moon-gaze with me?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Renee replied with a snap of her fingers. She got up to get some snacks and fruits. ¡°Let¡¯s chat!¡± With a crispy red apple in her hand, she wrapped herself in a nket, looking carefree. The man sat upright and looked at her up and down. ¡°Your fever¡¯s gone?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± ¡°Your cold¡¯s gone too?¡± ¡®Yup!¡± Renee bit into the apple and said smugly, ¡°I told you, I have a good constitution. For a little cold like that, I¡¯d be fine after a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have recovered so quickly if not for Margaret¡¯s medicine.¡± ¡°Actually, the most effective medicine was your piano¡­¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but reminisce, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be that good at ying the piano. It cured the insomnia which has been bothering me for a long time. Because I slept really well, I recovered quickly.¡± His lips curled into a smile. ¡°There are still many sides of me you have yet to discover, but we have plenty of time.¡± Renee stared at the man. She had a strange feeling. Although they were not that close, it felt so natural to chat and gaze at the moon together, as if they were two old friends who had known each other fora longtime. ¡°Who are you? Do I¡­ know you?¡± Renee could not help asking. Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Chapter 582 Mr. Q did not answer. Instead, he asked, ¡°Who am I? Is that important? Have you developed any special feelings for me?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Renee got goosebumps. She exined, ¡°I just feel very rxed when I¡¯m with you, like you¡¯re an old friend. You¡¯re different from what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s not important, there¡¯s no need to delve deeper into it. Strictly speaking, you and I are just a buyer and a seller. You give me the ind, I give you the money. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡®That¡¯s true.¡± Renee nodded. She must not have been thinking right. All he did was persuade her to take the medicine and y music for her, and that was enough to make her think that he was a kind person and lower her guard. She was simply too naive! Renee took a deep breath and secretly raised the wall around her heart a little higher. She asked Mr. Q, ¡® What do you think of the ind? When can we sign the contract, and more specifically, when can you transfer the money?¡± Liam¡¯s situation was urgent. She needed the money as soon as possible. Mr. Q could not help smiling. The woman changed her attitude so quickly. A moment ago, it was ¡°we¡¯re like old friends¡±, but a momentter, it became ¡°hurry up and pay me¡±. ¡°I like the ind. I can transfer the money to your ount anytime, but¡­¡± He paused for a moment. He obviously had extra conditions. Renee pursed her lips. She knew things wouldn¡¯t go so smoothly. He was the ¡°Night Demon¡±, the man who made Carmine Pawnshop what it was today. There was no way he would be that easy to deal with. ¡°What other conditions do you have? Let me know and I¡¯ll try my best to fulfill them.¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He looked her over from top to bottom with a meaningful expression. Renee wrapped the nket tighter around herself and said seriously, ¡®Don¡¯t get any funny ideas. I might need money, but I¡¯m not that desperate.¡± ¡®You¡¯re overthinking again.¡± He said calmly, ¡°I have no interest in you, but I¡¯ve taken a liking to your daughter¡­ If you let her be my daughter, we can sign the contract right now and the money will be transferred to your ount in an hour. What do you say?¡± Renee instantly jumped to her feet and pointed at the man. ¡°You pervert! So it¡¯s my daughter you¡¯re after! I knew there¡¯s no way the Night Demon would be a good guy!¡± ¡®You can live without a husband, but your children need a father. You one- sidedly deprived your children of the right to have a father. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too selfish?¡± Renee was momentarily stumped by what the man said. Because that was indeed an internal struggle she had had to deal with for four years. ¡°When Abby spoke her mind today, she already made it very clear. It¡¯s not that your two children don¡¯t want a father, they just don¡¯t want to put any pressure on you, so they lie and say that having you is enough for them. But the fact is, they long for fatherly love. Why can¡¯t you fulfill their wish?¡± ¡°I would if I could, but the role of a father is too important to a child. Not anyone could fulfill that role!¡± ¡®That¡¯s merely what you think. Have you ever asked the children what they think?¡± Mr. Q sneered and said in a serious voice that carried a hint of sarcasm, ¡± Because the role is too important, you denied them the right to have a father? For four years, they never knew what it feels like to have a father!¡± ¡°What a great mother you are, so great that you can dictate their lives for them!¡± ¡®Shut up!¡± Chapter 583 Chapter 583 Chapter 583 His words poked at the most vulnerable spot in Renee¡¯s heart. She replied angrily, ¡°No mother would willingly let her children grow up without a father if she could help it. It only happens if the father is too untrustworthy. I have to do this to protect them so that they won¡¯t get hurt!¡± ¡°Untrustworthy?¡± Mr. Q sneered and said, ¡°What do you mean by untrustworthy? The trustworthiness you value so much might not be worth even a single penny in the children¡¯s eyes. That unworthiness is something that they can only dream of having!¡± Renee retorted, ¡°My two children have been with me ever since they were born. No one in the world knows them better than I do. I have my own judgment on what type of father they need. I don¡¯t need your advice.¡± ¡®You stubborn woman!¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Mr. Q sighed helplessly and shook his head. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m definitely untrustworthy and unsuitable?¡± Renee could not tell him that it was because he was their biological father¡¯s biggest rival! ¡°How about this¡­¡± Mr. Q noticed Renee¡¯s reluctance and said, ¡®Til give you an observation period, from now until the moment you redeem Sun Ind back. During this period, I¡¯ll take on the role of Abb/s father. If, at that time, you still feel that I¡¯m untrustworthy, you can buy the role back. What do you think?¡± Renee was very surprised. The legendary Night Demon was actuallypromising? She looked at the man with a puzzled expression and said, ¡°I mean, I can ept that offer, but why would you¡­¡± ¡®There¡¯s no reason. I¡¯ve just taken an immediate liking to Abby. Maybe in my past life, I¡¯m actually her father. Who knows?¡± The man said with a smile on his face. In the end, Renee reached a temporary agreement with Mr. Q for the sake of money. Not long after the contract was signed, she sessfully received the money. The price she had to pay was that the fickle Abby no longer clung to her anymore. Abby would now constantly follow behind Mr. Q, saying Daddy this, Daddy that. Mr. Q was a typical daughter-con. He agreed to anything Abby asked. Renee had no doubt that if Abby wanted the stars in the sky, the tycoon would immediately buy NASA! They decided to return early tomorrow morning. Margaret helped them pack up. Renee was a bit sad that she had to leave the ce that she had lived in for four years. But it¡¯s okay, she would redeem it sooner orter! The next morning, they took off in Mr. Q¡¯s private jet. ¡®Wow, we¡¯re flying! This is awesome!¡± Abby was leaving Sun Ind for the first time in her life. She had been feeling excited sincest night. She was currently leaning against the window and staring at the marshmallow-like clouds below, looking as happy as a hummingbird. ¡°Do you like flying? If you do, Daddy will take you on a helicopter sometime. The feeling of flight is even stronger in a helicopter!¡± Mr. Q said indulgently. ¡®Yay! Daddy, you¡¯re amazing! You have everything! Abby really likes Daddy!¡± Abby¡¯s mouth was as sweet as honey. She made Mr. Q really happy. Renee, who was sitting next to her, felt mad! ¡®This silly daughter of mine is so easily coaxed! What if she stays this way after she grows up?!¡¯ Fortunately, she had a secret weapon that could cure her daughter¡¯s foolishness. Chapter 584 Chapter 584 Chapter 584 When their car arrived at Beach City, Renee and Mr. Q parted ways. Renee had long been looking forward to this moment, but her silly daughter had a sad look on her face. Abby clung to Mr. Q and wouldn¡¯t let go. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Daddy, are you going away already? I don¡¯t want you to go away. Can youe home with us and stay with me and Mommy and Adie?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡¯No!¡± Before Mr. Q could answer, Renee sharply refused. ¡°Why not? Shouldn¡¯t Daddy, Mommy, and the children live together?¡± ¡°Abby, listen to Mommy. He¡¯s not a good person. Not only did you y with him, you even want to bring him home? That¡¯s like inviting a wolf into a sheep pen, so no.¡± ¡°But I think Mr. Q is a good person. He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad guy. He won¡¯t hurt us. Not only that, he¡¯ll even treat us well and take care of us.¡± Abby¡¯s sweet little face was filled with trust for Mr. Q. Although she had spent less than two days with Mr. Q, she could tell that he was sincerely kind to her. It was the same type of kindness that Mommy showed her, without any bad intentions mixed in. She could tell. ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen to me? No means no.¡± Renee was getting a bit mad. She crossed her arms and said, ¡°If you like him so much, you can go with him, but I won¡¯t be your Mommy anymore.¡± Upon hearing that, Abby immediately released Mr. Q¡¯s hand and hugged Renee¡¯s thigh. She said cutely, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be jealous. Abby will always love you the most. No one can rece you in Abby¡¯s heart. If I have to choose between the two of you. I¡¯ll definitely choose you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote! Sweet words are useless now!¡± Renee turned her head, still angry. Hmph, she¡¯s not that easy to coax. She¡¯s been feeling jealous the whole journey back. If she didn¡¯t let Abby know the seriousness of the situation, how could she still keep Abby in check in the future? Mr. Q crouched down and said to Abby with a faint smile, ¡°Then, I guess it¡¯s goodbye for now, Abby. If we keep going, your Mommy might blow up like a pufferfish.¡± ¡°You do know Mommy well, Daddy. She¡¯s like a child and needs to be coaxed. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll calm her down and we can live together after that!¡± Abby spoke confidently and waved goodbye to Mr. Q. ¡°Okay, Daddy will wait for your good news!¡± Mr. Q waved to the little girl with a gentle smile. Throughout the whole ordeal, Renee indeed looked like a child who was throwing a tantrum. Abby, on the other hand, handled it extremely well. Sheforted Renee all the way, hugging her face and kissing her cheeks again and again, telling her, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be mad, okay? I wasn¡¯t being serious with Mr. Q, you¡¯re my true love. After all, he¡¯s a neer, so I have to make him feel wee. If not, he¡¯ll run away. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡®Then just let him run away. He¡¯s not a good person. Why do you have to make him feel wee?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s a good person, but I think he¡¯s very friendly and I like him very much. Most importantly, I think he¡¯s incredible. He can take care of us and protect us in the future. That way, Mommy won¡¯t have to work so hard anymore¡­¡± Abby expressed her good intentions. For years, Mommy had been working untilte at night every day to support her and her brother. She spent most of her time locked up in theboratory. It was really hard on her. Wouldn¡¯t it be great if there were someone who could share the burden with her and who also truly loved her? Although Abby was a naive little girl, she had a super strong instinct. She could sense that Mr. Q was a good man. Not only that, he was also a very powerful person who loved her mother very much, so she did not want her mother to miss out on him! ¡°You silly girl, when you grow up, you¡¯ll realize that the only person you can rely on in this world is yourself. Expecting other people to take care of you and protect you will only bring you disappointment.¡± Renee rubbed Abby¡¯s head and said in a heavy tone. Although what she said was cruel, it was a reality that could not be avoided. It was better for Abby to learn it now than to learn it the hard way in the future. Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Chapter 585 After all, she did not want her daughter to grow up to be a hopeless romantic! The taxi soon arrived at the apartment. Before Rene had even gone through the door, she already had a premonition of the chaos inside. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Sure enough, as soon as she opened the door, she saw Leia crying and wailing, while her son Adie was sitting calmly on the sofa. ¡°Adie, please, delete the virus from my phone! There are some very important files in my phone! I can¡¯t let them get stolen!¡± ¡°What important files? I looked around and there are only your selfies in there.¡± ¡°Selfies are important! Be a good boy and do as I say, okay? You can mess with anything but not the phone. You win. Please delete the virus.¡± ¡°Since you admit defeat, tell me where Mommy is and why she left without saying goodbye. I can¡¯t reach her. Does she not want me anymore?¡± Adie pouted and interrogated Leia angrily. Leia was at a loss. She said, ¡¯I¡­ I don¡¯t know. She sent me a text asking me toe and take care of you, and then she just vanished. But rather than being here to take care of you, I feel like I¡¯m here to get punished. You¡¯re even harder to deal with than an adult. I¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Renee walked in and asked with a frown. Adie was initially acting mature, but upon hearing Renee¡¯s voice, he quickly dashed over like a kid. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re back! I thought you don¡¯t want me anymore!¡± The little guy was overjoyed to find his beloved sister and his respected Aunt Margaret behind Renee too. ¡¯Abby, Aunt Margaret, you¡¯ve here too! That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Adie, I finally see you again! I want a hug!¡± The two siblings immediately hugged each other lovingly. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re finally back. Look¡­ look what your son did!¡± Leia was close to tears. She showed Renee her phone which Adie had infected with a Trojan virus. Sheined, ¡°Look at my phone! It now automatically sends my selfies to all my contacts on WeChat. It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡± Renee was embarrassed. She took the phone from Leia to help her remove the virus, only to find that she could not remove the Trojan program. ¡°Aiden Everheart!¡± Renee yelled with a stiff face. ¡°Here!¡± The little guy took the phone, clicked a few things, and immediately deleted the Trojan program. At the same time, he chided, ¡°Mommy, your skills are getting a bit rustytely. Did something happen to you?¡± Renee was really angry. ¡°You can¡¯t be so disrespectful to Mommy Leia. How could you nt a virus in her phone? You have no manners at all. If you do something like that again, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I just wanted to make Mommy Leia tell me where you are. I was worried about you.¡± As soon as Adie apologized, Renee could not keep up her anger anymore. She took the little guy¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Where else can Mommy go? Of course I went back to Sun Ind to pick up your sister and Aunt Margaret¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s right, Adie. Mommy even brought us back a Daddy this time!¡± Abby said eagerly. ¡°A Daddy?¡± Adie was a super sis-con. He said with a serious expression, ¡°What kind of Daddy is he? How can you call someone Daddy so casually?¡± Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Seeing that, Renee quickly fanned the mes. She said eagerly, ¡¯That¡¯s right! The role of a Daddy is sacred and very important. You must carefully choose who you call Daddy¡­ Adie, your sister listens to you, so make sure you educate her well.¡± That¡¯s right, Adie was Renee¡¯s ¡°secret weapon¡± to deal with Abby. Abby may not necessarily listen to her advice, but when the advice came from Adie, Abby would always listen to him. Adie put on a serious expression like an ¡°old father¡± and started to educate Abby. ¡°Abby, didn¡¯t I tell you that the world is veryplicated? Aside from Mommy, me, Aunt Margaret, as well as Daddy Liam and Mommy Leia, anyone else who approaches us might be a bad person. You can¡¯t call someone Daddy so easily. What if he¡¯s a bad person who wants to hurt us, especially Mommy?¡± In the past, Abby would have nodded obediently andmitted Adie¡¯s words to memory, but this time, the little girl argued with Adie for the first time. Pouting her pink lips and with her face flushed red, she said, ¡¯ Adie, I don¡¯t think so. There aren¡¯t that many bad people in the world. At least the people I met were all kind to me. Daddy is also a good person. He took care of Mommy when she was sick and he also yed with me. He also promised to take me on a helicopter ride so that I can experience the feeling of flying¡­ How can someone who¡¯s so kind to me be a bad person?¡± Upon hearing that, Renee and Adie became anxious. ¡°Do you hear what your sister is saying? That¡¯s something only a really silly girl would say. Please help me talk some sense into her or she¡¯ll grow up into a hopeless romantic who falls for scumbags all the time!¡± Renee looked at Adie and pinned all her hopes on him. Adie put on an even sterner look and said, ¡¯Abby, if you keep being so stubborn, I¡¯m gonna get angry. If that Daddy of yours is really that amazing, then you should go to him. Don¡¯t stay with me and Mommy anymore.¡± Abby sighed helplessly. She finally gave in. ¡°Fine. Of course you and Mommy are more important to me. I promise you I¡¯ll ignore Daddy from now on.¡± Sigh, her mother and brother both get jealous so easily. In order to appease them, she could only give Daddy the short end of the stick for now. However, she needed to find a way to make her mother and brother ept Daddy as soon as possible¡­ Renee heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Abby finally give in. As long as she could keep Abby and Mr. Q from seeing each other, when she earned enough money to redeem Sun Ind, that guy couldn¡¯te close to Abby anymore. That would be the perfect n! ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. You two should go wash up. We¡¯re gonna report to Monte Perry Kindergarten tomorrow morning.¡± Renee rubbed the heads of Adie and Abby, then turned to Margaret and said, ¡°Margaret, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of these two little ones from now on. I¡¯m going to focus more of my time on my career.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Ren. I know you¡¯ve kept a low profile and isted yourself from the outside world for four years for this very moment. I¡¯ll definitely do my part. I¡¯ll do my best to help you take care of things at home. That would be my contribution to the revival of the Everheart family.¡± ¡®Thank you, Margaret. You¡¯re a treasure. What am I gonna do without you?¡± Renee hugged Margaret coquettishly like a child. Without Margaret¡¯s help in raising Adie and Abby for the past four years, she would not have the time to pursue a career, let alone have the confidence to revive the Everheart family. She was very grateful for Margaret¡¯s contribution and secretly nned to take Margaret back to her hometown in North City after the Everheart family revival n was sessful in order to help Margaret fulfill her lifelong wish! N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Alright, Miss Ren, go do what you have to do. Leave the two children to me. Margaret patted Renee¡¯s back lovingly, like a motherforting her daughter. The two children obeyed Margaret¡¯s words. They washed up and went to bed. Only Renee and Leia were left in the living room. ¡°I have the money. Where¡¯s your brother? Let¡¯s go look for him right now.¡± Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Chapter 587 Renee immediately got straight to business. She asked Leia with a serious expression on her face. ¡®You have the money already? So fast!¡± Leia was so surprised that her jaw dropped. She heard from her father that the money her brother loaned from the bank totaled to almost 800 million dors including interest. Renee actually managed to raise so much money in less than three days? That¡¯s not normal. ¡°Renee, where did you get the money from? Did you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promised Grandpa that I wouldn¡¯t go back to that circle anymore. I borrowed this money from someone. I¡¯ll return it when it¡¯s due.¡± ¡°Who did you borrow it from?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. You just have to know that¡­ the money came from a legitimate source. There¡¯s no high interest rate or any danger. We can safely use it.¡± Renee did not want Leia to know too much, so she deliberately kept Mr. Q a secret. ¡°No way!¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Leia shook her head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. I can¡¯t think of anyone in Beach City who can gather almost 800 million dors at a moment¡¯s notice except for the Hunt family. Did you¡­ borrow the money from the Hunt family?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Renee did not expect Leia to jump to that conclusion. However, it made sense that she would. After all, in Beach City, only the Hunt family had the financial power to lend someone 800 million dors of clean money at a moment¡¯s notice. Renee simply went along with Leia¡¯s assumption. ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t hide it from you. It¡¯s true, I went to the Hunt family to borrow the money. They felt guilty for what happened a few years ago, so they¡¯re willing to help me ovee this difficulty.¡± ¡°Then the Hunt family isn¡¯t that evil after all. If they knew that their son died to save you, and you¡¯re borrowing this money to help the Azure Group rece the H Group, they would probably be fuming!¡± ¡®That¡¯s none of my concern. The business world is a battlefield; either they die or we die. After years of waiting, the Everheart family finally managed to find an opportunity. I won¡¯t let it go that easily.¡± ¡®True that. Back in the days, when the Everheart family was powerful, lots of people wanted to befriend them, but after their downfall, everybody tried to keep their distance. That¡¯s how realistic our society is. If we care about justice too much, we¡¯ll just get stomped!¡± After her experience with William Jones, Leia now had a more pessimistic view of human nature. She no longer believed that good deeds would get rewarded. Instead, she now believed in thew of the jungle and the survival of the fittest! The two rushed to the Osborne Mansion that very night. Geronimo Osborne was reading the newspaper on the sofa. Madam Osborne cried and begged next to him. ¡®Honey, surely your anger has subsided by now. It¡¯s time to let Liam out. He¡¯s in terrible pain after getting whipped by you. His physical health is poor to begin with, and his condition is made worse because you keep him locked up. If anything happens to him, I wouldn¡¯t want to live anymore either!¡± ¡°If he dies, he dies. All he thinks about is women. I don¡¯t want a stupid son like that!¡± Geronimo Osborne said angrily, ¡¯Didn¡¯t he say that his Boss would definitelye to save him? I¡¯ll show him how selfish his Boss actually is. After finding out that he¡¯s in so much debt, there¡¯s no way she would be able to gather that much money. She would run away immediately. There¡¯s no way she would care what happened to him!¡± Renee walked in with a smirk. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Osborne, but I, Renee Everheart, definitely care about what happens to Liam.¡± Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Chapter 588 Geronimo Osborne seemed surprised. He looked Renee up and down and said disdainfully, ¡°I have to admit, I didn¡¯t expect you toe back. Looks like you¡¯re still unwilling to let my gullible son go¡­ Unfortunately, even though he still carries the Osborne family name, he can no longer produce a single penny. Even if you try your damnedest, you won¡¯t be able to squeeze anything more out of him. I suggest you look for another tree to climb!¡± Leia felt so embarrassed when she heard that. She wished she could dig a hole and jump into it. ¡°Dad, what are you talking about? It¡¯s Liam who has been simping for Renee all this time. Do you think Renee cares about the Osborne family¡¯s money? She doesn¡¯t even care about the Hunt family¡¯s money. She left the Hunt family without any hesitation! Stop being delusional!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Geronimo was fuming. Of the two children that he loved the most, one was a hopeless romantic while the other always went against his wishes. He was ashamed of them. ¡® Am I wrong? Renee doesn¡¯tck money at all. She can get her hands on hundreds of millions of dors anytime she wants. Why would she approach Liam for money? Can you please wake up?¡¯ ¡°Really?¡± Geronimo¡¯s expression immediately changed. The look he gave Renee became a bitplicated. ¡°Does that mean Miss Everheart came prepared today?¡± Renee smirked and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve prepared the money. I hope you can keep your promise and stop punishing Liam. Also, ording to the agreement, you will give him full control of the Osborne Group.¡± Geronimo said, ¡°As long as you pay the loan in full. I¡¯ll naturally abide by the agreement, but¡­ I have a request. If you don¡¯t agree to it, Liam can forget about the inheritance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°I can formally hand over the Osborne family¡¯ inheritance rights to that good -for-nothing son of mine, and the Osborne Group will belong to him from then on. However, my condition is that you must cut off all contact with him. You must never ept his love and never be a couple with him!¡± Geronimo spoke fiercely. In truth, it was only a matter of time before Liam obtained the Osborne family¡¯s inheritance rights. Even without Renee¡¯s intervention, nothing would change. But in order to prevent that hopeless romantic son of his from losing the entire Osborne family fortune to a woman, Geronimo must get the promise out of Renee. Geronimo believed that Renee would not easily agree. After all, Liam was a very famous eligible bachelor in Beach City. Many young women from prestigious families coveted him. But surprisingly, Renee agreed with almost no hesitation. ¡°No problem. As long as you stop punishing him and give him the Osborne family¡¯s inheritance rights, I promise I¡¯ll never appear in his life again. Even if I run into him, I¡¯ll pretend not to know him.¡± ¡°Heh, I didn¡¯t expect you to have that kind of moral integrity. I¡¯m starting to see you in a new light. But words are cheap. In order to prevent you from going back on your word, I need you to sign a contract¡­¡± Geronimo was indeed a sly old fox. He immediately ordered the butler to draft a contract. The content of the contract was simple ¨C if Renee and Liam got involved in any way from now on, not only would Geronimo take back Liam¡¯s inheritance rights, Renee would also have to pay a huge amount of compensation. After preparing the contract, the butler handed it to Renee. After reading through the contract, Renee picked up a pen to sign it. ¡°No! You can¡¯t sign it!¡± Leia snatched the contract from Renee and said emotionally, ¡°Ren, think of how my brother would feel if you sign this contract. He¡¯s already very sad that he can¡¯t be your lover, and now he cant even be your friend anymore? You¡¯re gonna kill him!¡± ¡°Dad, stop making things worse! Liam has been courting Renee for years without sess. You think Renee¡¯s the one who wants to be with him? Stop being delusional! At least let Liam have some hope or he¡¯s gonna go crazy!¡± Geronimo¡¯s face turned red with anger. He turned to Madam Osborne and said, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Get this sharp-tongued girl out of here!¡± Madam Osborne cautiously advised Geronimo with a frown, ¡®Honey, I think Leia has a point. Liam is deeply in love with Miss Everheart. If you suddenly cut off all contact between them, it might be too much for Liam to bear. Besides, Miss Everheart actually raised enough money to solve the crisis for Liam instead of running away. That¡¯s enough proof that she¡¯s an upstanding person. There¡¯s no need to go that far¡­¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. ¡°How dare you!¡± Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Geronimo mmed the table and yelled, ¡°Am I still the head of this house or what? Do you all want to give me a heart attack?!¡± Renee got a headache from listening to their argument. She silently signed the contract and said, ¡°It¡¯s done. I¡¯ll transfer the money to Liam¡¯s personal ount immediately. Please tell him that I¡¯m grateful for everything he¡¯s done for me over the years. We won¡¯t see each other anymore from now on.¡± After that, she turned around and left the Osborne Mansion. She felt a little lonely, but more than that, she felt relieved. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Over the years, she had been receiving unconditional help from Liam. It had actually ced a heavy burden on her heart. When Geronimo made the request, she took advantage of it to distance herself from him, hoping to have a clear conscience. However, Liam and her built the Azure Group together after all, so it would take some time to make a clean break. Renee was determined to take care of this matter as soon as possible! In the Osborne Mansion. Liam finally regained his freedom. Leia cleaned his wounds for him with teary eyes. ¡°Why did the old man suddenly decided to show me mercy? Why did he suddenly let me out and even said he would hand over the inheritance to me?¡­ Did Boss actually raise enough money?¡± Liam looked at Leia with a sharp gaze and asked. ¡®That¡¯s right. Who knows where she got so much money from. That¡¯s why Dad let you out. The two of them even signed a contract¡­¡± Leia told Liam about the contract. ¡°Damn it!¡± Liam flipped out. He stood up and stormed out before Leia could finish applying the medicine. ¡°How long was she gone for? I¡¯ll go after her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. I already told you, Dad asked her to sign a contract. If you two have any further contact, she¡¯ll have to pay arge penalty. If you keep pestering her, you¡¯ll just cause her trouble.¡± ¡®That contract is bullshit! I¡¯ll tear it up right now!¡± ¡°Liam, please calm down. Don¡¯t do anything hasty. I think¡­ you should bear with it for now. If you make Dad really mad, he mighty a hand on Ren.¡± Leia knew her father very well. She knew that he was a schemer. He would not have created such a ¡°disgusting¡± contract otherwise. She spected that Geronimo must have a n in ce to deal with Liam. If Liam blindly ran into Geronimo¡¯s trap, Renee would be the one to pay the price. ¡®Then what should I do? I can¡¯t cut off all contact with Boss! I can¡¯t do it!¡± Liam covered his face with hisrge hands, feeling painful and helpless. He suffered heavy punishment on his body, and before he could fully recover, he received a heavy blow on his mind. He felt like he was on the brink of copsing¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a n¡­¡± Leia said meaningfully. Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Chapter 590 After listening to Leia¡¯s n, Liam¡¯s furrowed brows finally rxed a bit. At that moment, Geronimo came to his room. Geronimo seemed extremely proud, like a victorious general. ¡°Son, how are you doing? Are you disabled yet?¡± He spoke to Liam with a smile. He was obviously in a good mood. Liam¡¯s expression was cold. He did not even want to take one look at Geronimo. ¡°Thanks to my father¡¯s mercy, I¡¯m still breathing.¡± ¡®Tsk tsk, sounds like you¡¯re still angry with me. I did it for your own good. As my son, you can have any woman you want. Why do you have to go after a divorcee?¡± ¡°Fortunately, the divorcee has some conscience in her. She raised enough money to pay back your debt with the bank. In a way, it shows that you¡¯re indeed my son. You have some charm¡­¡± Geronimo proudly patted Liam¡¯s shoulder. 19 H There were still some deep whish marks on Liam¡¯s shoulder, so Liam immediately winced in pain. Leia instantly spoke up for her brother. She said angrily, ¡°Dad, Liam has been courting Renee for years. Now that he finally managed to open up Renee¡¯s heart a little, you¡­ smashed everything into pieces and made them cut off all contact! How can you be so cruel? You¡¯re even more cruel than the people who broke up Romeo and Juliet!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m surprised you still know that he¡¯s your son. You were threatening to kill him! Sure enough, everything changes when the money arrives. It appears other people were right to call our Osborne family a nouveau riche; we change our attitude the moment we see money!¡± ¡°Shut up, you brat! You just have to argue with me every single day, don¡¯t you!¡± Geronimo¡¯s face flushed red after being scolded by Leia, but he was too fond of his little girl to really get mad. Instead, he happily said, ¡°What I¡¯m doing is hitting two birds with one stone. Not only did I help your brother solve his financial crisis, I also helped him sever a bad rtionship. You two are still too green behind the ears to understand my profound paternal love¡­¡± After that, he turned to Liam again with a rather serious expression and said coldly, ¡°I believe your sister has already exined the situation to you. If you dare to get involved with that divorcee again, she¡¯ll be the one paying the price.¡± Liam snorted. The look he gave Geronimo contained no respect, only disappointment and indifference. ¡°Can you tell me why? You¡¯ve always let me do whatever I wanted. Why must you take a hard stance in this matter? Why is any woman in the world okay but not Renee?¡± ¡°If you want to know, I¡¯ll make it clear to you today¡­¡± Geronimo took a deep breath. His gaze became extremely cold. ¡°First, the Osborne family can ept a poor daughter-inw, but not a second-hand product that was swept out of someone else¡¯s house. Second, even if the Osborne family were to take in a second-hand product, they can¡¯t be a second- hand product abandoned by the Hunt family. Third, Renee Everheart is a woman who brings tragedy. She carries a curse. The Osborne family can¡¯t risk getting wiped out.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re just fooling around, I can still turn a blind eye, but you¡¯ve clearly fallen for her hard. If I let you have your way, the Osborne family will be destroyed in your hands. I have to keep her away from you!¡± ¡®That¡¯s bullshit!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Liam was naturally unconvinced. He was about to argue with Geronimo further when he saw Leia give him a wink. He thus took a deep breath to suppress his anger and told Geronimo, ¡°But since it¡¯se to this, I can promise you that I¡¯ll cut all ties with Renee and stop seeing her, but¡­ I have a condition.¡± Geronimo felt that his good-for-nothing son finally grew a bit of brain. It seemed like he had not gone crazy yet. Geronimo quickly said, ¡°What¡¯s the condition? I¡¯m all ears. If it¡¯s not too ridiculous, I don¡¯t mind granting your request.¡± Chapter 591 Chapter 591 Chapter 591 ¡°Over the past few years, Renee and I have spent a lot of time together, especially on the Azure Group which we started together. To be more precise, she spent a lot of time and effort on the Azure Group, while we merely paid for it. If I really were to sever my rtionship with her, the problem of the Azure Group¡¯s ownership must be made clear. It will either belong to me or to her.¡± Liam paused for a moment to study Geronimo¡¯s expression before he said tentatively, ¡°If it goes to me, then I¡¯ll have to pay herpensation. If it goes to her, I¡¯m too ashamed to ask her for money, so¡­¡± Geronimo waved dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s just a stupidpany. I heard it¡¯s been sustaining losses every year. It doesn¡¯t have a good prospect. As long as you promise not to get involved with her anymore, she can have thepany.¡± In Geronimo¡¯s opinion, the Azure Group was just a small project started by his hopeless romantic son to impress a woman. Although the Osborne family paid for the starting capital and held 80% of the company shares, they were negative assets. The sooner they got rid of those shares, the less losses they would sustain. ¡®You¡¯re okay with this, but Laura is the Azure Group¡¯s thirdrgest shareholder. Would she agree to it?¡± Liam let out a long sigh and said anxiously, ¡°If Laura doesn¡¯t sell her shares, the Osborne family will continue to be involved with the Azure Group, so how can I make a clean break with Renee?¡± ¡°Leave Laura to me. I¡¯ll persuade her. I don¡¯t understand why she would waste her time on apany that loses money every year anyway.¡± Geronimo¡¯s disdain towards the Azure Group was obvious. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Liam secretly exchanged nces with Leia. They both felt relieved. When Renee left the Osborne Mansion, it was alreadyte at night. She originally wanted to go straight home, but for some reason, she drove around aimlessly and found herself at the Hunt Vi. She lived in this ce for four years. It was home for her and Stefan. However, she was probably the only one who viewed this house as a ¡± home¡±. The master of the house, Stefan, visited less frequently than he visited his hotel room. To him, it was not really a ¡°home¡± at all! Renee thought that, after she left and Stefan passed away, the vi would be deserted. She could not help but feel sad thinking about it. But to her surprise, a light was turned on in the vi. The figure of a tall man could even be seen at a window on the second floor! Renee¡¯s heart suddenly tightened. Could it be¡­ She held her breath and approached the vi step by step. Her heart was filled with anticipation. Up until this very moment, she had not fully epted Stefan¡¯s death. She thought, maybe, just maybe, the person in the vi could be Stefan? Maybe the man was ying games with her, pretending to be dead to test how she truly felt? 1 Other people might not do something so ridiculous, but Stefan would because he¡¯s a freak. Was there anything in the world that was beyond him? She walked to the front door and keyed in the password from memory. The door actually opened. Renee got inexplicably emotional. Her heart pounded wildly. She gently pushed open the door and slowly walked in¡­ Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Chapter 592 The Hunt Vi was empty. The garden was deserted. The living room was not lit. The inside of the vi was pitch ck. The air had a stale odor. The only light that was turned on was the one in Stefan¡¯s room on the second floor. A tall figure could be seen at the window. Renee walked into the living room and climbed the rotating staircase to the second floor. Stefan¡¯s door was slightly ajar, and through the crack in the door, she could see a man standing by the window. However, she could only see his back. The back figure was tall, straight, and cold. It must be Stefan! At that moment, Renee felt a passion that she had not felt for a long time. She rushed forward and pushed the door open. ¡°Stefan! I knew you¡¯re still alive!¡± The man by the window slowly turned around. His thin lips curled into a smile as he stared at Renee with mischievous eyes. He shrugged and said, ¡°My good sister-inw, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m not that man you¡¯re thinking about day and night.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Jovan? Why¡­ why are you¡­¡± Renee¡¯s passion quickly cooled down when she saw the man¡¯s face. She facepalmed and awkwardly buried her head in her hand. She wished she could dig a hole in the ground and jump into it. She mistook him for someone else again. It was so embarrassing! ¡°Starting from tomorrow, I¡¯ll take my high-and-mighty cousin¡¯s ce as the CEO of H Group and receive all his belongings. Isn¡¯t it only natural for me toe here tonight to experience what his life felt like?¡± Jovan¡¯s handsome face was adorned with a faint smile the whole time. It was the smug smile of a victor that looked down on everything. Renee got inexplicably mad. ¡°What are you looking so smug for? You are just a rat who came to usurp the throne during the most chaotic period in H Group¡¯s history. You¡¯re no hero!¡± The smile on Jovan¡¯s lips deepened. He shrugged nonchntly, ¡°Who told you I wanted to be a hero? It¡¯s true, I am a rat. You know me very well. Looks like you¡¯ve been paying a lot of attention to me.¡± The man¡¯s eyes were filled with provocation and arrogance. He continued,¡± It never ends well for heroes. Take my dear cousin Stefan, for example. When he was alive, he was untouchable. Everybody only had good things to say about him. But after he died, he was humiliated and ndered. Everyone talks bad about him now. But what can he do?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± When Renee heard Jovan insulting Stefan, Renee could not help getting angry. ¡°Laugh all you want now, but you¡¯re not gonnaugh for long. Retribution wille for you soon enough. You¡¯ll end up even worse than Stefan did!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get emotional, my dear sister-inw. Stefan is already dead. Why are you still so protective of him? Have you forgotten that he kicked you out of the house for his mistress and made you a Jovan approached Renee one step at a time until he got very close to her. He lifted Renee¡¯s chin with his long fingers and said with a strange smile on his face, ¡°So what if my end is terrible? As long as I once stood at the top, as long as I have all that he once had, I can die without regrets!¡± ¡®Then you can go to hell now!¡± Renee grabbed his long arm and pressed it against his back. She then pushed him fiercely against the wall. She thought the guy would beg for mercy, but he actually became even more excited, as if he was crazy. With a provocative smile, he said, ¡¯ Harder! Come on! Break my arm if you dare! That way, I¡¯ll have a legitimate reason to pester you for a lifetime!¡± Renee was furious but speechless. ¡°Jovan, are you a masochist? Do you like getting beat up so much?¡± ¡®That¡¯s right! My greatest pleasure is to be abused by you! The harder you abuse me, the more I love it!¡± ¡®You¡¯re crazy!¡± Renee felt goosebumps all over her body. She could only let him go. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 Chapter 593 She did not want to cripple him and be pestered by him her whole life! ¡°I knew it. You still care for me and can¡¯t bear to hurt me¡­¡± While swinging around his arm that almost got dislocated, Jovan continued to make fun of Renee, challenging the limit of Renee¡¯s patience without any fear of the consequences. Renee tried her best to calm herself down. ¡°You¡¯re not actually trying to rece Stefan and take away everything that belonged to him, are you?¡± ¡°Stefan is history now. The H Group cannot remain leaderless forever. I¡¯m doing the H Group a huge favor by taking over thepany right now. How can you call that taking away?¡± ¡°Hmph, your n won¡¯t go that smoothly. Even if Stefan is no longer here, Grandpa Timothy and Uncle Alexander are. They won¡¯t let you do whatever you want. You should just give up if you know what¡¯s good for you, or you might lead yourself into a desperate situation!¡± Renee had always felt that the H Group would not easily have a change in dynasty. There was no way Grandpa Timothy would easily give up everything he worked so hard for. ¡°Are you concerned for me, my dear sister-inw?¡± ¡°As if!¡± Renee rolled her eyes. She merely had a feeling that things would not go as smoothly as it appeared to be on the surface. Jovan¡¯s n to ¡°rece¡± Stefan was progressing too easily. It did not make sense! ¡®Your opponents aren¡¯t just Grandpa Timothy and Uncle Alexander. Everyone in the H Group, from employees to partners, admires Stefan. You think you can sit on the CEO seat securely? In your dreams!¡± Renee¡¯s words were filled with disdain for Jovan. She thought it was a joke that a despicable rat like him would think he was good enough to rece Stefan! ¡°No need to worry. Winning people over is very easy. When I be the CEO of H Group, I¡¯ll immediately sign a strategic partnership agreement with KCL for the G6 chip. After that, the entire electronic technology field will be under the H Group¡¯s control ¨C under my control!¡± Pfft! Renee could not help bursting out inughter. Jovan¡¯s face turned cold. He asked, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°I¡¯mughing at how naive you are!¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Renee slowly said, ¡°Everyone knows that the reason KCL coborates with H Group is because they have a strong rtionship with Stefan. Do you think they¡¯ll do the same for you?¡± ¡°No need to worry about that¡­¡± With his hands in his pockets, Jovan said with confidence, ¡°As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. I heard KCL had a change in leadership recently. As long as I spend enough money, why wouldn¡¯t the new person in charge coborate with me?¡± ¡°But I heard that the new KCL boss doesn¡¯tck money. He¡¯s more concerned with his business partners¡¯ character. There¡¯s no way you can pass his character test.¡± ¡°If a man isn¡¯t greedy for money, then he definitely has a strong lust for women. Ick a lot of things, but definitely not beautiful women. I¡¯ll just send a few girls over to him. I¡¯m sure I can persuade him.¡± Jovan once again lifted Renee¡¯s chin despite the lesson he was taught earlier and said meaningfully, ¡® After all, I¡¯m a man myself, so I know very well how much influence a woman can have on a man¡­¡± Renee surprisingly did not fight back. She ignored his transgression and asked with augh, ¡°For example?¡± ¡°For example, if you really want to save the H Group for your deceased ex- husband, you can absolutely use yourself as a bargaining chip to seduce me!¡± The man pressed his lips against Renee¡¯s ear and said vaguely. Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Renee raised her eyebrows and feigned ignorance, ¡°What exactly do you mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Did I not make myself clear enough?¡± Jovan greedily took in the sensation of being so close to the goddess of his desire. His hand boldly slithered towards Renee¡¯s slender waist. His deep voice was cheeky, but carried a hint of seriousness too. ¡®In ancient times, there was Helen of Troy, the facethatunched a thousand ships. If I can have you, I wouldunch a thousand ships for you too.¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡°Get to the point!¡± ¡°Simply put, if you be my woman, the H Group is yours to do with as you please. If you want it to shut down, it¡¯ll shut down, and if you want it to keep operating, it¡¯ll keep operating.¡± There was a cold determination in Jovan¡¯s eyes. The whole world knew that he, Jovan Hunt, was just a carefree yboy. He had no interest at all in competing for power or building a business empire. The reason why he had been working so hard to rise to the position of H Group¡¯s CEO and even tried to rece the wless Stefan was ultimately for the sake of obtaining the woman in front of him. If Renee so much as nodded, he would not give the H Group or the CEO position a second nce! ¡°Are you serious?¡± Renee was surprised. Seeing the man¡¯s wild and unrestrained eyes, she seemed to have gained a deeper understanding of this crazy man. ¡°Of course I am. Money is easy toe by, but true love is hard to find. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Not everyone values career, money, or family honor as highly as the robot like Stefan did. I¡¯m not a greedy man. All I want is to be with the woman I love.¡± The serious expression that was rarely seen on Jovan¡¯s face turned out to be somewhat enthralling. Renee shook her head to prevent herself from being deceived by his appearance. She snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. Coming from you, this is more ridiculous than any joke I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± ¡®You still wouldn¡¯t believe me¡­¡± Jovan shook his head and sighed. He stared straight into Renee¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°Come to H Group¡¯s public press conference tomorrow morning at 10 o¡¯clock. Hundreds of media outlets from all across the world will be there. The Hunt family will officially announce Stefan¡¯s death to the public as well as the news of me taking over the position of CEO¡­ At that time, you need only say yes, and I¡¯ll hand over the H Group to you in front of all the reporters.¡± ¡®You¡¯re crazy!¡± Renee forcefully pushed the man away, ready to leave the vi. ¡°Am I crazy? Try it tomorrow and find out.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m busy tomorrow!¡± Renee red at him and quickly left the vi. In her opinion, rather than being obsessed with her; what Jovan was truly obsessed with was the feeling of beating Stefan. Obtaining the H Group was the first step in beating Stefan. Obtaining her was the second step in beating Stefan. She would not let him win. Renee stormed downstairs and, to her surprise, ran into her ex-mother-inw, Francine Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Chapter 595 Both of them were shocked to see each other. Renee had conflicting emotions regarding her ex-mother-inw. On the one hand, Renee hated her, and on the other hand, Renee sympathized with her for having lost two sons in a row. But Francine also had conflicting emotions regarding her former daughter- inw. From her initial dislike and disgust of Renee, to appreciation, andter on, to hatred ¨C it was enough to write a novel that was millions of words in length! ¡°Good evening, Ms. Milford.¡± Renee swallowed awkwardly and greeted Francine, ¡°Fancy¡­ running into you here.¡± ¡°Someone told me the light in my son¡¯s room was turned on so I rushed over to check, but turns out it¡¯s just you¡­¡± Francine¡¯s eyes were filled with both hatred and sadness, which gradually turned into gloom. She lowered her head and said, ¡°Sure enough, there are no miracles in this world.¡± Renee was a mother too, so her chest tightened hearing that. Sheforted Francine softly, ¡°My condolences. Don¡¯t be too sad.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your condolences!¡± Francine, who was originally quite calm, suddenly grabbed Renee¡¯s arm with bloodshot eyes and said emotionally, ¡°You know my son¡¯s not dead. He¡¯s excellent and perfect; there¡¯s no way he would die so easily!¡± ¡®Tell me honestly, are you and Stefan hiding something from me? He¡¯s not dead, is he? He¡¯s just hiding somewhere to plot something big. He doesn¡¯t want anyone to know where he is because he¡¯s worried that it might mess up his n, so he keeps his whereabouts a secret.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re different. You¡¯re the woman he cares about the most. Although he pretended not to care about you for the past four years, I¡¯m his mother, so I know he never got over you. He lost control the moment he found out that you¡¯re back. He definitely wouldn¡¯t lie to you¡­ Tell me, where is Stefan?¡± Francine gripped Renee¡¯s arm so tightly that it hurt, but Renee could not bear to push away a grieving mother who was on the verge of mental breakdown. She could only exin helplessly, ¡°Ms. Milford, you got it all wrong. I¡¯m just an insignificant old acquaintance to Stefan. If he really is plotting something big, he wouldn¡¯t tell me. If I were you, I would interrogate Briar Desrosiers instead. She¡¯s his true love.¡± ¡°Says who? You used to be married to Stefan. Based on your understanding of him, do you really think he would fall in love with a woman like Briar?¡± ¡°Why not? Briar¡¯s a poor, helpless girl. She¡¯s like a modern day Snow White. A slight frown from her is enough to shatter your son¡¯s heart and make him lose the ability to n.ove.lx.o distinguish right and wrong. He would do anything for her. How is that not true love?¡± ¡°Your power of imagination is incredible. You should have be a screenwriter.¡± Francine was dumbstruck. She looked at Renee like she was looking at a fool. She thought that, because Renee was such a smart woman, she must have known what Stefan was truly thinking, but it turned out she was just guessing wildly! ¡°Stefan might as well be a block of wood in matters of the heart. He doesn¡¯t know how to express his feelings at all. Even if he tries to, people often misunderstand what he means. I¡¯ll tell you honestly. Even after all these years, he has never gotten over you, but he¡¯s an arrogant man so he doesn¡¯t want to admit that, so he acts as if he doesn¡¯t care about you at all. In the end, the only one who gets hurt is himself¡­¡± Francine now had a painful look on her face. ¡®That fool. Maybe he himself doesn¡¯t realize that he¡¯s long fallen in love with you.¡± Renee smiled wryly and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying these things now? He won¡¯te back to life. Do you want me to die for him?¡± ¡®What I¡¯m trying to say is, he¡¯s definitely still alive. The story between you isn¡¯t over yet, so he definitely won¡¯t let himself die¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So he must have left clues for you. You just haven¡¯t noticed yet!¡± ¡°Clues?¡± Renee frowned as if she had suddenly recalled something!This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Upon seeing Renee¡¯s reaction, Francine¡¯s eyes brightened. She excitedly pulled Renee¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Did you think of something? Tell me, quick!¡± ¡°I knew my son wouldn¡¯t die so easily. I knew he left clues for you!¡± Renee shook her head. Her helpless expression seemed sincere. ¡°He didn¡¯t leave me any clues, but if even you, his mother, can¡¯t be sure if he¡¯s dead, then I¡¯m even more uncertain¡­ At least, so far, I¡¯ve only learned about his death from other people.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve already chosen a grave for him, surely you must know where his corpse is?¡± Francine¡¯s bloodshot eyes were sad as she said, ¡°Stefan¡¯s father said he had an ident and had died in the hospital. Apparently, the way he died was horrible. His father was worried that I might not be able to take it if I saw him, so he was cremated overnight. We chose the grave together, but I still don¡¯t believe that he¡¯s dead. I think they must be nning something in secret, so I turned a blind eye and went along with their acting¡­¡± ¡°But now, the H Group is in chaos, and I heard lots of rumors ndering my son. The most terrifying thing is that the H Group will be taken away by a useless rtive tomorrow. Thepany is the result of generations of hard work, especially by Stefan. He sacrificed so much for the H Group. If he¡¯s still alive, he wouldn¡¯t just watch as something he values gets taken away.¡± At that moment, Jovan slowly walked out of the room and stood in the center of the rotating staircase with his hands in his pockets. He looked down at Renee and Francine like a king. ¡°Useless rtive?¡± The man¡¯s lips curled into a mocking sneer, ¡°After all these years, your words are still so sharp, Auntie Francine. They hurt me so.¡± ¡°Jovan?¡± Francine immediately put away her sadness and put on a cold and proud expression. She yelled, ¡°This is my son¡¯s house. What are you doing here? You¡¯re an illegitimate son of unknown origin. You¡¯re trash. You don¡¯t deserve to be here. SCRAM!¡± Renee was shocked when she heard that. Tsk tsk, her ex-mother-inw sure had a toxic mouth. She had no filter at all. She wondered if Jovan would assassinate Francine the next day. After all, Jovan could get really reckless when he was crazy! Renee thought Jovan would instantly lose his temper when he heard those insulting words, but he did not react at all. His smile even deepened. As an illegitimate child who grew up in the Hunt family, he was probably immune to these insults by now. ¡°Calm down, Auntie Francine. The one who should scram is you because starting from tomorrow, everything your son once owned will be mine¡­¡± As Jovan spoke, he walked downstairs. His towering and superior figure bore a little resemnce to Stefan. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He walked upto Francine with a sinister smile and arrogantly dered his ownership. ¡®Not only will this vi belong to me, even his former wife will be mine¡­ If you cant stand it, you¡¯re wee to join him in hell!¡± ¡°In.Jn your dreams¡¯¡± Francine¡¯s patience has reached its limit. She swung her hand and pped him. Unfortunately, Jovan, who had always obediently received the insults and beatings hurled at him, was different now. He grabbed her wrist and warned her, ¡°Francine Milford, I advise you to ept reality. Both your sons are dead. Your era is over. The Hunt family will soon belong to me and my descendants. You think I¡¯d still suffer your insults?¡± He put a decent amount of strength into his grip. Francine seemed to be in pain and tried to break free. She cursed, ¡¯Let me go, you little bastard. You¡¯re just like your slut of a mother who sleeps around with men. You¡¯re an ambitious lot but you¡¯ll never seed! You¡­ Aah!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insult my mother!¡± Jovan¡¯s eyes were cold. He put more strength into his long fingers and cruelly bent Francine¡¯s wrist. Francine had been living a privileged life her whole life. She had never suffered this kind of treatment before. Her face twisted from the pain. Chapter 597 Chapter 597 Chapter 597 But her mouth was still as vile as ever. She kept spouting various unpleasant words, challenging Jovan¡¯s patience. Fearing that something more serious was going to happen, Renee immediately stepped forward to stop them. ¡°Jovan, let go of her. She¡¯s your aunt. This is disrespectful.¡± ¡°Hmph, have you ever seen such a cruel aunt? If she doesn¡¯t respect me, why should I respect her?¡­¡± Jovan had no intention of letting Francine go. His eyes became increasingly cruel, as if they contained decades of umted anger. He looked like he was going to break Francine¡¯s hand! ¡®This woman is the most arrogant and snobbish woman I¡¯ve ever seen. In her eyes, everyone else except for her two precious sons is trash. Even though she humiliated me for years, I never thought of getting back at her, but she just had to insult my mother¡­ I¡¯m not venting my anger, I¡¯m teaching her a lesson on my mother¡¯s behalf!¡± ¡°Aah! My hand! You little bastard! You immediately start to retaliate the moment you gain a bit of power. I¡¯ll never forgive you! I¡­ Ouch!¡± Like an elementary school kid, Francine yelled at him while screaming in pain. Renee shook her head speechlessly and thought to herself, ¡®These two are so childish¡¯! She ced a hand on the back of Jovan¡¯s hand and said coldly, ¡°Jovan, I order you to let her go. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Renee thought hard about how she could intimidate the crazy man. She blurted out, ¡°If you don¡¯t let her go. I¡¯ll ignore you for the rest of my life.¡± It was super effective. A trace of surprise shed across Jovan¡¯s fierce eyes. With a surprised look on his face, he immediately let Francine go. He looked at Renee with joy and asked, ¡°You mean, you weren¡¯t gonna ignore me?¡± Renee did not respond to Jovan. Instead, she lowered her head and inspected Francine¡¯s wrist. ¡®Your hand is a bit dislocated. I¡¯ll push it back into ce for you. It might hurt a bit, so please bear with it.¡± Francine was as obedient as a three-year-old girl. She nodded repeatedly and looked at Renee like she was looking at a precious treasure. ¡°My daughter-inw, you¡­ you even know bone-setting?¡± Jovan suddenly became unhappy again and issued a stern warning to her,¡± Francine, be careful of what you call her. Who are you calling your daughter- inw? You¡¯re shameless.¡± ¡°What? Renee is my daughter-inw. Who do you think you are? You think she would give you the time of day? Go take a good hard look in the mirror.¡± Seeing that the two of them were about to fight again, Renee exerted a tiny bit of force. Francine immediately cried out in pain. After that, Francine moved her wrist a little and found that it was fine now. ¡°My daughter-inw, you¡¯re amazing. Not only are your lemon chicken feet delicious, you even know bone-setting. I never realized you¡¯re skilled in so many things before. I¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s because you were blind before. Now, you¡¯re not blind anymore, but your brainstem is all gone, so you¡¯re a fool now.¡± Jovan mocked from the side. Francine was immediately angered. She looked like she was going to fight him to the death. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Renee could not take it anymore. She said, ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Renee quickly left the vi, giving Jovan and Francine no chance to catch upto her. In her opinion, those two were just as bad as each other. When they get crazy, they were both pretty terrifying. She would leave them alone and keep her distance so that she wouldn¡¯t get hurt in the crossfire! Renee returned to the apartment. Her children were already sound asleep. Margaret was not asleep yet. She was organizing the items and materials needed for the two children¡¯s first day at school tomorrow. Renee was deeply touched when she saw Margaret still working thiste at night. ¡°Margaret, it¡¯s already sote. Don¡¯t overwork yourself. Go get some rest. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Margaret turned around and smiled kindly at Renee. ¡°Miss Ren, what are you saying? This is just simple work. You, on the other hand, have been working until now. You need to pay attention to your health and not overwork yourself. If you copse, what will happen to the two children?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Margaret. I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Renee nodded. She had indeed been working pretty hard over the years. Staying up all night was amon urrence for her. Hopefully, the n this time would turn out sessful. After that, she could take a good rest to rx her body and mind.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Margaret was organizing the two children¡¯s backpacks. She put things like wet tissues, sweaters, changing clothes and masks into the backpacks. Renee suddenly had an idea. She fetched a paintbrush and a painting tray, then took the backpack from Margaret¡¯s hand. ¡°Miss Ren, what are you doing?¡± Margaret asked with a curious look on her face. ¡®Their backpacks look so boring. I¡¯m gonna decorate them a little.¡± She started getting creative on the backpacks. She did not have much talent for painting, but thanks to her decoration, the originally dull backpacks instantly became cute and interesting. Renee painted Sun Ind, blue sea, white beach, patches of sunflowers, and their figures running on the beach on the two backpacks¡­ ¡®They look very nice, Miss Ren. How considerate of you. The two children will definitely be overjoyed when they wake up tomorrow.¡± Margaret smiled looking at the pictures on the backpacks, but her expression slowly became a bit sad. ¡°Unfortunately, the scene seems to becking something. It would be great if there¡¯s a man in the picture.¡± ¡°Margaret, there you go again¡­¡± Renee sighed helplessly. Recently, Margaret has been urging her to get married. She would keep finding chances to remind Renee to look for a partner, a father for her children. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for nagging, Miss Ren. We lived on Sun Ind in the past, so it¡¯s fine, but now that the children are living in a normal society, some things cant be avoided anymore.¡± ¡°And what are these things you¡¯re talking about? Times have changed, Margaret. There are a lot of divorced women now. The real winners in life now are the single mothers! They have beauty, money, children, and no annoying husbands or mother-inws. Lots of women envy us single mothers!¡± Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Chapter 599 ¡®That may be true, but when you need a man, you need a man. For example, when I filled out the enrollment information just now, there was a column that asked for the name and upation of the children¡¯s father. What are we supposed to write there?¡¯ The reason why Margaret started nagging Renee again was because she faced a dilemma when she filled out the enrollment information earlier. It made her realize that, be it Miss Ren or the two children, they all needed a man in the house. ¡°Just write ¡°none¡±. There are plenty of people who lost their spouse or their father in this world, so why can¡¯t we be in that situation too?¡± Renee continued to paint, her mood not affected in the slightest. The moment she decided to divorce Stefan and left Beach City for Sun Ind, she had already anticipated these situations and had epted them. She did not think it was a big deal. ¡°We can¡¯t do that!¡± Margaret was a bit agitated. ¡®Miss Ren, you¡¯re too carefree. Nowadays, kindergarten teachers treat the children differently based on who their parents are. If they know that Abby and Adie have no father, they¡¯ll definitely get neglected to some extent. If the ss finds out, the children will also mock and laugh at them. It¡¯ll hurt Abby and Adie. That¡¯s why, we must write a name in this column no matter what, and you must keep the fact that you¡¯re a single mother a secret¡­¡± ¡°I think we should just write Master Liam¡¯s name for now. The two children see him as a father figure anyway. Master Liam is also reliable. If you start a rtionship with him, I¡¯d be the first to show my support.¡±This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. In Margaret¡¯s opinion, Liam was the man who loved Renee the most, and he was the most suitable candidate to be the man in their house. She had been hoping that the two of them would get married soon. She would be able to rest easy then. But to her surprise, Renee said awkwardly, ¡°We cant write Liam¡¯s name. I have to cut all ties with him. Barring any ident, I probably won¡¯t have any contact with him anymore.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Margaret¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She could not believe what she was hearing. ¡°I thought you and Master Liam were going to get married? Even if you don¡¯t, you two are so close that you would surely be lifelong friends. How did it get to this? Did he do anything to hurt you?¡± Renee shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no way Liam would hurt me. He would hurt himself first before he would hurt me. The reason for cutting ties with him is precisely because he¡¯s sacrificed too much for me, more than I can bear. Therefore, in order not to hurt him, parting ways is the best way to handle this.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Margaret looked at Renee with sympathy and said, ¡°But without a capable helper like Master Liam, you¡¯ll be on your own from now on. Your life will be even more difficult than before. How can I feel happy about this?¡± Renee sighed and smiled wryly, ¡°Yes, losing him is like losing one of my limbs. I¡¯ll need to work even harder and I¡¯ll probably suffer a lot more hardship from now on. However, we all have to learn to walk on our own someday. I can¡¯t keep relying on others¡¯ charity. A love debt is really hard to pay¡­¡± Margaret did not fully understand. She looked at Renee and asked, ¡°Miss Ren, I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean. In my opinion, Master Liam is a really good man. Since he can ept you for who you are, fully embrace the two children, and make sacrifices for you without holding back, why can¡¯t you compromise and give him a chance?¡± ¡°You know me, Margaret. If I could, I would have done it long ago. I also had the option toe back here anytime in thest four years to start over with Stefan, the father of my children, but do you really think I could do that?¡± Renee¡¯s words made Margarete to a sudden realization. ¡®That¡¯s right, Miss Ren. You¡¯re not someone who canpromise in these matters. Don¡¯t get involved with a bad guy like Stefan anymore. Even if he¡¯s the children¡¯s father, we need to avoid him like the gue. I can¡¯t bear to see you get hurt again!¡± When Margaret spoke of Stefan, she was filled with righteous indignation. She wished she could kick him a few times. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Renee¡¯s expression turned gloomy. She said faintly, ¡°Because he¡¯s already dead.¡± Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Chapter 600 ¡°He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s dead?¡± Margaret was shocked. She struggled to process the sudden news. How could a person who had everything like him die just like that?! ¡°Yes, he¡¯s dead. If I¡¯m not wrong, he probably died because he tried to save me.¡± Renee spoke with difficulty, her expression heavy. Although Francine believed that there was foul y in Stefan¡¯s death, Renee still felt responsible. If he didn¡¯t hurt his leg trying to save her, his life would not be in danger, and the people who wished to cause him harm would not have an opportunity to take advantage of. ¡°For real?¡± Margaret found Renee¡¯s words hard to believe. Stefan was a heartless beast. He caused Miss Ren a lot of pain. There¡¯s no way he would sacrifice himself to save Miss Ren. There must be some sort of misunderstanding. Tm not sure if it¡¯s true either, but from the information I gathered, I might not necessarily be the direct cause of his death, but I do have to bear some responsibility. I feel¡­ a little sad.¡± Renee lowered her head and spoke quietly, her voice so low that it almost seemed like she was talking to herself. Yes, she was sad. She kept pretending like she did not care, as if Stefan¡¯s death had no impact on her. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. But at night, when she was alone, she had to admit that she felt a bit sad. ¡°Are you sad because you feel guilty, or because you still can¡¯t let go?¡± Margaret asked a sharp question. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only remember that the moment I found out he was no longer alive, my heart suddenly became empty, like there was a small dot of emptiness that rapidly spread and turned into a ck hole- like abyss. It constantly devours my will, making me less and less like myself and less and less rational¡­¡± At this point, Renee curled up in pain. She hugged her head and kept repeating, ¡¯I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Margaret hugged Renee lovingly and gently coaxed her like she always did when Renee was a child. ¡°Alright, Miss Ren, don¡¯t be sad anymore. It¡¯s all over. Yes, you two were married, but you¡¯ve been apart for so long. If he¡¯s gone, he¡¯s gone. Don¡¯t let him affect your mood.¡± ¡°But he died because he saved me. I feel so bad. My heart feels so empty¡­ Margaret, I didn¡¯t lose anything, so why would I feel so empty?¡± Renee looked at Margaret with tears in her eyes. Facing the nanny who brought her up from a young age who was also the person she was closest to, she no longer wanted to pretend to be strong. ¡®That¡¯s¡­ Miss Ren, don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. The dead cannote back to life. If you¡¯ve never forgotten him, you should have returned to Beach City sometime in thest four years to rekindle your rtionship with him. No matter what the oue may be, at least you would have no regrets.¡± Margaret patted Renee¡¯s back and sighed. ¡¯That Stefan Hunt¡­ he seemed invincible, unbreakable, but he actually died at such a young age. What a shame.¡± ¡°Miss Ren, maybe he¡¯s not dead? Maybe he has to fake his death for some reason.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Hunt family has already chosen a grave for him. His corpse has already been cremated.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s not dead, what would you do? Would you give him another chance and start over with him?¡± Margaret was hoping for a miracle. She hoped that she would suddenly receive news of Stefan¡¯s revival when she woke up tomorrow. ¡°If he¡¯s not actually dead and is only pretending to be dead, I would hate him forever. I would not forgive him or believe him ever again. He doesn¡¯t deserve my tears and sadness!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were cold and her tone was determined. Margaret shook her head and pointed out, ¡®You and Stefan Hunt are destined to be a bitter couple. When you¡¯re alive, you hurt each other, but when one of you dies, you make the other person feel sad. Aren¡¯t you just torturing yourselves?¡± ¡°I¡­..¡± ¡°Listen to me. Dry your tears and stop feeling sad. Just pretend that he¡¯s still alive somewhere in the world, but your lives will never intersect again, just like how it was in thest four years. You¡¯ve already let go and you¡¯re finally living your own life again, so why go back?¡± ¡°Margaret, you¡¯re right. I was too emotional. I shouldn¡¯t have let someone who no longer exists affect me so much. I¡¯ll let go of all these messy emotions like I did before. Only without love can I live a carefree life!¡± Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Chapter 601 Renee felt much better after Margaret consoled her. She wiped away her tears andmanded herself to stop feeling depressed. She had to stand back up! For the first time in a long time, she slept soundly without any external assistance such as hypnosis or piano. When she woke up, it was already past seven o¡¯clock in the morning. Today, Margaret and her were going to send Adie and Abby to the Monte Perry Kindergarten together. Because it was the first day and the two kids were transfer students, there would surely be a lot of procedures they had to go through. Renee decided to get there early. Therefore, she immediately got up from bed. The two kids also woke up one after another. While Renee was thinking of what healthy and delicious breakfast she should make for the kids, the doorbell suddenly rang. Renee opened the door and saw the errand runner from the other day. ¡°Hello, Ms. Everheart. Your breakfast is here. Enjoy.¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Before Renee could ask any questions, the errand runner had already left. Renee could only open the thermal container and take out the breakfast inside one by one. Compared to the previous time, there was much less variety this time, but it was much more elegant in appearance and gave off an enticing aroma. ¡°Mommy, is breakfast here?¡± Adie was still sleepy, but the moment he saw the breakfast on the table, his face immediately brightened. ¡°It is, but are you sure you want to eat it? Have you forgotten about the painful experiencest time?¡± That breakfast from hell still scared Renee. She did not have the courage to try it one more time. ¡®There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. He¡¯s a famous chef in Beach City. It¡¯s only human to make a mistake once in a while. The breakfast this time is definitely delicious. I can already smell how good it is. Let¡¯s dig in!¡± Adie had high expectations of Mr. Q. He believed that, after practicing his cooking skills for so many days, Mr. Q would surely have made some progress. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to eat it. You can eat it if you want.¡± Renee rubbed her stomach. When she recalled the taste of the previous breakfast, she almost threw up. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t dare to eat it either¡­¡± Adie shrugged. Although he was a firm supporter of Mr. Q, he thought moral support should be enough. He did not have the courage to support Mr. Q with his actions. After all, Mr. Q¡¯s previous cooking almost made him quit the habit of eating breakfast. Abby woke up right then. She slowly walked over in her pink rabbit pajamas. ¡°What a pretty cake! Abby loves cakes!¡± She immediately stuffed a slice into her mouth without another word. ¡°Abby, don¡¯t¡­¡± Renee could not stop her in time. She could only let poor Abby be the food tester for them. Renee and Adie stared at Abby and asked cautiously, ¡°How does it taste?¡± Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Abby chewed the cake slowly like a kitten. Then, her big round eyes instantly erged and shone bright like stars in the sky. She said excitedly, ¡°Wow, what a delicious cake! It¡¯s the most delicious cake I¡¯ve ever had!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Renee and Adie exchanged nces. They were still afraid to taste the cake due to their trauma. ¡°Adie, why don¡¯t you¡­ give it a try too?¡± Adie shook his head and said, ¡°Mommy, of course I should let you go first. I¡¯m a filial son after all.¡± Renee¡¯s smile was awkward. ¡°Yes, you sure are.¡± She slowly picked up a slice of cake and licked it tentatively. Surprisingly, it did not taste as ¡°exciting¡± as the previous breakfast. In fact, it was quite delicious. Renee quickly finished a slice and immediately started on a second one. Seeing that, Adie also picked up a slice and tried it out. ¡°It¡¯s good. Looks like that guy put in a lot of effort to improve. Not bad, not bad at all.¡± Adie nodded while eating. His opinion of Mr. Q improved by ten points. With her mouth full of cream, Renee looked at Adie with a skeptical expression and asked, ¡°Tell me honestly, who exactly is this ¡°famous Beach City chef¡± you were talking about? How did you meet him? Do I know him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend I made. When the time is right, I¡¯ll introduce him to you¡­¡± Adie was being very mysterious. He added, ¡°My friend is amazing. If I introduce him to you now, I¡¯m worried that you might fall head over heels for him immediately. But what if he has a major w? That would be bad. So, Mommy, please be patient for now. I promise I¡¯ll observe him carefully for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡®Yeah, didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯ll pick a husband for you? Have you forgotten already?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Renee¡¯s expression was awkward. She did not expect the little boy to actually look for a husband for her. In that case, she looked forward to meeting the man that her son found for her. At least the man would have passed Adie¡¯s evaluation already. That means he had already won half the battle. They enjoyed the delicious breakfast and departed for Monte Perry Kindergarten. Because it was the kids¡¯ first day and they were transfer students, Renee was really worried. Even after the two kids were led into the ssroom by the childcare teacher, she stood at the school gate for a long time, refusing to leave. On the contrary, Margaret appeared very calm. She persuaded Renee,¡± Miss Ren, stop staring. They¡¯re gone. We¡¯ve always kept Adie and Abby protected from the outside world on Sun Ind. It¡¯s high time they make contact with the real world and make friends with other kids. It¡¯s also time you learn to let go.¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I still can¡¯t bear to part with them. My nose was sore when I watched them walk into the ssroom. Will they be alright? Will they bully their ssmates?¡­¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ¡°Well, as long as their ssmates don¡¯t do anything stupid, they should be fine. Adie and Abby know their boundaries. Even if they bully their ssmates, it would be the gentle type of bullying. They won¡¯t cause too much trouble.¡± ¡®You¡¯re right. Although my two babies are difficult to deal with and are very scary, they won¡¯t cause unnecessary troubles. Their ssmates¡­ should be safe.¡± Renee took a deep breath. She couldn¡¯t help but worry for the other children. ¡°Miss Ren, get back to work. Don¡¯t worry too much about them. I believe they¡¯ll adapt well.¡± Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Margaret was not as confident as she appeared. She was also worried that the kids might not adapt well or that they would getughed at for not having a father, but she had to remain calm. If she was anxious too, Miss Renee would be even more anxious. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get back to work. I do have something important to take care of today.¡± Renee said goodbye to Margaret. Renee checked her watch. There was still half an hour left before the press conference Jovan mentioned. Major changes wereing to Beach City in half an hour. Many important figures would probably attend the press conference. Of course she would want to witness this special moment too. Renee drove straight to the five-star hotel where the press conference was held. Luxury cars lined up outside the hotel. Security was tight. Reporters crowded outside the cordon. Many influencers were there too, hoping the exposure would boost their poprity. Renee¡¯s red Ferrari was very eye-catching to begin with. When she got off the car, it turned even more heads. She instantly became the center of attention. ¡°Look at how beautiful that woman is. Isn¡¯t she the Queen Fighter who went viral a while back?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not just the Queen Fighter, she¡¯s also the wife of H Group¡¯s CEO. Unfortunately, she was usurped by the mistress¡­¡± A daring male influencer chased after Renee while streaming on his phone. ¡°Hold on, chat. I¡¯ll go talk to the former wife of H Group¡¯s CEO. Let¡¯s find out why the Queen Fighter has suddenly appeared at H Group.¡± ¡°Goddess! Goddess! A moment of your time, please. Can I ask you a few questions?¡± Renee frowned and blocked her face with her hand while saying, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m in a hurry¡± The male streamer blocked Renee¡¯s way and would not let her go. ¡°It won¡¯t take up too much of your time. Please say a few words to your fans¡­¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Renee was annoyed. Her gaze was cold. She really hated hical influencers who would do anything for poprity like him, so she naturally would not give him the time of day. Not to mention, the press conference was about to start, so she was indeed in a hurry. The streamer thought that the bigger themotion and the more embarrassing the situation, the more popr his stream would get, so he immediately shouted, ¡°Oh, wow, the CEO¡¯s wife has quite the temper. You think you¡¯re a big celebrity or something? You won¡¯t even say hello to your fans. If you¡¯re really all that, you wouldn¡¯t have lost to the mistress. You¡¯re just an abandoned woman now, but you¡¯re still so snobbish!¡± His stream¡¯s audience started hurling insults at Renee too. ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee¡¯s tone became even more impatient. She warned him, ¡°For thest time, get out of my way!¡± ¡°Nope, don¡¯t wanna. What are you gonna do, hit me?¡± The male streamer spread open his arms and said to the camera, ¡°See, chat? This is what she¡¯s really like. She¡¯s as foul-tempered as a hag. No wonder she got abandoned by her man. In my opinion, Mr. Hunt¡¯s mistress, Miss Desrosiers, is simply more gentle and more feminine than her. At least, when I met Miss Desrosiers before, she greeted me politely¡­¡± ¡°Chat, if she hits me, you¡¯ll have to be my witness. I¡¯m the victim here. I¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Renee had run out of patience. She pped the streamer and sent him flying together with his phone. She then tried to walk into the hotel, but her action had caught the attention of the influencers and reporters there. They immediately flocked around her to snap her pictures or catch her in their streams. Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Renee became even more irritated. She roared at the reporters and influencers, ¡°I already said I¡¯m in a hurry. Are you all deaf? Get out of my way or I¡¯ll beat you up!¡± The reporters and influencers who were blocked outside the venue were all nobodies. They were an unscrupulous bunch who would do anything to get views. When they saw Renee lose her temper, they got even more excited. They kept testing her patience, hoping that she would lose control. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Renee was surrounded. She couldn¡¯t move a single step. She clenched her fists and was ready to start beating people up. A Maybach slowly pulled up. A handsome man in a suit got out of the car, escorted by security guards. ¡°Why are you guys bullying a weak woman like her? Come at me instead!¡± The man who spoke was none other than Jovan, the protagonist of today¡¯s press conference. ¡°It¡¯s Jovan Hunt, the rising star in the business world!¡± ¡°He¡¯s rumored to take over the H Group, which means he¡¯s about to rece Stefan Hunt as the new Supreme King of Beach City!¡± ¡®They¡¯re probably going to announce Stefan Hunt¡¯s death today. That¡¯s such an explosive piece of news. It feels like the entire world is watching right now. Whoever manages to report this hot topic first will earn enough money to retire!¡± A crowd immediately switched target and surrounded Jovan instead. The male influencer who was pped by Renee climbed back up andined to the camera, ¡°Weak woman? I¡¯ve never seen a weak woman who can send a grown man flying with a p! She¡¯s clearly a female king kong!¡± Renee could finally heave a sigh of relief. Even the air around her felt much fresher now. She smoothed her long flowing hair and walked casually towards the hotel entrance without any expression on her charming face. ¡°Wait for me!¡± Jovan, who was currently surrounded, gave an order to the security guards to push away the annoying group of reporters and influencers. He then caught up to Renee. He seemed to be in high spirits. ¡°I knew you woulde today, but are you here for me or for Stefan?¡± Jovan lowered his head and smiled at Renee while whispering at a volume that only the two of them could hear. ¡®There¡¯s no time to talk. I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± Renee red at him, obviously not interested in talking. Jovan not only refused to shut up, he even put his long arm around Renee¡¯s shoulder and said with a smirk, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who you¡¯re here for. After today, the whole world will know about my feelings for you. If anyone dares to touch you, they¡¯ll be going up against the entire H Group. You¡¯ll be mine sooner orter!¡± Renee felt a chill run down her spine. Looking at the arm on her shoulder, she warned, ¡°Jovan, are you crazy? If you don¡¯t want me to break your arm in public, don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°I love how spicy you are! You¡¯re fiery, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Before Jovan could finish his sentence, Renee bent her arm and mmed her elbow into his stomach, causing Jovan to curl up like a shrimp from the pain. He immediately let her go. Although he just got hit, he smiled happily like he just found money on the ground. ¡°Hitting me is a public disy of affection. Hit me harder to let the whole world see how much we¡¯re in love.¡± Renee felt like throwing up. She¡¯s got goosebumps all over. ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± But Jovan was right. Their interaction immediately caught the attention of everyone there. They felt like they had discovered a massive secret. ¡®They¡¯re acting so intimately. Looks like the rumors might be true. Jovan Hunt has always been secretly in love with his cousin¡¯s wife!¡± Chapter 605 Chapter 605 Chapter 605 ¡°Rumor has it that the two of them were in love first. It was Stefan who stole Renee away from Jovan. And now, Jovan Hunt has returned to take back his lover.¡± ¡°In that case, maybe those two were involved in Stefan¡¯s death¡­ Tsk tsk, wealthy families are so scary!¡± Renee could not be bothered with their spection. She walked straight into the hotel lobby. The hotel decoration was grand and magnificent. There was a podium adorned with the H Group¡¯s logo. Various microphones with logos of television stations from around the world were ced on the podium. Reporters sat in chairs below the stage, while senior executives of H Group sat on the stage. Renee was not considered a senior executive of H Group, so she kept a low profile and chose a seat in thest row. The same could not be said for Jovan. As soon as he entered, he was the center of attention. He received a warm wee from the audience. In addition to reporters, there were also representatives from other majorpanies and some wealthy tycoons. Renee even saw Geronimo Osborne there. After all, today¡¯s press conference would affect themercialndscape and the statuses of the major families in Beach City in the near future, so lots of big shots were invited. No one wanted to miss this wonderful show. Renee took out her phone from her bag before the press conference started to browse today¡¯s top stories, but she immediately became furious! The video of her pping the influencer and the video of her ¡°intimate exchange¡± with Jovan Hunt at the hotel entrance were trending on various tforms. All thements were ming her. Some imed that she had an affair with Jovan. There were even comments that imed she conspired with Jovan to murder her ex-husband for revenge! ¡°Are you kidding me?!¡± Renee was so angry that she felt like she was going to explode. She logged into a burner ount and retaliated against the keyboard warriors. ¡®You guys are all blind. Can¡¯t you see that she was in a hurry? Those influencers are just online leeches. They pester her like flies in order to gain views. I think that guy got off easy with just a p to the face. I would have kicked him!¡± ¡°Also, the woman was clearly very annoyed with Jovan Hunt. How was that an intimate exchange? Are you guys sure your eyes are working fine?¡± As a result, she invited waves of attacks upon herself. Some even pointed out that this must be Renee Everheart¡¯s ount. Theizens became even more excited in ming her. Renee rolled up her sleeves. She wished she could jump into her phone to fight all these inte trolls. ¡°Renee?!¡± The surprised voice of a man came from above her head.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee looked up, still filled with anger. It turned out to be her old friend Xavier Stuart whom she had not seen for four years! Actually, Xavier could be considered her life savior. The mes of fury in Renee¡¯s heart were instantly extinguished. ¡°Xavier! You¡¯re here too!¡± Renee was happy to see an old friend. She greeted him with a smile. Xavier¡¯s handsome face was filled with various emotions. He was shocked, he was surprised, but more than that, he was moved. Tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re finally willing to show yourself again. I thought¡­ I¡¯ll never get to see you again!¡± ¡®Tell me honestly, where have you been in the past four years? Stefan and I searched almost every corner of the world but we couldn¡¯t find any traces of you¡­¡± Xavier sat down next to Renee and asked. Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Chapter 606 ¡°I was wondering who the person that has been constantly sniffing for my traces over the years was! That IP was like a virus, I intercepted it time and time again. So it was you¡­ my savior.¡± Renee¡¯s red lips curled into a smile as she looked at her old friend. Who knew that there was still an old friend in the vast Beach City who still cared about her. She was touched. ¡®You call me your savior, but you hid from me for four years, making me worry about you for four years. Is your heart made of stone?¡± Seeing the woman who had be more charming, more attractive, and more elusive than before, Xavier¡¯s emotions wereplicated. After all, this was the woman who once made his heart race and the woman he risked his life to save. Even if it was impossible between them, she still held an important spot in his heart. Rather than saying that he and Stefan had searched almost every corner of the world for Renee all these years, it would be more appropriate to call it his personal obsession. Stefan had long given up on finding Renee. It was Xavier who tried any method he could think of to look for Renee like a man possessed. Some time ago, when he learned that Renee had returned to Beach City, he was already looking forward to meeting her, but the opportunity never arose. Who could have known they would reunite under such circumstances? ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something more serious. Do you know what the top executives of H Group are thinking? Why are they appointing an ipetent guy like Jovan Hunt as CEO? Are they trying to destroy thepany?¡± Renee changed the topic. She wanted to see if she could extract some useful information from Xavier. Xavierzily leaned back on the seat and crossed his legs. He looked at Jovan, who was sitting on the stage, with a strange smile. ¡°Who knows? Stefan told me before that the H Group may seem impregnable from the outside, but it has actually started to rot on the inside. Various factions are constantly fighting against each other. The situation is as intense as the political struggles in the ancient empires. Maybe Jovan is just the dog of a certain faction. While Stefan¡¯s power is weakened, they push Jovan out to be their puppet, just like the puppet leaders in ancient history. He may seem powerful, but he¡¯s just a puppet, so he¡¯s actually powerless!¡± Renee immediately noticed the key point. She asked, ¡°Are you sure Stefan is just weakened?¡± ¡®What else could it be?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you paid any attention to the rumors?¡± Renee carefully probed, ¡°The rumors say Stefan¡¯s already dead. The Hunt family ims he¡¯s dead too. They¡¯ve even chosen a grave for him and are just waiting for a suitable day to hold the funeral now, so¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that Stefan is dead?¡¯ Xavier turned to look at Renee. His smile deepened. ¡°Isn¡¯t he? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s still alive?¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t received any news from him for many days. It¡¯s like he¡¯spletely vanished from the world¡­¡± Xavier let out a long sigh, then asked Renee, ¡°But I¡¯m curious. Do you wish him to be dead or alive?¡± Renee, who talked like a chatterbox a moment ago, suddenly went quiet. Xavier would not let it rest. He sat upright, looked her right in the eye, and asked, ¡°We¡¯re good friends, aren¡¯t we? Then tell me this ¨C You two parted on bad terms and you disappeared for four years, but now you¡¯ve suddenlye back. Did youe back to start over with him?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Renee said coldly, ¡°The first reason I came back is because Beach City is the hometown I grew up in, so I have feelings for this city. The second reason is because I want to take back the things I lost. I want to redeem the Everheart family¡¯s tarnished reputation and make the Everheart family one of the eight major families in Beach City again. I want to make the people who once hurt the Everheart family pay!¡± Her gaze was fierce and tenacious. She was like a thorny rose, beautiful and captivating, but dangerous. ¡®Tsk tsk, how ambitious. But are you really gonnapete with those ruthless and cunning old foxes for territory? I¡¯m afraid a weak woman like you will be eaten alive before you can even get into the game¡­¡± Xavier expressed concern for Renee. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Although he had seen what she could do, it would not be easy to bring a downfallen family back to glory. Out of the eight major families in Beach City today, which one could she afford to mess with? She, a lone woman, wanted to carve out a ce for herself? It would be extremely difficult! Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Chapter 607 ¡°A weak woman?¡± That made Reneeugh. ¡°They should pray that they don¡¯t lose all their teeth when they try to eat me alive!¡± ¡°Nice. Your courage ismendable. I¡¯ll give you a round of apuse.¡± Looking at the confident Renee, Xavier almost overflowed with admiration. ¡°To be honest with you, the only person I¡¯m afraid of in the entire Beach City is Stefan Hunt. But now that Stefan is gone, those old fools are destined for defeat.¡± She knew her words were very arrogant, but it was not without reason. ¡®That means you¡¯re hoping that Stefan¡¯s dead for real. Tsk tsk¡­ Poor Stefan. He¡¯s so sincere to you, but you want him dead.¡± ¡°Sincere?¡± Renee snorted. ¡°How could you utter a tant lie like that? Stefan¡¯s sincere to me? Would you want that kind of sincerity?¡± ¡°I know you have a lot of resentment in your heart, but Stefan has his own difficulties too. There are some misunderstandings between you, and those misunderstandings have been brewing inside you for four years. Neither of you wants to let it go, but¡­¡± Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®That¡¯s enough!¡± Renee impatiently interrupted Xavier and sneered, ¡°He¡¯s already dead, so these things are meaningless now. Talking about them will just reopen old wounds and make me feel the pain again¡­¡± ¡°What if Stefanes back from the dead? Would you be willing to give him another chance?¡±¡¯ Xavier asked one more time. He¡¯s probably not the only one who was curious about the answer. Stefan would be curious too. Renee remained silent for a moment, then said firmly, ¡°No!¡± She had only made peace with Stefan because he was dead. If he were toe back to life, she would feel like a clown that he could fool anytime he wanted. Her hatred for him would only deepen. ¡°Fine. The rtionship between you two is way tooplicated. We outsiders can¡¯t help you even if we wanted to.¡± Xavier sighed and shook his head. ¡°Why do you keep asking me that? What about you? I heard that your love life has been pretty bumpy in recent years. Shirley White has youpletely under her spell. I heard you did a lot of things for her that you normally wouldn¡¯t do.¡± Renee joked. She would asionally read entertainment gossip when she was bored, and Xavier was famous for his high-profile acts to make his girlfriend happy The most famous one was him booking the entire Time za, which was a famousndmark in Beach City, and covering the entire za with red roses to celebrate his girlfriend¡¯s birthday. It made lots of women envious. He was so famous that even Leia would often gossip about him. However, unlike other women, Leia was not envious. She would alwaysugh out loud when she talked about him, saying that Xavier was a fool. ¡°Sigh. I don¡¯t feel like talking about those embarrassing things. In short¡­ I¡¯ve fallen for her hard!¡± Xavier awkwardly coughed a few times and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the details when we have time. I¡¯m in a real dilemma.¡± At that moment, the press conference officially began. Jovan finished up his socializing and took his seat at the very center. Alexander, Stefan¡¯s father, suddenly stormed in. He pointed at Jovan and yelled, ¡°You shameless rat! Get up! You don¡¯t deserve to sit in that position!¡± Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Chapter 608 It caused a huge uproar. The cameras shed non-stop. The major drama that everyone was eagerly anticipating had arrived surprisingly quickly. Renee and Xavier also stopped chatting to focus on the stage. Jovan did not panic. His thin lips curled into a smile as he bowed and gestured an invitation to Alexander. ¡°You¡¯re right, Uncle Alexander. Although you only have shares but no real power in H Group now, you still have the highest status in the entire Hunt family outside of grandpa¡¯s generation. Since you¡¯re here, of course you should take this seat instead.¡¯ Alexander had no intention of putting on an act with Jovan. He used Jovan in front of all the reporters. ¡®Do you think I¡¯m only referring to that seat? You did so many dirty things while the H Group was in chaos. In ancient times, you would be like a thief usurping the throne. It¡¯s a crime punishable by execution!¡± ¡°Your words are too extreme, Uncle Alexander. After Stefan met with an ident, the H Group became leaderless, so I rushed back from overseas as quickly as I could to stabilize the situation. As for the subsequent decision made by the board of directors, I¡¯m sure It was made after careful consideration. For the sake of the big picture, I can onlyply.¡± Jovan spread his hands helplessly, as if he usurped the throne out of kindness. If Alexander¡¯s anger level was at seven out of ten before this, it had now jumped to ten out of ten. ¡°You cunning bastard, still trying to act like you¡¯re the good guy. In that case, tell everyone whose decision it was. You must have spent every penny you had on bribes.¡± Jovan smiled and said no more. Instead, he looked over at several board members. The oldest one among them was Barry Brown. His father had served under General Everheart on the battlefield andter assisted General Everheart in founding the H Group. He also joined the H Group and was one of the six members of the board of directors. He had always been loyal to Stefan and held a high position in thepany. But today, he did not behave as he usually did. He told Alexander,¡± Alexander, since you¡¯ve already retired, you shouldn¡¯t interfere in the H Group¡¯s decisions anymore. You have plenty of shares, so just sit back and wait for the dividends.¡± ¡®There are a lot of reporters here today. Be more considerate of the H Group¡¯s image. How can you, as an elder, argue with your nephew like this? It¡¯s unsightly. Sit down and stop making a fool out of yourself.¡± Alexander snorted and said, ¡°Barry Brown, now that¡¯s a surprise. You used to be the Uncle Barry that Stefan trusted and respected the most. He entrusted you with so many important business matters, but now you¡­¡± ¡®Things are different now. Pursuing benefits and avoiding harm are merely animal instincts. I merely made the most logical choice. There¡¯s no use trying to persuade me. It wouldn¡¯t change anything.¡± The conversation between them conveyed arge amount of information. Watching from below the stage, Renee was initially angered, but she then sighed with emotion. ¡°I cant believe Uncle Barry would say that. He¡¯s always been one of Stefan¡¯s confidants, but now¡­¡± ¡°These things are normal. Even lizards would sever their tail to survive. Humans have to learn to protect themselves too. Stefan is already a thing of the past. You would be a fool to still remain in Stefan¡¯s faction.¡± Xavier said without much emotion. Renee became even angrier. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with your nonsense. If you have to pick a side in order to survive too, would you betray Stefan and choose to collude with a viin like Jovan?¡± Xavier shrugged with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I¡¯ve never been in such a situation before, so I¡¯m not sure what I would do.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Hmph, Stefan would be stirring in his grave if he knew that. If it were me, once I chose someone, I would always be loyal to them and I would never betray them, even if it might endanger my life!¡± ¡°Are you feeling indignant on Stefan¡¯s behalf? Of course you¡¯re taking your husband¡¯s side¡­ Looks like you still have feelings for him. If he knew, he would definitely feel so happy that he woulde back to life.¡± Xavier joked. Chapter 609 Chapter 609 Chapter 609 ¡®That¡¯s not it!¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Renee denied it coldly. ¡°That¡¯s just my moral principle. It has nothing to do with him.¡± The press conference continued under the supervision of the staff. A representative from the H Group¡¯s PR Department showcased to the media thepany¡¯s ongoing projects, financial power, and organizational structure. Finally, the PR representative enthusiastically told the media, ¡°The H Group is about to embark on a new journey. Let¡¯s wee Mr. Jovan Hunt, the new CEO jointly selected by the board of directors and the major shareholders of H Group, to give us a speech.¡± The venue suddenly erupted with enthusiastic apuse. The atmosphere was even more enthusiastic than when Stefan held a press conference in the past. It was heartbreaking to watch. Jovan talked eloquently in front of the media. ¡®The H Group is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. For the future of the H Group and the entire Beach City, I took on the responsibility of CEO at thepany¡¯s darkest hour¡­¡± Suddenly, Xavier stood up, looked directly into Jovan¡¯s eyes, and challenged him. ¡°Isn¡¯t the CEO of H Group Stefan Hunt? Under his lead, the H Group thrives every year. How can you just take over? Did he agree to this?¡¯ Jovan smiled and said, ¡°Master Stuart has hit on a key point. I¡¯ll take this chance to exin to everyone in detail.¡± ¡°First of all, I took over the position of H Group¡¯s CEO after a vote by the board of directors and all the shareholders. Among the six members of the board of directors, three voted in favor, one abstained, and two voted in opposition. More than half the shareholders were in favor of the decision made by the board of directors. Therefore, my appointment as CEO is something the majority of thepany wanted.¡± ¡°Hah, that¡¯s hrious!¡± Xavier rebutted, ¡°If I remember correctly, Stefan Hunt himself is the H Group¡¯srgest shareholder. If what you said is true, did Stefan vote against himself or something?¡¯ ¡°Very good, Master Stuart. You¡¯ve asked the key question again, which I believe is also the issue that the media are the most concerned with. Why would my cousin, Stefan Hunt, vote against himself?¡± Jovan paused, causing everyone to hold their breath. Strictly speaking, the matter was no longer a secret. Rumors had been circting outside for a while now, but everyone was still waiting for the official statement from the H Group. Only after the official statement was made could the official media report on it. My cousin Stefan has always been outstanding. Some even see him as an omnipotent god. However, he¡¯s just a human after all, and not a god¡­¡± Jovan said in a somber voice, ¡°I believe all of you have heard rumors of Stefan¡¯s death recently. Today, on behalf of the H Group, I regret to inform you that Stefan Hunt has encountered an ident during his recent business trip and has passed away.¡± The cameras shed incessantly. The press conference had reached its climax. At that moment, a voice sounded out that caused the entire ce to go crazy. ¡°Who says I¡¯m dead?¡± Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Chapter 610 Everyone looked towards the direction the sound came from, including Renee. She saw Stefan¡¯s tall figure casually walking into the venue like a deity. Originally, Jovan was the center of attention, but as soon as Stefan appeared, he immediately became the side character, like a piece of sspared to Stefan¡¯s diamond. The ce exploded. The atmosphere, which had reached a climax before this, became even more intense. The sounds of shutters and shes were deafening. ¡°N-No way! Stefan Hunt?! But you¡¯re already¡­¡± Jovan went pale, like he had just seen a ghost. He slumped down in his chair, devoid of his earlier energy and enthusiasm. Stefan¡¯s gaze at Jovan was as cold and sharp as a dagger. He said, ¡°You seem disappointed, Vice- CEO Hunt.¡± The senior executives and shareholders sitting to the sides showed various reactions. Some were happy while some were not. Those who supported Jovan had their backs pressed against their seats. They sweated profusely and found it hard to breathe. Meanwhile, those who defended Stefan even after his death were so excited that tears welled up in their eyes. ¡°Mr. Hunt, we knew you¡¯d be alright. Unfortunately, some people were simply too impatient. The moment they heard about your ident, they couldn¡¯t wait to put a useless person in charge. It¡¯s obvious what they¡¯re plotting.¡± Stefan smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re all adults; we all have the right to make our own choices. However, if we make the wrong choice, we have to bear the consequences¡­ Am I right, Uncle Barry?¡± Barry¡¯s face was unsightly. The cold sweat on his forehead kept dripping down along his gray hair, wetting his shirt. From the moment Stefan ¡°came back from the dead¡±, he knew that he was powerless to turn the tables in this game of chess. He had lostpletely. ¡®That¡¯s right, if we¡¯re willing to gamble, we must be willing to pay the price. Do what you will!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Barry¡¯s face turned as pale as ash. Hepletely gave up. Jovan was still sitting in the CEO¡¯s seat. He red at Stefan with fierce hatred in his eyes and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Incredible, simply incredible. Like a phoenix reborn! It¡¯s my loss.¡± The grin on Stefan¡¯s cold, handsome face was full of mockery and disdain.¡± My tactics are actually very conventional. It¡¯s you and those fish behind you that were too hungry. The moment you saw the bait, you jumped on it without hesitation, giving me the opportunity to catch all of you in one fell swoop.¡± Alexander urged Stefan, ¡°Stef, there¡¯s no need to waste time talking to these traitors. We¡¯ve already collected evidence of their illegal activities. Just ask the security guards to turn them over to the police.¡± ¡®The H Group managed to remove all the tumors in one go thanks to your ingenious n. I know it¡¯s been hard on you. As expected of my son. I¡¯m proud of you, and the entire H Group is proud of you.¡± Alexander was very excited. He patted Stefan¡¯s shoulder proudly. After that, several security guards came and took Barry Brown and the others away, leaving only Jovan behind. Jovan could assess the situation. He offered his seat to Stefan, turned to the crowd, and said, ¡°Let us wee the miraculous return of Stefan, the CEO of H Group. As the Vice CEO of H Group, I can finally rx. After all, the higher the position, the more work there is. I¡¯d rather be a useless person and let my excellent cousin Stefan do all the work.¡± Stefan sat down like a king. His gaze swept across the entire venue. He said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make everyone worry. I went abroad for a while to heal up from a physical condition, but that actually gave some viins the opportunity to take advantage of the situation. However, everything¡¯s fine now. After this major purging, the H Group will usher in a new era. I will continue to serve as the CEO of H Group, leading thepany to new heights¡­ Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Chapter 611 Stefan Hunt sat there like a king, dazzling and charming the people around him. It was clear that the man was a born leader ¨C nobody could take their eyes off him. Even the reporters from popr media companies who were initially only interested in getting their hands on sensational news were now so captivated by Stefan¡¯s charisma that they forgot to take notes. Sitting amidst hundreds of other guests in the audience, Renee¡¯s icy gaze was locked on the man on the stage. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug deep into her flesh. So, Stefan Hunt had been alive all this time¡­ and had now returned more powerful and arrogant than ever! It was truly a pity that she¡¯d spent all that time grieving and shedding tears for him. It was all for nothing! Renee felt likeughing at how foolish she had been. Xavier crossed his legs, looking as if he knew all along that this would happen. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Stefan actually went through with his outrageous n!¡± He eximed with a grin. ¡°But I¡¯ve got to give it to him ¨C this time he really managed to beat that slimeball Jovan Hunt! He went overboard with his little scheme, though; I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d disappear for so long, especially with all those crazy rumors about him going around¡­ He¡¯s like one of those medieval knights who¡¯d endure torture and humiliation for the sake of victory!¡± ¡°You mean,¡± Renee said slowly, ¡°you knew he was alive, and others knew it too? Was Alexander Hunt in on this too?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Xavier replied enthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯s a huge undertaking, after all! He did give us hints that he was safe so we wouldn¡¯t be worried about him or do anything rash. If we¡¯d done something, like go after Jovan, we¡¯d never be able to lure out the mastermind backing him¡­¡± When Renee was silent, Xavier turned to her and asked hesitantly, ¡°You didn¡¯t actually think that he was dead, did you? Didn¡¯t Stefan drop you any hints?¡± ¡°No,¡± Renee shook her head, her face sullen with disappointment, ¡°he didn¡¯t. M ¡°No way¡­ He wouldn¡¯t possibly hide such a big thing from you! You¡¯re the most important person in the world to him, so he definitely would¡¯ve hinted at something. Anybody would know that you¡¯d be worried about him!¡± Xavier blurted out, defending his friend even though he figured that Stefan had clearly not thought this through. Stefan Hunt had dug his own grave, and Xavier couldn¡¯t help him out of it. Renee smiled bitterly, thinking how foolish she was to have worried about him. ¡°Clearly, I¡¯m nothing to him, so why should he think of me when he decides to do something?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Xavier inwardly kicked himself, and hastily added, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, Renee¡­ Maybe it¡¯s because you mean so much to him that he had to keep you in the dark about it. That way, it¡¯d be more believable, and the target would definitely take the bait.¡± ¡°So, I guess that just makes me one of the pawns in his n, huh?¡± Renee sneered, now understanding why Jovan had taken her to Stefan¡¯s grave that day. Despite him wanting to boast about recing Stefan, he probably wanted to see her reaction to the news. When he saw how genuinely upset she was, he was then convinced that Stefan really was dead. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Renee! There¡¯s always a misunderstanding between the both of you, and if you think that way, it¡¯ll only get worse! When are you both going to move past it?¡± Xavier protested. ¡°Never!¡± Renee snarled, her eyes shining with rage. ¡°It will never be resolved, because from now on, Stefan Hunt and I will forever be strangers to each other! If we ever cross paths in this dog-eat-dog world of business, it would be aspetitors, not friends, and if that happens, you can be sure that I¡¯ll fight him to the death!¡± Just as Renee finished her sentence, she noticed a microphone hovering near her mouth. Realization struck her, and she slowly looked up to see everyone¡¯s eyes on her, including Stefan¡¯s¡­This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 612 Chapter 612 Chapter 612 ¡°Miss Everheart, we heard that you recently reced Mr. Liam Osborne as the president of Azure Group. Considering your rather unusual rtionship with Mr. Stefan Hunt, what does the future rtionship of yourpanies look like? Would the two of you bepeting with each other as rivals, or work together as partners?¡± The person asking was a head reporter from one of the most reputable finance and economics magazines. Renee¡¯s thoughts were still circling around the deep anger and resentment she felt for Stefan, and she red at the man icily. In contrast, Stefan was calm and collected as he gazed at her indifferently. ¡°Unusual¡± was indeed a good word to describe their rtionship! Stefan did not have to say anything ¨C the damage was already done. His lethal silence could easily crush anyone¡¯s self-esteem to smithereens! Renee clenched her fists and sneered, ¡¯There are no friends or enemies in the world of business ¨C there¡¯s only benefit and loss. If Mr. Hunt can help me make more money, then well work together as partners, but if he can¡¯t, then it¡¯s only a matter of time that we¡¯llpete as rivals.¡± After hearing that, the audience roared withughter. ¡°Renee, calm down!¡± Xavier whispered urgently, tugging at Renee¡¯s sleeve.¡± With Azure Group¡¯s current strength, you¡¯re in no position to challenge a major corporation like H Group! This has to be a joke to lighten the atmosphere, right?¡± However, what everyone else was saying about Renee was nowhere near as charitable as what Xavier had said. They saw her as a clueless and foolish little ant presumptuous enough to believe it could knock down a big, sturdy tree like H Group. One of the top executives of H Group tried to stifle hisughter as he told Renee sarcastically, ¡°You might think your status as Mr. Stefan Hunt¡¯s ex- wife grants you certain privileges, Miss Everheart, but business is business, and emotions have no ce here. I don¡¯t believe H Group would ever consider working with Azure Group, and such a smallpany couldn¡¯t possibly be our rival either, so a rtionship between ourpanies would be impossible simply because we¡¯re not on the same level.¡¯ Although the man¡¯s words were tantly condescending and chock-full of arrogance, Renee was not at all angered, and merely replied in disdain,¡± Fine. Don¡¯t forget what you said, and from now on, don¡¯t come to Azure Group for any kind of cooperation or partnership.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Once again, the whole ce erupted inughter. Everyone there saw Renee as a silly clown. The same top executive cleared his throat and said smugly, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever be in danger of having the opportunity to work with H Group, but regardless¡­ I can¡¯t make the final decision for H Group. It¡¯s ultimately up to Mr. Stefan Hunt, so, what is your take on this, Mr. Hunt?¡± The crowd turned to Stefan now, their eyes burning with curiosity. After all, Stefan and Renee had once been married, and they were now reunited. Even if they were not rivals in business, this was still an emotional moment for the former couple! To their disappointment, Stefan¡¯s reactions were just as tepid as earlier. He looked at Renee as if she was not even there as he replied in an overly formal and polite tone, ¡°H Group respects all enterprises. We will cooperate with anyone as long as they have the capabilities and both parties can benefit from it.¡± The audience responded with warm apuse for Stefan, impressed by his generosity and open- mindedness in focusing on the bigger picture. His charisma was so bountiful and his wisdom was so impressive that he shifted all attention away from Renee and back onto him. Renee sat back down, but her emotions were in disarray. That man was simply outrageous! How could he act so cold and indifferent, as if nothing happened?! What was even more infuriating was how he acted like she was aplete stranger to him! ¡°Hey,¡± Xavier tried tofort her after noticing how upset she was, ¡® don¡¯t let it get to you. You know what Stefan¡¯s like ¨C he always puts on airs, especially during events like this. You¡¯ll see, once he gets down from that stage, he¡¯lle to you crying and begging for forgiveness!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need forthat, because I sure as hell won¡¯t be staying here any longer!¡± Renee snapped, then got up and left the hall, heading straight for the restroom. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Meanwhile, H Group had just concluded the press conference. Now, everyone knew that Stefan Hunt, the true king, had returned. Jovan Hunt, the usurper, along with all his cohorts, would be banished forever, and Stefan Hunt would usher in a new golden era for H Group! Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Chapter 613 Renee sat on the toilet in the restroom, so enraged that she drew a pentagram on the floor with the tip of her shoe, viciously cursing Stefan. ¡°Damn you to hell, Stefan Hunt! You wanted to die so much that you even got yourself a grave, huh? Well, then¡­ I hope you choke to death when you drink water, or when you swallow your food! I hope you get struck by lightning when you¡¯re on your phone, or fall down a hole and die while you¡¯re walking¡­¡¯ Suddenly, she heard the voices of womening from the nearby stalls. ¡°Ah, no imitation can beat the real thing¡­ Jovan Hunt might be cute, but he¡¯s nothingpared to Stefan Hunt! They¡¯re as different as day and night. Oh, can Stefan Hunt be any more perfect? If only I could marry him one day!¡± ¡°Stop daydreaming ¨C he¡¯s already found his true love! If you think you¡¯ll actually get a turn to be with him, you should get your head checked¡­¡± ¡°True love? You mean his ex-wife?¡± ¡°No, dummy! It¡¯s the woman Mr. Hunt has been protecting for four years ¨C Briar Desrosiers! But I heard rumors about her going missing recently, and the Hunt family is sending people to look for her. If the precious Briar Desrosiers really is gone, then perhaps you might have a chance with Mr. Hunt, but as for his ex-wife¡­ Didn¡¯t you see how cold he was with her just now? It¡¯s obvious that he despises her, so she¡¯s no threat to you at all!¡± This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Renee almost exploded in rage as she listened to them talking. She stomped out of the toilet and kicked down the doors to the two stalls the women were in and said furiously, ¡°You¡¯ve got it all wrong! I was the one who dumped Stefan Hunt, and I¡¯m the one who despises him! Even if a cold -blooded robot like him knelt down to take off my shoes. I¡¯d just kick him away!¡± There were other women in the restroom, including female reporters and their colleagues. They were all staring at Renee in shock, wondering how the mild-mannered and meek former Mrs. Hunt, who used to love Stefan Hunt with all her heart, could turn out to be such a smug and snooty woman in real life! ¡°What are you staring at? It¡¯s true! What is Stefan Hunt good at besides looking good in suits? That jerk is selfish, arrogant, stubborn, and pretty much the equivalent of a human turd ¨C anyone who goes near him would only get their day ruined! I¡¯ve been trying to get away from him for ages, and yet you guys want to run headfirst into that hot mess¡­¡± Renee called out scornfully as she walked out of thedies¡¯ restroom. As luck would have it, she bumped into Stefan the moment she stepped out. Stefan looked as noble and haughty as a deity sitting on his heavenly throne in the clouds,plete with two bodyguards nking him. Stefan¡¯s eyes narrowed in displeasure, his lip curling ever so slightly as he red down at Renee. It was obvious he¡¯d heard all the names Renee called him just now. ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee coughed awkwardly. Maybe she went too far when she called him a turd, but it was true! If Stefan had a problem with that, she had a million other insults prepared for him! To her surprise, Stefan acted as if he did not even see her as he headed straight into the men¡¯s restroom. Renee¡¯s jaw dropped, and her emotions surged in her like a whirlwind. She was so furious she could hardly think straight! Was that man blind?! How could he just act like she didn¡¯t exist? He should at least exin what had been going on! Renee could no longer take it. She whipped around and angrily went after the man¡­ Chapter 614 Chapter 614 Chapter 614 There were a few men inside the men¡¯s restroom standing at the urinals, doing their business without a care in the world. When Renee stormed in, they were shocked and hastily covered their private areas with their hands. ¡¯ You¡­¡± One of them sputtered indignantly, his face red in embarrassment. ¡® What are you looking at?¡± Renee shouted at the men, holding her head high. ¡°Have you never seen a woman in the men¡¯s restroom before? If you can¡¯t deal with it, then get out!¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. The men in there were all respectable gentlemen, and they had probably never encountered such a tough and intimidating woman before. Instantly, they hurriedly zipped up and ran out. In a few seconds, the restroom was empty, except for the lone figure at the innermost urinal ¨C Stefan Hunt. He stood straight and tall, like a cold and wless marble statue. He managed to exude an air of superiority and unattainable perfection even as he stood in front of a urinal. He had not yet done his business before Renee barged in, so he turned to her with an icy stare as he asked slowly, ¡°What do you want?¡± Those four words just added fuel to the fire burning inside Renee. She was so enraged that she looked like a puffer fish, ready to explode. ¡°What do I want?¡± She bit out with barely restrained anger, clenching her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. ¡°Why are you ying dumb, Stefan Hunt? Do you really need to ask me that?¡± ¡°Just hurry up and tell me what you want,¡± Stefan replied calmly. ¡°This ce is crawling with reporters, and yet you followed me into the men¡¯s restroom. This kind of behavior is highly inappropriate.¡± His overly calm demeanor made it seem like he was mocking her childishness and uncontrolled irrationality. Renee gritted her teeth, wishing she could punch that wless face of his! How could a man so ruthlessly cold and uncaring even exist? Was he a robot with no heart? ¡°Don¡¯t you think I deserve an exnation about this whole situation?¡± Renee asked, trying to calmly communicate with Stefan while stifling the urge to choose violence. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything to exin¡­¡± Stefan replied with a nonchnt shrug. ¡°As you might have seen, H Group needed to weed out some bad seeds, so I had to use some tricks to lure them out and eliminate them.¡± ¡°And¡­ that¡¯s it?¡± Renee stared at the man¡¯s unfeeling expression, feeling like she was looking at a total stranger. ¡°So,¡± she smiled bitterly, ¡°you didn¡¯t actually get in danger because you tried to save me. Looks like all that guilt I shouldered was for nothing! It must have been hrious to you, hmm? You must have been laughing your heart out back then seeing how gullible and stupid I was!¡± ¡°Does that mean,¡± Stefan asked, staring at Renee with aplex emotion in his eyes, ¡°that you were really worried about me, that you were upset about my death? So, you not caring about me was a lie, wasn¡¯t it? You haven¡¯t given up on me, have you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself!¡± Renee pretended to throw up into the urinal before coldly adding, ¡°I¡¯ve completely given up all my feelings for you. I just don¡¯t like feeling indebted to someone, especially someone like you, Stefan Hunt! If you had really died for me, I would have just despised you for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°In that case,¡± Stefan slowly replied, ¡°I¡¯ve made a huge mistake. If I¡¯d known how much I¡¯d affect you, I wouldn¡¯t have returned so soon. I should¡¯ve waited to see how much you would despise me.¡± Stefan¡¯s odious righteousness wore off thest remaining reserve of patience Renee had. She started to hurl insults at him like a foul-mouthed shrew, pulling no punches, ¡°Didn¡¯t I make it clear to you just now? You¡¯re nothing more than a disgusting turd, and every time I see your face, it¡¯s like seeing a big pile of poo! I despise you so much that I lose my appetite when I see you! I can¡¯t stand being around you for a second longer!¡± Once she was done cursing at him, she felt instantly relieved, so she turned around to leave. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Stefan hammered down his order as if it was an imperial decree, his voice carrying a sense of authority that was impossible to defy. However, Renee was a rebel at heart, so as soon as Stefan ordered her to stop, she defiantly walked away from him. Chapter 615 Chapter 615 Chapter 615 In a desperate attempt to stop her from walking away, Stefan stretched his leg out to block her path, and grabbed her tiny shoulders with both of his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to tell me?¡± He asked meaningfully. ¡°Is this a joke? What would I have to tell you?¡± She red at the big hands on her shoulders and warned him in an icy tone, ¡°Let me go!¡± Stefan gazed into Renee¡¯s eyes as he asked her, ¡°I hid the truth from you because the situation forced me to, but what about you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not hiding anything from me!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Renee was starting to feel unsettled. ¡¯What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about¡­ In your eyes, I¡¯m the stupid one, aren¡¯t I? You hid in a corner where I couldn¡¯t see you, and youughed at me for years, didn¡¯t you?¡± Stefan¡¯s grip on Renee¡¯s shoulders unconsciously tightened, and his calm expression now gave way to a mixture of anger, pain, and helplessness¡­ as if he was powerless against the woman in front of him! Renee waspletely perplexed. She was not sure what the guy had found out, but she knew for certain that she must never let him find out about their children, or else there would be a million troubles ahead. Renee¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she growled, ¡°Don¡¯t try to turn the tables on me, Stefan Hunt! You know damn well that when we were married, I was always loyal to you and never hid anything from you. It was you who snuck out and had an affair with someone else, but now you¡¯re using me of hiding something? Don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡± Stefan chuckled. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not hiding anything from me?¡± His prating gaze seemed to almost swallow Renee up whole. He slowly added, ¡¯Are you going to wait till I expose you? And what if I expose what you hid from me? What will you do then?¡± ¡°Stop¡­ Stop messing with me! I¡¯ve always done the right thing and been honest my whole life. My conscience is clear, so go ahead and expose whatever you want!¡± Renee was outwardly calm, but in reality, her heart was racing. She was terrified that Stefan might have found out that she had secretly given birth to his children. ¡°You¡­¡± Stefan hesitated, and before he could continue, a voice echoed in the restroom. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt you two, but¡­¡± The door of the stall next to them opened, Jovan Hunt walked out with an inscrutable expression on his face. He did not look defeated or downcast at all ¨C he just looked like his usual handsome but idiotic self. ¡°Since I had the luck to overhear what you were both saying, I feel responsible to give my two cents just to be fair¡­ The truth is,¡± Jovan said dramatically, ¡°Renee really is hiding something from you. As an outsider, I just can¡¯t stand aside and do nothing anymore. Don¡¯t you know, Stefan, that she-¡° ¡°Shut your mouth, Jovan! If you say one more word, I swear to God I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart!¡¯ Renee was petrified that this lunatic might expose all her secrets, and she straightened her spine, prepared to send him flying with a kick as she warned him, ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned enough lessons today? Do you need me to teach you another one?!¡¯ Stefan let go of Renee and turned to Jovan. With a frosty gaze, he barked,¡± Speak up!¡± ¡°If you insist,¡± said Jovan with azy grin. ¡°But remember that you wanted me to say it yourself, so don¡¯t me me if your heart breaks once you learn the truth! I just want to make amends for what I¡¯ve done and show you my sincerity¡­¡± Jovan cleared his throat, acting as if he was about to reveal an earth- shattering secret. Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Chapter 616 Trepidation was written all over Renee¡¯s face. She was full of guilt, but she raised her fist and said threateningly, ¡¯Go on and speak if you dare, Jovan!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Ignore her,¡± Stefan coldly stated. ¡°Tell me everything you know.¡± Jovan smiled wickedly, then began in a meaningful tone, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, your marriage to Renee lasted for about four years. In our current society, that¡¯s not a short marriage at all. Do you think you know her well? Do you know what her real personality is like?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression turned ugly, and he said in a dangerously icy tone,¡± What exactly are you trying to say? Stop beating around the bush -1 don¡¯t have time to chat with you.¡± ¡°Answer my questions then. Do you understand her? What kind of a person is she in your eyes? Once I¡¯ve got your answers, I¡¯ll tell you the shocking secret that she¡¯s been hiding from you¡­¡± Jovan¡¯s words aggravated both Stefan and Renee, but in order to satisfy his curiosity, Stefan forced himself to keep calm and answered the questions. ¡°Objectively speaking, as a wife, she was capable, dignified, gentle, and virtuous. She had never caused any scandals that would humiliate me, she always behaved excellently at events, and she was never a burden to the Hunt family.¡± Stefan¡¯sments were objective and sensible. One might even say that they were admirable praises for Renee, but to her, these praises were even more humiliating than insults. Stefan spoke of his ¡¯wife¡± as if she was just another tool for him-like a fridge, an air conditioner, or a sofa-with more practical functions than feelings. For a woman, nothing was more tragic than being treated like a tool by the person you loved¡­ She really had made a wise choice by getting a divorce from Stefan! ¡°Looks like you were quite satisfied with Renee, huh? Too bad¡­ Although both of you have shared the same bed for four years as husband and wife, although both of you made a holy vow to never leave each other¡¯s side whether poor or rich¡­ you still don¡¯t understand her at all, Stefan. Although you were her husband, you don¡¯t even understand her personality!¡± Jovan¡¯s eyes were full of disappointment and contempt for Stefan. Stefan¡¯s gaze was steely as he asked Jovan coldly, ¡®Who do you think you are? What right do you have to question me? Do you actually think you understand her more than I do?¡± He didn¡¯t mind that usationing from anyone else, but this imbecile dared to question him? What right did he have to say all those things to him? How could there possibly be any secret between Renee and that scumbag that he did not know about? ¡°Of course I understand her more than you do,¡± Jovan chuckled, ¡°because even before you knew a woman named Renee Everheart existed, I had already fallen deeply in love with her¡­¡± Jovan¡¯s expression was initially cynical and impish, but now there was a sincerity on his face that was somewhat charming. ¡°Jovan!¡± Renee whispered, her cheeks slightly flushed. ¡°Isn¡¯t there enough trouble already? Stop creating more problems!¡± ¡°What are you so shy about?¡± Jovan raised his eyebrows mischievously at Renee and smiled. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve confessed my feelings for you, and technically, you¡¯re single now. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still loyal to this cold-blooded cousin of mine?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes zed with anger. ¡°Jovan, you idiot! You¡¯re really asking for a good beating now!¡± Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Chapter 617 Renee was so angry that she punched Jovan in the back twice. She did it so naturally that it was like they knew each other for a long time ¨C there was no awkwardness between them at all. Stefan¡¯s expression twisted even more, and he subconsciously clenched his fists. ¡°You see, Stefan¡­ this is Renee¡¯s real personality. She¡¯s not dignified or gentle like you said, nor is she elegant or prim and proper. The real Renee Everheart has a violent temper, and she beats people up when she¡¯s displeased with them. She always beats me up when she sees me; she¡¯s basically a tigress¡¯ I bet you¡¯ve never seen this side of her, have you?¡± Although he¡¯d just gotten punched, Jovan could not be happier. In fact, he even looked proud as he crowed triumphantly, ¡°You were married to her for so many years, but I bet she¡¯s never punched you, has she? That¡¯s too bad¡­ Research shows that when a woman is rxed enough to show her real self to a man, she would be more likely to love the man with all her heart and spend the rest of her life with him-¡° ¡°Shut up!¡± Stefan clenched his jaw and cut Jovan off abruptly. He coldly barked, ¡°If you¡¯re going to be a pervert, then get out. Stop humiliating everyone here!¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Jovan merely smirked and continued, ¡°You really are pathetic, Stefan Hunt. You had such an awesome woman as your wife, but you threw it all away just to be with a scheming one instead. Don¡¯t you know how cool your ex- wife is? She used to be in a popr band, and was rebellious, edgy, and even had a buzz cut! When she stood onstage ying the guitar, she shone brighter than the stars in the night sky. That scheming woman can¡¯t evenpare to the ground she walks on¡­* ¡°You probably didn¡¯t know this,¡¯ Jovan added, ¡®but I was her biggest fan! I went to see all of her shows, I bought every album of hers, and I even recorded all of her performances¡­ I¡¯ve seen so many sides of her that you¡¯ve never seen before, so believe me when I say I understand your own wife better than you do. Doesn¡¯t that make you feel ashamed of yourself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Jovan!¡± Renee had to stop him by pressing her fingers on his forehead. She would die of embarrassment if he kept going! She whispered to him, ¡°Everyone has been young and frivolous before, so stop bringing up the past! It¡¯s irrelevant and doesn¡¯t mean anything anymore.¡± Thest thing she wanted was for Stefan to find out how ridiculous she was when she used to y in an underground band. They had been trying to raise funds for children with leukemia back then, so everyone in the band got a buzz cut to show their solidarity. They had even shaved their heads completely bald once, and then bleached their hair blonde when it grew back. All in all, they had been the textbook definition of rebellious youths that were loud, proud, and cool. If Stefan actually explored this era of her past, she would have to dig herself a hole and hide in it for the rest of her life. She would never be able to hold her head high ever again! Jovan noticed how Stefan had fallen silent, so he added, ¡°Do you know why I¡¯ve always resented you all these years? It¡¯s because you destroyed my sacred idol! You were so lucky to have her, and yet you never appreciated her! You had a diamond in your hand, yet you threw her into a crowd of mediocre people! You polluted her and dulled her luster, turning her into amon lump of coal. You simply didn¡¯t know how to cherish a woman like her!¡± Stefan stared at Jovan, who was seething with rage, and emotionlessly asked him, ¡°So, what then? What are you going to do about it?¡± Jovan sneered, ¡°I just wanted to warn you that you¡¯re mistaken if you think you¡¯ve won today. As long as I¡¯m alive, Stefan Hunt, I¡¯ll definitely rece you and get my precious diamond back. I¡¯ll let her radiate her own brilliant light once again!¡± ¡°Well,¡± Stefan shrugged indifferently, ¡°she¡¯s right here. If you want her so much, you can just fight for her with your own capabilities. What¡¯s the point of dering war with me?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he strode straight out of the restroom, not even ncing at Renee as he walked past her. It was as if the two wereplete strangers ¨C that was how cold Stefan was! Chapter 618 Chapter 618 Chapter 618 With that, only Renee and Jovan were left standing in the men¡¯s restroom awkwardly Like a viin who had seeded in bringing his evil n to fruition, a sinister yet childish smile cropped up on Jovan¡¯s face. He told Renee, ¡°You see? You clearly made the right choice in leaving your ex- husband, because all he ever wanted was a tool to perfect his image. He was never interested in you, he never understood you, and he never even wanted to understand you. What a failure.¡± ¡°Why, thank you for the enlightenment, Jovan!¡± Renee could not help but roll her eyes as she pointedly sneered, ¡°If you have that much spare time, why don¡¯t you worry about yourself instead? How stupid can you be? You¡¯ve been yed like a fiddle and wiped out from your position, yet you¡¯re still here bragging like an idiot!¡± Jovan wasn¡¯t angered by her words, and instead approached Renee with a cheeky smile. ¡¯So, you¡¯re worried about me, huh?¡± Renee let out a frustrated snarl and kicked Jovan in the butt before replying sarcastically, ¡°Like I¡¯d be concerned for your sorry self!¡± She then held her head high like a proud swan and stomped out of the restroom. Jovan watched as Renee walked away from him, his eyebrows raised slightly and a wicked smile on his face. What a cool woman¡­ She was exactly his type! Meanwhile, therge group of men who had been waiting to get inside the restroom were mostly well- known reporters. Because of what happened, countless baseless and ridiculous rumors started to spread. ¡°The former Mrs. Hunt couldn¡¯t choose between her old me and her new fling,¡± one rumor said, ¡°so she had a liaison with both of them in the men¡¯s restroom!¡± ¡°The president of H Group fought his cousin for his ex-wife¡¯s hand,¡± another rumor alleged, ¡°but failed in the end! He won in business, but lost in love!¡± ¡°Jovan Hunt bravely pursued his cousin¡¯s ex-wife,¡¯ one of the most ridiculous rumors imed, ¡°and asked for her hand in marriage in the men¡¯s restroom. She said yes!¡± As Renee was driving, she saw all these preposterous headlines that Leia sent her, and got so enraged that she nearly hit another car. ¡°Those damn reporters are a bunch of psychos!¡¯ She spat. ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯ve got brain damage or something! Couldn¡¯t they write better? Why did they have to mention ¡°men¡¯s restroom¡± in every sentence? Were they trying to humiliate me?¡± On the other end of the line, Leia was in a fit ofughter. She could not contain her curiosity, so she asked, ¡°Tell me the truth¡­ Now that Stefan Hunt has returned from the dead, has the love between the both of you been reanimated too?¡± The news of Stefan Hunt¡¯s ¡°resurrection¡± hit Beach City like a thunderbolt, throwing everyone into a state of pandemonium. Virtually everyone in the city was talking about it, including Leia herself. In fact, she had been calling Renee incessantly the whole time. Leia didn¡¯t know what to think of Stefan Hunt. On one hand, he was a total scumbag, but on the other hand, she remembered how he sacrificed himself to save Renee. Clearly, despite his terrible personality, there was clearly still some good in him. Besides, the two now had a pair of twins; their reconciliation would indeed be a picture perfect ending. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention that jerk!¡± Renee¡¯s anger had just subsided, but it quickly boiled up again when she thought of how cold and arrogant Stefan was. ¡°I was thinking,¡± Renee continued viciously, ¡°that he should¡¯ve at least informed me that he wasn¡¯t actually dead. But when I saw him again, he was perfectly fine ¨C as stylish as ever, and cold like he¡¯d been living in a freezer for eight hundred years! He actually pretended that he didn¡¯t know me¡­ what the hell?! I wasn¡¯t even trying to bring up our rtionship, but he came up to me and acted all cool and haughty. Who did he think he was? If he didn¡¯t almost break his own leg carrying me out of the mountains that day, I would¡¯ve never even bothered to think about him! But I guess it¡¯s good that things turned out this way¡­ Since he¡¯s so arrogant, I¡¯ll make sure to give him a good p in the face to humble him!¡± As she spoke, an enigmatic smile bloomed on her face. She hade up with a n to deal with Stefan Hunt. That heartless robot should have stayed dead, but since he was alive again, things would surely get more exciting from now. She would drive him to a point where he would cry for his mommy and beg her to let him go! Renee nced at her watch. It was almost time to pick her kids up from kindergarten. It was Adie and Abby¡¯s first day at school today, and seeing that the teachers had not called her, those two must have adjusted to the new environment pretty well.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. Chapter 619 Chapter 619 Chapter 619 ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up now,¡± Renee told Leia with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s time to pick up the kids.¡± She then ended the call and headed straight to Monte Perry Kindergarten. The streets in front of the kindergarten were always full of cars and crowded with people. All kinds of luxury cars were lined up at the Monte Perry Kindergarten gates, making it look like some kind of car exhibition was going on. After a while, Renee finally found a parking spot. She parked her car and was about to get out when Margaret suddenly called her. ¡°Hello?¡± Margaret¡¯s voice was shaky with panic. ¡°Miss Renee, are you here yet? Come quickly! Something¡­ something happened!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Renee asked quickly, then said to Margaret soothingly,¡± Don¡¯t panic¡­ Speak slowly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m useless. Miss Renee! I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I was about to pick up the kids just now, but the teacher told me that¡­ that¡­¡± Margaret sounded as if she was about to burst into tears. ¡°The teacher told me,¡± she continued anxiously, ¡°that someone had alreadye and picked them up! I asked the teacher who it was, and they said¡­ They said it was Adie and Abby¡¯s daddy!¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°What?!¡± Renee¡¯s mind went nk and her whole body went numb. ¡¯Wait for me, I¡¯ming there now.¡± Once she¡¯d calmed herself, she got out of her car, and headed straight towards Margaret, who was standing at the school gate. From afar, she could make out Margaret clutching a teacher¡¯s arm anxiously. It was obvious that she was so panicked that she couldn¡¯t think straight. ¡°You¡­ You should¡¯ve known, Miss Strawberry, that Adie and Abby are raised by a single mother! They only have their mommy, they never had a daddy! Some criminal must¡¯ve kidnapped them!¡± ¡°How could you hand the kids over to the kidnapper just like that?¡± Margaret continued tearfully. ¡°You must take responsibility for this! You must go get the kids and return them to us!¡± ¡°Madam,¡± Miss Apple, another teacher, helplessly tried to reassure Margaret, ¡°please calm down. The man who came to pick the kids up today really was their father -1 heard them call him that myself. Besides, that man is so powerful that he could easily shut this school down if he wanted, so we really had no choice¡­¡± ¡°Who cares how powerful he was?! How can you just hand the kids over to him? What kind of school is this, anyway? Is it a child trafficking kindergarten? I¡¯m going to report it to the police and have them drag you all to jail!¡± Margaret had no idea what to do, so she could only demand that Miss Apple return the kids to her. ¡°Margaret!¡± Renee crossed the street and hurried over to Margaret tofort her. ¡°Please, calm down.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Miss Renee! Here they are! These are the people who handed the kids over to a kidnapper! Hurry up and tell them to return the kids, Miss Renee! If we wait any longer I¡¯m afraid the kids will be in danger¡­ M ¡°I know what to do, so leave it to me, okay? I¡¯ll deal with this.¡± Renee persuaded Margaret to let go of Miss Apple¡¯s arm, then bowed deeply at the teacher and said in an apologetic tone, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Apple. Margaret here is the one who raised the twins ever since they were born, so it¡¯s natural that she panicked when she found out that someone else had taken them away. Please forgive us if she said anything offensive to you. I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Miss Apple smiled hesitantly and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Miss Everheart. We know that any parent would panic when their kids are missing. It¡¯s perfectly understandable. Still, we must assure you that we didn¡¯t just hand the kids over to a random person. We only let the kids leave with the man because they both called him Daddy. We really believe that the man can¡¯t possibly be a criminal.¡± Renee politely asked the teacher, ¡°Could you tell me what the man looked like, Miss Apple?¡± Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Chapter 620 Miss Apple looked somewhat conflicted. Her eyes darted around before she cryptically answered, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Miss Everheart. The twins are definitely fine, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be home in no time. As for the person who took them away¡­ Please forgive me, but I really can¡¯t tell you anything about him.¡± Hearing this, Renee dug her nails into her palms and forced herself to remain calm as she said with a sneer, ¡°This man really is powerful, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s so powerful that he can easily kidnap other people¡¯s kids in public, and even their own mother doesn¡¯t have the right to know about it.¡± ¡°He is indeed very powerful. In fact, only a handful of people in the whole of Beach City would dare to go up against him, so¡­¡± Miss Apple paused for a few seconds, then told Renee in a lowered voice, ¡°The twins both called him Daddy without hesitation and were very friendly with him, and the man himself¡­ is connected to the Hunt family.¡± ¡°Connected to the Hunt family, huh?¡± Renee frowned slightly as she thought about the hints Miss Apple just gave her. Then, the realization hit her. A powerful man in Beach City whom the kids called Daddy and was connected to the Hunt family¡­ Who else could it be other than Stefan Hunt?! No wonder he had been acting so strangely in the men¡¯s restroom today! All those bizarre things he said, not to mention how he used her of hiding something important from him¡­ Could it mean that he had long discovered the existence of the twins?! The more she thought about it, the more it made sense that he would find out, because when she thought that Stefan was dead, shepletely gave up on hiding the twins¡¯ existence from the public eye. Besides, Adie had trespassed into his territory and caused a ruckus there, so that must have attracted his attention. It wouldn¡¯t have taken much investigating before it became inly clear to him that Adie was his son. In fact, it was likely that he had even secretly met Adie a few times before. Could it be that the potential match that Adie kept saying he would introduce to her, whom he called the ¡°Famous Chef of Beach City¡± was actually Stefan? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. With these thoughts in mind, Renee started to feel uneasy. ¡°Miss Apple,¡± she said, ¡°thank you very much. I think I know who I should go to now. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble my twins caused today; I¡¯ll definitely bring them back here as usual tomorrow.¡± After speaking, there was a murderous glint in Renee¡¯s eyes as she waded through the crowd and left. ¡°Miss Renee!¡± Margaret cried out as she followed Renee, confusion written all over her face. ¡°Have you figured out who took Adie and Abby? I didn¡¯t even get any clues from her just now! What should we do now? The twins aren¡¯t even five years old yet¡­ What would we do if something happened to them?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Margaret. The kids are fine. I¡¯ll go get them now.¡± Renee then sent Margaret home and sped straight towards Hunt Residence. It was a cheerful and lively day at the Hunt Residence, since it was the day that Stefan had ¡°returned from the dead¡±. Additionally, he¡¯d also managed to capture all the bad seeds in their corporation and had eliminated them in one smooth move. Truly, it was a victorious day for the Hunt family, and was worthy of great celebration. Old Timothy Hunt, Alexander Hunt, Francine Milford, Stefan Hunt and other important members of the Hunt family were all gathered there at the Hunt Residence, enjoying a grand family banquet. Everyone at the table was merrily raising their sses and enjoying their food when a servant came forward nervously. She seemed to have something to say but was hesitant to say it. ¡°Stop standing there and stuttering!¡± Francine barked impatiently. ¡°If you have something to say, spit it out!¡± The servant looked out of the dining hall and stammered, ¡°Umm, Madam¡­ There¡¯s a¡­ guest here. Should I stop her froming in, or should I-¡± ¡°Why so heartless, miss?¡± Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Chapter 621 Despite the servant¡¯s efforts to stop her, Renee strode in boldly and said sarcastically, ¡°I was once a part of the Hunt family. I treated Grandpa Hunt like my own grandfather, so there¡¯s no need to stop me from visiting him, right?¡± Meanwhile, Timothy, who was sitting at the head of the table, was scowling fiercely at Stefan. He was just about to teach him a lesson after learning about the rumours about Stefan, Renee and Jovan. However, his eyes sparkled when he heard Renee¡¯s voice, and he turned to her with a wide smile. ¡® Ren, my wonderful granddaughter-inw, I was just about to teach Stefan a lesson. I¡¯m delighted you¡¯re here! Come, child, sit by me.¡± He motioned to the unupied seat next to him and urged her to have a seat. Meanwhile, Stefan sat on the opposite side, his expression frigid. The servant added a new set of tableware to the table. Renee was unable to say no to the old man, and was forced to sit at the table with the Hunts. The jovial atmosphere immediately dimmed. The others hadn¡¯t said anything since they feared offending Timothy or Stefan, so they just lowered their heads quietly and ate. Francine, on the other hand, was as fearless and courageous as a lion. She had been looking forward to Renee¡¯s homing, and now that Renee was here, she was overjoyed. She began piling food on Renee¡¯s te happily. ¡°My good daughter-inw, you finally thought it through and came back to us. See, I told you that Stefan was alive. His acting skills were so good that he had both of us fooled! I beat him up earlier, but if you¡¯re unhappy with him, feel free to beat him up too.¡± Hearing this, Timothy said, ¡°Francine, this is the first time you¡¯ve said something good after being in the Hunt family for so many years. You should beat your son and husband if they¡¯ve done something wrong! Ren, you have myplete support if you¡¯d like to beat Stefan up.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. When the rest heard what the most powerful man in the Hunt family said, they quickly agreed with him. ¡°Yes, he should be beaten up. Even if he has problems, he should not have made his wife worry!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee had never expected things to turn out this way, and she coughed awkwardly. Prior to this, no one in the Hunt family cared about her, and nobody ever backed her up or let her speak. However, though she had been divorced from Stefan for several years, she was finally being treated well by the Hunt family. Francine nudged Stefan and urged, ¡°Why are you still sitting here? Can¡¯t you see that your wife is coughing? Get water for her. You¡¯re a grown man, but you don¡¯t havemon sense. No wonder you¡¯ve been single for so many years!¡± She purposely emphasised the fact that Stefan had been single for years, ncing at Renee pointedly as she did so. Timothy added, ¡®That¡¯s right. Renee finallyes back but you have no sense at all. However, when she leaves, you be more gentlemanly.¡¯ The other members of the Hunt family agreed with Timothy. ¡°Yes. A man should be more gentlemanly if he wants to win a girl over! Stefan, you should change your attitude.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was frosty, and he smacked his spoon against the table, growling, ¡®That¡¯s enough. What are you all attempting to aplish? And what brings you here?¡± His gaze was hard as he questioned Renee, and he stared at her like she was his mortal enemy. Seeing this, Renee pounded her fist on the table and snarled, ¡°What¡¯s the point in pretending? You know exactly why I¡¯m here!¡¯ Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Chapter 622 Stefan gingerly wiped his lips with a handkerchief, then turned to Renee with a smirk. ¡°Truth be told, I really don¡¯t know why you¡¯re here. Might it be because you still love me and want to rekindle our rtionship?¡¯ ¡°Excellent, excellent!¡± Francine pped her hands gleefully. ¡°Renee, if you wanted to rekindle your rtionship with Stefan, you should have just said so! There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush, and you don¡¯t need Stefan¡¯s opinion about it ¨C he¡¯s a moron who doesn¡¯t know anything. I can help you both make it happen. We¡¯ll arrange for arger and better wedding too.¡± Timothy nodded his head approvingly. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re finally considering it. You should¡¯ve reconnected with Stefan sooner. This is something that the whole Hunt family agrees on!¡¯ ¡°No way! That¡¯s not it!¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks reddened and she started to panic.¡± I¡¯m not here to reconcile with him. In fact, I¡¯m going to be a nun and live alone for the rest of my life. I¡¯m never going to get back together with him!¡¯ The atmosphere turned ufortable. Stefan¡¯s smirk instantly faded, and his gaze was cold as he remained silent. ¡°If you¡¯re not here to get back with Stefan, why are you here?¡± Timothy inquired, looking perplexed. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡­.¡± She bit her lower lip, unable to exin why. She wasn¡¯t sure whether the Hunts knew her about her children, and telling them about it would just cause problems. ¡°It¡¯s a personal matter between Stefan and I, so I can¡¯t talk about it here,¡± Renee said awkwardly, then turned to Stefan. ¡°Mr. Hunt, please spare me a few minutes of your time so I may speak with you.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re not here to get back with me, I believe it¡¯s best that we keep our distance. I don¡¯t want anybody talking about this,¡± Stefan replied coldly. Francine smacked the back of his head fiercely and scolded him, ¡°Why are you pretending? You¡¯ve been missing her for years, so much so that you can¡¯t sleep at night. The maids believed our home was haunted because your sobs were so loud at night. Stop being foolish and go speak to her since she¡¯s come all the way to see you!¡± Stefan¡¯s face fell and he answered icily, ¡°No such thing happened.¡± ¡°I heard it as well. I have proof!¡± Timothy nodded his head enthusiastically and even summoned the maids. ¡°Ask Andrea and Lisa if you don¡¯t trust me ¨C they heard it too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Stefan¡¯s attractive face darkened, and he stood up abruptly. He turned to Renee and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Study room on the second floor. Make it quick.¡± Renee instantly rose, followed the man, and entered the study room. Everyone started whispering to each other as soon as the door closed. ¡°Could it be that the old me has rekindled?¡± ¡°They still love one another, so it¡¯s only a matter of time before they reconcile.¡± Francine grinned as she looked at the study room door. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time. Stefan didn¡¯t have to weep at night anymore because he missed Renee. ¡°Yes, they should have rekindled sooner. I¡¯m looking forward to having a grandchild!¡± Sheughed heartily and decided to assist her clueless son. Renee found herself alone with Stefan once again. He leaned on the table and looked at her. His features were gorgeous, and his body was wless. Renee stood far away, refusing to go near him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Stefan asked finally. Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Chapter 623 Stefan¡¯s gaze was frigid as he stared at Renee. ¡°There¡¯s no one here, so you can just be honest with me. What happened to them? They need to be released immediately. I¡¯m willing to give up everything forthem ¨C even my life. Don¡¯t push me, Stefan, I¡¯m warning you.¡± Renee clenched her fists tightly, her entire body tense. She had given birth to Addie and Abby and raised them with all her love and attention. They weren¡¯t just her life, they were also the Everheart family¡¯s future. Stefan might have tried to take them away, but she would definitely get them back. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re saying.¡± Stefan looked perplexed as he frowned at her. ¡°Who are you referring to?¡± ¡°Stop acting dumb!¡± Renee burst out furiously. She was so enraged that she approached him, grabbed him by the cor, and warned, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three, and if you don¡¯t give them to me, I¡¯ll break your neck. You already know I¡¯m capable of it!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°You want to break my neck?¡± The corners of his lips curved upwards into azy smile, and he whispered challengingly, ¡°Go ahead¡­ Do it.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes zed with anger, and her lips twitched as she bit out, ¡°Three, two, one¡­¡± To her surprise, the lights in the room went out before she could do anything to him. It was now pitch ck, and even the lights in the surrounding mansions were out. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± She demanded, letting go of Stefan as she looked around. ¡®Have I walked into their trap? That has to be it! Stefan kidnapped Addie and Abby, lured me here, and is now trying to kill me so he can get custody of the kids!¡¯ She thought in horror. Her skin prickled just thinking about it. ¡®The Hunt family might be cruel, but you underestimate my abilities.¡± Renee growled, then reached out to wrap her slender fingers around Stefan¡¯s neck again. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything. If anything happens to me, you¡¯ll die with me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. We¡¯re not that bored, and even if we wanted to hurt you, we wouldn¡¯t get our hands dirty doing it,¡± Stefan scoffed. ¡®After so many years, she¡¯s still an overthinker. How could she think that we would use such an amateur way to hurt her?¡¯ He thought. ¡°Then what is going on? Why did all the lights go off?¡± Renee asked him impatiently. ¡°Obviously, the power is out,¡± Stefan said irritatedly. At that moment, they heard a servant¡¯s voice from outside the room. ¡°I apologize, Mr. Hunt and Miss Renee. Something went wrong with the mansion¡¯s circuit, and the electricity has gone offpletely. Can you wait for a while? We¡¯ll get someone to repair it right away.¡± ¡®Wait?¡± Renee swallowed nervously, suddenly realizing she was a bit too close to Stefan. ¡®Are they actually expecting us to stay together in the dark?¡¯ She thought anxiously. Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Chapter 624 Renee could rule out that the Hunt family nned to ambush her since the electricity had gone out due to a faulty circuit. She let out a sigh of relief and rxed somewhat. She let go of Stefan¡¯s neck and tried to move away from him, but his strong arm suddenly circled her waist. He pulled her towards him, and she tumbled onto him with a yelp. When she felt his warm frame against hers, she immediately froze.¡± What¡­ What are you doing?¡± Stefan remained silent, but his grip on her tightened. Renee lost her cool and hissed at him, ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t you dare try to take advantage of me. Let me go before I hurt you!¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Stop moving!¡± Instead of letting her go, he held onto her like his life depended on it. ¡°Clearly, you don¡¯t value your life. Do you want me to break your arm?¡± She was going to push him away when she heard sniffling. She hesitated, her eyes wide in disbelief. ¡®Is Stefan¡­ crying?¡¯ She thought in shock. She immediately calmed down, taken aback by this unexpected urrence. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked cautiously. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this, but when I¡¯m alone in the dark¡­ memories of what happened to my brother overwhelm me, and I¡¯ll sometimes get a panic attack. I usually need someone to lean on, or else the consequences will be disastrous.¡± He mumbled as he moved closer to her. ¡®Is he being serious?¡¯ Renee thought, bewildered. Unconvinced, she asked him, ¡°How bad is it?¡± ¡°My breathing and pulse will quicken, and eventually all of my organs will cease working¡­ and I¡¯ll die.¡± It seemed a bit exaggerated, but Stefan didn¡¯t seem like the type to lie about things like this. Renee decided to believe him, and let him hold her. The room was quiet for a while, and then she whispered menacingly, ¡°This is an excellent chance for me to murder you.¡± Stefan tightened his grip and drew her closer to him, as if he wanted to meld their bodies together. His lips brushed her ear as he murmured, ¡°I told you before that if you want to, you may.¡± In the darkness, all Renee could feel was Stefan¡¯s hot breath on her skin. Her face turned red, but she didn¡¯t say anything. They held each other quietly for a while, unexpectedly epting of the intimacy. ¡°Who exactly are you searching for?¡± In the dim light, Stefan¡¯s husky voice rang out. Renee snapped back to reality, and her body immediately tensed up. ¡°Do you truly not know or are you just pretending?¡¯ She questioned, frowning. ¡°If I know, I¡¯ll tell you. I don¡¯t want to waste your time. But I¡¯ll ask you again ¡­ Do you think you¡¯re keeping anything from me?¡± Stefan¡¯s query was riddled with traps and revealed nothing about the children. ¡°It¡¯s dark, and our position is rather¡­ intimate. As you said, it wouldn¡¯t be good if people spread rumours about us. We¡¯ll talk about it once we¡¯re out.¡± She groped around the floor for her phone, nning to use its shlight to lead herself out. The Hunts were wealthy, so even their study room was the size of a middle ss family¡¯s entire home. Without light, it was difficult to discern where the exit was in such arge space. As she pulled out her phone, she noticed a text and a video from Margaret. ¡°Miss Ren, I can¡¯t reach your phone. Hurry back, Adie and Abby are home. They¡¯re fine.¡± Adie and Abby were showing off a cake in the video. To avoid arousing Stefan¡¯s suspicion, she immediately closed the message. She pulled away from Stefan¡¯s grip and went to the door using the light from her phone. Suddenly, as she turned the doorknob, she realized it couldn¡¯t be opened. ¡°Why is the door not opening?¡± She twisted and turned the doorknob, but it did not open. ¡°Stop wasting your energy,¡± Stefan stated quietly as he approached her.¡± Face recognition is required for the door to open. I think that if there¡¯s something wrong with the circuit, the system must have been damaged as well, which is why it¡¯s not operating.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Chapter 625 Chapter 625 Chapter 625 ¡°You can¡¯t open the door until the electricity is restored,¡± Stefan said bluntly. Renee¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°If the electricity doesn¡¯te back on by tonight, I¡¯ll have to spend the night with you!¡± ¡°I can handle it. It¡¯s only one night, after all.¡± Stefan was so calm that Renee wondered where his anxiety from earlier had gone. Only now did she realize that she had fallen into his trap. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had PTSD and that your organs would fail and you¡¯d die? ¡± She asked him suspiciously. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright if you¡¯re here to give me hugs. I can handle you,¡± Stefan said smoothly. Renee was speechless. ¡°You might be able to stand me, but I can¡¯t stand you,¡± she remarked, rolling her eyes. ¡°I have to get out of here today!¡± She wanted to use the light from her phone to try to figure out how to open the doorknob, but unfortunately, her phone ran out of battery and turned off. The room became dark once again. ¡°Damn it!¡± Her patience had reached its limit, and she patted the ground around her, trying to feel her way towards the door. When she got to that cursed door, she would smash the doorknob! Suddenly, her handnded on something rather questionable. ¡°What¡­ are you doing?¡± Stefan hissed, not daring to move. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t this feel like the doorknob?¡± Renee mumbled in confusion, squeezing it a few times. Finally, realization struck her, and the blood drained from her face. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s your¡­¡± Renee quickly let go after realizing what it was, and both of them blushed. Tm¡­ I apologize. That was not my intention. I just wanted to find the doorknob, but¡­¡± Renee stammered, so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t form proper sentences. No one would think it was an ident since there were so many ces to grasp, yet she went there! Stefan feigned calmness and scoffed, ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of hooligans before, but this is the first time I¡¯ve encountered someone as reckless as you. You¡¯ve really opened my eyes.¡± ¡°What?! It really was an ident! If I had those kinds of feelings for you, I would have initiated something while we were married!¡± ¡°Do you mean you never did anything to me throughout our marriage?¡± Stefan queried. ¡°I¡­¡± She remembered the one time they did it while they were both drunk. She had gotten pregnant with Adie and Abby as a result, but it seemed he had no idea what had transpired. Since that was the case, she didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Never. I¡¯m not interested in you,¡± she lied. ¡®You¡¯re not interested in me?¡± His tone suddenly turned angry, much to her surprise. He yanked her wrist, grabbed her waist, and pinned her against the door. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not interested in me?¡± He growled, his voice husky. ¡°Oh, certainly,¡± Renee said boldly. ¡°If I was interested in you, I would have done it long ago, and we would have had many children. I would not have allowed Briar-¡° Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Before she could finish her sentence, his lips found hers. His soft kiss took her breath away. Her mind went nk, and she forgot to protest. She felt herself softening into his kiss, like prey surrendering to a predator. Stefan smiled against her lips, pleased with her response. ¡°On the contrary ¡­ you seem to be very interested in me.¡± Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Chapter 626 Renee¡¯s mind went nk as Stefan¡¯s lips imed hers passionately. She pushed everything to the back of her mind and grabbed Stefan¡¯s cor, snarling, ¡°If you want to kiss me, do it properly.¡± Pulling him down to her, she kissed him back with a hunger that surprised them both. That wasn¡¯t the first time they¡¯d been this close ¨C when they had gotten drunk back then, they had been even more reckless. Back then, they could me it on the alcohol, but they were both sober now, so the aftermath was surely going to be messy. As a result, they both instinctively came to a halt. Renee sat on the carpet, leaning against the door and breathing heavily. She tugged at her hair agitatedly as she tidied her clothes. ¡°I must have been insane to do that! Don¡¯t overthink it ¨C it¡¯s only normal in such a situation.¡± Stefan¡¯s raspy voice revealed hints of suppressed longing. ¡°I understand.¡± He coughed softly. ¡°I feel the same way.¡± He subconsciously moved closer to her, and they sat next to one other on the floor. Renee looked at him defensively. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I told you I suffer from PTSD. Let me rest on your shoulder for a while.¡± Before she could protest, Stefan leaned on her shoulder. Renee gritted her teeth, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to push him away. Unknowingly, hours passed. The room remained dark and silent. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the problem been solved yet? Is this the extent of the Hunt family¡¯s capabilities?¡± Renee burst out finally, having reached the end of her patience. Stefan seems to have dozed off, and drowsily opened his eyes. ¡°You still haven¡¯t figured it out, have you?¡± He mumbled quietly.¡± This is no ident ¨C it was done on purpose. Just go to sleep. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re leaving this ce unless¡­¡± ¡°Unless what?¡± She asked eagerly as though a glimmer of hope had suddenly appeared before her. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Unless you achieve their objective.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t get it.¡± Renee stared at him quizzically. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is the work of my foolish mother. Her purpose is for you and me to reconcile. So¡­¡± He hesitated for a few seconds before replying tly, ¡°They won¡¯t let us go if we don¡¯t create a commotion.¡± Stefan¡¯s theory was indeed correct. Francine was frowning as she leaned against the door of the study room. ¡®That¡¯s so strange. Why are they so quiet? It¡¯s dark, and they¡¯re both alone, so they shouldn¡¯t be able to resist the temptation. Is something wrong with one of them or is something wrong with my ears?¡¯ She thought to herself, confused. Francine asked Lisa, ¡°Do you hear any noisesing from inside?¡± ¡°Madam, it¡¯s quiet inside. I can¡¯t hear a single thing!¡± ¡®Well, I can¡¯t let them out yet. I¡¯ll just have to keep them in there until they confess their feelings for each other.¡± Francine was adamant that she would not open the door until Stefan and Renee reconciled. Meanwhile, Renee was on the verge of losing her mind in the room. Chapter 627 Chapter 627 Chapter 627 ¡°Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s something wrong with your mother, Stefan? What is she attempting?¡± Renee lamented hopelessly, ¡°When I initially married you, she saw me as a monster and wouldn¡¯t let me get close to you at all because she was worried I¡¯d take advantage of you. But now she¡¯s locking us up like animals because she wants us to reconcile?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. My mother¡¯s greatest dream right now is for us to have a grandchild for her to y with. We should be grateful she hasn¡¯t drugged us.¡± Stefan couldn¡¯t help but grin and nudge her. ¡°Even if you wait until tomorrow, as long as her aim is not met, she will try even more bizarre methods to get us together. So, I propose that we try something.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Try¡­ what?¡± Renee choked out, her cheeks flushed. ¡°We should make some noise so she¡¯ll let us go sooner,¡± Stefan suggested. Renee¡¯s cheeks flushed even more as she stammered ufortably, ¡¯ What? Is this some sort of joke? I¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to fake those noises!¡± ¡°I can teach you.¡± Before Renee could respond, Stefan grabbed her and put her on hisp. His hand caressed her curves tenderly, and she let out a startled squeak ¡°Stefan, you pervert! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Renee screeched, swinging her hand at him. She tried to flee, but he tightened his grip on her and leaned in closer.¡± Yeah, just like that,¡± he purred, his hot breath fanning her neck. ¡°Louder! Don¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t even think about it¡­ Ah!¡± She gasped and whimpered in pain as Stefan pinched her hip. After a while, she figured it out. ¡°I think I heard something!¡± Francine leaned against the door in delight. Francine groaned when she heard Renee shout again. ¡°Ugh, Stefan has no idea how to be gentle. He can¡¯t be rough with her if he loves her¡­ After this, I¡¯m going to have to teach him a lesson! I¡¯m not going to let him frighten Renee away.¡± Renee had been acting for a while and was exhausted, so she tapped Stefan on the shoulder and hissed, ¡°Don¡¯t just keep quiet. Move around a little! I can¡¯t possibly be the only one acting.¡¯ It was now his turn to be ufortable. ¡°I refuse to do something as embarrassing as that.¡± He avoided her gaze stubbornly. ¡°What double standards are these?! It¡¯s humiliating for me too! You¡¯d better make some noise, or else your mother will think you¡¯re just bullying me. Make some noise, quick!¡± She whacked his shoulder threateningly, but his lips were pursed tightly. When she saw this, she pondered for a bit beforeing up with an idea. Grinning wickedly, she wiggled her fingers, then lunged forward and started tickling him. Stefan immediately lost control and started yelling. ¡°Ah! Hahaha, stop! Stop it!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I didn¡¯t think this would work on you, but I¡¯m d it did. Scream louder and beg me!¡± She continued to tickle him until he was gasping. ¡°Okay, okay! I beg you, please let me go.¡± His voice sounded pained as he gave in to her orders. Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Chapter 628 Francine leaned against the door, looking more and more confused. ¡°This doesn¡¯t sound right. Now it¡¯s Stefan screaming¡­ Is he getting beaten up?¡± ¡°How can that be? Mrs. Hunt is so graceful and delicate, like a feeble, wealthydy. She couldn¡¯t possibly do such heinous things.¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know her. Don¡¯t be deceived by her kind exterior ¨C she¡¯s actually a tough fighter on the inside. She reminds me of myself when I was younger!¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t be concerned. It demonstrates Mrs. Hunt¡¯s ability to keep Mr. Hunt in check. Well, I never imagined Mr. Hunt would have such a day. I¡¯m embarrassed to hear what¡¯s going on inside.¡± Lisa couldn¡¯t help but cover her face as she imagined what was happening. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ She can keep him in check!¡± Francine¡¯s eyes shone and she praised Renee, saying, ¡°Renee is a gem. She excels at everything, even this! She really is wless. Oh, my wish to have a grandchild seems to being true.¡± They quickly left, and the electricity was suddenly restored. Stefan and Renee had no idea their strategy would be so sessful. When the lights came back on, they were in a very intimate position. Renee was straddling Stefan as she tickled him, and Stefan¡¯s arms were wrapped around Renee¡¯s waist possessively. However, when the lights came on, they froze, looking embarrassed. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Looks like we no longer need to act.¡± Renee dusted her clothes and got off him awkwardly. Stefan also felt uneasy, and he muttered under his breath, ¡°Yeah, it seems like there¡¯s no need for it anymore.¡± Renee went to open the door, and it opened promptly. She sighed in relief and turned to Stefan. ¡°Everything was just a misunderstanding. I¡¯m sorry for bothering you.¡± ¡°What is the misunderstanding?¡± His voice was firm but yful. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me who you¡¯re searching for yet.¡± ¡°Nobody.¡± It was clear from Margaret¡¯s messages that Stefan had not abducted Adie and Abby. That meant that the whole Hunt family was unaware of the children¡¯s existence. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t juste all the way here for nothing,¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze was searching as he stared into her eyes. ¡°The reason for my visit is¡­¡± She paused briefly before remarking cynically, ¡°I came to see whether you really are dead. After all, you were supposedly reduced to ashes in a cemetery.¡± He wasn¡¯t upset. ¡°Are you happy I¡¯m alive?¡± He sarcastically said, crossing his arms against his chest and leaning against the door frame. She rolled her eyes at him and turned around. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up. Since you¡¯re still alive, our war has officially begun.¡± Renee went down the stairs and spotted Timothy pretending to read the newspapers on the sofa. She squinted at the old man suspiciously. ¡°Were you in on this, Grandpa Hunt?¡± Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Chapter 629 Renee¡¯s expression was grave as she stood before Timothy. The old man looked up at her innocently. ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve just finished reading the news.¡± Renee pursed her lips. ¡°You can drop the act, Grandpa. There¡¯s no way you would have been able to read in the dark, and besides¡­ your newspaper is upside down.¡± Renee raised an eyebrow at him expectantly. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡­¡± The old man mumbled in embarrassment and adjusted the newspaper. Refusing to admit defeat, he just went along with it. ¡°Since I¡¯m farsighted. I¡¯m ustomed to reading things upside down. This is actually the easiest way for me to read.¡¯ ¡°Is that right? I don¡¯t believe you.¡¯ Renee was initially upset, but couldn¡¯t help giggling at the old man¡¯s antics. Seeing herugh, he gentlyid down the newspaper and said, ¡°Ren, don¡¯t me us for doing that¡­ We just want you back. Unfortunately, like me, you have no acting talent. Your little performance earlier might have been enough to deceive Francine, but it¡¯s not enough to fool me.¡± Renee sighed and said softly, ¡°Grandpa Hunt, you were married before, so you know how it should be. I used to adore Stefan, but many years have passed, and my feelings for him have faded. I¡¯m sure Stefan feels the same way. How can two people with no affection for each other marry?¡± ¡°Child, you have no understanding of Stefan or yourself. You two have feelings for each other, but¡­¡± ¡°Grandpa Hunt, you don¡¯t have to say anything ¨C I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Please inform Francine that if something like this happens again, she should not me me for being disrespectful to her.¡± With that, Renee turned around and walked away. That was Renee ¨C either she didn¡¯t make a choice, or she made one and never looked back. Even if she did have regrets, she would keep moving forward. Plus, she never had any regrets! Timothy sighed in the living room after Renee had gone. He red at the corner of the stairs and said, ¡°She¡¯s gone. Stop hiding ande out!¡¯ Stefan emerged from behind the stairs. His attractive face was frigid, and dissatisfaction was written all over it. ¡°Did you hear what Ren said?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you regret your actions? She has no intention of reconciling with you. You were determined to divorce back then, so will you put your pride aside now and get her back?¡± ¡°Who says I want to get her back?¡± Stefan stuffed his hands in his pockets and said arrogantly. ¡°What? Are you prepared to let her go then? Did you forget that you¡¯ve been sobbing every night for thest four years?¡± Timothy¡¯sments injured Stefan¡¯s pride, and he scowled. ¡°Grandpa, I told you not to bring that up. I wasn¡¯t crying because of her; I was crying because I was watching a depressing movie. Can you and Mom stop destroying my image?¡± ¡°What do you have to be embarrassed about? When I courted your grandmother, and your father courted your mother, we used the same strategies. If I were you, I would have begged on my knees, sobbed to her, and apologized a million times over to make her return. What do you intend to do about your rtionship with Ren? Are you sure you want to give it up?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Stefan¡¯s stare was intense and serious. ¡°Love cannot be forced. If she no longer loves me, the only way to win her back¡­ is to make her fall in love with me again!¡± Chapter 630 Chapter 630 Chapter 630 This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Renee returned to her apartmentte at night after the children had fallen asleep. Margaret heard the ruckus and went outside, wearing a jacket over her pyjamas. ¡°Where have you been, Miss Ren? The kids were waiting for you all night.¡± ¡°I went to the Hunt residence to search for the children, but it was a mistake. Stefan, like the rest of the Hunt family, was unaware of Adie and Abby¡¯s existence.¡± Renee gave an awkward chuckle. Her cheeks flushed subconsciously as she remembered what had transpired earlier. ¡°Ah, that was a misunderstanding. I heard from the kids that the person who took them is Mr. Q, the man you brought to Sun Ind a few days ago. Adie followed him because he imed Abby as his goddaughter.¡± Margaret informed Renee of what she had learned from the children. ¡°Mr. Q is a nice guy,¡¯ she added with a relieved grin. ¡°The kids adore him, and he treats them like they¡¯re his biological children.¡± ¡°Oh, so it was him!¡± Renee scowled and said, ¡°What does he want?¡± Not only does Abby adore him, but he¡¯s also attempting to woo Adie. He¡¯s gone too far! I need to teach him a lesson one day so he doesn¡¯t bother my children anymore.¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Miss Ren. He¡¯s a decent man. ording to Adie, he is a well-known chef in Beach City. He took them to learn how to bake after discovering that the three of you liked his cake. They all worked together to make you a cake. I¡¯ll go get it from the fridge.¡± Margaret walked to the fridge and took out a 6-inch cake. It was a chocte mousse cake in the shape of a sunflower. ¡®Lovely Mommy, be happy always!¡¯ was written in the centre of the cake by the three of them with cream. Renee then realized her birthday was only a few days away, and her eyes welled up with tears as she thought of Adie and Abby¡¯s efforts. ¡°These two youngsters are too intelligent. I wanted to teach them a lesson, but I can¡¯t do that now.¡± ¡°Give it a try, Miss Ren. The little ones said they had arger surprise in store for you on your birthday!¡± ¡°They¡¯re so sweet¡­* Renee tasted some of the buttercream frosting, which was delicious and tasted like ice cream. Her two children were truly worth the anguish she had been through in the past few years. The next day. Renee got up early, ate breakfast, and dropped the two kids off at school. While she drove, she grilled the two youngsters, particrly Adie. ¡°Adie, tell me honestly, did Mr. Q give you something to win you over? Why did you side with him so quickly? Didn¡¯t I tell you to look after Abby and not allow her to be kidnapped? You, on the other hand, kidnapped her with a stranger. You¡¯re a little traitor!¡± Renee scolded him unhappily. ¡°Mummy, listen to me. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Chapter 631 Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Adie held his small water bottle and gulped I a mouthful of water before he started talking non-stop, ¡°If Abby acknowledges another man as Daddy, I¡¯ll be the first to oppose it, but Mr. Q is different. He¡¯s awesome, and very patient with us. I asked him to cook nice food for us, and he took my word and improved his cooking skills¡­ Do you know what¡¯s the most important thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know that he¡¯s not a good guy, and I don¡¯t know how he fooled you guys!¡± Renee was speechless. She did not know how Mr. Q, who was a viin with such a bad reputation, could make those two children so obedient towards him. Her two children were no naive fools. They were quite witty, so ordinary people usually had no way of winning them over. ¡°The most important thing is that I heard that he¡¯s our Bad Daddy¡¯s sworn enemy. I think if you and Q work together, Bad Daddy will be ruined. He can no longer harm you!¡± ¡°Why, you¡­¡± Renee opened her mouth slightly, and her anger quickly faded. She did not expect to see Adie think about all this at such a young age. To her surprise, Adie hated Stefan vehemently, and his disgust for Stefan was much more than hers. Adie probably read a lot of tabloids. If not, he would not have hated his biological father to this extent. Renee tried to calm Adie down. ¡°Adie, listen to me. Your Daddy isn¡¯t so bad. The reason I separated from him was¡­¡± ¡°Mommy, are you feeling sorry for him? That won¡¯t do!¡± Adie raised his chin and told his mother sternly, ¡°Since he¡¯s a bad guy, we should be brave and defeat him. If not, he¡¯ll hurt us one day. He bullied you in the past, and if your heart softens now, you¡¯ll get bullied by him again. I can¡¯t let this kind of thing happen.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Renee was struck speechless because she felt that Adie was right. She never expected that her thoughts and foresight were not as good as her son¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re right. I should reflect on myself. I was too kind to the viin back then. I should learn from my mistake and not repeat it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good! That¡¯s my cool Mommy. Don¡¯t be a fool in love!¡± Adie stroked her head as if he was touching a pet. He was full of adoration for her. Suddenly, Abby whispered, ¡°Is our Bad Daddy so bad? I¡¯ve never seen him before. Can I see him?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Both Renee and Adie spoke up at the same time. Adie looked very agitated, as if his dear sister would soon be kidnapped by Bad Daddy. He hurriedly said, ¡°Abby, not only did our Bad Daddy hurt Mommy, but he has a strange habit ¨C he likes to eat beautiful girls. Don¡¯t go near him, or you¡¯ll get eaten by him one day!¡± Renee hesitated, then nodded and echoed Adie¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your brother isn¡¯t lying. I know that your Bad Daddy does have a hobby of eating kids. You have to stay far away from him, okay?¡± Abby¡¯s eyes widened fearfully and she replied obediently, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll run far away if I see Bad Daddy!¡± Chapter 632 Chapter 632 Chapter 632 After Renee drove her two children to kindergarten, she turned the car around and drove towards the headquarters of Azure Group. Azure Group was located in the CBD core area of Beach City, and it was only one street away from H Group. However, Azure Group¡¯s scope was much smaller than H Group¡¯s. The most obvious difference was the office areas of the two groups. Azure Group had only two levels as office areas while H Group had a whole building to themselves. Renee took the elevator to Azure Group, which was on the twenty-eighth floor of the office building. The developer rented that office building out, so there were a lot ofpanies like Azure Group in the building. In the past, Renee was the woman behind the scenes for Azure Group. Most of the time, she worked away from the office, and rarely went to the building. It was the morning peak hour when she went to take the elevator that day, so the line was very long. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Renee put on a mask and a pair of sunsses. Even so, her figure and temperament were too outstanding, so she attracted a lot of attention. The two women in front of her had no makeup on and were wearing simple clothes. Carrying lunchboxes, they were gossiping excitedly. ¡® Hey, did you hear? The president of Azure Group on the twenty-eighth floor, Liam, resigned from his post. He won¡¯te here again from now on¡­¡± ¡°Really? Did Mr. Osborne leave?¡± The woman appeared mncholic. ¡°I¡¯ve had a crush on him for such a long time. I always came to work half an hour earlier just to see him in the elevator. If he¡¯s no longer here, I feel like resigning!¡± ¡°Stop being an idiot! He has his first love. I heard that he established Azure Group for her. Now not only did he transfer all his shares to her, but he even asked his sister to do the same. Currently, Azure Group belongs to his first love. We¡¯re all women, but look at her scheme. She¡¯s so good at scheming!¡± As she stood behind them, Renee became quite confused. Liam transferred all his shares to her, and he even asked his sister to do the same. That was too crazy. Would Laura let her off the hook given how much she hated her? Tsk! It seemed like Renee had to deal with the trouble. That woman continued, ¡°Is his first love you talked about the ex-wife of the president of H Group?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s her! Mr. Osborne might look like a yboy, but he gave all his love to that woman. She¡¯s really lucky!¡± The woman frowned unhappily as she said, ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There must be some misunderstanding. Mr. Osborne is so exceptional, so why does he want a divorcee? That woman must have used some cunning tricks to get Mr. Osborne. If I see her, I¡¯ll scold her. She doesn¡¯t deserve Mr. Osborne at all.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t stop herself from chuckling. Hmph! As expected, women were the most likely people to discriminate against other women. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± The two women turned around and red at Renee fiercely. ¡°I¡¯mughing at how foolish, gossipy, and egotistical you two are.¡± Each word Renee used was sharp and rude. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you? Why did you eavesdrop on our conversation? What does our conversation have to do with you?¡± ¡°At first, I had no interest in listening to your gossip, but it so happens that the person you¡¯re gossiping about is me. Well, I¡¯ll have to reason with you guys if that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Renee slowly took off her sunsses and mask, revealing a devastatingly gorgeous face. The surrounding people gasped in shock. Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Chapter 633 Renee appeared calm when she said to the two women, ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I had a divorce, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m inferior to others because of it. Everyone has the right to choose their happiness; I just chose a way that made me happy. What¡¯s more¡­ Ladies, can you guarantee that you¡¯ll never get a divorce? When you¡¯re putting me down, did it ever ur to you that you may face the same situation one day? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be much more miserable than me if it happens.¡± ¡°Why, you¡­¡± The two women were furious, but couldn¡¯t argue. The surrounding people pped enthusiastically at Renee¡¯s response, especially the married women who felt the same as her. Their hands soon became numb from pping. ¡°Good! You made a good point. Women should never look down on other women. We should unite to fight against those vulgar and crafty men instead of fighting against other women!¡± A woman with ck sses added on eagerly. Renee nced at the woman and nodded approvingly. Women like her would surely be respected at the workce. When Renee saw that the elevator had arrived, she raised her chin and straightened her back, walking into the elevator like a queen. No one dared to follow her except the woman in ck sses. She followed Renee into the elevator bravely. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Which floor are you going to?¡± Renee asked her. ¡°Twenty-eighth floor. Thank you.¡± The woman smiled sweetly and thanked Renee politely. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re my colleague.¡± Renee raised her brows and smiled at her. The woman smoothed her hair and smiled, saying, ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m here for an interview, but I¡¯m confident that I¡¯ll get the offer.¡± ¡°Confident women are the best! Go for it!¡± Renee encouraged the woman. They then stepped out of the elevator. As soon as Renee stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into Laura, who was trying to make a scene. When Laura saw Renee, she looked like a fierce beast that had just spotted its prey. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here for three days, and you finally showed up. How are we going to resolve this issue?¡± Renee appeared very calm and said, ¡°Are you referring to the fact that your shares of Azure Group were forcefully transferred to me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Laura smacked the table and said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s fine if my stupid brother acted foolishly, but he dragged me down with him! I spent money to buy these shares back then. Why should I give them up just because he asked me to? He can¡¯t bully me like this! If you don¡¯t return my shares to me today, I won¡¯t let you live in peace. I¡¯ll take you down with me!¡± Renee rubbed her aching temples, then said icily, ¡°Come to my office to talk it over. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed for making a scene?¡± ¡°Fine, let¡¯s talk. I want to see what wille out of it!¡± Laura followed Renee into her office. The employees immediately gathered and started gossiping noisily. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s over. Ourpany is over. Both Mr. Osborne¡¯s and Miss Osborne¡¯s power has been snatched. Thispany is controlled by an outsider now, and it¡¯ll be ruined sooner orter. Let¡¯s hurry up and think of a way to leave! Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Chapter 634 Renee was sitting on a leather chair in the chairman¡¯s office. She had a powerful aura and aposed expression. She looked at Laura, who was sitting across from her, and got straight to the point. ¡°You waited for me for so many days here, so what is it you want?¡¯ ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I want my shares back,¡± Laura scoffed bluntly. Renee shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. I¡¯ll transfer your shares back to you¡­¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.¡± Laura adjusted her sses slightly, her gaze cunning. ¡°Both you and I know what a bad situation Azure Group is in. I don¡¯t want shares -1 want you to convert my shares into cash for me.¡± Renee smirked and sipped her coffee before saying, ¡°Miss Osborne, your thought process is rather amusing. I really don¡¯t understand¡­ What kind of bad situation is Azure Group in? Why do you want to get cash and run away?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Laura said disdainfully, ¡°It¡¯s still eptable if Azure Group suffered losses all year round, but you persisted in building research and production centers. It¡¯ll only burden Azure Group¡­ What¡¯s more, you even offended Stefan, the president of H Group. How are you going to survive? Even my idiot brother knew he should run away!¡± Renee didn¡¯t get angry, she just nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s an unavoidable problem for Azure Group.¡± Laura smirked as she said, ¡°I heard that you got a sum of money and helped my dumb brother repay all the debt he owed the bank. It seems you¡¯re capable, so you should be able to give me my money too. Clearly, you can get billions, so it¡¯ll be very easy to get such a small amount of money for me.¡± However, Renee sneered and said, ¡°You¡¯re the thirdrgest shareholder of Azure Group, and you transferred 21% of the shares to me. How much do you want me to pay you?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I invested 100 million in thispany that year, and thispany has run for more than four years. I won¡¯t make use of your misfortune given that we¡¯ve worked hard together for so many years. Just double it based on the growth rate every year and convert the shares to 520 million for me!¡± Renee burst outughing, then retorted sharply, ¡®Miss Osborne, you¡¯re asking for an exorbitant price. It¡¯s natural to win or lose in investment. You imed that Azure Group has suffered losses all year round for the past few years, but you want me to refund you capital based on those years. Who is being stupid now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I already transferred the shares to you, so you must convert them to 520 million for me. If not, I¡¯lle and make a scene every day, so thispany will be ruined!¡± Laura did not want to care about her dignity when it came to money. She was running out of options. Firstly, her father forced her to transfer the shares to Renee, so she could never retrieve them. Secondly, the shares would make her suffer a great loss even if she did not transfer them to Renee given the current situation of Azure Group. At that point, she would have lost her capital. Thus, she might as well take the opportunity to get some money. After all, Renee was rather capable. She could get billions easily, so a few hundred million was surely not a big deal. ¡°You can curse me for being shameless, but I¡¯m out of options. My father values his son more than his daughters. He has already let my brother lead the Osborne family. I don¡¯t have any say in Osborne Group, so I can onlye to you to ask forpensation. After all, you¡¯re the reason this happened!¡± Laura snarled furiously. She had to fight for this, or else she would have nothing. After a brief pause, Renee sighed and said rather helplessly, ¡°You¡¯re right ¨C it is because of me. You¡¯re more or less innocent in all this, so I¡¯ll give you two options¡­¡± ¡°Two options?¡± ¡°The first option is to stay in Azure Group. I promise to give you not less than 21% of the shares and a year-end bonus. The second choice is I¡¯ll pay you 520 million, but you must sign a formal contract to give up the shares on your own willingly. Then, you¡¯ll have nothing to do with Azure Group if it rises or falls in the future.¡± Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Chapter 635 Laura replied immediately, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Of course, I¡¯ll pick the 520 million. Azure Group is going to be ruined, so which fool would stay? You don¡¯t even know if thepany will survive until the end of the year, and yet you¡¯re talking about a year-end bonus. It¡¯ll be a blessing if thepany doesn¡¯t go bankrupt by then!¡± Laura sneered mockingly. After all, she had worked hard for four years, but she saw no benefits. Thepetition between thesepanies was also getting stronger year by year, so it was very difficult to make a turnover. ¡°Got it!¡± Renee raised her brows and said to Laura, ¡¯Sign this contract then. I¡¯ll ask the finance department to transfer the money to youter.¡± She pushed the contract to Laura as if she had expected her to choose that option. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so agreeable.¡± Laura quickly signed her name and stood up arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m leaving, but¡­ I believe that we¡¯ll meet again soon.¡± After she left the office, one of thepany staff stood outside Renee¡¯s door hesitantly. ¡®Miss¡­ Miss Everheart¡­¡± Renee looked up from the document and asked, ¡¯What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s hard to exin. Pleasee out and see for yourself!¡± The staff looked very troubled. Renee shook her head and headed out of the office. She found that a group of employees had gathered and were repeatedly shouting, ¡°We want compensation!¡± Renee gritted her teeth and snapped, ¡°Keep quiet. What is this fuss all about?¡± ¡°Miss Everheart is finally here!¡± The group¡¯s representative walked over to her and said, ¡°Miss Everheart, we worked for Mr. Osborne and Miss Osborne in the past. We won¡¯t stay now that they¡¯ve left, but they promised to give us shares and dividends. We still haven¡¯t received anything until now. Since you¡¯re now the head of thispany, I hope you can fulfil the conditions in the contract before we leave. If not, we¡¯ll go to the Bureau of Labor!¡± ¡®It¡¯s all about money with them, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Renee was silently seething. They were all heartless snobs. Azure Group was still running, but they were just trying to make things worse for thepany. Renee lowered her head and calmed herself down before she said coldly,¡± If you want to resign, go to the Human Resources department and let them know. I¡¯ll give you a one-month sry. As for those who were promised dividends by the previous boss, I¡¯ll calcte it based on the situation. However, do think this through ¨C don¡¯te to me begging to return in the future.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shabbypany! It suffered losses for so many years, and it should have gone bankrupt long ago. Only a fool would want toe back!¡± They hurriedly went to the Human Resources department, and the crowd eventually disappeared. The only ones left were the women who did paperwork. Among them was the woman with ck sses who was waiting for Renee to interview her. ¡°Miss Everheart, it¡¯s nice to meet you. Would you be willing to hire me?¡± Renee was surprised. She turned to the woman and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the scene earlier? They¡¯re all eager to run away. Why do you want to do the opposite?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 636 Chapter 636 Chapter 636 The girl adjusted her sses and looked at Renee sincerely, ¡°In my opinion, I think Azure Group has a promising future. Thepany isn¡¯t very big or profitable yet, but thepany¡¯s vision is very inspiring. I heard Azure Group is nning to build its own production and R&D center. H Group is one of the fewpanies in Beach City that dares to do the same, so I think Azure Group will be a big company on par with H Group in the future. It¡¯s the right time for me to join now!¡± The young girl¡¯s statement made the senior employeesugh. The PR director put Renee on the spot as he told the girl, ¡°Youngdy, you¡¯re too naive. You don¡¯t know how terrible it is to follow the wrong boss. Our boss isn¡¯t a strong woman ¨C she¡¯s just a miserable divorcee of a rich family. President Liam and Vice President Laura always supported her, but now they¡¯ve abandoned ship. Don¡¯t you see why?¡± ¡®They ran away due to theirck of vision. I believe in my choice and Miss Everheart¡¯s ability!¡¯ The girl said firmly. Her choice was not affected by the employees who decided to abandon ship when the company was facing a tough time. The employees who resigned packed up and left. Azure Group had over a hundred employees previously, but only a dozen stayed. The few employees left stood around sparsely, looking a little sad. Kinsley Johns, the marketing director, raised his fist and made an ambitious vow, ¡°Miss Everheart, we¡¯ll follow you no matter what the future holds. We¡¯ll serve you as long as we stay!¡± Renee was very touched. ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Renee then shifted her gaze to the girl with ck-framed sses and asked gently, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Shelley Sandberg, Miss Everheart. You can call me Shell¡± ¡°What position did you interview for?¡± ¡°I interviewed to be assistant to the president.¡± ¡°Okay, you¡¯ll be my assistant from now on!¡± Renee patted the young girl on the shoulder, feeling optimistic about Shelley. She needed an assistant and had been worried about finding the right person, but Shelley seemed like the right person. No one else seemed more qualified and loyal than her. Renee was not dispirited by Laura and the other staffs departure. Instead, she was even more motivated to seed. Renee wanted to implement her n to construct Azure Group¡¯s production and R&D centers as soon as possible. She worked on the project outline the whole day, and before she realized it, it was already dark. ¡°Oh no, I forgot!¡± Renee looked at her watch. It was already past eight at night, which was way past the time to pick up her children. Fortunately, the reliable Margaret had picked up her children after school and sent her a picture. Renee sighed. Since she was alreadyte, she might as well work a little longer to finish the project outline. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Another two hours went by quickly. Soon, it was ten at night. In the entire building, only the floor Azure Group was on remained lit. ¡°Knock knock!¡± Assistant Shelley knocked on the office door and asked softly, ¡°Miss Everheart, it¡¯s ten o¡¯clock. I¡¯ve prepared supper for you and made coffee. Is there anything else I can do for you?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s your first day, so you shouldn¡¯t have stayed with me after work. Just pack up and go home. Thank you for your hard work,¡± Renee said to Shelly without looking up and tapped away at her keyboard. Chapter 637 Chapter 637 Chapter 637 ¡°I should head home. I¡¯m a bit worried about my cat. My cat was spayed not long ago, and I live alone. I want to head home and take care of her¡­¡± Shelley admitted. ¡® Understood. You should head home then, don¡¯t worry.¡± Renee said reassuringly. Shelley walked away but turned around when she remembered something.¡± Miss Everheart, when I took the elevator this afternoon, I heard about a pervert in this office building. Don¡¯t work toote, it might be unsafe.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If hees to me, he¡¯ll get into trouble instead.¡± Renee smirked. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Miss Everheart, so you¡¯d better be careful. We should stay far away from twisted men like these.¡± Shelley looked at her boss worriedly. ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Renee looked up and smiled warmly at Shelley. Her concern was touching. After Shelley left, Renee was the only one still working overtime on that floor. All the lights in the office area were turned off, except for the ones in Renee¡¯s office. The floor seemed cold and dark. ¡°It¡¯s finally done!¡± Renee stretched and breathed a sigh of relief. She got up, turned off the lights, and left her office. By the time she got into the elevator, her eyelids were getting heavy. The elevator moved smoothly and stopped on the sixth floor. Then, a man in a id shirt and ck- framed sses came in with aptop bag. The man was shorter than Renee and had dark circles under his eyes. He had dull eyes, and looked like a programmer who had been tortured at work. Like Renee, he went straight to the basement parking lot on the first floor. The two did not speak the whole time. However, when they were about to reach the parking lot, the man suddenly turned to Renee and said anxiously, ¡°E-Excuse me. Can I ask you for a favor?¡± ¡°What?¡± Renee turned around and raised an eyebrow at the man. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I lost my phone. I need to call my family and tell them, or else they¡¯ll be anxious. Can you make a call for me?¡± The man seemed like an honest person. His face was red ¨C perhaps he¡¯d mustered a lot of courage to make this request. Renee thought it was a simple request, so she took out her cell phone and said, ¡°Give me the phone number.¡± ¡°159,362¡­¡± The man said the number gently. The call quickly connected. A woman answered it and asked coldly, ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Renee then handed her phone to the man. The man approached Renee and took her phone carefully. He said to the phone, ¡°Hey, dear. It¡¯s me. I workedte tonight, so I¡¯ll be homete. I borrowed a stranger¡¯s phone to call. I lost my phone¡­¡± ¡°What? Your phone is missing? Didn¡¯t you just get a new one? Why are you wasting unnecessary money? Our cash flow will be tight again after paying the mortgage this month¡­¡± Renee listened to the woman¡¯s chatter and sighed. She was getting a little impatient, but didn¡¯t want to interrupt them. Soon, Renee started feeling drowsy. Her eyelids got heavier, and she felt weak¡­ ¡°Oh, yes. Dear, stop nagging me. I¡¯m borrowing someone else¡¯s phone. I just wanted to let you know. Okay, I¡¯m done¡­¡± Before the man could finish his sentence, Renee copsed to the ground, her world fading to ck. Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Chapter 638 Once Shelley got home, she realized she had left her keys at thepany¡¯s workstation. She had no choice but to take a taxi back to Azure Group. When Shelley arrived at the office building, she spotted a dark gray sports car parked in the open parking lot of the building. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s an Aston Martin One-77. Isn¡¯t this a limited edition? There are only three of these cars in the world. Howe it¡¯s here?¡± Although the youngdy seemed like a nerdy girl, she was rebellious at heart. Ever since she was a kid, she loved sports cars, rock music, and extreme sports. Shelley froze, her eyes glued to the car. She hurriedly took out her phone and took multiple photos of it, then realized the car¡¯s owner was still sitting inside the car. Shelley¡¯s cheeks turned red, and she quickly leaned down and apologized to the car owner. ¡°So sorry for causing you trouble!¡¯ As she turned to leave, the car owner suddenly rolled down his window, and said in a deep voice, Are you working for Azure Group?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Shelleypletely forgot about the employee tag she wore. She turned around and said enthusiastically, ¡°I¡¯m indeed an employee at Azure Group. It¡¯s my first day at work. I¡¯m working as Miss Everheart¡¯s assistant¡­¡± Suddenly, Shelley¡¯s jaw dropped. She pointed at the man and asked hesitantly, ¡°Y-You¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ Are you Stefan Hunt, the president of H Group?! Mr. Hunt, I really admire you! I¡¯ve always wanted to meet you, and I finally got to see you in person today!¡± Stefan pursed his lips in irritation. ¡°I¡¯m not a movie star, so there¡¯s no need to exaggerate.¡± ¡°No, no, no! You¡¯re more dazzling than a movie star. There can be many new stars every day, but you¡¯re unique! You¡¯re perfect!¡± Shelley kept singing his praises, but then suddenly recalled something. Changing her tone, she said harshly, ¡°Unfortunately, you were blind to let go of such a perfect woman like our boss. There must be something wrong with your brain.¡± Admittedly, Shelley had admired Stefan before. However, she had been captivated by Renee¡¯s charm after spending a day with her. She would unconditionally side with her beautifuldy boss if she had to choose between Stefan and Renee! Stefan remained silent. He looked up at the twenty-fourth floor and smiled coldly. Shelley followed Stefan¡¯s gaze and looked up. She smiled cheekily, and looked at him with renewed interest. ¡°Mr. Hunt, what are you doing here sote at night? Why did you park your sports car in front of our office building? Are you stalking Miss Everheart?¡± Instead of answering her question, Stefan asked, ¡°Is she still working?¡± ¡°You¡¯re waiting for Miss Everheart!¡¯ Shelley was moved and asked tentatively, ¡°Mr. Hunt, did you regret it? Are you nning to get your perfect ex-wife back?¡± Stefan ignored Shelley¡¯s teasing, and told her sternly, ¡°If she¡¯s not done with work yet, call her and tell her toe down and meet me.¡± Stefan had actually arrived an hour ago. Although Stefan and Renee¡¯s offices were a block apart, the buildings were facing each other. His floor was higher, but he could clearly see that the lights on Renee¡¯s floor were always on. Stefan had something to talk to Renee about regarding work, so he came early to wait for her. The lights on the twenty-fourth floor were soon switched off, but, she never appeared. Stefan did not see Renee¡¯s caring out of the parking lot either, which was a little strange.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Shelley had some of Renee¡¯s rebelliousness in her. She was uncooperative and rebuked Stefan. ¡°Mr. Hunt, please be clear. I¡¯m working as Miss Everheart¡¯s assistant, not yours. Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°If you want your boss to be safe, do as I say. If we dy, the situation might get worse.¡± Stefan commanded. Shelley sensed the murderous aura in Stefan¡¯s eyes and quickly gave in. When she dialled Renee¡¯s number on her cell phone, she got an automated reply instead. ¡°The number you dialed is temporarily unavable.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I get through? The signal in the building is excellent. Is Miss Everheart¡¯s phone out of battery?¡± Shelley found it a little odd. Miss Everheart would keep her phone charged if she was still in the office. Why would her phone be out of battery? Was she off work and on her way back home? ¡°You¡¯re taking too long!¡± Stefan had lost his patience. He opened the door, stepped out of his sports car, and headed straight to the office lobby. Although she was confused, Shelley went after him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Mr. Hunt, are you going to see Miss Everheart? I think she¡¯s probably home already. The lights are off on our floor.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t be home. Well, unless she can fly.¡± Stefan was confident. He had been keeping an eye on Renee ¨C there was no way she could have slipped past him. Shelley used her employee card to ess the building. They entered the building and took the elevator straight to Azure Group which was located on the twenty-fourth floor. Stefan frowned as he looked around. ¡°Is yourpany really this small? It is not even as big as the office area in H Group.¡± Stefan scoffed, ¡°A small workshop like this dares topete with H Group. I really wonder if your boss is deliberately using this smallpany to get close to me and win back my heart.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Shelley burst outughing. ¡°Mr. Hunt, it must be a misunderstanding. Miss Everheart is focused on her career, and has no intention of getting close to you. You don¡¯t have to be so egotistical.¡± ¡°Hmph. She doesn¡¯t want to get close to me but chose to set up herpany opposite my building. Look at her office ¨C it¡¯s right opposite mine. It¡¯s so obvious that even a fool can see it.¡± After taking a tour around Azure Group, Stefan went to Renee¡¯s office. He believed Renee wanted to attract his attention and looked around for evidence. A smile appeared on his face when he saw the telescope on her desk. ¡°She even has a telescope. Whenever she¡¯s tired of working, she¡¯s probably stealing nces at me to motivate herself.¡± Shelley waspletely speechless. The president of H Group was supposed to be a man of few words¡­ She did not expect Stefan to be such a narcissist! ¡°Sorry, Mr. Hunt. As far as I know. Miss Everheart has a telescope because she likes astronomy. She wants to look at the stars, not you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin. Everyone in Beach City knows she¡¯s obsessed with me. It¡¯s no secret¡­¡± Stefan took the telescope and sat in Renee¡¯s ce. With the telescope, he could see H Group clearly as he looked across the street. Even if Renee had no intentions for him, she must have an agenda against H Group. However, Renee was not in her office, and he did not see her go out of the office building either. Where was she? Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Chapter 640 Shelley searched around but did not find Renee, so she figured Renee must have gone home. Shelley said to Stefan, who was still sitting in Renee¡¯s chair, ¡°Mr. Hunt, Miss Everheart must have gone home. This is Azure Group¡¯s office, so I hope you remember your position as an outsider. You should leave now. I¡¯m going to lock the door.¡± Stefan rested his chin on his interlocked fingers, then said with a cold look in his eyes, ¡°No, she¡¯s not home yet.¡± If she had gone home, he would have seen her. ¡°If she¡¯s not home, where else could she be?¡± Shelley gathered her courage and questioned Stefan, ¡°Mr. Hunt, you insist on staying and wont leave. Are you trying to steal thepany¡¯s secrets?¡± Stefan snorted in disdain. ¡°This is such a small workshop. What secrets would thispany have that are worth stealing?¡¯ Shelley fought the urge to roll her eyes, and said awkwardly, ¡°Right. H Group wouldn¡¯t have to steal information from Azure Group. Even if they did, it¡¯s unlikely for you to steal it yourself. So, why are you refusing to leave? Are you¡­ worried about Miss Everheart?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Stefan did not deny or admit it. Stefan¡¯s affection warmed Shelley¡¯s heart. She then suggested in a whisper, ¡°Do you have her family¡¯s phone number? Why don¡¯t we call her family and ask if she went back? It¡¯s gettingte. Even if you keep waiting here, it won¡¯t help!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been divorced from her for so long, so how could I have her family¡¯s phone number? Besides, she¡¯s the only one left in her family. There¡¯s no one to contact.¡± Stefan¡¯s tone was a little sad. When he thought about it, Renee had such a painful past, but she was still so optimistic and brave. She had been working hard alone all these years. It must have been hard for her, right? ¡°Ah. I almost forgot about Miss Everheart¡¯s sad past. She married a heartless man like you after the downfall of her family. As a result, she got divorced at a young age. I think someone was gossiping about Miss Everheart this morning and looked down on her for being divorced.¡¯ ¡°Really?¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze instantly turned cold. ¡°What do you think? Some women are like foul-mouthed bullies. They love making things difficult for other women.¡± ¡°Do you know who it was? I¡¯ll make them pay for saying such terrible things! ¡± Stefan was angry to learn that others looked down on Renee because of her divorce. He felt responsible and wanted to take revenge for her! ¡°I don¡¯t really know. A few young girls were gossiping. These days, there are plenty of people with no morals, and there are also many perverts around¡­ I heard of some in our office building. The pervert will usually lurk around the entrance to the women¡¯s restroom and secretly film women¡­¡¯ Shelley paused, feeling a little disgusted. Men could be such vile creatures. ¡°Pervert?¡± Stefan frowned a little and asked, ¡¯Was the pervert caught?¡± ¡°Yes, but he was fired and got a small fine. Who knows if he went somewhere else tomit another crime¡­¡± Shelley suddenly thought of something and seemed nervous. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Do you think the pervert kidnapped Miss Everheart?!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was thunderous. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me this earlier! Call security at once -1 want to see the surveince footage.¡± The security guards of the office building were shocked to hear that Stefan wanted to check the surveince. They did not even put on their uniforms neatly in their haste to get there. The guards took Stefan and Shelley up to the surveince control room and turned on all the records for them to check. In the surveince record, Renee appeared and got in the elevator at about half past ten at night. ¡°Turn on the internal surveince of elevator number two!¡± Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Chapter 641 Stefan coldly asked the question. ¡±A-Alright, Mr. Hunt!¡± The security guard switched on the surveince camera for the number two elevator. Renee was by herself the entire time, but a man in a id shirt suddenly walked in when the elevator stopped on the sixth floor. The duo conversed for a while before Renee retrieved her phone and made a call. The man took the phone from Renee. After that, Renee passed out in the elevator. The man then pulled her close into his arms. ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan looked like he was about to murder someone. ¡°Who is this guy? Find him right now.¡± How dare that man touch Renee? Stefan was determined to break the man¡¯s arms since he¡¯did them on Renee. The security guard rubbed his sses before gasping. ¡°T-This guy was the person we caught not long ago. He was caught secretly filming women in the bathroom. Thepany has already fired him. Why did hee back?¡± The surveince footage continued to show the man carrying Renee out of the elevator after it stopped on basement level one where the parking lot was located. ¡°Where¡¯s the surveince footage for the parking lot? Show it to me right away!¡± Stefan clenched his fists tightly as he gave the order. ¡°Uhh, about that¡­¡¯ The security guard stammered. ¡°Mr. Hunt, coincidentally, the surveince footage for the underground parking lot became faulty. We were about to rece it, but unexpectedly¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Stefan grabbed the security guard by his cor. ¡°How could you change something so important? Doesn¡¯t that make you an aplice? Are you and that pervert working together?¡± ¡°N-No, please calm down, Mr. Hunt. We thought the underground parking lot¡¯s surveince system was important, and that¡¯s why we bought a high- quality stereo imaging monitor. Coincidentally, it was a little toote. We¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s not waste more time. We should look for clues in the underground parking lot.¡± Shelley was slightly calmer than Stefan at this point. Stefan took a deep breath and let go of the security guard. They rode the elevator to the underground parking lot. The parking lot in the building was huge, but everyone usually went there via public transport. Very few people drove there. In fact, at this hour, most who had driven here had already gone home. The entire parking lot was empty. There were very few cars around. ¡°There aren¡¯t even that many cars. I bet that pervert already brought Miss Everheart to his car and drove away. This is terrifying. We should call the cops right away!¡± Shelley retrieved her phone and called the cops to inform them about the situation. The cops soon arrived. After assessing the situation, they asked everyone to return to the police station to file a police report. They began following the cops out of the underground parking lot. Stefan, however, kept turning back. Something felt amiss¡­ That¡¯s because he¡¯d been waiting in front of the building all this while, and he never saw any car leaving the building. He had an excellent memory, and he knew he wouldn¡¯t make a mistake. ¡°Mr. Hunt? Mr. Hunt?¡± The police officer called out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our men Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. are all over this area. I¡¯m certain we¡¯ll find her. Let¡¯s file a report at the police station first!¡± Chapter 642 Chapter 642 Chapter 642 In a dim underground space, a light bulb flickered on and off. There was a damp, musty smell in the air. Rats squeaked and scurried about in a pile of trash. Renee was lying on an old, torn mat. Still groggy, she struggled to open her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. I was worried I went too far with the drugs and ended up killing you!¡± The man in a id shirt gave his sses a nudge while he stared at Renee. His smile was creepy. Renee wanted to get up, but her hands and feet were bound by ropes. The worst part was she barely had any strength to get up. ¡°W-Why did you kidnap me? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever done anything to you¡­¡± Renee mustered all her strength to speak, and yet her voice still sounded weak. ¡°You did nothing to me, of course. You¡¯re just unlucky for bumping into a pervert like me¡­¡± The man kneeled next to Renee and touched her face. The softness of her skin excited him. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Your face, your skin, and your body¡­ Even if I only get to do this once, I¡¯d die with no regrets!¡± After saying that, he went as far as touching Renee¡¯s face. It was as if he could finally enjoy doing something he¡¯d imagined countless times for the past twenty years. Renee felt extremely disgusted. However, in the current circumstance, she waspletely tied up and couldn¡¯t move at all. Struggling was pointless. She had to use her brain. She let the man touch her face while she looked around.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. This was a dark cave with mud all around them. She could only see a smalldder somewhere far, far away. It was probably the only way to get out. If her guess was correct, this pervert probably spent a long time digging this underground space in secret. It was the space he used tomit these heinous crimes. Renee was likely not the first victim because she noticed women¡¯s outfits strewn all around her. ¡°Hey, handsome. Be gentler. The skin on my face is very delicate. Don¡¯t you know how to appreciate women?¡± Renee intentionally asked sultrily. As expected, the pervert was stunned. He gave Renee a surprised look.¡± That¡¯s strange. I haven¡¯t given you the concoction yet. Why are you so cooperative? Was the dosage I gave her in the elevator too high?¡± ¡°What are you saying? What concoction? I¡¯m very much awake, and I know exactly what I¡¯m saying¡­¡± Renee winked at him before she continued. ¡°To be honest, I noticed you back in the elevator. Engineers in id shirts and ck-framed sses are exactly my type. Since you like me, you should just openly pursue me. Why go to such great lengths? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s exhausting!¡± The pervert shuddered as if electricity coursed through his entire body. However, he still remained rational. ¡®Hehe. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see through your trick. You want me to let my guard down, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ve got to admit, out of all the women I¡¯ve met, you¡¯re the prettiest, sexiest, and the smartest. Those women would scream as soon as they woke up and saw this ce. Not only did you not scream, but you¡¯re even able to be this calm. You¡¯re definitely not an ordinary woman¡­¡¯ The man became increasingly excited as he spoke. He climbed directly on top of Renee and kissed her by force. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I get to do this with a perfect woman like you. Even if I have to die for this, it¡¯s totally worth it!¡¯ He definitely was a repeat offender! Renee clenched her jaws. She was so disgusted that she nearly threw up. Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Chapter 643 Renee wasn¡¯t expecting this pervert to be smart enough to see through her n. She had to change her strategy. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t choose me as a victim. Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I know you¡¯re a beautiful woman. Not just that, but you¡¯re a beautiful woman who¡¯s single. Otherwise, why would you work sote? Is no man in your life to treat you well? Hey, I¡¯ll treat you well. In fact, I¡¯m doing a good deed!¡± The pervert kissed Renee¡¯s neck while he touched her body and continued his vulgar speech. Renee couldn¡¯t move at all, and she couldn¡¯t fight back. All she could do was try to intimidate him with her words. ¡°Do you know who Stefan Hunt is? N Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Stefan Hunt?¡± The man stopped moving. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know him? He¡¯s H Group¡¯s CEO and has control over the entire Beach City. He¡¯s every man¡¯s idol. Why wouldn¡¯t I know him?¡± ¡°Do you know about Stefan¡¯s secret habit?¡± Renee asked. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Stefan is someone with obsessivepulsive disorder. He is highly possessive of his belongings. Anyone who touches what belongs to him will suffer lethal consequences¡­¡± ¡°So what? Are you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m Stefan¡¯s ex-wife. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can search it up on the inte right now¡­¡± Renee sneered before she continued.¡¯ Although I¡¯m his ex-wife, we still used to be together. If you hurt me, you won¡¯t live to see another day. If you touch me with your hands, he¡¯ll cut This was a dark cave with mud all around them. She could only see a smalldder somewhere far, far away. It was probably the only way to get out. If her guess was correct, this pervert probably spent a long time digging this underground space in secret. It was the space he used tomit these heinous crimes. Renee was likely not the first victim because she noticed women¡¯s outfits strewn all around her. ¡°Hey, handsome. Be gentler. The skin on my face is very delicate. Don¡¯t you know how to appreciate women?¡± Renee intentionally asked sultrily. As expected, the pervert was stunned. He gave Renee a surprised look.¡± That¡¯s strange. I haven¡¯t given you the concoction yet. Why are you so cooperative? Was the dosage I gave her in the elevator too high?¡± ¡°What are you saying? What concoction? I¡¯m very much awake, and I know exactly what I¡¯m saying¡­¡± Renee winked at him before she continued. ¡°To be honest, I noticed you back in the elevator. Engineers in id shirts and ck-framed sses are exactly my type. Since you like me, you should just openly pursue me. Why go to such great lengths? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s exhausting!¡± The pervert shuddered as if electricity coursed through his entire body. However, he still remained rational. ¡±Hehe. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t see through your trick. You want me to let my guard down, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ve got to admit, out of all the women I¡¯ve met, you¡¯re the prettiest, sexiest, and the smartest. Those women would scream as soon as they woke up and saw this ce. Not only did you not scream, but you¡¯re even able to be this calm. You¡¯re definitely not an ordinary woman¡­¡± The man became increasingly excited as he spoke. He climbed directly on top of Renee and kissed her by force. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I get to do this with a perfect woman like you. Even if I have to die for this, it¡¯s totally worth it!¡± He definitely was a repeat offender! Renee clenched her jaws. She was so disgusted that she nearly threw up. Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Chapter 644 Stefan and Shelley were supposed to go to the police station in a patrol car. However, during the ride, Stefan pursed his lips, frowned, and seemed to be deep in thought. The police officer thought he was too worried. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you can rx. There shouldn¡¯t be anything major to worry about. Perverts like him show up in office buildings throughout the year. Based on our experience, they¡¯re all cowards. The worst they¡¯d do is take pictures or touch women inappropriately. They wouldn¡¯t go any further than that. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Stop the car¡¯¡± Stefan ordered with a cold look in his eyes. ¡°W-What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to listen to your nonsense. I want to get out of the car right now.¡± While the police officer was bbering, he discovered new clues. However, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to tell the others. The driver didn¡¯t dare to disobey Stefan. He immediately stopped the car by the road. Stefan opened the door and got out. He turned around and faced Shelley.¡± Go to the police station and file a report. Wait for my orders. Don¡¯t tell anyone else about this.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Hunt!¡± Shelley nodded. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. My lips are sealed. I won¡¯t mention anything I¡¯ve seen tonight to anyone.¡± Stefan made it to the office building¡¯s underground parking lot as quickly as he could. For some unknown reason, he could sense that Renee was in a precarious situation. In fact, the closer he got, the more intense this feeling became. After getting out of the elevator, he stepped forward and checked the parking spaces one at a time. Using his acute senses, he noticed one of the parking spaces looking clearly unusual. The paint on the parking space seemed different from the others. It looked like it had been given a new paint job. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Stefan squatted and knocked on the ground, discovering that it was actually hollow. It felt more like a door. ¡°Damn it!¡± He frowned. Without any hesitation, he stomped on the parking space. After several attempts, the door copsed, and a winding passageway that extended dozens of feet underground appeared before him. Stefan directly jumped in and started walking down the long, narrow path. He could vaguely hear a man¡¯s sinisterughter. ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t be afraid. The drug¡¯s effects will kick in soon enough. You¡¯ll start enjoying it. I dug this ce six years ago, and I¡¯ve done this to over a dozen girls. Nobody has ever caught me so far. We¡¯re tucked away, safe and sound. Nobody will disturb us¡­¡± The man saw Renee¡¯s body weakening, and her eyes filled with a look of desire. He figured that the drug was beginning to take effect, and he began untying her. Since he was a repeat offender, he waspletely confident in his actions. He didn¡¯t even notice Stefan sneaking up on him step by step. He waspletely focused on the alluring Renee. Renee¡¯s clothes were almost fully removed. Even the parts that shouldn¡¯t be exposed were almost completely visible. She looked irresistibly scious. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You¡¯re out of this world. I wonder what Stefan did in his past life to deserve such a huge blessing¡­¡± The pervert was drooling while he prepared himself for the enjoyment ahead. ¡°You have a death wish!¡± Before the pervert could touch Renee, he was sent flying against the wall. Crack! The clear sound of bones cracking was audible. ¡°Y-You¡¯re Stefan Hunt¡­¡± The pervert nearly peed in his pants. He looked at Stefan in terror. He didn¡¯t think anyone could find such a hidden ce. How did Stefan find it? Stefan approached the pervert one step at a time and stepped on his head. ¡°How dare you touch my woman?¡± Chapter 645 Chapter 645 Chapter 645 ¡°N-No¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­ Mr. Hunt, please forgive me. I won¡¯t do it again. Please¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll spare your insignificant life. I¡¯ll give you a taste of hell on earth!¡± Stefan stepped on the man¡¯s head and pressed it into the mud. The pervert didn¡¯t dare fight back, and he soon passed out from fear¡­ Renee was still lying on the cold mat. She was already untied, and her clothes were also loose. Her fair skin was slightly pinkish. She looked like the most enticing meal in the world. Renee wriggled her way to Stefan and wrapped her arms around his legs. She then pressed her face against him. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re really here. Am I imagining things?¡± Stefan looked down confusedly at her. ¡°You¡¯ve been saved. Hurry up and put on your clothes. Stop messing around!¡± He didn¡¯t know that Renee was under the drug¡¯s influence and couldn¡¯t think clearly. He also didn¡¯t know that, from her perspective, he was the only cure for her burning passion. ¡°I haven¡¯t been rescued yet. I feel awful. It¡¯s so warm. You¡¯re a good person. Help me all the way¡­¡± Renee said while she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°You¡¯re my cure. I need you. You can¡¯t leave me!¡± Her clothes fell to the ground. She was almost fully naked. ¡°Erk-hem!¡± Even if Stefan had a lot of self-control, he couldn¡¯t keep it together when he saw her like this. He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. ¡°Have you thought it through?¡± Renee looked seductively at him while moving her lips close to his ear. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve thought it through. I know what I¡¯m doing. I need you¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t regret this.¡± Stefan directly picked Renee up and brought her out of this dark, damp ce¡­ The next day, the sun pierced through the curtains and against therge, white bed. Renee woke up with a headache. ¡°Where am I?¡± She asked aloud before looking around. This ce felt familiar yet foreign at the same time. After a while, it hit her. ¡°Oh my god. Isn¡¯t this Stefan¡¯s room? What am I doing here?¡± She lived in this mansion for four entire years. She knew it inside and out. Stefan¡¯s room was the only room she rarely entered. That¡¯s why it felt rtively foreign. ¡°Damn it. What on earth happenedst night? Didn¡¯t I workte and go home after that? How¡­¡± Renee struck her own head repeatedly, but no matter how many times she tried, she just couldn¡¯t recall what happened the night before. This was when she heard a sounding from the bathroom. Stefan walked out in a blue bathrobe and a nk expression on his face, his hair still dripping wet. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± he said while he looked at the confused Renee in bed. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Seeing how calm Stefan was, Renee tried to calm herself down. She nodded stiffly. ¡°Yeah!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Stefan brushed his fingers through his messy hair and walked up to Renee. He looked down at her. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, let¡¯s talk. How do you n to deal with this matter?¡± Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Chapter 646 Renee was dumbfounded. She blinked several times before carefully asking, ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± Stefan¡¯s facial expression was cold. He looked Renee up and down without revealing the contents of his mind. Renee was wearing a revealing silk pajama. She quickly covered her exposed skin with a nket. ¡°I can¡¯t remember. Why don¡¯t you give me a hint?¡± She asked carefully. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what you did to me?¡± Stefan walked to the edge of the bed and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Or are you pretending to forget so you wont be held ountable?¡± ¡°I honestly cant remember a thing. Show me the evidence. Don¡¯t nder a good person!¡± At this moment, Renee felt like a part of her memory had been erased. All she remembered was lending her phone to a guy after work ended. She genuinely couldn¡¯t remember anything else that happened after that. Which was why¡­ She wasn¡¯t sure if she had gone berserk and ¡®bullied¡¯ Stefanst night. She prayed she didn¡¯t-otherwise, it¡¯d be too embarrassing-and she would never have the courage to face him again! ¡°Of course I have proof¡­ Open your eyes and take a good, long look!¡± With that, Stefan untied the bathrobe on him. His skin was tanned, and his abs were moulded in the form of a chocte bar. He looked like a European model. Renee gulped. She knew it wasn¡¯t polite to stare, but she simply failed to tear her gaze away. After that, she saw the solid ¡®evidence¡¯ on his skin that could be described as ¡®horrendous.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not all. There are some on my back too!¡± Stefan said through clenched jaws before loosening the towel further and turning around. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. There were w marks all over his muscr back. The very look of it gave Renee goosebumps. ¡°T-This¡­¡± Like a child who had made a mistake, she spoke in a very soft voice in hopes that she could turn the tables. ¡°Who did that? It¡¯s inhumane.¡± But no matter what it was, it surely couldn¡¯t be her. Based on how well she knew herself, she didn¡¯t have much experience. How could she have done such a thing? Stefan must¡¯ve been yed by another woman who wanted to put the me on her! ¡°What do you think?¡± Stefan turned around after hearing Renee¡¯s murmurs. He directly leaned against her and smiled. ¡°Do you want me to reenact the scene? Will that help you remember?¡± They were very close to each other. It felt intimate. Renee reached out in an attempt to push him away, but he grabbed her hands hard, preventing her from moving. ¡°Tell me, what are you going to do about this? You hurt me physically and mentallyst night. How will you make it up to me?¡± Stefan asked. Renee didn¡¯t have manyyers on, and she also felt guilty, the reason she didn¡¯t dare to move. It was rare that she was so docile and submissive, allowing Stefan to do whatever he wanted to her. By now, her cheeks were flushed. She avoided her gaze while she tried to reason with him. ¡°It¡¯s already happened. There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. You¡¯re a man. What¡¯s wrong with being taken advantage of? Didn¡¯t you enjoy it? ¡°If you didn¡¯t enjoy it, you could¡¯ve resisted. Since you didn¡¯t do that, it proved that you admit you enjoyed it. How can you me me then?¡± Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Chapter 647 Stefan pursed his lips. ¡°I tried to resist, but it didn¡¯t work. You know how strong you are, don¡¯t you?¡± He asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee nced at the ridiculous scratch marks on his body and suddenly felt less sure about her line of reasoning. ¡°You should think about whether your outfit was too revealing. Did you use suggestive bodynguage? Were you intentionally seducing me?¡± ¡°As a man, especially an attractive one, you should abide by modest virtues. Don¡¯t flirt all the time. If you can¡¯t even protect yourself, how can you expect others to protect you? If you tell people that you were ¡®bullied¡¯ on the inte, they¡¯ll only say you deserved it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stefan was speechless. What was wrong with him? Why was he arguing with her about this? In the end, Renee still felt a little guilty. She started coaxing him. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t be sad. I acted too rashly and didn¡¯t take your feelings into consideration¡­ I¡¯ll transfer some money to your ount later. You can buy some supplements like ginseng, wolfberries, and oysters. Come on. You¡¯re a man. You¡¯re supposed to be tougher than this!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stefan remained silent. Seeing how Stefan stoppedining, she thought she must¡¯ve seeded in consoling him. She immediately sighed in relief. She sat upright and looked around the room. She wanted to find her clothes and put them on so that she could leave. Regardless of what ridiculous things she didst night, it was in the past. Since she couldn¡¯t remember anything, that also meant nothing had happened. She wasn¡¯t going to get all tangled up with this guy! Renee¡¯s clothes were scattered all across the room. Her underwear was even left hanging on the couch. It was very striking. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°So¡­ If there¡¯s nothing else, can you please leave? I want to get dressed,¡± Renee said. Why couldn¡¯t Stefan take the hint and leave? Why did she need to point it out? Stefan cooperated by turning around. ¡°Go ahead. I won¡¯t look.¡± Renee felt speechless. This wasn¡¯t a matter of whether he looked or not! However, she wasn¡¯t bothered to argue with him. Anyway, this wasn¡¯t the first time they had sex-they¡¯d seen each other naked before, and it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Renee lifted the nket and quickly picked up her scattered clothes. She felt much more at ease after putting them on. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Thanks forst night,¡± Renee said while brushing her hair. Stefan sneered. ¡°You¡¯re a heartless woman. Once you get what you want, you¡¯re gone.¡± Renee chuckled. ¡°What do you want me to do? Do I need to take responsibility?¡± ¡°Not to that extent¡­¡± Stefan turned around and looked at her affectionately. ¡°If you have needs like this in the future, feel free toe to me.¡± ¡°You!¡± Renee was embarrassed and angry at the same time. She picked up a nearby pillow and hurled it against his face. ¡°Men are all jerks. I can¡¯t believe I felt bad for you for a second. Yucks! How can men ever be taken advantage of? Save it! I¡¯d rather be a nun than do something like this with you again!¡± Stefan wasn¡¯t angry at all. It seemed he was making a prediction. ¡°Don¡¯t speak so confidently. Otherwise, you¡¯ll end up pping yourself in the face.¡± Renee stormed out of the room and bumped into Stefan¡¯s friends, who happened to be there for a gathering¡­antage of? Didn¡¯t you enjoy it? ¡°If you didn¡¯t enjoy it, you could¡¯ve resisted. Since you didn¡¯t do that, it proved that you admit you enjoyed it. How can you me me then?¡± Chapter 648 Chapter 648 Chapter 648 ¡°Renee, why are you in front of Stefan¡¯s room? Did you two¡­¡± Xavier was the first to gasp. The others, including Christopher, who were from wealthy families, all appeared equally surprised. Renee cleared her throat and pretended to be calm. ¡°I came here to talk about business. Nothing happened between us. Don¡¯t let your thoughts wander,¡± she said arrogantly. In the next second, Stefan walked out of the room in his pajamas. His hair was still wet. ¡°Oh, good thing you haven¡¯t left. Don¡¯t you want your scrunchie anymore?¡± Renee¡¯s facial expression froze. ¡®Damn! This is embarrassing!¡¯ She epted the ck scrunchie from Stefan. ¡°What a coincidence. I was looking for it everywhere. It seems that you found it.¡¯ Stefan crossed his arms before looking at her from top to bottom. ¡°You look sexier with your hair down. Last night¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee coughed profusely in an attempt to stop him from speaking. Was he blind? There were so many people around. Was it necessary to describe such intimate details so openly? The men looked at each other. Xavier showed a knowing look before chuckling. ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t bother with the exnation. We¡¯re all adults. We understand.¡± ¡°I think we came at the wrong time. If you need us to leave for a while, we can do that,¡¯ Christopher chimed in. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary¡­¡± Stefan said calmly. ¡°You came at the right time because the wrong time had already passed.¡± ¡°Stefan!¡± Renee clenched her jaws and waved her fists angrily. ¡®If you say anything you¡¯re not supposed to, you¡¯re going to pay for it!¡± However, Stefan kept his arms crossed and leaned casually against the wall. ¡°Was I wrong? Would you like me to show my battle scars to everyone?¡± ¡°If you dare!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the victim. Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Stefan replied. ¡°You¡­¡± Renee suddenly realized that Stefan could bepletely unreasonable at times. There was nothing she could do when he behaved like this. If he really did take off his pajamas, she¡¯d leave Beach City on a rocket right away¡­ No, she¡¯d leave Earth! ¡°What do you want? Just say it!¡± Renee knew Stefan too well. She could tell that he was dead set on teasing her. He wanted to embarrass her. As someone who knew how to read the room, Renee had no choice but to give in for now. Stefan raised his brows, pleased with Renee¡¯s obedient behavior. He turned to look at his friends. ¡°Let¡¯s have a barbecue in the backyard. The maids have already prepared all the ingredients, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t trust in their ability¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can do it ourselves. It¡¯s supposed to be more fun if we do it anyway.¡± ¡°I agree. I can roast the best chicken wings in town. I¡¯ll do it for you guys today.¡± The handsome men started speaking one after the other. Xavier could tell what was on Stefan¡¯s mind. He looked at the other guys.¡± What are you fighting for? How could you guys possibly cook anything good?¡¯ ¡°In my opinion, Renee probably has the best roasting skills. She so happens to be here. Why don¡¯t we nominate her as our primary chef?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. The suggestion was immediately met with everyone¡¯s strong approval. Although they didn¡¯t know Renee very well, they knew about her rtionship with Stefan. They were all eager to watch a show! Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Chapter 649 Stefan looked at Renee and smiled. ¡°What do you think, Miss Everheart?¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Renee rolled her eyes out of anger. ¡°You¡¯re all sick. Do we even know each other that well? Why would a bunch of guys have the audacity to ask a woman to roast food for them? I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡¯ Stefan smiled vaguely. ¡°After all, you used up a lot of your energyst night. It¡¯s such a pity that I¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Seeing how Stefan was about to take off his robe, Renee quickly cut him off. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it!¡± She wanted to discuss something in private with Xavier anyway. There were various ingredients, and a barbecue grill on the green field made up part of the vast backyard. The sun was zed with fury. Stefan and the other men sat on deck chairs under the canopy, and chatted. Renee, on the other hand, sat in front of the barbecue grill, roasting food for them. She had a sour expression on her face. The roasted pork belly was oozing oil, and the crispy chicken wings were coated with ayer of honey. There was a mouth-watering aroma. ¡°Damn it! What did I do to end up roasting food for Stefan and his friends?¡± Renee nced at the men nearby. Feeling angry, she sprinkled ayer of chili powder on the skewers. ¡®Tsk, tsk.¡¯ She was suffering because she cared too much about her reputation! The men were having a good time chatting. They recounted fun experiences they had in the past. Although Stefan was somewhat quieter in the group, he had a strong presence. Basically, the things everyone talked about revolved around him. ¡°Not bad, Stefan. You pissed Renee off so badly the other day; I was worried you¡¯d stop seeing each other for good. I can¡¯t believe you patched things up in just a few days. How did you manage to get her wrapped around your fingers? Share your experience!¡± Xavier teased. The other guys also appeared keen to learn. ¡°Exactly. Stefan might not have been in many rtionships, but the quality of his rtionships is always high. He always manages to hit the jackpot. Hurry up and teach us¡­¡± Stefan appeared aloof as usual. ¡°There¡¯s no technique to be taught. If anything, I think it¡¯s probably because she loves me too much. She hasn¡¯t been able to forget me after all these years. That¡¯s why she wants to win me over with a method like this.¡± ¡°A-hem!¡± The men couldn¡¯t help but cover their mouths while theyughed. Clearly, Stefan was blowing his own trumpet. It wasn¡¯t convincing at all. Christopher burst his bubble. ¡®Why does Miss Everheart seem a little upset with you? Are you ckmailing her?¡¯ ¡°Absolutely not. She simply finds me irresistible,¡± Stefan said firmly. This was when Renee walked over with the skewers she had finished roasting. She forced a smile upon her face. ¡°Guys, the food is ready. Can I leave now?¡± Xavier was a troublemaker. He looked at Renee. ¡°Renee, Stefan said you find him irresistible and still have feelings for him, which was why you willingly roasted skewers for us. Was he just making it up?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s telling the truth.¡± Renee smiled at Stefan. ¡°I do find him irresistible. I roasted these skewers for him. They contain the intense feeling of love I have for him. He¡¯s the only one who can eat them. Don¡¯t try to take any from him!¡± Renee eximed. Stefan wasn¡¯t expecting Renee to be this cooperative. He felt a little giddy. After picking up a skewered chicken wing, he began praising her. ¡°I can tell that you put a lot of effort into roasting this.¡± ¡°Of course. Hurry up and give it a taste. Don¡¯t let my hard work go to waste, ¡± Renee urged with a smile on her face. Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Chapter 650 Stefan giddily took a bite of the chicken wing while his friends observed in envy. After that, an intense spiciness began to spread from the tip of his tongue. It felt like it was being cut by a knife, and it was horrible. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°How does it taste, Stefan? Miss Everheart roasted it with a lot of love. We¡¯re already drooling from just the smell¡­¡± Moses, the youngest in the group, asked with an envious look on his face. ¡°Cough!¡± Stefan neither chewed nor spoke. It was way too spicy. However, at this point, if he said it tasted awful, it would embarrass him too much. All these years, his ego had already been hurt enough by Renee¡¯s disappearance. This was especially true when he went searching for her on the deserted ind. In the end, he had to beg for help from his family to safely return to Beach City. His friends had constantly teased him for this. Now that he finally had an opportunity to im a small victory, he didn¡¯t want them to find out the truth just yet. Otherwise, his friends would tease him even further! Therefore, despite how spicy the skewer tasted, he still nodded calmly and elegantly. ¡°She put her heart into it. It certainly is delicious.¡± ¡°Is it really that good?¡± Xavier asked with a frown. Why did Stefan behave as though he was suffering instead of enjoying? Christopher was more observant. ¡°Stefan, are you alright? Why are you tearing up?¡± ¡°It tastes so good that I¡¯m about to cry.¡± Stefan nced at Renee with a fake smile. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Miss Everheart has a burning passion for me!¡± He uttered through clenched jaws. Renee nearly burst intoughter at how he was trying to keep it together.¡± Of course. The spicier it tastes, the more love it contains. Stefan, you¡¯ve got to eat all these skewers because I roasted them just for you!¡± ¡®Hahaha!¡¯ Renee nearly sprinkled half a can of chili powder on the skewers. If he ate all of them, his lips would certainly swell up like balloons. She couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud when she imagined his swollen lips looking like a character in a movie. Moses, being naive as he was, nearly cried from envy. He carefully raised one hand. ¡°Can I try one of the pork belly skewers?¡± Renee pped his hand. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. I roasted these specifically for Stefan. He¡¯s the only one who can eat them. If you want some, roast some on your own!¡± Saying this both boosted Stefan¡¯s ego and also made it impossible for him to turn down the offer. Everyone looked at Stefan enviously and with admiration. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re so lucky to have a woman who loves you this much. Stop staring and eat the food. We¡¯re all so jealous!¡± Renee chuckled. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Hurry up and eat them before they get cold. Don¡¯t let my effort go to waste!¡± Stefan held the chicken wing skewer in his hand. He honestly didn¡¯t have the courage to take another bite. Seeing how Renee seemed to be enjoying the torture he was going through, he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and brought the remaining chicken wing skewer close to her face. ¡°I have already sensed your love. Naturally, I have to share such delicious food with you. Otherwise, it¡¯d look bad on me. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Renee chuckled through clenched jaws. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I roasted these for you. I don¡¯t deserve them.¡± ¡°Of course you do. They¡¯ll taste better if we share them.¡± Chapter 651 Chapter 651 Chapter 651 ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Renee had no choice but to take a bite for show. She then lowered her voice. ¡°Stefan, did you have to do this? Isn¡¯t it a little too cruel? ¡°It¡¯s your own doing. I¡¯m just returning the favor.¡± The two pushed the chicken wing skewer back and forth while they bickered. To others, this seemed like a moment of intimacy. Moses smiled foolishly before quickly retrieving his phone to capture this¡¯ heart-warming¡¯ moment. ¡°Looks like the rumors on the inte are true. Stefan and Miss Everheart really do share true love. This is such a sweet photo. I have to share it on social media!¡± While saying this, Moses typed ¡®the couple I ship is real¡¯ before attaching a picture and publishing the post on social media. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t do that¡­¡± Renee felt that it had gone too far and tried to stop him. Unfortunately, Moses wasn¡¯t the only one who did this. The others did the same. Even if she wanted to stop them, it was toote. 2 Feeling helpless, she turned to face Stefan. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Tell your friends to delete their posts. If word gets out that we¡¯re together, how will we rify things?¡± Stefan behaved as if he was an outsider who wasn¡¯t affected at all. ¡¯So what? When has our rtionship ever been rified anyway?¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯m done ying your game!¡± She took off her apron and turned around to leave. She never wanted to have anything to do with Stefan from the beginning. However, ever since she returned to Beach City, it felt as if she¡¯d fallen into his trap. The harder she tried to steer clear of him, the more he clung to her. It was annoying! When everybody saw how the joke had gone too far, they began toning it down. ¡°I think Miss Everheart is angry. Let¡¯s delete our posts. She might not like it.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned cold. ¡°Whatever!¡± Xavier could tell that things were turning sour. He tried to persuade Stefan to go after Renee. However, Stefan responded as if nothing had happened. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make any difference whether she¡¯s here or not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too dense for your own good!¡± Xavier shook his head and ran after Renee. ¡°Renee, don¡¯t be angry. We went a little too far with the joke and overlooked taking your feelings into ount,¡± Xavier said. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡­¡± Renee stopped walking and turned around to look at Stefan, who was still chatting andughing. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to have anything to do with that guy. Seeing him once shortens my lifespan by a few years!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Xavier was confused. ¡°What¡¯s going on between you two? Didn¡¯t you two spend the night together? Why are you still on bad terms?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be nosy!¡± Renee paused for a few seconds. ¡®Anyway¡­ It¡¯s impossible for us to get back together. You guys need to stop meddling. Otherwise, it¡¯ll just get awkward.¡± ¡°Alright. We¡¯re outsiders, and we don¡¯t know what¡¯s on your mind either. However, I can tell you with certainty that Stefan has be much happier since you returned. For example, he hasn¡¯t shown such strong emotions for a long time, but just now¡­ It felt like he¡¯de back to life. He¡¯s soulful again. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to give him another chance? ¡± Xavier asked carefully. Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Chapter 652 Renee¡¯s facial expression was cold and emotionless. ¡°I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s dead or alive. Did he care if I was happy or not during the most difficult period of my life? Did he ever care if I was alive?¡¯ ¡¯Well¡­¡± Xavier felt a little guilty. He silently looked down. Stefan had indeed gone too far back then. He cheated on Renee and forced her to get a divorce. His heart was practically stone-cold. Why did he have to get so close with a bitch like Briar? Even if Renee loved him from the bottom of her heart, her feelings would eventually fade. If he asked her to give Stefan another chance now, it would only be adding salt to the wound! ¡°I¡¯ll tell you again, and please take this seriously-my rtionship with Stefan has ended, and we will never get back together. Please tell your friends, Stefan included, to stop joking around like that anymore. If this happens again, I¡¯ll cut ties with all of you,¡± Renee said sternly to make sure Xavier got her point. Xavier nodded. ¡°Alright. I know what¡¯s on your mind now. I¡¯ll tell my friends to take note¡­¡± The two of them were talking when they suddenly heard loud chatter from Stefan and the others. ¡°No way. Seraphina¡¯s ess to information is way too efficient. Did she already get upset about this?¡± ¡°Knowing her temper, she¡¯d definitely be furious that we held a secret gathering without inviting her. Why don¡¯t we leave¡­¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? Christopher and Stefan are here. She wouldn¡¯t dare cause a scene!¡± Xavier appeared a little terrified. He looked left and right. ¡°Oh no. If Seraphina shows up, this barbecue is over!¡± Renee felt confused. Without realizing it, her curiosity took over. She looked at Xavier. ¡°Who¡¯s Seraphina? Why would you guys be afraid of her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know who Seraphina is?¡± Xavier began to rant away, releasing his pent-up feelings. ¡°Seraphina is the only youngdy in the Murphy family. We grew up together. Her name might suggest she has a demure personality, but she¡¯s actually wilder than all of us. Apart from Chris and Stefan, nobody else can escape from her. Every one of us has been beaten up by her in the past. That¡¯s why we¡¯re all so afraid of her¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that you don¡¯t know her. Her father sent her abroad to study a few years ago. She only returnedst year. However, she¡¯s be even fiercer after spending some time abroad. She¡¯s much more masculine than a man!¡± Xavier eximed. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Xavier, who are you talking about?¡± Xavier suddenly felt a chill down his spine. When he turned around, he saw Seraphina¡¯s glistening eyes. He was nearly beside himself. ¡°S- Seraphina¡­¡¯ Seraphina pressed her arms against her hips. She then ruffled Xavier¡¯s hair as if she was petting a puppy. ¡°Tell me the truth. Who organized this gathering? Why wasn¡¯t I invited? Did you guys create a group and leave me out?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Xavier rarely showed this much fear. He was stammering. After that, a thought urred to him. He directly pointed at Renee. ¡°It¡¯s her. I dont know anything about this. Just ask her if you have any questions.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Renee nced at Xavier speechlessly. She couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d make her the scapegoat. She was only a bystander. Why was this even her fault? ¡°So, you¡¯re Renee¡­ The woman who won¡¯t leave our Stefan alone.¡± Seraphina looked Renee up and down. There was a look of arrogance in her eyes. In fact, her facial expression made it clear that she wasn¡¯t the kind of person one would want to mess with. It was only because she had the Murphy family to back her up. Although the Murphy family wasn¡¯t one of the top eight families in Beach City, they were still a force to be reckoned with. In fact, the Murphy family was just as wealthy as the Hunt family and the Jacobs family. Of course, Renee carried a simr vibe. Chapter 653 Chapter 653 Chapter 653 The only difference was that Renee¡¯s aura of superiority originated from her herself. ¡°Your Stefan?¡± Renee asked with a yful look in her eyes. Seraphina rolled her eyes. ¡°Obviously, he¡¯s ours. Did you know that I grew up with Stefan? We also share the same birthday in the same month of the same year. I was born an hour ahead of him. That¡¯s why he¡¯s like my little brother¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± Renee replied calmly. She wasn¡¯t sure what Seraphina was trying to say. ¡°So, I¡¯m warning you to stay away from him. You two are already divorced. I won¡¯t tolerate you pulling any tricks on him!¡± Seraphina uttered fiercely. ¡°I see¡­ What a considerate sister you are!¡± Renee replied with a half hearted smile while she looked Seraphina up and down. Seraphina had a tomboy-like appearance, and her outfit was also casual. Although she didn¡¯t seem like the kind to harbor any ill intentions, her words seemed to be filled with undertones of sarcasm. Only a woman could recognize such undertones. Things were getting a little awkward, so Xavier tried to make peace. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Alright, you two. Stop being so hostile to each other. In my opinion, your personalities are rather simr. I believe you can be good friends¡­ ¡°Renee, don¡¯t take things to heart. Seraphina has always been like this. She gets straight to the point, and she criticizes everyone she meets. To be honest, she doesn¡¯t have any bad intentions. Just think of her as a straightforward guy!¡± Seraphina was enraged by what Xavier said, and she immediately chased after him and hit him. ¡°You¡¯re the straightforward guy. You all are. I won¡¯t rest until I beat the crap out of you today!¡± Seraphina yelled. The two of them began kicking and punching each other like elementary school kids while Renee stood in between. For some unknown reason, Stefan actually began to walk toward them. Renee could clearly sense a change in Seraphina¡¯s facial expression. There was a special look in her eyes that suggested something romantic. As a woman herself, Renee could easily see what was going on. Seraphina liked Stefan. In fact, she liked him a lot! That exined why she was so hostile toward Renee. It almost looked like she¡¯d eat her alive¡­ It turned out that Seraphina perceived Renee as her romantic rival. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re an awful friend!¡± Seraphina joyfully threw herself against Stefan. She wrapped her arms around his neck intimately. ¡°How could you not invite me to a gathering like this? Do you even think of me as a friend?¡± Stefan smiled. It was rare that he even did so. He patted Seraphina on the back and apologized with a tone of endearment. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t n this properly.¡± ¡°An apology isn¡¯t enough. Can¡¯t you do better?¡± ¡°What do you want then?¡± Stefan asked. Seraphina wouldn¡¯t let go of Stefan. ¡°Roast a few skewers for me. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be friends anymore.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Stefan nodded. ¡°Great. That¡¯s the Stefan I know. Good boy!¡± Seraphina held his hand and walked happily to the barbecue grill. At the same time, she nced ever so quickly at Renee. There was a brief moment when she appeared pleased with herself¡­ Chapter 654 Chapter 654 Chapter 654 The worst part was Stefan¡¯s reaction. He didn¡¯t even acknowledge Renee when he walked past her. It was as if she wasn¡¯t even there. Things felt so awkward that Xavier nearly wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. ¡°Renee, don¡¯t get mad. You know how proud Stefan is. He¡¯s probably upset because you disrespected him earlier. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Xavier trailed off. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Renee shrugged. She looked at Stefan and Seraphine while they walked away. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I no longer want to have anything to do with him? Why would I get mad?¡± ¡°Are you really not upset at all?¡± Xavier cocked his head. He stared at Renee¡¯s face and teased her yfully. ¡°Why does your facial expression seem so different?¡± Renee remained silent. To be honest, Xavier wasn¡¯t making things up. She really did get upset for a moment, but it wasn¡¯t because of Stefan. Instead, it was Seraphina¡¯s doing. This woman was so pretentious. She might seem like a tomboy-like girl who got along with Stefan as a friend, but she actually had ulterior motives. They had only met for the first time, and she already tried to provoke Renee. Renee was especially pissed by how she behaved like a victor when she and Stefan walked past. ¡°Does Seraphina like Stefan?¡± Renee asked. She stared at Seraphina and Stefan, who stood close to each other. ¡°Huh? Seraphina and Stefan?¡± Xavier responded as if he¡¯d heard the biggest joke of all time. He directly burst intoughter. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. They¡¯re like brothers. Stefan doesn¡¯t even see her as a woman. She probably doesn¡¯t like men either. If they were to have feelings for each other, they¡¯d have gotten together long ago. You wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance¡­¡± Renee shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand women. This is the most sophisticated kind of trick.¡± ¡°Come on, Renee. Don¡¯t overplicate things with Seraphina. She¡¯s practically a single-cell organism. She doesn¡¯t have that kind of motive, and she wouldn¡¯t fight with you over Stefan. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t even be friends with us.¡± Xavier repeatedly highlighted that Renee was overthinking. He believed she was only thinking that way because of her internal bias. Renee could tell that Seraphina was regarded very highly in the group. Clearly, Seraphina was good at managing rtionships. Xavier suddenly realized something. ¡°Oh! I know why you¡¯re hostile toward Seraphina!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re jealous!¡± Xavier pointed at Renee and began to chuckle.¡± You think of Seraphina as your romantic rival. You¡¯re afraid she would steal Stefan from you, aren¡¯t you?¡± Renee was speechless.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°That means you still haven¡¯tpletely moved on. You¡¯re concerned about members of the opposite gender being around him. Clearly, you¡¯re still in love with him¡­ Tsk, tsk. You don¡¯t say what you mean, just like Stefan! You¡¯re made for each other!¡± Renee rolled her eyes. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not hostile toward Seraphina. She¡¯s the one who was hostile toward me. Second of all, I¡¯m not jealous. Stefan can no longer influence my emotions.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re not jealous. You no longer have feelings for him, and you don¡¯t care who he hugs¡­¡± Xavier suddenly grabbed Renee by her shoulder and began whispering affectionately in her ear. ¡°Do you want to find out if Stefan still has feelings for you? Do you wonder if he¡¯d get jealous over you?¡± Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Chapter 655 Renee didn¡¯t say anything. She didn¡¯t agree, but she made no denial either. ¡°Hahaha! Alright. You don¡¯t have to answer me. I know what you¡¯re thinking. Just listen to me and do as I say.¡± Xavier was determined to be the nice guy and go all the way. He decided he would try onest time to help this proud couple out. If it still didn¡¯t work this time, he¡¯d stop caring! Back in the barbecue area, Stefan and Seraphina were roasting skewers. As a result of them sharing the same birthday, they also had a simr outlook on life, and the two had always been close. One could even go as far as to say they were best friends. However, Stefan merely thought of Seraphina as a friend. Seraphina, on the other hand, started developing romantic feelings for him when puberty hit. Just as Seraphina was about to confess her feelings for Stefan, he and Renee suddenly had a sh marriage. Their wedding took the entire Beach City by surprise. Feeling bitter about her feelings that were not reciprocated, she decided to study abroad. A couple years back, she found out that Stefan and Renee had gotten divorced. The incident gave her the courage to return to the country, where she would pursue Stefan. She spent as much time as she could around Stefan, gradually making him ustomed to her, trust her, and depend on her¡­ She was getting ready to confess her feelings. In the end, Renee came back. It was obvious how much Seraphina hated Renee. Renee was practically the thorn in the flesh for her. This proved Renee¡¯s hypothesis. She wasn¡¯t overthinking because of her own internal bias¡­ Unfortunately, these simple-minded men couldn¡¯t sense this at all. ¡°Stefan, how¡¯s it going between you and your ex-wife? You¡¯re not nning to get back together, are you?¡± Seraphina asked carefully while she brushed oil against a skewer. She tried to make her question sound casual. Stefan pursed his lips. He didn¡¯t seem too chirpy, and he was flipping the skewers without being fully present. ¡°We¡¯ve never been together. How do we get back together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. You didn¡¯t marry out of love anyway. So many years were wasted. It¡¯s so unfair to you. Besides¡­¡± Seraphina stared at Xavier and Renee, who were whispering to each other. ¡°I think your ex- wife is a bitch. Although you two don¡¯t have feelings for each other, you were once husband and wife. Why does she seem so close to Xavier? What is she even thinking? Does she even care about your feelings? I¡¯m so upset¡­ I want to beat her up!¡¯ Stefan nced at Renee. He flipped the skewers even more impatiently.¡± We¡¯re all free to do whatever we want. I don¡¯t care what she does.¡± ¡°But Xavier and Shirley are still a couple. Doesn¡¯t that make your ex-wife the third wheel in their rtionship? Even if she¡¯s not doing you wrong, it¡¯s not right for Shirley. This isn¡¯t morally eptable¡­ No way. I can¡¯t control my temper. I need to teach her a lesson!¡± Seraphina rolled up her sleeves and prepared to go to war. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. This was when Renee and Xavier started walking toward them. ¡°How¡¯s the barbecue going? Do you need our help?¡± Xavier asked with a chuckle. ¡°You two¡­¡± Stefan noticed how close Renee and Xavier seemed when they stood next to each other. ¡°You two seem to be getting along!¡± Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Chapter 656 Xavier felt a little awkward. He felt the need to do some exining. Renee, on the other hand, nodded proudly. ¡°Of course. Xavier and I shared significant life experiences together and a simr outlook on life. We also have the same hobbies. Of course, we get along well!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned cold. He pursed his lips and remained silent. Seraphina hopped onto her feet and pointed at Renee. ¡¯Miss Everheart, even if I end up offending you, there are things I have to say. We¡¯re both women. We may be heartless, but there are still limits to what we should do. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bitch? You bring shame to all women!¡¯ ¡°Oh, why say so?¡¯ Renee nearlyughed. Seraphina was really good at this game. Renee hadn¡¯t even exposed her for being pretentious, and she already took the first move to defame Renee. Just as she thought¡­ Seraphina was as tough a woman as she was smart! ¡°You and Xavier were being too intimate just now. I don¡¯t care what your rtionship with him is. If you¡¯re a couple, where does that leave Stefan? ¡°Also, did you know that Xavier already has a girlfriend? If you get romantically involved with him, that makes you the third wheel!¡± Seraphina eximed in a righteous tone. ¡°Seraphina, actually¡­¡¯ Xavier felt Seraphina was being a little too harsh. He wanted to rify things. However, Renee didn¡¯t seem bothered. ¡°I wonder what makes you think Xavier and I are romantically involved with each other.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. You two seemed so close to each other. Your shoulders were joined, and your faces were practically touching. I won¡¯t believe for a second that you¡¯re not a couple!¡¯ Seraphina intentionally used a masculine tone to defame Renee. Other people couldn¡¯t even point out her own mistake. Stefan continued to flip the skewers while he spoke. ¡°Just admit it if it¡¯s true. Don¡¯t bother hiding it.¡¯ Renee calmly wrapped her arm around Xavier¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Who says we¡¯re a couple? We¡¯re the best of friends. Got it?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Seraphina sneered. ¡°Best of friends? Men and women can¡¯t possibly be best friends. Your body language says it all¡­¡¯ ¡°Is that so?¡± Renee¡¯s gazended on Seraphina. At that time, Seraphina¡¯s body was very close to Stefan. They seemed very intimate. Renee chuckled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you must be romantically involved with my ex-husband too. From the looks of your bodynguage, you two are even closer than Xavier and I!¡¯ ¡°N-Nonsense!¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t expect to shoot herself in the foot. Her cheeks turned red. ¡°Stefan and I are like siblings. How can you evenpare us to you?¡± ¡°Well, I can also say that Xavier and I are good friends. What¡¯s so different about that?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Seraphina was suddenly at a loss for words. She thought Renee was a weak young princess from a fallen family and ought to be easy to deal with. After the incident today, Seraphina realized that she¡¯d underestimated her enemy. In fact, she ended up putting herself in a passive state. Feeling helpless, she acted like a tomboy by punching Stefan twice. ¡¯ Stefan, your ex-wife is being unreasonable. I can¡¯t mess with her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even bother trying to argue with her,¡± Stefan said coldly. Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Chapter 657 Seeing how the situation was getting intense, Xavier tried to make peace yet again. ¡°Alright, alright. I hereby announce that Renee and I are merely friends. There is nothing else going on between us. As for Stefan and Seraphina, they¡¯re definitely like siblings and nothing else. Shirley and I aren¡¯t exactly together yet. Therefore, everyone¡¯s still single. We¡¯re free to be romantically involved with anyone we like! ¡°It¡¯s rare for us to get together like this. Let¡¯s just enjoy each other¡¯spany and not cause a scene. That¡¯s something only elementary school kids would do. If everyone¡¯s on board, let¡¯s bump fists and call it a day. Alright?¡± Xavier extended his fist after that. Seraphina was the first to respond by bumping her fist against his. If she still held a grudge against Renee now, she¡¯d seem too calctive. That was why she decided to change her tactic. ¡°Miss Everheart, since it¡¯s a misunderstanding, I¡¯ll apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry for jumping to conclusions¡­ ¡°I¡¯m actually real easy-going. I like making new friends too. Since you¡¯re Xavier¡¯s bestie, you¡¯re also my friend!¡± Seraphina grinned cordially, giving off the impression of a down-to-earth kind of person. Renee raised her brows. She also extended his fist and bumped against theirs. ¡°Sure. Friends are always wee. It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± When it was Stefan¡¯s turn, he uttered the word ¡®boring¡¯ before getting up and leaving. The three were left there looking at each other. ¡°I think Stefan is having his period. His mood hasn¡¯t been good these days,¡± Xavier said. Seraphina clenched her fists. ¡°That¡¯s rude of him. He deserves a beating.¡± Renee shrugged nonchntly. ¡°As expected.¡± Seraphina looked at Xavier. ¡°You should chat with the others. Miss Everheart and I will roast the skewers. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be the best of friends!¡± ¡°Sure. I hope you can be friends too. That way, well have more girls in our group.¡± Xavier patted Renee on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Seraphine might seem scary, but she¡¯s actually very easy to get along with. You two will get along just fine!¡± With that, Renee and Seraphina were the only ones left in the barbecue area. With nobody else around, Seraphina dropped her act. She ced a few skewers on the barbecue grill and turned to face Renee. ¡°Since you left previously, why did youe back? Don¡¯t you know your presence is annoying?¡± Renee wasn¡¯t surprised by Seraphine¡¯s sudden change in attitude at all. She looked at the burning coal and replied calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? Xavier and I are best friends. I¡¯m only staying because of him.¡± ¡°Hmph! Stop pretending. You know this isn¡¯t what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Seraphina uttered angrily. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Renee was stunned for a moment. She then understood what Seraphina meant. ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s something in Beach City I can¡¯t let go of. That¡¯s why I came back,¡± Renee answered truthfully. ¡°What is it? Stefan?¡± Seraphina¡¯s re was like a sharp knife. ¡°You were kicked out by Stefan four years ago. Do you really think you can reim your spot now? You should know better than anyone that you don¡¯t deserve him!¡± ¡°That aside, even if I can¡¯t reim my spot, it won¡¯t be yours for the taking either¡­¡± Renee said. ¡°Shut up!¡± Seraphina was enraged by what Renee said. With a single push, Seraphina flipped the barbecue grill over, sending the white-hot charcoal tumbling all over them¡­ Chapter 658 Chapter 658 Chapter 658 ¡°Oww!!! It hurts!¡± A piece of hot charcoalnded on Seraphina¡¯s foot and she yelped in pain. The men, who were chatting out in the open, heard the noise, and they all came running. Everyone surrounded Seraphina. ¡°What happened? Why did the grill suddenly topple over? Were you two roasting skewers or yourself?¡± Xavier was confused by the chaotic scene. ¡°Stop your sarcasm already. Can¡¯t you see that I burned my foot? Hurry up and help me out! What if it leaves a scar?¡± Seraphina grabbed her foot and clenched her jaws. She was nearly crying. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Moses risked taking a beating and continued to mock her. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see Seraphina in such a weak state. The charcoal has really done justice for us! N Seraphina swung her fist in his direction. ¡°Moses, how could you say that? Just you wait. I¡¯m going to beat you up!¡± Everyone quickly stopped her. They were all worried about her burned foot, and everyone was focused on her. Christopher silently observed for a moment. ¡°Seraphina, your wound looks serious. You should tend to it right away.¡± ¡°Exactly. Christopher, it hurts so bad¡­¡± ¡°Can you still walk?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. It hurts whenever I move. Forget about walking. Can anyone carry me?¡± Seraphina didn¡¯t even give anyone the chance to volunteer. She directly pointed at Stefan. ¡°Stefan, you and Christopher are the most reliable ones in the group. I wouldn¡¯t dare order Christopher around. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll have to carry me!¡± Stefan was initially looking at Renee, and he couldn¡¯t hide the look of concern in his eyes. It felt like he was caught cheating and quickly looked away. After that, he bent over and grabbed Seraphina¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll tend to your wound.¡± The others nervously followed along. Apart from Xavier, nobody else asked about Renee¡¯s situation. ¡°Renee, are you sure you weren¡¯t burned?¡± Xavier took a few steps before turning around. He was a little worried. ¡°No.¡± Renee smiled and shook her head calmly. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Xavier watched Stefan, and the others leave. His tone was somewhat affectionate. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go and check on Seraphina. We¡¯ll all be in trouble if she gets upset. I¡¯d better move quick!¡± ¡°Go ahead. I want to stay in the sun for a while.¡¯ Renee urged Xavier to leave. When she was finally alone, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. She carefully rolled her sleeves up. There was a patch of skin the size of an egg on her left arm that was burned. It was just as bad as Seraphina¡¯s foot. ¡°Damn! It hurts like hell!¡± She eximed through clenched jaws. She was so unlucky today. Not only did Stefan ckmail her into staying for the barbecue, but she even had to meet the crazy Seraphina and get scalded for no reason! Being around Stefan only ever brought her bad luck! Renee hesitated. She was thinking if she should leave while the rest were away. She¡¯d then go to the nearest clinic to tend to her wound. Suddenly, she was handed a tube of medicinal cream. Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Chapter 659 Renee looked up expectantly, but a look of disappointment and surprise soon filled her eyes. ¡°Christopher?¡± Christopher had his back to the sun. He looked like Prince Charming from the novel. ¡°This is quite effective. Hurry up and use it. You don¡¯t want any scars to form!¡± ¡°How did you know I¡­¡± Renee had an awkward expression on her face. She was trying hard to hide the amount of pain she was in earlier. It wasn¡¯t because she was mentally strong, and it also wasn¡¯t because her skin was too thick to feel any pain. Instead, she just didn¡¯t want to appear too insignificant next to Seraphina while everyone surrounded her. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°I noticed your facial expression wasn¡¯t natural earlier. I figured that you were probably burned too, but I¡¯m sure you have your reasons for not wanting it to be known,¡± Christopher said gently, like how an older brother would. He made Renee feel very safe. Renee sighed andughed bitterly. Without realizing it, she was opening up to him. ¡°You were all so worried about Seraphina. I didn¡¯t want to steal her limelight. Besides, I¡¯m not the kind of woman who¡¯d cry over pain.¡± Years ago, when she lived in an environment full of love, she would openly express her vulnerability. However, over the years, and after numerous experiences, she¡¯d gotten used to being tough. She¡¯d help herself feel better without needing a show of concern from others. ¡°Silly girl. Only babies who cry will get milk. If a girl is too tough, life gets very difficult¡­¡± Christopher sat next to Renee. He was like a gentle autumn breeze. ¡°Don¡¯t think Seraphina is just a fierce girl. She¡¯s actually very smart. She knows how to show her vulnerable side, and she¡¯s also good at expressing her needs. That¡¯s why we all spoil her rotten.¡± ¡°I can tell you all do spoil her rotten. In fact, I¡¯m a little envious of her personality. She can find friends wherever she goes. It¡¯s too hard for me,¡± Renee said. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re very kind, but there¡¯s always a feeling of distance. During the years you were married to Stefan, we might have met very often, but we never got close. It¡¯s such a shame, really.¡± Christopher, who was the oldest in the group, was much more experienced and mature. Although he rarely spoke, he was the best at judging a person¡¯s character. ¡°You and Stefan are actually quite alike. You¡¯re both very stubborn. Once you make up your mind, it¡¯s hard for you to change it. What a pity you two broke up¡­¡± Christopher could tell that neither Stefan nor Renee had moved on from the other. Renee didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she unscrewed the medicinal cream and silently smeared some of it on her wound. The cool sensation stung her wound a little. Renee didn¡¯t make a sound. Instead, she merely frowned. ¡°Ahh, didn¡¯t I just tell you that only babies who cry can get milk? You really need to know how to show your vulnerability,¡± Christopher said with a sigh. He had never seen a woman as stubborn as Renee. She was clearly in a lot of pain, but she didn¡¯t even make a sound. ¡°Of course, this is how I protect myself.¡± After applying the medicinal cream to her wound, she stood up. ¡°Thank them for me. I¡¯ll be making a move first.¡± Christopher didn¡¯t try to convince her to stay. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve given up on Stefan?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I did that a long time ago?¡± ¡°I bet you can tell that Seraphina¡¯s feelings for Stefan aren¡¯t purely tonic. She¡¯s had a crush on him for many years. Now that she¡¯s returned, she won¡¯t give up easily¡­¡± Christopher was the only one in the group who¡¯d discovered this secret. Renee shrugged nonchntly. ¡°It has nothing to do with me. I wish her the best of luck.¡± Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Chapter 660 Renee didn¡¯t go home after leaving the Hunt family¡¯s mansion. The ridiculous incident the night before, coupled with her burned arm, left her feeling a little troubled. Undoubtedly, it had left her in a sour mood. She decided to only return home after calming down so that Margaret and her children wouldn¡¯t worry. After calling Margaret to let her know she was safe, she opened her contacts and tried looking for someone she could vent to. However, apart from Leia, she couldn¡¯t find anyone else. Thinking about how Seraphina was spoiled by everyone, she suddenly felt a little jealous. The worst part was that Leia had gone to Tahato for a vacation to get over her recent break-up. She¡¯d only return after two weeks at the very least. While going through her contacts, she suddenly thought of someone. Her eyes lit up instantly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I can find him. He¡¯s a professional at this!¡± At eight in the evening, colorful lights came on all around the city. The wonderful nightlife in the city had begun. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Renee had on a pair of ck sunsses and intricate makeup. Looking ssy and cool, she walked into The Blue Inn, where women came to be served. As usual, the atmosphere in the glitzy bar was very hyped. A group of young women crowded around a stage while they cheered for the hot, dancing men above it. Renee looked around the bar. She didn¡¯t see Isaac, the most popr escort there. She patted the shoulder of a girl who was dancing excitedly in front of her.¡± Will Isaac be performing tonight?¡± ¡°Of course, Isaac is the most popr of the men of The Blue Inn. If he doesn¡¯t perform, how will The Blue Inn make any money? We¡¯re all here for him¡­ These handsome guys are only the appetizer. They aren¡¯t enough to satisfy us!¡± Renee frowned. ¡°Does he dance here every night?¡± ¡°He does. It¡¯s quite a tiring job!¡¯ A few other women also joined the conversation. ¡°I heard Isaaces from a well-off family. He used to be a top student, but his parents died young, and he ended up dancing out here. He even signed a contract to sell himself to the bar so that he could financially support his younger sister in her studies. He can¡¯t leave even if he wants to IV ¡°Ahh. I can only me myself for meeting someone I want to protect forever at a time when I can¡¯t afford to do it!¡± ¡°Isaac is too expensive. I can¡¯t afford to look after him. I can only watch him dance and buy a few more drinks to support him. Aaahhh!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense ofpassion after hearing all this. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Isaac to have such a sorrowful background despite being such a cheerful person¡­¡± Renee made a brave decision on the spot. She passed through the crowd and approached the bartender at the bar.¡± Where¡¯s your boss? I¡¯d like to discuss business with him.¡± The bartender looked Renee up and down. ¡°You look like a rich woman. Our boss likes people like you the most. I¡¯ll bring you to him right away.¡± Renee followed the bartender backstage. The owner of the bar and a few other men were smoking on a couch. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re here! Come here. Have a seat!¡± The owner immediately stood up and weed Renee when he saw her. Mr. Hunt had specifically instructed him to take good care of this esteemed guest. They were always prepared to wee Renee, and they had to immediately inform Stefan should anything happen. Renee had a strong presence. She sat down on the couch and cut to the chase. ¡°I heard Isaac sold himself to you. He can¡¯t stop dancing even if he wants to. I feel sorry for him. He¡¯s still so young, but he¡¯s already stuck here. I can¡¯t bear to watch someone with so much potential wasting his life away¡­ which is why¡­ I want to find out how much it costs to free him. Name your price!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chapter 661 Chapter 661 Chapter 661 The pub owner likely didn¡¯t expect Renee to be here to redeem the man¡¯s freedom and didn¡¯t quite know what to do at that moment. ¡°Why are you hesitating? You¡¯re asking them to dance and entertain the customers to earn money, right? So what¡¯s the difference if I make a full payment?¡± Renee asked. She knew money couldn¡¯t solve everything, but it did, at least, have the ability to solve most. At the very least, for greedy businesspeople like these, money was their kryptonite. ¡°You are absolutely right, Miss Everheart. But we¡¯d still have to think about this matter thoroughly. Why don¡¯t you wait for a bit while I discuss this with my business partners? We¡¯ll give you an answer shortly,¡± the pub owner said and left the room. Although it was her excuse to leave, she actually was reporting back to Stefan. ¡°Buy my freedom?¡± Stefan seemed intrigued upon hearing this. After a short pause, he ordered the pub owner, ¡°Tell her it¡¯s possible, but there would be terms¡­. ¡°I understand! Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Hunt, we will definitely do as you say.¡± The pub owner quickly returned to the waiting room after receiving orders. Renee was starting to feel quite impatient, urging. ¡°So, how did it go? Can I end his contract or not? Just give it to me straight.¡± The pub owner replied, ¡°I just asked our business partners, and they said it¡¯s possible. They even said they don¡¯t need you to pay, but you¡¯ll have to follow a few rules.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t need me to pay?¡± Renee felt quite surprised. She thought to herself. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the pub owner to be so virtuous to have let go of such a great opportunity to earn!¡¯ ¡°Tell me about these rules,¡± Renee asked curiously. ¡°Firstly, Isaac is our star escort, as you know. He¡¯s earned our pub a lot of money, and we naturally treat him as family. That¡¯s why you have to promise to treat Isaac well after you¡¯ve bought his freedom. You mustn¡¯t let him suffer in the slightest.¡± Renee raised a brow. ¡°Of course. I can do that.¡± She was more than capable of handling another man¡¯s living expenses, after all. ¡°Secondly, Isaac has¡­ quite a bit of an ego. If you really do wish to provide for him, you still mustn¡¯t force him to do anything he doesn¡¯t like¡­¡± Renee felt speechless. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just felt pity toward him. I didn¡¯t want a young talent like him to be wasted in a pub, that¡¯s all. I don¡¯t intend on doing anything to him.¡± ¡°Uhm, that¡¯s actually not what we mean¡­¡± The pub owner exined. ¡°You see, Isaac has a habit of wearing a mask at all times. It is to protect thest bit of dignity he has left. So if he is unwilling to take it off, you can¡¯t force him to.¡¯ ¡°No problem. I like it more when he has his mask on anyway,¡± Renee replied swiftly. After all, she actually preferred Isaac with his mask, as it gave her a sense of familiarity and made her heart flutter. ¡°Looks like there¡¯ll be no issues then! Once you¡¯ve signed this contract, Isaac will be yours, and you can do whatever you want with him.¡± The pub owner said swiftly. Renee hadn¡¯t expected everything to go so smoothly. She then happily dialed Isaac¡¯s number, still holding the contract in hand. ¡°Hey, pretty boy, where are you? I prepared a surprise for you.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Oh really? I¡¯m home, but I have to go to work soon.¡± ¡°Hold on. I¡¯lle over right now.¡± Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Chapter 662 Renee still remembered where the man lived, a cheap apartment near the pub. She was initially in a bad mood earlier today, but after the aplishment of performing the good deed of ¡®saving a young man¡¯s future,¡¯ her mood naturally improved. By following her memory, she arrived at Isaac¡¯s apartment unit and rang the doorbell. A whileter, the door swung open as Isaac walked out in a simple white shirt and ck formal pants. His handsome face was once again wearing his usual white feather mask. He looked like he had been waiting for Renee for quite sometime. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, my goddess. I thought you forgot about me¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice was gentle. Renee instantly felt like spring hade and couldn¡¯t help but lift the man by the chin. She smiled and said, ¡°How could I ever forget you, my little escort? Yourst hypnosis helped me get great rest! I¡¯ve long wanted to have you do that again to me, you know?¡± ¡°It really is an honor¡­ Don¡¯t worry, my goddess; I will give my all to you this time so you may sleep better.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too considerate; no wonder you¡¯re so popr.¡± The more Renee looked at him, the more her fondness for him grew. ¡®Tsk tsk, handsome gentlemen are healing to the soul. Thinking back to how cold Hunt was¡­ Isaac is an absolute angel!¡¯ Unfortunately, Renee likely wouldn¡¯t have ever guessed that this absolute angel was her terrible husband, who she hated so much.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. After receiving a report from the pub owner, Stefan quickly rushed to Isaac¡¯s ce and reced him. ¡°Oh, pretty boy, I just so happened to find out about your sad past, and I felt really bad. That¡¯s why I decided I had to save you¡­¡± Renee said as she brought out the contract, speaking in a confident tone. ¡°Look at this. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Th¡­ This is¡­?¡± Stefan took the contract obediently, pretending to read through it. Suddenly, he turned away from her, his shoulders trembling slightly, acting quite mncholic. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you so touched that you cried?¡± Renee patted the man on the back, asking like a confident maneater. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, I didn¡¯t even spend much. All I have to do is provide for you, and I can definitely do that.¡¯ ¡°Provide for me?¡± Stefan slowly turned back and asked Renee, ¡°So you¡¯re going to be my sugar mommy?¡± ¡°Awh,e on, don¡¯t say it like that. You¡¯re just having it rough right now and lost your ability to make a living out of dancing. I¡¯m just temporarily providing for you, and once you¡¯re back in university to finish your studies, you¡¯d be able to earn a proper job. And I won¡¯t provide for you after that,¡± Renee said bashfully. She knew that their current rtionship was no different from a sugar baby and a sugar mommy at this point. Moreover, she had no idea why she was being so nice to the man. In better terms, she was a kind person who just loved helping others in need. In worse terms, she just felt oddly possessive towards Isaac and didn¡¯t wish to see any other woman lusting over his body. It was likely that she started seeing Isaac as a substitute for Stefan. However, this ¡®Stefan Hunt¡¯ was an idealized version instead, the version that would be gentle and warm towards her. She ced this ¡®Stefan¡¯ on a pedestal and was unwilling to let anyone taint this lovely being. ¡°Yeah, you know I lost my dancing career because of you, and I¡¯m nothing but a poor peasant now! You¡¯ll have to take responsibility for me, or I might actually starve to death!¡± Stefan said as he quickly embraced Renee with a pitiful expression on his face. ¡°I offended the bossdy because of you, and no one dared to hire me anymore. The Blue Inn was the only reason I was able to earn a living, but now that you¡¯ve bought my freedom, I can¡¯t even go back there! I can only follow you, so please never abandon me!¡± Renee patted the man on the back,forting him as if he were her lover.¡± Don¡¯t worry, I bought your contract, so I¡¯d naturally take good care of you.¡± ¡°But¡­ won¡¯t your husband get mad at you? I heard that Stefan Hunt from H Group could get extremely jealous at times. Aren¡¯t you worried he might explode at you after finding out you¡¯re taking care of another man?¡± Stefan asked, hoping to test what she really thought about him. He was rather curious as to what he meant to the woman right then. Chapter 663 Chapter 663 Chapter 663 ¡°Who cares?!¡± Renee felt enraged for some reason, despite her being in a good mood at the start. ¡® Do youck tact or something? Why would you even mention that jerk out of nowhere? It¡¯s repulsing!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened, yet still hid his anger. ¡°What did he do to you to make you hate him so much?¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s a jerk. That¡¯s what he is!¡¯ Renee clenched her jaw. ¡°I slept with him for all but one night, and he¡¯s threatening me with it the next day and made me cook skewers for him and his friends¡­ Honestly, how could he?!¡± ¡°Is that it?¡¯ Stefan found it hrious. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He sometimes found Renee quiteplicated, so much so that it felt like he never really understood her. Yet, at times, he found her as simple- minded as a child, devoid of cunning thoughts behind those crystal eyes. This juxtaposition made his heart feel rather conflicted as well. His rationality told him he should stay away from her, yet he still subconsciously wanted to get closer. That was why he came up with the ridiculous idea of clinging to her using the identity of a pub dancer. It was as if he no longer felt embarrassed about his actions while being under a mask. ¡°Of course not!¡± Renee suddenly felt the urge to rant, so she rolled up her sleeves, getting ready to nitpick on every little horrible thing about Stefan. ¡°Your arm¡­¡¯ Stefan was sharp enough to notice the burn wound around her arm, which made him frown deeply. ¡®I knew it! She was burnt by the charcoal this morning, just like what happened to Seraphina!¡¯ ¡®But¡­ Damn it, how could she have such high pain tolerance?! How did she not even whine a little when she¡¯s been burnt so badly?!¡¯ ¡°Yeah! I was burned! It hurt so much!¡± Renee yelped. She wasn¡¯t used toining about her pain, but she felt oddly different with Isaac and started pouting sadly over it. It was likely that he was now hers. He was basically her therapist at this point, her dumpster for emotions. Armed with the knowledge that he would support her, heal her, and stay by her,e what may, there was no need to put on a tough act in front of him. ¡°Come here, sit down!¡± Stefan dragged her to the sofa and forced her into a seat. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Stop moving around, I¡¯m going to apply medicine for you!¡± Isaac took out some antiseptic cream from his first aid kit as he ordered Renee harshly. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I already applied some¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me and give me your hand!¡± Stefan¡¯s voice became slightly deeper. Hearing this, Renee quickly fell obedient, reaching her hand out to him. She thought, ¡®Why do I feel like I can see a bit of Stefan¡¯s bossy attitude in this living angel?¡¯ ¡®Well, I guess it¡¯s not really that weird. I only noticed Isaac because he has simrities with Stefan, and I wanted him as a substitute for that man!¡¯ Renee continued staring at the man, who was focused on applying medicine on her arm. She just couldn¡¯t believe how simr he was to Stefan, down to his hair. Suddenly, she had a courageous thought¡­ Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Chapter 664 Stefan was still concentrating on treating her wounds, whereas Renee¡¯s free hand caressed his head all of a sudden, like petting a dog. ¡°Can I ask you a question, pretty boy?¡± Renee asked as she brushed through Stefan¡¯s hair gently. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. The man froze and lifted his gaze, looking at the woman who wore an odd expression, slightly rmed. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ohe on, don¡¯t be so nervous, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to eat you up¡­¡± Renee¡¯s face flushed as she collected herself before beingpletely straightforward with him. ¡°I¡¯d just like to know if you¡¯re really experienced with love, since you¡¯re such a popr star, especially¡­ you know, that type of experience? Like, are you super good at it?!¡± ¡°What type?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all adults here, so don¡¯t y dumb with me now. Of course, I¡¯m talking about sex!¡¯ Renee didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush and came forth. That was because she felt like she could be her true self in front of Isaac. She could say anything on her mind, and she didn¡¯t need to hide. ¡°Why are you even asking about that all of a sudden?!¡± Stefan quickly furrowed his brows, his lips frowned coldly, visibly upset. ¡®What is this woman thinking?! How could she ask a lowly pub escort such a private question?! Could she be still under the effects of the drug and wanted to find a professional to get some release?¡¯ ¡°Hey, don¡¯t misunderstand my intentions. I just think you have experience, and I have a few questions for you professionals,¡± Renee exined earnestly. Although she was twenty-seven, her experience with love had only been with Stefan. She had even less intercourse experience, despite going into her thirties, as she had also only ever done it with that man. Hence, she really wanted to know if she was still longing for Stefan because she had too little experience in love. She wanted to know if her emotions had indeed been so drastically affected by him¡­ because shecked experience in intercourse. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s expression softened lightly, which then turned into intrigue. ¡°So tell me, what are these questions?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Aha, it¡¯s a little awkward.¡± Renee shed her usual nonchnt attitude and started acting like a young teenager in love. Her fair cheeks were painted in a shade of red as she bashfully continued. ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot of experience in dating. If we exclude my ex-husband from this equation, I basically never dated anyone, let alone¡­ do that. So I¡¯d just like to know if it feels the same doing it with different people?¡± ¡°And¡­ I keep thinking about how I felt with my ex-husband. Could it be because I don¡¯t have another person for reference? Am I justcking in experience?¡± Hearing this, Stefan felt extremely conflicted. He was just troubled and happy at the same time. He was happy that the woman still had feelings towards him despite her cold, hostile demeanor. However, he was troubled at the fact that he didn¡¯t have any wisdom to share, as he had only ever been intimate with Renee alone. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re still thinking about your husband?¡± Stefan asked with interest. ¡°Of course I am. He¡¯s my first love, after all, and it¡¯s different.¡± Renee faced her true feelings towards this head-on, answering truthfully. She didn¡¯t want to deny the fact that Stefan did hold an important ce in her heart. However, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that they had a chance to get back together. After all, being unable to move on was far different than still loving them wholeheartedly. Stefan¡¯s heart instantly felt like it was experiencingrge waves, thumping with glee. Chapter 665 Chapter 665 Chapter 665 The man ced the cotton bud and antiseptic cream aside, cing his knee onto the sofa as he trapped her between the couch. His voice was deep as he asked, ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t we try it out?¡± Renee looked towards the approaching man, feeling quite nervous. She gulped hard and said feebly, ¡®Try¡­ what?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to know how it felt being intimate with other men? You know I¡¯m experienced, so maybe I could give you the answer!¡¯ Stefan ced his arm on the backrest, using the other hand to lift the woman¡¯s chin. ¡°Yeah, but isn¡¯t that¡­ kind of inappropriate?¡± Renee questioned, leaning into the couch and staying still like an obedient little rabbit. She really didn¡¯t have much experience in this field, and it would make her seem quite clumsy when compared to a professional. ¡°You¡¯re already my sugar mommy. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to provide service for you?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were fixated on Renee¡¯s cherry-red lips, his chest burning with desire. ¡®How could there be such perfect, seductive lips in this world? It looks just like the forbidden fruit that tempted Adam and Eve!¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯m not providing for you because of that!¡± Renee became redder, stumbling over her words while exining. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want a young talent like you to go to waste in a pub! You shouldn¡¯t have to earn using your looks¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important!¡± Stefan ced his finger on her lips, whispering. ¡®The most important thing we need to discuss right now¡­ is if we¡¯d have different chemistrypared to you and your husband.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve always wanted to know the answer to this. I just didn¡¯t have a partner to experiment on¡­¡± Renee looked towards Isaac and gasped to herself. ¡®Isn¡¯t he literally ab rat?!¡¯ She had always kept a distance from most men. The woman would automatically shut any advances down, putting up a hostile front. However, she felt rxed around Isaac for some reason, to the point she wanted to get closer to him. He had an aura that she was rather fond of, one that didn¡¯t repulse her. She had only ever found this in Stefan in the past. ¡°So let¡¯s start with a basic experiment first, okay?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°For example, kissing.¡± Stefan continued staring at her lips. His voice was husky, guiding her as if it were a siren¡¯s call. ¡°Well¡­¡± Before Renee could process her thoughts, Stefan¡¯s lips had already gently touched hers. A familiar, fresh scent attacked her senses in an instant. As if it were an aphrodisiac, she felt her rationality slipping away. Unlike before, Stefan was kissing her very softly, just like a dragonfly on water.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Renee was actually reluctant at first but managed to let loose under the man¡¯s guidance. She then started to take the lead, but her kissing skills were rusty, which caused their teeth to bump into each other frequently. It didn¡¯t feel all that nice. Stefan grabbed the back of her head. His voice remained hoarse. ¡°You little dummy, let me teach you how to kiss!¡± Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Chapter 666 Renee seemed to be eager to learn and gained the courage to continue on under the man¡¯s guidance. The air was filled with sexual tension, with only their panting audible through the quiet room. The atmosphere felt so hot that it could boil like water. Just as the two were about to take it to the next step, Renee restrained herself with thest bit of rationality she had left. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°No! We can¡¯t!¡± The woman stopped giving into Stefan¡¯s advances with sheer will, pushing him away as hard as she could. Her lips were now reddened as a result of their experiment. The warm lighting made her look quite attractive in this state. Naturally, Stefan¡¯s lips were no better than hers-there were still a few visible marks left by Renee, after all¡ªevidence clearly showing all the inappropriate things that they had just done. ¡°This is¡­ just too much! What have we done?!¡± Renee covered her face with both hands and whined, unable to face the man. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Isaac. I Was too reckless, I¡¯ve tainted you! I¡¯m a monster, I treated you like ab rat! For a moment there, I forgot that you¡¯re a person with dignity!¡± Stefan, however, was still in a daze from the passionate kiss. His eyes were filled with pure lust, as he questioned the woman. ¡°Why are we stopping¡­ Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯ve decided to dedicate my life to serving you?¡± He then grabbed her arm forcefully, making her look him in the eye. ¡°Was my kissing not enough to make you swoon? Or do you think my techniques are too hard to learn?¡± After that, he just couldn¡¯t help but inch closer to her, trying to reach for her lips again. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll be more patient this time¡­¡± ¡°Stop fooling around!¡± Renee turned away and took a deep breath. Her expression was bitter. ¡°It has nothing to do with you, and your techniques are great, as expected of a professional. I just can¡¯t give you enough praise. H ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get past myself¡­¡± Renee closed her eyes as she remembered how she felt just now. She had to admit that was indeed flustered during Isaac¡¯s lessons. However, she didn¡¯t dare to say that she was thinking about Stefan the whole time¡­ With that being the case, she really did see Isaac as a substitute for Stefan, and she found it unfair to him. ¡°We¡¯re both currently single. There¡¯s really nothing wrong even if we end up doing the deed. So I¡¯m curious, what are you so worried about?¡± Stefan distanced himself and asked calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I thought about my ex-husband while we were kissing. I can always somehow find traces of him in you. Sometimes, I¡¯d even use you as his substitute. I¡¯m such a horrible person, and this is just too unfair to you¡­¡± Renee finally revealed the truth in her heart. Talking to Isaac was far different from talking to Stefan, as she didn¡¯t have to keep secrets from him. On the contrary, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything when facing Stefan. ¡°You thought of your ex-husband?¡± Stefan raised an eyebrow and teased,¡± So does that mean you still love your ex-husband? Do you wish to get back together with him?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Renee¡¯s expression was determined. ¡°Our rtionship is over, and we can¡¯t cross that bridge again. We can¡¯t possibly start over.¡± ¡°Then do you still love him?¡± Stefan questioned once more. Renee fell silent for a little, then shook her head. ¡°All I can say is that I used to love him a lot. I loved him so much that I lost my sense of self. I tried to turn myself into someone he would like¡­ ¡°But loving someone way too much is bound to lead to suffering. I don¡¯t want to suffer anymore, I just want to love someone who loves me just as much. If I can¡¯t, then being single sounds pretty great too! I wouldn¡¯t have to worry much!¡± Chapter 667 Chapter 667 Chapter 667 The woman¡¯s words put Stefan into deep thought. ¡®Yeah, she¡¯s right. Being single gives you fewer worries for sure.¡¯ As someone who was usually more rational and collected, he knew that he shouldn¡¯t allow himself to fall deep into this pit called love. He shouldn¡¯t allow himself to lose control. As Renee¡¯s burns were nearly healed, she returned to her own apartment. Her children missed her very much, to the point they didn¡¯t want to let go of her. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯ve been working so hardtely! You haven¡¯t been home for days. Adie and I feel so bad for you. Here, let me give you a massage¡­¡± Abby said as she started massaging Renee¡¯s shoulders and legs. Although the little one didn¡¯t have much strength, Renee still found it quite rxing. ¡°Mommy¡¯s having it so hard right now. Looks like I can¡¯t dy my n any longer!¡± Aiden frowned and spoke in a serious tone, looking like a carbon copy of his father. At the time, Reneey on the couch, eating some fruit slices while enjoying Abby¡¯s massage services. Hearing Aiden¡¯s words, she sat up straight and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°A n to find you a husband!¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee burst out inughter. ¡°So, did you find anyone? It¡¯s been a while since you started looking, right?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Mr. Q has already passed all my tests. I n on setting a time and ce so you two can meet. Once he bes your husband, he can take care of you and lessen your burden. Then you wouldn¡¯t have to work so much¡­¡± Aiden replied. He had always been quite thorough with his ns. After putting Mr. Q through so many tests, he could tell that the man would be an excellent husband and father. ¡°Tomorrow night it is, then! We can take you to Carmine Pawnshop after school. You can talk to each other and see how it goes,¡± Aiden continued as he took out his smart watch and dialed Mr. Q¡¯s number. ¡°Q, are you free tomorrow night? I¡¯m bringing my mommy over to see you¡­¡± ¡°You have time, right? It¡¯s a date, then! See you tomorrow night.¡± Renee was in absolute shock, nearly choking on her saliva. ¡°Uhm, so you were serious about this, huh?¡± She underestimated just how efficient Aiden was. She didn¡¯t expect him to find her a husband just because he said he would. Not only that, the candidate he found was the infamously terrifying Night Demon. ¡°Of course! When have I ever lied to you. Mommy?¡± Aiden patted himself on the chest, visibly confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. Q really is a good person! Abby and I are pretty close with him now, so we can go to the pawnshop any time we want! He¡¯s already started treating us like his own. He can definitely be a good husband!¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy, Uncle Q treats me and Adie very well! He¡¯s a good person!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Seeing how much praise her kids had for this evil man, Renee felt extremely conflicted. ¡°You two are just too young. Just you wait¡­ I¡¯ll make him reveal his true colors!¡¯ Renee had decided to meet up with Mr. Q. However, it wasn¡¯t for the blind date. She would be there to wage war. Chapter 668 Chapter 668 Chapter 668 When night fell, Renee drove to Carmine Pawnshop in Water Dock, bringing Abby and Adie with her, as nned. Compared to the ¡®thrilling¡¯ experience she hadst time, her entire way there was a rather smooth affair, as if someone had cleared the way for her. Many of the people there were strangely courteous, while some even handed her bouquets of flowers. They were close to putting out a red carpet for her. ¡°Huh, this is weird. Did they have a change of heart or something? What happened to those vicious people? Why are they so gentle and kind now?¡± Renee asked under her breath as she looked towards the flower ne around her neck, visibly confused. Aiden was in the back seat, showing a knowing look as he pointed out the obvious. ¡°That¡¯s because they see you as their queen now! Of course, they¡¯d have to give their queen the best treatment they can provide.¡± ¡°What queen? I don¡¯t even know them! It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a movie!¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t have to know who they are. You just need to know who Q is!¡± Aiden exined with a serious face. ¡°Q is their king, and they listen to his every order. As Q¡¯s future wife, you¡¯re now their queen!¡± ¡°I already had Q inform them beforehand about you, so they probably worship you at this point¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Renee shrieked, holding onto the steering wheel angrily. ¡°Aiden Everheart, how could you have done this to your mother?! You sold me off to some random guy?! When have I ever said I wanted to be his wife!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! You can just spend more time with each other! Q is really nice. You¡¯ll definitely like him, so it¡¯s just a matter of time till you be his wife.¡± Aiden snapped his fingers confidently. He truly believed in the taste of both his own and his sister¡¯s. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Abby nodded profusely, speaking in a sweet tone. ¡°Mommy, me, and Adie are already Uncle Q¡¯s children now! We¡¯re just waiting for you to be his wife! Then we can be one big happy family!¡± Renee fell speechless, thinking to herself. ¡®Oh god, I¡¯ve raised my beautiful children for four years, yet they were coaxed by a well-known viin?!¡¯ ¡®Was I a failure, or was this cunning guy too great of an actor?¡¯ ¡®Fine then, I¡¯ll just have to find a way to show the kids who he truly is tonight!¡¯ Under a warm wee, Renee finally arrived at the prime location of Water Dock, the Carmine Pawnshop. Chase was already waiting at the entrance with an elegant smile. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯re on time. Our boss actually thought you¡¯d stand him up!¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t go that far.¡± Renee then peeked inside and asked, ¡°So, where¡¯s your boss?¡± ¡°I know, I know!¡± The two kids jumped with joy, raising their hands. Adie said, ¡°Q must be preparing yummy food for us in the kitchen!¡¯ Chase smiled and gave the children a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re so smart! No wonder Boss likes you so much. You know him so well that it feels like you¡¯re his children.¡± Abby¡¯s beautiful doe eyes blinked sweetly as she grabbed Chase¡¯s hand.¡± Uncle Chase, I want to see Daddy Q cook! Can you take us to him?¡± ¡®She¡¯s calling him Daddy Q now?!¡¯ Renee felt helpless, putting her palm to her forehead. ¡®Abby is so naive and easily manipted! She might even help scammers scam herself at one point!¡¯ ¡®Tsk tsk, looks like I have to unmask this Night Demon as soon as possible so that I can teach these two a valuable lesson on trust!¡¯ ¡°Follow me then. I¡¯m sure Mr. Q will be happy to let you watch him work his magic in the kitchen,¡¯ the man said as he brought the three to the kitchen within the pawnshop. Within the spacious, clean kitchen was Mr. Q¡¯s tall figure standing before the counter. He seemed to be focused on marinating a grouper. Emanating the aura of a delicate craftsman, he could¡¯ve easily passed off as a famous chef in the city from a distance. Chapter 669 Chapter 669 Chapter 669 ¡°Daddy Q, we came to see you with Mommy!¡± Abigail skipped to the man with a bright smile as if she were a little angel. Mr. Q was still wearing a mask at the time, but his alluring charm was evident as he lifted his gaze, especially when her eyes met his. With that, both of them froze as though sparks were flying in the air between them. ¡°I heard from the kids that you like eating fish, especially steamed grouper ¡­ So I¡¯m making this just for you. I hope you like it.¡± Mr. Q said in a calm tone. It sounded as if they had been married for years, and this was a special gift for his one and only wife. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. The little ones looked towards Renee, their innocent eyes glittering with pride. ¡°See, Mommy? We told you Daddy Q is great!¡± Renee was speechless. ¡®What the heck is this guy saying? It¡¯s not even like we¡¯re saying that he¡¯s making this just for me? He¡¯s clearly just putting on an act to win the kids over!¡¯ ¡°Ahaha, thank you so much, Mr. Q. You must be a busy man, and yet you¡¯re still making time to cook my favorite dish. How can I possibly ept this kindness, let alone eat it?¡± She then slowly approached the man with a fake smile, lowering her voice to question him. ¡°What on Earth are you plotting? You don¡¯t have to put on such a big act, you know?!¡± Mr. Q continued to marinate the fish, whispering into Renee¡¯s ear, their position oddly intimate. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I just want the kids to be happy.¡± ¡°Save it. If you¡¯re just trying to please the kids, why would I be involved in all this then?¡± ¡°Because they keep wanting to matchmake us. They said they¡¯d be very happy once we¡¯re together. That¡¯s why, as their daddy, I have to grant their wish.¡± ¡°What is your goal? Just be straight with me! Keep your hands off of my children¡­¡± Renee panicked. She just couldn¡¯t understand why this devil would sacrifice so much for two children who had nothing to do with him. Hence, she assumed that he had to have some hidden scheme. Just then, Mr. Q stopped whispering with Renee but instead turned to the children, who had been staring at them the entire time. ¡°Do you still remember what I told you to do?¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± The little ones replied immediately ¡°Let¡¯s not stall any longer, get to work! I¡¯m excited to see your results.¡± Mr. Q ordered, whereas Abby and Adie quickly jumped in to join the kitchen. ¡°You guys¡­ What is it this time?¡± Renee felt rather left out looking at the kitchen buddies. ¡®They just seemed more like a family than a real family!¡¯ ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t have to look after us, just go out and y! The pawnshop is a lot of fun, and there are a lot of treasures around! Q even said you can take whichever one you like!¡± Aiden tried to direct his mother out of the kitchen. This left an unpleasant taste in the woman¡¯s mouth. The babies she¡¯d raised had turned into ¡®traitors¡¯ and instead found a bad guy to be their father. ¡®Ugh, this is so frustrating!¡¯ ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll go walk around. I hope I find a ¡®surprise.''¡± Renee said as she looked towards Mr. Q with a mysterious gaze. ¡®Hmph, I refuse to believe that this pawnshop is operating legally. I¡¯ll just have to dive deep and look for evidence of their crimes. Then Abby and Adie will finally see who they really are!¡¯ Chapter 670 Chapter 670 Chapter 670 After leaving the kitchen area, Renee walked around Carmine Pawnshop with Chase following next to her. The man warmly presented every single exhibition hall they had in the area. ¡°Miss Everheart, this is the Eastern Treasures Hall. It stores many internationally known treasures, such as sculptures of the twelve zodiac signs, gilt jade seals, ancient jadeites¡­ ¡°And this is the Western Treasures Hall. There¡¯s a scepter made of pure gold, a diamond crown, and even a sculpture of Venus¡­ ¡°And here is the Rare Findings Hall. Here, you will find thest sample of a Carolina Parakeet, a thousand-year-old lucid ganoderma, and a ten- thousand-year-old amber¡­¡± Renee¡¯s mouth was left agape through the entire journey, a testament to how absolutely stunned she was. She was quite surprised to find the pawnshop holding such wealth. Any of the treasures they possessed could definitely exceed an averagepany¡¯s yearly profit. From a financial standpoint, Mr. Q was indeed quite a reliable candidate, as one would only need to enjoy life to the fullest if he was willing to provide. However, as Renee was a strong businesswoman herself, money wasn¡¯t something she would look for in a man, and naturally wouldn¡¯t be tempted by such things. ¡°Chase, you can go back to your work. I¡¯ll just be looking around.¡± Renee intentionally drove the man away so that she had the chance to dig into any illegal affair within the pawnshop. Chase wasn¡¯t cautious around her either, nodding. ¡°Have fun then, Miss Everheart. If you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± He took a few steps, then turned around all of a sudden with a mysterious expression. ¡°Miss Everheart, we have a forbidden zone within the pawnshop. If you see any ¡®Do Not Enter1 signs, I hope you can suppress your curiosity and refrain yourself from entering. Else¡­ you¡¯d have to face serious consequences!¡± After hearing this, Renee felt a wave of delight. ¡®Tsk tsk, this is exactly what I was waiting for!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a brain. I normally wouldn¡¯t trespass unless absolutely necessary.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be off then.¡± After Chase left, Renee giggled to herself. ¡°I normally wouldn¡¯t, but I, Renee Everheart, am not your average girl! I¡¯ll trespass when you don¡¯t want me to so that I can reveal your boss¡¯ fake mask!¡± At the same time, she was able to hear a woman¡¯s weepinging from a distance. ¡°A clue? So soon?!¡± Renee was thrilled for some reason, and she tiptoed in the direction of the voice. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. As the sobbing grew louder, she arrived in front of a small room at the far end of the pawnshop. The shabby door was covered in long strands of spiderwebs, along with a¡¯ Do Not Enter¡¯ sign hung in front of it. ¡°Let me go! I¡¯m so sorry! Let me go, please!¡± The woman choked on her tears, banging on the door as hard as she could. She sounded like she was in great distress. Renee tore off the tape barricading the door without any hesitation. ¡°Who are you? What happened? Who locked you up in here?¡± Renee demanded through the door gap. Oddly enough, the woman stopped crying the second she heard Renee¡¯s voice. ¡°Hey, say something! Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m not with Carmine Pawnshop, I won¡¯t hurt you. In fact¡­ I might be able to save you!¡± Renee knocked on the door, trying her best tomunicate. However, what responded to her was dead silence. ¡°Did Mr. Q threaten you?¡± Renee narrowed her eyes, expressing righteousness. ¡°I knew that guy wasn¡¯t a good person! How could he be so sick in the head to have imprisoned a woman?! Adie and Abby have to stay away from him, especially Abby! She¡¯s just so cute; who knows what that maniac is nning¡­¡± Chapter 671 Chapter 671 Chapter 671 With that thought, a chill ran down Renee¡¯s back as she considered her options carefully. There was no movement inside the house as if the cries for help had just been Renee¡¯s imagination. ¡°Okay. I know you¡¯re scared. You don¡¯t have to answer me. I¡¯ll kick the door open and get you out. All you need to do is expose the ugly side of that guy to my two children after this!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. As Renee said this, she prepared her hands, reaching out to break down the door. Suddenly, a deadly vibe burst out from behind her, and someone reached out to catch her wrist in a deadly grip, freezing herpletely in her tracks. ¡°Why are you in the restricted area of the shop?¡± The man¡¯s low voice gave off an eerie chill as it resounded from above her head. Renee turned around to see Mr. Q standing behind her with a cold look on his face. In the darkness of the night, the name ¡®Night Demon,¡¯ coupled with the ck mask he wore, really suited his image. Though Renee was not a coward, she was still in someone¡¯s territory, not to mention the man was also notoriously known as a viin. With that, she sensible loosened her stance and awkwardlyughed,¡± Haha¡­ Weren¡¯t you cooking, Mr. Q? Why did you suddenly stop and appear behind me? You scared me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m done cooking, so I came to see where you were¡­¡± Mr. Q said and pursed his lips. There was a strong, cold, and oppressing air around him, and he slowly approached Renee and asked, ¡°You look a little guilty, hmm?¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking! I just visited these pavilions and marveled at your breathtaking financial prowess. Why should I be feeling guilty?¡± Renee said stiffly. ¡°Didn¡¯t Chase tell you the price of randomly walking around Carmine Pawnshop?¡± Mr. Q still held Renee¡¯s wrist, and though his voice was soft and calm, it carried a terrifying undertone. ¡°W-what is it?¡± Renee asked cautiously. ¡°Those who trespass into the restricted area will be locked in here and never leave!¡± Every word Mr. Q said was like announcing a death sentence to Renee. ¡°Never leave?¡± Renee was initially fearful, but she couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing when she heard those words. She didn¡¯t care about her reputation at the moment and simplyughed. Mr. Q¡¯s expression turn colder as he asked in a dangerous tone, ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think those words are very funny? Are you shooting a movie? Never leave? Why don¡¯t you just say never reincarnate?¡± After Renee stoppedughing and calmed down, she turned serious and fired up again. ¡°Yeah, I trespassed into the restricted area of your shop. If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have known what a dignified jerk you were!¡¯ ¡°Dignified?¡± The air around Mr. Q dipped lower, and he pulled Renee into his arms with a yank. ¡°I¡¯ve never been dignified, nor have I ever been a good guy. I¡¯m a notorious viin. Didn¡¯t you already know that from the start?¡± ¡°You!¡± Renee didn¡¯t expect the man to be this honest, so she was at a loss for words. She quickly gathered her thoughts and shot back angrily, ¡°In that case, stay away from my children! I don¡¯t know what kind of enchantment you put on them, but they like you a lot, so what are your intentions?!¡± ¡°I told you. I like the two children. I want the two children,¡± Mr. Q said it so matter-of-factly that Renee, as their mother, felt that she was the one unreasonable, i ¡°l-if you like children, just make some yourself!¡± ¡°With you?¡± Mr. Q¡¯s lips suddenly curled up in a smirk. ¡°That sounds like a wonderful suggestion.¡± Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Chapter 672 Renee suddenly felt a chill run up her spine as she shoved Mr. Q away and coldly. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with your head, isn¡¯t there? How could you joke about something like this? I¡¯ll cut you down if you do it again!¡¯ Even though her financial strength may notpare to his, she could definitely subdue him in a matter of minutes. If he forced her hand, she wasn¡¯t about to show him any mercy! Mr. Q approached Renee again with a solemn expression as he said seriously, ¡®I never joke. To have given birth to two lovely children like Adie and Abby, I¡¯m sure you have good genes. It¡¯s barely worthy of me, but I¡¯m sure if wee together, we can give birth to a child more perfect than the two. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to try?¡± ¡°rgh!¡± Renee didn¡¯t buy it at all. She made a throwing-up motion before shooting back sharply, ¡°Please get this straight. Children aren¡¯t the product of just one parent. That¡¯s impossible! My children are great, maybe because they got my perfect genes, and their father¡¯s genes are also very strong! You, on the other hand, are far worse than him, okay?! Don¡¯t be so confident in yourself!¡± ¡°Haha!¡± The manughed before saying vaguely, ¡°So, you¡¯re also aware that children are not the product of a single person?¡± Of course! Are you saying that you alone or I alone can give birth to a child? M Renee thought this man was strange and full of nonsense! ¡°In that case, why not let your children meet with their father? You deprived them of their father¡¯s love, and you didn¡¯t even think to ask for their opinion? Aren¡¯t you being selfish?¡± Mr. Q¡¯s tone had a little anger in it, but also a hint of heart ache for the two children. ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± Renee looked at the man warily and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you that their father is a scumbag and dead? There¡¯s no need to tell them anymore because of that! It¡¯s enough that they have a perfect mother like me!¡± ¡°Then tell me, who is Adie and Abb/s father? Let me be the judge of his genes andpare whether his or mine is superior!¡± Mr. Q insisted aggressively that Renee confess everything to him. Renee found it ridiculous and retorted rudely, ¡°That¡¯s my personal affairs! Why should I tell you? Moreover, the so-called superiority or inferiority is rtive. If I think he¡¯s better, then he is! There¡¯s no need for you to judge!¡± The man stared at Renee for a long time. After thinking about it, confusion shed in his eyes, and he shook his head. ¡°Woman, I really don¡¯t understand you. One moment you say the children¡¯s father is scum, and the next moment you¡¯re so protective of him. Can I understand why? Is it because you still love the children¡¯s father that you can¡¯t ept anyone else in your heart?¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee eximed before she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I can¡¯t hate him enough, so how could I love him?!¡± ¡°Then, prove it to me¡­¡± Mr. Q caught Renee¡¯s wrist again and pinned her against the door. He lowered his head to her ear and said, ¡°ept me and prove that you¡¯ve forgotten him.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Renee was inexplicably nervous, and she felt short of breath. Her cheeks were flushed, and she hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°Just because I don¡¯t love him doesn¡¯t mean I have to ept you. Both of you are short! Why do I have to pick between two bad men? Besides¡­ there¡¯s one aspect which he definitely wins over you!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mr. Q¡¯s lips curled into a yful smirk as he asked curiously, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°His appearance is better than yours! He¡¯s more handsome!¡± Renee confessed bluntly.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Chapter 673 Chapter 673 Chapter 673 Back then, when Renee had fallen in love with Stefan at first sight, wasn¡¯t it also because of his appearance? If he didn¡¯t have that handsome face of his, she wouldn¡¯t have foolishly waited for him for four years, and she likely wouldn¡¯t have agreed to marry him. That¡¯s why being obsessed with appearances only called for bad luck. Despite that, she was a die-hard lover of outward looks, even now! ¡°I see¡­¡± Mr. Q said with a sigh as disappointment streaked across his face. ¡°If that¡¯s the reason, then I really can¡¯tpare. I used to be very handsome, but unfortunately, I¡¯m disfigured now. The scar on my face¡­ let¡¯s not even mention others; even I can¡¯t stand the sight of it!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of sympathy upon seeing the proud and arrogant man suddenly be so self-deprecating and downtrodden, She forced a smile on her face andforted him, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. Men don¡¯t have to rely on looks to get a wife, you know? The treasures in your collection alone are enough to buy you ten wives. You can have as many children as you want with them too!¡¯ ¡°No!¡± Mr. Q said seriously. ¡°You¡¯ve piqued my interest. I want to marry you and have cute children like Adie and Abby with you. No other woman can take your ce. If you marry me, you don¡¯t have to return the money to me, and all the treasures in Carmine Pawnshop will be yours. Deal?¡± ¡°Sigh. Why are you so stubborn? I told you that I¡¯m a sucker for good looks! Why don¡¯t you find someone who isn¡¯t as concerned as looks like me?¡± Renee refused exasperatedly. In fact, the man¡¯s conditions were sincere and tempting, and her children liked him so much that they even saw him as their father. It wouldn¡¯t be such a bad oue if she agreed to marry him. But¡­ Deep inside her heart, there was still a wall. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to ept anyone as her husband except for a certain man. ¡°Sucker for good looks¡­¡± Mr. Q suddenly became angry and mmed his fist on the wall. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°It¡¯s all Stefan¡¯s fault! If he hadn¡¯t cut my face with a knife back then, I wouldn¡¯t need to wear a mask like this! I¡¯ve decided to get back at him! I¡¯m going to cut his face in the same manner, so he¡¯ll also have a taste of what it¡¯s like to be disfigured!¡± ¡±N-no! Don¡¯t do that!¡± Renee hurriedly tried to discourage him. ¡°You two have fought for so long, and it was so tough to call for a truce, so don¡¯t repeat the same mistake. In case you fail, he¡¯ll not only disfigure you but break your limbs and ruin your career! It¡¯s not worth it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re so panicky. Are you afraid that I would really ruin Stefan¡¯s face?¡± Mr. Q asked. ¡°You¡¯re Stefan¡¯s ex-wife, so could your two children be his flesh and blood? I was wondering why Adie looked so familiar¡­ He¡¯s actually Stefan¡¯s son!¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee vehemently denied it. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. Since I¡¯ve already divorced him, why would I have his children? I¡¯m not that free¡­ I still have to care for my own children, okay?¡¯ ¡°Who knows? Perhaps you loved him so much that even after he divorced you, you still want to keep something of his,¡± Mr. Q pressed further, leaving Renee unsure how to respond. She exploded in frustration, ¡°Stop guessing pointlessly! Who are you to pry into my privacy? You¡¯re not a good person! I will call the kids here to let them see how awful you are! I also won¡¯t turn a blind eye to your imprisoning of young girls!¡± Just as Renee was about to call out to her children. Chase brought them over. ¡°Adie, Abby, you both came at the right time! This man that you repeatedly imed to be good¡­ I¡¯ll let you see his true colors!¡± Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Chapter 674 Aiden and Abigail blinked their big, innocent eyes and immediately jumped to Mr. Q¡¯s defense. ¡°Mommy, you must have misunderstood Daddy Q! He¡¯s the most gentle and kind person I¡¯ve ever met besides Daddy Liam! How could he be a bad guy?¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. ¡°Abby is right!¡± Aiden said as he rubbed his chin, a serious expression on his face. ¡°I introduce Mr. Q to you as a husband candidate after careful consideration. You may not believe in my sister¡¯s judgment, but you must believe in my intelligence.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee was momentarily speechless. Disregarding everything else, Aiden¡¯s intelligence was truly unbeatable. Anyone who passed his assessment was either a super intelligent person who could beat Aiden, or genuinely a good person. Currently, Mr. Q didn¡¯t seem like a good person at all. That meant his intelligence must be extremely high to have the two little children be so obedient to him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t believe me. Once I kick down this door, you¡¯ll understand my good intentions.¡± Renee didn¡¯t want to keep going around in circles and decided to let the facts speak for themselves. Tightening her fists, she stretched her legs and gathered all her strength before fiercely kicking the door. As she kicked down the door, she gestured for the two children to back away. ¡°Back up a little, you two. I don¡¯t know how depraved this viin is. There may be something inappropriate behind this, so it¡¯s best to stay back than risk getting traumatized by anything here!¡± The two children were a little scared after hearing her words, and they hid behind Mr. Q and cautiously peeked around him to stare at the door. Embarrassingly, Renee attacked the door for a long time, but it didn¡¯t even budge a single inch. She was exhausted from her efforts after a while. She couldn¡¯t understand why, as it was only a small wooden door. She should have been able to break it with her strength. ¡°Are you tired? Do you want to rest for a while?¡± Mr. Q asked ¡°kindly¡± as his lips curled up slightly as if he were an outsider detached from this situation. ¡°Shove that fake kindness away! I can definitely break this door into pieces! ¡± Renee shot back and wiped away her sweat as she prepared to exert herself again. Mr. Q suddenly said coldly, ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s best if you save your strength. This door is made of authentic Zambawi birch wood, which is harder than even iron. Even if you kick non-stop until tomorrow, you won¡¯t be able to damage it.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it!¡± Renee eximed, then frowned at the man. ¡°You¡¯re really sick, aren¡¯t you? Choosing this kind of wood as a door to ensure that the people inside wouldn¡¯t have a chance to escape. What kind of illegal things are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you afraid of encountering ghosts at night for doing so many bad things?¡± Renee had already imagined a tragic situation of the tortured girls behind this door and was convinced that more than one girl was being held here for torture! Mr. Q hadn¡¯t refuted any of her usations either and simply smiled and said, ¡°If you really can¡¯t break it down, you can ask Chase for the key to open it directly.¡± ¡°Hah! Drop that innocent act! The evidence of your crimes are hidden inside here. Once it¡¯s opened, your hypocritical act will be up! Do you dare open it?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, so there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t dare about it,¡± Mr. Q replied, then paused before adding, ¡°However, the rule of Carmine Pawnshop is that the restricted area is not a ce where one can casually enter. You broke a rule and must be punished.¡± Renee, who was in an extremely stubborn mood right now, said, ¡°If you dare open this door, I¡¯m willing to ept the punishment. I¡¯m not unreasonable, after all.¡± Mr. Q turned to Chase and said, ¡°Open the door for her.¡± ¡°But boss, isn¡¯t it inappropriate to do so? I¡¯m afraid that guy will go crazy and scare the kids¡­¡± Chase trailed off, looking toward the door but making no move to approach it. At the same time, he also thought Mr. Q was acting strange. Why would he indulge this woman so much and let her take charge of the situation like this? ¡°Hah! Look at that! You¡¯re guilty, aren¡¯t you? I told you something unusual is going on here!¡± Chapter 675 Chapter 675 Chapter 675 After hearing Chase¡¯s words, Renee became even more confident of her suspicions. She quickly pulled her two children aside and warned them,¡± Close your eyes first. Wait until I confirm that there¡¯s nothing inside there that¡¯s inappropriate for children, and you can open your eyes.¡± Then, Renee turned to Mr. Q and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to open the door. I¡¯m not interested in your perverted things. As long as you admit before my children that you¡¯re a bad guy and promise to stay away from them in the future, that¡¯s enough.¡± Renee had considered many things and was worried that the pervert would attack indiscriminately if he were exposed, so she nned to take her children away before figuring out how to save whoever was inside the room. Mr. Q ignored her and ordered Chase again, ¡°I said to open the door. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Even though Chase was visibly unhappy, he didn¡¯t dare disobey a direct order from his boss. He pulled out the key and opened the door. ¡°Watch out!¡± Renee stepped back instinctively with her two children. However, there was no movement inside the room for a long time. ¡°Don¡¯t hide anymore. You¡¯ve been moring toe out, soe on out and let Miss Everheart see how ¡®bad¡¯ our boss really is,¡± Chase said, calling out into the room. The lighting inside the room was poor, and it was impossible to see what was happening. Still, there was no movement even after Chase had spoken. Then, Mr. Q spoke in a cold and threatening tone, ¡®Come out!¡± Only then did a woman cautiously appear. The woman was dressed inly, and her hair was messy. She was thin, and her sunken eye sockets made her look like a skeleton. However, she was much more presentable than Renee had imagined. ¡°W-who¡­ are you?¡± Renee felt that the woman was a little familiar. ¡°You can leave now if you want, but don¡¯te crying to us for help when you have nowhere to go!¡± Chase said as he red at the woman angrily, feeling both pity and fury at her. ¡°I remember now! You¡¯re that con artist I met before!¡± Renee eximed, pointing at the woman as the realization struck her. The woman looked at Renee and then lowered her head. Choking back tears, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Q. I was wrong. Thank you for giving me a chance to turn my life around. I thought about it and decided to continue staying in this room. I don¡¯t want to leave!¡± Seeing the woman about to return to the small dark room, Renee quickly stopped her and said, ¡°This guy must have threatened you, so you¡¯re afraid to resist, right? Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll help you! I¡¯ll make sure he faces legal consequences for his crimes!¡± Since things have reached this point, Renee naturally wouldn¡¯t give up on the chance to expose Mr. Q¡¯s true colors. ¡°Legal consequences?¡± The woman looked up with an incredulous expression. ¡°Mr. Q is such a good person! How could he havemitted any crimes? If not for him, I would have died long ago, and my son would have starved to death. It was my fault for stealing from his pawnshop, but he didn¡¯t punish me. In fact, he saved me!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Renee looked at the woman in disbelief. She reached out to grasp her shoulders as if trying to give her strength. ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. He¡¯s a bad person, and I need you toe forward to expose him. Otherwise, who knows what he¡¯d do to my children!¡± ¡°But Mr. Q really isn¡¯t a bad person. Although there are a lot of ugly rumors out there about him, they remain nothing but rumors! Those hypocrites tried to nder him¡­ Don¡¯t believe a word they say!¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°But if he¡¯s so good, why did he lock you up in this small, dark room? Are you a masochist?!¡± Chapter 676 Chapter 676 Chapter 676 ¡°Um¡­¡± The woman hesitated to speak as if she had difficulty expressing her thoughts. ¡°If you¡¯re in any trouble, just let me know. I¡¯ll shoulder the consequences for you. But if you insist on protecting a bad person, then I won¡¯t care about you!¡± Renee was a little angry when she saw how the pitiful woman so quickly shouldered the me when she¡¯d done nothing wrong. It was precisely because of their weakness that the evil had be so rampant. After all, it would ¡°cost¡± nothing to be evil. ¡°No, you¡¯ve misunderstood! I¡¯m not trying to protect a bad person! I just¡­¡± The woman took a deep breath and mustered up her courage before continuing, ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t want you to misunderstand Mr. Q, so I¡¯ll be honest. I¡¯m a single mother, and it¡¯s been hard raising my child all alone. At one point, I couldn¡¯t even afford to eat. I had to work in a nightclub, which was filled with bad hats. I unknowingly got involved with them. ¡°One time, a client tricked me. Mr. Q and Chase saved me. They gave me a job and let me live a normal life. But¡­ I¡¯d developed an addiction. I sometimes spent my money on it and couldn¡¯t make ends meet. Eventually, I lost my mind momentarily and stole a treasure from Carmine Pawnshop, and that was when you bumped into me¡­¡± ¡°I know about that part. Weren¡¯t you punished after that? Did they imprison you because of what happened?¡± Renee was extremely shocked after listening to the woman¡¯s story. ¡°No!¡± the woman denied. ¡°Mr. Q has a soft heart. He said if I was really punished, my son wouldn¡¯t have a mother by now. He gave me a way out. As for the imprisonment¡­ it was at my own request.¡± ¡°You asked for it?¡± Renee was even more surprised. ¡°Yes!¡± the woman nodded rapidly, her eyes red, and said bitterly, ¡°I want to get over my addiction, and this was the only way I could think of. I¡¯ve endured it for many days, and I feel like I only need a little more effort before I can quit for good. ¡°During this time, Mr. Q has been taking care of my son, and I¡¯m very grateful to him. Mr. Q is the best person I¡¯ve ever met! He¡¯s not at all like the rumors say, and I won¡¯t allow anyone to nder him!¡± After that, the woman knelt before Mr. Q and said in a firm voice, ¡°Mr. Q, I can never repay your kindness. If possible, I¡¯m willing to give my life to protect you!¡± Mr. Q looked down at the kneeling woman like a king sitting on a throne, high above everyone else. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to protect me. You just need to take care of yourself and your child.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Q. Rest assured, I won¡¯t disappoint you. I¡¯ll seed this time and won¡¯t ask to be let out again!¡± After bowing to Renee, the woman returned to the small dark room and closed the door behind her. Renee stood rooted to the spot, stunned. She looked at the closed door, lost in thought. She never expected things to turn out this way! Chase sighed with annoyance and frustration before looking at Renee with a somewhat disappointed look, expressing his displeasure. ¡°Miss Everheart, I thought we were friends, especially since the boss cares about you and is so good to your children. He has been cooped up in the kitchen recently to improve his cooking skills just to make delicious food for all of you¡­ ¡°But instead of appreciating him, you thought so poorly of him. Is there any trust between us now?¡± Renee knew she was in the wrong and awkwardly lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I let my thoughts run too far. After all, you don¡¯t have the best of reputations.¡± ¡°You would rather believe in rumors than what you¡¯ve actually seen. When our boss was with you, did you feel he was a bad person? What did he do to harm you? Don¡¯t you think-¡° This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Shut up, Chase!¡± Mr. Q coldly interrupted Chase¡¯s rant. He stood with his hands in his pockets and said tly, ¡°I¡¯m not a good person. There¡¯s no need to praise me and ce me on a pedestal. I only have no ill intentions toward Adie and Abby. I only want them to be happy.¡± The man¡¯s words touched Renee. Besides Margaret and the Osborne siblings, who else was sincerely nice to her two children? Mr. Q¡¯s ¡°love¡± truly touched her. ¡°Mommy, see? I didn¡¯t lie to you. Q really is a good man, so you don¡¯t have to be on guard with him. Try to get along with him, and let him protect and care for you,¡± Aiden said as he held the warm hands of Renee and Mr. Q. Chapter 677 Chapter 677 Chapter 677 ¡® Mommy, Daddy Q has been busy all night. Do you know what he¡¯s doing?¡¯ Abigail asked Renee in a soft and gentle voice. Theers of Renee¡¯s eyes were slightly red, and she asked hoarsely,¡± What was he busy with?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out if youe with us!¡± Abigail said mysteriously. She led Renee to the observation deck on the second floor of the shop. The observation deck was built by the seaside at the junction of the three countries, and the view up there was breathtaking. ¡°Abby, why did you bring me here?¡± Renee asked in confusion as she looked up at the stars in the sky. Abigail smiled mysteriously and asked, ¡°Do you know what day it is, Mommy?¡± ¡°Huh? The day? Uh¡­ the weekend?¡± Renee answered with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s the ninth of August, which is your birthday, silly Mommy!¡± Abigail said sweetly. ¡°Today¡­ is the ninth of August?¡± Renee suddenly realized. Today was her birthday! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Look behind you, Mommy!¡± Renee turned, following Abigail¡¯s finger, seeing Chase pushing a threeyer cake towards her. The beautiful cake had been meticulously crafted in the shape of a little lion, and captivating and romantic sparklers had been lit on it. Mr. Q stood beside her and said indifferently, ¡°The kids told me it was your birthday today, so I called them over to make this cake for you. Those born in August are Leos, so it¡¯s no wonder you have such a fiery temper. If I had arrived anyter, you might have gotten the police called and taken me away to the station.¡± Renee scratched her head, feeling like her face was about to catch fire, not to mention it was as red as a tomato. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so thoughtful.¡± Mr. Q joked somewhat half-heartedly, ¡°Fire signs are known for being silly, and Leos are recognized as the second most stubborn sign. No sign dares to im themselves as the most stubborn one, though.¡± Renee was confused. Could someone tell her why the mighty ¡°Night Demon ¡± was talking to her so seriously about astrology?! As the saying goes, people can¡¯t judge a book by its cover, and the sea can¡¯t be measured. At the same time, dazzling fireworks began to burst into the night sky, illuminating it with the formations of the Leo constetion. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s absolutely stunning! Daddy Q set off these fireworks for Mommy! How romantic!¡± Abigail eximed in a high-pitched voice as she jumped up and down while looking at the brightly lit sky. On the other hand, Aiden acted like a mature adult and simply gave Mr. Q a thumbs up. All in all, it seemed Mr. Q was quite a decent man. He set off fireworks because he knew Renee loved a romantic atmosphere. For this level of insight, Aiden would give him another ten points! ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± Renee¡¯s bright eyes were filled with a radiant glow as the clusters of fireworks reflected in them, completely immersed in the romantic atmosphere. She didn¡¯t notice Mr. Q slowly approaching her before whispering in her ear, ¡°Are you ready to ept my punishment?¡± Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Chapter 678 Renee snapped out of her immersion immediately and turned around to face the man with a guarded look. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Renee asked. ¡°It¡¯s simple!¡± Mr. Q continued whispering in her ear. ¡°Last time, I asked you to let me take Abby as my goddaughter before reiming Sun Ind. Now I want to add on to that¡­¡± ¡°What do you want to add? You can¡¯t possibly want my son as your godson now?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all!¡± Mr. Q grinned and continued whispering, ¡°I want Abby to be my goddaughter, Adie to be my godson, and you¡­ to be mine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡¯ Renee jumped away from him as quickly as a lightning bolt, standing warily as if facing a fierce beast. ¡°I knew it! You¡¯re like the weasel who pretended to pay homage to the chicken so that it could steal food! You only have bad intentions! ¡°I knew you were too good to be true! You made my favorite food, baked a cake with the kids, and even set off fireworks for my birthday¡­ It turns out you were just waiting for this! You¡¯re so greedy, taking advantage of me and my kids like this!¡± Mr. Q stood with his hands in his pockets as Renee ranted, facing her usations with calmness and poise that exuded a majestic aura. He leaned against the observation deck railing as he watched the fireworks blooming in the sky and sneered, ¡°Haha¡­ I don¡¯t have any bad intentions. Miss Everheart, do you think I did all these things, went so far out of my way, and acted in ways that werepletely inconsistent with my reputation just to take advantage of you? What do you think my motives are? What do you think I want?¡± ¡°How the hell would I know?¡¯ Renee shot back. She was obviously perplexed, and she couldn¡¯t guess what the man¡¯s motives were. Was he after her money? But he was way wealthier than her. Was he after her two children? But who would willingly take on the responsibility of a parent like that? Was it¡­ her beauty? But with his status and wealth, he could have any woman he wanted. There was no need for him to pursue a stubborn mule like her. ¡°Is it so unthinkable that I simply want you and your children? That I want to build a family with you, protect you from all the trouble around you, and keep you safe?¡± Mr. Q fixed his gaze on Renee, looking into her eyes with a somewhat serious glint. Renee was stunned momentarily, and the deepest part of her heart was undoubtedly touched. No woman in the world would remain unmoved by such words. Even the strongest woman would hope to have a man that could be their shelter, protecting them from everything and taking care of them for the rest of their lives. Renee¡¯s grandfather had once said that Stefan was the man who could be her shelter and protect her forever. She had believed it but was then burned badly for her belief. Now, hearing such words again, she was moved, but her mind was also clear, which meant she wouldn¡¯t believe them so easily anymore. Renee hugged herself and said wistfully, ¡®Mr. Q, I guess you¡¯ve had a lot of time on your handstely, huh? Have you been watching too many cheesy romantic soap operas, and that¡¯s why you¡¯re saying such cheesy lines?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just consider me as a domineering CEO who wants to act out a cliche story.¡± The man was like a warrior constantly attacking a battlefield, relentlessly trying to break down Renee¡¯s defenses. ¡°Give it a try. Use Sun Ind¡¯s remation as a deadline. It¡¯s also a way to be ountable to those kids. Otherwise, those troublemakers won¡¯t relent so easily and will only end up giving you more headaches.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. They keep insisting on matching me with you. I still don¡¯t know what they see in you,¡± Renee retorted. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Perhaps he simply thinks I fit his image of a perfect father,¡± Mr. Q replied. Chapter 679 Chapter 679 Chapter 679 ¡°Stop being so full of yourself. The way I see it, Adie is interested in you because you and Stefan are enemies. So, the enemy of his enemy is his friend.¡± Renee considered inwardly whether or not to go along with Mr. Q¡¯s proposal and pretend to be a loving couple with him to fulfill the wishes of her two children. If he was a good man, having one more person to love her two children wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. If he were a bad man, however, he would eventually reveal his true colors, and the two children would no longer be fooled. ¡°So, do you want to give it a try?¡± Mr. Q asked, and when he saw the hesitation in the woman, he pushed further and said, ¡°Give me a response. The children are looking at us from afar. If we agree, they will definitely be overjoyed.¡¯ Renee looked towards her children. She saw them standing not too far away, their eyes shining with expectation. Even if Renee had a heart made of steel, she couldn¡¯t bear to disappoint her children. So, she turned to Mr. Q and said, ¡°I agree, but let me make it clear that we¡¯re only pretending to be a couple for the children¡¯s sake. We won¡¯t do anything real couples do. If you try to take advantage of me, I¡¯ll make sure you regret it!¡± ¡°I concur.¡± Mr. Q nodded, but he then reached out to pull Renee into his arms.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey! What are you doing, you pervert? Didn¡¯t we just agree about not taking advantage of me? You¡¯re asking for trouble¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move. The children are watching. We don¡¯t want to disappoint them, right?¡± Indeed, the two kids were staring intently at them as they jumped in excitement. ¡°Adie, it seems like Mommy and Daddy Q are really together now! This is great! We have both a mommy and a daddy from now on! The kids at the kindergarten can¡¯t say that we don¡¯t have a daddy anymore!¡± ¡°Yeah. Q is impressive. Apart from me protecting you and Mommy, we¡¯ll have Q to help protect you too! I¡¯m very pleased. ¡°Now that Mommy and Daddy Q are together, will we get a new sibling?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. But whether we get a new brother or sister in the future, I¡¯ll like them either way! I¡¯ll also protect them like I protect you and Mommy!¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Adie! You¡¯re a superhero! I want to protect our future brother or sister too!¡± The two little ones were thrilled and had already started imagining a future where Renee and Mr. Q would have kids. On the other side, Renee stiffened in the man¡¯s embrace and asked coldly,¡± Are we done hugging? Can we let go now? Isn¡¯t this awkward?¡± She rarely had such close contact with men, especially with a man she didn¡¯t like at all. She felt ufortable all over at the distance between them. ¡°Hold on a little longer,¡± Mr. Q said seriously. ¡°Kids nowadays are smart, Adie and Abby even more so. If we don¡¯t y our roles sincerely, they¡¯ll definitely see through it. They¡¯ll be disappointed if that happens, so¡­ let¡¯s hold each other a little longer. We should also be a little more affectionate so they can feel that our love is real and be truly happy.¡± ¡°Alright, geez. You¡¯re so long-winded! Isn¡¯t it just a hug? Let¡¯s keep hugging. Hug as long as you want.¡± Renee decided to go all out and use her lifelong acting skills to y the role of a loving couple with this man to fulfill her children¡¯s dream of having both parents. Fireworks continued to burst into the night sky, showering the dark with brilliant colors and shapes. It was beautiful as it was heartwarming. Renee couldn¡¯t help but once again be immersed in such a romantic atmosphere. However, there was some regret in her heart. Surely, if Mr. Q were her children¡¯s real father, that would be much better¡­ Chapter 680 Chapter 680 Chapter 680 After returning from Carmine Pawnshop, Aiden and Abigail were visibly happier than ever. The smile on their faces never dropped, and they pulled Renee along as they pestered her to give them new siblings with Mr. Q. ¡°Mommy, when will you and Daddy have your wedding? Can Adie and I be your flower girl? After you hold the wedding, we can live together as a family, then you and Daddy Q can give us siblings¡¯¡± Abigail was already envisioning a wonderful life where Mr. Q lived with them. As the family¡¯s little princess, she had always been carefully sheltered by everyone. Now thinking about having future younger siblings, her little heart had also developed a sense of responsibility and the yearning to protect them. ¡°Yeah! When your rtionship is stable, you should hold a wedding as soon as possible. Then Q can live with us and take care of you. He can make your favorite food, nt the sunflowers you love, share the pressure of your work, and deal with that jerk, Stefan! It¡¯s perfect¡¯¡¯ i Aiden was also meticulously nning for the future. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Oh, you two¡­ Aren¡¯t you thinking a little too ahead?¡± Renee felt like she had gotten on a ride that she couldn¡¯t get off. She had only intended to y a fake loving couple with Mr. Q to keep her children happy, but now it seemed that if the kids found out about the lie or if she broke up with Mr. Q, they would bepletely devastated! ¡°Mommy, do you hear what you¡¯re saying? You and Q are truly in love, so these things will happen naturally. Sooner orter, you have to consider this, so why not think about it now? How far in the future can it be?¡± ¡°Yeah, Mommy. In dramas, when a man and a woman are in love, they marry quickly and have babies. True love never wants to be slow, only fast!¡± The two children took turns to bombard Renee, and she couldn¡¯t even get a proper word in. ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ but reality is not like dramas you watch on TV. Mommy still wants to test this rtionship first. What if we end up not suitable for each other? If we have kids, they might not have a mommy or daddy! That would be sad!¡± The children were convinced by Renee¡¯s words, and they nodded. ¡°Yes, you should go ahead and test all you want. Your marriage will be more solid if that happens. Mommy has already been hurt once by that jerk, so it can¡¯t happen a second time!¡± ¡°Right. Marriage is not a simple matter. It must be done with careful consideration. Don¡¯t rush it, Mommy. Take your time.¡± Renee breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, feeling like she had narrowly escaped this matter. When the three of them returned to the apartment, they found that Margaret had also remembered Renee¡¯s birthday and had bought her a cake and prepared a gift. ¡°Miss Ren, you¡¯re back. Did you have fun?¡± The older woman knew that Renee and the two children had gone to Mr. Q¡¯s house and had prayed silently in her heart that there would be sparks between Renee and Mr. Q. ¡°It was okay. They celebrated my birthday. The cake and fireworks were beautiful,¡± Renee said, downying the entire event. ¡°Margaret, Mommy, and Daddy Q will get married real soon. Adie and I are so happy that we¡¯ll have a real daddy!¡± Abigail was innocent and ted, and she hugged Margaret and twirled around happily after saying that. ¡°Really?!¡± Margaret was obviously also overjoyed, and she was smiling from ear to ear. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sure of it! Abby and I handpicked Q for Mommy, so it¡¯s absolutely reliable. Mommy even hugged him tonight, so I guess it won¡¯t be long before they get married.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Thank God that Miss Ren has finally found the right person for her!¡± Margaret said joyfully as she sped her hand together. She was so excited that her words became incoherent as her eyes reddened. ¡°Master, Sir, Ma¡¯am¡­ Did you hearthat? Miss Ren is about to start a fresh rtionship, so you can rest assured¡­¡± Chapter 681 Chapter 681 Chapter 681 ¡®Well¡­¡± Renee tried to confess several times, but seeing how happy everyone was, she couldn¡¯t bear to kill their joy, so she ended up staying quiet. Amidst the joyful mood, Abby¡¯s cute round face suddenly paled. A pained expression crept onto her face. ¡°Aah! It hurts, Mommy! It hurts so bad!¡± The little girl grabbed her chest. She was having difficulty breathing. Everyone immediately became alert. ¡°Margaret, the inhaler! Hurry up and grab the inhaler!¡± Renee hugged Abby while rubbing her chest andforting her, ¡°Abby, don¡¯t panic. Breathe slowly. Inhale, exhale, inhale¡­ The inhaler will be here soon.¡± Margaret quickly handed Renee the inhaler. ¡°Here you go, Miss Ren!¡± Renee took the inhaler from Margaret, put it to Abby¡¯s mouth with practiced familiarity and started pressing it. Abby¡¯s breathing slowly returned to normal. Her cheeks, which had gone pale, gradually regained color. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m sorry for scaring you. I was too happy today, so I forgot to take the medication. It¡¯s my bad.¡± The little girl¡¯s pitiful appearance made Renee¡¯s chest tighten. ¡®You silly girl, it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s Mommy¡¯s fault for not reminding you. I¡¯m sorry you had to go through that.¡± Renee kissed the little girl¡¯s forehead. She felt terrible. When Abby and Adie were born, Abby only weighed half as much as Adie did. She had not developed well in the womb, and that was especially true for her lungs. As a result, she suffered from asthma from an early age. Patients of this illness had strict requirements for their living environment. They needed fresh air that had no pollution and no impurities. Even a slight amount of dust in the air could make the illness act up. If the asthma attack was not dealt with in a timely manner, it could be life-threatening. Abby grew up on Sun Ind, so she was like a nt that grew in a greenhouse. The air on sun ind was perfect for her condition, be it in purity or humidity. Over the years, Margaret had been researching various remedies, hoping to find a cure for Abby. But her herbs required extremely high air quality to grow. Their apartment was located in the city center. It was obviously not a suitable ce for them to stay long-term. It had even made Abby¡¯s illness worse. ¡°Miss Ren, we can¡¯t put this off any longer. Either I bring Abby back to Sun Ind until I cure her illness, or we move to a ce with a better environment. Otherwise, this will just happen again.¡± Margaret said with a worried look. ¡°I know. We should have moved long ago.¡± Renee took a deep breath and said, ¡°Abby can¡¯t live without me, and I can¡¯t live without Abby either, so I won¡¯t leave her alone in a foreignnd. Besides, Sun Ind is already¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She did not finish her sentence. From a legal perspective, Sun Ind no longer belonged to her. ¡®We don¡¯t necessarily have to go back. There are two ces in Beach City that can match Sun Ind¡¯s air quality. One is the old Everheart Residence, and the other is the Hunt Vi. Whichever it is, we must move there as soon as possible.¡± Margaret had looked into this matter. The Everheart Residence and the Hunt Vi were both located in areas that housed the wealthiest and most powerful people in Beach City. The air quality in those areas was naturally very good. ¡°But the area the Everheart Residence is in has been expropriated. Apparently, a sewage treatment nt will be built there. Why would anyone waste such a good piece of land?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes turned cold and sharp. She told Margaret, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Margaret. I¡¯ll handle it. I¡¯ll take them all back ¨C the Everheart Residence AND the Hunt Vi!¡± Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Chapter 682 Early the next morning, Renee picked up the necessary documents and met up with her assistant, Shelley Sandberg, at a subway station. ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯m here!¡± After Shelley walked out of the subway entrance, she pushed her ck framed sses up her nose, jogged over to Renee¡¯s car and climbed in. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯m so happy to see that you¡¯re okay. You have no idea how worried we are for you. We¡¯re afraid that you might have left us!¡± Shelley looked at Renee with sparkly eyes like she was looking at her idol as she spoke excitedly. Ever since Renee was sexually assaulted, she had never shown herself, so Shelley and the other employees in thepany were all worried about her. They all wondered what was going on with her. Shelley had kept her mouth shut. She did not tell anyone about what happened to Renee for the sake of Renee¡¯s reputation. Renee gave Shelley a little smile and joked, ¡® Why? Are you afraid that I might run away without paying your sry?¡± ¡®That¡¯s not it. All the employees that remained are loyal to you. Even if you don¡¯t pay us, we¡¯re willing to help you forge your business empire. We¡¯re simply worried that something bad might have happened to you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± ¡®Thank goodness¡­¡± Shelley hesitated. She seemed like she had something to say, but she ended up not say anything. Renee nced at Shelley, puzzled by her strange behavior. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it. You know I like people who speak their mind.¡± Renee looked a bit displeased as she tried to pressure Shelley to speak up. Shelley thus took a deep breath and said, ¡°I actually wanted to ask what happened between you and Mr. Hunt afterwards.¡± ¡°He seemed really worried about you that day. He didn¡¯t seem as cold and ruthless as the rumors say. He was also the one who insisted on returning to save you, otherwise¡­ things would have been really bad.¡± This was actually a private matter between the bosses, so as a lowly employee, it was not her ce to gossip. But due to her position, she witnessed the whole thing between them! She¡¯s itching to get some information out of Renee! ¡°Stefan Hunt? Save me?¡± Renee was bewildered. After drinking the rapist¡¯s spiked drink, she had no memory of being brought to the underground parking lot, so she naturally did not know that it was Stefan who saved her. ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t you remember? That night, after you suddenly disappeared from the elevator, we looked long and hard for you but to no avail, so the police suggested that we go back to the police station to lodge a report first and wait for them to investigate further. However, along the way, Mr. Hunt suddenly asked the driver to turn back, saying that you¡¯re still in the parking lot!¡± ¡°And then?¡± Renee could not help asking. She seemed a bit surprised. ¡°And then Mr. Hunt found you in a deep basement in the underground parking lot. The police caught the rapist and thus solved a serial drug rape case which asionally involved murder. Anyway¡­ if it weren¡¯t for Mr. Hunt, it would have been really bad for you!¡± The memories of that night still gave Shelley shivers. ¡°Who could have thought that a frail and well-mannered programmer like that would have such a dark and twisted mind. Hemitted dozens of crimes in that building without being discovered. If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Hunt¡¯s quick wit, who knows how many more innocent women would have fallen prey to him!¡± ¡®That¡­ happened?¡± After listening to Shelley¡¯s story, Renee¡¯s emotions wereplicated. Chapter 683 Chapter 683 Chapter 683 She did not expect to be saved by Stefan, the guy she detested, once again. ¡°I heard when the rapist was caught, he had already been beaten to a pulp with multiple broken bones in his body. Later on, when he was in the detention center, he cut off his own dick. Honestly, I definitely don¡¯t think he castrated himself; I think Mr. Hunt hired someone to do it. After all, the rapist actually tried toy a hand on Mr. Hunt¡¯s woman. He got off easy with just a castration!¡± Shelley¡¯s admiration for Stefan was obvious. She asked again, ¡°Miss Everheart, were you moved by Mr. Hunt¡¯s actions? Have you been busy rekindling your rtionship with him these days?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Renee denied it vehemently. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him at all in thest few days. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with him anymore.¡± ¡®You don¡¯t, but Mr. Hunt definitely does. We could all tell that he has special feelings for you.¡± ¡®That¡¯s his business. It has nothing to do with me.¡± Renee put aside her chaotic thoughts. She refused to let her mood be affected by people who were not worth it. She asked Shelley with a serious expression, ¡¯Have you read all the documents I gave you?¡± ¡®Yes, Miss Everheart.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know what our task today is?¡± ¡°I do!¡± Shelley answered confidently, ¡°To take back the Everheart Residence from Rubio Pascal!¡± Renee said coldly, ¡¯Rubio Pascal is a man in his forties. Using the Pascal family¡¯s influence in Beach City, he bribed the Urban nning Department to turn the high-end residential area where the Everheart Residence is into a sewage and waste treatment nt! He¡¯s crazy!¡± ¡®Yeah, everyone in Beach City knows that residential area is one of the best living spaces in Beach City. The air quality there is so good that it made it onto national TV once as an example for other cities to learn from. The people in the Urban nning Department must be out of their minds! How can they pollute such a good plot ofnd?¡± Shelley spoke with righteous indignation. She viewed that residential area as a paradise. She could not ept such a beautiful ce being destroyed for a bit of profit. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Everheart. Today, we¡¯ll make sure Rubio Pascal knows that we¡¯re not to be taken lightly!¡± Shelley was prepared for war. Renee asked, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the deal with that Rubio Pascal guy?¡± ¡°I know that the Pascal family is one of the eight major families of Beach City. Rubio Pascal himself is known as a huge pervert. I heard he likes to torture underage girls to absorb their youth and vitality for himself!¡± Anyone who paid attention to Beach City¡¯s high society had heard of those rumors. ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared, then?¡± ¡°I am, but as your subordinate, no matter how scared I am, I have to be brave! Besides¡­ I¡¯m over 18, so that pervert wouldn¡¯t be interested in me. You¡¯re also much more beautiful than me, so I have no reason to be afraid.¡± ¡°Haha, what a brave girl. As expected of the assistant I hand-picked. I believe in you.¡± Renee had already discussed with Shelley the n to deal with Rubio Pascal. After more than an hour¡¯s drive, they finally arrived at the Pascal Manor. The manor was located far from the city center. It was grand and magnificent, like a beautiful castle, but for many women, it was the devil¡¯s den that struck fear into their hearts¡­ Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Chapter 684 Their car was stopped at the front gate by a muscr security guard. ¡°Who are you? What business do you have here?¡± Renee slowly rolled down the car window. Her bright eyes as alluring as a fox¡¯s, she said seductively, ¡°Hi, we have an appointment with Mr. Pascal. Can you let us in?¡± When the security guard¡¯s eyes met with Renee¡¯s, his body went numb like he had been electrocuted. He shook his head to try and snap himself out of it, then asked, ¡°Does Mr. Pascal have an appointment today? Why wasn¡¯t I notified?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but Mr. Pascal did ask us toe here. Do I look like I¡¯m lying?¡± ¡®Well¡­¡± The security guard checked out Renee¡¯s beautiful face and perfect figure and went numb again, almost getting a nosebleed. She was indeed the kind of stunningly beautiful ¡°delicacy¡± that Mr. Pascal would regrly ¡°order¡±! ¡°If you won¡¯t let us in, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. We¡¯ll leave right away.¡± Renee sighed with regret and pretended to turn the car around. ¡°Wait, wait, it¡¯s my bad. For a beautiful woman like you, even if you don¡¯t have an appointment, I should let you in¡­ This way, please.¡± At themand of the security guard, the metal gate slid open. Renee drove in calmly. She had sessfully infiltrated the manor. ¡°Phew! That gave me a real scare!¡± Shelley had been holding herself still in the passenger seat the whole time. She did not even dare to breathe too heavily. Now that they had made it in, she was so relieved that she seemed to have regained life. Her admiration for Renee grew even more. ¡°Miss Everheart, that was amazing! The Pascal Manor is known to have really tight security, but you easily infiltrated it!¡± ¡®Tsk tsk, your face is like a multi-purpose pass. You can go anywhere you want with it. You¡¯re my beacon of light from now on; I¡¯ll follow you to the death!¡± Renee parked the car in Pascal Manor¡¯s garage with familiar ease. Her expression turned serious, which interrupted Shelley¡¯s incessant praises. Renee said, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Do you remember the n?¡± ¡®Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Shelley clenched her fists and assumed abat posture. ¡°Later on, while you and Mr. Pascal are negotiating, I¡¯ll look for evidence of his illegal activities. With our powersbined, we¡¯re unstoppable!¡± ¡°Be very careful. This isn¡¯t a game. A tiny bit of mistake can result in dire consequences¡­¡± Seeing the girl¡¯s optimistic and cheerful attitude, Renee suddenly regretted dragging her into this. Rubio Pascal was a notorious pervert and was a difficult person to deal with. If Shelley fell into his hands, her life would be over. ¡°Forget it. You should just go back. I¡¯ll handle this myself. Remember, if I don¡¯t return to thepany in three hours, call the police.¡± Renee ultimately decided to do this alone and not let Shelley take the risk with her. But Shelley was determined. ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯m not as weak as you think I am. I¡¯m very clever. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll see what happens and act ordingly.¡± ¡°Alright, enough talking. Let¡¯s get down to business!¡± Shelley went to look for evidence before Renee could stop her. Renee could only proceed ording to n. She learned from the butler that Rubio Pascal was currently taking a swim. She thus went alone to the Pascal Manor¡¯s swimming pool. Shelley cautiously sneaked around the Pascal Manor, hoping to find evidence of Rubio¡¯s wrongdoings. Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Chapter 685 Unfortunately, their n was too optimistic. Rubio Pascal hid the evidence well. On the surface, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the Pascal Manor at all. Even after an extended search, Shelley found nothing. Three hours had already gone by. It was time for her to meet up with Renee. She arrived at the rendezvous point they had agreed upon, but even after waiting for a long time, Renee was still nowhere to be seen. ¡°Oh, no! Did something happen to her?¡¯ Shelley called Renee. The call was not answered. ¡°Do I really have to call the police?¡± Shelley hesitated. In the end, she decided not to call the police, but instead sought help from Stefan. ¡°Mr. Hunt, are you busy? Can youe to the Pascal Manor immediately? Miss Everheart is in danger!¡± She believed that Stefan¡¯s presence definitely carried more weight than the police¡¯s. If Rubio Pascal really was doing something bad to Renee, upon hearing Stefan¡¯s name, he would definitely be so scared that would not dare to do anything. Stefan remained quiet for two seconds. After that, his reply was cold but firm. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Not long after, Stefan arrived at the Pascal Manor with dozens of people behind him. Alfred, the manor¡¯s butler and Rubio Pascal¡¯s subordinate, walked out arrogantly and said, ¡°Greetings, Mr. Hunt. To what do we owe the honor of your presence?¡± Stefan cut straight to the chase and demanded icily, ¡°Hand her over!¡± Alfred pretended to be confused. With a smile that did not reach his eyes, he asked, ¡°Who could you possibly be talking about, Mr. Hunt? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Renee Everheart, my ex-wife. You¡¯d better tell Rubio Pascal that if he dares to touch even a strand of her hair, I¡¯ll take down the entire Pascal family.¡± Stefan said that without any expression so it sounded emotionless, but in truth, his words gave off a chilling sense of oppression. Unfortunately, Alfred had dealt with a lot of big shots before. He had done a lot of shady things with Rubio Pascal so he was not that easily intimidated. ¡°Mr. Hunt, to be honest with you, a woman called Ms. Everheart dide to look for Mr. Pascal this morning. She said she wanted to make friends with him. Mr. Pascal loves making friends, so they hit it off right away and have moved on to Mr. Pascal¡¯s bedroom to get to know each other¡­ I¡¯m afraid you came at a bad time. There¡¯s no way we can interrupt them at such a time.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Shelley could not stand Alfred¡¯s shameless lies anymore. She rushed forward angrily to confront him. ¡°Ms. Renee wouldn¡¯t sleep with someone so easily! You must have threatened her! Hand her over if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Alfred scoffed and said, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. The entire Beach City knows Mr. Pascal has a special hobby. She came to us herself. Of course Mr. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Pascal is going to ept her willingly. There¡¯s no threat involved.¡± ¡®You¡­!¡± Shelley could find no words to refute. She now realized that their n was way too naive. They failed to consider the consequences. If news of this were to spread, not only would no one take their side, people might even say that they ¡°deserved¡± it. ¡°Mr. Hunt, what should we do? I¡¯m sure Ms. Everheart is in their hands. Rubio Pascal is a pervert! She¡­¡± Stefan ignored Shelley and instead turned to the well-armed subordinates behind him. ¡°What are you waiting for? Rush inside and bring her out!¡± Dealing with the Pascal family required tough measures. Words were meaningless. ¡®Yes, Mr. Hunt!¡± The armed group got ready to charge the Pascal Manor. At that moment, Renee and Rubio Pascal walked out side by side, talking andughing with each other. Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Chapter 686 Renee noticed Stefan right away. Her smile immediately disappeared, reced by a frosty chill. She said sarcastically, ¡® Wow, fancy seeing you here, Mr. Hunt. Why aren¡¯t you keeping your ¡°bro¡± company? She hurt her foot and needs your¡± brotherly love¡±.¡± Stefan frowned and ignored Renee. Instead, he looked at Rubio Pascal and asked in an icy voice, ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Rubio Pascal was a man in his forties who had a shrewd face. He gave Stefan a smile that did not reach his eyes and said with an ambiguous expression, ¡¯¡¯Miss Everheart and I had a very pleasant time. We spent more than three hours together, just the two of us, and we¡¯ve grown very close. As for what happened between us, I think it¡¯s Miss Everheart¡¯s decision whether to tell you or not.¡± ¡°Anyway, for me personally, I¡¯ll treat it as a little secret between Miss Everheart and 1.1 will asionally think back on it with much fondness.¡± Hearing that, Renee lowered her head and blushed shyly. ¡°Mr. Pascal, I get embarrassed easily. If you¡¯re too embarrassed to say it, then it¡¯s even more the case for me. Why don¡¯t we make a promise with each other? We¡¯ll keep what happened this afternoon a secret. Whoever leaks the secret gets on Santa¡¯s naughty list!¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s fine with me. It¡¯s your decision.¡± Rubio Pascal gave Stefan a meaningful look. He then hugged Renee affectionately and said, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it for today. Next time youe, let¡¯s have some fun again.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Then, about thend where the Everheart Residence is¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me. I promise I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Rubio Pascal waved goodbye to Renee and walked back into the Pascal Manor. Stefan, Shelley, and the group of armed burly men remained rooted to the spot with confused expressions. ¡°Ms. Everheart, you scared the hell out of me. I called you earlier, but you didn¡¯t answer. I thought that Pascal guy must have done something bad to you. I was afraid that the police wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it, so I called Mr. Hunt for help!¡± Shelley was both excited and relieved. ¡°I was worried that Mr. Hunt wouldn¡¯te, but not only did he come, he came really quickly and brought a lot of people with him. That means he really cares about you and you¡¯re very important to him!¡± Stefan said icily, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that far. I was just afraid that the Hunt family would be disgraced because I know what kind of man Rubio Pascal is.¡± At first, Renee felt a little grateful towards Stefan, but his words irritated her so much that the gratitude instantly evaporated. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re funny, Mr. Hunt. Pray tell, what kind of man is Mr. Pascal? And how did I disgrace the Hunt family?¡± Stefan¡¯s dagger-like eyes looked Renee up and down. He said emotionlessly, ¡°You know what kind of man he is, and you know very well how you disgraced the Hunt family.¡± Renee became even angrier. She retorted coldly, ¡°Sorry, I have no idea what kind of man Mr. Pascal is. After all, I only spent three hours with him, which I don¡¯t think is enough to tell a person¡¯s character. I feel like he¡¯s a pretty straightforward guy. At least he doesn¡¯t pretend to be a good guy like a hypocrite.¡± ¡°As for disgracing the Hunt family¡­¡± Reneeughed with contempt. ¡°I have had nothing to do with you for a long time, let alone the Hunt family. I¡¯m a free and independent woman, and I can make friends with anyone I want. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡®You¡­!¡± Renee¡¯s stubborn attitude and sharp words angered Stefan, but he had no right to refute her. That¡¯s right, no matter how bad Rubio Pascal¡¯s reputation in Beach City was, and no matter how terrible the fate of the women who approached Rubio Pascal was ording to the rumors, Stefan had no right to stop Renee from getting involved with him. The two of them stared each other down. The tension in the air was unbelievably strong. Shelley mustered up the courage to raise her hand and say, ¡°Can I say something?¡± Renee nodded and said, You can say whatever you want to say.¡± ¡°I think, no matter what Mr. Hunt¡¯s motive was, it¡¯s a fact that he came to save you immediately. Besides, he also rescued you from that rapist a few days ago. So, I think¡­¡± Shelley paused and took a peek at Renee, then said weakly, ¡°I think you should buy Mr. Hunt dinner to express your gratitude.¡± Before Renee could say anything, Stefan already said, ¡°I happen to be hungry right now. I know a ce in the city that serves good steak.¡± Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Chapter 687 Then, he turned around and walked away just like that! ¡°? ? ?¡± Renee¡¯s mind was filled with question marks. That guy was so shameless. Shouldn¡¯t he ask for her opinion first? Stefan walked back to his sports car. Before getting in, he stopped, turned around and asked Shelley, ¡°Can you drive?¡± ¡°Of course. What do you want me to do, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡®Take her car back.¡± After giving Shelley themand, Stefan turned to Renee and said, ¡°We¡¯ll go in my car.¡± ¡®Yes, Mr. Hunt. What a reasonable arrangement. I wish you two a pleasant meal!¡± Shelley could read the mood. She quickly drove away in Renee¡¯s car while Renee stared at her speechlessly. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Get in.¡± Stefan was very satisfied with Shelley¡¯s cleverness. With a hint of a smile on his lips, he called out to Renee, who was frozen in ce. Renee was seething. She started to suspect that the assistant she had carefully selected might have been a spy Stefan nted near her. ¡°If you don¡¯t get in, I¡¯ll drive away without you.¡± Stefan was already sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, getting ready to start the car. After hesitating for a few seconds, Renee finally sumbed to reality. After all, the Pascal Manor was located in the hills far from the city center, so it would be very difficult to get a Uber ride here. She should not make things hard for herself out of pride. Stefan looked straight ahead as he drove away from the Pascal Manor. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to thank me?¡± After taking a nce at the icy Renee, he suddenly broke the silence. ¡®Thank you? For what?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you would have be another one of Rubio Pascal¡¯s victims. That means I saved you once again.¡± Stefan raised his chin and said proudly. ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee burst out inughter. She could not help it. ¡°You sure know how to toot your own horn. Mr. Pascal and I got along really well. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have achieved my goal by now. You should be grateful I didn¡¯t yell at you for ruining my n.¡± ¡°Heh, you got along really well?¡± The look on Stefan¡¯s face was terrible. ¡°Do you really not know what Rubio Pascal¡¯s fetish is?¡± Renee was unperturbed. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors before. I think they¡¯re just baseless rumors that the other major families spread because of thepetition between the families. When you faked your death, there were rumors that said you died of AIDS too. These things cant be trusted!¡± ¡°How brave of you. But let me tell you, Rubio Pascal is even crazier than what the rumors say. If I hadn¡¯te today, you would have been in real trouble!¡± ¡°How so? Tell me how crazy he is!¡± Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Chapter 688 Renee felt that, sometimes, Stefan was pretty crazy himself, and he¡¯s someone who had seen a lot of stuff. If even he thought that Rubio Pascal was crazy, then Rubio Pascal must be really, really crazy. Her understanding of Rubio Pascal may not have beenprehensive enough. She may have heard only a small part of the rumors. Stefan snorted and said, ¡°Do you know why Rubio Pascal is already 48 years old but still looks so young and healthy?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s just born with good genes. Maybe he works out a lot. You can¡¯t use him of being crazy just because he looks young. You young people from prestigious families get jealous so easily¡­¡± ¡®You know nothing!¡± Stefan was so angry at Renee¡¯s usation that he decided not to be subtle anymore. He told her bluntly, ¡°It¡¯s because he likes to take nourishment from girls under 18 years old to absorb their vitality!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that rumor¡­¡± Renee flipped her hair and replied calmly, ¡°All men have desires. Some like lolis and some like older women. Considering Rubio Pascal¡¯s status, he can get any woman he wants, no matter how young or beautiful¡­¡± ¡°Once a person obtains power, their desires will be greatly amplified. That¡¯s why the wealthier someone is, the more perverted they are. Who knows, maybe you and your friends are even more perverted than Mr. Pascal in private.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Stefan scowled and looked at Renee with disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t consume that kind of stuff from teenage girls. Don¡¯t group me together with that pervert!¡± Renee was intrigued by what Stefan said. Her eyes lit up as she gossiped,¡± What kind of stuff?¡± ¡°Hmph! You want to know?¡± Stefan let out a cold snort before his lips curled into a meaningful grin.¡± Have you ever heard of the Japanese Golden Meal¡­?¡± ¡®The Japanese Golden Meal? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. You can look it up on the inte. After that, if you still get along well with him, then I have nothing to say.¡± After saying those mysterious words, Stefan looked ahead and focused on driving. ¡®What the hell? Why so secretive? Fine, I¡¯ll look it up myself!¡± Renee red at Stefan, then took out her phone and checked. After reading about the ¡°Golden Meal¡± on the inte and seeing the apanying pictures, her stomach churned and she felt like throwing up. ¡°Eww, that¡¯s so disgusting. That¡¯s awful!¡± Renee covered her mouth and tried to forget what she saw lest she threw up right there and then. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. It must be a vile rumor spread by hispetitors like you.¡± ¡°Tut-tut, how mentally unhinged do you have to be to spread such a vile rumor?¡± Renee could not convince herself that Rubio Pascal, who seemed to have excellent taste, would have such a disgusting fetish. ¡°Mr. Pascal is filthy rich. I would believe you if you say he¡¯s a horny man, but if you say he cant afford to eat or that he has never tasted good food before, I would never believe it!¡± ¡°He can have any delicious food in the world that he wants. How could he possibly eat a girl¡¯s¡­¡± Not only did she not believe that Rubio Pascal would eat that kind of thing, merely talking about it disgusted her! ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered convincing you. Believe what you want.¡± With one hand on the steering wheel, Stefan said with a weird smile, ¡°But let me remind you, someone of your appearance happens to be his favorite type. If you be his target, he might keep you fed first, then make you his food supply!¡± ¡°S-Shut up!¡± Renee did not want to imagine that scene. A chill ran down her spine. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Stefan was not as cold and aloof as he usually was. Like an immature elementary school kid, he continued to tease Renee. ¡°I heard that the purity of the ingredient is of great importance for the Golden Meal, so the ingredient suppliers have to follow strict requirements. They have to go through a preparation period of at least three months. During those three months, the suppliers can only drink specially-prepared high-purity water, eat vegetables that are not cooked with any oil or seasoning, and¡­¡± ¡°Aaaah, you¡¯re so annoying! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Chapter 689 Renee could not stop Stefan from talking nonsense, so she could only cover her ears with both hands. The scenery outside the car gradually changed from a beautiful suburban environment to a bustling city center. They eventually arrived at a Western restaurant. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Stefan said without any gentlemanly manner. Renee sulked in the passenger seat and refused to get out of the car. To be precise, she did not want to dine with Stefan. ¡®There¡¯s a huge rift between us and we dislike each other, but now we have to eat at the same table? Doesn¡¯t he feel awkward?¡¯ After taking a few steps, Stefan realized that Renee had not gotten off the car, so he returned to the car and looked down at her with a slightly puzzled expression. ¡°Why are you still in the car? It¡¯s already so late. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± Renee continued to sulk, hoping that the man could read the mood. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not hungry?¡± Stefan was amused. It was already 8 pm, so it was long past dinnertime. How could someone who ate three cupcakes in one bite like her not be hungry? ¡®That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not hungry, so let¡¯s forget about dinner. Thank you foring to save me. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After saying those lies, Renee unfastened her seat belt and got out of the car, ready to part ways with him. ¡°But I¡¯m hungry.¡± Stefan said expressionlessly, ¡°If you really want to thank me, then keep mepany.¡± Renee:¡±¡­.. ¡° She had never seen such a shameless person. And so, Renee was left without a choice. She was dragged to the restaurant by Stefan. Because it was a very high-ss restaurant, there were only a few customers. Judging from their attire, they were either wealthy people or people of high statuses. They picked a table by the window that had flowers and candles on it. There was also a violin ensemble in the restaurant. The beautiful music they performed created a grand and romantic atmosphere in the restaurant. ¡°May I take your order?¡± A waiter handed each of them a thick set of menu. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Stefan lowered his head and pointed at several ssic dishes at the top of the menu, then handed it back to the waiter and said, ¡°Just one set, please.¡± Renee was just about to order. Stefan¡¯s words caught her by surprise. The waiter was a bit surprised too. He confirmed, ¡°Only one set? What about thedy?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t want any because she¡¯s not hungry.¡± Stefan lifted his eyes and asked with a grin, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Renee was so hungry that she could eat a cow, but if she admitted it now, it would be very embarrassing, so she could only grit her teeth and say, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. I have a small appetite anyway.¡± After saying that, she could not help but swallow her saliva. ¡°I see¡­ Just a moment, please. Your food will be here shortly.¡± The waiter did not pursue the matter. He left with the menu. At the same time, Renee¡¯s stomach growled in protest. Chapter 690 Chapter 690 Chapter 690 *Ahem, ahem* Renee cleared her throat a few times and tried to cover up her embarrassment by drinking water. Stefan pretended not to hear anything. He elegantly spread a napkin on his legs, then wiped his hands with a hot towel. His movements were dignified and elegant. The waiter soon brought some exquisite dishes to their table, including braised beef in red sauce, braised cold shrimp with lime, caviar, prime sirloin steak, and a fruit sd. Renee¡¯s eyes were glued to the delicious food on the table. Not only did her stomach growl even harder, she also could not help swallowing her saliva again. Stefan wordlessly carved a piece of steak and put it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly and then showed a regretful expression. ¡°I consider myself a picky eater, but the quality of the steak here is really something else. Too bad you¡¯re not hungry, or you could have tried it.¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Renee tried to shift her gaze to the outside of the window. She raised her chin high and said disdainfully, ¡¯It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t like Western food anyway.¡± Hmph, although she was a glutton, she¡¯s a glutton with principles and a bottom line. She would not be tempted! Stefan continued to cut off another piece of steak andmented with satisfaction, ¡°Mmh, today¡¯s steak is cooked to perfection. I wanted it medium rare, and it was just right. It¡¯s charred on the outside and tender on the inside, which tightens the texture of the beef tenderloin¡­ Would you like a taste?¡± He stabbed the piece of steak he had just cut with his fork and brought it close to Renee¡¯s mouth. The mellow aroma of delicious food drifted into Renee¡¯s nose, melting away Renee¡¯s determination! As she was about to give up her bottom line and principles by opening her mouth to taste the steak, Stefan childishly retracted his hand and ate the steak himself. He shook his head and sighed, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot that you¡¯re not hungry.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­. ¡° How did she never realize before how childish this guy was? Was teasing her that fun?! ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something more serious¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned serious. He looked up at Renee with a cold and forceful gaze. ¡°Why did you and your assistant try to provoke a dangerous person like Rubio Pascal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t owe you an exnation.¡± Renee¡¯s face was frosty. She did not want to tell him too much. ¡°Do you need a favor from him or does he have dirt on you?¡± Stefan ignored her indifference and kept asking. He did not notice that the concern he showed her had gone beyond the proper level. Renee snorted, her eyes filled with contempt. ¡°Stefan Hunt, are you a middle-age woman from the neighborhoodmittee? You¡¯re sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong. Why couldn¡¯t I have approached Mr. Pascal because I admired him? Why are you so adamant that I was forced? Is it because you would feel better if I were?¡± ¡°Hah. What do you admire about him? His preference in young girls or his unique taste in food?¡± The steak in Stefan¡¯s mouth suddenly felt a lot less tasty. He unhappily took a sip of red wine to wash it down and said, rather impolitely, ¡°Or do you want to be the supplier of his Golden Meal?¡± ¡®You bastard!¡± Renee was immediately enraged. She stood up, pointed at him and warned, ¡°If you say that kind of bullshit again, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡± ¡°Getting angry to mask your shame. Looks like I hit the nail on the head¡­¡± Before Stefan could finish, Renee picked up her ss and sshed Stefan¡¯s face with wine without any hesitation. Time seemed to have stopped in the restaurant. The few guests there, as well as the waiters, all stared at them. Chapter 691 Chapter 691 The red liquid ran along Stefan¡¯s hair and dripped down to his cheeks. Although he was in a mess, he still exuded a regal air. ¡°Stef!¡± A woman¡¯s voice came from behind them. Seraphina Murphy was holding onto the hand of her best friend, Lina Hepburn, while staring at Stefan incredulously. After confirming that it really was him, she dashed over to Stefan withrge, udylike steps and wiped the wine from his head with a napkin. ¡°My silly brother! What is going on? Why would someone as respectable as you let her ssh wine on you in public? Look at you, your hair and clothes are all wet. Oh, it pains me to see you like this!¡± As she wiped, she mumbled about how angry and upset she was, then turned angrily and admonished Renee, ¡°Renee, you¡¯re in the wrong here. We¡¯re all civilized people so there¡¯s no reason to act like this. Sshing wine on my lil¡¯ bro¡¯s face is like sshing wine on my face. Even if he wouldn¡¯t pursue the matter, I would¡­¡± Seraphina disliked Renee. When she had to act friendly and nonchnt around Renee before this, it really irritated her. Today, she finally found an opportunity to upy the moral high ground and teach Renee a lesson. Renee¡¯s expression was calm. She chuckled softly, ¡°The fault lies with the person who started it. Why don¡¯t you ask your lil¡¯ bro what kind of disgusting stuff he said to me.¡± ¡°Stefan has always been a straightforward man, so sometimes his words can be a bit sharp. You two were married for many years, so how can you not know this? Was it really necessary to take what he said to heart? It seems to me like you¡¯re the one who¡¯s being too narrow-minded and ruthless!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I am ruthless. I just don¡¯t like him. What can you do?¡± Renee crossed her arms and did not show Seraphina Murphy any respect. To be precise, she was impregnable now, so she did not have to show anyone any respect. ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant! I have no idea why the Hunt family would let an uncivilized woman like you marry Stef in the first ce!¡± Seraphina Murphy took the opportunity to belittle Renee. ¡°No wonder you failed to win over Stef¡¯s heart even after four years of marriage. You¡¯re not the type that Stef likes at all. He likes dignified, cultured and gentle women. You don¡¯t fit those criteria in the slightest!¡± ¡°You¡¯re rude to Stef first, so don¡¯t me me for teaching you a lesson on his behalf!¡± After saying that, Seraphina grabbed a decanter and tried to ssh the red wine inside on Renee¡¯s face. ¡°Leave her alone!¡± Stefan, who had remained silent all this time, reached out and grabbed Seraphina¡¯s wrist. He said coldly, ¡°What happened this evening is my fault. If she likes to hang out with snakes and rodents, who am I to object? I shouldn¡¯t have interfered.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seraphina did not want to let Renee off so easily. She yelled, ¡°Why are you protecting her even after what she did to you? This is the only thing I dislike about you ¨C you¡¯re too soft-hearted. I¡¯m the only one who cares about you!¡± Renee almost threw up. She could not stand it anymore. She said to the waiter, ¡°Check, please.¡± Then, she turned to Stefan and Seraphina and said, ¡°You two take your time. It¡¯s my treat. I have some business to take care of, so see ya!¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna leave just like that? You haven¡¯t apologized to Stef for sshing wine on him yet!¡± Seraphina Murphy refused to let the matter rest. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Stefan sat back down expressionlessly and went back to his meal as if nothing happened. He said in a cold, arrogant voice, ¡°Since it¡¯s Miss Everheart¡¯s treat, let¡¯s not waste her generosity. Sit down and enjoy the meal with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee paused for a moment, then left coldly without saying another word. Chapter 692 Chapter 692 ¡°Aah! I¡¯m so mad! I¡¯m so mad! Stefan Hunt, you bastard! I hope you choke on that steak!¡± After Renee left the restaurant, she finally couldn¡¯t maintain her dignified demeanor anymore. She started cursing Stefan out. She never knew that he could be this shameless. After making her so mad that she almost had a stroke, he actually had the gall to sit back down and enjoy the food she paid for with Seraphina Murphy, who kept finding faults with her. What did he take her for? His credit card?! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Renee hated how easily she let him affect her emotions even after all these years and even though she had maintained a clear mind¡­ It made her feel useless and powerless. Stefan Hunt was the bane of her existence. Nothing good happened whenever she ran into him. She must stay as far away from him as possible from now on. Thinking of that, her emotions finally calmed down a bit. If she could not deal with him, she could just avoid him, right? She reached out for a taxi and returned to her apartment. When she arrived at the apartment and was about to open the door, Rubio Pascal called. Renee could not help feeling nauseated when she thought of the ¡°Golden Meal¡± Stefan mentioned. But in order to get back the Everheart Residence, she fought back the nausea and greeted Rubio warmly, ¡°Mr. Pascal, you¡¯re calling me already? I just left your house not long ago. Looks like you really are treating me as a close friend.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Ren, of course I treat you as a close friend. Otherwise, I would have made you my woman. I wouldn¡¯t have given you the chance to leave the Pascal Manor. We¡¯re kindred souls, so I¡¯m not interested in developing an intimate rtionship with you. I¡¯m more interested in a spiritual rtionship.¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. She resisted the urge to hang up the phone. ¡°In that case, you should release your hold on the piece ofnd where the Everheart Residence is. It¡¯s the area with the best environmental quality in the entire Beach City. It shouldn¡¯t be used to build a garbage and sewage treatment nt. Even at the risk of offending you, I have to say, doing so is bad spirit. You¡¯ll get bad karma for that.¡± Rubio Pacal snorted, then said with a sly, fox-like smile, ¡°Ah, Ren, you say you¡¯re my friend, but all you talk about with me is business. That¡¯s not cute at all. Besides¡­ friendship is friendship, but business is business. You can¡¯t tantly take advantage of me just because we¡¯re friends. Do you know how much money I spent to bribe the people upstairs in order to obtain the development rights to that area?¡± ¡°Does that mean it¡¯s non-negotiable?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that¡­ Like I told you this morning, you¡¯ll have to trade for it with something of equal value.¡± Rubio gradually lured Renee to take the bait. Renee¡¯s expression was serious. She did not want to y games with him, so she cut straight to the chase, ¡°Tell me, what do you want?¡± After chatting with Rubio Pascal that morning, she realized that he was not that simple. At the very least, he would not make a losing trade. Trying to make him hand over thend as a ¡°favor¡± was simply wishful thinking. But even after spending all that time talking to him, she failed to discover what he really needed. Women? He already had lots of them. Money? He probably had more money than he could spend. Therefore, Renee was at a loss. ¡°Ah, you might not believe this, but even though the rumors say that I¡¯m a huge pervert, I actually have material pursuits too. I¡¯m especially interested in antiques and cultural relics. During the time of the Northern Soong Dynasty, in the city of Manchest which was located in the most remote area of the empire bordering the Khittane Empire, a treasure was once produced. It was known as the ¡°Rainbow ze¡±.¡± Chapter 693 Chapter 693 ¡°The Rainbow ze?¡± ¡°The Rainbow ze is exquisitely designed and made from sses of seven different colors. Each side is carved with images of rare birds and beasts. It¡¯s a famous, auspicious treasure. In that chaotic era, it ensured the peace of Manchest for a hundred years. It is said that owning the ¡°Rainbow ze¡± can lead to prosperity, long life, and fulfilled dreams. I¡¯ve wanted it for a long time.¡± Renee continued to roll her eyes. She was exasperated. She asked, ¡°You¡¯re not asking me to help you find this so-called ¡°treasure¡±, are you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so smart, Ren. As expected of someone that I knew could be a great friend to me right away. You figured it out so quickly.¡± Renee was howling inside. She said through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re not doing this to toy with me, are you? Maybe this bottle is just a folklore that doesn¡¯t exist. How am I supposed to find it for you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because the task is difficult that it can prove your capability¡­¡± Rubio Pascal smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this object definitely exists. Put some effort into it and you can definitely find it. When you find it, I¡¯ll transfer thend to you right away. But of course, my time is precious, so I hope you can do it within a week.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Before Renee could say anything else, Rubio Pascal already hung up the phone. ¡°Goddammit! They¡¯re all like this!¡± She was so angry that she wanted to smash her phone. But it seems like the easiest and least costly way to regain the Everheart Residence was indeed to find this Rainbow ze! Renee took a deep breath to calm herself. She decided to thoroughly investigate this object to see how high the chances of finding it were. She opened the door and entered the apartment. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Her two kids were waiting for her. Because Abby had an asthma attack yesterday, Renee had ordered them not to go anywhere today, especially the Carmine Pawnshop! ¡°Abby, how are you feeling today? Do you still have difficulty breathing?¡± Renee asked, feeling very concerned. She hugged Abby and kissed her repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you worry, Mommy. I¡¯m feeling good today. But Mommy, when can we go back to the Everheart Residence? Today, Aunt Margaret told us that it¡¯s the time of year when the sophora flowers bloom, and in the Everheart Residence¡¯s courtyard, there¡¯s a tall sophora tree that¡¯s beautiful and smells great!¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s a swing under the sophora tree. When I was a kid, I used to love ying with the swing. Your grandparents would help push me. Those were the happiest days of my life¡­¡± Renee missed her home dearly. Now that Abby brought up the Everheart Residence, she really, really wanted to move back. Meanwhile, Adie was programming for fun on theputer. Renee said to Adie, ¡°Adie, can you do me a favor? Search for the ¡°Rainbow ze¡± and see who owns it right now.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy. I¡¯m on it.¡± Adie¡¯s fingers pounded the keyboard. In less than ten minutes, he managed to infiltrate the internal database of the cultural relics website and found where the Rainbow ze was. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve found it. What a coincidence¡­ You could never have guessed where it is!¡± Adie eximed with joy while waving his tiny hands about. Chapter 694 Chapter 694 ¡°You¡¯ve found it already? Adie, you¡¯re so amazing!¡± Renee was delighted. She quickly got up from the sofa and moved over to theputer. ¡°Look, Mommy!¡± Adie pointed to the exquisitely shaped Rainbow ze on theputer screen. His chubby little face was proud as he said, ¡°Thetest information I¡¯ve managed to trace shows that this item is currently stored at the Carmine Pawnshop. If you like it, just ask Q to give it to you. He said that everything he has is yours if you agree to be his wife anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ bizarre.¡± Renee¡¯s feelings wereplicated. She did not know whether to feel happy or awkward. Why must this thing be in Mr. Q¡¯s possession? Now she did not know whether she should ask for it or not. If she did, it might make him think that she was after his assets. But if she did not, she would not be able to make the deal with Rubio Pascal. He only gave her one week¡­ While Renee was stuck in a dilemma, the doorbell rang, and something even more bizarre happened. Mr. Q hade for a visit dressed in casual attire and carrying expensive food ingredients. ¡°Daddy Q, Daddy Q, you¡¯re here! Me, big bro and Mommy all missed you so much!¡± Abby grinned from ear to ear. She walked into the house holding the man¡¯s hand. She was such a sweet girl! Seeing the tall man who had suddenly appeared, Renee subconsciously raised her guard. She asked coldly, ¡°How do you know where we live? Who sent you here?¡± Mr. Q responded, ¡°As your husband and the father of Adie and Abby, how can I not know where you guys are?¡± The man had a strong aura. He casually handed the ingredients to Margaret, as if he was the master of the house. ¡°I brought lots of ingredients today. I want to show you guys my cooking skills, but the kids said you¡¯re not home yet. They also said they can¡¯te to the Carmine Pawnshop to y with me anymore in the near future. Well, the Carmine Pawnshop is at the Water Dock, which isn¡¯t a suitable environment for children anyway even if no one would dare to harm them, so I came to look for you instead.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Mr. Q, who had always been a quiet person, was suddenly so talkative. His logic was sound and he was being very friendly, so it was difficult for Reene tosh out at him. ¡°I see. Thank you very much.¡± Renee flipped her hair. She reciprocated his politeness. After all, one wouldn¡¯t p a smiling face for no reason. He was soft-spoken and polite, so she could not be too unfriendly. ¡°Have you had dinner yet?¡± Mr. Q put his hands in his pockets and asked in a caring tone, as naturally as a husband asking his long-time wife. ¡°I¡­¡± Before Renee could answer, the two kids were already jumping up and down and answering for her. ¡°Daddy Q, Mommy just got back from work. She¡¯s been working the whole day, so she hasn¡¯t had dinner yet. Can you make something delicious for her?¡± Abby blinked and pouted as she told Mr. Q, ¡°Mommy seems to be very upset. She must have run into a bad guy. Hurry up and make her feel better.¡± Adie rubbed his chin with a serious look and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mommy alwayses home with a smile, but today, she came back looking worried. She must have encountered some problems. Q, you need to show your value as a future husband and help her solve her problems, then make her happy.¡± Chapter 695 Chapter 695 Renee was so embarrassed. She red at the two kids and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough, you two. No matter how approachable Mr. Q is, he¡¯s still your elder, so don¡¯t be rude. You can¡¯t boss him around.¡± Adie turned around and put on a somber expression. ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re such a hopeless romantic. You haven¡¯t even married him yet, but you¡¯re already protecting him.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Dear Lord, please make a hole appear in the ground so that I can bury myself in it! My son is trying to embarrass me to death!¡¯ ¡°These two kids are very naughty andck manners. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± She nced at Mr. Q, feeling extremely awkward. Although she and Mr. Q were no longer strangers, their rtionship had not reached this level of intimacy. Moreover, he was her creditor, so she could not be too impolite to him. Surprisingly, Mr. Q did not mind at all. He even kind of liked it. He ced his long arm on Renee¡¯s shoulder and asked with a smile, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, a husband should treat his wife well. Who¡¯s causing you problems? Tell me and I¡¯ll take care of them for you.¡± Renee¡¯s smile froze. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°What are you doing? The kids are just fooling around. Don¡¯t go crazy with them.¡± Mr. Q also lowered his voice and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re acting, we should try to make it look as realistic as possible or the children wouldn¡¯t believe us.¡± He added, ¡°What would you like to eat? Your future husband will make it for you.¡± Renee was indeed hungry. As if to prove that point, her stomach growled. She did not want to pretend to not be hungry anymore. She swallowed hard and asked, ¡°Do you know how to make steaks? I suddenly feel like having a steak today.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. I happen to have bought some prime sirloin steaks.¡± ¡°Prime sirloin steaks?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened unconsciously. The image of Stefan eating a steak suddenly popped into her head. ¡®Who wrote this damn script?! This is too damn big of a coincidence!¡¯ However, knowing that Stefan was enjoying his steak with Seraphina Murphy right now, the thought of eating a steak personally made by Mr. Q instantly made Renee feel a bit better. After all, no matter how delicious the food served in a restaurant was, it was not as precious as the food that someone made specifically for you! ¡°Abby, Adie, the moon is round and bright today. Didn¡¯t your teacher ask you to moongaze? Why don¡¯t you two go out with Margaret now to do just that?¡± Margaret quickly agreed to take the two children out in order to create a chance for Renee and Mr. Q to spend time alone. The two children were very smart too. They left the house quickly without giving Renee a chance to catch up. Therefore, Renee and Mr. Q were left alone in the apartment. The atmosphere became somewhat intimate. ¡°Well, since they¡¯re not here anymore, we can stop pretending. Let¡¯s act normally.¡± Renee moved slightly further away from Mr. Q to open up a distance between them that was appropriate for a man and a woman who were not lovers. Mr. Q¡¯s attitude also became slightly more distant. He put away the ingredients while saying, ¡°I know. Don¡¯t misunderstand, I acted that way with you purely for the sake of making the children happy. I don¡¯t have that kind of intention.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Renee chuckled awkwardly. She might have overthought it. Mr. Q brought the steaks to the kitchen to clean them. He then asked Renee, ¡°Can you give me a hand?¡± Chapter 696 Chapter 696 Renee walked in with a curious expression and asked, ¡°What can I help you with?¡± Mr. Q was wearing disposable stic gloves in both hands. He was marinating the steaks with a secret sauce. ¡°Help me wear the apron, please. My hands are upied.¡± He gestured to an apron hanging on the cab with his chin, giving out themand naturally. ¡°Help you¡­ put on the apron?¡± Renee felt a moment of awkwardness. She hesitated and did not move. This kind of action was way too intimate. Wasn¡¯t this usually something that only couples would do? C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Mr. Q turned around and looked at her tly. ¡°Is something wrong? Are you¡­ shy?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Renee did not want to show him her cowardly side, so she forced herself to grab the apron and moved behind him. She had to tiptoe to put the apron over his head. She pretended to be nonchnt and said, ¡°I¡¯m a divorced woman. I¡¯ve experienced everything before. Why would I be shy?¡± Her slender arms wrapped around the man¡¯s strong waist, and her thin fingers tied a bow around the waistband neatly. She patted the man¡¯s back and said jokingly, ¡°Hmm, not bad. You look like a good househusband.¡± Tsk tsk, although Mr. Q¡¯s face was ruined, his body was top-notch. He had wide shoulders, a narrow waist, and firm muscles. His body was on par with Stefan¡¯s. The outside world was vast indeed. There were lots of other trees in the forest. Her vision was seriously too narrow in the past. Her eyes could see no one else but Stefan. Yet plenty of men she met after her divorce wereparable to Stefan, even Isaac, the escort she met at the bar! After marinating the steaks, Mr. Q set the timer to wait for the sauce to seep in. He took off his stic gloves and casually grabbed a kiwi to make a fruit yogurt sd. He poured oat into the fruit yogurt while stirring it with a spoon. He then scooped a spoonful and offered it to Renee. ¡°Try this and see if you like it.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Renee leaned back warily. She was not used to being so intimate with a man. She awkwardly took the spoon and said, ¡°I can do it myself.¡± The man¡¯s lips curled into a weird smile. ¡°I thought you¡¯re a divorced woman who has experienced everything before? Why are you so conservative?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t being conservative. It¡¯s called a sense of boundaries ¨C a sense of boundaries between men and women, understand?¡± Renee raised her eyebrows and put on a righteous look. After having a taste of Mr. Q¡¯s sd, her eyes immediately brightened. She could not help praising, ¡°Oh my god, this is so good. Who would have thought that a burly man like you would have such delicate skills? You truly are ¡°Beach City¡¯s Famous Chef¡±!¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± He crossed his legs and his arms and leanedzily against the kitchen counter. He told Renee, who could not stop eating, ¡°As long as you put your heart into making a dish, it definitely won¡¯t taste too bad. I¡¯m guessing your cooking skills should be pretty good too. My rival, your ex-husband Stefan Hunt, must have enjoyed a lot of good food.¡± The spoon in Renee¡¯s hand paused in mid-air for a moment. Her fair face hardened slightly. Then, she chuckled to herself. ¡°Maybe only the dogs in Hunt Manor can tell if I¡¯m truly good at cooking. How would Stefan Hunt know?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°When I first got married to him, I was a meek little wife who seldom went out and only had him in my eyes. My favorite activity every day was to make him a whole table of delicious food. Unfortunately, he was not interested. We were married for four years, but I can count on two hands the number of times we dined together. Most of the food I made for him went to the dogs.¡± Thinking back of the time when she had been foolishly devoted, she felt sad and pathetic. She was really young at the time, that¡¯s why she was full of passion. She kept trying even when there was no response. It only made her more determined. But now, things are different. She was the mother of two children. She had suffered enough, so she would not be that foolish anymore. For her, a man was just a hobby now. She would not love anyone more than she loved herself and her two children. After hearing Renee¡¯sints, Mr. Q remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°If he¡¯s interested in your cooking now, would you still cook for him?¡± Chapter 697 Chapter 697 ¡°No way!¡± Renee¡¯s attitude was firm. ¡°He¡¯s not worthy. I¡¯ll only cook for people who are worth my time.¡± ¡°Then what about me?¡± Mr. Q asked. ¡°You?¡± Renee was still thinking about it when Mr. Q said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I¡¯m more interested in cooking for you than tasting your cooking.¡± ¡°I can see that you¡¯re someone who gives more than he takes, like the old me. As someone who has experience in this matter, let me give you a piece of advice. Stop doing that. You should love yourself more.¡± He shook his head, then murmured as if talking to himself, ¡°Sometimes being able to cook for the person you like is also a kind of happiness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee was stunned. She blushed involuntarily. ¡®What is he doing? Confessing?¡¯ She was particrly empathetic to words like that, so she was easily touched by them. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. My definition of ¡°like¡± here is very broad. It includes people like Adie and Abby. I like to cook for them too.¡± He probably noticed Renee¡¯s shyness, so he exined himself. ¡°I understand, I understand.¡± Renee awkwardly brushed her hair and said, ¡°The term ¡°like¡± isn¡¯t reserved specifically for the rtionship between a man and a woman. I think we get along quite well. We can like each other as close friends.¡± He gave her a cold smile and said meaningfully, ¡°I wonder how many close friends you have, Miss Everheart?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? I have strict requirements for befriending people. Not anyone can be my close friend.¡± Renee suddenly felt guilty saying that. After all, she had just called a pervert like Rubio Pascal a ¡°close friend¡± earlier in the day. This status was indeed a bit superficial! But at the thought of Rubio Pascal, she looked troubled once more. After hesitating a few times, she cautiously probed, ¡°Umm, I heard you can find all the precious treasures in the world in the Carmine Pawnshop.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far, but we do have about 80% of the treasures that circte in the market.¡± ¡°Then have you heard of a treasure called the ¡°Rainbow ze¡±?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good stuff. Do you want it?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I just want to know if you have it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind telling you, but you have to tell me why you want it first.¡± Since the conversation had already gotten this far, Renee could onlye clean. ¡°Because I want to take back control of thend where the Everheart Residence is from Rubio Pascal. His trade condition is the Rainbow ze.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°So¡­ do you have it?¡± Renee asked shamelessly. ¡°Nope.¡± Mr. Q replied bluntly and added, ¡°However, I know who has it.¡± Chapter 698 Chapter 698 ¡°Who?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened. She eagerly pressed him for the answer. ¡°You should be very familiar with this person¡­¡± Mr. Q paused and said, ¡°It¡¯s your ex-husband, Stefan Hunt.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Stefan Hunt again?! She was truly fed up with him. Why was he everywhere?! ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? My investigation shows that the Rainbow ze is currently stored in the Carmine Pawnshop.¡± Hanging on to thest glimmer of hope, Renee sought confirmation from Mr. Q. The way she saw it, she was on better terms with Mr. Q than with Stefan. Instead of begging Stefan, she would rather beg Mr. Q. ¡°That¡¯s what people say, but the real Rainbow ze is still in Stefan Hunt¡¯s hands. We had a huge battle many years ago, during which I tried to snatch the Rainbow ze from him, but as you know, I suffered a disastrous defeat¡­ We¡¯ve been on a truce ever since. We try not to tread on each other¡¯s toes.¡± Mr. Q narrated it inly, as if he was telling someone else¡¯s story. Legend had it that the ¡°Night Demon¡± everyone feared changed his brutal and cruel nature after that great battle. He became aw-abiding citizen who rarely got involved in conflicts and rarely showed himself in public. Renee heaved a long sigh. ¡°How unfortunate. Why must it be in his possession of all people? This is terrible.¡± Mr. Q said, ¡°Isn¡¯t he your ex-husband? He¡¯d probably help you, right? It doesn¡¯t sound like a big deal.¡± Renee sneered, ¡°He¡¯d help the other guy trample me before he would help me.¡± She needed to think about what to do next. After all, she just had a big fight with that guy this evening. And now she wanted to ask him for such a precious treasure? It would not take a genius to figure out that he would definitely refuse! Mr. Q¡¯s steaks were grilled exceptionally well. They looked very delicious. Sprinkled with ck pepper, the aroma was enough to push back Renee¡¯s worries. ¡±They¡¯ll be done in a minute.¡± The man in apron turned around and gave her a gentle smile. The sight warmed Renee¡¯s heart. To cook a delicious meal in the kitchen with someone she loved had always been something she wanted to do. She never expected that a man other than Stefan could give her this sense of happiness. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. After Mr. Q left, Reneey on her bed while rubbing her full stomach. It was the first time anyone had taken care of her like this. Although he repeatedly emphasized that he had no feelings for her, it felt really good to be taken care of. Loving someone was too tiring. She had bezy now and enjoyed being loved instead¡­ She hesitated the whole night, but in the end, she decided to give it a try. She called Stefan and arranged for a meeting at a cafe near hispany tomorrow at noon. Stefan did not refuse her invitation. He arrived as promised, but his attitude was arrogant. ¡°Get to the point. I only have ten minutes.¡± He was wearing a dark suit with his hair neatlybed, giving off a high-and-mighty aura. Because Renee needed his help, her attitude waspletely different from yesterday. With a fake smile on her face, she said, ¡°I¡¯m truly honored that you still came to see me even though you¡¯re so busy, Mr. Hunt, but humans are not machines. You can¡¯t work non-stop. It¡¯s lunch time, so rx and have a cup of coffee.¡± Chapter 699 Chapter 699 Stefan picked up thette in front of him, took a small sip, and said tly, ¡°Okay. You have five minutes left.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Damn it, she was so mad! This smug bastard! She wanted to hit him! ¡°You have nothing to say?¡± Stefan raised his eyebrows and said arrogantly, ¡°You have two minutes left. I¡¯m tempted to just get up and leave right now.¡± ¡°Stefan Hunt! What¡¯s with the attitude?¡± In the end, Renee could not hold back anymore. She yelled at him, ¡°You¡¯ve wasted plenty of my time yourself. I can¡¯t even have a cup of coffee with you now? What are you busy with? Your funeral?¡± Stefan crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s more like you.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± There were many white-cor workers in the cafe. Stefan and Renee were both famous, so they attracted a lot of attention. Renee lowered her voice as much as she could and breached the topic in a roundabout way, ¡°We were married for four years. As my ex-husband, have you ever felt guilty for not fulfilling your responsibility as a husband and want to make it up to me?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Stefan smirked. ¡°Definitely. I wasn¡¯t a good husband at all during our marriage. I didn¡¯t even fulfill a husband¡¯s most basic responsibilities. I do feel guilty and want to make it up to you, if you need me to.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, you really should make it up to me. I really, really need it!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes brightened. She wondered if the sun rose from the west today. Had the cold-blooded iceberg suddenly discovered his conscience? ¡°So, what I¡¯m thinking is¡­¡± Renee was about to express her demand when Stefan suddenly leaned forward and held Renee¡¯s hand on the table. He said mysteriously, ¡°Let¡¯s start right now. I¡¯ll make it up to you right now.¡± Renee¡¯s body stiffened. She did not know if she should pull her hand back. She asked a bit uncertainly, ¡°Now? How?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t youin that I did not fulfill my responsibility as a husband? I¡¯ll fulfill my responsibility as a husband right now to make up for the regret in your heart.¡± His deep eyes looked straight into Renee¡¯s as he said calmly. His eyes felt as hot as the sun to Renee. Looking into them made Renee¡¯s face heat up. ¡°What do you mean by responsibility? Why do I feel like we¡¯re not talking about the same thing here?¡± She cautiously asked. There must be a misunderstanding, or he would not be looking at her so strangely. Stefan said, ¡°I know that, while we were married, I¡¯ve neglected you and left you alone with an empty bed every day, thus failing to fulfill a husband¡¯s responsibility. That must be why you¡¯re so mad at me. I don¡¯t mind sacrificing my body to make up for the regrets you had in our marriage.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± She picked up the coffee cup in front of her to ssh the coffee on his face, but in the end, looking at the big picture, she held back. She gritted her teeth and took a sip from the cup. ¡°How selfless of you, Mr. Hunt. I appreciate your offer, but there¡¯s no need. I have plenty of options in this matter. If you really want to make it up to me, lend me the Rainbow ze instead.¡± Renee decided to cut straight to the chase. She realized now that if she did not state her purpose clearly, he would keep toying with her! Chapter 700 Chapter 700 Stefan¡¯s expression, which was originally yful, instantly became serious. He asked, ¡°Who told you that I have the Rainbow ze?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that.¡± Renee was naturally not so foolish that she would tell Stefan about Mr. Q. She lifted her chin and asked righteously, ¡°Will you or will you not lend it to me?¡± Stefan slender fingers tapped the table unconsciously. He inquired further, ¡°Why do you need the Rainbow ze?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that either.¡± Renee also did not want to tell him about the transaction between herself and Rubio Pascal. The less involved he was in her affairs, the better. If it weren¡¯t because the Rainbow ze happened to be in his possession, she would never have come to him! ¡°Why should I help you when you won¡¯t tell me anything?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes became colder and his tone of voice also became more unfriendly. He turned into an iceberg again. The air around him seemed to freeze. Anyone within a kilometer¡¯s radius could feel the chill in the air. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Renee clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and repeatedly told herself to ¡°endure it¡±, ¡°endure it¡±, and ¡°endure it¡±. When she finally calmed down, she said, ¡°When we got divorced, I only asked for the Hunts and Co. Law Firm. If its value was evaluated back then, it would have been a negative asset, so it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that I took nothing of value when I left you. If I take you to court now to request a fair alimony from you, it would cost you so much more than the Rainbow ze, so¡­ I¡¯m sure you can see which one¡¯s the better option for you.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Stefan¡¯s long fingers that had been tapping the table stopped. His cold eyes pierced into Renee¡¯s like sharp daggers. His thin lips curved into a cold and arrogant smile as he said, ¡°The Hunt family has plenty of money. You can take as much money as you want.¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Somebody bring her a knife! How could this guy be so infuriating?! He was clearly making things hard for her on purpose! ¡°So there¡¯s no room for negotiation?¡± Renee asked furiously. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Stefan¡¯s cold eyes suddenly became deep andplicated. ¡°You said earlier that I did not fulfill my responsibility as a husband during our marriage. I can also say that you did not fulfill your responsibility as a wife.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Renee¡¯s reaction was very intense. She vehemently defended herself. ¡°You can ask anyone. In the years I spent as Mrs. Hunt, I dedicated everything to you and the Hunt family. How have I not fulfilled my responsibility as a wife? Are you blind?¡± ¡°Your so-called ¡°sacrifices¡± were all made for outsiders to see. Weren¡¯t you just acting like a textbook wife of a prestigious family? A wife like that, I can get a handful of anytime I want. What I really want is a real and authentic wife. A wife that belongs only to me!¡± His words seemed to carry a lot of meaning. High society nevercked textbook ¡°proper young wives¡±. What¡¯s truly rare was a wife who was not so perfect ¨C a wife who would make mistakes, who would cause trouble, who was sometimes a bit silly, who was passionate and sincere. Stefan disliked a wife like the old Renee whopromised everything so that she could seem perfect in every regard. She felt like a ¡°product¡± manufactured in an assembly line to him. He naturally would not invest too much emotions in her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± Renee shook her head, her eyes filled with confusion. ¡°I was so careful not to put a foot wrong. I willingly suffered and suppressed my emotions for the sake of the Hunt family¡¯s reputation. What did I do wrong?¡± If it weren¡¯t because she loved Stefan deeply, she would never have endured those hardships. ¡°What you gave, I never wanted. What I wanted, you never gave.¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was cold and his expression was hard. He felt very distant at this moment. Renee thought she already knew this man well enough. Chapter 701 Chapter 701 But right now, she felt like she did not know him that well at all. She did not know what he was thinking and what he really wanted. ¡°Can you say something that I can understand, please? What does ¡°a real and authentic¡± wife mean? What does ¡°a wife that only belongs to you¡± mean?¡± Renee could not understand what Stefan was trying to express. She said impatiently, ¡°Let¡¯s keep this simple. What do you want? What do you need from me in exchange for the Rainbow ze?¡± ¡°I told you, I want you to fulfill your responsibility as a wife.¡± Stefan paused for a moment. She thought Renee probably wouldn¡¯t understand what he meant, so he gestured at her to move closer. Renee foolishly leaned forward and moved her ear close to Stefan¡¯s lips to hear what he had to say. She then heard Stefan say, ¡°The responsibility to please your husband in bed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee¡¯s face instantly turned red, all the way to the base of her neck. In shame and anger, she picked up her coffee cup and sshed the handsome man¡¯s face with coffee. ¡°Stefan Hunt, you¡¯re an animal in human skin! You disgust me!¡± After yelling at him, she grabbed her bag and left the cafe like she was fleeing for her life. The scorching sun made her sweat profusely. Her heart was beating really fast for some reason. She¡¯s so mad! She¡¯s so mad! Not only did fail to get the Rainbow ze, she was also pranked by that despicable guy. Her time was completely wasted! She sshed Stefan with red wine yesterday and with coffee today. He probably would not give her the Rainbow ze now even if she were to kneel down and beg for it. In that case, desperate times called for desperate measures¡­ Renee reflected on her actions and immediately came up with a solution. ¡°Hmph, you despicable bastard! If you¡¯re not going to y nice, then I¡¯m not going to either!¡± Renee clenched her fists, eager to carry out her n. Meanwhile, Stefan was still sitting in the cafe. Coffee dripped down his thick ck hair onto his handsome face, just likest evening¡¯s wine. Although he was in a mess, his good looks and dignified aura still made him look like the protagonist in a drama. He attracted the eyes of many girls in the vicinity. Some had even secretly filmed a video of Renee sshing Stefan with coffee and submitted it to gossip magazines. Stefan soon received a call from his nervous secretary. ¡°Mr. Hunt, we have a problem.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A paparazzi sent us a video of Miss Everheart sshing you with red wine and with coffee. He asked for money to keep quiet. What should we do?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°How much does he want?¡± Stefan asked calmly. ¡°4 million dors.¡± The secretary said indignantly, ¡°That greedy bastard! How dare he ckmail you!¡± ¡°Tell the paparazzi, do as I say and I¡¯ll pay him double.¡± Stefan¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He also had a n. Chapter 702 Chapter 702 Renee calmed herself down and returned to the Azure Group. ¡°Miss Everheart!¡± The employees were delighted to see Renee return safely. They happily greeted her. All the employees that still remained at the Azure Group were loyal people who were determined to follow Renee. Although there were not many of them and their abilities could not be considered outstanding, they were all passionate, gutsy people. They made sure to properlyplete all the tasks they were assigned. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Renee nodded to the employees, then turned to her assistant, Shelley, and said, ¡°Notify every department that we will be holding the monthly meeting right away. All the employees must attend.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Everheart!¡± Shelley replied respectfully. At the same time, Shelley thought to herself that Miss Everheart seemed to be in a great mood. She and Mr. Hunt must have had a great time togetherst night. That means¡­ the ¡°marriage alliance¡± between the Azure Group and the H Group would very likely happen. The conference room wasrge enough to amodate over a hundred people. In the past, it would be filled to capacity during monthly meetings, but today, less than a fifth of the room was filled. The rest of the seats were empty. It looked sad. Renee took the center seat. She could not help but sigh when she saw how sparse the staff had be. The Azure Group went through four years of ups and downs to reach this point. When Liam Osborne left, he took a bunch of people with him. Laura Osborne then took advantage of the Azure Group¡¯s moment of weakness to loot them. Not only did she empty theirpany treasury, she even took away a group of elites. Among those elites were R&D experts that Renee admired and designers that Renee valued very highly¡­ In short, the Azure Group had been bled hard. The only reason they could continue operation was purely because they were tough enough. However, the days of humiliations wereing to an end. The era belonging to the Azure Group was about to begin! ¡°Today is our first monthly meeting after ourpany has gone through a major adjustment. I believe all of you who stayed behind are people who believe in me. You might feel lost and confused right now, you might even be worried that the Azure Group won¡¯tst long, but today¡­ As the Chairman and CEO of Azure Group, I assure you that as long as you follow my orders andplete your tasks well, we have a bright future ahead of us.¡± Renee¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was powerful, and it made the staff boil with excitement. It all sounded like a pie in the sky, but because it was Miss Everheart who said it, they believed that it would definitelye true! But the expression of Jay Yassin, the manager of the Market Expansion Department, remained solemn. He hesitated a few times, but finally decided to raise his hand to say something. Renee turned towards Jay Yassin with a sharp gaze and asked, ¡°Is there a problem, Mr. Yassin?¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, first of all, allow me to express my respect and trust for you. However, I have to be honest. Whilepleting the tasks you assigned, I had some doubts¡­ To be more precise, I don¡¯t agree with your decision.¡± Amotion rose among the staff. They cast hostile nces at Jay Yassin. After all, they saw Renee as a ¡°goddess¡±. How dare he openly question the decision of the ¡°goddess¡±?! ¡°Please borate, Mr. Yassin.¡± Renee remained calm. She knew that all the people who stayed behind were those who sincerely wanted thepany to do well. Even if they had disagreements, they all merely wanted what¡¯s best for thepany. She naturally had to respect their opinions. ¡°I actually agree with what Ms. Osborne said. I don¡¯t understand why you would keep spending money to establish a Research and Development Department and a Production Department even though the Azure Group is facing financial difficulties. Do we really have that many things to research and produce?¡± ¡°If ourpany isn¡¯t operating at such arge scale, why do we have to establishrge-scale R&D and Production departments? It¡¯s a waste of money.¡± Chapter 703 Chapter 703 Jay Yassin got more and more emotional as he spoke. That was because he was the person in charge of establishing the R&D Department and the Production Department. He watched money flow out of the ounts every day without any ie, so he was very anxious! ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± Renee snapped her fingers, then addressed thepany employees with a calm expression, ¡°I believe many of you here have the same question as Mr. Yassin. I didn¡¯t want to exin too much before, but everyone here stayed behind for me, so we¡¯re all on the same boat now. You have the right to know about all the decisions made by thepany.¡± ¡°The reason why I want to quickly build an R&D Department and a Production Department is because thepany is about to enter a high-speed operational period. In half a month to a month¡¯s time, we will be thergest ¡°G6 chips¡± manufacturer in the entire Beach City, and maybe even in the entire Aeos. If we don¡¯t start to prepare now, when the orderes in, we won¡¯t be able to process them. We¡¯ll be a joke in the industry.¡± Everyone looked at each other awkwardly after hearing that. They wondered if Renee was delusional. Jay Yassin said, ¡°Miss Everheart, are you kidding? Everyone knows that the ¡°G6 chip¡±¡¯ is KCL¡¯s gship product, and KCL would only cooperate with the H Group. There¡¯s no way the production rights of ¡°G6 chips¡± would fall to us.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t happen unless you¡¯re a rtive of KCL¡¯s CEO or a rtive of H Group¡¯s CEO¡­ But I heard that KCL¡¯s new CEO is a very mysterious old man and he¡¯s Jewish, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s your rtive. As for H Group¡¯s CEO, well¡­¡± Jay Yassin did not finish his sentence, but everyone understood. It was impossible for Renee to be a rtive of KCL¡¯s CEO, and everybody knew about her and Stefan Hunt, so it was impossible for them to obtain the production rights of ¡°G6 chips¡±. Renee¡¯s lips curled into a meaningful smile. ¡°Nothing is impossible in this world. As long as there¡¯s enough profit to be made, even pigs can fly.¡± After the meeting, every employee left the conference room with a hopeful smile. They now knew that they had made the right choice. They were right to follow Renee Everheart! Renee returned to her office and sat at her desk to browse through some documents. Shelley walked in with a grin, carrying a cup of freshly brewed coffee. ¡°Miss Everheart¡­¡± Renee lifted her eyes. She took one look at the girl and went back to her work. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯ve been working so hard. Why not have a cup of coffee and rest for a while.¡± Shelley obediently ced the coffee next to Renee, hoping that Renee would stop to chat with her for a bit to satisfy her curiosity. ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I was just worried that you would overwork yourself so I came in to persuade you to take a short rest.¡± Renee saw through Shelley¡¯s intention immediately. She smiled wryly, ¡°You want to ask me about Stefan Hunt, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Did you have a great time yesterday? Have you conquered him? Is that why you said we have a good chance of coborating with the H Group during the meeting? Aren¡¯t you grateful to me?¡± Renee was so mad that she almostughed. ¡°Yeah, thank you so much. Before this, me and Stefan merely ignored each other, but now, we¡¯re mortal enemies!¡± ¡°No way! What happened? I thought you were getting along well! Why¡­¡± ¡°Some things are better left unsaid.¡± Renee said solemnly, ¡°I just want to warn you that if you dare to ¡°matchmake¡± for me again, I won¡¯t let you off lightly next time!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am! I¡­ I understand.¡± Shelley thought Renee must have her own secrets, so she did not dare to inquire further. But she soon saw the breaking news posted by a famous paparazzi and¡­ instantly understood everything! Chapter 704 Chapter 704 Renee was busy with work. She did not have much time to browse the inte on her phone, let alone pay attention to entertainment gossip. Therefore, even if the ¡°hot gossip¡± posted by the paparazzi was already a hot topic online, she remained oblivious to it. By the time she was done with work, it was already time to go home. She stretched, leaned back against her chair, and looked up at the white ceiling while nning in her mind how to obtain the Rainbow ze in secret. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She picked up the coffee Shelley brewed for her to give it a sip. ¡°Ah, Miss Everheart, stop!¡± Shelley rushed in like a flying arrow, snatched the cup of coffee from Renee¡¯s hand, and said with a serious expression, ¡°How can you still drink coffee?¡± Renee was confused. ¡°Why can¡¯t I drink coffee?¡± ¡°Coffee¡­¡± Shelley took a quick nce at Renee¡¯s stomach. She thought that Renee¡¯s stubborn personality was preventing her from admitting the truth, so she said vaguely, ¡°Coffee¡¯s not good for your body. Drink milk instead. I¡¯ll heat up a ss of milk for you. It¡¯s nutritious and will warm your stomach.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Renee pondered for a moment and actually agreed, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been feeling a bit unwelltely, so milk will be better for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal. My mom told me it happens to every woman who experiences it for the first time. She said they have to be very careful. They shouldn¡¯t even get out of bed if they can help it. The consequences can be very dire.¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t even get out of bed?¡± The more she listened, the more confused Renee became. Shelley thought Renee was just feigning ignorance, so she went along and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Maybe you¡¯re just feeling unwell because you work overtime so much. Just make sure you rest well and make up for lost sleep, or idents may ur!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you today, girl? Why are you behaving so strangely?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because my period ising soon. Don¡¯t mind me, Miss Everheart. Just take care of yourself¡­¡± While saying that, Shelley helped Renee organize the documents and turn off theputer. She said meaningfully, ¡°Miss Everheart, you have to stop working. Your body can¡¯t take it. You should stay at home and stay in bed for the next few days. If anything happens in thepany, I¡¯ll give you a video call. Go home and rest!¡± Renee checked the time and frowned. ¡°I do have some important personal matters to take care of in the next few days, so I won¡¯t being to the office. If there are any issues, report to me immediately.¡± She stood up from the office chair to leave. Shelley quickly went over to support Renee like Renee was an Empress Dowager. ¡°Be careful, Miss Everheart.¡± After that, she fetched Renee¡¯s bag for her and asked Renee, ¡°Will you be fine by yourself, Miss Everheart? Do you want me to escort you home?¡± Renee was incredulous. ¡°Of course not. Do you take me for a baby? Why are you taking care of me so meticulously? Act normally!¡± Shelley chuckled and said, ¡°You can¡¯t be too careful. You¡¯re the heart and soul of Azure Group after all.¡± After Renee left thepany, several employees who stayed back to work overtime immediately gathered around Shelley. ¡°Shelley, have you seen the news? Is it true?¡± ¡°Is Miss Everheart really pregnant with Stefan Hunt¡¯s baby?¡± ¡°It must be true. The paparazzi made things very clear. Miss Everheart is pregnant with Mr. Hunt¡¯s baby, but Mr. Hunt wouldn¡¯t take responsibility, so Miss Everheart sshed him with both wine and coffee to try and force him to take responsibility!¡± Chapter 705 Chapter 705 They continued to gossip and argue. The topic originated from a batch of photos posted by a famous entertainment industry paparazzi on a certain forum. The photos showed Renee sshing coffee and wine on Stefan Hunt¡¯s face. The caption was: ¡°H Group¡¯s CEO rekindled his rtionship with his ex-wife. The woman is three months pregnant, but he insists on breaking up!¡± ¡°If this is true, then Mr. Hunt is such a scumbag. Poor Miss Everheart!¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. They started to talk bad about Stefan and sympathized with Renee. Shelley cleared her throat and told everyone, ¡°The news is not entirely true, but it¡¯s not entirely false either. First of all¡­ Miss Everheart is definitely pregnant, but she¡¯s proud and she likes to keep a low profile, so she doesn¡¯t want to make it public. So from now on, we must take good care of Miss Everheart, but don¡¯t mention the matter in front of her. Understand?¡± ¡°As for Mr. Hunt not wanting to take responsibility, I find this part questionable. At least based on my understanding, Mr. Hunt still cares about Miss Everheart a great deal. I¡¯m guessing this is also one of the reasons why the two groups will cooperate sooner orter.¡± Everyone immediately understood what happened after listening to Shelley¡¯s analysis. ¡°That¡¯s great! Miss Everheart is pregnant with Mr. Hunt¡¯s baby! This little fe will be a winner in life the moment they¡¯re born. How lucky!¡± The employees of Azure Group could not help cheering. The protagonist of the incident, Renee Eveheart, was currently dressed in all ck. She sneaked into Stefan¡¯s bedroom, her steps as light as a swallow¡¯s,pletely unaware that she was ¡°pregnant¡±!!! She must get the Rainbow ze within a week. Since she could not get it through negotiations, she could only use underhanded methods. Her n was to infiltrate Stefan¡¯s residence and steal the Rainbow ze. Doing this was a bit hical, but considering that she took nothing from Stefan when they divorced, surely taking the Rainbow ze was not too much. Besides, she would return it sooner orter, so it should not be a big deal. However, Stefan had a lot of properties under his name, so she did not know where he kept the Rainbow ze. She could only try her luck and search one ce at a time. The first ce she tried was the Hunt Residence. After all, it was where Stefan regrly stayed in the past year or two. In addition, Grandpa Timothy also liked antiques and artifacts, so the possibility of the Rainbow ze being kept in the Hunt Residence was the highest. Renee moved skillfully and cautiously. She easily slipped into the Hunt Residence and sessfully infiltrated Stefan¡¯s bedroom on the second floor. Truth be told, considering her rtionship with Grandpa Timothy, she could solve the problem by just talking to him. There was no need for her to steal. But Renee did not want him to misunderstand. She also did not want to have anything more to do with Stefan. Therefore, stealing the treasure was the easiest way. It was alreadyte at night. Grandpa Timothy usually went to bed early. The entire Hunt household seemed to be asleep. The house that was as big as a pce stood quietly in the middle of the night. In Stefan¡¯s bedroom, Renee did not dare to turn on the lights. She searched with the help of the shlight that came with her phone. Stefan¡¯s bedroom in the old Hunt Residence waspletely different from his bedroom in the Hunt Manor. The color theme of his bedroom in the Hunt Manor was gray, ck and white. It felt cold, serious and restrained, just like him. But his bedroom in the Hunt Residencepletely shattered what Renee knew of him¡­ Chapter 706 Chapter 706 With the help of the light from her phone, Renee was surprised to find on Stefan¡¯s desk rows of merchandise from various popr animes. There was Luffy from ¡°One Piece¡±, Conan from ¡°Detective Conan¡±, Naruto, and even Sora from ¡°Gag Manga Biyori¡±!!! ¡°Hahaha, this is too funny! Does he have multiple personality disorder or something? He behaves like an iceberg all the time, but he¡¯s actually an otaku!¡± Renee could not stop staring at the palm-sized action figure of Luffy. It was hard to imagine Stefan sitting at this desk every day, ying with these merchandise with a straight face. She could not help but burst out inughter. She herself was half an otaku. When she was young, besides ying with the bottles and jars in the laboratory, she also liked to read some hot-blooded or funny manga. And the animes she liked were actually very simr to the animes Stefan liked. Renee suddenly sighed. She only found out that she shared amon interest with her ex-husband years after the divorce. Besides anime merchandise, there was also a huge ss cab in Stefan¡¯s room. It did not contain any rare treasures. Instead, it was filled with all sorts of LEGO models, including the Eiffel Tower, heavy spaceships, motorcycles and Transformers. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he likes LEGO too. He even managed to construct such a difficult spaceship!¡± Renee once again discovered something they had inmon, which was their passion for LEGO. She stared at the LEGO spaceship in the ss cab in shock. It was over a meter wide and was made up of 9999 pieces of various sizes. Unless someone was really passionate about LEGO, they would not have the patience toplete it. Renee loved that spaceship model too. She had always wanted to attempt to construct it, but she could never find the time. Moreover, the spaceship was a limited edition model, with only 99 sets avable worldwide. She missed the timing and was still eagerly waiting for the second release so that she could buy a set! Now that her ¡°dream spaceship¡± had appeared before her, she wanted to touch it. She could not help herself. She put down her phone and was about to open the ss cab when suddenly, her keen ears detected the sound of footstepsing from the door, apanied by the sound of people talking. She instantly got nervous. Was Stefaning to the Hunt Residence today? No way her luck would be that bad, right? She did not have much time to react. She looked around in panic and could only slip under the bed. ¡°You brat, you¡¯re finally willing toe back. I heard you¡¯ve been living the good lifetely, getting very close to thatss from the Murphy family. Old man Murphy hase to me several times to drop hints. What are you nning to do?¡± Grandpa Timothy asked Stefan sternly. He walked slowly, supporting himself with his cane. Although he was limping, he exuded a powerful aura. ¡°What was he hinting at?¡± Stefan took off his suit jacket and hung it on a solid wooden coat rack. His voice was nonchnt. After all, he got scolded by the old man every time he came here. Sometimes, he would even get beaten. He had long grown immune to the old man¡¯s scolding. It went in one ear and out the other. ¡°You damn brat, stop feigning ignorance! What do you think he was hinting at?¡± Grandpa Timothy red at his precious little grandson and cut straight to the chase. ¡°He asked me, what¡¯s going on between you and his precious granddaughter? Why have you two grown so close? I heard Seraphina has even moved in with you. That manor belongs to you and Ren. How could you let another woman stay there? What are you young people doing?¡± ¡°She came to my house for a barbecue the other day and identally burned her foot. She had a hard time walking, so I let her stay at the manor for a few days. You know very well what our rtionship is. We¡¯re sworn brothers.¡± Stefan exined to Grandpa Timothy. Chapter 707 Chapter 707 Although Stefan was cold and unfriendly, he always treated his elders with respect and patience, especially his grandfather who doted on him ever since he was a kid. ¡°Brothers my foot! You¡¯re a man and she¡¯s a woman. If you live together for a prolonged period of time, even if you¡¯re innocent, people would talk. That¡¯s why Old Man Murphy is so anxious. He¡¯s asking me for an exnation every day.¡± Grandpa Timothy was anxious too. Years had gone by, but his grandson would not reunite with Renee nor start a new rtionship. Did he want to remain single his whole life? Then the Hunt family line would end with him! ¡°I don¡¯t have any other exnation except that we¡¯re brothers. If we had feelings for each other, we would have gotten together a long time ago. I believe Seraphina has no special feelings for me either, so stop specting.¡± Stefan spoke calmly. He was a bit tired, so he wanted to take a shower and get a good night¡¯s sleep. His gaze suddenly fell on the anime merchandise on the desk. His thick eyebrows furrowed slightly. He keenly noticed that Luffy¡¯s position had shifted. Someone had moved him. It could not have been the servants. His room was strictly off limits to the servants. He did not need the servants to clean his room for him. He would clean it himself regrly. It could not have been his grandfather either. The old man hated Stefan¡¯s room. He would always make a fuss whenever he came in here and would try to leave as soon as possible. He said the room was so childish that it gave him a headache. It could not have been his parents either. Those two had left himpletely to his own devices ever since he ¡°came back from the dead¡± and regained control of the H Group. They were currently on vacation in Europe. There was no way they woulde into his room. So, who would dare to¡­ break into the Hunt Residence and more importantly, break into his room? The security of the Hunt Residence had always been tight. Ordinary burrs would not be able to break in at all, nor would they have the courage. Therefore, Stefan concluded that the intruder was not here to steal money. Could it be an assassination?! His expression suddenly became serious. ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s gettingte. You should go to bed.¡± Stefan nned to send the old man away first, then conduct a thorough investigation. If there really was someone hiding in his room, at least it would not frighten the old man. ¡°No, I can¡¯t sleep until your problem is solved.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Grandpa Timothy sat down on the sofa and continued to pressure Stefan. ¡°You have two options¡­ One, remarry Ren. Two, marry Seraphina. You¡¯re almost thirty now, so you can¡¯t stay single anymore. I need a great grandson!¡± ¡°In my opinion, Ren is still the best wife for you. Even though she¡¯s way out of your league, you can still pursue her back if you work hard. Seraphina is a goodss too. She visits me often. But she¡¯s no match for Ren. I¡¯ve always regarded Ren as my own granddaughter. I¡¯ve been hoping for years that you two would get back together¡­¡± Renee, who was hiding under the bed, was moved to tears upon hearing what the old man said. She waspletely unaware that Stefan had already discovered her from the reflection in the ss. Chapter 708 Chapter 708 Renee did not know that the ss of the cab containing the various LEGO models had a special surface. It was not reflective from the front, but it was reflective from the side. Coincidentally, Stefan happened to be standing to the side of the ss cab. He only had to lower his gaze slightly to see Renee, who was hiding under the bed. After discovering that the person hiding in his room was not an assassin but was just Renee, Stefan suddenly did not feel tired anymore. As if he had been injected with stimnts, he suddenly felt really energetic. His thin lips unconsciously curled into a smile. Unless he was mistaken, she must be here to steal the Rainbow ze. What a crude solution she came up with! Stefan gently raised his thick eyebrows, determined to y a trick on her. He sat on the sofa and crossed his legs, sitting elegantly. He rubbed his forehead with his long fingers and shook his head helplessly. He startedining to Grandpa Timothy, ¡°Grandpa, you have no idea. I¡¯ve tried to salvage this rtionship before, but you don¡¯t know Renee. She¡¯s not the gentle and obedient woman that you think she is. The real her is a tigress. She bullies me a lot. My heart has long shattered into pieces¡­¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± Grandpa Timothy took his words seriously. His aged face turned grave. ¡°She bullies you?¡± Stefan nodded, his eyes even turning slightly bloodshot as he eximed, ¡°She deceived all of you. When we¡¯re alone, she would hit me and curse at me whenever she felt like it. She would even ssh wine or coffee at my face. However, I¡¯m a forgiving person and I don¡¯t want to damage her image in your heart, so I chose to endure all this silently.¡± ¡°What? Ssh wine and coffee at your face? I find that hard to believe.¡± Grandpa Timothy frowned and looked skeptical. He did not believe that Renee, who was always as gentle as a rabbit in front of him, would ssh wine and coffee on someone¡¯s face. ¡°Grandpa, you know I never lie. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask her yourself. Call her right now.¡± Stefan suggested. Call?! Renee¡¯s heart sank. She quickly pressed her phone¡¯s power button with her thumb to turn it off. If Grandpa Timothy called her right now and found her lying under his grandson¡¯s bed, she would be so embarrassed that she would kill herself! However, her phone decided tog at that crucial moment. No matter how long or how hard she pressed the power button, there was no reaction. It would not turn off the phone nor turn on the screen. ¡°Do you want me to call her and ask? If you want, I¡¯ll call her right now.¡± Stefan took out his phone and asked Grandpa Timothy seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. Call her.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Grandpa Timothy did believe that his docile granddaughter-inw may have a strong and aggressive side to her. She was General Everheart¡¯s granddaughter after all. She could not be that meek. It was in her blood. But he would never believe that she would ssh coffee and wine on his grandson¡¯s face. She loved his grandson too much to do that! ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll call her.¡± Stefan slowly searched his contact list for Renee¡¯s number. Renee was so anxious that her forehead was covered in sweat. She debated whether she should crawl out from under the bed to turn herself in. ¡°Actually, forget it¡­¡± Stefan suddenly said. Chapter 709 Chapter 709 ¡°Why? I knew it, you¡¯re lying. You¡¯re ndering her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Stefan continued toin and paint himself as the victim. ¡°I just remembered that she blocked me. See? Not only did she ssh wine and coffee on me, she also blocked off my attempts to make contact with her¡­ She¡¯s giving me physical and mental abuse. No matter how strong I am mentally, I¡¯d still feel sad and hurt.¡± Oh, that¡¯s right, she already blocked him a long time ago. His calls could not reach her. Renee heaved a sigh of relief, but what he said next made her furious. That bastard! He¡¯spletely ndering her! He made it sound like she¡¯s a cold-blooded demon while he¡¯s an innocent angel. He never exined why she blocked him in the first ce and why she would ssh drinks on his face! ¡°I¡¯ve tried my best to win her back. I gave her my everything, but she¡­¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Stefan covered his handsome face with hisrge hand. Depression and pain enshrouded his body. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m so hurt, so tired. I can¡¯t deal with her at all. What should I do?¡± Grandpa Timothy had always been a shrewd man, but his grandson was even shrewder. He could not help being deceived. The old man let out a long sigh and patted Stefan on the shoulder,forting him. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad. I know women are really hard to understand. As long as you¡¯ve tried your best, that¡¯s enough for me. Ren is the one in the wrong here. I¡¯ll give her a talking to. I won¡¯t let her keep hurting you¡­¡± Renee clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She thumped the floor a few times in anger. She was going to explode! ¡®Aaah, Grandpa Timothy, don¡¯t believe him! When have I ever bullied him? How can I bully someone who¡¯s as cunning as a fox and as cold as an iceberg?!¡¯ Renee secretly decided that after she escaped, she must tell Grandpa Timothy the truth as soon as possible to give Stefan a proverbial p to the face. Grandpa Timothy finally left Stefan¡¯s room. The room suddenly became really quiet. Renee held her breath and dared not move an inch. She felt even more nervous now. Her eyes were glued to Stefan¡¯s feet. She wanted to be aware of his position at all times in order to find an opportunity to escape. But that bastard Stefan would sit on the side of the bed from time to time, as if he was deliberately toying with her. Every time he did, it would scare the hell out of her. Then, he would walk away, but never too far off. After repeating this a few times, Renee could not take it anymore. She debated whether she should just rush out of the bed and get it over with. When she saw him take off his shirt to go take a shower, she finally heaved a sigh of relief. She nned to leave as soon as Stefan walked into the bathroom. But before he did, his phone suddenly rang. The caller was Seraphina, the other option Grandpa Timothy gave Stefan. As Grandpa Timothy said, both the Murphy family and Seraphina were very anxious. They hoped the matter between Stefan and Seraphina could reach a conclusion soon. If the two strong families could unite, the future would be bright for them. Stefan returned to the bedside, picked up his phone that was charging, and epted the call. ¡°Lil¡¯ bro, are you home?¡± Seraphina asked in a cheerful voice. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°To thank you for taking care of me, I¡¯ve got a surprise for you. Trust me, you¡¯ll love it.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re home, I¡¯ll bring the surprise over to you right now!¡± Stefan was not interested in the so-called surprise, but thinking of the ¡°audience¡± under the bed, his thin lips curled into a smile and he said eagerly, ¡°I¡¯m at the Hunt Residence. You can bring it here!¡± Chapter 710 Chapter 710 Who was that? Bring what here? Renee could not hear the conversation very clearly from under the bed. But what was certain was that she would have to stay under the bed for a lot longer. ¡®Damn it¡­ Are you serious? I¡¯m not gonna be stuck here all night, am I?¡¯ Renee thumped the floor in frustration. She was gonna go crazy!!! About ten minutester, Seraphina knocked on the door of Stefan¡¯s room. ¡°That was quick.¡± Stefan expressed his surprise when he opened the door. ¡°Of course!¡± Seraphina¡¯s smile was as bright as the sun. She pounced on Stefan, put her arms around his neck, and said, ¡°I actually called you after I¡¯ve already reached the Hunt Residence. I knew you must be here, and I was right! We understand each other so well. We really are brothers!¡± Stefan had long gotten ustomed to Seraphina¡¯s intimate behavior. He did not feel like there was anything inappropriate with how she behaved. He let the woman hug him and rubbed her freshly-styled hair, then said mockingly, ¡°You came to my ce sote at night and even styled your hair. Be honest¡­ What kind of mischief are you nning?¡± Seraphina¡¯s cheeks reddened slightly with a faint blush. She deliberately said in a casual manner, ¡°What? This is natural beauty, man. Have you fallen for my charm?¡± ¡°Oh no, you got me. I¡¯m so fascinated with you that I¡¯m losing my mind.¡± Stefan hugged her back and joked. They all liked to joke with Seraphina like this. In truth, they never saw Seraphina as a woman and had always treated her like a man. From Renee¡¯s perspective, she could see their legs being very close together. They hugged each other for so long and spoke so intimately with each other. Sure enough, there was something going on between those two! Seraphina knew that Stefan was joking, but she could not help feeling moved. With a bright smile, she said, ¡°You stinky brat, you have such a sweet mouth. As expected of my favorite lil¡¯ bro.¡± ¡°I guarantee you¡¯ll like the present I got you. You¡¯re gonna be even more infatuated with me after you see it!¡± After dering that with confidence, she pped her hands and told the two maids who were waiting outside the door, ¡°Thank you. Please bring it in.¡± The two servants cautiously carried a huge present into Stefan¡¯s room. ¡°What is this?¡± Stefan could not help feeling a little curious. ¡°Open it.¡± Seraphina said with a smile with a hand around Stefan¡¯s shoulders. Stefan unwrapped the gift. When he saw what was inside, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but light up a bit. He generously expressed his delight, ¡°You do know me well. I love this gift.¡± Renee stretched her neck to try and catch a glimpse of the present. She was so curious to know what kind of gift could make the CEO of H Group so happy. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°This is LEGO¡¯s star product this year, the X3 spacecraft. As far as I know, they¡¯ve only published the concept ads for it so far. Not only is it a limited edition product, it hasn¡¯t even been officially released yet. How did you get your hands on this?¡± Stefan really loved the present. He asked Seraphina curiously while unboxing the LEGO set. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s fallen head over heels for me. Thatpany¡¯s boss is also one of my many admirers. It¡¯s just a LEGO model. If I wanted it, of course he would give it to me.¡± Seraphina raised her chin and said smugly. Chapter 711 Chapter 711 She knew that Stefan had loved Lego blocks since he was young, so whenever she saw a special edition set, she would immediately buy it for him under the guise of being his ¡®homie¡¯. Every time she watched Stefan open up his present like a little kid on Christmas, she felt extremely happy. The X2 spaceship model on his ss shelf was also a gift from her. Seeing the man build and ce her gift on the most eye-catching spot in his room, she figured she must be somewhat important to him. This belief made her love for him grow even stronger. Stefan took out the tens of thousands of blocks and sat down on the floor with his legs crossed. He looked quite excited to start assembling it. Seraphina sat down as well, hugging Stefan from behind and cing her chin on his shoulder. She asked him cheekily, ¡°If you like my gift this much, shouldn¡¯t you give me a reward in return?¡± Stefan didn¡¯t look up from the blocks, but said generously, ¡°What do you want? I¡¯ll give you anything.¡± ¡°What if I said I wanted you?¡± Seraphina gathered her courage and carefully tested the waters. Stefan frowned, visibly confused as he turned around to look at the woman. He ced his hand on her forehead and asked, ¡°Are you sick or something?¡± ¡°Hahaha, there¡¯s no need to be so tense. I only see you as a bro, my guy. I¡¯m just asking you since my family is urging me to get married. I can¡¯t think of any other way, so I was hoping you could help a bro out!¡± Seraphina still didn¡¯t want to reveal her true intentions, and tried to y it off as a joke. ¡°Why me?¡± Stefan asked casually, raising an eyebrow. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Look, we¡¯re both single, and we¡¯re at the age of marriage. Also, we¡¯re childhood friends, so we know each other well and our backgrounds are simr. Our families are urging us to get married anyway, so why don¡¯t we just do it to shut them up?¡± Seraphina said excitedly, as if she was talking about some kind of grand business project. Stefan was facing the bed at the time, with his slender fingers randomly putting the small blocks together. He wondered what Renee¡¯s expression was like after hearing that, especially since she was currently hiding under his bed. ¡°Sounds good!¡± Stefan said heartily, not rejecting Seraphina. ¡°Marriage is just a legal matter anyway, so it doesn¡¯t matter who I do it with. So why wouldn¡¯t I marry someone I don¡¯t hate, not to mention someone I know well?¡± Renee¡¯s expression instantly turned icy. For some reason, Stefan¡¯s words disappointed her. She had been through marriage, and it was exactly as he said. No matter the person, all that was left at the end of a marriage was just the urge to strangle each other to death. If she had another chance to choose, she would definitely stop herself from marrying for the so-called ¡®love¡¯ she longed for. She believed Stefan had understood this from the start, which exined his hostility during their entire marriage. Hence, choosing to marry Seraphina was the most practical decision he could make. He wasn¡¯t wrong for choosing this option, but it made Renee resent him, and she didn¡¯t quite understand why. ¡®I don¡¯t get it at all! This is so frustrating!¡¯ She thought. ¡°Oh my god, dude, really? You really think it¡¯s a good idea to get married?¡± Seraphina was so excited that she was starting to stumble over her words, and she hugged the man tightly. Chapter 712 Chapter 712 Seraphina had only mentioned marriage for the sake of gauging Stefan¡¯s opinion on it ¨C she had never expected him to take her question seriously at all. To her immense shock, Stefan had ended up¡­ agreeing with her. It felt like a dreame true to the woman, as if the high and mighty star that she had loved for so long had finally fallen into her hands. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to marry me, I¡¯ll let you take over the Murphy family business too. I just want to enjoy life because I don¡¯t have any idea on how to run a business at all. I¡¯ll feel much better with you handling the Murphy business.¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina had already envisioned their wonderful life together after marriage. She grabbed the man¡¯s arm, looking at the crystal chandelier above their heads as she said happily, ¡°We¡¯ll get a vi up west, and decorate the ce however we want. You like anime and Lego blocks, right? We can have a room just for your figurines! I¡¯ll buy you the rarest figurines and the hardest Lego sets to build¡­¡± Seraphina looked at Stefan with a grin. ¡°We can turn our home into our own personal theme park! You won¡¯t have to worry about our marriage being boring too, since I¡¯m not like your ex-wife! I¡¯ll bring excitement into our lives, unlike your cold and dull ex-wife back then. To think it was so bad that you got tired of your marriage!¡± Before Stefan divorced Renee, his friends had made fun of hisckluster marriage all the time. Moreover, Seraphina could tell that Stefan really did despise their rtionship, and had gotten tired of his modest and gentle wife. Thus, she knew she had to show the man the joys of being married so that he would be willing to give it another chance¡­ ¡°Right, my ex-wife was pretty cold. That¡¯s why our marriage fell apart. Now that I think about it, it really was¡­¡± Stefan suddenly paused. ¡°It really was what?¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened as she asked curiously. At the same time, Renee was trying her best to hear what he was about to say. She really wanted to know the man¡¯s true feelings on their failed marriage. Stefan shook his head, his lips curving upwards mysteriously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Seraphina was disappointed, to say the least. She frowned deeply and said, ¡°Hey now, how can you tease me like that? But tell me¡­ do you still miss your rtionship with your ex-wife? If you had another chance, would you choose to start over with her?¡± She wanted to know what Renee meant to him, which would dictate how she was going to treat the woman from now on. Stefan, however, remained silent, and just smiled. Seraphina knew that the man wouldn¡¯t reply if he didn¡¯t want to, so she could only change the topic. ¡°So, my suggestion is good, right? I told you what our married life would be like, so are you¡­ willing to try it out with me?¡± Stefan was holding a Lego block, his expression solemn. He couldn¡¯t possibly respond to Seraphina¡¯s question, since he himself had no idea what to say either. From an objective standpoint, marrying Seraphina would be the best choice as of now, since they would bebining two powerful families with their union. Despite knowing this¡­ He was holding onto a joint block at the time, which was round in shape. As his mind wandered, the block fell out of his grasp, and rolled under the bed. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Renee cussed in her head as the piecended next to her arm. Chapter 713 Chapter 713 Renee¡¯s body tensed up instantly, sweat dripping from her forehead. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe, thinking, ¡®Oh, I¡¯m so doomed¡­¡¯ Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She wasn¡¯t worried that Stefan wouldn¡¯t let her go, she just felt embarrassed about this whole ordeal. She constantly called the man a pervert, but her secretly hiding under his bed was even more perverted than his usual antics! ¡°Dude, you dropped one,¡± Seraphina sighed as she saw the block rolling away. She stood up and walked towards the bed to help him get it. ¡°You have to be careful, you know? I had to go through a lot to get you this set¡­ Ahhh!¡± The woman had just gotten down on all fours, peering under the bed to see where the block was. To her shock, Seraphina saw Renee hiding there, and she let out a piercing shriek. ¡°Under your bed, she¡­ she¡­¡± Seraphina¡¯s face went pale as she stammered, still pointing at Renee shakily. She couldn¡¯t seem to find the words she wanted to say. Stefan, on the other hand, just smirked knowingly. ¡°Come out, then. Are you not tired from hiding for so long?¡± Renee¡¯s heart pounded as a wave of shame and awkwardness flooded her. She thought to herself furiously, ¡®He knew I was under his bed all along ¨C he just pretended not to know so he could toy with me! All the hard work I¡¯ve put in to be cool and indifferent towards him is nothing but a joke now¡­ It¡¯s all gone to waste!¡¯ ¡°What on Earth¡­ Stef, you knew she was under your bed?¡± Seraphina came back to her senses and looked at the man in disbelief. ¡°What twisted game are you two ying?¡± Renee clenched her fists and let out a deep sigh. She then crawled out with a stern expression, trying to hide the fact that part of her soul had just died from humiliation. Her dignity waspletely crushed the moment she looked up and found Stefan¡¯s arrogant gaze on her. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion,¡± Renee said coolly as she dusted herself off, turning around to leave. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be rude to leave just like that?¡± Stefan stared at the woman¡¯s back, a fake smile stered on his face. ¡°As far as I know, trespassing is a serious, punishable offense.¡± Seraphina finally connected the dots in her head. She scolded Renee loudly, ¡°He¡¯s right ¨C you were trespassing! Are you a pervert?! To think you¡¯d choose to hide under his bed too! Did you hear our entire conversation? Ugh, you¡¯re such a calctive woman! What are you doing here?¡± Renee gritted her teeth, unable to hold back her anger as she turned to re at them. ¡°Are you two done yet? Isn¡¯t this enough? You truly are a cruel man, Stefan Hunt! Do you think it¡¯s fun to toy with me?!¡± Stefan chuckled coldly and shrugged. ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°You know what you did. I don¡¯t care if you two want to y out your little love story, but you didn¡¯t have to make me your audience!¡± Renee snapped, never having felt so humiliated in her life. She felt like a fool wrapped around his little finger, and she hated that he thought he could do whatever he wanted with her. ¡°Oh, now I see what you¡¯re trying to do, you hypocrite! You¡¯re the pervert who hid under Stef¡¯s bed, but now you¡¯re trying to put the me on him?! Honestly, you should just call the cops on her, Stef!¡± Seraphina sneered as she took her phone out. She then pointed at Renee and dered, ¡°Let¡¯s have her arrested! The police will surely know how to deal with her!¡± Chapter 714 Chapter 714 However, Renee wasn¡¯t afraid at all. She smirked at the woman and said cockily, ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± Seraphina sputtered angrily, not expecting such a response from Renee. She quickly grabbed Stefan¡¯s arm and whined, ¡°Stef, just look at this woman! She literallymitted a crime, but doesn¡¯t have any remorse! How could someone be so shameless?! You shouldn¡¯t let her off so easily!¡± Stefan nodded, his handsome face serious. ¡°You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t. So¡­ you should head home for now, I¡¯ll punish her myself.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What?¡± Seraphina blinked at him in disbelief. Renee was the one who was supposed to be punished, but Seraphina was the one being chased out of the room. Now, all her righteous indignation just made her seem like a nosy prick instead. ¡°You know, she¡¯s still my ex-wife. It¡¯s very likely that she hid in my room because she still has feelings for me, and she¡¯s probably doing this to win me back¡­¡± Stefan exined as he smiled meaningfully at Renee. Stefan turned to Seraphina and said firmly, ¡°This is a personal matter, so it¡¯s better to resolve it privately; it would be inconvenient to have an outsider around for this.¡± ¡°Outsider?!¡± Seraphina¡¯s expression stiffened for a split second, and she was unable to hide her shock. That word felt like a p in the face, and itpletely shattered her ego. She then took a deep breath andposed herself, pretending as if she was casual about the situation. She grinned as she patted Stefan on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re such a simp, dude. A moment ago, we were bros, but now I¡¯m just an outsider¡­¡± Seraphina sighed dramatically as she sneered, ¡°Fine, fine¡­ Miss Everheart went out of her way to hide under your bed just to seduce you. Even I¡¯m touched by her dedication, and I¡¯m just an outsider! Stop acting all cool and just take her back, Stef!¡± Renee was extremely ufortable hearing all this. Though she despised Stefan, she was now being treated like some kind of lovesick pervert. She couldn¡¯t possibly let them get away with falsely using her like this. ¡°Don¡¯t be a narcissist, Hunt. Don¡¯t you know why I was hiding under your bed?¡± Renee scoffed. Stefan shrugged dismissively. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide the fact that you couldn¡¯t move on from me. Everyone in Beach City recognizes my charms, so it¡¯s only normal.¡± ¡°Ugh, get off your high horse. I moved on ages ago!¡± Renee rolled her eyes, wondering how someone so arrogant existed. Seraphina watched as the two bickered with each other like young teenagers in love. It was passionate and natural, which made the woman feel rather jealous. She subconsciously balled her fists, leaving the room without uttering a single word. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Even if Stefan didn¡¯t ask her to leave, she wouldn¡¯t have had the heart to stay either. If she and Renee were destined to fight over this man, she knew that she would have lost before she could reach the battlefield. After arguing with Stefan for a while, Renee was starting to feel tired. She said finally, ¡°So what if I hid under your bed? I don¡¯t care what you think of me. If you¡¯re upset, then call the cops on me. I just want you to stop being so self-absorbed and using me of being hung up on you¡­ I¡¯ll have you know that my time is precious, and I refuse to waste it on you.¡± Chapter 715 Chapter 715 Renee checked her wristwatch and noticed that it was gettingte, so she decided to leave. Stefan smiled coldly and asked, ¡°Do you not want the Rainbow ze?¡± Renee paused, inwardly thinking, ¡®Of course I do! Why else would I be under your bed?!¡¯ However, she kept up her cold and arrogant facade. ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore. Use it as a urinal or something!¡± Stefan was actually quite amazed by the woman¡¯s vulgarity. The Rainbow ze had been a renowned treasure for thousands of years, with many trying to get their hands on it. Hence, he never would¡¯ve imagined Renee would view it as a urinal. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I knew women were trouble. Their sharp tongues can cut people up, especially those with weak hearts.¡¯ ¡°If you want it, I can just give it to you. Then your efforts won¡¯t be wasted,¡± the man said calmly as he stared at the woman¡¯s slender back. Renee was quite conflicted after hearing this. She had to admit that she was slightly swayed by this, even though she had just refused to take it a few minutes ago. Renee thought about it for a while, then grinned widely at Stefan. ¡°Really? I always knew you were a generous and forgiving man, Mr. Hunt! Even though I insulted you and poured coffee all over you, you didn¡¯t mind at all! You must have understood how helpless a little damsel like me would feel in that situation, which is why you¡¯re being merciful now, right?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was cold, and he said cryptically, ¡°Sure, I could just give it to you-¡° ¡°Aww, that¡¯s way too kind of you! I¡¯d really owe you one then!¡± Renee said as she excitedly scanned the room. ¡°So where is it? Can I just bring it home with me?¡± Stefan massaged his aching temples wearily. ¡°Can you let me finish first?¡± Renee¡¯s enthusiasm quickly died down as she scoffed, ¡°I knew there was a catch! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to make perverted jokes again? If you do, getting coffee poured on you would be the least of your concerns!¡± Stefan smiled stiffly. ¡°No need to get so riled up. I just need you toplete a project with me. Once you do that, the Rainbow ze is yours. I¡¯m sure that sounds like a fair deal.¡± Renee decided to give this man a second chance, and asked him cautiously, ¡°What do you need?¡± Stefan¡¯s gazended on the tens of thousands of Lego blocks, and he smirked slyly. ¡°How¡¯s your building skills?¡± Renee froze, then replied bluntly, ¡°Average.¡± ¡°See, I¡¯m a perfectionist, and I just have to finish building a figurine as soon as I get my hands on one. But it seems to me that this is too much work for one person, and I definitely won¡¯t be able to finish it before dawn. If you can help me finish building it before tomorrowes, I¡¯ll give you the Rainbow ze as a gift.¡± ¡°Th¡­ That¡¯s it?¡± Renee didn¡¯t expect those to be Stefan¡¯s terms. Since she was already quite fond of building blocks, she epted the challenge right away. ¡°Okay, a deal¡¯s a deal¡­¡± The woman then stretched her arms with a confident smile. ¡°Let me show you what true skill looks like then!¡± Chapter 716 Chapter 716 Stefan had no idea that Renee liked building blocks, nor did he know of her extraordinary skills. His true intention was to dampen her spirit by giving her something she wasn¡¯t good at, but¡­ the woman¡¯s performance made him view her in a different light. Renee could easily put a few irregrly shaped blocks together, forming them into aplete shape. It was obvious that her speed and technique exceeded the average person¡¯s. ¡°Huh, I didn¡¯t think you were a master at this,¡± Stefan reluctantly admitted. Anyone else would¡¯ve likely taken at least an hour to make those shapes, but Renee merely needed five minutes to achieve it. Her abilities were practically on his level. The woman didn¡¯t even need to look at the instructions, and she easily pieced another few blocks together. Her cherry lips curled upwards slyly, and she chuckled. ¡°Well, you do have an odd mind, so I¡¯m surprised you even think at all.¡± She thought to herself, ¡®What a waste of intelligence. It¡¯s a shame he can¡¯t read people at all ¨C he thinks Desrosiers is a gentle, innocent woman, and Murphy is an honest, sincere bro. He even thinks I¡¯m the pretentious viiness here, so how could I ever expect him to see anything past the surface?¡¯ Stefan sat down next to her as well, joining her in the block building project. His hands looked delicate under the chandelier light. His fingers were slender, long, and defined, tempting one to intertwine their fingers with them. Renee was initially quite focused, but her eyes couldn¡¯t help but wander to the man¡¯s hands, which slowed down her pace a little. ¡°You¡¯re losing focus.¡± Stefan was a keen observer, and asked curiously, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± The man was just as fast as Renee when it came to working with the blocks, and was able to put a number of them together while he spoke. ¡°N¡­ Nothing!¡± Renee¡¯s face burned up as she looked away. She then scolded herself in her head. ¡®Renee Everheart, pull yourself together, damn it! I know you¡¯re into good looks, but now hands too?! It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t touched a man¡¯s hand before, so what¡¯s with the butterflies!?¡¯ Both of them were working on the wings of the spaceship, each taking a side. Their movements and techniques were surprisingly in sync. Watching Renee, Stefan couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought we¡¯re the same type of person, and that¡¯s why we ended up with a divorce.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Renee paused slightly and scoffed, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked for the divorce, Mr. Hunt? Why are you trying to shift the me now?¡± ¡°That is true, but I was surprised you would agree to it right away¡­¡± Stefan started reminiscing about the past, where he asked Renee for a divorce four years ago. He just couldn¡¯t understand why this woman, who imed to love him so deeply, would immediately agree to separate. She didn¡¯t even try to convince him otherwise. He continued vaguely, ¡°Sometimes I wonder if things would have ended differently if you tried to convince me to stay back then.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes darkened as memories from four years ago shed in her mind. The divorce was such a painful experience for her, but she realized that it didn¡¯t affect her anymore. The memory itself was a blur at this point. She then shook her head, her tone calm. ¡°That¡¯s because I know that it would be a waste of energy and time. Convincing someone who has already decided to leave is absolutely useless, but if I chose to leave right away, I could still protect the little bit of dignity I had left inside of me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I think we¡¯re the same ¨C we prioritize our dignity and pride over everything and everyone else,¡± Stefan said quietly, looking at the spaceship wing that he was almost done building. Chapter 717 Chapter 717 ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡± Renee didn¡¯t deny it either. Thinking back, despite having been married to the man for so many years, despite expressing every ounce of love she had for him, she¡¯d never really tried putting her ego aside to make him stay either. She had been willing to give up everything for him, but she had let him go as soon as he brought it up. She didn¡¯t bother to try to save the rtionship, and even left before he could leave her¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if things would¡¯ve been different for them if she had just done something back then. As time passed, the clock soon struck 3 AM, which was usually when the human body felt most exhausted. Renee was starting to feel drowsy, and her movements were slowing down. However, she knew that she couldn¡¯t sleep now, as she wanted to get the Rainbow ze. She simply had to finish this project before dawn arrived. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m getting sleepy.¡± Stefan stretched as he looked at the Lego set that was only partiallyplete. He turned to the woman and said, ¡°We¡¯re not going to finish it anyway, so why don¡¯t you get some shut eye?¡± Renee bit down on her tongue so that she could stay awake. ¡°You can go ahead and sleep if you¡¯re tired. I can finish this on my own. I just hope you can keep your promise and not y any tricks this time!¡± ¡°Are you sure you can do this on your own?¡± Stefan smirked. ¡°Normally it¡¯d take at least half a month to finish building something like this.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m not the average person, so I don¡¯t need that much time,¡± Renee said in a determined and arrogant tone. Noticing the woman¡¯s fatigued eyes, Stefan sighed. ¡°I¡¯m being serious, you can go get some rest first. I¡¯ll give you the Rainbow zeter.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that!¡± Renee¡¯s movements quickened as she responded, ¡°We made a deal, so I have to keep my word. I don¡¯t need your pity.¡± ¡°Fine then, I¡¯m going to bed.¡± This was the first time Stefan had ever seen Renee¡¯s sheer stubbornness. Hence, he decided not to say anything else and headed to the bathroom within the master bedroom. Once he was done with showering, he noticed Renee curled up on the floor sleeping, still holding some blocks in her hands. ¡°Oh, Renee Everheart, you sure do talk big.¡± Stefan chuckled as he stared at the woman, his gaze softening. Barefooted, he quietly approached the woman and picked her up bridal style. Renee was simply fatigued, as she had been pulling quite a few all-nighters. She clung to the man with both her arms wrapped around her neck, drifting in and out of sleep. Stefan lowered his head, looking at the woman fast asleep in his arms, and a wave of affection overwhelmed him. He was usually a hostile person, and disliked being too close to anyone. However, he couldn¡¯t help but wish this moment wouldst a little longer, so that he didn¡¯t have to break away from her soft embrace¡­ ¡°What kind of spell is this, woman? How do you always make me look past my principles time and time again?¡± He murmured as he ced her on the bed, gently brushing the hair out of her face. Suddenly, he realized what he was doing, and was about to get up to leave. At that moment, Renee hugged his waist tightly and refused to let go. She mumbled under her breath, ¡°You can¡¯t leave, I wanna hug.¡± Chapter 718 Chapter 718 It was already afternoon when Renee woke up the next day. She was on a softrge bed that had a rxing fragrance emanating from its sheets. She soon realized that it was Stefan¡¯s unique scent. It was said that a person could identify the scent of someone they loved very much; it wasn¡¯t the smell of their perfume, but the scenting from within their very souls. It was likely that Stefan was considered somewhat important in her heart, which was why Renee could still recognize his unique scent. ¡°Damn it!¡± Renee jumped up from the bed as soon as she realized where she was, the shock waking her up in an instant. She was the only one left in the room at the time, as Stefan seemed to have gone off somewhere already. ¡°Ugh, how could I have fallen asleep?¡± Renee pped herself on the forehead, frustrated that she hadn¡¯t finished building the Lego set. Furthermore, she just had to end up sleeping in Stefan¡¯s bed. She could only imagine how Stefan would humiliate her because of this. Not only would she not get the Rainbow ze, she had given the man another opportunity to humiliate her. ¡®I really messed up¡­¡¯ Renee thought miserably and shook her head. Within just a few minutes, she tidied up and got out of bed. She then noticed thepleted version of the X2 spaceship being disyed on the ss shelf, which made her gawk in disbelief. ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s finished! Did that guy use some sort of dark magic? This is insane!¡± Renee remembered that she barely had one-third of it assembled, and the rest of the blocks had been scattered everywhere. It was simply unthinkable that he had done this alone. She then thought to herself, ¡®Didn¡¯t Hunt go to bed right after he showered? Did he just randomly wake up in the middle of the night to continue building this thing? There¡¯s no way he¡¯d pull an all-nighter to finish this though. He¡¯d be risking not getting enough sleep, and he¡¯d be letting me win. What does he get out of this then?¡¯ Renee was perplexed, but didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. ¡®Ah, whatever, it¡¯s done anyway, so Hunt has to keep his end of the deal and hand over the Rainbow ze. He said he was a man of his word after all!¡¯ As she continued pondering, Renee took her phone out, so that she could ask the man to give her what he promised. However, before she could dial his number, Stefan¡¯s bedroom door swung open. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re up.¡± The person who entered was Timothy, Stefan¡¯s grandfather. ¡°Uhm, G-Grandpa Timothy!¡± Renee¡¯s gaze darted to the ground, feeling so awkward that her entire body tensed up. She hoped the old man wouldn¡¯t misunderstand her rtionship with Stefan, but it would be quite hard not to, especially after seeing her getting out of his bed. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Timothy looked the woman up and down with a serene and knowing smile. ¡°Was that punk rough on youst night, dear?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Chapter 719 Chapter 719 Renee tried to exin. ¡°Grandpa, actually,st night¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything more, you don¡¯t have to be so shy about it either. You¡¯re both youngsters after all, even if something did happen between the two of you, it¡¯spletely normal. I may be old, but I¡¯m not that conservative. I understand.¡± Timothy was grinning widely as he cleared his throat. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s good that the little punk finally came to his senses. This morning, he even told me that you needed lots of rest afterst night, so I shouldn¡¯t disturb you. He said you could sleep till whatever time you liked.¡± Renee blushed, her voice panicked. ¡°Grandpa Timothy, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Nothing happened between usst night, we-¡° ¡°Nothing happened? And yet¡­ you¡¯ve slept in his bed the whole night.¡± The old man grinned at her cheekily. ¡°Well¡­ He¡­ He didn¡¯ty in bed with me. He was probably building his lego spaceship, so we really didn¡¯t¡­¡± The more Renee tried to exin, the more guilty she looked. ¡°Oh child, I understand, alright? Don¡¯t be so shy now. And¡­ I think it¡¯s time that you stop ying games with him.¡± Timothy sighed deeply and patted Renee on the shoulder, his expression serious this time. ¡°Grandpa Timothy, what do you mean by that?¡± Renee didn¡¯t quite understand what he was trying to imply. ¡°How could you not understand me with that smart mind of yours?¡± The old man shook his head, pity on his wrinkled face. ¡°Ren, we know that Stefan wronged and hurt you in the past, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve hurt him just as much? You¡¯ve put him through so much torture throughout these years, so are you still not satisfied? I just think it¡¯s time to settle down now, alright?¡± Timothy sighed deeply. ¡°You know, that grandson of mine confided in me for the first timest night. He said he felt miserable, he had tried doing everything to win you back, but nothing was working. I couldn¡¯t help but sympathize with him, since I am his grandfather after all.¡± ¡°I know you still love him¡­ Somewhere in your heart, I know you do. So, please listen to me and stop all of this. Don¡¯t chase him away, or you might regret it again.¡± After hearing Timothy¡¯s words, Renee froze up, but soon found the entire situation quite humorous. ¡°Grandpa Timothy, you know I¡¯ve always respected you, because I thought you were a fair and just person. But it looks like you¡¯re still somewhat biased towards your own grandson. I can tell you with the utmost certainty that his ¡®misery¡¯ is all just an act to push the me onto me, so that I be the viin in this story¡­ In my opinion, he¡¯s nothing but a heartless and shameless prick! How could I possibly still hold love for someone like that?!¡± Timothy was able to understand his grandson¡¯s misery and helplessness even more now. It was simply despairing to realize that someone who once loved you wholeheartedly had given up on you completely. It was especially painful when you had developed feelings for them as well, only to realize that it was toote because you didn¡¯t cherish them from the beginning¡­ ¡°Ren, whatever you say now doesn¡¯t matter, but I really hope you are telling the truth. Don¡¯t act as if you don¡¯t care when you really do on the inside. When you¡¯ve really missed the chance to pursue what your heart desires, you will only hurt yourself the most.¡± Timothy¡¯s gaze was sad as he looked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa, I¡¯ve always been an honest girl. My love for Stefan Hunt died the moment we got a divorce. I¡¯m not trying to y games with him either ¨C I really want to cut ties with him so that we can find our happiness on our own,¡± Renee replied calmly. ¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t try to convince you otherwise. Ah, it¡¯s just a shame that my grandson¡¯s sincere efforts are going to waste!¡± ¡°Rx, Grandpa, your grandson is just ying the victim here. All that sincerity is just a facade! It¡¯s to hide his bad intentions! He probably just felt annoyed that you kept urging him to get married, which is why he made you turn to me instead!¡± Renee huffed. She figured that she could basically read the man¡¯s mind by now after spending all those years married to him. ¡°So, this thing that he told me to give you the moment you wake up¡­ Would this be considered bad intentions on his end too?¡± Timothy asked softly as he told the maid to bring over the Rainbow ze that Renee had wanted. The woman was absolutely shocked to see the beautiful relic, and was unable to take her eyes off of it for quite some while. ¡®Hunt is just¡­ going to give this to me? But why?¡¯ Chapter 720 Chapter 720 Renee left the Hunt manor with the Rainbow ze in her arms, still feeling rather conflicted. She then called Rubio, hoping to settle matters regarding the Everheart Residence as soon as she could. The two decided to meet up in a lovely vi within Care Farm. Rubio was smoking a cigarette at the time, a young woman in her early twenties sitting right next to him. ¡°You¡¯re quite a diligent woman, I must say! You were able to get your hands on this priceless treasure that many would sell their souls for, in such a short period no less! I knew you could do it ¨C you¡¯re capable and tenacious, as expected from my confidant.¡± Renee had ced the Rainbow ze into a beautiful box, holding it with both her arms carefully the whole time. She smiled softly and responded, ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Rubio. It¡¯s just an artifact, really. There¡¯s probably loads of substitutes out there. It¡¯s not like it can grant immortality, so how could people be willing to sell their souls for such a thing?¡± Rubio just smiled, his eyes fixated on the box in Renee¡¯s hands, looking as sly as a fox. However, the young woman next to him scoffed at Renee. ¡°Ugh, uncultured much? Do you know just how valuable the Rainbow ze is? Sure, immortality sounds great, but this thing can cure any illness! It even helps chase bad omens away!¡± ¡°It¡¯s rumored that it can help freshen your mind and extend your lifespan if you pour drinks from it. Back then, the Hunts and Carmine Pawnshop went head to head with each other just to get their hands on this treasure! The Hunts needed it to extend their second son¡¯s life after all, and because of that, that family nearly-¡° ¡°Shut up!¡± Rubio shot the young woman a dirty re just as Renee was getting interested in the story. The young woman then lowered her head, not daring to utter another word. ¡°They needed it to extend Stefan Hunt¡¯s lifespan?¡± Renee asked with a frown. ¡°Rubio, can you tell me anything about this relic? Why would the Hunt family go to such extremes for a mere artifact?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Rubio smirked coyly, naturally refusing to reveal much to Renee. ¡°Just hand me the relic, and I¡¯ll give you yournd. What¡¯s with this nosy business all of a sudden? So what if this thing helps with the Hunt family bloodline? You¡¯re divorced, so the fate of the Hunt family has nothing to do with you now, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m just a very thorough person. I can give you the item, but I have to know its history first.¡± Renee spoke firmly, seemingly determined as she stared back at the man. Rubio was losing his patience, and he leaned back against the sofa with a chilling grin. ¡°It¡¯s up to you then. Hand me the relic and I¡¯ll sign the contract. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll just carry on with my work as nned next week. It doesn¡¯t really matter to me anyway, so make sure you think it over.¡± ¡°Sorry, Rubio. I can¡¯t give this to you until I understand the situationpletely,¡± Renee replied and left with the Rainbow ze right away. If the relic really was that important to the Hunt family, or to Stefan Hunt, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to give it to Rubio for her own selfish reasons. She would just have to find another way to get the Everheart Residence back. Rubio watched as the woman left, his lips curving into a mysterious smile. The young woman didn¡¯t quite understand. She hugged Rubio¡¯s arm and asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, ¡°Rubio, that¡¯s the priceless Rainbow ze. How could you just let it go over somend?¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Rubio nced at the woman disdainfully. ¡°This is a battle between the powerful, and I¡¯m just a little pawn in this game of chess. If she did hand the relic over before the boss gave any further orders, I¡¯d just be attracting unwanted trouble to myself. It¡¯s best to stay out of this.¡± The young woman couldn¡¯t suppress her curiosity. ¡°The boss you mentioned¡­ Is it the second son of the Hunt family, Stefan Hunt? If it really is him, it¡¯s true that we can¡¯t afford to offend him.¡± Rubio just smiled cryptically. ¡°No, the true mastermind is someone else.¡± Chapter 721 Chapter 721 Renee carried the Rainbow ze with her the entire time and arrived at the Azure Group with an absent mind. She was wondering if she should return it back to Stefan. After all, if the relic truly was an important item to him and to his family, she couldn''t possibly repay his kindness for giving it to her without any requirements at all. She wouldn''t even have the heart to give him attitude the next time they bumped into each other. ''How frustrating would that be?! Ah, whatever, I should just give it back! Nothing''s free in this world!'' The employees of Azure Group instantly fussed over Renee when they saw her. "Ms. Everheart, what brings you here? You should be resting at home! Please don''t walk around too much!" "We''re here to look after thepany, and everything''s going smoothly. Don''t you worry about us. You should take care of yourself first!" "Ah! Ms. Everheart, slow down! The janitor just cleaned the floor earlier, so you might slip!" Everyone swarmed Renee with concern, with some trying to support her arms while others fanned her with their little electric fans. Wyatt had also prepared a ss of fresh milk for her and told her kindly, "Ms. Everheart, are you thirsty? Here, have some warm milk. It''s nutritious too." Renee waspletely bewildered, and looked at the crowd with narrowed eyes. "Hey, what''s all this about? People would think I''m about to die if they saw this!" She knew that her employees loved and admired her, but she didn''t expect them to go as far as to worship her like an actual goddess. She couldn''t handle this treatment at all! "Ms. Everheart, you''re not about to die, you''re just... branching out. So, it''s better to be safe than sorry," Wyatt said as he smiled at her meaningfully, which only made Renee even more confused. She sat in her office, staring nkly at the box that contained the Rainbow ze, still wondering if she should return it. Suddenly, she remembered that herpany was on the opposite side of the Hunt Enterprise headquarters. She might just be able to sneak a peek into Stefan''s office from here. "Wyatt, can you get me a telescope?" Renee excitedly asked her assistant. "I think so. I''ll have the admins send it over right away." One of the admins soon brought Renee a high-powered telescope, which she ced before the French windows and started scanning the other side with it. Stefan''s office was on a higher floor than hers, but it was noticeably different from the other rooms in hispany, so she was able to locate it rather quickly.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. "That guy sure is a workaholic. It''s lunchtime, but he isn''t moving from his desk at all! Is he not hungry?" Renee mumbled to herself as she tip-toed to look into her telescope. Wyatt, on the other hand, let out a long sigh as he watched Renee. He seemed to be quite saddened. ''Oh my, Ms. Everheart really does have a difficult life. She''s pregnant with Mr. Hunt''s child, yet she''s still longing for his love so desperately! Men really do suck, including the CEO of Hunt Enterprise, despite being known as the perfect man! He''s just a two-faced monster!'' "No, I can''t bear to watch Ms. Everheart continue living like this. I have to think of something!" Wyatt whispered to himself determinedly, his minding up with a n. Chapter 722 Chapter 722 Renee stood before the windows while she tried her best to adjust the angle of the telescope, acting as if she was a spy focused on her mission. Everyone had a tendency to snoop at some point, and it should be fine if she snooped on the legendary Stefan Hunt himself. The man was currently sitting before his desk, reading through the document in his hands thoroughly. His defined, charming features were perfectly sculpted, making him look like he belonged on the front cover of a magazine. ¡°Ugh, just look at how serious he¡¯s pretending to be. I refuse to believe you won¡¯t yawn or pick your nose in private!¡± Renee scoffed cheekily as she stayed in the same position for quite some time, hoping to capture a glimpse of Stefan¡¯s uglier side. After a short while, Stefan received a call and got up, walking over to his windows with a cup of coffee in his hand. ¡°Sh*t!¡± Renee ducked immediately, worried that she would be caught red-handed. From what she knew of the man, he was aplete narcissist who thought she still had feelings for him. If he were to find out that she was spying on him with a telescope, he would definitely not let it slide. Thinking that Stefan had likely walked away, Renee peeked out from her hiding spot and started looking for him once more. ¡°Wait, where did he go? How did he disappear like that?¡± She muttered as she looked into the telescope, frantically searching. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± A deep, calm voice sounded from behind her. ¡°What kind of question is that? That pervert of course!¡± Renee replied without turning around, continuing her search by staring into the man¡¯s office from different angles. She seemed rather childish at that moment. ¡°I¡¯d really like to see if he picks his nose or something in private. I refuse to believe that a normal person could maintain the same perfect act all the time! Doesn¡¯t he ever get tired?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really that curious, I¡¯ll allow you to watch me up close,¡± the deep-voiced man chuckled. ¡°Huh?¡± Renee finally noticed that something was off, and quickly spun around. To her horror, she found Stefan sitting at her desk with his legs crossed and both hands in his pockets. He was staring back at her with a slight smile. As the telescope fell to the ground, Renee buried her face into her hands with a groan, wishing she could disappear into thin air. ¡®Oh god, let lightning strike me now!¡¯ ¡°People told me that you couldn¡¯t move on, but I didn¡¯t quite understand that before. But now, it looks to me like you really do still love me, to the point you¡¯d stoop so low as to spy on me.¡± Stefan smirked. Although he seemedposed on the surface, he was actually quite happy and proud of this. Renee felt like she was about to explode from rage. Her eyes narrowed as she turned towards Wyatt, who was hiding behind the door. ¡°Who let him in here? How can the security department of Azure Group be so weak?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Everheart, it was my idea to ask Mr. Hunt toe by. I just couldn¡¯t bear watching your love for him to go to waste. Besides, I think the both of you need a nice, long talk¡­¡± Wyatt raised his hand apologetically. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. He then turned to Stefan angrily. ¡°Mr. Hunt, even if men suck, I¡¯d like to believe that you are different. If you have chosen to love Miss Everheart, then take some damn responsibility! At the very least, your issues with each other shouldn¡¯t affect the child, don¡¯t you think?¡± Stefan nodded. ¡°If that is true, I will take responsibility for her, I promise.¡± ¡°Good! So talk to each other, and I¡¯ll be excusing myself. I¡¯m not going to stick around to be a third wheel! I hope you guys bear many children in the future!¡± Wyatt quickly fled the scene before Renee could strangle him to death. Chapter 723 Chapter 723 Finally, the only people left in the room were Renee and Stefan. ¡°What the heck? What does he mean by ¡®many children¡¯?¡± Renee turned to Stefan in rm. ¡®Could he have found out about Abby and Adie¡¯s existence? If he has, there¡¯s going to be a battle soon. This is war!¡¯ She knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time to go against the Hunts, which was why she still felt somewhat uneasy. However, if it was bound to happen, she would not go down without a fight either. ¡®No one¡­ And I mean no one can take Abby and Adie away from me!¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s no one around, so drop the act. I know about our child,¡± Stefan said nonchntly. Renee clenched her fists, still pretending to be aloof. ¡°What child? I don¡¯t understand. If you want babies to continue your bloodline so badly, just spread the news and pick a girl with the best genes! Aren¡¯t you being a little ridiculous by clinging to your ex-wife like this?!¡± Stefan stared at Renee, pausing before he gave her a cryptic smile. ¡°I thought you were pregnant with my child, which is why you made such a bigmotion that day. Isn¡¯t it so that I¡¯d take responsibility? To be honest¡­ I am at a suitable age to have children anyway, and it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t ept you as the mother of my children.¡± ¡°What?¡± Renee echoed,pletely stunned. ¡°You¡¯re saying I¡¯m¡­ pregnant with your child?¡± ¡°Were you not aware?¡± Stefan continued with a straight face. ¡°Were you not the one who provided information to the paparazzi? Just look at the news!¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°I wasn¡¯t, I really wasn¡¯t.¡± Renee¡¯s mind went nk. ¡°What paparazzi? What news?¡± Stefan didn¡¯t exin anything further and took his phone out, searching the current trending news before handing it to the woman. ¡°Take a look for yourself!¡± Renee hesitated briefly, read the article, and¡­ exploded right away. ¡°What?! Which of those damn paparazzi jerks wrote this? When was I ever pregnant? And they even wrote that I was practically begging you to take responsibility! Even Shakespeare would have to bow down to their creativity!¡± Stefan stood up and approached her, still smiling. ¡°If you did this to get back together, I really don¡¯t mind, you know? Our children will definitely have both brains and beauty with our genes. So¡­ are you pregnant or not?¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee burst out, putting her arms up into an ¡®X¡¯ sign. ¡°Birth control is the way to go! Besides, I don¡¯t even love you, so why would I ever carry your babies? Do you think I have a lot of time and energy on my hands?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze darkened, his voice turning cold and intimidating. ¡°So you¡¯re not willing to carry my children even if I am willing to take full responsibility?¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Renee gritted her teeth. ¡°I want to cut ties with you! If I were to have your children, it¡¯d be impossible for me to do that now, wouldn¡¯t it? Why would I ever want such a horrible future? I¡¯m not an idiot!¡± Stefan¡¯s expression became colder by the minute. After all, the woman¡¯s words were like sharp des stabbing the man¡¯s heart. His ego thoroughly bruised, anger now rose in him. He warned the woman in a harsh voice, saying, ¡°Remember what you said today, Everheart. If you dare lie to me, I will make your life a living hell!¡± Chapter 724 Chapter 724 Stefan¡¯s threats made Renee feel more rmed, and she wondered if he had noticed any discrepancies in her denial. However, since he hadn¡¯t made it clear that this was the case, she didn¡¯t want to question him any further either. Just as the man was about to leave, Renee¡¯s eyesnded on the box which contained the Rainbow ze. ¡°Wait.¡± Stefan¡¯s tall figure halted, anticipation in his eyes but his voice cold as he turned back to her. ¡°What is it? Have you changed your mind?¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. ¡®This man is so self-absorbed!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I just wanted you to take this back with you ¨C I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± The woman pushed the box towards him with a cold expression. Stefan looked visibly upset, and his aura was so menacing that anyone around him would get chills. He scoffed, ¡°You don¡¯t need it anymore?¡± ¡°Actually, I just don¡¯t want to owe you any favors. This thing seems pretty valuable, so if I were to take it, we¡¯d only be making things harder to settle between us.¡± Renee folded her arms, looking just as indifferent herself. In reality, not wanting to owe the man a favor was merely part of the reason she was returning the artifact. She knew that the Rainbow ze was likely very important to Stefan and his family, so she didn¡¯t want to trouble him and the rest of the Hunts by taking it away from them. Despite this, she didn¡¯t want Stefan to realize that she was worried about him, which was why she¡¯d rather him view her as a heartless woman instead. As expected, her words were like adding fuel to the fire, burning the little bit of rationality he had to a crisp. He immediately grabbed the woman by the wrists, and pulled her into his arms. His eyes were filled with desire as he red at her as if he wanted to eat her up. ¡°Renee Everheart, do you really hate me that much? Are you really willing to suffer, just for the sake of cutting ties with me?¡± The man questioned frostily. Renee wasn¡¯t afraid at all, and she stared back at the man expressionlessly the whole time. She scoffed and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be happy I¡¯m cutting ties with you? Why are you still barking at me like a dog? Or¡­ could it be that you still have feelings for me, Mr. Hunt?¡± Renee actually just intended to annoy him. She assumed that a prideful man like him wouldn¡¯t be willing to be the pursuer in the rtionship, as it would make him seem desperate. She thought he would retaliate by insulting her, but¡­ the man¡¯s response was out of her expectations. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Yeah, I do! I do still have feelings for you, and I never want us to separate. What about it?¡± Stefan snarled at her, his eyes zing. ¡°You¡­¡± Renee was so shocked that she couldn¡¯te up with anything to say. Stefan narrowed his eyes at her, and growled, ¡°Do you think I have nothing to do with my life, Everheart? Do you think I was creating opportunities to meet you for absolutely no reason? Do you think you¡¯re the only one who knows how to use a telescope to spy on someone?¡± ¡°Those nights when you had to work overtime, when you had to pull all-nighters, when you were stretching just to keep yourself awake, when you were drinking coffee at your desk, when you were dancing around while listening to music¡­ If you had just turned around, you would¡¯ve seen just how much affection I had for you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I sealed my heart away, and that I swore to never fall for you again. But when you appear before my eyes, all my efforts go to waste!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just so great, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re able to manipte my emotions however you please! So how are you going to take responsibility for me, huh? Have you ever thought about that?!¡± Stefan bit out furiously, his words desperate but his tone arrogant. Renee never would have expected the situation to turn out this way. Chapter 725 Chapter 725 Renee thought to herself, ¡®Isn¡¯t Stefan Hunt the most cocky and heartless person? How could he possibly have this many thoughts hidden away?¡¯ ¡°Hunt, you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re joking, right? Or have you been drinking? Is this the alcohol talking?¡± She knew how low the man¡¯s alcohol tolerance was, so it was still a possibility that this was the case. The woman refused to believe that he would ever hold such deep love for her, especially considering their terrible past rtionship with each other, and the fact that she had seen his sheer ruthlessness. The woman¡¯s question was just like a bucket of water, extinguishing all of Stefan¡¯s burning passion. Instantly, his rationality returned, and the longing in his eyes was quickly reced with hostility. Stefan then let go of her hands and sneered, ¡°Renee Everheart, is your heart made of stone? You really are the cruelest, most dense woman I have ever met!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t try to pin the me on me, you should know which of us is truly the cruelest and-¡° ¡°Whatever!¡± Stefan interrupted her, not wanting to continue the conversation. After all, he was the CEO of H Group, a man who had always been in the highest position within his field. Normally, he was the one rejecting others, not the other way around. Despite putting his ego aside, all he received in return was doubt and jest from the woman, leaving him feeling as though she could easily crush his self-esteem. He thought, ¡®I am THE Stefan Hunt, and I refuse to let myself go through such humiliation!¡¯ Just as he was about to leave, Renee grabbed hold of his arm. ¡°Take this with you!¡± However, the man just flung her hand off, responding coldly, ¡°Do whatever you want with it.¡± As Stefan left the office, he noticed a group of employees gathered around the door. It was obvious that they had heard everything that had gone down inside. Stefan scowled and threatened them, ¡°None of you are to tell a soul about what happened here¡­ or else.¡± The employees lowered their heads frightfully, not daring to say a word. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only After Stefan finally left thepany, Wyatt walked into Renee¡¯s office as their representative. At the time, Renee seemed to be on herputer, busily working as if she waspletely unaffected. Stefan¡¯s ¡®temper tantrum¡¯ was just another minor episode to her, and it wasn¡¯t quite enough to affect her mood. ¡°Miss Everheart, are¡­ are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Renee lifted her head, looking at Wyatt sternly. ¡°So, you¡¯ve all been acting weird towards me because you thought I was pregnant?¡± ¡°Are you not? Really? You¡¯re not pregnant with Mr. Hunt¡¯s child?¡± Renee mmed her document on the desk, visibly enraged. ¡°Can you use your brain for once? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re no longer fit to be my assistant. Pack your things and collect your sry from HR, you¡¯re fired.¡± Wyatt was panicked, but figured that this was inevitable. He had noints, but felt regretful about it. ¡°Miss Everheart, I don¡¯t mind leaving my position, but I hope that you can face your true feelings some day. The more you resist, the more it shows that you¡¯re avoiding the truth. If you really didn¡¯t have feelings for Mr. Hunt, you wouldn¡¯t have used such extreme methods to show it. Who are you trying to convince?¡± Renee fell silent, her lips pressed together. Wyatt¡¯s words were worrisome, as she knew that she indeed didn¡¯t dare to face the truth deep within her heart¡­ Chapter 726 Chapter 726 At night, Renee headed back to her apartment with the Rainbow ze. The ce was rather lively, with Mr. Q ying with the children. There was even a hearty dinner left on the dining table just for her. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Renee asked casually as she closed the door. Compared to before, she was no longer against being around this man. Sometimes, she would even feel relieved to find him in her house when she returned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I¡¯m now your husband and the father of your two children, so I¡¯m obligated to take care of you. It¡¯s my responsibility to make sure youe back to a warm meal, and to keep the kids company,¡± Mr. Q exined as he continued ying ¡®red light, green light¡¯ with the children. He didn¡¯t sound like he was joking at all, and seemed to be truly genuine in everything he said. ¡°Yeah, Mommy! We¡¯re a family, so of course we¡¯re living together. Let me tell you a secret¡­ Daddy Q picked us up from school today! Our ssmates were so jealous that we had a tall and strong daddy!¡± Abby proudly eximed as she wrapped her arms around Mr. Q¡¯s leg. It was clear that the man had already won over Abby. If this went on, Renee felt like the little one would prefer Mr. Q over her own mother. The woman smiled awkwardly and didn¡¯t respond. She knew that this was just a facade, and Mr. Q had better acting skills than her. He was the perfect husband and father, with absolutely no ws in his act. On the contrary, she was being dismissive the whole time, which meant that the twins would soon catch on that this was all fake. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so you two should go to bed now ¨C only then will you have the energy for school tomorrow.¡± Renee turned to the children, who were still happily ying. She had some things to discuss with Mr. Q in private.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Aiden was smart, and nodded obediently. ¡°Abby, we should go to sleep now, and let Daddy Q and Mommy get to spend some time together.¡± Renee felt slightly awkward when she heard that, and she brushed her hair to the side of her face stiffly. ¡®Tsk tsk, sometimes it can really be a headache to have such smart children.¡¯ Margeret then took the children to bed, leaving Renee and Mr. Q in the living room. The man was sitting on the couch in a rxed position, his legs crossed. Anyone looking at him would have thought that this was actually his home. ¡°So, what would you like to ask?¡± He asked with a fake smile, as if he could see right through Renee. ¡°You¡¯re a smart guy, so I do have something to ask you.¡± Renee didn¡¯t stall any longer and ced the box containing the Rainbow ze onto the coffee table. She was straightforward with him. ¡°I got the Rainbow ze, but I¡¯d like to know what exactly is so special about it, and why it¡¯s so special to Stefan Hunt and his family. Why did the two of you fight so much over it?¡± ¡°He actually gave you such a precious relic¡­¡± Mr. Q gave aplicated smile, putting a thumb up. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still very important to him. To think he¡¯d give you something that he needed to survive. Even though I¡¯m his rival, I can¡¯t help but feel impressed by his love and dedication for you.¡± ¡°Needed to survive?¡± Renee asked slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The Rainbow ze is made of a rare material, and using it with any liquid can generate a cure to all illnesses. And it¡¯s not just some silly myth¡­¡± Mr. Q smiled at her bitterly. ¡°Back when Stefan Hunt and his brother, Tristan Hunt, encountered an assassination, Stefan Hunt was left with a hidden ailment. He needed to use the Rainbow ze periodically to stabilize his condition. That¡¯s why the Hunt family used up almost all their resources just to obtain the relic, and managed to win against Carmine Pawnshop. That was how he defeated me.¡± Chapter 727 Chapter 727 Mr. Q calmly described the situation as if he was an outsider in the scenario. Despite having lost the battle, he didn¡¯t seem to hold any resentment at all, and graciously epted his defeat. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? How is that possible?¡± Renee was certain that Mr. Q was lying on purpose, all for the sake of toying with her. ¡°I¡¯d believe it if you said the relic had historical value, but I refuse to believe that it can cure all diseases! This is real life, not some fantasy movie! If you keep bluffing, this thing is going to reveal its true form as a god or something!¡± ¡°You can choose to not believe me, but it is the truth. Stefan Hunt handed you something that he needs to survive, which means that he literally put his life in your hands. I¡¯m sure he asked for something in return.¡± Mr. Q raised an eyebrow questioningly. ¡°He didn¡¯t ask for much, he¡­ he probably felt like he owed me too much, so he gave this to me¡­ to make himself feel better about himself.¡± Renee stammered, trying toe up with a believable excuse. ¡°From what I know of him, Stefan Hunt isn¡¯t someone who would reflect on his issues so easily. He¡¯s such an arrogant man, so why would he ever think he owes anyone anything?¡± Mr. Q scoffed. Renee stared at the man in bewilderment. ¡°Then¡­ Why would he give me such an important relic?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he still has feelings for you, and he wants to get back together with you,¡± Mr. Q replied bluntly. Renee¡¯s face flushed, and she wondered if the angry confession earlier had some truth in it. ¡°So, what do you think? Would you like to start over with him¡­ or me?¡± Mr. Q smiled softly, but his gaze was serious. Renee clenched her fists, looking determined. ¡°I will never get back together with him, so I don¡¯t care if he still has feelings or if he hasn¡¯t moved on. It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mr. Q¡¯s smile widened slightly as he continued. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯re willing to give me a shot?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that far¡­¡± Renee mumbled, not rejecting him outright. In actuality, she was starting to get used to the man¡¯s existence after spending some time with him. If the children really needed a father, Mr. Q was definitely a suitable candidate. Mr. Q then suddenly asked, ¡°Have you ever wondered what you¡¯d do if word about your twins got out? What if the Hunt family tried to fight for custody?¡± Renee frowned, feeling uneasy. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it from me, I can tell just by looking at them ¨C they¡¯re definitely rted to your ex-husband. It¡¯s just a matter of time till they find out, so it¡¯s better to prepare beforehand,¡± Mr. Q said in a mysterious tone. At that point, the woman didn¡¯t want to deny it any longer either. At the very least, Mr. Q was less harmful than Stefan, and wouldn¡¯t ever try to fight against her for custody. In fact, the four of them might just be able to live a blissful life together. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Renee looked at the man and asked slowly, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®preparing¡¯ though?¡± Chapter 728 Chapter 728 Mr. Q ced his hands together and replied, ¡°If Stefan Hunt really were to fight you for custody, what do you think your biggest disadvantage would be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I have any disadvantages.¡± Renee seemed cocky, replying coldly. ¡°I raised both of them, that¡¯s a big enough advantage. He has nothing against me.¡± ¡°If it was someone else, they might not be able to win against you, but this man is Stefan Hunt ¨C he has H Group behind his back. As long as they wish it, both the court and the public would surely favor them without questions. If you don¡¯t have a perfect n to counter his attacks, you might just lose horribly.¡± Renee clenched her fists, looking slightly depressed. ¡°What would be a perfect n, then?¡± ¡°Back to my previous question. If Stefan Hunt were to fight for custody, I think your biggest disadvantage would be the environment you could provide for the children, not your financial status or education level¡­¡± Renee shook her head, visibly confused. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Children need to be raised in a healthy environment. Imagine this ¨C if they followed Stefan Hunt, they would have a father, grandparents, and arge extended family to provide them with love and care¡­ You, however, are all alone, you¡¯re all that¡¯s left of the Everheart family. An iplete family would negatively affect a child¡¯s upbringing. If you don¡¯te up with a solution, you will be the losing party when you two go to court.¡± Mr. Q analyzed the situation thoroughly. Although it was harsh, it was the truth. Renee¡¯s determined gaze slowly became gloomier, but she continued putting up a tough act. ¡°So what? The children are close to me, they wouldn¡¯t want to leave me! Besides, I have the bestwyers on my side, so I¡¯m not afraid of facing him in court.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so naive¡­¡± Mr. Q chuckled. ¡°You should know that children below eight years of age have no say in choosing a parent to follow. As for yourwyers¡­ you need to know that there will be better talents out there, so you can¡¯t say for sure yours are the best. I¡¯m very sure that Stefan Hunt has the power and wealth to find people like that.¡± Renee was feeling enraged at this point, and shot the man a fierce re. ¡°What are you trying to say? You keep talking about how great our enemy is, and undermining our team! Do you want that jerk to take the kids away?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Mr. Q shook his head,pletely serious. ¡°I don¡¯t want that to happen, which is why I¡¯m forming this n with you. We can¡¯t allow Stefan Hunt even a single chance to win.¡± ¡°So? Have you thought of any solutions?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± The man finally started expressing his actual thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s get legally married, and give the children aplete family. Abby and Adie are fond of me too. We¡¯re capable enough to provide them a good environment and proper education too. With that, Stefan Hunt would have close to no chance of winning custody.¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop messing around!¡± Renee¡¯s face turned red and she felt awkward. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous enough that we have to put up an act in front of the kids every single day! Now you even want us to ¡®try out¡¯ getting legally married! This is insanity¡­ I can¡¯t ept this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just throwing out suggestions. It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t ept it, but well¡­ I just hope you don¡¯te to regret this decision when you¡¯re in court with Stefan Hunt.¡± Mr. Q leaned against the couch casually, staring at the ceiling with a slight smirk. ¡°Oh and¡­ just one more thing. If Stefan Hunt were to marry another woman, he¡¯ll undoubtedly have a 100% chance of winning.¡± That night, Renee tossed and turned the whole night, unable to fall asleep at all. Mr. Q¡¯s words might have been upsetting, but he was merely being realistic. Everything was still fine with Stefan not knowing about the two children¡¯s existence. However, if he ever found out, they would certainly have to cross paths in court. Although she had three trump cards within Hunts & Co. Law Firm, she had no idea if Stefan could find a betterwyer to take his case. She really didn¡¯t have full confidence that she could win this¡­ Chapter 729 Chapter 729 Momentster, Renee realized the only solution really was to give the children a father, so that they could be aplete family. She thought, ¡®Do I really have to try it out with Mr. Q and get married to him?¡¯ The next day, Renee decided to return the Rainbow ze to Stefan after giving it some thought. Mr. Q had described the item as some kind of fantasy tool that had healing abilities, and she found it bizarre. However, now that she knew about it, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to feign ignorance. She would never forgive herself if Stefan¡¯s condition worsened without this relic. Renee checked her watch and noticed it was ten in the morning, which was during work hours, so Stefan was probably busy in H Group at the time. She still had no idea how to face the man after his confession, so she wanted to visit the Hunt manor during these hours to avoid him. Timothy was watering his nts at that moment. He soon noticed the maid bringing Renee over to him, which brought a bright smile to his face. ¡°My child, you¡¯vee to see me! You¡¯re just in time ¨C my tomatoes are ready for harvest.¡± After the old man retired, he took a liking to botany, as he felt extremely aplished during the harvest season. He lovingly ced all the juicy, red cherry tomatoes into a basket; the shape and color of his crops showed that his efforts clearly did not go to waste. Renee didn¡¯t shy away either. She took a cherry tomato from the basket and popped it into her mouth. ¡°Mmm! It tastes great! Tons better than the ones in the supermarket!¡± ¡°Of course! This is all organic, without any pesticides too. Grandpa nted these all on his own, you know? It¡¯s delicious and nutritious at the same time!¡± Timothy wiped the sweat off of his forehead, beaming proudly. Renee then remembered that her twins loved eating cherry tomatoes as well, and asked sweetly, ¡°Grandpa, can I take some home?¡± ¡°Be my guest, take however many you want. I nted these crops for you youngsters after all.¡± The two then continued to make idle chit chat, till Renee awkwardly brought up the main reason she was here. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m actually here today because I need a small favor from you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so modest with me. Come on, just tell me what you need.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know how important the Rainbow ze was to Stefan. I can¡¯t ept it, even if he is willing to give it to me. That¡¯s why¡­ I hope you can return this to him for me,¡± Renee exined as she handed the artifact to the old man. ¡°Haha!¡± Timothy shook his head and chuckled softly. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve caught wind of my poor grandson¡¯s condition. Yes, he does have a hidden ailment, and he needs this relic to heal him from time to time. But¡­ the fact that he was willing to give you something this important, shows that he thinks you¡¯re the true ¡®cure¡¯ to his illness. It¡¯s quite reasonable that he would let you take care of it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Renee was stunned, not knowing how to refute his statement. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I won¡¯t put you in a difficult position. You two seemed to be fated to meet, but not tost¡­ It¡¯s perfectly justified that you wish to return this to him¡­¡± Timothy sighed and looked towards Stefan¡¯s bedroom. ¡°You can just ce this in his room. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand once he sees it aftering back from work.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Chapter 730 Chapter 730 ¡°Okay then!¡± Renee nodded and brought the Rainbow ze, along with a big basket of fresh cherry tomatoes, into the manor. Stefan¡¯s bedroom was on the second floor, and it was normally off limits. After cing the basket of cherry tomatoes on the coffee table, Renee headed upstairs, towards the man¡¯s room. At first, she was going to ce the item by his doorstep, but figured that it would be unsafe to leave such a precious relic outside. After a few minutes of pondering, she decided that it was best to just ce it inside his room. With that, she tried to turn the doorknob, but didn¡¯t expect the shut door to swing open so swiftly. She looked up in confusion, and to her horror, saw Stefan standing at the door with damp hair and an exposed torso. He merely had a pair of gray sweatpants on, making him seem casual, chic, and sexy at the same time. It really showed just how charming he was. Renee¡¯s face instantly turned red. She turned around and stumbled over her words. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know you were home! I swear, I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± The man had just finished taking a shower, and was drying his hair with a clean towel. When he saw Renee at the door, his handsome face was expressionless, and his hostility was enough to give someone frostbite. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The man asked in an unfriendly tone. It was clear that he was still holding a grudge against Renee, and was unhappy to see her. As the high and mighty Stefan Hunt, he couldn¡¯t help but feel petty over the cold rejection he received, especially when he had set his pride aside. He was so choked up with anger that he wished he could send this woman to outer space, so that he wouldn¡¯t have to see her ever again. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand my intentions, I¡¯m just here to return the Rainbow ze. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll be cing it in your good hands. You won¡¯t have to regret your decision of giving it away then.¡± Renee was still facing away from the man, her back straightened and her voice just as tough as usual. She didn¡¯t want him to know that she gave the relic back to him out of worry for his life. Stefan seemed dismissive, crossing his arms over his chest. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Hearing this, Renee quickly passed it to him, but she still had no idea how to face him. Hence, she had been facing away the whole time, even when passing the box. However, another awkward scenario arose¡­ Stefan groaned, refusing to take the box. Instead, he clenched his jaw and asked, ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re reaching for, Everheart?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Renee was stupefied and turned around, only to realize that the box was right on top of his private area. Her strength had likely made things quite painful. ¡°S-Sorry! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Renee quickly moved the box away and stared at his crotch, nearly taking matters into her own hands out of anxiety. ¡°Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital to get it checked? I¡­ I¡¯ll call for help!¡± She then took her phone out, intending to call an ambnce. Chapter 731 Chapter 731 The male anatomy was the body¡¯s most vulnerable area, and the effects of being injured there were awful. Stefan would make her life difficult if he became impotent because of her. She didn¡¯t want to be responsible for that, so she couldn¡¯t be careless. Stefan¡¯s expression clouded, and he grabbed her wrists and asked her harshly, ¡°Renee, are you done? How much longer will you embarrass me?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°How did I make you feel humiliated? The hit was quite hard, so it¡¯s best if you get checked at a hospital. You don¡¯t love your body enough to care for it, but you¡¯re upset with me for helping you arrange a doctor¡¯s appointment? You have no idea how to be appreciative!¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re a CEO who values your reputation, so you¡¯d be embarrassed to have a check-up at the hospital. I can help you register anonymously, so don¡¯t just assume that I¡¯m trying to embarrass you ¨C it¡¯s for your own sake!¡± She responded angrily. ¡°Haha¡­ For my own sake?¡± His scowl turned into a sarcastic smile, and he pulled her inside the room and closed the door behind him. Renee had a feeling something horrible was about to happen. She swallowed nervously and struggled to get out of his grip. ¡°What are you up to? We¡¯re both alone, and you¡¯ve even locked the door behind us. People might get the wrong idea!¡± ¡°Is there a necessity to exin given the state of our rtionship?¡± His voice was deep as he gazed at the woman in his arms, his eyes dark with desire. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t y games. I¡¯m here to cut ties with you by giving you back the Rainbow ze. You can¡¯t jeopardise my reputation like this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡± Stefan lost his patience, pushed aside his gentlemanly beliefs, and carried her to his bed. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to send me to the doctor for a checkup for my own good? I believe you are the only doctor qualified to assist me with this examination. You can tell me whether or not it is broken.¡± Heid her on the bed, a smirk on his face. ¡°Hooligan!¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks flushed, and her body became warm. She didn¡¯t want to admit it, but she was physically attracted to him. They were like opposite poles of a ma ¨C they couldn¡¯t help but be attracted to one another while they were together, and keeping them apart took a lot of strength. ¡°I am, indeed, a hooligan. Do you dislike hooligans?¡± His delicate fingers stroked her soft cheek, and a devilish grin appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯m tired of being a gentleman. Being a hooligan is more enjoyable.¡± Renee finally came back to her senses. Stefan¡¯s kisses, embraces, and power were addictive ¨C they felt great, but once hooked, they were difficult to walk away from. She vowed she would never fall into his trap again! She raised her hand, preparing to smack him across the face. His response was faster though, and he grabbed her wrists, held them above her head, and grinned. ¡°I know you¡¯re skilled, but I¡¯m not too bad either. How could I pass up this chance if you came here willingly?¡± Chapter 732 Chapter 732 ¡°Try it¡­ if you¡¯re not afraid of bing impotent!¡± Renee gritted her teeth and prepared to strike him where he was weak. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of that?¡± Stefan, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t scared of her threats at all. He was calm, his eyes fixed on her crimson lips as he prepared to kiss her. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± She closed her eyes, and rejection was written all over her face. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. The kiss she was expecting never came, and she slowly opened her eyes to find Stefan looking at her in disgust. ¡°Do you honestly believe I¡¯m that perverted? You should know that I hate forcing others. You may leave now!¡± He stood up abruptly after speaking and didn¡¯t look at her again. Even though she had gained her freedom, Renee was suddenly hit with disappointment. She stood up and fixed her hair. She gazed at his icy back and wanted to say something before leaving, but she didn¡¯t. ¡°Ren, have you finished passing him the gift?¡± As she walked down the stairs, she noticed Timothy returning from the garden, held by Seraphina. ¡°What brings you here? You¡¯ve already split up with Stef. Do you not understand the concept of a boundary?¡± Seraphina watched Renee emerge from Stefan¡¯s room and acted like a woman who had found her husband cheating. Renee didn¡¯t back down; instead, she remained in the centre of the stairwell, staring down at thedy below. ¡°Who made the rule that an ex-wife can¡¯t leave her ex-husband¡¯s room? Shouldn¡¯t you, as a single woman, keep your distance from a divorced man?¡± ¡°You!¡± Seraphina was at a loss for words and grabbed Timothy¡¯s arm, coquettishly saying, ¡°Grandpa Hunt, look at her! She ispletelycking in manners. Are these appropriate things for a divorced lady to say? I feel like she still wants to depend on Stef!¡± Timothy grinned and shook his head, remaining impartial and refusing to take sides. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that, but it¡¯s clear that Stefan is still reliant on Ren. I am the most familiar with his personality!¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth and muttered angrily, ¡°Stef is quite proud, so how can he rely on her? They would not have divorced if he still had affection for her. She must be the shameless one who can¡¯t stop harassing Stef!¡± ¡°Oh, it seems like you don¡¯t know your ¡®bro¡¯ well enough, hmm?¡± Renee smirked, trying to anger Seraphina even more by testing her patience. ¡°Your closest buddy may seem arrogant on the surface, but he¡¯s a lover and a simp at heart. He almost always begs me not to abandon him and to give him another chance! It seems like just yesterday when he proimed his love to me in front of many coworkers. He stated he couldn¡¯t forget me and wanted to rekindle our rtionship, but I turned him down!¡± Seraphina was so enraged that she strode over to Renee angrily. ¡°Be quiet. You can say anything you want, but you can¡¯t frame him like that. He¡¯s my best friend.¡± She abruptly stopped speaking and turned to look behind Renee. ¡°Stef! Did you hear what she had to say about you?¡± He was a few steps away from Renee. ¡°She¡¯s speaking the truth,¡± he remarked quietly, his back straight and his hands inside his pockets. Chapter 733 Chapter 733 ¡°What? You really told her that you want to reconcile?¡± Seraphina¡¯s expression immediately darkened. Stefan¡¯s confirmation stung the most. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s in the past,¡± he said honestly. ¡°I¡¯m not that dumb anymore.¡± He then strolled down the steps with no emotion on his face. He didn¡¯t even nce her way as he went by. Renee remained locked in ce, her cheeks flushed. She hadn¡¯t expected Stefan to hear her pompous statements earlier ¨C she just wanted to annoy Seraphina. She herself thought it was immature to unt the attention she got from a guy in order to feel good about herself. She realized she had grown into the kind of person she despised. Seraphina was overjoyed, and she grinned widely. She embraced Stefan as if they were the closest of friends, and stood really close to him. ¡°That sounds more like it. If you turn into a simp, I¡¯ll be the first to judge you. You are Stefan Hunt, the most wealthy guy in Beach City. Do you realize how important that title is to you?¡± Stefan didn¡¯t say anything, and his face revealed no feelings. ¡°All right, let¡¯s not waste time. Can you tell me why I¡¯m here?¡± Seraphina inquired mysteriously. ¡°I think I can figure it out.¡± He sat peacefully on the sofa in the living room and responded. ¡°You¡¯re really clever! It¡¯s no surprise you¡¯re my best buddy.¡± ¡°Well, what¡¯s your answer?¡± Her grip on him became harder. ¡°Should we get married and be husband and wife to exin ourselves to our family?¡± Timothy scowled as soon as he heard this. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a touch impatient, Seraphina? Why do I get the impression that you¡¯re more impatient than I am? Your grandpa just suggested this proposal to youst week, and now you want to discuss it with Stef?¡± ¡°Grandpa, marriage should be done on impulse,¡± Seraphina said. ¡°If you take everything into ount, you will never get married. If Stef and I are destined to marry, it makes no difference when we do it. The elders won¡¯t have to worry about anything if we get it done sooner.¡± Timothy groaned and nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re correct, but marriage is a serious thing. You must not do it hastily, or else¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t agree with you. You forced Stef to marry Miss Renee back then, and they got married in three days. I waited a week though, but you¡¯re using me of rushing into things? You¡¯re being prejudiced, Grandpa Hunt. Do you dislike me?¡± ¡°Your circumstances are different. Ren needed the Hunt family¡¯s protection at the time. Moreover, she loved Stef, and they were meant to be together. That is why-¡± Timothy was reminiscing about the first time Renee and Stefan met, but Stefan quickly cut him off. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring up the past, Grandfather. That was a failed attempt.¡± Renee found it difficult to swallow when she heard this, and it sounded mockinging from Stefan. ¡°So, in my ex-husband¡¯s opinion, our four years of marriage was a ¡®failure¡¯?¡± Renee moved down the stairs carefully, her attention fixed on Stefan as she said, ¡°I¡¯m interested in your marriage to Seraphina.¡± Chapter 734 Chapter 734 Renee¡¯s question made Seraphina and Timothy curious. They stared at Stefan and waited for his answer. His face was emotionless as he said without hesitation, ¡°I think that it¡¯s a strong alliance between two families as we are both affluent, so it¡¯s a very good match.¡± Hearing this, she was stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected him to be this honest. However, she couldn¡¯t deny that she felt sad. ¡®We were a failure, but they are a strong alliance. Knowing this hurts even more!¡¯ She thought to herself unhappily. Meanwhile, Seraphina¡¯s eyes shone with happiness, and she was thrilled. ¡°Stefan, are you being serious? Do you think that we are a good match for each other?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He didn¡¯t nce at her, and instead focused his attention on Renee. He said cynically, ¡°In contrast to myst disastrous marriage, we are a perfect fit.¡± It was as if he was purposely provoking Renee. ¡°Oh my god! This is wonderful.¡± Seraphina jumped up and pulled Stefan¡¯s hand as she said excitedly, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go to the Beach City Courthouse now and get married. We¡¯ve known each other for so long, so I¡¯m certain that I will be a good wife to you!¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee suddenly blurted out. Everyone turned to gaze at her as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they were hearing. Stefan, in particr, was staring at her with mixed emotions in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t understand why Renee, who was harsh and uninterested in him, was interfering with his rtionships. Seraphina¡¯s face darkened as she red at Renee and said, ¡°Miss Renee, you should mind your own business. Why are you interfering in this? Who are you to object to this marriage?¡± Timothy patted Seraphina on the shoulder and said seriously, ¡°Sera, don¡¯t yell at Ren. If you want to get married to Stefan and be a part of the Hunt family, the first thing you have to learn is to treat Ren like your sister. If you bully her, I will be the first to object to this marriage.¡± Immediately, she realized that she had been too emotional earlier, so she stuck out her tongue and said yfully, ¡°Grandpa Hunt, I¡¯m sorry. I just don¡¯t understand ¨C she and Stef are already divorced, and she rejected his feelings, so why is she interfering in our rtionship?¡± Hearing this, Timothy was speechless. He turned to Renee and said gently, ¡°Ren, tell me, why are you opposed to Stefan and Seraphin getting married? Is it because you realize that you can¡¯t let go of him and want to reconcile?¡± Renee looked embarrassed, and she exined instantly, ¡°Granpa Hunt, don¡¯t misunderstand me. I have no intentions towards your grandson. I just think that he shouldn¡¯t marry someone else that quickly because he would only be putting others in trouble!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been through it before. Stefan is a great boss but not a great husband. I¡¯m scared that he can¡¯t reciprocate Miss Seraphina¡¯s love for him. If she and the Murphy family turn their backs on the Hunt family, this will only put the Hunt family in danger. I¡¯m only doing this for the sake of the Hunts!¡± Renee exined exaggeratingly. In actuality, she was opposed to their marriage because she recalled Mr. Q telling her that if Stefan and Seraphina married, they would be a stable family, which would give him an edge in gaining custody of Adie and Abby if he were to try to take them from her one day. As a result, it wasn¡¯t that Stefan couldn¡¯t marry, but that she wanted to marry before him. Seraphina let out a snort. ¡°Thank you, Miss Renee, for your generosity, but I¡¯m not the same as you. Stefan and I have been best friends since childhood, so we will get along well. He will be a good husband, and I will be a good wife. We will never fight. Maybe you¡¯ll never grasp what it means when the right peoplee together, but when the wrong people get together, things definitely won¡¯t be right!¡± Renee offered no rebuttal to Seraphina¡¯s statements, and just smiled curtly. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just a busybody who worries about nothing. I should not have intervened between you two. Please ept my apologies.¡± She didn¡¯t want to remain any longer since it would just make things worse. Instead of preventing them from marrying, she had to marry Mr. Q as soon as possible. If Stefan could do it, she certainly could too. Chapter 735 Chapter 735 After Renee had left, Seraphina was even more thrilled. ¡°Miss Renee is gone. Nobody can stop us now!¡± She looked up at Stefan and held his arm as she eximed, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Stef. Let¡¯s get married!¡± However, he yanked his arm from her grasp, and his handsome face turned cold. ¡°Enough. It¡¯s hrious when it¡¯s a joke, but it¡¯s no longer funny when taken seriously.¡± Seraphina¡¯s smile faded instantly, and she cautiously asked him, ¡°Stef, what do you mean it¡¯s a joke?¡± ¡°When I said I¡¯d marry you, I was joking. Take nothing seriously.¡± His tone was ice cold as he spoke. ¡°Well, what about when you said we are a strong alliance and would make a perfect match?¡± She asked hesitantly. ¡°That was a joke too. I thought you would understand since you have known me for so long,¡± Stefan said indifferently. ¡°No. I don¡¯t understand!¡± She clenched her fists tightly, feeling humiliated. ¡°You can make jokes about everything except emotions and marriage. I believed you because you said it. I-¡± ¡°Since you know that marriage isn¡¯t something to joke about, we can¡¯t get married just for the sake of marrying. It would destroy the sanctity of marriage.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was solemn. Although he was heartless sometimes, he was serious about marriage. He won¡¯t marry someone else for fun just to anger Renee. ¡°Hahahaha. You must be joking. If you think that our marriage will ruin the sacredness of a marriage, then what about yours with Miss Renee? Didn¡¯t you marry her without loving her too? You didn¡¯t even know her back then, yet the wedding was set after three days. I¡¯m your childhood best friend who has known you your entire life, but you¡¯re saying it¡¯d damage the sanctity of the marriage?¡± She questioned, her voice trembling with sorrow. She knew that she was supposed to calm herself down and keep up the act as his best friend to convince him. Even if she couldn¡¯t, she could at least stay beside him and apany him forever. But the words he said hurt her. She wondered why she wasn¡¯t eligible to be his wife since she was equal to Renee in every way. ¡°It¡¯s because of the past that I am being careful and taking things seriously. We can¡¯t be as careless as the elderly who match people together at random,¡± he scoffed. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why are you giving so many excuses? I bet that it¡¯s because you can¡¯t let go of Renee. It¡¯s sad that she doesn¡¯t feel the same though. She already rejected you, but you still can¡¯t let her go. You really disappoint me!¡± Seraphina closed her eyes, overwhelmed with shame and sadness. After she was done speaking, she carried her bag and left without looking back. ¡®Renee, I might have underestimated you, but I won¡¯t give up that easily. From now on, I will make your life miserable!¡¯ Seraphina thought fiercely. Timothy stood there and watched the whole thing without saying anything. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted simply looking at you and all the turmoil in your life,¡± he said finally, and patted Stefan¡¯s shoulder. Then, he looked at the cherry tomatoes and said to Stefan, ¡°Take them and send them elsewhere.¡± ¡°Just give these menial tasks to the maids,¡± Stefan said irritably. ¡°No. You have to go deliver it.¡± The old man was firm. Chapter 736 Chapter 736 After Renee left the Hunt residence, she was debating whether she should get married to Mr. Q before Stefan and Seraphina got married. The n seemed a little crazy because if she went through with it, Mr. Q would officially be her husband. If she regretted it in the future, it would be her second divorce. However, if this was the only way to maintain custody of her children, she wouldn¡¯t object to it. While she was lost in thought, her tire came in contact with a screwdriver, ttening it and causing her car to stop on the side of the road. Seraphina drove her sports car over and honked at Renee, then drove slowly to the roadside as well. She stuck her head out of the window, a smug expression on her face. ¡°Miss Renee, is your tire t? What a shame. Do you need me to give you a ride?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll call a tow truck.¡± Renee didn¡¯t want to interact much with Seraphina, and didn¡¯t even spare a nce at her. ¡°That¡¯s so troublesome. I have a tow hook in my car, so I can tow you to the repair shop. I won¡¯t charge you any money.¡± Seraphina then honked her horns sarcastically and stated, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be ashamed to ask for help. After all, you¡¯re my senior, so I should be able to assist you.¡± Renee looked up and stared at Seraphina incredulously. ¡°Senior?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Well, you¡¯re Stef¡¯s former wife, and I¡¯m his current wife, so that makes you my senior,¡± Seraphina exined simply. When Renee heard this, she was at a loss for words. Seraphina continued, ¡°You look so calm on the surface, but you¡¯re secretly angry, right? Aren¡¯t you curious about the details of our wedding?¡± Renee raised her brows and said, ¡°To be honest, I am. I¡¯m even more curious as to why he isn¡¯t with you right now to marry you. Didn¡¯t you two want to be married earlier?¡± Seraphina¡¯s face darkened instantly, and she clenched her fists. If not for her fear of Stefan¡¯s wrath, she would have stepped on the gas and knocked Renee down! She didn¡¯t want Renee to find out that the n to marry Stefan was ruined, so she could only lie to her. ¡°Stef and I are so perfect for each other that it doesn¡¯t matter when we get married. We want to find a perfect date to get married and attend it in all our fineries. After all, we both love each other, not like you-¡± ¡°Okay, I know the two of you are perfect for each other. Please let me know the date ahead of time so I can put up fireworks for the two of you!¡± Renee was curious about the date. She wasn¡¯t in a rush since they weren¡¯t either. She had to be one step ahead of them if they were going to marry shortly ¨C she couldn¡¯t possibly lose! ¡°If you want to know, then hop inside. I¡¯m new to being a wife so I have a lot of questions to ask my senior.¡± Seraphina invited Renee again. Renee hesitated for a while, and eventually agreed after thinking that Seraphina wasn¡¯t capable of hurting her. ¡°Sure. Sorry for troubling you.¡± After she finished speaking, Seraphina used her tow hook to hook Renee¡¯s car to hers, then opened the door for Renee. Renee soon realized that Seraphina¡¯s driving skills were much superior to her ability to spout nonsense. Chapter 737 Chapter 737 Seraphina seeded in passing vehicles on the road while dragging a car behind her, which was very impressive to Renee. ¡°Do you like racing?¡± Renee inquired calmly from the passenger seat. ¡°Stef and I are well-known F-C1 Racing Club racers. You¡¯ve seen my abilities, but I¡¯m a little inferior to Stef. That¡¯s one of the reasons I respect him. He is so gifted that he excels at whatever he attempts. How could he be that gifted?¡± Seraphina passed another automobile smoothly as she spoke. Renee was taken aback by the unexpected eleration and grabbed the door handle. ¡°Oh my goodness, be careful! This slope is 60 degrees. Do you want to die by speeding here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know exactly what I¡¯m doing. It¡¯s only a hill ¨C no one will die,¡± Seraphina said confidently. She drove fast and had no intention of slowing down. Renee rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course you¡¯re protected. If something happens here, at the speed you¡¯re driving, the passenger is the one most likely to be killed.¡± When she said this, she was struck by realization, and turned to Seraphina with aplex expression on her face. Seraphina just gripped the driving wheel and looked at Renee without saying anything. Renee¡¯s thoughts were confirmed by that hateful stare. Seraphina was doing it on purpose, possibly to warn her or to murder her. ¡°It seems that Miss Seraphina never fails to surprise me!¡± Renee murmured thoughtfully as she nced at Seraphina¡¯s lovely side profile.Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Renee felt she was a harmlessdy who spoke too much and wasn¡¯t a danger before this, but it now seems that she wasn¡¯t as innocent as Renee had assumed. After all, she was the heir of a wealthy family and Stefan¡¯s closest friend. Renee was the naive one inparison to Seraphina. ¡°You crack me up, Miss Renee. Indeed, I¡¯m a simple girl. I won¡¯t hurt anybody¡­ unless they annoy me. If someone does offend me, I will do all I can to get rid of them. Besides, I have a method of getting rid of them quietly so that no one notices. So, ever since I was a child, no one has dared topete with me because they will die if they do.¡± Seraphina spoke quietly before stepping on the gas pedal and increasing the pace. Renee¡¯s body jolted forward, and she would have cracked her skull if it hadn¡¯t been for her fast response. She had to admit that such a threat was pretty frightening. Anyone would feel intimidated by the threat and pledge to stay away. Renee, on the other hand, was not a coward. It would have been preferable if Seraphina hadn¡¯t threatened her, since Renee was now intrigued. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be telling me this, Miss Seraphina. You won¡¯t even get a chance to speak if I really wanted topete with you. On the contrary, I am helping you. Your true adversary is not me. It¡¯s futile if both of us fight to the death and let the other profit.¡± Reneeughed. Seraphina was perplexed when she heard this. ¡°Do you mean there¡¯s someone else?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Renee sighed deeply, feigning misery. ¡°How do you think I was kicked out of the Hunt family to begin with?¡± Chapter 738 Chapter 738 Renee was clearly hinting at something. Seraphina wasn¡¯t stupid, so she saw what Renee was implying right away. ¡°I know things were difficult when you and Stef split. You had been banished from the Hunt family and had nowhere to go.¡± Seraphina let down her guard and sympathized with Renee. ¡°When ites to vying for Stefan¡¯s heart, no one can beat thatdy. She managed to persuade Stef to defend her with only her innocent expression. It made me furious to watch him pamper her like a baby!¡± Seraphina felt enraged as she talked, and she couldn¡¯t help but smack the steering wheel angrily. Briar was, without a doubt, thedy she was referring to. Renee¡¯s previous life had been a living nightmare because of her! ¡°It¡¯s pointless to be angry. Your closest buddy likesdies that seem naive. Instead of battling me, learn her methods and appear to be fragile and weak. It would be ideal if you could discover a way to get pregnant with his kid since he would then have no option but to marry you¡­¡± Renee seemed to be genuinely instructing Seraphina on how to pursue Stefan based on her own experience. Seraphina scowled and looked at her suspiciously when she heard this. Renee rolled her eyes and scoffed, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? This is all real-life experience, and it wille in handy when dealing with a moron like Stefan. If you don¡¯t believe me, try it for yourself!¡± ¡°Are you really that uninterested in Stef that you¡¯re instructing me how to pursue him?¡± ¡°Oh, certainly,¡± Renee said and shook her head. ¡°If I still had feelings for him, you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against me.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Seraphina, in her opinion, was much superior to Briar. Although she was arrogant and domineering, she was open about it and wouldn¡¯t do anything behind her back. And it was for this reason that she wished Seraphina would win. ¡°Alright. This time, I¡¯ll believe you. I¡¯ll deal with Briar first!¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes zed as she said. She decided to temporarily shift her focus to Briar, and would deal with Reneeter. Renee returned to Azure Group to finish up some work after finally dealing with Seraphina. Now that she no longer had the Rainbow ze, she needed to devise a n to reim control of thend from Rubio. She was seated in front of her workstation, urgently searching for information, when Rubio phoned. ¡°Ren, my old buddy, do you intend to call it quits on our friendship?¡± Rubio¡¯s voice was as cunning as always. Hearing this, Renee secretly rolled her eyes and replied in the same pretentious tone as him, ¡°No way, I¡¯m just trying to think of a way to calm you down. You know, I have ck circles under my eyes from the nights I spent thinking of a solution. Why don¡¯t you grant my request for a change? After all, the Pascal family has a lot of property.¡± Rubio chuckled again and continued, ¡°I also feel like I¡¯m being a bit harsh, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Thend does not belong to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 739 Chapter 739 Renee was a bit taken aback. She had done extensive research and had discovered that the property was owned by Rubio. However, ording to him, it belonged to someone else. ¡°Since the boss¡¯ identity is unique, he is unable to seize control of the property using his own name. Fortunately, the Pascal family has the financial means to purchase the property, so I helped him with it. On the surface, it seems that I am inmand of thend, but I do not make the decisions. Additionally, it wasn¡¯t me that wanted the Rainbow ze, but him.¡± Rubio purposely reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m warning you now ¨C we can¡¯t afford to offend the boss. Don¡¯t try and do anything under his watch.¡± ¡°I want to meet the person who can make you call them ¡®boss.¡¯ I¡¯m not concerned about regaining ownership of thend, I just want to meet him,¡± she said excitedly. She was like a lively child eager to start a new game. She wasn¡¯t really pleased to see Rubio since she felt he was rather in. However, now that she knew there was someone more powerful than Rubio, her curiosity had been piqued. ¡°Sure. As a buddy, I¡¯ll assist you¡­ I¡¯ve already arranged a dinner for you and the boss,¡± he said after a little pause. ¡°It¡¯s up to you if you can win him over or not.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Rubio.¡± Rubio had purposefully made things tough for her because of the boss¡¯s orders, she knew. She would try her best to get the property as soon as possible to meet Abby¡¯s living requirements. Renee hadn¡¯t yet returned home, so Adie and Abby stood at the door once again, waiting for her. ¡°Adie, Mommy hasn¡¯te home today, and I¡¯m having trouble contacting Daddy Q. Might they have gone on a date?¡± Abby gazed up at Adie curiously. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Mr. Q would normally be at home at this hour, having prepared food for them. However, he had not returned home for the entire day, and they had been unable to contact him. Abby was unustomed to this. She missed Renee and Mr. Q. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible¡­¡± Adie cupped his chin and said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s normal for Mommy to work till late at night. If Mr. Q was with Mommy, he would¡¯ve taken a picture and sent it to us to show off. He¡¯s so quiet now which could only mean¡­¡± ¡°Could only mean what?¡± Abby asked eagerly. ¡°He¡¯s probablyzy. He didn¡¯t want to cook for us anymore, so he turned off his phone so we couldn¡¯t bother him.¡± ¡°That sounds possible. So, I guess we shouldn¡¯t trouble him tonight and let him rest,¡± Abby said thoughtfully. Mr. Q had been looking after them for the past few days, so it was reasonable that he needed to rest. ¡°I believe he should rest too. We¡¯ll be at a loss if he gets sick from being too fatigued,¡± Adie reasoned. The doorbell rang unexpectedly while the two of them were debating it. Chapter 740 Chapter 740 ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Daddy Q, and he¡¯se to y with us! Let me go open the door!¡± Abby¡¯s rosy cheeks were the colour of apples as she grinned and rushed towards the door. ¡°Daddy Q, you¡¯ve arrived. We missed-¡± She opened the door while standing on tiptoe, and the smile died on her face when she realized the tall and attractive guy standing outside the door wasn¡¯t Mr. Q. ¡°Wow, uncle, you¡¯re quite handsome,¡± she said adoringly. ¡°Are you lost? Who are you searching for?¡± Stefan looked down at Abby standing there adorably. ¡°Excuse me, does Renee live here?¡± His icy stare softened involuntarily. ¡°Handsome Uncle, why are you searching for my Mommy?¡± Abby was naive, and spoke bluntly. Stefan¡¯s eyes widened slightly when he heard this. ¡°Your Mommy?¡± ¡°Yes. Renee is my Mommy. She is still working, so you¡¯ll have to wait a bit if you want to meet her!¡± Abby liked Stefan instinctively, and pulled him into the house by grabbing hisrge hand with her small, pudgy fingers. When she noticed he was carrying a basket of bright red cherry tomatoes, she acted like an adult and politely said, ¡°Oh, Handsome Uncle, you didn¡¯t have to bring us a gift! The cherry tomatoes look delicious and sweet though, so I¡¯m sure Mommy would like them!¡± He was speechless when he heard this. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Stefan, who was 6 feet tall, stood still as Abby grasped his hand. He didn¡¯t dare move or speak, and just obeyed her instructions, feeling his heart melt at her cuteness. When Adie discovered that Abby had brought a stranger into their home, his guard instantly went up. ¡°Who are you, and what brings you into our home?¡± He crossed his arms and red at Stefan, his expression serious. Stefan stared back at Adie in shock, surprised by the little boy who had the same coldness and solemnity as him. Adie was like a mini Stefan, while Abby was like a mini Renee. He felt a rush of emotions in his heart. ¡°Are you also Renee¡¯s child?¡± He asked Adie. ¡°I¡¯m not going to answer that until Ren gets home.¡± Adie quickly pulled Abby to him, looking at Stefan like he was a monster. Abby, meanwhile, put a hand on her brother¡¯s shoulder reassuringly. ¡°Adie, I believe this uncle is a nice guy,¡± she remarked pleasantly. ¡± You don¡¯t have to be scared of him. He¡¯s most likely Mommy¡¯s friend. He even gave us a bunch of delicious tomatoes!¡± She was eating a tomato as she spoke, and the delicious vour of it reinforced her belief that Stefan wasn¡¯t a bad guy. Adie frowned hopelessly and scolded her, ¡°Abby, didn¡¯t I warn you not to trust strangers? You¡¯ve never even met him before, so how do you know he¡¯s not a jerk?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple. Bad people are ugly. Their faces will be scarred and they will berge. But this uncle is incredibly attractive, even more so than Daddy Liam! How could he possibly be bad? He¡¯s surely a nice guy!¡± Stefan was taken aback and said, ¡°Little child, you and your mother are very much alike ¨C you two are both shallow.¡± He remembered how Renee fell in love with him because of his looks. Genes were such a curious thing! Chapter 741 Chapter 741 ¡°Come with me, Abby!¡± Adie red at Stefan, then took his sister¡¯s hand and led her into the study. ¡°What is it, Adie? It¡¯s not polite to leave the handsome man out there all by himself! We should spend more time with him.¡± Abby stared impatiently out into the living room, gazing at Stefan, sitting on the couch, wishing she could always cling to the man. But Adie swiftly mmed the door shut and, with a stern expression, scolded his sister, ¡°You silly girl! Still can¡¯t recognize who that man is?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Adie? Do you know that handsome man?¡± ¡°So you really can¡¯t recognize him. Fine, I¡¯ll show you a picture¡­¡± Adie picked up his phone and browsed through it for ages, punctuated by periodical ¡°ums¡± and ¡°ahhs¡± before he finally tapped on Renee and Stefan¡¯s wedding photo. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s our evil Daddy!¡± Abby covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes widened with shock, looking as big and juicy as grapes. She had always known that their naughty daddy was very handsome, but she never expected him to be this handsome in real life! It was no wonder that she did not recognize him the moment she saw him! ¡°Now that you know who he is,¡± Adie asked, ¡°do you still like him? Do you still think he¡¯s a good guy?¡± ¡°No!¡± Abby shook her head vehemently and clenched her little fists. ¡°Not even a little bit!¡± she angrily dered. ¡°Any man who dared to hurt Mommy is a bad man, no matter how handsome he is! I don¡¯t like him at all!¡± ¡°Good,¡± Adie stroked his chin and nodded with satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m d you haven¡¯t lost your backbone and forgotten our motive ofing to Beach City¡­ Let me ask you again, why did wee to Beach City?¡± ¡°To protect Mommy!¡± Abby answered loudly, her voice full of spirits. ¡°To be by her side and to avenge her!¡± ¡°Shh!¡± Adie turned towards the door and added hushedly, ¡°Naughty Daddy used to bully Mommy and treated her terribly. We should¡¯ve taught him a harsh lesson long ago, but we never had the chance. Now he walked right through our door and straight into our hands, so we must seize this opportunity and make him suffer!¡± ¡°Do you have any ns, Adie? Evil Daddy looks like a smart guy. He won¡¯t be an easy target to deal with. Would it be a little too hard for us to teach him a lesson?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. If we work together, he¡¯s simply no match for us.¡± Adie had long conspired countless nefarious ns to deal with Stefan Hunt in his brilliant little mind. He leaned in towards Abby and whispered into her ear, and the twins enthusiastically began to discuss their schemes. Meanwhile, Stefan sat in the living room, almost bored to tears. He looked around him and found that, although this ¡°home¡± seemed a little shabby, it still felt quaintlyforting and warm. He thought that perhaps the happiness of the ordinary man: aplete family of four¡ªwith a son and a daughter, three square meals each day, and a spouse who was always by your side¡ªsounded pretty enticing after all. Stefan picked up a magazine on the coffee table and browsed through it. Even the most ordinary and commonce surroundings failed to suppress his haughty and reserved aura. It was then that Margaret returned from grocery shopping, her hands full of shopping bags, and the second she saw the man on the couch, she let out a scream as if she had just seen the devil himself. ¡°Aaahh! You¡­ you¡­ you¡­ Stefan Hunt! What are you doing here? What are you nning to do?¡± She then picked up the big kitchen knife that she just bought and held it up as if she was about to fight the man to the death. Chapter 742 Chapter 742 Stefan remained calm andpletely unruffled. He eyed Margaret up and down with a cold gaze that bathed him with an oppressive aura. ¡°Are you¡­ Renee¡¯s nanny?¡± He had an inkling of a memory of what Margaret was like. He remembered how Margaret used to like matching him up with Renee in the past. He wondered why she would suddenly change so dramatically and be so hostile to him that she even wanted to chase him away with a knife. Margaret¡¯s eyes oozed with animosity towards Stefan. She red viciously at him, and with a kitchen knife in her hand, she sarcastically taunted, ¡°I can¡¯t believe the noble and haughty Mr. Stefan Hunt would remember an old woman like me! Well, in that case, you must know full well that there is a mortal grudge between us. What gave you the audacity to step into this house yourself? Are you plotting something evil?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds,¡± she continued. ¡°Get out of this house, or I¡¯ll give you a taste of my kitchen knife!¡± Margaret feared that Stefan hade with sinister intentions to hurt Renee again, or perhaps he was scheming to do something to the twins, so she made up her mind: she¡¯d chase the man away or die trying! Stefan put his hands in his pockets, perfectly calm andposed, but a cold sneer cropped up on his lips as hemented, ¡°What a loyal servant. Did Renee teach you how to do this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m old enough to have one foot in death¡¯s door,¡± she replied. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to teach me anything. You know full well about the horrible things you¡¯ve done to Miss Renee. You¡¯re lucky that she never sought revenge due to her high moral standards, but I¡¯m not like her. I¡¯m just a lowly servant with no proper upbringing, so if you force my hand, I will not hesitate to attack you because I¡¯ve got nothing to lose!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?!¡± she repeated. ¡°I said, get out of this house!¡± Margaret was brandishing the kitchen knife like a hysterical woman, and the situation was getting more and more dramatic. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. But Stefan was unaffected by it at all. His gaze shifted toward the basket of tomatoes, and he calmly said, ¡°I¡¯m here because my grandfather ordered me to send this to you. Now that the thing¡¯s been delivered, I¡¯ll leave right away.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t want it!¡± said Margaret. Although she was just a humble servant, she was still full of pride. She looked at the basket of tomatoes and was reminded of all the hardship and misfortune Renee had to endure. To her, it seemed that these tomatoes were what the Hunt family sent as an insult to Renee. ¡°Take this garbage back with you!¡± Margaret told Stefan. ¡°After all you¡¯ve put Miss Renee through, and all you could think of was to send her these rotten tomatoes?! What do you take Miss Renee for? What does your family take Miss Renee for? What an abominable family!¡± ¡°Renee picked these tomatoes herself,¡± replied Stefan. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, then let her throw them away herself.¡± Once he finished his sentence, he got up and was ready to leave. Just then, Adie and Abby, who had been eavesdropping at the door, rushed out of the study. ¡°You can¡¯t let Uncle Handsome leave, Aunt Margaret! Adie and I still want to y with him!¡± Abby clung onto one of Stefan¡¯s long legs and raised her sweet and adorable little face towards him, charmingly cooing, ¡°You promised you¡¯d stay and y with us, Uncle Handsome! Why are you leaving now? Don¡¯t you know that your nose will grow very long when you lie?¡± Margaret panicked and hastily pulled Abby away from Stefan and put her down behind her before sternly warning the girl, ¡°That man is an evil demon, Abby! We must stay away from him, or else he will turn into a big gray wolf and eat you up, and you¡¯ll never get to see Mommy again!¡± All this time, Margaret would do anything not to let Stefan Hunt discover the existence of the twins, but in the end, it seemed that he had already found out about it. Still, judging from the Hunt family¡¯s power and capabilities to obtain information, she surmised that perhaps they had found out about the twins and concocted a silly excuse to visit them. In that case, it probably did not matter how hard they tried to conceal the existence of the twins from the world because, in the end, they would still end up learning the truth anyway. Now that it was pointless to hide the truth, all Margaret could do was urge the twins to be wary of Stefan Hunt. Chapter 743 Chapter 743 ¡°That¡¯s impossible, Aunt Margaret! Uncle Handsome is a good guy! He gave us these tomatoes. I tasted them, and they were very sweet! I ate so many just now! Try them yourself, Aunt Margaret! Once you¡¯ve tried them, you¡¯ll know that Uncle Handsome can¡¯t be a bad guy!¡± Then, like a nimble little cat, Abby slipped through Margaret¡¯s fingers and ran from behind her towards the basket of tomatoes, picking one up and offering it to Margaret with bright innocent eyes. ¡°You¡¯re such a silly girl, Abby! Bad guys don¡¯t have the words ¡°bad guy¡± written on their faces so you could tell them apart from the others! Don¡¯t you remember the story of Little Red Riding Hood that I told you about? The big gray wolf pretended to be her grandma and tricked her into trusting him; that¡¯s how she ended up getting eaten by the wolf¡­ That man is just like the big gray wolf! You must always keep your eyes open and use reason to distinguish the bad from the good, and you must stay away from him, understood?¡± Margaret earnestly and patiently lectured Abby, but the only reply she got from the girl was, ¡°I know, I know. You¡¯re right, Aunt Margaret. I¡¯ll be very careful from now on. Still¡­ This tomato is really yummy! You should try it!¡± Abby then ate another tomato, then, with her pink little fingers, gently stuffed one into Margaret¡¯s mouth. Adie, who had been standing on the side, also picked up a tomato and popped it into his mouth, and slowly chewed it. He made appreciative grunts and said, ¡°It¡¯s true. The tomatoes are indeed very fresh and very sweet. I¡¯m sure this man hade to visit us with full sincerity. Don¡¯t worry too much, Aunt Margaret. Mommy taught us to be courteous and polite with our guests, so we must make him feel wee!¡± ¡°Adie!¡± Margaret stared at the boy in disbelief. ¡°Not you too! What¡¯s the matter with you? Why are you acting just like Abby?¡± Abby had always been easily tricked by looks and appearances. She was also a very sweet and amiable girl, so it did not surprise Margaret one bit that she would be ¡°bought over¡± by Stefan¡¯s handsome looks. Adie, however, was a clever and quick-witted boy. He was an even better judge of character, apart from being extremely protective of his mother. He could not possibly be serious about weing Stefan Hunt as their guest, right? ¡°You must be tired from working all day, Aunt Margaret. Why don¡¯t you go and take a rest? Leave this guest to us! We¡¯ll entertain him!¡± Adie then took Margaret¡¯s hand and led her into her room. A few minutester, he returned with a smile on his face and told Stefan, who was getting ready to leave, ¡°I¡¯ve told Aunt Margaret to rest for the day, so you can stay and y in our house in peace. Soon, Mommy will be home from work. You can y with her too when shees back.¡± Stefan raised his eyebrows. He was impressed by the boy¡¯s boldness because it reminded him of his own demeanor when he was young. He walked up towards Adie with an enigmatic smile on his face, then tousled Adie¡¯s hair. ¡°What did you say?¡± he chuckled. ¡°Were you hoping that I would stay and y with your mommy?¡± R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Adie had always been a proud kid, and he would never let Stefan Hunt touch his head. With a stony expression, he told Stefan, ¡°Mommy told me not to let anyone touch my head. The next time you touch it, I¡¯ll lose my temper!¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ What kind of rule is that?¡± Stefan did not know whether tough or cry. He was fascinated by the way Renee had brought up these two children. Abby was an extremely sweet and adorable little girl, while Adie was even smarter and more rebellious than he was when he was a child. He began to genuinely adore them from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Mommy taught us to be polite and courteous,¡± said Adie, ¡°so we decided to treat you by making the best cake we¡¯ve ever made for you!¡± Adie subsequently took Abby¡¯s hand, and they both skipped into the kitchen, ready to bake Stefan a cake. ¡°Great!¡± chirped Stefan cheerfully. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to taste your masterpiece!¡± Chapter 744 Chapter 744 The twins ran happily towards the kitchen, and from then on, Stefan could hear the nging of kitchen utensils emerging from the kitchen mixed with the sound of childrenughing. Stefan walked around the house as if he was back in his own home. After a while, he headed towards the kitchen and asked the twins, who were mixing a batter. ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Abby gazed at Stefan sweetly, her eyes sparkling as brightly as stars in the sky. ¡°Do you know how to cook, Uncle Handsome?¡± The sight of Abby made Stefan feel as if his heart was soaked in sugary syrup. He smiled without realizing it, then shook his head and replied, ¡°I never knew how to cook. It¡¯s too trivial and such a waste of time. It¡¯s the kind of thing best left to the servants.¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t be the same!¡± argued Abby. ¡°The servants are not your family members, so the food they make won¡¯t taste as good¡­¡± Abby was a bona fide foodie, so she had high expectations for the food she ate. To her, good food not only had to be tasty, but it also had to be prepared with love, something that servants could not do. ¡°Mommy always cooks delicious food,¡± she said. ¡°So does Daddy Q! He makes tasty food as well! Sometimes they would cook together, and we¡¯d all sit at the table and eat all the food! That was the happiest time for all of us! It¡¯s a pity that you don¡¯t know how to cook, Uncle Handsome because that means you¡¯ll never experience that kind of happiness!¡± Stefan did not expect to hear such heart-wrenching words from Abby. He shook his head helplessly and said, ¡°When you put it that way, it sounds like I¡¯m the most wretched man in the world!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know how to cook,¡± said Adie as he was creaming butter with the electric mixer. He then suggested, ¡°You can start learning! Q did the same. He waspletely useless in the kitchen, but he learned and practiced until he became a master cook! In a short time, he managed to impress all of us!¡± Although Adie hated his evil daddy very much, he still subconsciously wished to ¡°reform¡± Stefan Hunt, thinking that it would really cheer his mommy up if he could transform this broken and erratic ¡°machine¡± into a brand-new useful one. R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only Stefan raised his eyebrows slightly and stared at the children with curiosity,menting, ¡°It looks like both of you like this Mr. Q very much! You¡¯ve been talking about him all evening! What is that man to you¡­ or should I say, what is he to your mommy?¡± ¡°Of course we like him!¡± Adie replied with his head held high, his expression full of pride. ¡°Q is an awesome guy who treats our mommy very well! In any case, he¡¯s a million times better than those men who hurt women. Right now, he¡¯s our daddy, and he¡¯s our mommy¡¯s husband. He takes care of all of us every day, and every time we¡¯re with him, we¡¯re all very happy!¡± Adie wanted to praise Q as much as possible so that his evil daddy would feel ashamed of himself and realize what a horrible person he had been! Stefan¡¯s eyes revealed aplicated mix of emotions. There was a cryptic smile on his lips as he asked, ¡°So, are you all going to live with this Mr. Q for the rest of your lives? What if one day, you discover that this man isn¡¯t as good of a guy you thought he was? What if he turns out to be a bad guy? Would you still be willing to live with him?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Abby pouted her pink lips, then earnestly added, ¡°Daddy Q is a good man! He¡¯s the greatest man in the world! No one treats us better than him, so there¡¯s no way that he¡¯d turn out to be a bad guy¡­¡± ¡°But what if?¡± Stefan pressed on, for the first time speaking in a serious tone with the children, hoping to get a definite answer from them. ¡°If Daddy Q turns out to be a bad guy, then we¡¯ll¡­ then we¡¯ll¡­¡± Abby grabbed the hem of her clothes. Her eyes were reddening as she was on the verge of tears. She really liked Daddy Q, so she simply could not entertain the thought that he might be a bad guy, much less consider that he might leave them one day. As soon as she thought about it, her eyes and her nose stung, and she felt like crying. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if Q turns out to be bad,¡± Adie reasoned in a mature and rational tone, wise beyond his years. ¡°We¡¯ll just give him another chance and try to change his bad habits so he¡¯ll transform into a good guy. Mommy, Abby, and I will never give up on him, and he will never give up on us either, so you don¡¯t need to worry about us!¡± Stefan fell silent for a few seconds. He then smiled wanly and vaguely replied, ¡°In that case, that must Mr. Q must be the luckiest man in the world.¡± Chapter 745 Chapter 745 And just like that, the twins sessfully baked a cake for Stefan, which they then presented before him. ¡°Uncle Handsome,¡± Abby called with a sweet smile. ¡°This is your first time visiting our house, so we specially made this cake for you to wee you here. You must eat the whole cake! You don¡¯t want to waste our efforts, do you?¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Stefan promised. ¡°I have a bit of a sweet tooth anyway.¡± He then took a spoonful of the cake along with the icing and put it in his mouth. It was sweet, fluffy, and creamy¡ªevery bit as heavenly as a cake made by a professional bakery. He continued to eat mouthful after mouthful, finding himself enjoying more with every bite. But then, the more he ate, the heavier his eyelids felt, until eventually, his whole body slumped onto the couch¡­ ¡­ After leaving Azure Group, Renee headed towards Celestial Pavillion by following the address given to her by Rubio Pascal. The ce was one of the most exclusive restaurants in Beach City, where the food and the reputation were both first-ss. ¡°Good evening,¡± a waiter greeted Renee when she arrived. It seemed that her arrival had been anticipated when he added, ¡°May I ask if you are Ms. Renee Everheart? A gentleman has been waiting for you for a long time. Please follow me.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Renee nodded, ¡°I am Renee Everheart.¡± She then followed the waiter as he enthusiastically led her to the most luxurious private lounge in the restaurant. She spent the whole journey wondering who this ¡°legendary god¡± could be. Who would be so badass that even Rubio Pascal would be impressed? And why did this person specifically ask to see her? ¡°Here it is, Ms. Everheart.¡± The waiter pushed open the tall magnificent door, revealing the well-built figure of a man who was standing with his back facing the door in front of the window where bright lights were streaming in. As soon as he heard her arrival, he turned around, holding a ss of red wine in one hand. ¡°We finally meet again,¡± he said with a smile on his lips. After taking a good look at the man¡¯s handsome face, she was speechless. She was barely able to restrain herself from beating the man up right then and there. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Haze?! So the person who¡¯s been tormenting me, pushing me around from behind the scene as if I¡¯m an idiot, was you?!¡± Initially, Haze had been like the cool and handsome protagonist in a drama, but now he turned out to be the abominable viin who deserved a good beating. ¡°Are you surprised to see me?¡± he asked with a sly smile. ¡°Are you shocked? Don¡¯t you think I look pretty cool appearing like that just now?¡± ¡°I think you need to get punched once or twice!¡± Renee yelled through gritted teeth. She thought of how she scrambled all over the ce doing everything she could to get the Everheart Residence back, how she even lowered her pride and stooped as low as begging for the Rainbow ze from Stefan Hunt, and it turned out that Haze was behind all of this. It made her really want to¡­ stab the man! ¡°I did give you a hint,¡± Haze argued with an innocent face, his arms stretched out helplessly. ¡°I told you that you would need me someday. It was you whopletely disregarded me. I¡¯ve been waiting for you toe to me, asking for my help, but¡­ you insisted on doing everything yourself.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡± Renee was not in the mood to chat with Haze. She just wanted to solve this tricky problem as soon as possible, so she asked him bluntly, ¡°Just tell me now, what do I need to do to get you to transfer the rights tond to me?¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If I tell you,¡± Haze smiled impishly, ¡°are you going to do absolutely everything I want without question?¡± If he had known that it took some ¡°shameless¡± tricks to pursue a woman, he would not have been such a gentleman in the past and wasted so much of their time¡­ Chapter 746 Chapter 746 ¡°Hmph, you crafty, conniving man!¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Renee could not even guess what Haze was scheming right now, and she was no longer in the mood to skirt around the subject, so she told him point-nk, ¡°Just tell me what you want. If it¡¯s something that¡¯s within my power, then I¡¯ll try my best to do anything you like.¡± ¡°Marry me!¡± Haze half-joked with a faint smile. ¡°Don¡¯t even dream about it!¡± Renee refused without even thinking. It was not the first time the guy made such a shamelessly preposterous proposal to her, and it was certainly not the first time she refused him. As time passed, such a gesture no longer affected her. The only thought that crossed her mind now was that Haze was deliberately looking for a chance to get beaten up. ¡°I just knew that you¡¯d say no,¡± Haze clutched his chest as if Renee¡¯s answer had deeply wounded him. ¡°If you keep on acting crazy like that,¡± Renee warned him coldly, her fists tightly clenched, ¡°then I¡¯m not going to hold back any longer. Tell me exactly what you want to do and get straight to the point this time!¡± ¡°Okay, okay! Jeez, I get it, you scary tigress¡­¡± The yful look on Haze¡¯s face then disappeared, only to be reced by a serious one as he told her, ¡°I want twenty percent of the shares of Azure Group.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Renee roared so angrily that she almost lost her voice. Her delicate face turned vicious, and she ferociously added, ¡°Twenty percent?! Do you know what owning twenty percent of the shares means? It means you¡¯ll be the biggest shareholder, besides me! If you have the audacity to ask for that, then why don¡¯t you just snatch thepany away from me?!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get too agitated. You¡¯re so angry that you¡¯re messing up your pretty face now. Come on, take a sip of the wine and calm down¡­¡± Haze then calmly picked up a tall wine ss and poured Renee a ss of wine before handing it to her. He smiled and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not nning to take it for free. You know that my family is so rich that we don¡¯t know what to do with our money, and Azure Group just happens to be short of money¡­ So if you agree, I¡¯ll dly pay a price five times higher than the current market value to acquire the twenty percent. I¡¯ll never force you into something that will make you lose money.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Renee¡¯s expression softened slightly once she heard what Haze had just said. ¡°So you¡¯re not just taking it for free! Why didn¡¯t you tell me that earlier? I thought you wanted the twenty percent shares in exchange for the rights to thend!¡± ¡°Do I look like such a greedy pig to you?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± Renee replied without hesitation. At the very least, she knew that Haze¡¯s family, the Baldwins, had amassed their immense wealth by force and extortion from the beginning, so as the sole heir to the family, it would not be a surprise that Haze would inherit their penchant for that kind of brutality. Haze was speechless. He coughed gently and said, ¡°Really, madam. You wound me. Don¡¯t you have any trust in me at all?¡± ¡°So,¡± he continued, pressing Renee for an answer. ¡°Do you ept these terms? Are you willing to let me be the secondrgest shareholder of Azure Group?¡± ¡°It sounds like the Baldwin family is indeed very generous,¡± Renee replied lucidly as she took a sip of the wine, ¡°and I can¡¯t think of a reason to refuse the offer, except¡­ I know there¡¯s no free lunch in this world. I feel like I¡¯m biting off much more than I can chew here, so I¡¯ll have to pass!¡± Chapter 747 Chapter 747 Haze¡¯s captivating eyes darkened a little as they shed with aplex mix of emotions. He quickly returned to his look of cynicism as he joked, ¡°What are you afraid of? I¡¯m offering you a prime cut of meat on a tter! It¡¯s right in front of you now, so why not just be bold and take a huge bite? If you can¡¯t chew it all today, then leave it for tomorrow! If you still can¡¯t chew it all tomorrow, then leave it for the day after that! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage to chew everything eventually! Besides, isn¡¯t that better than refusing it and starving to death?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the way you put it. Azure Group has been developing steadily. Who told you it is starving to death?¡± ¡°You know better than anyone else whether or not it¡¯s starving to death. Your best buddy Liam Osborne almost dragged his family into the mess just so he could get enough money to help Azure Group stay afloat. Azure Group is nothing but an old broken car that wouldn¡¯t even start. Without any outside help, there¡¯s no hope that it would ever take you anywhere¡­¡± ¡°But that¡¯s only temporary!¡± Renee interrupted. She wished she could retort Haze and teach him a lesson but found that she hadpletely no confidence. She could only add, ¡°You¡­ You don¡¯t know anything!¡± Azure Group¡¯s current financial situation was indeed bleak. Although she believed that its future was boundless, it was now just as Haze had said¡ªnothing more than an old car that would not start¡ª doubtful that it would even get them anywhere! ¡°Look into my eyes, Renee¡­¡± Haze disyed a rare sign of seriousness as he slowly assured her, ¡°You may distrust everyone else in the world, but you must trust me. My grandfather ordered me to help you rebuild the wealth and power of the Everheart family!¡± ¡°Grandpa Baldwin wanted you to do that?¡± Renee asked, surprised. ¡°Why else do you think I¡¯m here?¡± Haze raised his eyebrows, then helplessly sighed. ¡°You must know that I¡¯m not the kind to dabble in business. If it were up to me, what I¡¯d love to do most would be hiding in a small dark room, writing codes. If Grandpa hadn¡¯t ordered me to do this and told me that the Everheart family was in trouble, that you were in trouble, and thenmanded me to help you through this hurdle, I would¡¯ve never bothered myself with any of this. Don¡¯t you think that I¡¯d make better use of my time cracking codes and hacking programs?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know how many people had their greedy eyes on thend where Everheart Residence is?¡± he asked. ¡°Grandpa said Everheart Residence holds great significance to the Everheart family, and he ordered me to get a hold of thend and keep it for you. If Rubio Pascal hadn¡¯t been afraid of the Baldwin family¡¯s power and influence, do you think he would ever let go of it?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s Grandpa Baldwin who¡¯s been protecting Everheart Residence for me!¡± Renee uttered, still considerably shocked and moved by the old man¡¯s kindness. She hung her head low in shame and added, ¡°I lied to him four years ago. I thought he¡¯d never forgive me, but it turns out that¡­¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right that he was really angry because you promised to marry then, but you turned around and suddenly got in bed with the Hunts. What you did was simply as if you trampled our name and honor, deeply humiliating us. It enraged every single member of the Baldwin family. They even tried to issue an order to have you killed so they could take revenge on you and the Hunt family¡­¡± As Haze recalled the events that transpired four years ago, he was still struck by a lingering fear and trepidation. Judging from what he knew of his grandfather¡¯s temperament, not only was Renee¡¯s life in danger, but he was sure that his grandpa even nned to kill him! ¡°Butter,¡± he continued, ¡°Grandpa discovered that you¡¯d vanished from this world, and it was uncertain whether or not you were still alive. He thought of all the tribtions you had to endure in your life andOwned by N?velDrama.Org. made up his mind to forgive you. He realized that the real instigators of the whole mess were the Hunt family and Stefan Hunt especially, not you. You were innocent!¡± ¡°And that,¡± he concluded, ¡°was why he ordered me to lend you a helping hand to defeat the Hunt family and restore the Everheart family back to its old glory!¡± Renee felt an immense pressure bearing down on her shoulders and somberly replied, ¡°I¡¯m moved by Grandpa Baldwin¡¯s well intentions, and I¡¯m especially grateful for the squad that he sent me back then. I didn¡¯t even manage to train them properly. I¡¯ve failed to live up to his expectations¡­¡± ¡°But,¡± she added, ¡°I never thought of trying to defeat or exact revenge on anyone. All I want to do is to make Azure Group stronger and more prosperous under my leadership, so I can show the world that the Everheart family is not to be looked down upon and that their descendants can be great too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s very noble of you,¡± Haze chuckled, ¡°but it¡¯s a pity that the world of business is like the battleground for war. It¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world. No one will y nice with you. You either kill or be killed. If the man standing here in this room today wasn¡¯t me, do you think you¡¯ll ever get Everheart Residence back? And what if the capital chain for Azure Group breaks again? Where will you find the money to fix the situation then?¡± Haze¡¯s expressions were inscrutable, but his pointed inquiry immediately threw Renee into silence. It was true. She had been too idealistic and naive. When the time came for Azure Group to really be on the ¡°battlefield,¡± who would y nice with her then?! ¡°This is the equity purchase contract,¡± said Haze. ¡°Think about it carefully. Are you going to rely on the powerful Baldwin family and get through this risky hurdle, or are you going to fight alone and then get eaten up until not even your bones remain? I give you three days to decide.¡± Then, with umon gravity and strength, Haze pushed a thick stack of contract papers toward Renee. He was confident that a woman as smart as Renee would make the wiser choice¡­ Chapter 748 Chapter 748 Renee took the contract and went home with her mind full of thoughts. As she arrived, she noticed that something weird was going on¡ªher children, who would usually rush up to wee her home as soon as she got back, were non-existent, and right now, there was only pin-drop silence inside the house andpletely no sign the rascals. ¡°Hello? Adie? Abby? Mommy¡¯s home! Where are you guys? Don¡¯t you miss Mommy?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She opened the door and turned on the lights. The living room waspletely empty. There was not a soul in there. Feeling suspicious, she hurried into the bedroom. That was when the twins suddenly came bolting out of their room towards her, then each of them clung onto her legs. ¡°You¡¯re home, Mommy! We missed you so much!¡± ¡°You must be tired after working all day! Let us massage your shoulders and your legs!¡± Adie and Abby spoke so sweetly to their mother as though their lips were covered in honey. Their tiny little hands then went to work as they started to give their mother a massage. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Renee sighed with pleasure. She closed her eyes as she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. ¡°It feels so good, my darlings! You both treat me so well! Seeing you made all the hard work I did all day worth it!¡± After speaking, she tried to head straight into her bedroom, only to find her kids holding onto her legs tightly as if unwilling to let her go inside. ¡°Let us massage you a little longer if you like it so much, Mommy!¡± ¡°Are you hungry, Mommy? We made you dessert¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go lie down on the couch and watch TV, Mommy? That way, you can rx!¡± Renee¡¯s shrewd mind quickly caught on that something was wrong. ¡°What naughty schemes are you guys plotting behind my back this time?¡± she asked them in a grave tone with a stony face. ¡°Why are you trying to stop me from going into the bedroom?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Um¡­¡± Abby was a sensitive girl, so she could not help it when her lovely eyes darted shiftily towards the bedroom behind her mother. It was clear that she was feeling guilty, and was about to confess everything. But Adie remainedpletely unruffled in the face of danger when he calmly told his mother, ¡°You¡¯ve seen how good we¡¯ve been, Mommy! How could we be plotting anything behind your back when we¡¯re such good children?¡± ¡°Are you good children?¡± asked Renee. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice!¡± At this point, Renee was a hundred percent sure that these rascals were hiding something from her. In fact, it was probably something more serious than usual as well. Judging from her past experiences with them and her knowledge of their abilities, she would not even be surprised if it turned out that they managed to turn the whole world upside down. ¡°Fine,¡± Adie stretched out his arms in a helpless manner, ¡°I know we can never hide anything from your eagle eyes¡­ We have indeed done something, Mommy, but it¡¯s not something bad at all. In fact, we did it to help you, although you might not like the way we did it.¡± Renee¡¯s heart froze as soon as she heard what Adie said. ¡®This is bad,¡¯ she thought. ¡®This is really bad. Even Adie, the sly little fox, admitted to his crimes beforehand in a bid to appease her. These kids must¡¯ve caused some kind of cmity if they acted this way!¡¯ ¡°Tell me, what did you do?!¡± ¡°If we tell you, you must promise not to get angry at us or spank us¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I promise not to get angry, and I won¡¯t spank you unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡± With one hand on the wall and one hand clutching her heart, Renee was now mentally prepared to hear the truth. ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s difficult to exin with words. I think you¡¯d better go inside and see for yourself, Mommy. Just don¡¯t be too grateful to us!¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly kept a safe distance of twenty feet away from Renee. Abby timidly hid behind her brother and whispered in his ear, ¡°Are you sure Mommy won¡¯t get angry, Adie? Why do I feel that we¡¯ve really gone too far this time?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t be angry at us for this! In fact, I think it¡¯s likely that she might praise us for doing a great job since we punished the evil man, after all!¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right¡­ We just helped Mommy, so she must understand us and appreciate our help!¡± While the twins were whispering to each other, Renee was already anxiously pushing the door open. The lights inside were off, but she could make out that there was someone lying in her bed. ¡°What the hell have the rascals done this time?!¡± She turned on the lights. Once she took a good look at what was going on in her bed, she was so dumbstruck that she almost had a heart attack! Chapter 749 Chapter 749 What Renee saw was a full-grown adult tied up on her bed. This person was wearing high heels, a wig of long hair, a thickyer of makeup, and a scanty bikini¡­ and this person was lying there in her bed in the most seductive of positions. But what terrified her the most was the fact that this ¡°full-grown adult¡± was none other than the haughty president of H Group¡ªStefan Hunt! ¡°Oh my god¡­ What¡­ What on earth is going on here? Am I hallucinating?¡± The sight was so ¡°provocative¡± that Renee almost could not endure it. She was so shocked that she nearly lost her bnce and copsed onto the floor. ¡°Do you like it, Mommy?¡± Adie asked the question while cautiously staying twenty feet away from his mother. He went on to boast about his achievements, ¡°Abby and I have been dressing him up the whole evening! That man likes to hurt and disrespect women, so he should taste what it¡¯s like to be a woman!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also ordered abor pain simtor device online,¡± he added. ¡°Soon, he¡¯ll learn how painful and difficult it is to give birth!¡± ¡°He¡¯s the reason you suffered so much, Mommy! Now it¡¯s his turn to suffer!¡± Renee massaged her throbbing temples. She no longer knew exactly how to react. ¡°You¡­ Both of you have done a terrible, terrible thing!¡± She had painstakingly tried to hide the existence of these two kids from Stefan Hunt, yet now everything was exposed just like that¡ªnot only was the truth exposed, but it had been exposed in such a melodramatic manner too! With Stefan Hunt¡¯s ferocious temper, he would never be able to endure this kind of humiliating prank. She dared not imagine what the man would do in retaliation. The thought alone made her shudder in fear! C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Why is he lying so still? Is he asleep, or is he¡­¡± Renee stepped forward and prodded Stefan¡¯s body, but the man did not respond at all. He justy there like a dead pig. ¡°We gave him a sleeping pill,¡± Adie proudly answered, ¡°so he¡¯s sleeping very soundly right now!¡± The sleeping pill in the cake was not enough to put his life in danger, but it was still enough to knock him out for a good while. ¡°What?!¡± Renee roared in anger. ¡°Aiden Everheart, how dare you do such a despicable thing! Will you be murdering people next? No! I won¡¯t let this slide. I must teach you a proper lesson today, because if I don¡¯t, it¡¯ll be up to the police and the society to teach you next!¡± Furious, Renee picked up a ruler on the nightstand and was hell-bent on punishing Adie. ¡°Hold out your hand!¡± she barked an order. ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± argued Adie. He was just as stubborn and hardheaded as Renee. With a face as stern as his mother¡¯s, he bluntly told her, ¡°Our little prank is nowhere near as bad as how he used to hurt you! I don¡¯t believe that I¡¯ve done anything wrong today, so you can hit me if you want, but I¡¯ll still do the same if I get another chance!¡± ¡°Not only that,¡± he added, ¡°I¡¯ve also taken pictures of him looking like that, so I can force him to post a video of him apologizing to you on the inte!¡± ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you now, Aiden Everheart?! You know you¡¯ve done something wrong, but not only are you unwilling to admit your mistake, you¡¯re even proudly defending yourself! I think you really need a good spanking this time!¡± Renee¡¯s rage was at its boiling point, and she swiftly hit the boy on his butt with the ruler. She could perfectly understand that Adie was doing this to help her, but his methods were just too outrageous. If she continued to indulge him, she dreaded to think of the disastrous troubles he might cause in the future. ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt!¡± said Adie as he gritted his teeth. His eyes were now reddening. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so keep on spanking me if you like, but I regret nothing!¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± Renee gritted her teeth and ignored the pain in her heart before going on to spank Adie a few more times. This time, Adie could not hold it in any longer. He burst out in tears and started to wail loudly, throwing the room into chaos. Even Abby, who stood aside, was now frightened and began to howl at the top of her lungs. She cried and cried until she stopped abruptly and dared not even make a sound. She pointed at the man who was supposed to be in deep sleep and whispered, ¡°Mommy, Adie, be quiet for a while! I think that evil man is waking up¡­¡± Chapter 750 Chapter 750 The room that had been in total chaos just moments ago was now instantly in perfect silence, just as if someone had turned off a switch. ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s waking up?¡± Rene gulped nervously. The ruler hung from her hand in mid-air. She had no courage to turn around. ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Abby, nodding firmly after climbing up next to Stefan on the bed and studying him for a while. ¡°He must be awake now since his eyes are wide open.¡± ¡°Ahahahaha¡­¡± Renee chuckled awkwardly. She bit the bullet and turned around, only for her eyes to meet Stefan¡¯s. She then very cautiously asked, ¡°So you¡¯re awake, huh? How, um¡­ How are you feeling?¡± Although Stefan was wearing thick makeup and was in women¡¯s clothing, looking all seductive and enticing, his gaze remained piercing and intimidating, and he was still exuding a powerful aura that was enough to frighten people. His thin lips trembled slightly, and a terrifying smile cropped up on his face. ¡°How do you think I feel right now?¡± he asked. ¡°I think¡­¡± Renee coughed and stammered, ¡°I think you must feel great right now! I heard rumors of your sexual orientation, and they said you¡¯ve got lots of boyfriends, so perhaps you¡¯ve always fantasized about this moment¡­¡± ¡°You probably fantasized about bing a woman, wearing makeup, a garter belt, silk stockings, and high heels, and you¡­¡± ¡°Everheart!¡± Stefan yelled, unable to endure it any longer. This was simply torture! It was just torture! If those two little devils caused physical damage to him, then it could be said that those words from Renee caused him a supernatural level of damage that could easily kill him on the spot! ¡°Just you wait!¡± he threatened her. ¡°You¡¯ll see what you get for messing with me!¡± Then, like a crazed wild beast, Stefan tried to viciously pounce at Renee, but just then, he discovered that his hands and feet were all tied up to the bed frame¡ªhe was all syed out and unable to move! Renee was still very scared of him at first, but when she saw him all bound up like a helpless trapped animal while dressed like a woman, she simply couldn¡¯t hold it in and burst outughing while clutching her belly. ¡°Ste-Stefan Hunt, you idiot! How did you manage to get so defeated by two little kids when you¡¯re a full- grown man?! This is hrious!¡± ¡°Shut up and stopughing!¡± Stefan only became angrier and struggled ever harder. The way he looked now¡­ ming red lips, long legs in silk stockings, wriggling and struggling as he was tied to the bed¡­ it was certainly a situation no normal man could stand. But the sight only made Reneeugh harder, and she found it hard to stop. It even gave her the boldness to confidently approach Stefan and patted his handsome face, saying, ¡°Stop struggling, boy! The more you struggle, the more excited I get!¡± ¡°Damn it, Everheart! Untie me, or else you¡¯re done for!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Stefan had never felt so humiliated in his life. His chiseled face was flushed red. He silently swore that once he regained his freedom, he would definitely get a hold of Renee and skin her alive! ¡°You evil man! You¡¯re not allowed to raise your voice to Mommy!¡± Adie had always been ¡°Mommy¡¯s protective little demon,¡± so he would not stand to have Stefan Hunt talking to his mother like that. He rushed up towards them with the ruler that Renee just put down earlier in his hand. He handed it to Renee and said, ¡°Mommy, use this to teach him a lesson. Let him know what it feels like to be properly educated!¡± ¡°You little scoundrel!¡± Stefan scowled at Adie and added in an icily serious tone, ¡°What poor upbringing! Who¡¯s been teaching you all these years? Don¡¯t you know how to respect your elders? Don¡¯t you know how to live in a civilized society?!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee considered the rtionship between the man and the children and decided that it would be best to tell the twins to leave the room for now. Chapter 751 Chapter 751 At first, Adie was reluctant, but Renee promised him that she would teach Stefan a good lesson. Besides, she even imed that what was about to take ce would be too violent for children, leaving Adie and Abby to leave unwillingly. After the children had left, the two adults got straight to the point. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Stefan ordered coldly, ¡°Hurry up and untie it for me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Renee held her arms across her chest and directly rejected it. ¡°You¡¯re so fierce, and you even said that you¡¯d kill meter. I¡¯ll be a fool if I untie you!¡± Stefan didn¡¯t know what to say. Renee continued, ¡°Well, you¡¯re so charming in a female costume. You do look like a woman. If you want to be one, you can consider having surgery at Tempesta!¡± Stefan was again at a loss for words. Renee said, ¡°Look! This tender skin, slim waist, and long legs are so alluring. I¡¯ll be dazed if I¡¯m a man¡­¡± Stefan was rendered speechless. Like a rogue phnderer, Renee sized Stefan up. After that, she smacked his strong waist and gave a thumbs-up. ¡°Nice touch!¡± Stefan could no longer take it. He exhausted himself to break free from the rope and acted speedily, managing to pin Renee underneath him. ¡°Woman, you had a great time touching me, but nothing is free in this world. Have you never heard of it?¡± ¡°Why, you¡­¡± It was beyond Renee¡¯s expectation that Stefan could break free of the rope. When she regained her wits, she was in his arms, and she had no way to resist at all. ¡°Well, your body is nice to the touch too!¡± Stefan copied her previous action and arrogantly touched her body using hisrge hand. ¡°B*stard! Rogue! Let me go!¡± Goosebumps sprouted out of Renee¡¯s skin from the touch, and she was blushing vehemently. Even her neck turned red. She always had feelings toward his body. Whenever he flirted with her that way¡­ she did feel like taking the initiative instead. She thought, ¡®No, calm down. Renee, you must calm down. Hold on. If not, he¡¯ll plot against me in the future.¡¯ ¡°Tell me. What¡¯s with those kids?¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned cold as he interrogated her with a harsh tone. Renee felt as if she had received a great blow, so she immediately became vignt. She purposely tried to act dumb and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with those kids?¡± ¡°You went missing for four years just to secretly give birth to my kids, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I gave birth openly. What does it have anything to do with you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still acting dumb!¡± Stefan punched the pillow forcefully. At the same time, his deep-set eyes became scarlet and sunken. He uttered with a dangerous tone, ¡°Renee, you¡¯re so bold. How dare you got pregnant with my children secretly! Have you ever thought of the consequences it would bring to you?¡± ¡°I told you. It¡¯s my kids. It has nothing to do with you. Stop ttering yourself. There are so many men in the world. Why? Are you the only one who can have kids?¡± Renee knew that she could no longer hide it, but she did not want to admit it before thest moment came. Not only was she afraid that Stefan would snatch the children from her, but¡­ she felt that it was very humiliating. She had been quite humble and inferior in front of him for so many years, so she did not want to do that anymore. ¡°Fine, you refuse to admit it, don¡¯t you?¡± Stefan snorted and let her go. The tall and upright figure soon stood up like God, saying condescendingly, ¡°I¡¯ll take them for a DNA test then. The data won¡¯t lie.¡± Chapter 752 Chapter 752 Seeing that Renee could no longer change his mind, she let it all go to hell. She demanded, ¡°So, what if you do a DNA test? So, what if the data shows that you¡¯re rted to them? Don¡¯t even think about snatching my kids. If not¡­ I¡¯m going to fight you to death!¡± ¡°So, you finally admit it?¡± Stefan¡¯s face sank. His gaze became icy and dangerous. He then snorted, ¡°You¡¯re so bold! You even dared to steal my kids. Of course, you¡¯re bold enough to fight me to death. But unfortunately, I¡¯m not interested in your life. I also don¡¯t want my kids to hate me for hurting their mother¡­¡± When Renee saw his expression, a chill ran down her spine. She knew very well that the battle had started. It was and mine that had been buried four years ago, and it was about to explode. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. It was impossible that she did not panic, but she was not terrified. ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t beat around the bush. Just tell me what you want.¡± Clenching her fists tightly, Renee became fearless. ¡°Tsk! Tsk!¡± Stefan waved his fingers and said leisurely and naturally, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. I don¡¯t know they¡¯re my kids. I remember that we never slept with each other, but two kids suddenly popped up. It¡¯s clear that I¡¯m missing a lot of important clues here, am I not?¡± ¡°Stefan, stop f*cking acting dumb! You don¡¯t dare to admit to what you did?¡± Renee roared the indignation she had been holding back for more than four years. She interrogated, ¡°Don¡¯t you have any idea what you did to me the night of your brother¡¯s funeral?¡± ¡°The night of my brother¡¯s funeral?¡± Stefan was no longer as overbearing as he was before. Narrowing his eyes, he carefully tried to recall the events. He vaguely remembered that he drank a lot of wine with Renee that night, which was unprecedented. After that, he went to bed. When he woke up, he was dressed nicely without anyone beside him. Did he do that to her that night¡­ ¡°Do you know why I hate you so much that I don¡¯t want to forgive you for the rest of my life?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes inevitably turned red. Sheughed coldly and stated, ¡°We spent the night together at that time, so I thought I could finally be your true wife and you would see me. You might even fall in love with me and adore me¡­ ¡°But you still treated me coldly as if I was a stranger. You didn¡¯t even want to stay for a night. You didn¡¯t even look at me lovingly. All you felt for me was nothing but disdain!¡± Stefan became flustered. He frowned deeply and uttered coldly, ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much. What¡¯s more, I didn¡¯t feel much for you at that time. I found you annoying because you sentenced my marriage to death, but the thing you said¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin anything!¡± Renee interrupted him and kept her sneer. She continued describing her past mncholy. ¡°At that time, I always looked forward to our beautiful future. I cooked nice food for you and waited for you toe home every day. I fantasized that we could eat, go traveling, and hug each other in our sleep like an ordinary married couple¡­ ¡°Well, I waited until the steaming hot dishes turned cold, and I had insomnia every night. In the end, I got nothing but your divorce agreement, as well as Briaring to my house!¡± ¡°As for Briar, it¡¯s not what you think. She and I¡­¡± Stefan was hesitant as to whether he wanted to tell Renee the truth. ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee sounded very overbearing before she red at him. ¡°Can you stop interrupting me while I¡¯m talking?¡± Stefan had been an alpha-male throughout his life, but at that moment, he obediently kept quiet as if he was an elementary school student. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°Go on.¡± Chapter 753 Chapter 753 ¡°After that, I found that I was pregnant. Well, the most melodramatic thing happened. Briar was pregnant too. You cared about her so much and were so eager for her baby to be born, but you hated me so. Can you understand how much I hated you at that time? ¡°I wanted to abort the child, but the doctor told me that it was a pair of mix-gendered twins. It¡¯s a very low chance of getting such a pair, and they¡¯re two lives. I couldn¡¯t bear to do that!¡± Renee closed her eyes. Tears inevitably rolled down her cheeks. She never dared to recall that painful time as if it was a thorn stabbed into her heart. It was fine if she did not revisit it, but when she identally did, it was a heart-wrenching pain. She was no longer willing to go back to the time when she was controlled by someone else, so¡­ she had to fight Stefan with all her might, regardless of the price she had to pay. ¡°So, you gave birth to the kids secretly. They have gotten so big, yet you never thought of informing me, huh?¡± Simrly, Stefan¡¯s eyes turned red as he interrogated Renee. She might be in pain, but how about him? As the father, he missed their most critical four years. How could he make up for that loss? ¡°Humph! Should I have informed you?¡± Renee sneered and said, ¡°You and Briar were all over each other. Were you even ready to ept the two kids who suddenly popped up? ¡°Even if you could, you would have gotten rid of me and made Briar their stepmother. This would be your vulgar scheme! Was I that stupid?¡± She could foresee all his actions given how well she knew him. She knew that she could not fight against him at that time, so she had been gathering strength these years. Now she could not guarantee that she could win, but at least she dared to do so. ¡°Stupid?¡± Stefan approached her slowly and grabbed her shoulders with hisrge hands. He locked his deep-set gaze on her eyes. At the same time, his eyes were full of so many emotions. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re rather stupid and opinionated. You always assume what you think is the truth!¡± Agitation slowly engulfed him. It was unknown whether he hated her or med her. In short, he looked very frightening. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I am capable enough to give birth to my children and raise them on my own. No one can snatch them away from me. Now that Briar can¡¯t bear a child, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll want my kids more. Let me tell you. That will never happen. I¡¯ve long thought of how to deal with it. I¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Stefan was so angry that he covered her babbling mouth and said coldly, ¡°Let me tell you how stupid and opinionated you are! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Why do you think I treated Briar so nicely and wanted to marry her no matter what? ¡°It¡¯s because my brother died for me, and Briar was pregnant with his child. I wanted to give the child a decent identity, so I took care of Briar on my brother¡¯s behalf. It¡¯s not what you think; that I loved her so much that I would give up my own kids!¡± He kept that a secret for more than four years and nned to keep it that way for the rest of his life, but atst, he exposed it. He just wanted to prove his innocence. Renee stopped struggling. Her eyes widened exaggeratedly because of deep shock. There was an unspeakable ignorance and innocence about her. Stefan calmed down slightly before he retrieved the hand that he used to cover Renee¡¯s mouth. He then said icily, ¡°That was what I wanted to say. Have you realized how stupid you are?¡± Chapter 754 Chapter 754 After a long pause, a strange atmosphere appeared in the room. ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re saying that Briar wasn¡¯t pregnant with your child, and you guys were not in that kind of rtionship?¡± Renee was bbergasted. After a pause, she finally found her voice. She had imagined all kinds of possibilities, trying to figure out why Stefan was so loyal to such a pretentious b*tch like Briar. However, she never imagined that would be the reason. Stefan held his forehead as his handsome face turned aloof. He was rendered speechless and helpless at the same time. ¡°Do you think I would fall for a woman like Briar, given my taste?¡± He returned the question. ¡°How would I know what time of woman you like?¡± Renee crossed her arms across her chest and said in a peculiar manner, ¡°In short, don¡¯t men like such feeble, beautiful, innocent, and pretentious b*tch? Can you control yourself the moment she starts flirting in front of you?¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± He then continued solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s unsuited to describe Briar as such.¡± His retort filled her with inexplicable joy, so she found it hard to suppress herughter. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. She tried her best to suppress herughter and pretended to say expressionlessly, ¡°Ahem, so tell me¡ª how should we be describing Briar?¡± Stefan frowned and tried his best to ponder over it. After a good while, he answered seriously, ¡°Well, she¡¯s weak but too scheming.¡± Renee¡¯s face turned cold, and suddenly, a sense of pathetic and sarcastic feeling washed over her. She then snorted, ¡°Well, it seems like you¡¯re well aware of it. You have long learned about her character, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°She has her difficulties. My brother said that her early years were filled with a lot of unhappiness.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned cold and indifferent. However, he always felt that he had some kind of responsibility toward Briar because of Tristan. She was just greedy, but it seemed logical when it came to the environment she grew up in. It was human instinct to want to survive and lead a better life. Briar always pretended to be weak while plotting against others. However, she really just wanted to lead a better life. Besides, he had promised his brother to take good care of Briar. At least, he had to ensure that she was well provided for the rest of her life. Unfortunately¡­ he failed to do that. ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha! It¡¯s hrious!¡± Reneeughed in a slightly exaggerated manner, but her eyes turned slightly red in the meantime. She stared at the tall and sturdy man in front of her as if she was looking at a clown and felt nothing but disgust. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re so considerate. Everyone has their difficulties, and everyone is unlucky, but I¡¯m the only one who is not pitiful. I deserved to be forced to get a divorce. It was right and reasonable for me to be misunderstood and humiliated. And even my kids deserve to suffer that kind of pain with me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°Humph! I don¡¯t know if you meant that or not, but you always condemned and hurt me just to protect that woman. I finally understand why Briar was so crazy¡­ ¡°Of course, she dared to do any illegal things with such a great supporter like you. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s merely hurting my kids and me.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t keep f*cking calm!¡± Renee vented out all the pain that she had suppressed for more than four years. She even challenged him. ¡°You¡¯d better protect your pretentious b*tch well. Don¡¯t let me get her. If not, I¡¯ll make her very miserable!¡± Renee was fuming with anger. Sure, she hated Briar, but she hated Stefan even more. Chapter 755 Chapter 755 The sorry state she was in was the result of his tolerance andpassion toward Briar. That was also the reason her children were deprived of paternal love from the moment they were born, unlike the ones in other ordinary families. ¡°You mustn¡¯t do anything to her.¡± Stefan spoke in a low voice filled with cockiness. He said gradually, ¡°She¡¯s been punished, so you should stop.¡± ¡°Should I stop just because you said so? What about the pain my kids and I had to suffer? Why should I be generous and tolerant?¡± She was never a tolerant person, to begin with. If they bullied her, she would only teach them a harder lesson. If she were not pregnant and eager to leave Beach City for Sun Ind, she would¡¯ve never let that pretentious b*tch off the hook. ¡°I can¡¯t change the past, but from now¡­ I¡¯ll make it up to you and the kids.¡± He glued a firm gaze on her face. ¡°We can make a fresh start. I believe that we¡¯ll have a happy future.¡± ¡°Who wants a future with you? There¡¯s no future between us. It¡¯ll only be a life-and-death struggle!¡± Renee refused Stefan again. Once there was a crack in a vase, it was destined to end up shattered¡ªin tragedy. It was not something that could be fixed on the fly. She could not convince herself to y along with a man she hated for the sake of the children. She did not want to relive the seemingly bright but cold life. What she wanted was simple and ordinary family life, having a mutual love with her partner. It was just like¡­ what she had with Mr. Q. ¡°Is that what you think?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. A tinge of unnoticeable pain crept up his handsome face. His gaze turned cold, and he became more perilous as he made an ultimatum. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give you two choices¡­ ¡°One, marry me, and our family of four will lead a good life. ¡°Two, let me have custody of the kids, and you disappear from their lives.¡± Renee noticed that he was being serious. It was not an empty threat. She sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll just pick the third choice.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The third choice is I¡¯ll marry the man who is suitable for me. We¡¯ll be the family of four that will make me happy.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned gloomy. He felt like strangling her to death. ¡°Well, Renee, you¡¯re really something. You sure know how to make me hate you!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you always hated me? So, what if you hate me a little more?¡± ¡°Fine. Today, I¡¯ll make you pay the price for your stupidity!¡± After that, he opened the door to leave. However, he saw the two children at the door, staring at him fiercely. Especially Adie. He regarded Stefan as a criminal. With his hands on his waist, he interrogated, ¡°Bad guy, where are you going?¡± Stefan was already fuming with anger. At that moment, his fury grew. He looked down at Adie and asked in answer, ¡°Do you know who am I to you, kids?¡± Adie snorted disdainfully and raised his chin high. His behavior was an uncanny copy of Stefan¡¯s¡ª overbearing and condescending. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re our bad daddy who hurt our mommy. My sister and I share half your genes.¡± ¡°You guys know?¡± Stefan was slightly stunned. There were a lot of things that he couldn¡¯t figure out too. ¡°Since you know I¡¯m your daddy, why did you trick me like this? Did your mommy teach you that?¡± Chapter 756 Chapter 756 ¡°No way!¡± Little Adie wanted to provoke Stefan, so he went in for the kill. ¡°Mommy already hates you so much. She doesn¡¯t even bother to talk about you. You¡¯ve done so many horrible things. We¡¯ll find out. All we need to do is look into it.¡± Renee was embarrassed. She was a little worried about Stefan¡¯s impression of Adie, so she scolded Adie softly, ¡°Adie, you can¡¯t be so rude.¡± The words she could not say were, ¡®That¡¯s your father!¡¯ How could a son lecture his father? It was simply embarrassing. ¡°Mommy, how am I rude? I¡¯m just telling the truth. This bad guy has done a lot of horrible things. You¡¯ve suffered so much because of him!¡± ¡°If you do something bad, you have to suffer the consequences! Everyone hates him because of his actions. It makes sense for us to hate him!¡± ¡°Look at Q. He¡¯s the best. He¡¯s nice to you and treats us well. He apanies us every day and cooks us good food. A man like him deserves our favor and respect.¡± It was hard to refute Adie¡¯s clear and logical statement. Renee put her hand on her forehead in helplessness. She hoped Stefan was sensible enough to not vent his anger at the kids. Stefan gazed at Adie for a long time with his cold eyes. After a long pause, he nodded arrogantly. ¡°Well, well. You¡¯re tough. It¡¯s the same as when I was a child. My genes are really strong.¡± His statement made both Renee and Adie speechless. Stefan reached out and patted Adie¡¯s fluffy hair. He asked, ¡°Will youe to Hunt family with me? I¡¯ll groom you to take my ce and be the king of the next generation.¡± Adie turned his head savagely. He frowned and questioned, ¡°You want me toe to the Hunt family and groom me? Be the new king? Who cares! I¡¯d better not end up as the next generation of viins!¡± ¡°Have you been watching too much hot-blooded anime? You¡¯re so childish. Is your family aware of this?¡± Stefan¡¯s hand froze in mid-air. He stiffened briefly before redeeming himself and said, ¡°Not bad. You¡¯re more sharp-tongued than I¡¯ve ever been.¡± Both Renee and Adie were speechless again. Speaking of which, Stefan did secretly watch a lot of hot-blooded anime and had a crazy collection of anime merchandise at home. Underneath his cool and arrogant public facade was his childish, concupiscent side. However, Stefan¡¯s appearance at the moment said otherwise. His outfit was hrious. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Abby kept staring at Stefan. Then, she blinked her big and beautiful eyes adorably and said, ¡°Bad Daddy, calm down. If you get worked up, your falsies will drop. Your lipstick is smudging too. You¡¯re no longer beautiful.¡± Stefan just remembered about his outfit. He was still wearing heavy make-up in garter stockings and high heels as he talked about grooming Adie into the future king. Just the image alone was crazy! Stefan¡¯s face immediately turned grim. He said through his gritted teeth, ¡°You two little brats. You¡¯ve vented your anger and gotten your revenge. Time to return me my clothes and shoes!¡± ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Stefan thought. If the two little brats were not his, he would have punished them with a beating. Renee nced at Stefan briefly and let out augh. Indeed, Stefan was cold and arrogant but hrious at the same time. ¡°You two. Return his clothes and shoes to him immediately, or I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Renee wore a stern face and ordered the two kids before Stefan grew furious. Chapter 757 Chapter 757 As the saying went, never push your enemy into a corner. Moreover, Stefan was like a fearsome and ruthless beast. Renee knew when to stop, and so did Adie and Abby. Adie and Abby sensed that Stefan had reached the limit of his patience, so they hurriedly took out his clothes and pants and stuffed them into his hands. Adie held his chin up and stated seriously, ¡°We¡¯ll let you off this time. Don¡¯t you fall into our hands again. It won¡¯t be this easy next time.¡± ¡°Same to you. Next time, I¡¯ll show you!¡± Stefan responded with the same cool look and warned them arrogantly. Then, he grabbed his clothes, turned his high heels, and strode into the bathroom quickly. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Renee could not hold back herughter anymore. It started from a soft peal but quickly escted into a massive burst. Her wild and unrestrainedughter almost echoed throughout the building! Stefan had always been stoic and arrogant, maintaining a dignifiedposure throughout the years they were together. It was refreshingly odd to see him in such a hrious and embarrassing state. Sure enough, the little devils were the only ones who could deal with the big devil. The future generation was always more evolved than their predecessor! When Renee stoppedughing, she held Adie and Abby in each hand and educated them solemnly. She maintained a stern expression and lectured, ¡°I¡¯m telling you two. I won¡¯t pursue it this time, but you mustn¡¯t do this again. That guy inside is crazy. If provoked, he can be scarier than the devil. You may get into deep trouble for making him mad. Understand?¡± Abby said, ¡°But Mommy, I think Bad Daddy has a good temper. We teased him like this, but he didn¡¯t get angry. He seems¡­ It seems that he likes the look we made for him. Maybe he¡¯s actually happy?¡± Renee shook her head and soberly exined to Abby, ¡°He¡¯s a big beast. He won¡¯t show his emotions easily. He may appear calm on the outside, but he¡¯s probably furious on the inside and plotting revenge. We shouldn¡¯t provoke people like him. Let¡¯s stay out of trouble.¡± Abby pondered briefly. Shortly after, her eyes lit up. ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we change our strategy and deal with him differently?¡± Adie seemed interested. ¡°But how?¡± Abby had an innocent expression and answered softly, ¡°If he¡¯s a big beast, let¡¯s not fight him. We can be nice to him and tame him. He won¡¯t hurt us that way. Maybe he¡¯ll even protect us?¡± C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Abby was less hostile to Stefan than Adie. She even had a little crush on him. After all, she was just like her mommy and loved pretty faces! Abby had only heard of her bad daddy Stefan in other people¡¯s stories. It was her first time meeting him. Stefan was much prettier and taller than she had imagined. Stefan¡¯s shoulders were also as broad and thick as Daddy Q¡¯s. If she sat on it, she could see the scenery very high and far away. Abby was tempted to climb onto his shoulder and try it! Adie objected strongly and gestured with a big no. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Adie had a stern look on his handsome little face as he lectured Abby, ¡°Bing stronger is the only way to deal with the bad guys! We can¡¯t be kind to them. We can¡¯t let our guard down and give them any chance to hurt us again!¡± ¡°If we¡¯re nice to him, he¡¯ll treat us as an easy target to bully. We have to make him fear us, obey us, and never dare to hurt us again.¡± ¡°No, brother. I think you¡¯re wrong¡­¡± Abby pouted and started an unprecedented debate with her most admired brother. Chapter 758 Chapter 758 ¡°Mommy taught us to be a good person. If Bad Daddy has changed, why don¡¯t we give him a chance to be a good person?¡± ¡°If we treat him well, he¡¯ll treat us well. If we treat him badly, he¡¯ll do the same to us. Why don¡¯t we be kinder to him and have one more person that treats us well?¡± Abby spoke her mind with reason. She had always been Adie¡¯s number-one fan and most loyal supporter. Reneeughed and joked that Abby would always be undoubtedly supportive of Adie. She did not expect them to quarrel over Stefan. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Uh, hey¡­ You two¡­¡± Renee listened as the little ones quarreled. She turned to Adie and then to Abby, feeling a little at a loss. It was the first time she had encountered such a scene. ¡°Abby, your thoughts are problematic. A bad guy will always be a bad guy. He¡¯ll never be a good person. We¡¯ll hurt ourselves by being kind to the bad guys!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. People may make mistakes. If not, why would we need teachers and police officers?¡± It was Adie¡¯s first time dealing with Abby¡¯s stubbornness. He could only drag Renee into the argument in desperation. ¡°Mommy, say something. What do you think? Do you support Abby or me? Or¡­ Do we have to forgive Bad Daddy?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± Renee pinched her jaw and pondered the question. How could she resolve the conflict and answer without hurting them? ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s good to be strong. It¡¯s right to be kind too. It¡¯s important to find a bnce between the two. You shouldn¡¯t give a chance to someone who¡¯s absolutely evil or hurt someone who¡¯s kind and beat him to death, so¡­¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s all about Bad Daddy¡¯s sincerity, right?¡± Adie instantly understood Renee¡¯s answer. He behaved like an adult and said with a serious nod, ¡°Mommy¡¯s right. We can¡¯t just beat him to death. Why don¡¯t we call him out and take a stand!¡± ¡°I agree! Let¡¯s ask Bad Daddy what he thinks¡­ But what¡¯s with him? It¡¯s been so long. Why isn¡¯t he done?¡± Renee listened to the two children and noticed that Stefan seemed to have been in the bathroom for too long. Why was there no movement at all?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± Renee turned towards the bathroom and pushed open the door to find Stefan unconscious on the floor. Stefan had changed into his clothes and removed the heavy makeup from his face. However, he was lying on the floor and shut his eyes tightly! ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Renee paled in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong, Mommy?¡± The little ones heard Renee and hurriedly ran over. They were startled to see such a situation too. ¡°He seems to have fainted¡­¡± Renee went forward to nudge Stefan, only to find him unresponsive. Without a second to waste, she called for an ambnce to take him to the hospital for emergency treatment. ¡°You two stay home. Get some rest and listen to Margaret. No more ying around. I¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Renee gave the two little ones a good lecture before leaving for the hospital with the ambnce. About an hourter, the doctor came out with the report. Chapter 759 Chapter 759 Renee gulped nervously. She went forward to ask the doctor softly, ¡°Doctor¡­ W-what happened to him?¡± ¡°He fainted from his allergies. It¡¯s nothing too bad,¡± the doctor exined. After that, he lectured Renee with a frown, ¡°By the way, what are you guys doing? As his family, don¡¯t you know he has hemophobia? His condition is severe. You have to be careful with his diet. He may get an allergy from indiscriminate eating, and it may even kill him!¡± ¡°Huh? He ate something wrong?¡± ¡°Yeah. He can¡¯t take sleeping pills. His prescription drugs for hemophobia can cause adverse reactions. If it¡¯s serious, it may kill him!¡± Renee came to a sudden realization after listening to the doctor¡¯s exnation. She remembered Adie saying that he had given Stefan some sleeping pills. She thought he would nap a little because of the pill but never thought it would have such a big impact. ¡°It was my negligence. It¡¯s our fault, and it won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Well, his condition is quite serious. He can be discharged tomorrow morning, but he still has to recuperate at home for about a week, preferably in bed. Also, make sure he doesn¡¯t get angry or aggrieved. As his family, it¡¯s best to let him have whatever he wants and keep him happy¡­¡± The doctor exined this to Renee while writing the medical record. ¡°What? It¡¯s best to let him have whatever he wants?¡± Renee had not studied much medicine, and she had never heard of such a disease. ¡°Are you doubting my professionalism?¡± The doctor looked up with a disagreeable look and handed her a stack of examination reports. ¡°You can see for yourself. This is his health report. His liver, spleen, and stomach are greatly damaged. His health may worsen with anger. His condition is not to be taken lightly. Can you take it seriously?!¡± ¡°He has liver and stomach damage just from some sleeping pills? Isn¡¯t that too dramatic?¡± ¡°The sleeping pills caused his allergies. His liver and stomach damage is mainly due to the medication he¡¯s been taking for dizziness and hemophobia.¡± Renee looked at the data on the report. She did not understand much of the report but could tell many numbers had exceeded the normal range. Soon, a worrying look crossed her face. Renee was aware of Stefan¡¯s hemophobia all the while but thought he had probably fully recovered after all these years of treatment. She was surprised it had turned out otherwise. In fact, his disease got worse with manyplications. ¡®Is he using the Rainbow ze to treat this disease?¡¯ thought Renee. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Renee went to Stefan¡¯s ward after leaving the doctor¡¯s office. Stefan was still unconscious. The usually powerful and impable person was lying in his bed quietly, downtrodden and weak. He seemed so fragile that anyone who wanted to hurt him could easily do so with a little nudge of a finger. Renee could not help but feel concerned again. After all, the kids had caused all of this. Renee wanted to take care of him until he got back on his feet again. ¡°You may leave. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± Renee spoke to the nurse who had been on the ward. ¡°Okay. Just be careful and remember to change the drip. You can wash and massage him. Make him as happy and rxed as possible.¡± ¡°Wash and massage him?¡± Renee frowned at the thought of having to give him such high-ss treatment. When Renee thought of Stefan¡¯s past history, she could not help but wonder if he was pretending to be sick again. ¡°Stefan, are you awake? If you are, stop pretending¡­ I¡¯m warning you!¡± Renee stood in front of Stefan and warned him fiercely, ¡°I¡¯ve fallen for the same trick a couple of times, but I¡¯m not going to fall for it again!¡± Chapter 760 Chapter 760 There was nothing but silence in the room. The man lying on the bed had his eyes tightly closed, entuated by his long eyshes that were as dense as feathers. The gentle light from the orange deskmp cast a shadow on his tall, defined nose. Renee saw no response from Stefan, so she leaned down and got closer to him. As she observed him carefully, ripples of inexplicable feelings rose in her heart. ¡°Dude! Leaving all else aside, you do have such a pretty face! Why did God bless you with such beauty?¡± Renee was once again mesmerized by Stefan¡¯s wlessplexion. Stefan had perfectly defined features and great skin. She wondered if he had been using some high-ss skin care products for his wlessly smooth skin. Renee had been fooled many times before and became much more vignt. She pushed Stefan and warned again, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Don¡¯t use the same trick again!¡± Stefan did not move or respond. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you still pretending? I have plenty of ways to deal with you!¡± Renee said. After that, she mischievously pinched Stefan¡¯s nose and tried to obstruct his breathing. Even so, Stefan still did not respond. ¡°Not awake yet?¡± Renee furrowed her brows and warned harshly, ¡°Then don¡¯t me me for using my top-secret weapon!¡± Renee waved her arms and stretched her muscles right after saying that. Then¡­ she began to tickle Stefan. She kept tickling him at different speeds, sometimes lightly and sometimes hard. She was sure that even someone with a strong determination would have no way to hold back and endure. ¡°Still no response?¡± Renee let out a long sigh and finally believed that Stefan was really in aa. Seeing that he was still unconscious, she somehow felt a little more rxed, less tense than before. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll believe it for now. You¡¯re really unconscious.¡± After saying that, Renee began to take care of Stefan, sparing no effort. First, she washed his face and hands. Then, she gave him water and medicine. Finally, she yed him a piece of soothing music. The doctor mentioned that, in his case, it would be easier for him to recover in afortable and rxed environment. Renee was unsure if Stefan had recovered. In the end, she began to rx in thefortable and rxing atmosphere and fell asleep not long after¡­ Renee rested on the edge of the bed and slept very well. Her thick and luscious ck hair scattered on the bed somehow gave off the feeling of a tenacious weed. Stefan opened his eyes. Warmth and happiness flew in his heart as he saw the woman who was taking care of him. Stefan was already awake when Renee tickled him. However, he had a strong determination and could endure far better than the average person. He was afraid that Renee¡¯s gentleness would be gone as soon as he woke up, so he simply pretended to remain unconscious¡­ Stefan reached out his hand in the quiet and cozy atmosphere and gently ced his hand on her head. As he patted her like coaxing a child, her hair slipped through his fingers like a silky waterfall. Renee sensed something odd and jumped on her guard. She questioned him coldly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stefan¡¯s hand froze in mid-air. The gentle look on his face was quickly reced by his usual inscrutability. ¡°You¡¯re such a tough woman,¡± he said tly. ¡°You¡¯re still defensive even when you¡¯re asleep.¡± Renee red at Stefan and snapped, ¡°Of course, I have to be on guard! If I stay stupid, I would¡¯ve died many times!¡± ¡°You always see the worst in people. You¡¯re always strong, just like a rose with thorns but curled up like a weak, tiny rabbit while asleep. Maybe deep inside, you long for someone to embrace and protect you, giving you something to fall back on¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense. Absolutely not!¡± Chapter 761 Chapter 761 Renee interrupted Stefan with a stubborn expression. ¡®Damn! That¡¯s so embarrassing!¡¯ Renee thought. She wondered when Stefan had actually woken up. He must beughing at the way she was sleeping so soundly beside him! Renee wanted tosh out at Stefan. However, she remembered the doctor¡¯s advice and tried to control her temper. ¡°How do you feel? Are you still dizzy?¡± Stefan looked deep into Renee¡¯s eyes and let the emotions flow between them. He asked with a half- smile, ¡°Do you care about me that much?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make a fool of yourself. I¡¯m not concerned about you.¡± Renee tensed her pretty little face and said emphatically, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid about the responsibilities. The kids went overboard this time. I don¡¯t want you to ckmail us in case something happens to you.¡± Renee thought she was being very sober and sensible. However, Stefan simply arched his brow with a meaningful look that shed across his eyes. She could not tell whether it was disappointment or interest. ¡°What else?¡± Renee snorted coldly. She was arrogant and unattainable, like a princess. ¡°My thoughts are precious. I don¡¯t easily care for others.¡± ¡°In that case, you and the two kids may have to make some effort¡­¡± Stefan had a tired look on his handsome face. He rubbed his temples and said with a cold voice, ¡°My head is dizzy, and my body feels weak. I¡¯m in a bad mood. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll take to recover.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be long. You¡¯ll get better in a week!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t tell if Stefan was ying hard to get or if he was really ufortable. However, ording to the doctor, she should pay attention to his case and not take it lightly. He might be pretending to be pathetic. Even so, she had to take good care of him and let him get better quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of you during this time,¡± Renee solemnly promised the man. ¡°Is that so? I look forward to it.¡± Stefan curled his lips. He suddenly thought that falling ill this time turned out to be a rather meaningful happenstance. Stefan was discharged the next day. He suggested that Renee shoulde to Hunt Vi with her two children, citing his reluctance to unfamiliar surroundings, especially the bed. Renee felt very speechless. Stefan rarely came home to Hunt Vi before. How could he be familiar with the ce and bed? However, considering Abby¡¯s asthma, Everheart Residence and Hunt Vi were the only ces where the environment could amodate her. Renee thought it would be a good idea for them to move there for a while. ¡°We can move to Hunt Vi and take care of you, but I¡¯ll make this clear. This doesn¡¯t mean anything. The kids and I just don¡¯t want to take the me for your illness. Don¡¯t you think anything will change!¡± Renee made her attitude clear to Stefan. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. You own half of Hunt Vi as well. I just thought it would be easier for you to live there while taking care of me. I don¡¯t have any other ideas.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Stefan¡¯s expression was a little arrogant. After the two of them agreed on a resolution, Renee suddenly felt troubled. She was so focused on getting Stefan back on his feet that she seemed to have overlooked something very important¡­ ¡°You should go back to Hunt Vi. I¡¯ll go back and pack up with the kids. We¡¯ll move in tonight.¡± After speaking to Stefan, Renee hurried home. Chapter 762 Chapter 762 While the two kids were still at school, Renee called Mr. Q on the way home. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Mr. Q was surprised by Renee¡¯s sudden call. ¡°I have a situation. Where are you now?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Mr. Q paused briefly before answering, ¡°I¡¯m dealing with something at Carmine Pawnshop.¡± ¡°Is that so? When are you free? Can youe over to my ce?¡± Renee sounded a little anxious. It seemed she had something important to discuss with him. Mr. Q could hear Renee¡¯s anxiousness and answered in a deep voice, ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯lle over now.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Renee started packing the daily necessities for her and the children as soon as she went home. About an hour or soter, Mr. Q arrived as promised. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± Renee felt an indescribable calmness as soon as she saw him. Mr. Q had not apanied her and the children for long, but his presence gave them the warmth of home. Before she realized it, she had considered this notorious man as one of her own. Even if a woman was strong, someone still had to be the man in the family. A reliable man and a warm person could y this role. Mr. Q nced around the room coldly. When he saw her packed suitcase, he raised his eyebrows slightly.¡±Are you¡­ moving?¡± ¡°No, no. We¡¯ll be away for a week¡­¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee scratched her head. She felt a little embarrassed, unsure how to exin her situation to him. In the beginning, Renee and Mr. Q agreed that they were just ying around. However, they seemed to have developed some kind of affection for each other during the time they spent together. Renee wondered what would happen if she had told him where she was going. He would certainly be angry, right? ¡°Let me guess¡­¡± Mr. Q curled his lips into a slight smile and said slowly, ¡°You probably made up with your ex-husband, so you¡¯re going to take the kids and move in with him. While you have a happy family reunion with him, a standby lover like me has to return to where I came from, right?¡± Renee tightened her hands in silence. She said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t sound so bitter. I¡¯m staying with Stefan, but only for a week. It¡¯s only because of special circumstances! The kids and I aren¡¯t going to reunite with him. At least not me. I can¡¯t reconcile with him!¡± Certain cracks could never be healed. She knew this very well. ¡°And you,¡± Renee raised her eyes and met the man¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not a backup.¡± In their intertwined rtionship, the two knew they were more than just ying around. However, no one had taken a step further. Such unspoken feelings were often the most deadly. ¡°Stefan already knows about the two children. With the way he is, he won¡¯t let them go so easily. He told me to either remarry him or give him the kids¡­¡± Chapter 763 Chapter 763 Renee confessed to Mr. Q about her entanglements with Stefan. She felt he had a right to know about it, regardless of their rtionship. ¡°I guessed as much.¡± Mr. Q was not surprised. He nonchntly asked with a smile, ¡°So, have you decided?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t remarry him, let alone give him custody of the two kids.¡± Renee looked determined and gazed at the man in front of her intently. She took a deep breath and said with courage, ¡°So, I decided to get married to you!¡± Mr. Q remained stoic to her answer. He said indifferently, ¡°Tell me why you chose me. You just want to keep custody of the two kids, right?¡± Renee fell into a short silence. Then, she shook her head and said solemnly, ¡°I think it¡¯s more than that. I¡¯m marrying you for way more than the kids.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s odd¡­¡± Mr. Q smiled with interest and leaned closer to Renee. He reached out to caress her cheek. ¡°Could it be¡­ Are you attracted to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Renee did not refuse Q¡¯s touch. She bit her lips lightly and felt very torn inside. Her feelings were soplicated that even she herself could not understand her real feelings for him¡­ ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m in love with you. I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯ve fallen for you. I just think being with you makes me feel stable and at home. When I imagine the feeling of home, that¡¯s how it feels.¡± ¡°What about Stefan? Have you never felt this way with him?¡± ¡°To be honest, I had this feeling when I first met him. He was cold and extremely unapproachable, but strangely enough, I somehow felt safe around him¡­¡± Renee somehow fell into deep thoughts and smiled in reminiscence. Her first meeting with Stefan came to her mind. The only sweetness she had had in that rtionship came crashing back into her heart like a wrecking ball. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have known. I was stupidly in love at that time. The first time I saw him, I already imagined having children with him. I imagined sitting around with him and our children for dinner, watching TV, and going on trips.¡± ¡°When I was married to him, I tried my best to achieve my dream. Who would have thought¡­ I got divorced before I knew it. Instead, I found this feeling in you.¡± Mr. Q listened to Renee¡¯s sad but sweet narrative in silence and did not respond for a long time. Renee soon realized that she was talking too much and went overboard. She coughed lightly and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t feel this way about him anymore. I only feel this way about you, so¡­ I just want to¡­¡± ¡°Fake it until you make it with me?¡± Mr. Q hit the nail on the head with his question. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Renee tightened her hand and nodded vigorously. ¡°Well, I want to work in that direction.¡± It had been four years, and another four years went by quickly. She had spent most of her life with an unworthy man and an unworthy rtionship. It was time to start a new journey. It might be difficult, but she finally felt the urge to open her heart and take a step forward. ¡°I see.¡± Mr. Q gently cupped Renee¡¯s face. Then, he examined her with his deep, tender, yetplicated gaze. Renee¡¯s beautiful face was wless and perfect. She was small and delicate. She might appear soft, but her thin lips and bright eyes said otherwise. She was not easy to tame, but that was exactly what made her so irresistible. ¡®Stefan. Oh, Stefan. You¡¯re the biggest fool in the world. Why did you let down such a great woman and let her run away?¡¯ thought Q. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to get married to you and fake it until I make it, but¡­ I don¡¯t want you to regret it. You can tell me your decision a weekter.¡± Mr. Q stroked Renee¡¯s cheek softly. He was very gentle and patient and treated her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Chapter 764 Chapter 764 After the discussion, Renee and Mr. Q took the packed luggage and went straight to the kindergarten to pick up the two children from school. Adie and Abby were thrilled and proud to see Renee, and they were eager to show her off to the other children. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Abby pulled her best friend, Yara, over. She held her chin high and looked at Renee in front of the kindergarten, proiming, ¡°Look there! The most beautifuldy in the crowd is my mommy. She¡¯s the best mommy in the world. I¡¯m lucky to be her daughter!¡± Yara looked on at Renee with starry eyes but sighed regretfully. ¡°Oh, Abby. Your mommy is indeed beautiful. Why is she with an ugly man in a mask? That¡¯s such a waste.¡± ¡°I frequently saw how the TV portrayed mismatched couples. Isn¡¯t that just like your mommy and that masked man? If I were you, I would find a beautiful man for your mommy. Maybe she¡¯d be happier with that.¡± Although young, the little girls were obsessed with pretty faces. Abby loved pretty faces. Naturally, her best friend was the same. Yara was curious about the masked man who often picked up Abby from school. What does he really look like? ¡°I heard that the masked uncle¡¯s face was disfigured. He has a deep and long scar on his face. If your mommy really marries him, won¡¯t she be scared? She might see the scar on his face if she suddenly wakes up at night.¡± Yara could not help but hug her arms and shiver at that thought. Abby had a worried look on her face. She said in low spirits, ¡°I¡¯ve thought of the same problem, but he¡¯s very nice to us. He¡¯ll take care of Mommy. We can¡¯t dislike him. A beautiful heart always trumps a beautiful face.¡± ¡°Even so, I still think your Mommy deserves someone better looking. As her daughter, you should help her out,¡± Yara insisted. She tried to convince Abby to find Renee a good-looking man. ¡°s. My mommy has met a good-looking man, but she doesn¡¯t like him. Not only that, she hates him. What can I do?¡± The good-looking man Abby was referring to was her bad daddy Stefan. She had met many handsome men, but Stefan¡¯s beauty definitely ranked first! ¡°She doesn¡¯t like him? She must be lying. There¡¯s no woman in this world who doesn¡¯t like beautiful men. I guess she¡¯s shy and deliberately pretending not to like him. You should find a way to set them up¡­¡± ¡°S-set them up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you know how to set them up? If not, I can teach you secretly! It¡¯s a very useful skill!¡± After that, Little Yara leaned closer to Abby and began to whisper. Adie was standing at the front of the line and a little far from the two little girls. Seeing that it would be his turn to leave the school with Abby, he waved his hand at her. ¡°Abby, stop talking. We should go.¡± ¡°Oh, okay! I¡¯ming, Adie!¡± Abby ran to her brother¡¯s side excitedly. Then, the teacher escorted them to Renee. Little Abby had just learned a great trick from her best friend. She was very excited to try setting up Mommy and Bad Daddy using those new techniques. Renee did not know what was on Abby¡¯s mind. She took Abby¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Honey, what were you whispering to the other kid? You both look very serious and happy!¡± ¡°Mommy, this is a secret between Yara and me. I promised her I tell anyone else, but I can give you a slight hint. We were talking about you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Renee was intrigued by Abby¡¯s hint. She continued asking, ¡°Was that all? Was there anything else?¡± Chapter 765 Chapter 765 ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon. I can¡¯t tell you now, or it¡¯ll lose its magic.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Renee was so amused by her daughter and could not stopughing. Adie crossed his arms and said cooly, just like an adult, ¡°What secret can they have? They must be talking about handsome guys again. Childish!¡± Since they started kindergarten, the rtionship between the two little ones had subtly changed. The cool Adie was undoubtedly very popr in kindergarten. Nheless, he was too cold and distant and made no friends. The children liked him but dared not approach him. On the contrary, his sister Abby had be the darling of her teachers and ssmates because of her cute face and high emotional intelligence. She made a lot of friends and hadpanions wherever she went. Adie was secretly jealous and felt he was no longer the only one for his sister. Abby used to worship and admire him. She always listened to him unconditionally. However, now, it seemed she had her own ideas and no longer listened to him. In fact, she was especially against him. In particr, the siblings had a huge disagreement over their attitude toward Stefan. Abby advocated forgiving Stefan and giving him another chance to redeem himself. Meanwhile, Adie was aware of the ugly side of human nature and was determined to keep Stefan away from Renee. The siblings had been quietly fighting because of this disagreement. Deeply embroiled in a cold war, they refused to talk to each other in kindergarten! Adie opened the car door and got into the car ahead of Abby. Then, he sat on the furthest side and kept a distance from her. Abby also ignored Adie for the first time ever. She sat on the other side of the back row, pouting and looking out the window. Renee was driving and immediately sensed something was wrong. She asked with a smile, ¡°What¡¯s with you two? Why aren¡¯t you talking to each other? Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t want to talk to Adie anymore. He¡¯s mean, and his face is always stern. Everyone is afraid of him!¡± Abbyined. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Is that so? Adie? Are you mean in kindergarten?¡± Renee asked Adie. Adie had a sullen face and was full of worries. He answered, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m not mean. Abby is just a trusting fool. She makes friends with everyone, regardless of whether they¡¯re good or bad. I can¡¯t forgive her for that!¡± ¡°Adie, you¡¯re wrong!¡± Abby disagreed, ¡°I make friends with others because I think they¡¯re cute and kind, not because I¡¯m stupid!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just stupid. If not, you wouldn¡¯t give Bad Daddy another chance. Giving him a chance is the same as putting us in danger. Isn¡¯t that silly?¡± Adie said with a serious expression. Adie was not against Abby for being a socialite, but he objected strongly to Abby¡¯spassion toward Stefan. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Renee tapped on the steering wheel awkwardly. She informed the children weakly, ¡°That guy is indeed dangerous. Unfortunately, we¡¯ll be living with him for a while. Are you okay with that?¡± Chapter 766 Chapter 766 ¡°Are you joking, Mommy? Why should we live with this bad guy?¡± Adie¡¯s strong reaction showed how much he disliked Stefan. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Abby, on the contrary, was blinking her shiny eyes and showed anticipation. ¡°Really? Can we really live with Handsome Daddy, Mommy?¡± Her reaction irked Adie even more. He crossed his arms across his chest and criticized her harshly, ¡°What is wrong with you, Abby? Don¡¯t you have any sense of danger? We are going to the ce of this bad guy. What are you so happy about?¡± ¡°Of course, I am happy. My mood gets better when I think of seeing Handsome Daddy every day. And what¡¯s more, if Handsome Daddy and Mommy be best friends, we will have an extra daddy. Isn¡¯t it wonderful?¡± Abby exined logically for her excitement. ¡°No, it is not! We don¡¯t make friends with bad people. We stay away from them!¡± ¡°Maybe he is not a bad guy. You don¡¯t know him yet. If we live with him, it will be a great opportunity for us to get to know him better!¡± ¡°There is no need to know him. He IS a bad guy. It is a fact that he hurt Mommy, Daddy Liam, and Auntie can testify that he is the worst bad guy!¡± ¡°I believe that he is not a bad guy. He is not!¡± ¡®Great, these two kids are at it again.¡¯ Renee could not bear the noise and rubbed her temple. She focussed on driving and arrived at the familiar yet alien-looking Hunt Vi before nightfall. Stefan had dismissed all the servants, gardeners, and cooks, so there were only four of them in this large mansion. He was looking forward to the day when the four of them would spend time together and had been waiting on the sofa since morning. He read the pile of newspapers until it was almost dark. After waiting for so long, he finally heard some noise at the door. He sprang to his feet, put down the newspaper, and headed to the door immediately. ¡°Look at you, how beautiful. You are really my children. I like you as soon as I see you. Come, give me a hug!¡± Stefan was all smiles, unlike his usual cold and unsympathetic self. He strode toward them with his long legs and opened his arms to greet the two children, wanting to hold one in each hand. Abby responded to him with a giggle and hugged him like a ko lying on its stomach on a huge and tall tree. But Adie was disgusted. He rolled his eyes like a tiny adult and retreated to Renee¡¯s back, posing in a way that told people not to go near him. Stefan did not force him. He lifted Abby and put her on his shoulders, and asked gently, ¡°Did you miss me, Abby?¡± ¡°Of course, I miss you, Handsome Daddy. You are so good-looking that not only I but Mommy would definitely miss you too because Mommy likes handsome men more than me.¡± Abby was like riding a horse sitting on Stefan¡¯s shoulders. She acted sofortably without the slightest awkwardness when her sweet happy voice filled the vi. Renee was not far behind them, so she heard the conversation between the father and the daughter clearly, which made her speechless. ¡®Abigail Everheart, you are really good at selling out your Mommy, aren¡¯t you?!¡¯ Adie took Renee¡¯s hand and watched the interaction between the big man and the small girl. His little heart was slightly moved. ¡°Mommy, do you feel that this bad guy does not seem to be too bad sometimes?¡± said Adie somewhat awkwardly. Although he still hated this guy who hurt Mommy very much, he could not help but think that this man might not be as bad as he thought upon seeing how gentle and patient he was with Abby. How could Renee not feel the same? Chapter 767 Chapter 767 What Stefan and Abby were doing now was the loving scene between father and daughter she had imagined countless times in her mind. She had been very hopeful about their married life when she married Stefan back then. She had wanted to give him a lovely daughter and a cool son. She had pictured in her mind that he would carry their daughter, and she would hold their son as they strolled together in the sea of sunflowers, enjoying the evening breeze and the happiness of a family. Regardless, when her dream came true, she could no longer ignite her long-lost passion. ¡°Mommy, do you still hate Bad Daddy?¡± Adie was very sensitive and smart and quickly sensed the change in his mother¡¯s emotions. Like a young knight, he patted his chest bravely and said, ¡°If you still hate him, I will take revenge for you! I will not be like that idiot Abby who smiles and gets tricked so easily by the person who hurt you. Abby is a traitor, I will find a way to make here to her senses!¡± Renee smiled lightly and let out a long sigh. Her son¡¯s words warmed her heart, yet it felt a bit painful. Sometimes, it was not a good thing when the child was too mature. It meant his circumstance was forcing him to grow up quickly. Adie was a little guardian of their family. He had the awareness to protect his family since young and always said that his dream was to protect his mother and sister when he grew up. Abby was the much more innocent one. She grew up safely in a guarded castle, so her heart was as pure as crystal, devoid of a speck of impurity. All she saw was the good side of this world, so she hated no one. A normal child should be acting childish like the innocent Abby. Renee wished that Adie would live a simpler and happier life like his sister. ¡°Adie, listen to me. The conflict between Stefan and I remains between the two of us. None of us is absolutely right or wrong, so there is no way to tell who the bad or good one is. You don¡¯t have to regard him as a bad guy all the time, okay?¡± Renee rubbed Adie¡¯s head, hoping that he could interact with Stefan in a more rxed manner. ¡°Mommy, a bad person will always be bad, and it is a fact that he hurt you. There is only one exnation for you telling me not to treat him like a bad guy now.¡± ¡°Um, what is that?¡± ¡°What else can it be? You must have forgiven him and do not see him as a bad guy anymore.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Renee felt inexplicably guilty and exined, ¡°I just don¡¯t want you always to be thinking about taking revenge at this age. I don¡¯t want you to live an exhausting life.¡± ¡°Mommy, I don¡¯t feel that way at all. I don¡¯t need to pretend who I like or dislike. I can just show it on my face. But Mommy¡­ you don¡¯t seem to do the same. You hide everything in your heart. No one can guess who you like and who you don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Adie¡­¡± Renee felt embarrassed. She wanted to refute it but could not. Because it was true. Whether she liked or hated someone, she would hide her feelings and act indifferently, pretending to be unconcerned about anything. She did not expect that she would be lectured by her son one day! ¡°Mommy,e and see. We have another surprise for you!¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Abby was in the distance. She waved in excitement at her mother, as if she had discovered a new plot ofnd. Chapter 768 Chapter 768 Abby¡¯s voice interrupted Renee¡¯s thoughts. Curious, she walked to where Abby and Stefan were standing. At the moment, the father and the daughter were standing under the garden arch where the vani nt grew in front of the main gate. Sitting on Stefan¡¯s shoulders, Abby pointed at a bird nest with her tiny finger and cheered, ¡°Mommy, look at this. There is a bird nest here, and there are four babies inside. They are so cute!¡± ¡°Um. so your surprise is these birds¡­¡± Renee smiled weakly and looked at Abby with loving eyes. This dramatic girl was capable enough to make anything petty sound very serious. But it was because of her character that Abby became Renee¡¯s angel that brought her endless happiness and surprise. Abby exined to Renee with a very serious face. ¡°This is not an ordinary bird, Mommy. This is a special gift Handsome Daddy prepared for you!¡± ¡°For me?¡± Renee turned her eyes to Stefan. Her gaze changed so quickly, as if the warm sun in the spring had suddenly turned into a knife in the piercing cold winter. There was not much expression on Stefan¡¯s face when he said nonchntly with his thin lips, ¡°That¡¯s right. They belong to you now. You should take care of them until their wings are strong enough to take flight. When they can fly, you can leave.¡± Renee was speechless. ¡®Is this man trying to pull a trick? The doctor clearly said that he only needed one week to recuperate, and he¡¯d be back to normal. Now that he is bringing some birds in to dy my departure, I¡¯m almost certain that he is ckmailing me.¡¯ Renee rolled her sleeves up and gathered all her strength, ready to have a good fight with this cunning man. ¡°Stefan, you¡­¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Abby interrupted Renee innocently and excitedly, ¡°Abby hase up with four names for the four baby birds. This will be Fluffy, and this is Feathers, that will be Flute, and the tiniest one will be mingo. I want to take good care of Fluffy, Feathers, Flute, and mingo with Mommy, Handsome Daddy, and Adie. From now on, they will be our younger siblings and Mommy and Handsome Daddy¡¯s children.¡± The three were speechless. ¡®Wow Abby.. you sure are good at getting yourself new family members!¡¯ ¡°Abby, look, it is totally fine that you want to keep pet birds, but you do not necessarily have to take care of them here. After a week¡­¡± ¡°How strange, Mommy!¡± Abby interrupted Renee again. She took a deep breath and smiled brightly. ¡°I like it here very much. Did it rain just now? The air is damp, and it smells fresh andfortable.¡± Renee was reminded of Abby¡¯s asthma and let out another long sigh. In the whole of Beach City, the only areas with good air quality were where Hunt Vi and Everheart Residence were located. She still needed some time to rebuild her residence. So, it did not seem to be a bad thing to let Abby stay longer in Hunt Vi. ¡°In that case, I shall, gratefully, ept your gift.¡± After deep consideration, Renee said to Stefan as light-heartedly as she could. Stefan smiled. ¡°So you will take care of them until they can fly?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Sure, no problem. I will take care of them until their wings are fully developed!¡± answered the woman with crity. Chapter 769 Chapter 769 She fished out her mobile at the same time and googled when birds can fly after hatching. And the answer: about a month. She rubbed her chin and nodded. One month should be sufficient to rebuild the Everheart Residence. The remaining three, however, reacted differently. Abby was excited and waved at the four chicks happily. ¡°Wonderful! We have new family members. Wee to our family, birdies!¡± Adie was as cold as ever andmented briefly, ¡°That was childish!¡± As for Stefan, his thin lips curled into a vague smile. It was obvious that his ¡°wicked¡± n had worked. There were, in this world, flightless birds, such as the four he ced on the vines. They were k¨¡k¨¡p¨­, the world¡¯s only flightless parrot found in Nouveand. They were also known for their longest lifespan and low intelligence among the bird species, as well as their peculiar appearance. Renee was just like them. She was adorably dumb to be thinking of flying out of his hands. He would never let it happen! The twins liked Hunt Vi very much and adapted to the environment in no time. The sea of sunflowers was especially familiar to them. They felt as if they had returned to Sun Ind, the ce they grew up in. They were chasing each other happily in the garden. ¡°Adie, Abby, don¡¯t run or you will fall.¡± Renee reminded them while sitting in the gazebo near the flowers. She had not seen the children being so happy for a long time. It made her happy as well, and she smiled without realizing it. Stefan was sitting beside her and watching her silently. Then, he said, ¡°I just realized now that you look beautiful when you smile.¡± The smile on Renee¡¯s face froze, and she replied sharply, ¡°Of course. I am a natural beauty. It¡¯s just that you were blind and did not know how to appreciate it.¡± He did not feel angry but unprecedentedly started self-reflecting instead. ¡°You are right. I must¡¯ve been blind back then. How else could I not see that such beauty that awaits my return every day?¡± ¡°Blech!¡± She had never heard him saying such mushy words, and it gave her goosebumps. ¡°Stefan, I haven¡¯t had dinner yet. Can you not make me throw up?¡± He lowered his head, somewhat hurt, and looked despondent. ¡°You really hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± Renee recalled the doctor¡¯s advice that Stefan was still a patient who should not be provoked and needed to recuperate. It suddenly made her feel that her words seemed a bit excessive. ¡°Um, it¡¯s gettingte. What do you want for dinner? I¡¯ll go and make it for you.¡± She softened her attitude. This rarely happened. She was thinking that she should be taking good care of this patient since it was fundamentally why she came. It would be a problem if he suffered some long-term effects and threatened her and the children to stay with him forever. Stefan epted the offer unhesitatingly and named a list of dishes. ¡°Lemon chicken feet, how I have been wanting to eat that for a long time. And steamed mussels with white wine, oh, and the wine must be Bordeaux¡¯ 82. And crispy fried oysters. The oysters must the fresh. Don¡¯t forget to remove the fishy taste with some cooking wine. And one more¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Renee was reaching the limit of her patience and said bitterly, ¡°I will make those first. If I make too much, it will be wasted!¡± ¡®What is wrong with this guy? Why does he make so many requests for just a meal? Is he trying to pull my leg?¡¯ Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Anyway, she was surprised that he actually knew so much about food. The only other man that she knew was very knowledgeable about food was, in fact, his nemesis, Mr. Q! But there was one ring difference: Mr. Q was the one who made all sorts of delicacies for her and the twins, but Stefan was the one who wanted to be served. Thus, it was needless to say who she should choose! Chapter 770 Chapter 770 Renee made her way to the kitchen and started cooking dinner. Though it had been so many years, it was strange that she didn¡¯t feel the least awkward to be back in this kitchen. She felt as if she had returned to her own territory. No matter how strong she presented herself, she still subconsciously enjoyed life as a little woman who cooked for her loved ones. She quickly served a feast on the table like how it was in the past. The aroma of the food spread in the house. What was different was that the usually deserted table became very lively, and people were already seated and could not wait to dig in. ¡°Wow, it smells so good! Mommy, the lemon chicken feet look very tasty, and it¡¯s making my mouth water¡­¡± Abby missed Renee¡¯s lemon chicken feet very much. She could eat a dozen every time Renee made them. But Renee was normally very busy with her work and had little time to cook. So when Abby saw the chicken feed on the table, she grabbed one immediately like a hungry beggar. ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t take it with your hand, Abby. It¡¯s too indecent.¡± Renee did not want Stefan to think that the twins were not taught about table manners. But when she looked at him, she discovered that he acted faster than Abby and Adie and was already holding a chicken foot in his hands and gobbling up the food. He did not care one bit about his image as an elegant and noble man whatsoever! ¡°Um¡­¡± Renee was stupefied by Stefan¡¯s carnal eating methods and asked softly, ¡°Stefan, are you possessed by a hungry ghost or something? Do you have to be so excessive?¡± Stefan had finished chewing one foot and started on a second. He slurped the thick chicken broth. The sourness and warmthbined made him unable to stop. ¡°You can¡¯t me me for this. It is you who made me into this¡­¡± said the man seriously while chomping down his food. ¡°So it¡¯s my fault?¡± She red at the man, speechless. ¡°Of course! Aren¡¯t you aware of your cooking skills? Your food tastes so good. Are you trying to charm my stomach so that you can charm my heart afterward?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I can tell you this now. My stomach has for sure fallen for you. You shall be my private cook from now on. I will only eat what you cook.¡± He did not show the slightest intention that he was joking with her. What was that saying again? The way to a man¡¯s heart was through his stomach? He had been wondering why he could not forget her after so many years, but he had finally found the answer. It was this very lemon chicken feet in front of him! His mother once gave him the dish Renee made, and he fell for it for good after tasting it lightly. He missed the taste so much that he even dreamed of catching this woman back by his side. If he could make Renee his wife again like how it was in the past, like how she would cook delicious meals and wait for him toe home, he would feel very happy and satisfied. Unfortunately, she did not buy it at all. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± she asked, annoyed. ¡°Me being your private cook? Just hurry up and eat. Can¡¯t this food stop you from talking nonsense?¡± Chapter 771 Chapter 771 After saying that, Renee grabbed a piece of chicken feet and shoved it into Stefan¡¯s mouth. Stefan had never been treated in such a disrespectful manner. He looked like he was about to break into a fit of rage. ¡°Hahaha! This is so funny. Why does he look so hrious? Well done, Mommy!¡± Adie had been cold all night long. He finallyughed. He also didn¡¯t seem as hostile toward Stefan as he did before. This was the first time Stefan saw Adieughing so joyfully in front of him. This was how a four-year-old should behave. Stefan felt his heart melting away, and he naturally stopped feeling angry. He began to taste the food seriously. After the two children stoppedughing, they also began eating the food Renee prepared. It didn¡¯t take very long for them to clear their tes. Renee was very satisfied that they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the food. The greatest sense of aplishment for a chef was to see their food being finished. At night, Renee tucked her children in. Adie and Abby were like two sticky candies. One hugged Renee on the left, and the other hugged her on the right. They were on Renee¡¯s old bed while pestering her to tell them bedtime stories. ¡°Mommy, won¡¯t you tell us how you fell in love with our handsome Daddy?¡± Abby asked sheepishly with a sweet smile on her face. She knew that Renee had loved Stefan for a long time, but she never knew why. Adie ruined her fun by speaking like an adult. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you ask Mommy for a better story like how she won car races, how she became a bigshot hacker, how she fought so well, and who she learned it all from? To Adie, Renee was almighty and shouldn¡¯t be tied to Stefan. Renee closed her eyes helplessly. ¡°Stop talking and go to bed!¡± ¡°Come on, Mommy. Tell me. I¡¯m very curious¡­ Let me guess. Did Daddy save you like how a prince would save a princess? Was that why you were moved?¡± Abby insisted on getting an answer from Renee. Feeling helpless and wanting to convince Abby to sleep, Renee had no choice but to tell her the truth. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll tell you. To be honest¡­ I was attracted by his face.¡± ¡°Mommy, you were a vain youngdy, weren¡¯t you? When you met such a handsome man back then, you were smitten by his charm. It was love at first sight!¡± Renee recalled her past. It was rather ridiculous. She was clearly such a rational person. She never fell for a man so easily. In fact, she¡¯d respond coldly to all her admirers. However, she ended up falling for Stefan, whom she¡¯d only met on a single asion. She fell in love with him right away just because he was handsome. After that, she willingly became his wife for four years. Those were the loneliest years of her life¡­ and she deserved it! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Mommy, Abby feels the same way you do. I also fell in love with Daddy at first sight. I¡¯ve never seen such a good-looking man. I¡¯ve decided that we¡¯ll stay with him from now!¡± Abby said in a serious tone. ¡°Abby, you¡¯re being too naive. So what if he¡¯s good-looking? Mommy needs someone who can love and protect her¡­This jerk clearly doesn¡¯t love her, and he won¡¯t protect her. Mommy won¡¯t be happy if she stays with him!¡± Adie eximed. Renee was quick to agree. ¡°Your brother is right. You have to find someone who¡¯s good to you and not just someone you like. Looks alone won¡¯t bring you happiness!¡± Chapter 772 Chapter 772 Later in the evening, Renee finally coaxed the talkative children into sleeping. To be more precise, Abby was the talkative one. She kept pestering Renee to talk about her past life with Stefan. Adie refuted all night long, but it was to no avail. He, too, was forced to listen to Renee¡¯s stories about her life with Stefan. In the end, Abby¡¯s conclusion was that Stefan was a good person who could be forgiven. Adie, on the other hand, concluded that Stefan was terrible and couldn¡¯t be forgiven. After the children fell asleep, Renee found herself wide awake. She decided to take a walk in the garden for some fresh air. When she opened the door, she was shocked to find Stefan standing right outside the door. She wondered how long he¡¯d been standing there. She gasped in surprise. ¡°W-Why aren¡¯t you in bed? Why are you standing here? You gave me a fright!¡± Renee¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t exactly gentle when she looked at him and questioned him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. The moon looks beautiful tonight. I thought I¡¯d ask you to go and check it out with me,¡± Stefan said nonchntly. ¡°Erk-hem!¡± Renee was suddenly lost for words. This wasn¡¯t Stefan¡¯s usual behavior. He even said, ¡°The moon looked beautiful.¡± Was a cold-blooded guy like him even capable of noticing when the moon was beautiful? From Renee¡¯s perspective, he was probably plotting something sinister again! ¡°Let¡¯s go. The kids are asleep anyway. We¡¯ll go for a walk.¡± Stefan started walking down the stairs after finishing his sentence. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Renee looked at him from behind. Her heart started racing, and she followed him without thinking too much. Besides, she was nning to go for a walk anyway. Her mood wasn¡¯t about to be ruined by him! The Hunt family¡¯s residence had one of thergest gardens around. It used to be Renee¡¯s favorite area. She had carefully nted sunflowers thatsted through all four seasons. That¡¯s why these sunflowers were always in full bloom, and they were now taller than the average person. The flowers swayed from side to side as a gentle breeze blew by. From afar, it looked like a sea of gold. It was exceptionally beautiful. The two of them arrived at the garden one after the other. The gentle evening breeze and the bright moon up in the sky kept thempany. Renee looked up at the moon. She couldn¡¯t help but feel calm on the inside. ¡°Now that you mention it, the moon really is round and bright tonight. It¡¯s so bright that the sea of sunflowers glows¡­ It looks just like it would during the day¡­¡± Renee couldn¡¯t remember thest time she looked up at the moon. Ever since she returned to Beach City from Sun Ind, her pace of life ran fast forward. Although not a lot of time had passed, so much had happened. She felt like a top that wouldn¡¯t stop spinning. Now that she came to an abrupt halt, she felt a sense of peace that she¡¯d never felt before. ¡°Yes. The moon is round and bright tonight.¡± Stefan stood by the edge of the field. With his hands in his pockets, he looked up at the bright moon, which in turn, entuated his prominent features. Under the moonlight, he looked like an intricate jade sculpture. Chapter 773 Chapter 773 Renee was initially looking at the moon, but after ncing at Stefan, she couldn¡¯t stop staring at him. She waspletely drawn to his perfect-looking face. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Why was God so unfair? Why did God give him such a good family? Why was he so capable? Why did he have to have such a perfect face? Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. In spite of all that, God didn¡¯t give him ¡¯emotions.¡¯ This guy was an emotionless, cold-blooded animal. He was better off made into a specimen to be disyed in museums. He shouldn¡¯t be allowed to have human contact. Otherwise, the personing into contact with him would only be annoyed to death! ¡°How did you get by with two kids all these years?¡± Stefan was also looking at the moon in the beginning. Suddenly, he turned to look at Renee and noticed she was peeking at him. When their eyes met, there was a spark of romance in the air¡­ Renee panicked a little and quickly looked away. ¡°There¡¯s not much to say about it. Both of them are good kids. I would go as far as saying they¡¯re angels. I never had to worry about them.¡± In reality, living life while juggling two toddlers was quite difficult during the past four years. It wasn¡¯t an experience she could summarize in a few short sentences. Even if the kids were obedient, everything seemed to fall apart whenever one of them fell sick. There wasn¡¯t a day she could rest without worrying. Apart from that, she also needed to sacrifice her energy, time, and freedom to be with her kids. While she remotely managed Azure Group, she also had to make time to teach her kids. One could only imagine how tough it was for her. However, Renee didn¡¯t want to talk about these ¡®difficulties¡¯ for the sake of receiving looks of pity. There was no point in that. ¡°I didn¡¯t know about them in the past, but now that I have, I refuse to run away from my responsibilities as their father. Think about it. Is it really necessary for us to go to court?¡± Stefan¡¯s tone was a little overbearing. Renee sneered. ¡°I never wanted to bring this to court. You¡¯re the one who insists on getting your hands on my children.¡± ¡°Your children?¡± There was an unhappy look in his eyes. He moved closer and cast a shadow over her. ¡°Without me, how would you ever have conceived them?¡± ¡°Stefan, watch your tongue!¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks turned red. She red at him. ¡°I came with the kids to look after you. I¡¯m not here to listen to your nonsense. If you don¡¯t respect my boundaries, I¡¯ll leave with the kids. Whether you live or die will have nothing to do with us!¡± ¡°I¡¯m only after the truth. Your thoughts have gone astray,¡± Stefan said with a serious look on his face. He continued speaking proudly. ¡°The children are the result of our perfect cooperation. I just never expected to hit the jackpot with a single attempt. They ended up being twins. If my grandparents find out, they¡¯ll be overjoyed¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Renee was blushing even more. She raised her hands and asked him to stop. ¡°Stop blowing your own trumpet. I was able to give birth to Abby and Adie because my family has good genes. It has nothing to do with you. Anyone else could¡¯ve done the job.¡± ¡°Your family¡¯s genes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t know this, but there was a pair of twins in my family. It turns out that I used to have an older brother. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t survive. My parents and grandfather were worried I would be sad, and that¡¯s why they never told me.¡± Renee found out about this by coincidence. She often wondered how things would be if her brother were still around. She wouldn¡¯t be this lonely and helpless. It would also be much easier to rebuild the Everheart family¡­ Chapter 774 Chapter 774 ¡°You had a brother?¡± Stefan was a little surprised. This was the first time he¡¯d heard that Renee actually had a twin brother who didn¡¯t survive. ¡°Hmph! If my brother were still alive, he¡¯d have beaten you up long ago. You¡¯re only bullying me because you think I have nobody at home to depend on!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t resist condemning Stefan again. Oftentimes, the marriage quality of a woman greatly corrted with their family situation. If her family was powerful and could help her husband¡¯s family in a particr way, her inws wouldn¡¯t dare look down on her. Even if her husband didn¡¯t spoil her rotten, they would at least treat each other with respect. She¡¯d still have a healthy sense of ego. That exined why Renee was treated so unkindly in the Hunt family back then. Even the maids walked all over her. It wasn¡¯t because Stefan didn¡¯t love her. Instead, it was because she had nobody to rely on, and her family wasn¡¯t powerful enough to support her. ¡°I¡¯m not that vain. Back then, I just didn¡¯t have any feelings for you. Or rather¡­ I purely hated you and didn¡¯t want to see you. It had nothing to do with your family situation,¡± Stefan said frankly. Renee felt a little hurt. She knew Stefan hated her, but her ego still got bruised when he said it so frankly. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve always been curious about this. If you disliked me that much, why did you agree with Grandpa Hunt¡¯s request to marry me? Knowing your unbridled personality, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d have taken his threats seriously!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t resist asking the question that had bugged her for many years. Stefan looked into the distance. After a long moment of silence, he recalled the first time he met Renee. ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ I felt sorry for you.¡± At the time, the Everheart family was going through massive changes. Not long after the passing of Renee¡¯s biological parents, her grandfather also met his demise. From a rich youngdy who was adored by many, Renee became a helpless orphan with countless enemies overnight. ¡°Back then, Grandpa insisted that I returned from Newrest to see you. I remember you were dressed in in clothing, and you even had a white flower on your ear. You kept your head down the entire time, and you didn¡¯t even say a single word¡­ ¡°You were too scrawny and pale. It felt as if I could lift you with a single finger. You looked no different from a beggar on the street. Marrying you or not didn¡¯t make a difference. I only did it to save your life.¡± Stefan thought he didn¡¯t have any special feelings for Renee. Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve forgotten about the first time he saw her. However, now that he recalled the scene, everything felt as vivid as ever. There was still an indescribably strong emotion somewhere inside him. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Perhaps, he had fallen for her much earlier than he thought¡­ ¡°Hehe. You actually married me out of pity. Is that it?¡± Renee never expected this to be the truth. She wasn¡¯t sure if she ought to praise Stefan for being so kind or feel sorry for her own pitiful situation. Sometimes, being on the receiving end of pity was even more hurtful than anything else. She¡¯d rather he did it because he had an ulterior motive and not out of pity. Chapter 775 Chapter 775 ¡°Back then, I did find you pitiful. You seemed as fragile as the flower on your ear. A gentle breeze could easily make you wither. After getting divorced, your personality changedpletely. One couldn¡¯t even associate the word ¡®weak¡¯ with you. I was definitely overthinking, though.¡± Although Stefan knew about how much Renee had changed after their divorce, he still couldn¡¯t quite process it. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He couldn¡¯t figure out how the same person could have twopletely different states of being! However, it didn¡¯t matter whether she was ¡®weak¡¯ or ¡®tough¡¯; she was still able to easily influence his emotions. Renee smiled and looked at Stefan with aplicated expression on her face. ¡°I never knew you were so kind and generous. If that¡¯s the case¡­ Why don¡¯t you go all the way and set us free? Let my children and I live our lives in peace.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned gloomy. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m bothering you and the kids by being close to you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? Can¡¯t you tell that neither I nor the kids like you? You suddenly barged into our lives and messed up our daily routine. It¡¯s harmful to the kids,¡± Renee replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t tell that they hate me. On the contrary, I think they both seem to enjoy ying with me. They need a father figure.¡± ¡°I agree that they do need a father figure, but that man can be someone else.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze turned cold. He sneered. ¡°Are you saying you want to find them a stepfather?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± To make Stefan give up, Renee decided to bare her cards. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve already found a life partner that I can spend the rest of my life with. The kids like him a lot too. The four of us get along just fine. Please don¡¯t interfere with our lives and make everyone unhappy.¡± ¡°A life partner?¡± Stefan seemed annoyed. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what kind of person he is. How can you call him your life partner?¡± ¡°I know him well enough. You don¡¯t have to worry!¡± ¡°Do you really think someone would be good to you for no reason?¡± Stefan asked sternly. ¡°Although you¡¯re capable enough on your own, just as you said, you don¡¯t have a powerful family to back you up. You¡¯ve already divorced once, and you even have two children. Unless he has an unspeakable ulterior motive, why would he ept you unconditionally?¡± Although Stefan¡¯s words sounded harsh, he was being realistic. Under normal circumstances, Renee belonged to the least desirable group of women in the dating market. For a ¡®perfect life partner¡¯ to suddenly appear out of nowhere, it was definitely not ¡®true love.¡¯ Instead, it was likely a trap! ¡°Don¡¯t measure others against your own moral standards. Do you think everyone is money-minded and emotionless like you?¡± Renee argued. She believed in Mr. Q¡¯s character. He was so good to her. Nobody could fake that. ¡°I¡¯m their biological father. No other man would treat them better than I can. That¡¯s why I¡¯m your best option¡­¡± Stefan looked directly into Renee¡¯s eyes while he spoke. ¡°Think carefully about this. If you agree, we can remarry next week and collect our marriage certificate.¡± Chapter 776 Chapter 776 Stefan left after finishing his sentence. Renee stayed in the garden on her own. She stood under the moonlight and got lost in thought while she gazed at the field of sunflowers. Truth be told, Renee did consider doing exactly as he said. Although Stefan¡¯s words were unpleasant, he was speaking the truth when he said no other man would treat her children better than their biological father. Like every other mother, Renee wanted the best for her children. If she and Stefan got back together, her children would be happier. Perhaps, she could give it a try. But what about Mr. Q? She promised she would marry him in a week! ¡°Ahh. This is so annoying!¡± Renee felt increasingly annoyed. She ruffled her hair and cursed herself for being a tramp. She was two-timing her fiance. Feeling conflicted, she returned to the bedroom. She tossed and turned all night long, and she barely slept. By the time she woke up the next day, it was already noon. ¡°Crap!¡± With warm sunlight shining against her face, she finally woke up and leaped to her feet. The room was empty. Her children weren¡¯t next to her. They probably woke up long ago. She put in a casual outfit and walked down the stairs. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± Stefan was in a ck sweater and a pair of gray joggers. He sat cross-legged on a couch, flipping through a magazine. ¡°Breakfast is ready. There¡¯s a sandwich and some milk on the table. Hurry up and eat,¡± he said without even looking up. Renee stood at the bottom of the stairs. She observed how the rays of sunlight shone against his hair, forming halos above him. She felt a little touched. He¡¯s normally very particr about the way he dressed up, and he always seemed leagues above everyone else. Now that he suddenly showed such a down-to-earth side of himself, Renee found it very refreshing. Stefan was no longer the unapproachable bigshot in the business realm. Instead, he seemed like a gentle and easy-going person. He reminded Renee of a male lead in a certain idol drama. As a vain woman herself, Renee had to admit that she felt attracted to him! ¡°I asked you to eat. Why are you staring at me like an idiot?¡± Stefan asked. Stefan suddenly looked away from the magazine and, without surprise, caught Renee stealing nces at him. Renee looked frantically away and walked rapidly into the dining room. She picked up a sandwich from the table and shoved it into her mouth. It tasted decent. In fact¡­ It was almost as good as Mr. Q¡¯s sandwich. ¡°Did you make this?¡± Renee asked from a few feet away. Stefan was still in the living room. ¡°Of course.¡± Stefan smiled. He couldn¡¯t conceal the look of joy on his face. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Stefan kept looking at Renee despite the tall, ck wine cab that separated them. Even after Renee had entered the kitchen, Stefan never once looked away from her. The stare made Renee rather ufortable. She decided to turn around. She finally feltfortable. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly good at this. I thought a spoiled young master like you wouldn¡¯t have known how to cook!¡± Chapter 777 Chapter 777 ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to cook in the past, but I took it up. Now, I can cook,¡± Stefan said. ¡°You actually took lessons for this? You sure have a lot of time on your hands.¡± ¡°How could you say that? Cooking for someone you like brings a lot of joy. I thought you¡¯d have known¡­¡± Stefan smiled vaguely. ¡°I heard you never even cooked before marrying me. Didn¡¯t you train yourself to be a good cook because of me?¡± ¡°Who said that? It¡¯s not true,¡± Renee refuted unconvincingly. If she imed to be the kind who wouldn¡¯t even enter the kitchen, nobody would dare to question her. She was very different from ordinary girls from a very young age. She didn¡¯t like dolls, pretty dresses, and ying with dollhouses. Most of all, she disliked going into the kitchen. On the contrary, she enjoyed fighting, guns, coding, and physical chemistry. If it weren¡¯t for her attempt to be a ¡®qualified¡¯ wife in the Hunt family, she would never have even stepped into the kitchen. Her only goal in life was to cook food that Stefan liked. Now that she recalled this, she felt she must have been under a spell. She lost herself, and it was all for a man! ¡°I even heard that you desired my body and had impure thoughts about me!¡± Stefan added. ¡°You¡¯re making things up!¡± Renee turned around in embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t like your appearance at all¡­¡± Only then did she notice that Stefan had already walked into the kitchen. He was right behind her. They were barely inches apart. She only needed to look up for the top of her head to touch his protruding chin. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t like my appearance?¡± Stefan asked. Stefan¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did you keep stealing nces at me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s only a coincidence!¡± Renee felt hot in her cheeks. She wasn¡¯t being very convincing. ¡°I already told you that I don¡¯t like your appearance. I like men who look like elegant princes, not cold and aloof like you. Stop being so self-indulgent.¡± ¡°Renee, you¡¯re such a coward. This wasn¡¯t what you said to the kidsst night¡­¡± Stefan was extremely confident. He pinched her chin and lifted it up slightly, forcing her to look into his eyes. ¡°Abby told me this morning that you fell in love with me as soon as you saw my face. How can you say you don¡¯t like my appearance now?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Renee felt very awkward. She wished she could dig a hole and hide in it. ¡®Abby, you¡¯re a wonderful daughter. You¡¯re so wonderful that you¡¯d betray your own mother. How am I supposed to face him now?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m vain, and I like handsome guys. So what?¡± Renee decided to go all out. She stared at his pretty face and admitted to what she said. ¡°Does this mean you admit that you¡¯ve desired my body for a long time?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°Erk-hem!¡± Renee¡¯s face turned red. She did like Stefan, but nowhere nearly to that extent. Although she¡¯d sometimes fantasize about them kissing in a romantic environment, that was as far as it went. She wouldn¡¯t fantasize anything beyond that. Seeing how Renee didn¡¯t speak, Stefan¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°Regardless if you desire me or not, I¡¯ve desired after you for a long time,¡± Stefan whispered in her ear. ¡°You¡¯re nuts!¡± Renee eximed with reddened cheeks. She pushed him away and quickly ran away. Stefan watched her leave. There was a look of authority on his face. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He was like an expert hunter who confidently observed his prey falling into his trap¡­ Chapter 778 Chapter 778 The two children woke up early. They had already gone around the Hunt family¡¯s residence. They adapted much better than Renee expected they would. Despite being in apletely unfamiliar environment, they were able to feel happy and at ease. Evidently, they behaved as if they owned the ce. ¡°What are you two doing? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± Renee asked. She realized they were standing on their tiptoes next to a yellow fruit tree while they looked up. ¡°Mommy,e here, quickly. Look, these four must be hungry. They keep chirping, and their mouths are wide open!¡± Abby quickly ran over to Renee and tugged at her hand. She then pointed at the four fledglings in a nest. She seemed very worried. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chirp! Chirp! Four fledglings that recently hatched were chirping weakly in the nest. They were too small to even open their eyes. Their mouths were all open while they waited for their mother to feed them. ¡°They¡¯re probably hungry. Let¡¯s find them something to eat!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but empathize with the chirping fledglings. ¡°But what do birds like to eat?¡± Adie asked calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t they eat things like worms?¡± Renee retrieved her phone and started searching. She¡¯d never had a pet bird before. Now that she had to look after four of them, she was under immense pressure! After going through several educational courses on keeping pet birds, she felt much more confident. She looked at Adie and Abby. ¡°That¡¯s right. Fledglings usually eat worms their mothers find. Let¡¯s catch some worms!¡± ¡°Yay! We¡¯re catching worms!¡± The kids raised their hands in excitement. They grew up on an ind, and they were very close to nature. They practically grew up in the wild. There was nothing they couldn¡¯t do. The Hunt family¡¯s mansion wasrge, and there were nts everywhere. The three of them caught many worms in a short period of time. They returned to the yellow tree. Since the bird¡¯s nest was quite a distance away from them, Renee brought adder over. ¡°Abby, hand me the box. I¡¯ll start feeding the birds,¡± Renee said after climbing up thedder. ¡°Alright, Mommy. Here you go!¡± Abby eximed while standing on her tiptoes. This was when Stefan walked out. He looked curiously at them. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re feeding the birds. Come and look. They¡¯re so cute when they eat!¡± Abby waved excitedly at him. ¡°Are you really feeding birds?¡± Stefan couldn¡¯t resist smiling. He quickly walked to the yellow tree. Renee grabbed a ck caterpir with a pair of forceps and fed it to one of the fledglings. The fledgling opened its mouth and chirped in a satisfied manner. Chirp! Chirp! When the other fledglings saw this, they chirped even louder. They all moved closer to Renee as if she was their mother. ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll each get some. We caught enough worms for everyone!¡± She eximed. Chapter 779 Chapter 779 The longer Renee looked at these fledglings, the more she found them adorable. It¡¯s as if she was looking at her own children. Her motherly instincts were fully activated. She looked forward to the moment they took to the air once their feathers were fully developed in a month! ¡°Renee, what are you feeding them with?¡± Stefan asked gently while he looked up at her from below. ¡°Huh?¡± Renee turned around when she heard his voice. Rays of sunlight that passed through gaps in the tree branches shone against his perfect face, casting a shadow behind him. He looked like the male lead from an anime. He was ridiculously good-looking. ¡°Daddy, we¡¯re feeding them caterpirs. They love it!¡± Abby eximed with excitement. ¡°Mommy caught these caterpirs with us¡­¡± She dered proudly. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°W-worms?¡± Stefan gulped. He felt goosebumps all over his scalp. Despite being fearless in general, he was terrified of soft, furry creatures, especially caterpirs. A single nce was enough to give him nightmares! ¡°That¡¯s right. Daddy, do you like caterpirs? Would you like to catch some with us next time?¡± Abby eagerly extended an offer to Stefan with her eyes opened wide. ¡°Haha! That¡¯s fine!¡± Stefanughed awkwardly while he declined Abby¡¯s invitation. Adie sneered and gave him the side-eye. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re a scaredy cat. Why is a grown man afraid of caterpirs?¡± Stefan felt offended. He tried to defend his ego. ¡°Who says I¡¯m afraid of those things? I¡¯m just too busy for that.¡± As their father, he had to maintain his heroic image in front of them. There was no way he could let them find out he was actually afraid of tiny insects. Otherwise, it¡¯d be downright embarrassing! ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re a scaredy cat who¡¯s afraid of insects. You can¡¯t protect Mommy or Abby. Mommy¡¯s decision to leave you was the smartest one she¡¯s ever made!¡± Adie crossed his arms while he criticized Stefan. He wasn¡¯t holding back. Stefan had never felt this humiliated. To make matters worse, the person humiliating him was his own son. ¡°Listen up, kid. I¡¯m more than capable of protecting the three of you. I used to train in the wild. You weren¡¯t even born when I wrestled a tiger with my bare hands!¡± ¡°Wrestling a tiger with your bare hands? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too big a bluff?¡± Adie continued insulting him without fearing the consequences. ¡°You wrestled a tiger with your bare hands, but you can¡¯t even catch insects. Indirectly, that means you¡¯re inferior to insects. How can you even say you¡¯re able to protect the three of us? This is the biggest joke I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± ¡°I already told you. I¡¯m not afraid of insects¡­¡± He just found those soft, furry creatures to be very disgusting. ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of them, why don¡¯t you pick them up with forceps like Mommy and feed them to the fledglings? If you do it, I¡¯ll believe you!¡± Adie made it impossible for Stefan to refuse. Stefan secretly thought to himself, ¡®Like father, like son! You¡¯re just as evil as I am!¡¯ ¡°Hahaha!¡± Renee burst intoughter when she saw Stefan being forced into a corner by Adie. ¡°Stefan, Adie¡¯s right. If you have what it takes,e and feed these fledglings. If you can¡¯t do it, you¡¯ll have to admit that you¡¯re a coward!¡± Renee eximed in an attempt to further provoke him. Stefan felt deeply embarrassed. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re going to be in trouble!¡± Chapter 780 Chapter 780 ¡°Am I going to be in trouble?¡± Reneeughed hysterically before wagging her finger at Stefan in a yful manner. ¡°No, no. Stefan, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to be in trouble.¡± After saying that, she picked up a ck caterpir and ¡®identally¡¯ dropped it. It happened tond on Stefan¡¯s cor. ¡°Ahh! It¡¯s disgusting. Quick, get it off!¡± Stefan instantly broke down. As if he was paralyzed, he stood still and didn¡¯t move an inch. He kept shouting. ¡°Oh, dear. I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Hunt. I identally dropped the insect¡­¡± Renee tried to hold herughter. She climbed down thedder and began ¡®consoling¡¯ the man who was about to go crazy. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t hurt you. It¡¯s just wiggling around on your cor. It¡¯s exercising!¡± She added. ¡°Renee, remove this thing immediately, or you¡¯re dead!¡± Stefan warned with a gloomy expression on his face. Renee crossed her arms while she seemingly admired the state of ¡®helpless rage¡¯ he was in. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re still being so fierce. Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not afraid of insects? Why don¡¯t you just remove it yourself?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan stood frozen in ce. Never mind removing the insect. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to look in its direction. His entire body was beginning to itch. He was terrified that the insect would crawl under his shirt. Feeling helpless, he had no choice but to sacrifice his ego for now. He lowered his voice. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m afraid of insects. Just tell me what I have to do for you to get rid of this disgusting thing. Hurry up!¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve said so earlier. We wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all the hassle!¡± Renee nodded. She was very pleased with his flexibility. If she¡¯d known she could deal with him using a single caterpir, she wouldn¡¯t have had to suffer silently for so many years. Her children observed the yful scuffle from afar. Abby added salt to the injury. ¡°Daddy, insects are tiny. I¡¯m not afraid of them. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re afraid. You really are a scaredy cat!¡± Adie chipped in. ¡°Hmph! I told you so. All he has are his good looks. In reality, he¡¯s a scaredy cat!¡± Stefan couldn¡¯t care less about his ego. He impatiently called out to Renee. ¡°Hurry up!!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush. I¡¯m trying to help you!¡± Renee looked around and calmly searched for a branch. She then slowly walked over to Stefan. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stefan had a bad feeling after seeing the look on Renee¡¯s face. ¡°What else am I doing? I¡¯m helping you by removing the insect!¡± ¡°Are you even kind enough to do that?¡± Stefan seemed skeptical. Based on how well he knew her, he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d help him without expecting something in return. She definitely was going to torture him in the worst way possible! ¡°Well, there is one condition¡­¡± Renee chuckled. She then turned to look at her kids. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to watch break-dancing? I think Stefan has the perfect body for it. I suggest he dance for us!¡± Abby pped with a hopeful expression on her face. ¡°Break-dancing is a great idea. Let¡¯s see how well he does.¡± Adie looked forward to it as well. Stefan, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem particrly pleased. His voice was cold. ¡°Renee, how dare you insult me like this? You must have a death wish!¡± Renee wagged the branch in her hand from side to side. ¡°Mr. Hunt, why do you say so? I asked you to dance because I think you¡¯d be good at it. How do you consider that an insult? If that¡¯s an insult, then all the dancers in the world would feel insulted¡­¡± Chapter 781 Chapter 781 ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d wiggle a little bit even if I didn¡¯t know how to dance. If you manage to entertain us, we¡¯ll naturally help you by removing the insect!¡± Renee eximed. ¡°That¡¯sme!¡± Stefan knew Renee was intentionally pulling a prank on him. Everyone knew that only guys at nightclubs would break dance. How could she ask someone like him to do it? ¡®Forget it. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing this!¡¯ Stefan closed his eyes. He decided to suppress the feelings of fear and disgust. He was going to remove the caterpir on his cor by himself. Renee immediately stopped him. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s poisonous. It¡¯ll hurt if it stings you!¡± That was why she snapped a branch off the tree. She was going to remove the caterpir with the branch. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me again!¡± Stefan no longer believed in what Renee said. After taking a deep breath, he tried reaching for the caterpir. ¡°Damn. This thing really does sting. It hurts!¡± As soon as he touched the caterpir, he began screaming in pain. He didn¡¯t even care about his image anymore. The most terrifying part was that the caterpir curled up in fright, and it fell inward through the gap in his cor. ¡°Oh my god! This is horrible!¡± Renee covered her forehead. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch. ¡°Ahh! Help! Help! Help!¡± Stefan began to ¡®break-dance¡¯ right away. Although he was not a professional dancer, he danced like one. ¡°Stop screaming. Hurry up and take off your shirt!¡± Renee rushed forward and frantically removed Stefan¡¯s shirt. She then used the branch to remove the caterpir before tossing it aside. Stefan finally calmed down. However, there were red patches of inmed skin on his back where the caterpir had crawled over. ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you don¡¯t listen to other people¡¯s advice,¡± Renee said. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sorry for him when she saw the inmed skin on his back. This type of caterpir belonged to a family of moths. The fluff on its body was poisonous. A slight bump was enough to leave a burning sensation on one¡¯s skin. It was as if one¡¯s skin was being cut with small knives. The caterpir crawled all over Stefan¡¯s back. One could only imagine how much pain he was in! ¡°Thank you so much. If it wasn¡¯t for you, this thing wouldn¡¯t havended on me. You¡¯re the reason for my embarrassment!¡± Stefan was furious. However, he was too embarrassed by his own cowardice to even get angry. He silently put on his clothes. This was the most embarrassing moment in all thirty years of his life! ¡®Oh, wait. Getting lost and asking people for directions on that ind was rather embarrassing too.¡¯ In the end¡­ ¡®Hehe, it¡¯s all thanks to Renee!¡¯ That¡¯s why he would challenge anyone who imed he was bullying Renee. Nobody could be as mean as her! ¡°Renee, you really are something else. I admit defeat.¡± Stefan walked away after saying this. Abby watched him leave before tugging at Renee¡¯s hand. ¡°Mommy, I think Daddy is really upset this time. You should talk to him!¡± Chapter 782 Chapter 782 ¡°Uhh, Perhaps I went a little too far!¡± Renee scratched her head. She was afraid Stefan would find an opportunity to take revenge on her. On top of that, he was still recovering. If anything happened to him, she¡¯d be in a lot of trouble. ¡°Alright. Adie, Abby, go and y on your own. I¡¯ll have to talk to that grudgeful man. Did you see how angry he was? It looked like he¡¯d explode any second!¡± Renee made Adie and Abbyugh with her exaggerated description. Adie shook his head, a speechless expression written over his face. ¡°He¡¯s a lot more different from what I imagined. Why does he seem like an idiot?¡± ¡°Not only is he a scaredy cat, but he¡¯s also an idiot. He¡¯s not that terrifying, after all. I must¡¯ve overestimated him!¡± Adie added. Renee smacked him on the head. ¡°You¡¯re just too naive. You¡¯ll find out in time.¡± At the same time, Renee squatted and wrapped the caterpir up with a tissue. She then quickly walked toward the house. ¡°How are you feeling, Stefan?¡± Renee gently knocked on his door and asked. ¡°Still alive! Thanks for your concern,¡± Stefan replied in an unfriendly tone before opening the door. He had just taken a shower. He still had a bathrobe on, and his hair was wet. His tanned skin and solid abs were the perfect personifications of strength and beauty. He was¡­ Absolutely tempting. Renee gulped a little. She tried her best not to look where she wasn¡¯t supposed to. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to drop the insect on you. Don¡¯t be mad. The doctor said you shouldn¡¯t get upset. Otherwise, you¡¯ll faint again!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t mean to?¡± Stefan sneered. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and pressed it against her own chest. ¡°Can you swear on your conscience that you didn¡¯t mean to do it?¡± With this movement, his already loose bathrobe revealed even more of his skin. His solid abs were fully visible at this point. Renee didn¡¯t realize it, but her hand was beginning to itch. She felt an urge to touch his abs and see if they were real! ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Stefan could sense Renee¡¯s gaze, and he actually seemed a little embarrassed. He quickly adjusted his bathrobe to make sure he wasn¡¯t exposed. Even men couldn¡¯t bepletely safe these days. He needed to protect himself! ¡°Uhh, about that¡­ I really didn¡¯t mean to do it. I didn¡¯t know you were actually afraid of caterpirs!¡± Renee quickly looked away. She then circled around him and slipped into his bedroom. ¡°Since it¡¯s already happened, I¡¯ve decided to make it up to you. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself.¡± ¡°Make it up to me?¡± Stefan was angry at first, but he immediately felt better after hearing what she said. He crossed his arms and raised his brows. ¡°How are you going to do that?¡± If her ¡®making up to him¡¯ was good enough, he could forgive her for now! ¡°Are you¡­ in pain?¡± Renee looked Stefan up and down. Her face was red, and she sounded a little troubled. ¡°Somewhat.¡± Stefan gave an ambiguous reply. Her shy demeanor looked to him like she was giving him a hint. In other words, it was an invitation. He felt that he was still able to do it. His voice immediately turned hoarse. ¡°Can you make me feel better?¡± ¡°Of course, I can. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Renee then pointed at therge bed behind her. ¡°Lie down. You¡¯ll feel better very soon.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°When else?¡± Renee asked. Chapter 783 Chapter 783 Renee was getting a little anxious. ¡°Stop wasting time. The sooner we do this, the better. If we wait too long, it won¡¯t be effective anymore.¡± ¡°Erk-hem!¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned even redder. Hadn¡¯t she always been shy and demure? When did she be this passionate? Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Even a grown man like him was finding it a little hard to resist. However, since she was so ¡®eager¡¯, there was no reason for him to refuse. After all, he had been longing for her body for a long time! ¡°Take off your bathrobe and lie on the bed face-down. That¡¯ll make things easier for me,¡± Renee said. ¡°Face-down?¡± Stefan¡¯s heart clenched. He was a little afraid. ¡°Are you sure you want to start with something so extreme?¡± ¡°Trust in my technique!¡± Renee began giving clear instructions. ¡°Just lie down, keep your arms close to your side, and don¡¯t move around. Bear with the pain. It¡¯ll be over very soon.¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Stefan took a deep breath. He slowly removed his bathrobe andid down in bed. Despite feeling afraid, he looked forward to her ¡®technique¡¯. She was rarely this passionate. ¡°I¡¯m going to start now. Bear with me,¡± Renee said softly. Although Renee might seem calm, the redness on her face was enough to prove how panicked she felt. ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ Any heterosexual woman would panic at the sight of such a perfect male body. Look at those broad shoulders, his lean back, and his slim waist¡­ Was he really not sculpted ording to a woman¡¯s idea of a perfect man? However, even if she was panicking a little, she still needed to deal with the rashes on his body as soon as possible. Things would get tricky if he had an allergic reaction. Renee retrieved the caterpir, crushed it, and used a cotton swab to smear its bodily fluid against the rashes on Stefan¡¯s back. Stefan originally kept his eyes closed. He was looking forward to Renee¡¯s ¡®technique¡¯. The sticky sensation on his back made him frown. Was he¡­ Kissing him? However, he felt a cotton swab against his back. It didn¡¯t feel like her soft lips! ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m tending to your rashes!¡± Renee was trying to keep herself focused. ¡°You probably didn¡¯t know this, but the caterpir that stung you today belonged to a family of poisonous moths. You got red rashes from its sting. It can hurt a lot. Fortunately, there¡¯s a cure for this. I¡¯m applying the cure on you now¡­ Don¡¯t you feel better?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you meant!¡± Stefan suddenly felt a great sense of disappointment. He¡¯d be lying if he said that wasn¡¯t the case. However, he felt somewhat relieved too. What if Renee went a little too far, and he passed out right here? That would be too embarrassing. ¡°Fine. Go ahead and do it!¡± Stefan closed his eyes and remained lying. Renee smeared more of the caterpir¡¯s fluid on him. ¡°Oh, right. What kind of cure are you using? It seems to work really well.¡± Stefan no longer felt as much pain as before. He asked the question out of curiosity. Chapter 784 Chapter 784 ¡°Of course. Only a caterpir¡¯s fluid can be used to cure rashes caused by one. This caterpir happens to be fat and juicy. I¡¯m sure it works great,¡± Renee said in a rxed manner while smearing the liquid against Stefan¡¯s back. ¡°C-Caterpir¡¯s what?¡± Stefan froze. His entire body became tense. ¡°Caterpir¡¯s liquid!¡± Renee was worried Stefan couldn¡¯t get what she meant. She showed him the squished caterpir. ¡°Look. It¡¯s this one. I already avenged you by crushing it into a pulp. You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± ¡°Ughh!¡± Stefan nearly puked when he saw the squished caterpir. His head was pounding. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re gross. Hurry up and get rid of that disgusting thing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already dead. Why are you still so afraid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting down from three. Get rid of it, or you¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°But you need this for your rashes. Otherwise, it¡¯s going to hurt a lot. Just hang in there¡­¡± ¡°Three, two¡­¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll throw it away!¡± Renee eximed. Seeing how she was almost done with tending to his rashes, coupled with the fact that she was worried he¡¯d get into a fit of rage, she casually tossed the caterpir into the rubbish bin. After Stefan saw this, he felt like a demon king that had been released from all its seals. His energy had returned. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± He asked coldly when Renee prepared to get off the bed. ¡°I¡¯m done with dealing with your rash. You don¡¯t need me here anymore. You¡¯ll get better after some rest.¡± Renee felt she had aplished her goal. It was too awkward to stay there. She wanted to leave right away. ¡°You¡¯ve been ying with me like a toy all day long. You¡¯ve had your fun, but I haven¡¯t¡­¡± Stefan said. ¡°What do you want? Do you want me to beg for your forgiveness?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. You just need to make me happy too,¡± Stefan said. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Renee¡¯s patience was wearing thin. ¡°What do I have to do to make you happy? Should I tell you a joke?¡± If she¡¯d known he would hold a grudge like this, she wouldn¡¯t have teased him. Now, she couldn¡¯t even avoid him! ¡°It¡¯s simple¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze gradually became affectionate. He grabbed her by her wrists and easily positioned himself above her. ¡°Let me have you,¡± he said in a hoarse voice. Meanwhile, Adie and Abby were standing in front of the yellow tree by the house. They were ying with the fledglings in the nest. ¡°Adie, do you think Daddy will forgive Mommy?¡± Abby asked curiously while she yed with the fledglings. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Adie began to analyze the situation in a serious manner. ¡°Everybody says Daddy is a cold, merciless man. He was so angry just now. I¡¯m worried he might bully Mommy.¡± ¡°Is Daddy really cold and merciless?¡± Abby asked while shaking her head. ¡°I think you might have gotten this from the wrong source. I think Daddy is actually really gentle and loving. He was very angry, but he didn¡¯t bully Mommy. That¡¯s enough to prove that he¡¯s a man with a big heart.¡± Chapter 785 Chapter 785 ¡°Of course, he wouldn¡¯t bully Mommy in front of us. That would ruin his image in our hearts. I¡¯m only worried he would secretly bully Mommy behind our backs. Mommy won¡¯t expose him because she doesn¡¯t want us to worry¡­¡± Adie said. ¡°That makes sense. Do you think Daddy is secretly bullying Mommy right now?¡± Abby asked. ¡°Very likely!¡± The two of them looked in the direction where Stefan¡¯s room was located. ¡°Oh no! Mommy might be in danger. We have to rescue her!¡± They eximed simultaneously. At this moment, Adie and Abby were finally on the same team. One held a vase, while the other held an a bottle of alcohol, and they both started running to Stefan¡¯s room. Stefan¡¯s room was on the second floor. Coincidentally, the door wasn¡¯t locked. ¡°Back off, jerk. Don¡¯t bully my Mommy!¡± Adie opened the door and charged in like a police officer while he swung the bottle in his hand. Stefan and Renee were being extremely intimate. Stefan was on top of Renee. He was prepared to kiss those luscious lips of hers¡­ Adie¡¯s voice startled them, and they instantly moved away from each other. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Adie, w-why are you here?¡± Renee¡¯s face turned red. She wished she could hide in a cave somewhere. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ She lost her cool again. Stefan¡¯s good looks were too captivating. When he initiated the kiss, she didn¡¯t even try to stop him. On the contrary¡­ She was even eager to return the kiss! ¡®Oh my god! This is too embarrassing!¡¯ ¡°How dare you bully my Mommy, you jerk. I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Adie was furious. He turned around and looked at Abby. ¡°See, I told you he would secretly bully Mommy. You¡¯ve seen it with your own eyes!¡± ¡°Waaah! Daddy, you disappoint me. I didn¡¯t know you would hold such a grudge. How could you bully Mommy? I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Abby stared at Stefan with tears in her eyes while she whined. ¡°Bully her?¡± Stefan slowly put on his clothes. ¡°When did I bully her?¡± ¡°You did so just now. Just because you¡¯re bigger and stronger than her, you pressed against her from above. If we hadn¡¯t made it in time, Mommy would have suffered!¡± Abby genuinely felt sad. She¡¯s always thought Stefan wasn¡¯t as bad as people said he was. At the very least, she was certain that he wouldn¡¯t bully Renee. If she hadn¡¯t seen it for herself today, she wouldn¡¯t have believed that her father was such a bad person! ¡°About that¡­¡± Stefan pursed his lips and smiled. He then looked at Renee. ¡°I think you should ask your mother if I bullied her. Look at her. Does it look like she was getting bullied? She was clearly looking forward to it¡­¡± ¡°Stefan, shut up!¡± Renee covered her face with her hands. She felt too embarrassed. It wasn¡¯t her children that made her feel embarrassed. Instead, it was Stefan. She actually didn¡¯t resist him when he tried to kiss her¡­ That made her previous attempts to reject him feel somewhatughable. It seemed like she was ying hard to get. ¡°Tell us, Mommy. How did he bully you just now?¡± Adie walked up to Renee and held her hand like a young knight in shining armor. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Abby and I are here. You¡¯re safe. We won¡¯t forgive him!¡± Chapter 786 Chapter 786 Renee was deeply touched to see the two children defend her, but she was also very embarrassed. ¡°Umm¡­ Adie and Abby, you misunderstood. He wasn¡¯t bullying me.¡± ¡°No way! I saw him climb on top of you just now! He was definitely about to beat you up!¡± Adie stood in front of Renee protectively and yelled at Stefan, ¡°You bad man, apologize to Mommy at once or my wine bottle will crack your head open!¡± ¡°How fierce! As expected of my son!¡± Stefan was dressed in a loose bathrobe, looking elegant and rxed. He rubbed the little boy¡¯s angry face and said with a smile, ¡°I wasn¡¯t bullying your Mommy. If you think climbing on top of your Mommy is bullying her, then I don¡¯t mind letting her climb back on top of me.¡± ¡°Stop it! Stop talking nonsense in front of the children! Aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡± Renee red at Stefan, displeased with his recklessness. ¡°Kids, this man is crazy. Let¡¯s go outside. We won¡¯t y with him!¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks were scorching hot. She could not bear to stay in the room anymore. She quickly led the two children outside. Stefan watched them leave with his arms crossed. A smile crept onto his face. He had not experienced this warm feeling for a long time. This must be the feeling of ¡°home¡± that he had been searching for. ¡®Renee Everheart, no matter how hard you resist, I, Stefan Hunt, will not let you go!¡¯ The morning passed in a blink of an eye. Renee happened to be free today, so she decided to make lunch for the children. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The children were running around thewn, ying a game of the blind man and the elephant. Currently, the one ying the role of the blind man was Abby. She felt her way around the garden while blindfolded. ¡°Adie, where are you? You have to make a little noise or I wouldn¡¯t know where to find you.¡± She said cutely with her arms spread. Suddenly, she bumped into a person. ¡°I caught you, Adie!¡± Abby hugged the person tightly, but she quickly realized something was wrong. She felt the person with her hands. The person seemed to be taller and had a thicker waist than her brother. It was obviously an adult. Maybe it wasn¡¯t her brother after all? ¡°Abby, I¡¯m over here! You caught the wrong person! Hurry up and let her go!¡± Adie shouted anxiously from somewhere behind Abby. ¡°I caught the wrong person?¡± Abby¡¯s cute little face was filled with confusion. She quickly took off the blindfold and looked up. Her big round eyes brightened. She praised with a sweet voice, ¡°Wow, granny, you¡¯re so beautiful! You look like a fairy. Are you a fairy godmother?¡± Francine Milford and her husband Alexander Hunt had just returned from a vacation abroad when they heard that their son was at the Hunt Vi, so Francine quickly rushed over. Then, as soon as she stepped foot in the vi, she was embraced by an adorable little girl. The little girl was wearing a pink skirt with her hair tied up in pigtails. Her smooth, fair skin flushed red under the sun. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Francine. Francine¡¯s heart immediately softened, as if it had turned into cotton candy. ¡°Little girl, what¡¯s your name? What are you doing in the Hunt Vi?¡± She asked as she crouched down and rubbed Abby¡¯s head gently. Chapter 787 Chapter 787 ¡°My name is Abigail, fairy godmother. Everyone calls me Abby. I¡¯m four years and nine months old, and I¡¯m studying at the Monte Perry Kindergarten¡­¡± Abby, upon seeing her biological grandmother for the first time, could not help feeling a sense of familiarity with her. She told Francine everything. She was about to tell Francine that her mother¡¯s name was Renee when Adie ran over with a serious expression and stopped her. ¡°Abby, you don¡¯t even know her. Don¡¯t tell her everything about us. What if she¡¯s a bad person?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not! There¡¯s no way the fairy godmother is a bad person! She¡¯s as good-looking as Handsome Daddy!¡± Abby, as usual, cared only for beauty. Those she found aesthetically pleasing could not be bad people. Adie facepalmed and said helplessly, ¡°Sigh. How many times do you have to be deceived before you¡¯ll learn your lesson? You said Bad Daddy¡¯s not a bad person too, but he bullied Mommy!¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! I forgot about that!¡± Abby took a deep breath and shook her tiny head. She reminded herself repeatedly: You can¡¯t just look at someone¡¯s face! You can¡¯t just look at someone¡¯s face! You can¡¯t just look at someone¡¯s face! ¡°Fairy godmother, I can¡¯t talk to you yet because I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re a good person or not. You can talk to my brother. He¡¯s smart, so you won¡¯t be able to deceive him!¡± Abby, like a little rabbit, hid behind Adie and exined to Francine helplessly. Francine¡¯s gaze shifted to Adie. Her heart stopped. With one look, she could already tell with 100% certainty that the little boy was Stefan¡¯s son! Not only did he look exactly the same as Stefan when Stefan was a child, he also had the same wild and sharp eyes! He was totally a mini Stefan! ¡°W-What¡¯s your name?¡± Francine was still in shock. Her eyes turned a little red as she reached out to touch Adie¡¯s face. The cool Adie was not as easy going as the adorable Abby. He dodged her hand and asked with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s YOUR name? What business do you have here?¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Me?¡± Francine felt as if she had gone back in time and was talking to a young Stefan. She choked up and said, ¡°I¡¯m your grandma. I¡¯m your Daddy¡¯s mother.¡± ¡°Grandma?!¡± Adie and Abby both eximed in unison. ¡°That¡¯s right! Now tell me, who¡¯s your Mommy? I must thank her for finally giving our Hunt family a ray of hope!¡± Francine was a famous high-societydy in Beach City. She was always elegant and proud and rarely showed emotions in public. However, right now, she was so excited that she could not stop crying. ¡°You¡¯re Stefan Hunt¡¯s Mommy?¡± Adie had a quick mind. He immediately figured out Francine¡¯s identity. He remembered hearing from Daddy Liam and Mommy Leah that Bad Daddy¡¯s Mommy, also known as Francine Milford, treated Renee very badly back in the days. Therefore, although he felt a sense of familiarity with Francine, he instantly disliked her the moment he found out who she was because she used to bully Renee with Stefan. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m Stefan¡¯s mother, and I¡¯m your grandma. What a clever boy!¡± The more Francine looked at the two children, the more she liked them. Knowing that they were the grandchildren she had always wanted almost made her pass out with joy. Unfortunately, Adie dashed cold water on her good mood. ¡°If you¡¯re Stefan Hunt¡¯s mother, then you¡¯re not a good Mommy. You didn¡¯t teach your son well.¡± ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?¡± Francine¡¯s smile froze. She did not expect to get lectured by her grandson. Chapter 788 Chapter 788 ¡°Mommy said that a real man is like a superhero who is kind and protects the weak. But the son you brought up bullies a woman just because he¡¯s physically stronger. Doesn¡¯t that mean your education is a failure?¡± Adie crossed his arms and drilled Francine with the tough question. In his opinion, Bad Daddy was bad because his mother did not educate him well. Now that Adie had a chance to meet the woman in question, he must seek justice for his mother. ¡°He bullied a woman?¡± Francine frowned and expressed her disbelief, ¡°My son is a gentleman. I¡¯ve only seen him help women before. He would never bully a woman. There must be a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no misunderstanding. My brother and I saw it with our own eyes!¡± Abby pouted behind Adie and eximed with righteous indignation, ¡°Bad Daddy climbed on top of Mommy and pressed his body on hers. If we hadn¡¯t arrived in time, he would have bitten her!¡± The little girl vividly remembered the image she saw when she and Adie pushed open the door earlier. Bad Daddy was about to bite Mommy! He¡¯s a bad man! ¡°Pressed his body on hers, about to bite her?¡± Francine, being an adult, immediately understood what happened. The corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up. Oh, thank goodness, her son was finally behaving like a man and had gained the worldly desire that all men had.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. After seeing him being indifferent to women for so many years, she was starting to think that her son was impotent! ¡°That¡¯s so bad of him! How could he do such a bad thing? He¡¯s worse than an animal! It¡¯s my fault for not educating him properly. I¡¯ll beat him up and teach him a lesson!¡± Francine went along with the children¡¯s emotions and scolded Stefan. ¡°How could he bully a woman? That¡¯s not what a real man should do! I should send him to a men¡¯s ethics college and make him study hard and only let him out after he learns to respect women.¡± ¡°To be honest with you, I¡¯ve been dissatisfied with my son for a long time. How do you want to punish him? Don¡¯t worry, you can tell me. I¡¯ll give him a severe punishment!¡± ¡°Will you really punish that bad man?¡± Adie looked at Francine doubtfully. His sharp and cautious personality was just like Stefan¡¯s. ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve been dissatisfied with his behavior for a long time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Wee to our ¡°Anti-Stefan¡± movement.¡± When Adie and Abby saw how fair and reasonable Francine was, their hostility towards her lessened. They even felt like she was an ally who shared amon enemy with them. ¡°But first, you have to tell Grandma who your mother is. She must be a very capable woman. She raised two lovely kids who are so kind and upright. As an elder, I feel ashamed of myself. I need to learn how to educate a child from her.¡± Francine¡¯s elegant face was constantly adorned with a kind smile. She looked at the children with eyes full of love. The more she looked at the two children, the more she liked them, and the more curious she became as to who their mother could be. No matter who it was, considering the way the children carried themselves, she was definitely not a poor girl from amon family or a celebrity looking for a rich man to marry. She must be a cultured woman from a good family. After all, there was no way her son would fall for a nasty woman. Well¡­ except for Briar Desrosiers! ¡°How perceptive of you, fairy godmother. Our mommy is indeed an incredible woman. Her name is¡­¡± Abby was about to tell her, but at that moment, Stefan walked out. He had changed his clothes and tidied up his appearance. When he saw Francine, whom he had not seen for a long time, he could not help but frown. With visible disdain, he asked, ¡°Mom, what are you doing here?¡± Francine¡¯s smile instantly disappeared the moment she saw Stefan. She approached him angrily and said, ¡°You brat, is that how you greet your mother? I came to see you as soon as Inded because I haven¡¯t seen you for so long. What¡¯s with that tone? Do you even have a conscience?¡± Chapter 789 Chapter 789 ¡°Yup, you children are right. I failed to educate him properly as his mother. I can¡¯t believe I raised a giant iceberg who has no idea what being considerate means.¡± Francine pinched Stefan on the arm while admonishing him. However, her son¡¯s arm muscles were so firm that her fingers could not get a good grip, so she ended up pping him hard on the back instead. Stefan was dumbfounded. He pointed at his head and told Adie and Abby, ¡°Kids,e here. This old lady has a bit of a problem in here. She might hurt you by ident.¡± ¡°No, the fairy godmother is a good person. You¡¯re the bad guy. You bullied Mommy! We¡¯re not on your side!¡± Although Abby was charmed by Stefan¡¯s good looks, she was still able to distinguish between good and bad. She defected on the spot and stood behind Francine like a good girl. ¡°That¡¯s right, your Mommy is a good person while you¡¯re the bad guy. I agree that your Mommy should punish you and teach you a lesson!¡± Adie chose Francine¡¯s side too while looking at Stefan coldly. ¡°? ? ?¡± Stefan did not expect the children to betray him the very first time they met their grandmother. As expected, children could get close to their grandparents very easily! ¡°Mom, what did you tell them? Why are they taking your side already?¡± He asked Francine curiously, looking eager to learn from her. Truth be told, not only was he having a hard time winning Renee back, he was also having a hard time winning over the children. He was confident that he could make Renee fall in love with him again, but he was not as confident that he could make the children put down their hostility and like him¡­ Oh, what a headache! ¡°Of course they do. I represent justice. I¡¯ll always teach bad people like you a lesson. Of course the children are on my side.¡± Francine¡¯s words received strong acknowledgment from the kids. ¡°That¡¯s right! Justice will always prevail over evil. You¡¯re a viin who bullied our Mommy, so you deserve to be punished!¡± Stefan was suddenly public enemy number one ¨C Renee ignored him, the kids wanted to punish him, and even his own mother had betrayed him. It was tragic. He also immediately understood how Francine won over the children so easily. ¡°Mom, how could you betray your son to win over your grandchildren?¡± At the moment, Francine could not care less how his son felt. Her first priority was to keep her grandchildren happy. ¡°Kids, how do you think I should punish my son for doing something bad?¡± ¡°That¡¯s simple. When we do something bad, Mommy would give us ¡°the good ol¡¯ stick¡±. After that, we wouldn¡¯t dare to make that mistake anymore. You can take a page out of her book, fairy godmother.¡± Abby enthusiastically shared her experiences with Francine.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°The good ol¡¯ stick?¡± Francine was confused. ¡°Here, use this.¡± Out of nowhere, Adie produced a cane that was as thick as two fingers put together and calmly handed it over to Francine. Chapter 790 Chapter 790 ¡°Umm¡­¡± Seeing the thick cane, Francine and Stefan could not help but gulp. ¡°Isn¡¯t this cane a bit too thick?¡± Francine asked Adie cautiously. Although she had already decided to sell her son out to get in her grandchildren¡¯s good books, she had never beaten Stefan before, and now she had to beat him with such a thick cane? She could not do it. ¡°It¡¯s not. This is just a normal cane. Mommy said caning is good for building character. The harder you hit, the better the person¡¯s character would turn out. Your son is bullying the weak now because you didn¡¯t cane him enough when he was young. Adie tried to convince Francine with logic and reasoning. Francine stared at the thick cane and frowned. She rubbed the little boy¡¯s head and asked, ¡°You mean your Mommy hits you with this a lot?¡± ¡°No.¡± Adie said seriously, ¡°Mommy just uses it to intimidate me. She rarely beats me. She said other people¡¯s children get caned with this, but I don¡¯t because I¡¯m a good boy and I never do anything bad. Unlike your son, who did so many bad things. You should give him a proper beating!¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®What a filial son you are, Adie!¡¯Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re right. A pampered child is a spoiled child. He turned out like this because I spoiled him. He needs a beating.¡± Francine took the cane from Adie and walked over to Stefan. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°Brat, cooperate with me to make my grandchildren happy.¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face stiffened. He said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re gonna beat your own son to please your grandchildren? Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do about it. It¡¯s your fault for doing all those bad things. You deserve it.¡± ¡°What bad things did I do?¡± ¡°You held their Mommy under you and tried to bite her. You¡¯re getting off easy with just a beating.¡± Stefan was embarrassed and exasperated. ¡°I know the kids don¡¯t understand what happened, but don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t. Stop fooling around and just go home!¡± ¡°No way! I finally have the grandchildren that I¡¯ve been dreaming of. I¡¯m not leaving them¡­¡± Francine approached Stefan and mocked, ¡°You little brat, you always seem as indifferent to women as a monk, but you actually did those things in secret and have even produced two kids. This calls for a celebration! I¡¯ll go home and discuss with your father about holding a grand banquet thatsts three months. We¡¯ll also give everyone in Beach City a reward of $1000 so that everyone can celebrate with us! Stefan facepalmed and said, ¡°Mom, I beg you, please go home and give the children and I some space.¡± He actually did not n to let Francine know about the children because he was worried that Francine would make a big deal out of it and scare Renee away. After all, his rtionship with Renee was still very tense. A single disagreement was all it would take for them to be enemies. He did not want this matter to be a topic of gossip for everyone in Beach City. ¡°What space do you need? Having children is a good thing. There¡¯s no reason to keep it a secret. But who¡¯s the mother? Hurry up and tell me or I¡¯ll hit you!¡± Francine lightly hit Stefan twice with the cane and said curiously, ¡°I can tell from the children¡¯s temperament that their mother has very good genes. She¡¯s definitely not an ordinary woman. She¡¯s a hero that saved our family, so we must wee her into the family with a proper wedding.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡± Stefan was annoyed. Chapter 791 Chapter 791 The current Renee was no longer someone he could control. She had no intention of joining the Hunt family. This made him very frustrated. ¡°I¡¯m asking who the children¡¯s mother is. Why won¡¯t you answer the question?¡± Francine started specting, ¡°Let me guess which family she¡¯s from. She must be from one of the eight major families, right?¡± ¡°Is it Seraphina? You two have been close since you were young. I knew it was only a matter of time before you two got together. That¡¯s great news! Both our families have been waiting for this day for a long time!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not her!¡± Stefan denied it. ¡°Seraphina and I are just buddies.¡± ¡°Then it must be your first love. What¡¯s her name again?¡­ Cecilia Smith, right? Shees from a rather average background, but at least her family isn¡¯t a shady family. She¡¯s eptable as your match.¡± Stefan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so picky¡­¡± ¡°Who else can it be? I can count on one hand the number of women you have a rtionship with. It can¡¯t be Briar Desrosiers, right? I thought she¡¯s infertile.¡± When Francine arrived at a certain assumption, her eyes suddenly widened. She visibly jolted and eximed, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so silly! So it¡¯s her! The legal daughter-inw of the Hunt family¡­ To think that I searched far and wide but the person I was looking for was right next to me all along!¡± Stefan did not deny it. He merely replied with a voice filled with disappointment, ¡°Wrong. You mean the former daughter-inw. She¡¯s single now.¡± ¡°Oh, thank the Lord. It¡¯s just one pleasant surprise after another. I¡¯m so happy that I¡¯m going to pass out!¡± Francine covered her mouth with her hands. She was overjoyed and excited. She then gave Stefan a hard p. ¡°Way to go, brat. As expected of my son. Now that I have a daughter-inw, a grandson, and a granddaughter, I can finally stop worrying about you.¡± In recent years, she had suggested many wealthy and famous women for Stefan, but to be honest, she was not satisfied with any of them. They simply could not match up to her former daughter-inw, Renee. She used to be dissatisfied with Renee too, but her admiration for Renee gradually grew with time. After Renee left her son, she had been living a wonderful life. Renee founded the ¡°Azure Group¡± and had the guts topete with men in a field traditionally dominated by men. Francine now admired Renee from the bottom of her heart. She was even starting to feel like her boring son was no longer worthy of Renee. She had already given up hope on Renee ever bing her daughter-inw again. But now, her good daughter-inw had actually given birth to two adorable kids for the Hunt family! Oh, God is good! ¡°What are you talking about? She won¡¯t give me the time of day and has no intention of giving me Adie and Abby. I¡¯m still trying to solve the problem here.¡± Stefan sighed and showed his helpless side to Francine for the first time ever. This was also the first time in his life he had felt so powerless. He had always been able to deal with women easily, but he was powerless against Renee! ¡°Isn¡¯t that to be expected? Think of all the things you did to her. If I were her, I wouldn¡¯t give you the time of day either.¡± The thought of that made Francine give Stefan another whip of the cane. Stefan said pitifully, ¡°Mom, you too?¡­¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What? I¡¯m on the side of justice. Bad guys like you need to be taught a lesson!¡± Francine turned around and told the two kids, ¡°Watch me, kids, I¡¯m going to give him pain!¡± At the same time, she lowered her voice and told Stefan, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find a way to help you win her back. I¡¯m your mother after all, so I have to help you.¡± Chapter 792 Chapter 792 This time, Francine was not faking it. The cane struck Stefan with a loud crack. ¡°Ouch!¡± Stefan could not remain stoic anymore. Heined, ¡°You¡¯re doing it for real?! Stop!¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m doing it for real. If I don¡¯t teach you a tough lesson, you¡¯ll make the same mistakes again in the future. My precious grandchildren won¡¯t be able to see our sincerity either¡­ So just grit your teeth and endure it. Also, you should groan once in a while to make the kids sympathize with you.¡± Francine gave out thoughtful advice while whipping Stefan. ¡°Makes sense.¡± Stefan agreed with Francine¡¯s n. He started groaning and screaming. ¡°Ah, it hurts!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve learned my lesson!¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m gonna die if you keep hitting me!¡± Children were naive and innocent, so as long as he kept acting pitiful, they would forgive him in no time. However¡­ Renee was not a child and she was extremely clever, so this trick would definitely not work on her! Renee finished making lunch and brought the delicious dishes to the dining table. She then heard the groaning and screaming from outside the vi. It sounded like Stefan¡¯s voice, but how could the Great Demon King make that kind of sound?! Renee walked out of the vi with much curiosity. She immediately saw Francine whipping Stefan with a cane while Stefan pleaded for mercy. Umm¡­¡­ It was not a pretty sight. Adie and Abby watched on with great interest, They had clearly fallen for the superb acting skills of Francine and Stefan. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. When they noticed Renee, they beckoned to her excitedly. ¡°Mommy,e here! Come here! The fairy godmother is going ham! Finally, someone¡¯s teaching Bad Daddy a lesson!¡± Abby grabbed Renee¡¯s hand and dragged her over, worried that she might miss out on the show. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± Renee felt a little awkward. She did not know how to deal with the situation. Her former mother-inw was beating up her ex-husband, while her son and her daughter were enjoying the show?! Should she pretend to be concerned and talk Francine out of it or should she join in and watch the show together with her children? ¡°Ren, my good daughter-inw! Long time no see!¡± Francine smiled from ear to ear as she greeted Renee while hitting Stefan. Stefan was pretty immersed in the act, but when he saw Renee, he immediately reverted back into an iceberg. No matter how hard Francine¡¯s cane hit him, his face remained cold and indifferent. He did not even let out so much as a groan, as if he felt nothing. ¡°Brat, you were doing so well, why did you stop? Keep acting miserable or your wife won¡¯t sympathize with you!¡± Francine lowered her voice and growled at Stefan. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Stefan pursed his lips and kept as quiet as a statue. He could bleed and he could break a bone, but he could not lose the image of a dignified man in front of Renee! Chapter 793 Chapter 793 Renee stood next to Adie and Abby. She stared at Stefan and Francine with a puzzled expression for a while before asking weakly, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°The bad guy¡¯s mommy is teaching him a lesson so that he wouldn¡¯t bully you again. I think¡­ she wasn¡¯t hitting him hard enough. They look a bit like they¡¯re acting.¡± Adie remarked expressionlessly. ¡°No way! Bad Daddy cried really miserably just now. He seemed to be in real pain. It didn¡¯t look like an act to me.¡± Abby pouted and retorted foolishly. Seeing his proud son stop cooperating even when she kept hitting him, Francine could only give up and think of another solution. ¡°My dear daughter-inw, I heard this brat bullied you so I gave him a hard beating, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough punishment, so take this cane and let out any anger or resentment you have. I promise he won¡¯t dodge or retaliate!¡± She stuffed the cane in Renee¡¯s hand. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­ a little inappropriate?¡± Renee looked at the thick cane in her hand, then at the tall and handsome man standing in front of her, unsure of what to do. ¡°Why would it be inappropriate? You¡¯re my rebellious son¡¯s wife, so if you see him with any bad habits or if he makes any mistake, don¡¯t hesitate to give him a tough beating to educate him. That¡¯ll teach him a lesson so that he¡¯ll be good and won¡¯t make you mad again.¡± Francine said righteously. ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t have the ability nor the obligation to educate him. I¡¯ll just educate my own children. I want to have nothing to do with him ever again.¡± Renee guessed that Francine must have figured out the identities of Adie and Abby by now, or she would not have chastised her precious son like this to try and soften Renee¡¯s heart. Unfortunately, when it came to the children, it did not matter whether they used a soft or hard approach, the matter was non-negotiable! ¡°I¡¯ve made lunch. You guys can stay for lunch if you want.¡± Renee did not want to be too impolite, so she invited Francine to have lunch with them. After all, Francine was still the children¡¯s grandmother. If she showed Renee enough respect, Renee would also show her respect and would not deprive her of the right to interact with the children. ¡°Sure! To be honest with you, I¡¯ve missed your cooking dearly. Looks like I came at the right time. My mouth is watering!¡± Francine praised Renee non-stop. Stefan was bbergasted. ¡°Mom, can you please behave normally?¡± He knew better than anyone how proud and arrogant Francine usually was. Now, in order to help him and Renee reconcile, she was being so humble. It made him feel ufortable. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°What are you talking about? I am behaving normally. It¡¯s a fact that I¡¯ve missed Renee¡¯s cooking dearly. Why can¡¯t I say it?¡± Francine red at Stefan, then quickly walked forward and held Renee¡¯s arm affectionately, like a mother holding her daughter¡¯s hand. She made it look so natural. ¡°My good daughter-inw, tell me when you got pregnant with the kids. You sure know how to keep a secret. How could you not tell us about something so big? Aren¡¯t you worried that your father-inw and I would get a heart attack from the surprise? We now suddenly have two grandchildren!¡± Francine talked non-stop like a chatterbox, asking Renee about the details of the two children. Renee was emotionless. She said tly, ¡°I think you must have misunderstood something, Miss Francine. These two children are mine and mine alone. They have nothing to do with the Hunt family. Please stop trying to drag us into the Hunt family.¡± As soon as she said that, the air immediately chilled to a freezing point. Being thedy of the number one family in Beach City, people showed Francine respect wherever she went. She had never been rejected like this before. She immediately had the urge to throw a fit. But for the sake of her son¡¯s lifelong happiness and her precious grandchildren, she endured it! ¡°Hahaha, my dear daughter-inw, I know you¡¯re still angry. The Hunt family has indeed made some mistakes that caused you and the children a lot of hardship. How about this¡­ Tell us what we have to do so that you¡¯ll forgive us. If it¡¯s within my capability, I¡¯ll definitely satisfy your request without batting an eye.¡± Francine said with a sincere expression on her face. Chapter 794 Chapter 794 They sat at the dining table, waiting for Renee¡¯s answer. Stefan did not stop Francine, which was as good as agreeing to Francine¡¯s proposal. As long as Renee was willing to reconcile, he was willing to pay any price. ¡°I don¡¯t have any requests. Well, maybe just one¡­¡± Renee paused for a second before continuing with determination in her eyes, ¡°I hope you can clearly recognize that the two children belong to me alone. Their family name is Everheart and they have nothing to do with the Hunt family. Don¡¯t even think of touching them or I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡± Her stance was still the same as before. It was firm, with no room for negotiation. ¡°In your dreams!¡± Stefan pursed his thin lips, his handsome face filled with uncontroble anger. This woman was so obstinate and unreasonable. He really wanted to tie her up and tamed away her stubbornness like she¡¯s a wild cat. In contrast, Francine was calm. After a moment of silence, she pped the table and said, ¡°I understand what you mean. This isn¡¯t a hard request to fulfill at all.¡± Renee and Stefan were both stunned to hear that. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Renee could not understand what Francine was thinking. She thought that Francine, like Stefan, only pretended to be ¡°friendly¡± with her and maintained a superficial civility because she wanted to take the two children away. But after Renee told Francine that she would never let them have the children, based on Francine¡¯s personality, shouldn¡¯t she lose her temper immediately? Why was she still being so polite? ¡°Of course. That¡¯s easy enough to do. Times have changed. Stefan¡¯s father and I aren¡¯t that stubborn, nor are we stuck in the old ways. As long as the children are happy, we don¡¯t care what family name they take¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem of the children¡¯s family name, it¡¯s¡­¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll let my son marry into your family. He¡¯ll be the Everheart family¡¯s son-inw and will serve the Everheart family from now on. He¡¯ll be yours tomand!¡± Francine said with a pained expression. She just made the greatest concession she could make. Stefan: ¡°? ? ?¡± Renee: ¡°! ! !¡± ¡°My dear daughter-inw, you have no idea how obsessed my son is with you. Like I told you before, in the four years while you were gone, he behaved like a normal person during the day, but he would cry every night. He cried so hard that all the servants could hear him. They thought there was a ghost in the house!¡± *Ahem!* Stefan coughed hard, trying to stop Francine from continuing. He was a proud man. He especially liked to appear high-and-mighty in front of Renee. But now, his mother was exposing his most embarrassing and vulnerable moments¡­ How was that different from asking him to take a dump in front of Renee? How could he still face her? ¡°Why are you coughing so much? If you have an itchy throat, drink some water.¡± Francine gave Stefan a look of displeasure, took Renee¡¯s hand, and continued, ¡°My dear child, I don¡¯t want my house to be haunted anymore. It¡¯s too embarrassing. Please do me a favor and ept this brat. As long as you two reconcile, I don¡¯t care if the children take your family¡¯s name. Even if you want Stefan to take your family name, I would agree to it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!¡± Renee had considered a thousand possibilities and was ready for the feud that would arise between her and the Hunt family for the custody of the children, but something like this had never crossed her mind¡­ She was a bit overwhelmed! ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. It¡¯s prettymon to see a husband take the wife¡¯s surname abroad. As long as you¡¯re a family and live happily together, it doesn¡¯t matter what surname you take¡­¡± Francine kicked Stefan under the table and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, son? You agree with me too, don¡¯t you? Hurry up and tell her.¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face seemed to be covered in ayer of frost. His eyes were even colder than usual. ¡°Mom, can you stop causing trouble for me? I have enough to worry about as it is.¡± ¡°How am I causing trouble? I¡¯m¡­¡± Chapter 795 Chapter 795 ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Stefan stood up coldly, turned to Renee, and threw out these threatening words, ¡°If you want toe back, bring the children with you. The Hunt family will treat you well. If you insist on going against the Hunt family, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to stop you!¡± After that, he went upstairs expressionlessly. Obviously, Francine was open-minded, but Stefan was still a very arrogant man. How could he ept marrying into a woman¡¯s family? How could he let his children take another family name? Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Renee actually heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Stefan lose his temper. If Stefan had actually agreed to Francine¡¯s proposal, Renee would have no idea what she should do. It¡¯s not like she couldsh out at them for being considerate to her! She would much rather fight him fair and square. At least, if she lost, she would be able to ept it. ¡°See how upset your son is? I don¡¯t think he wants to be with me at all. Please stop it with the pointless matchmaking¡­¡± Renee said to Francine while holding her chin, pretending to be disappointed. ¡°He¡¯s not being honest with himself!¡± Francine was furious with her dumb and stubborn son. She asked Renee, ¡°What I want to know is if you¡¯re willing to reconcile with Stefan. You can see for yourself how happy it is when the four of you live together. There¡¯s no need to make things ugly.¡± ¡°If he agrees to do what you said ¨C marry into my family, let me have the final say in everything, and let the children take my surname ¨C of course I¡¯m okay with it.¡± Renee agreed without hesitation. First, knowing Stefan¡¯s personality, she knew that there was no way he would humble himself and ept all those conditions. This oue was impossible from the start. Second, if Stefan actually agreed to it for some unfathomable reason, having a handsome, capable, and obedient husband like that would not actually be that bad. It was at times like this that Renee felt envious of men. They gained so much from marrying a wife! They did not have to bear children, they did not have to handle household chores, and the children would take their surname. Their life would not be affected at all. It was all reward and no risk! Francine¡¯s eyes lit up. She grabbed Renee¡¯s hand and confirmed it again with great excitement, ¡°My good daughter-inw, are you serious? As long as my son is willing to marry into your family, you¡¯ll reconcile with him?¡± Renee nodded and said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m serious!¡± There was no way it would happen anyway! ¡°Great! Wait for my good news. I¡¯ll go persuade that brat right now. If he doesn¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll beat him up!¡± With that bold statement, Francine went upstairs in high spirits. Renee was not worried at all. She calmly ate with the children. ¡°Mommy, will you really marry Bad Daddy?¡± Adie had a very strongprehension ability. During the meal, he had already figured out what the adults were talking about. He now asked Renee curiously. ¡°Do you want me to marry him?¡± Renee asked yfully. ¡°If that bad man is willing to marry into our house and listen to everything you say, I think we should consider it¡­ After all, he seems very capable. He can definitely help you in many things.¡± Adie¡¯s view on the matter was very pragmatic. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Adie¡¯s pragmatism made Reneeugh. That part of him was very simr to Stefan. She asked again, ¡°In that case, between him and Mr. Q, who would you choose?¡± Chapter 796 Chapter 796 ¡°Well¡­¡± Adie rubbed his chin and seemed to be in a dilemma. ¡°Q has his strong points, but Bad Daddy has his values too. It¡¯s such a difficult choice.¡± ¡°I know!¡± Abby raised her hands high and said with sparkling eyes, ¡°Since Q Daddy and Bad Daddy are both pretty good, why not just ept both of them, Mommy? One can take care of the cooking and household chores for you, while the other can take care of your business. You can marry Bad Daddy first, then marry Q Daddy, and then you¡¯ll have both!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Abby¡¯s proposal is very good. I agree with what she said.¡± Adie also raised his hands high in support. He was very pleased to hear his sweet, foolish little sister finally say something clever for once.. ¡°Ugh. You two have such daring thoughts¡­¡± Realizing that the two children were serious, Renee did not know whether tough or cry. Neither Mr. Q nor Stefan was an easy opponent to deal with. One was enough of a headache for her. Both of them? She might not get to live long enough to ¡°enjoy¡± them! Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, Mr. Q and Stefan were mortal enemies. If the two of them met¡­ Renee did not even dare to imagine how that would go down. ¡°If you really have to choose one between the two of them, who would you choose, Mommy?¡± Adie threw the question back at Renee. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee realized that the one week time limit was fast approaching. She would have to make a decision soon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± She looked upstairs to where Stefan was while touching her ring finger. There was no longer a ring there to restrain her. It meant that she was free to live her life however she wanted. She could follow her heart and choose anyone she wanted! Stefan and Francine were arguing in the bedroom on the second floor. ¡°I can deal with Renee myself. I don¡¯t need you to get involved. If you really want what¡¯s good for me, please leave immediately!¡± He stood in front of the French window, looking out at the lush nts in the garden. His face was icy and he was very annoyed. Yes, he had feelings for Renee, but not enough to make him humble himself to that extent, and definitely not enough to let Francine and the entire Hunt family humble themselves. Francine could not help feeling angry. She snorted coldly. ¡°You think I want to get involved? The problem is, if I don¡¯t, you can¡¯t handle it! Can you make her name reappear in our household registration book?¡± ¡°With your iceberg-like personality and rigid brain, I might have to wait until my next life to see you change her mind!¡± ¡°I know asking you to marry into the Everheart family is a big blow to your ego, but as long as you and Renee be husband and wife and your children carry the Hunt bloodline, what does it matter? It¡¯s the 21st century. Stop being so hung up on tradition.¡± Stefan looked at Francine incredulously. ¡°Mom, are you for real? Do you really want me to marry into the Everheart family and take their family name?¡± ¡°Of course! As long as you and Renee get married again, everything else doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Francine said generously. Chapter 797 Chapter 797 Stefan could not ept it. ¡°I thought you were just putting on an act. Are you really gonna ¡°cast out¡± your only son? If Dad and Grandpa find out about this, they¡¯ll break my leg.¡± Francine patted Stefan on the shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, son. Your father and grandfather will do no such thing because they were actually the ones who proposed it. I couldn¡¯t ept it at first, but they convinced me that as long as you can reconcile with Renee and live a happy life, everything else isn¡¯t as important.¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Son, listen to me, you don¡¯t have to feel any mental burden. Renee will definitely take good care of you after you marry into the Everheart family. She won¡¯t abandon you ever again. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always dreamed of? As long as you can make peace with yourself, your dreams wille true.¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Say no more. Come downstairs with me and tell Renee that you¡¯re willing to marry into the Everheart family and make her take responsibility for you. After years of ups and downs, it¡¯s finally time for the two of you to have a happy ending.¡± Stefan facepalmed and said, ¡°You¡¯ve all gone mad!¡± ¡°Son, times have changed. Stop hesitating. When you meet someone good, give it your all to fight for them. You¡¯ve already lost her for four years. Think back on how you¡¯ve lived in those four years, how much pain you¡¯ve been through. Do you really want to keep suffering?¡± Francine let out a long sigh, her eyes filled with pain. She was a proud person, and the Hunt family was a prestigious family. Of course she did not want her only son to marry into another house or her grandchildren to take another surname. But she saw how much her son had suffered for the past four years. He was like a walking corpse. She no longer wanted to see him go through that kind of pain. Ego and family pride were nothing in front of her son¡¯s happiness. She, and everyone in the Hunt family, wanted nothing more than to see Stefan happy! ¡°Mom, you¡¯re overthinking it. Renee Everheart isn¡¯t that important to me. Who said I must reconcile with her? The reason I¡¯m treating her politely is purely because she¡¯s the mother of my children. If she doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s good for her, then we¡¯ll flip the table and show her the might of the Hunt family!¡± Stefan pretended to be nonchnt. He even said some ruthless words. ¡°You damn brat, still lying to yourself. You¡­¡± Before Francine could finish speaking, Renee knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°Sorry, the door wasn¡¯t closed, so I just walked in.¡± She had obviously caught the conversation between the mother and son just now and had heard how Stefan truly felt about her. Francine smiled awkwardly and gave Stefan a punch on the arm. ¡°My good daughter-inw, you know how he is. That was just his pride talking. Please don¡¯t believe him or be mad at him.¡± Renee gave her a little smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not mad. I actually feel the same way. The only reason we remain polite with each other is because of the children. It would be great if we can find a peaceful resolution, but if that¡¯s not possible, then we¡¯ll go to war. It makes sense to me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far.¡± Francine was really anxious. They were so close to reconciling just now. Why did the atmosphere be so tense again? ¡°You said that as long as he¡¯s willing to marry into the Everheart family, you¡¯ll reconcile with him. Does your word still count?¡± Francine asked Renee. Renee knew that Stefan would never agree, so sheughed and said, ¡°Of course. I would be lucky to gain such a good househusband.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Francine red at Stefan and urged, ¡°You fool, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and agree!¡± Chapter 798 Chapter 798 ¡°That¡¯s right. Although the Everheart family is in ruins, we can still afford to feed you. As long as you say yes, I¡¯ll definitely wee you into the Everheart family with a grand wedding!¡± Renee fought back a smile and joked with him. She was certain that the egoistic Stefan would never agree. He might even get so mad that he¡¯d beat her up on the spot. That way, she could im to be the victim and prevent the Hunt family from iming that she was cold- blooded and refused to give them a chance! ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re willing to marry me?¡± Stefan raised his head and looked straight into Renee¡¯s eyes. He asked softly. ¡°Uhh¡­ S-Sure!¡± Renee could not figure out what he was thinking, so she could only nod guiltily. ¡°Okay, I agree.¡± Stefan agreed without hesitation. *Ahem!* Renee and Francine were both shocked. They could not believe what they were hearing. ¡°What¡­ What did you say?¡± Renee carefully verified. Impossible, absolutely impossible! She must be hearing things! ¡°I said, I agree to marry into the Everheart family. When will you propose to me? When will we register? When will we hold the wedding?¡± Stefan approached Renee step by step and asked her one question after another. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Renee gulped and retreated, unable to answer. Francine was amazed to see that her dumb son had finally grown up. In order to regain his true love, he was willing to humble himself. His confidence and bravery amazed her. He was truly worthy of being her son! N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Son, that¡¯s very brave of you. You have my full support. Do your best to win Renee back as soon as possible!¡± Francine gave Stefan a thumbs up. After giving him some words of encouragement, she left to give the two of them some space. Renee also wanted to run away, but Stefan locked the door behind her and stood close to her, trapping her between himself and the door! ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me yet, my dear wife.¡± The corners of Stefan¡¯s lips curled into a smile. His long fingers lifted Renee¡¯s delicate chin as he asked in a mischievous tone. Renee¡¯s face abruptly turned red. Her heart pounded rapidly. She said nervously, ¡°Stefan, your mother¡¯s gone. You¡­ can stop acting now. This isn¡¯t funny!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be funny. I¡¯m serious. I don¡¯t feel like working hard anymore, so I¡¯ll marry a female boss like you and be a good househusband, cooking and taking care of the children at home. That¡¯s the dream life right there¡­¡± ¡°Why would you want to be a househusband? There¡¯s no dignity or sense of achievement. If I abandon you, you would have nothing left. The risk is too high. Don¡¯t be rash!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll take good care of you and treat it as my job. I won¡¯t give you the opportunity to abandon me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s humiliating to marry into a woman¡¯s family? Don¡¯t go crazy with your family!¡± ¡°Times have changed. The wife doesn¡¯t necessarily have to take the husband¡¯s family name now. In some tribes, a woman can even have multiple husbands. I¡¯m very open-minded. If you¡¯re fine with it, I¡¯m fine with it.¡± Stefan leaned close, pressed his thin lips against her ear, and teased, ¡°And as your husband, I¡¯ll also fulfill my duty to you in bed and serve you well so that you¡¯ll be happy every night.¡± ¡°Enough with this madness! I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Renee felt extremely uneasy. She struggled to escape from his arms. Chapter 799 Chapter 799 That was because, if she did not escape soon, she might actually be tempted to ept his offer¡­ Especially thest promise. No woman could resist that. Think about it. Aftering home from a tiring day of work, there¡¯s a stunning beauty waiting for you at home. He would make your stomach, mood, and body feel great. It would be better than winning the lottery! ¡°Stefan, let¡¯s be honest with each other. What¡¯s your goal? If it¡¯s the children, I advise you not to waste your time. Just file a custodywsuit and let the judge decide.¡± With thest trace of reason in her mind, Renee pushed the man away and calmly asked him. ¡°No, my goal has never been the children,¡± he said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, as his eyes bore into Renee¡¯s. ¡°Then what¡¯s your goal? To torture me, get revenge on me, and finally destroy me?¡± ¡°Am I so heinous in your eyes?¡± ¡°Of course you are. Other than that, I can think of no other reason why you would lower yourself to this level.¡± Renee looked up at him. The man in front of her felt so familiar and yet so strange. She had no idea what kind of person he truly was. ¡°My mother already told you¡­¡± Stefan said slowly, ¡°I want my name and your name to appear on the same marriage certificate.¡± After a momentary stun, Renee felt disgusted. He red at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be disappointed. Unless the apocalypse arrives, that day will nevere.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No reason. But if you need a reason before you¡¯ll stop this madness, I don¡¯t mind giving you one¡­¡± Renee paused for a moment, then told him honestly, ¡°Because my name will be on another man¡¯s marriage certificate. This person is a hundred times more suitable for me than you are!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned a little dark. An anger was clearly rising inside them, but he suppressed it. He said only one thing before he left: ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Since then, they had notmunicated much. Even though they lived under the same roof, they were like strangers. Even when they ran into each other, they would not even make eye contact. They completely ignored each other. On the day she agreed to meet with Mr. Q, Renee sent the children to the kindergarten early, then brought the necessary documents to the Civil Affairs Bureau. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re willing to be my wife?¡± Mr. Q was there on time. He was clearly a bit surprised to see Renee. ¡°I¡¯m sure!¡± Renee nodded without hesitation. ¡°Have you taken care of all your rtionship matters? You won¡¯t have any regrets if you be my wife?¡± Mr. Q could hardly believe that Renee had actually chosen him. Although getting married was no longer a big deal these days as you could always get a divorce if you regretted it, Renee had already been married once, so if she divorced again, it would have a significant impact on her. ¡°Although I admire you and want to form a family with you¡­ I don¡¯t want to cause you more pain.¡± Mr. Q held her shoulders and said sincerely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not causing me more pain. In fact, you¡¯re saving me. Thank you¡­ for saving me!¡± Renee took a deep breath and embraced the man. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. It was not easy for her to make this decision, but now that she had, she would not regret it! Chapter 800 Chapter 800 ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± From behind his unique mask, Mr. Q looked at Renee withplicated eyes. He said meaningfully, ¡°Remember, you made this choice yourself, so you can¡¯t regret it no matter what, okay?¡± ¡°No regrets.¡± Renee nodded again to assure him. She left herself no way back and bet everything she had on this decision so that she could have a fresh start. Regardless of whether the ending would be a happy one or a terrible one, she would have no regrets! ¡°You¡¯re aware of my situation, I presume? I¡¯ve sworn to never take off the mask, so the way we obtain the certificate will be a little different.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Give me your documents. I have special connections that will let us obtain a marriage certificate directly.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Renee was a bit dumbfounded. ¡°Are you really gonna wear this mask forever? Even after we get married? Even when¡­ even when we sleep together?¡± ¡°My face is disfigured. It¡¯s a humiliation for me. I won¡¯t let anyone see it. If you mind, we can end the rtionship right now.¡± Mr. Q was adamant. There was no room for negotiation. Renee knew how important the mask was to him. He would not let anyone touch it. Therefore, she was not that insistent. She said casually, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to take it off. I¡¯m not marrying you for your face anyway.¡± If it was a handsome face she was after, she would have married Stefan. He was probably the most handsome man in the entire Beach City. ¡°How surprising. You¡¯re that tolerant of your man¡¯s behavior?¡± Mr. Q responded to Renee¡¯s open-mindedness with a weird question. The atmosphere in the car became a bit strange. Mr. Q moved closer. His thin lips curled into a strange smile as he asked, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re willing to sleep with me, a man whose face is ruined?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee was a bit embarrassed and a bit ufortable. She kept moving back, clearly resisting Mr. Q¡¯s approach. In fact, she did not like it when any man got close to her. Like a hedgehog, she had a natural defense against men, even if the man was the ¡°husband¡± she was about to marry. This may have to do with the way she was brought up. Her grandfather¡¯s training meant that the wall she put up around herself would always be thicker than what ordinary people had. It was difficult for a man to breach. Except for¡­ Stefan, that bastard! Damn it, why was she thinking of that guy again?! Today was the day she would get married again. Why was she thinking of her scumbag ex-husband? Something must be wrong with her brain! ¡°See? You resist me so much, but you still want to marry me. You¡¯re such a contradictory woman.¡± Mr. Q stopped teasing her and returned to his original position, maintaining a ¡°safe¡± distance between them. Renee heaved a sigh of relief. She disguised her embarrassment by tidying up her clothes and hair. She exined, ¡°I¡¯m a shy person. You need to give me some time to get to know you better. Once I get to know you, I won¡¯t resist you anymore.¡± ¡°Shy?¡± Mr. Q sneered and said, ¡°But I heard you fell in love with my sworn enemy, your ex-husband, at first sight.¡± ¡°Nonsense. Who told you that?¡± Renee denied it without any confidence. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t tease you anymore. Since you¡¯ve made up your mind, please give me your documents so that we can go through the marriage registration process without showing up.¡± Chapter 801 Chapter 801 ¡°Without showing up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Someone will photoshop our pictures together, get everything done, and mail the marriage certificate to you. You can then see what I looked like before I was disfigured.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± Although it was strange, Renee could not suppress her excitement. Without much hesitation, she handed over all her documents. It felt like she was handing over her turbulent life to the man. From now on, she would be living her life with him and the children! After they said goodbye, Renee returned to the Hunt Vi. She was in a good mood. She felt like she had embarked on a new chapter in her life. No one knew about her second marriage, so there were no flowers, no blessings, and no grand wedding, but it made her feel incredibly secure, at least more so than her first marriage. She may not love Mr. Q, but she missed the time she spent living with him and the children. The feeling of being a peaceful, ordinary family was something that Stefan could never give her! ¡°You seem to be in a good mood.¡± Stefan slowly walked down from the second floor. He saw Renee humming a song while pruning the flowers. With a faint smile, he inquired curiously. ¡°I am in a good mood.¡± Renee looked up at the man, then moved a rose close to her nose and smelled it. She could not contain her smile. She did not really like roses. She thought they were too bright and too clich¨¦. But today, she was in such a good mood that even the roses looked pleasant to her. ¡°Mind sharing why?¡± Stefan sat down across from Renee. He crossed his slender legs in an elegant posture. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t, because even if I told you, an emotionless iceberg like you wouldn¡¯t understand my happiness.¡± Renee was incredibly smug because she was in a good mood. But more importantly, it was because she felt like she had at least gained victory over Stefan in this matter. Because Stefan had no emotion, no matter how excellent or sessful he became, he would never experience the happiness of having a ¡°home¡±. Stefan was not angry. He wore a faint smile on his handsome face and looked at Renee with a hint of indulgence in his eyes. ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Fine, since you insist, I¡¯ll chat with you for a bit.¡± While cing the trimmed flowers in an expensive vase, Renee chatted with the man casually, ¡°I¡¯m actually curious, what would an emotionless iceberg like you consider as happiness?¡± ¡°Happiness?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes slightly and fell into deep contemtion. ¡°Let me guess. When you acquire several newpanies? When H Group¡¯s stock rises? When you defeat yourpetitors?¡± Renee looked at the man with some sympathy. She shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you consider the ultimate happiness to be, but it definitely isn¡¯t an ordinary family life, right? The happiness of having a harmonious rtionship with your significant other or seeing your children grow up healthy would probably only make you scoff.¡± Stefan¡¯s bright eyes darkened slightly. He said helplessly, ¡°I feel like you¡¯ve never known the real me.¡± Renee was slightly stunned, then she smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Maybe, but it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I have my own life to live, so I don¡¯t need to know the real you.¡± If it were in the past, she would have hoped to know everything about him and be able to walk into his heart. But now, she had embarked on a new journey. The person she should get to know was her husband and not ¡°a random person¡±. At that moment, Renee¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Miss Everheart? Are you home? There¡¯s a delivery for you.¡± Chapter 802 Chapter 802 ¡°A delivery?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Renee was puzzled. Was it her marriage certificate? It¡¯s done already? But she gave Mr. Q the address of her apartment. It wouldn¡¯t be sent to the Hunt Vi. She nced at Stefan, who was sitting on the sofa. She hesitated to speak. She did now know how he would react if he saw the marriage certificate¡­ Would he fly into a rage or would he remain expressionless? She suddenly found herself a bit curious. ¡°Why are you looking at me? Are you receiving something illegal?¡± Stefan tried probing her. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m aw-abiding citizen. I don¡¯t have anything illegal.¡± ¡°Then why do you look so guilty? What¡¯s the delivery?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I have no obligation to tell you.¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s none of my business?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯te looking for me afterwards.¡± The look on his handsome face was unreadable and his tone had hidden meanings. Renee thought he was behaving strangely, but she was too eager to see what Mr. Q looked like, so she ignored him. The courier was waiting anxiously outside the gate. When he saw Renee walking over, he waved at her warmly and gave her a small package. ¡°Hi. This is your package. Please sign here.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Renee checked the shipping address on the package. It was indeed sent from the Civil Affairs Bureau. She turned around to leave, but the courier hastily stopped her. ¡°Wait! There¡¯s a delivery for a Mr. Hunt too. Can you please pass it to him?¡± The courier handed another package to Renee. ¡°A delivery for Stefan?¡± Renee took it with a skeptical expression. The two packages were about the same size, but Stefan¡¯s package did not have a shipping address, so it was impossible to tell who sent it. ¡°Whatever, it doesn¡¯t concern me.¡± She suppressed her curiosity and shifted her attention away from Stefan¡¯s delivery. She returned to the vi with the two packages. ¡°Here, you have a delivery too.¡± Renee handed Stefan his delivery. ¡°Thank you.¡± He casually put the package aside without any intention of opening it, as if he already knew what was inside. Instead, his full attention was on Renee¡¯s package. Renee was eager to open the package, but when she noticed Stefan watching, she felt a bit guilty. She asked, ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± ¡°I want to see what your delivery is.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of your business, you creep!¡± Renee red at him and turned around to hide the package from his sight. ¡°You don¡¯t even dare to let me see what it is? It must be something really important.¡± Chapter 803 Chapter 803 With a smile, Stefan slowly got up, walked behind Renee, and teased, ¡°Or maybe I still have an important ce in your heart, so whatever you do ¨C even if it¡¯s just opening a small package ¨C you¡¯re concerned about how I would feel?¡± ¡°Stop being so full of yourself. I stopped caring about your feelings a long time ago.¡± ¡°Then what are you afraid of? Open it in front of me. It doesn¡¯t contain anything illegal, right?¡± Stefan was both mischievous and unrelenting. ¡°If it does, then I have even more reasons to know what¡¯s inside. I live with you, so I don¡¯t want it to get me into trouble.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, you win.¡± Renee could not stand him. She raised a hand and said, ¡°If you really want to know what¡¯s inside, then I won¡¯t hide it from you. I just hope that you can remain calm after you see it and not fly into a rage.¡± Although she was not sure how Stefan felt about her, she was certain that he wanted to remarry her. She could already imagine the scene. He was confident that she would remarry him, but she got married with another man instead, and that man was his sworn enemy! He would surely go berserk! In order to ensure her safety, Renee could only mentally prepare him in advance. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a strong heart. I¡¯ve been through all kinds of things. You should worry about yourself instead. Your emotions are too unstable. Youck the ability to handle sudden situations.¡± Stefanmented unhurriedly. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Renee believed that her emotions were much more stable than Stefan¡¯s. She had no idea where he got his confidence from. How dare he make such arrogant remarks to her? But it was not important. The important thing right now was to open the package! She grabbed a fruit knife from the coffee table and cut open the package, her heart racing uncontrobly. Inside the package was a familiar red booklet. It really was her marriage certificate! ¡°Is that some kind of document? It looks a bit familiar.¡± Stefan checked out the content of the package from behind Renee. ¡°Of course it looks familiar. You had one before¡­¡± Renee paused and said bravely, ¡°This is my marriage certificate. I got married again.¡± The moment woulde sooner orter. Rather than hiding it, she should just tell him and get it over with. After that, whether he wanted to seek revenge or back down, she would have ways to deal with him. ¡°Marriage certificate?¡± Stefan raised his nice looking eyebrows. His reaction was not as intense as Renee had anticipated. Instead, he said calmly, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you made a move that fast. I¡¯m really curious, which man could tame a wild little cat like you?¡± ¡°Tame?!¡± The term irritated Renee. She turned back to stare at the man and said, ¡°Stefan, are women animals in your eyes? You think you should use techniques to tame a woman rather than investing your love and emotions in her?¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Of course you are!¡± The emotion in Renee¡¯s eyes turned from anger to sadness. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll never know what respect and love are, and you¡¯ll never realize the true meaning of the term ¡°husband and wife¡±.¡± ¡°Although my new husband can¡¯t be considered a good person with a clean background, he feels so much more alive than you are. He understands emotions, he understands respect, and he understands love. Marrying him is the best decision I¡¯ve ever made in my life. I can already imagine how warm and happy our family life will be. That¡¯s something that you can never provide for me or my children.¡± A criticism like that was a heavy blow to a man. It discredited his character and his dignity. However, Stefan was surprisingly calm. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve found true love. Now I¡¯m even more curious. Which man could give you true love?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°It makes sense for you to be curious. I have no intention of hiding it from you. He¡¯s¡­¡± Renee opened the marriage certificate. She was ready toe clean to Stefan. However, when she saw the wedding photo on the marriage certificate, her mind went nk! Chapter 804 Chapter 804 That was because the man in the marriage certificate photo was not Mr. Q at all, but Stefan Hunt! Even the name of the husband was Stefan Hunt! ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You just got married, so shouldn¡¯t you be happy? Why do you look so pale?¡± Stefan crossed his arms and asked with a smile on his face. It sounded like an inquiry, but it was more of a mockery. He was mocking Renee¡¯s naivety and ignorance. ¡°What¡­ What did you do?¡± The marriage certificate in Renee¡¯s hands suddenly felt as hot asva. She quickly threw it to the floor. She was on the verge of a mental copse. Stefan calmly bent down to pick it up. His slender fingers carefully wiped the dust off it. He looked at the wedding photo with deep eyes. His smile was gentle and profound. ¡°Look at our photo. What a beautiful couple. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call us a perfect match. We¡¯re meant to be together.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Renee covered her ears and yelled at him, ¡°Do you think this is funny? I can make hundreds of fake certificates like this anytime I want. Unfortunately, a fake certificate will always be fake!¡± She thought Stefan must have found out that she was getting married with Mr. Q, so he made a fake certificate to annoy her. He was so childish! ¡°A fake certificate?¡± Stefan was amused by Renee¡¯s im. He kindly reminded her, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you open the official government website and check who your legal spouse is?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t fall for that trick!¡± ¡°If you still think I¡¯m ying a prank on you, open it up and take a look¡­ After all, I might be able to make a fake certificate, but I¡¯m not powerful enough to interfere with the legal system.¡± Stefan¡¯s words shattered thest glimmer of hope Renee had. She took out her phone and, with trembling fingers, logged into the Household Registration System of the Civil Affairs Bureau essible by the public, and opened her personal information page. The name in the spouse column was indeed Stefan Hunt. The time of the marriage registration matched the time when she and Mr. Q went to the Civil Affairs Bureau together! ¡°Have you confirmed it? I¡¯m not lying, am I?¡± Stefan¡¯s deep eyes were fixed on Renee. He took note of all the changes in her expression. He was like a veteran hunter. In order to capture this woman, he had set up a very borate trap. And now, finally, it was time to pull the. ¡°Stefan Hunt, what the hell did you do? Why is this happening?¡± Renee was shocked. She could not ept it. She could not figure out how he did it. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? My goal is exactly what my mother imed. I want you and I to be legally married again, and I want you and the children to belong to me. To achieve this goal, I don¡¯t care even if I have to use means that are a bit despicable¡­¡± ¡°What¡­what have you done to Mr. Q?¡± Renee asked in a trembling voice, her eyes teary. She had known this man for so many years, but this was the first time she had feared him. He was much more calcting than she thought. She thought her n was seamless, but he had long figured her out. Renee thought she wasughable. She felt as small as a bug. She crawled and crawled, thinking that she could finally climb out of her cage and start a new life¡­ Chapter 805 Chapter 805 But he simply moved his fingers slightly and easily pulled her back into the abyss! Stefan¡¯s smiley eyes gradually turned cold. They were now filled with a dangerous intent. ¡°At a moment like this, he¡¯s the one you care about, huh? I underestimated your feelings for him.¡± ¡°Of course you underestimated our feelings! That¡¯s because you¡¯re a cold-blooded animal! You don¡¯t even have basic human emotions, so how can you understand other people¡¯s feelings?!¡± Renee was filled with an intense fury. She wanted to pounce on him like a mad dog, biting and tearing him to pieces. But she was also aware of the fact that, the more she lost control, the more satisfaction he would gain. The only thing that could truly hurt him was the feelings between her and Mr. Q. After all, for a person without emotions, that kind of blow was a ¡°critical hit¡±! ¡°Even if you used despicable means to achieve your despicable goal, he will still have my heart. As long as our hearts are together, it doesn¡¯t matter whether we have a marriage certificate or not. Your victory is nothing but a joke!¡± Renee¡¯s words were like a merciless p to Stefan¡¯s face¡­ ¡°Yes, a joke¡­¡± Stefan sneered coldly, then grabbed Renee¡¯s wrist and mocked, ¡°But so what? At least I fought for it. At least I¡¯m not a coward like you. You want it, but because you¡¯re a coward, you would rather miss it!¡± ¡°How am I a coward?! Are you saying that I¡¯m a coward just because I didn¡¯t choose you? You¡¯re so full of yourself!¡± Renee wanted to break free from Stefan¡¯s grip, but he gripped her even tighter. He forced her to look him in the eye and said, ¡°Then look me in the eye and tell me that you married him because you love him!¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny. Why should I do as you say? Who I love or don¡¯t love is none of your business!¡± Renee gulped ufortably. She did not dare to look him in the eye. She kept stepping back like a defeated army. ¡°I thought he¡¯s your true love? Since he¡¯s your true love, then announce it to the world! Why do you hide it? What are you feeling guilty about?¡± Stefan slowly backed Renee into a corner. Then, he said from amanding and absolutely dominant position, ¡°Or are you lying? You know very well that you don¡¯t love him. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t lie to me, and more than that, you can¡¯t lie to yourself!¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong!¡± Renee had no more room to retreat. However, she was naturally rebellious. She suddenly raised her head and looked him in the eye bravely. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Listen up. I married Mr. Q because I love him. That¡¯s the only reason. When I¡¯m with him, I can get the happiness I want. Even if I have to make the choice a thousand times, I would choose him a thousand times!¡± ¡°So, if you¡¯re a real man, file for divorce with me so that I can be with him!¡± Herst sentence was simply too cruel. It killed off every shred of Stefan¡¯s dignity! Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. She did not want it to get this ugly, but since it¡¯se to this, she had to do it or he would never let her go. ¡°So that you can be with him? Hah!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were extremely cold, like the eyes of the Grim Reaper himself. He spat out, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. You see, that man is in hell by now. If you want to be with him, you¡¯ll have to wait until your next life!¡± ¡°W-What do you mean by that? What did you do to him?!¡± Renee had an ominous premonition. She grabbed his arm with trembling hands and asked. Chapter 806 Chapter 806 ¡°I mean it in the literal sense of the word.¡± An sinister smile broke out on Stefan¡¯s face, like the smile of Satan. He said slowly, ¡°To tell you the truth, I castrated him. He can¡¯t even be considered a man now, so you should give up your fantasy, forget that he ever existed and stay with me.¡± ¡°You castrated him?¡± Renee shook her head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no way you cany a hand on Mr. Q that easily!¡± Stefan snorted disdainfully, ¡°Four years ago, I could destroy him and make him live like a worm. Four yearster, I can castrate him and make him less than a man¡­¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t, how did the important documents you gave him end up in my hands? How did you end up marrying me instead of him?¡± While saying that, he calmly opened his package. It contained the crucial documents Renee gave Mr. Q and Stefan¡¯s copy of the marriage certificate. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Renee looked at the documents with fearful eyes. She swallowed with difficulty as her mind went through countless possibilities. ¡°Maybe you stole them from him, or¡­ or you bribed the staff!¡± She would never believe that Mr. Q would betray her, or that Stefan had the ability to quietly destroy the terrifying ¡°Night Demon¡± without anyone knowing! ¡°If that makes you feel better, feel free to think that.¡± Stefan did not care about Renee¡¯s mental state. He had achieved his goal. It did not matter whether Renee hated him or loved him, she was now his legal wife! ¡°My dear wife, no matter what, today is the day of our remarriage. Do you want to go out and celebrate?¡± Stefan grabbed Renee¡¯s shoulder and asked naturally. ¡®Ah¡­ it feels great holding my legal wife. The sense of aplishment is so strong!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Renee smacked away his arm like a hedgehog. Her mind was in utter confusion right now. She must figure this matter out. Stefan would never tell her the truth, so she must seek Mr. Q out for rification! Yes, she would have to go to Mr. Q. She would only believe it if she heard it from him! Renee wasted no time in going to the Carmine Pawnshop. ¡°Wait, Miss Everheart.¡± The guard in front of the door politely but forcefully stopped her. ¡°You¡¯re stopping me?¡± Renee told the security guard, ¡°Have you forgotten about the order from your boss? I can go in and out of the Carmine Pawnshop at will. I can even ess the restricted areas. You¡¯re actually stopping me at the front door?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Everheart, but I¡¯m doing this exactly because I¡¯m following the boss¡¯ order. Please understand and cooperate.¡± The guard looked helpless. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. When we went to register the marriage, our rtionship was still so harmonious. Why would he suddenly¡­¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Renee bit her lips, took out her phone, and dialed Mr. Q¡¯s number. To her surprise, the number was no longer in service! ¡°Why? Why is this happening¡­?¡± As if she had received a heavy blow to the head, Renee felt dizzy and waspletely caught off guard. Chapter 807 Chapter 807 She could not believe that the man who treated her so sincerely would be so merciless. The only possibility was that bastard Stefan must have done something despicable to Mr. Q, forcing him to do this! She wanted to see Mr. Q. She must see Mr. Q! ¡°I¡¯m warning you guys, step aside right now. I have important matters to discuss with Mr. Q. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes became cold. She clenched her fists, ready to go ham. The guard had also undergone strict training. He raised his weapon and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Everheart, but we¡¯re just following orders. If you really try to break through by force, then we can only stop you by force.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, here Ie.¡± Renee¡¯s left leg kicked the ground to propel her forward. She pulled her right hand back andunched a right hook at the guard. The guard dodged, but Renee dropped him to the ground in mere seconds. After that¡­ more guards rushed forward and surrounded Renee. ¡°Looks like you all want a beating too. Come and get it, then.¡± After that, she sent the guards flying with a series of kicks. She generally did not like to resort to violence, but she had learned how to fight from her grandfather from a young age, so her skills were superb. Whenever she was forced to fight, she would go all out. She could not hold back even if she wanted to. ¡°Tell your boss I¡¯ll keep fighting until he shows himself.¡± The guards were beaten ck and blue, but they still blocked off the entrance and would not allow Renee to enter. ¡°Stop!¡± Finally, a tall figure walked out of the door. Renee stopped attacking to take a better look at the man. ¡°Chase?¡± The man nodded and said, ¡°Miss Everheart, long time no see.¡± As if she saw a ray of hope, Renee finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Chase, I¡¯m so d to see you. These guys are too rigid. I just wanted to see your boss to talk, but they wouldn¡¯t let me in and forced me to attack them¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up and order them to move aside. I want to see Mr. Q!¡± Chase¡¯s status in the Carmine Pawnshop was second only to Mr. Q. If he gave the permission, no one would dare to stop her anymore. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Everheart, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give that order,¡± said Chase calmly. ¡°Do you want me to beat you up too?¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, I know you¡¯re upset, but Mr. Q has already made his decision and he won¡¯t change it. He must have his reasons.¡± ¡°Do you know that we¡¯re supposed to get married? Yet he¡­¡± Renee calmed down. Her voice was filled with pain and sadness as she said, ¡°All I want is just¡­ an exnation. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to trust a man again. I just don¡¯t want to be wrong again.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to see him to ask for an exnation. I can exin it to you on his behalf¡­¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Chase clearly knew the inside story. Or rather, he must be Stefan¡¯s spokesperson. With sympathetic eyes, he slowly said, ¡°Mr. Q asked me to tell you that he¡¯s lost to Stefan Hunt and will back off voluntarily. He hopes you¡¯ll live happily ever after with Stefan Hunt and asks you to forget about him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I won¡¯t believe it unless I hear it from him!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, there¡¯s nothing I can do. He has disappeared, so he can¡¯t tell you personally. If you insist on searching the Carmine Pawnshop for him, I can let you in, but¡­ you¡¯ll just be wasting your time.¡± Chase said helplessly. Chapter 808 Chapter 808 Renee was someone who would not give up until she found what she was looking for. ¡°I¡¯ll do just that. Even if I have to turn this ce upside down, I¡¯ll find him and make him give me an exnation.¡± She pushed Chase away with a frosty face and walked straight into the Carmine Pawnshop. A few of the injured guards tried to stop her, but Chase waved them aside. ¡°But Mr. Chase, Mr. Q explicitly forbids Miss Everheart from entering the Carmine Pawnshop. If you let her in¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. If I don¡¯t, she¡¯ll never give up.¡± Chase stared at Renee¡¯s thin but stubborn figure and sighed. ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s easier to achieve happiness if you¡¯re ignorant, especially for a woman. I wish she¡¯ll be kept in the dark forever!¡± This was not Renee¡¯s first time in the Carmine Pawnshop. She could not say that she knew the ce like the back of her hand, but she was familiar with theyout and furnishings inside. She searched every corner of the pawnshop, even the restricted area, but could find no sign of Mr. Q. The sky turned dark. Moonlight illuminated thend, making her seem even lonelier. ¡°Mr. Q, where the hell are you? Come out right now. I won¡¯t bother you. I just want an answer. Come out!¡± Renee, like a madwoman, shouted in the vast courtyard, scaring the crows on the withered vines. ¡°Come out and talk to me, even if it¡¯s just one sentence¡­¡± She squatted on the ground dejectedly, covering her beautiful but sad face with her hands. Her thin shoulders trembled uncontrobly. She looked fragile and helpless. ¡°Girl, stop crying¡­¡± A gentle voice came from above he, and someone gently patted her on the back. Renee took a deep breath and instantly became defensive again. She looked at the stranger coldly. ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± ¡°You still remember me. I¡¯m honored.¡± The woman smiled. Her face under the moonlight was peaceful and gentle. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Of course I remember you. Your name is Rosie, right? You have excellent acting skills. You almost fooled me¡­¡± Renee quickly looked the woman up and down and found that she was very different from what Renee remembered of her. ¡°Last time we parted ways, you were confined in the restricted area again. How are you doing now? Have you gone back to normal?¡± Rosie lowered her head and smiled. It was the smile of one who managed to survive a disaster, of one who had been reborn. ¡°Yup, all thanks to the Carmine Pawnshop not giving up on me. I¡¯ve returned to normal now and no longer want to touch those things ever again. I now live alone with my son. Life isn¡¯t always rosy, but at least it¡¯s peaceful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. You did a great job oveing that. You¡¯re very strong.¡± Renee expressed her admiration from the bottom of her heart. She was also a mother, so she knew that being a single mother was not easy, especially for an ordinary woman like Rosie who came from an ordinary background with no strong backing and no outstanding skills. ¡°It¡¯s not because I¡¯m strong. It¡¯s because I met a good person.¡± Chapter 809 Chapter 809 Rosie looked up at the bright moon and said, ¡°Mr. Q is a good person. After I stole the treasure from the Carmine Pawnshop, not only did he spare my life, he even helped me quit my addiction. After that, he hired me as his assistant with a generous sry. I paid off my debt and sent my son back to kindergarten. Our future became bright again, like the moon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Q¡¯s assistant?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes lit up. As if she had caught onto a life-saving straw, she grabbed Rosie¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Do you know where he is? Can you tell me? I have something very important to ask him!¡± ¡°Mr. Q has always kept his whereabouts a secret. Although I¡¯m his assistant, I have no right to know where he goes. But¡­¡± Rosie was about to say something when Chase walked over and interrupted her words coldly. ¡°Rosie, Mr. Q already told you that starting from this week, you¡¯re no longer his assistant. You¡¯ve been dismissed. What are you doing here?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Chase¡¯s eyes were cold and his voice was threatening, ¡°Do I have to ask security to chase you away?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Chase.¡± Rosie¡¯s eyes immediately became teary. She said pitifully, ¡°I just came to say goodbye to Mr. Q. I¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Chase said impatiently, ¡°The Carmine Pawnshop is not a charity organization. It doesn¡¯t matter if you came to thank Mr. Q or to say goodbye to him, you¡¯ll only disturb him. Stop disturbing him. That¡¯s the best thing you can do for him.¡± Renee stared at Chase sharply and said, ¡°So you do know where he is. He might even be watching us right now, asking you to convey his message in real time.¡± ¡°Chase, tell me where he is and what secret he¡¯s hiding. Why did he leave without saying goodbye? Has he ever considered that his actions might make me suffer for a lifetime and doubt myself for a lifetime?¡± Chase¡¯s face remained cold and expressionless. ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯ve already told you, Mr. Q has disappeared. We can¡¯t reach him. Maybe someone hurt him. Maybe he wants to retire to the mountains and forests. Maybe he approached you with ulterior motives, and now that he¡¯s achieved his goal, his role is no longer needed, so he disappeared¡­¡± The many assumptions he stated made Renee feel even more disheartened. Because no matter which one it was, she could not ept it! She did not want Mr. Q to get killed because of her. She also hoped he had not been lying to her all along. ¡°Miss Everheart, instead of making a big fuss here, why don¡¯t you interrogate the person involved? No one knows the truth better than him, but it might be a truth that you¡¯re not willing to ept.¡± Chase¡¯s meaning was obvious. He did not know the truth, Rosie did not know the truth, and no one in the entire Carmine Pawnshop knew the truth. The only one who did was the winner of the whole affair, Stefan Hunt! Chase left after he said that. Renee gradually calmed down, but the sadness seemed to have frozen on her face. It would not fade even after a long time. Rosie looked at her with sympathy and said softly, ¡°Miss Everheart, I don¡¯t know what happened between you and Mr. Q, but I can tell you one thing with certainty: Mr. Q is a good person and he won¡¯t hurt you on purpose. Whatever he did, he must have done it so that you could be happy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Renee raised her head. Her eyes were wet. She smiled bitterly, ¡°I think he¡¯s a good person too. That¡¯s why I want an answer even more.¡± ¡°Are you free now? Let¡¯s go have a drink. I can give you a better idea of what kind of person Mr. Q is.¡± Chapter 810 Chapter 810 ¡±Alright, let¡¯s go have a drink. I haven¡¯t had a good drink with anyone for a long time!¡± Renee felt that she got along well with Rosie. They hit it off right away. They came to a bar street on the Water Dock. They picked a cozy little bar, ordered a few bottles of strong beer, and started to drink. The bar had a wonderful ambiance. A man on stage was singing folk songs while ying the guitar. It was refreshing to see a bar with this kind of atmosphere in the Water Dock, an uwful area. ¡°Rosie, how long have you known Mr. Q for? You seem to have a crush on him.¡± Renee gulped down half a bottle of beer in one go. The sting she felt in her throat actually cleared her head. It even made her feel a bit excited. She started feeling the urge to gossip. ¡°No woman can resist a man like Mr. Q. However, I have self-awareness. I know I¡¯m already lucky enough to be his assistant.¡± Rosie had also rxed a bit. She downed half a bottle of beer with great fervor. She did not hide her admiration for Mr. Q at all. ¡°Nice. You¡¯re not pretentious. I like making friends with straightforward people like you. We¡¯re sisters from now on.¡± Renee bumped her bottle with Rosie¡¯s. She was starting to take a real liking to Rosie. She actually had very few close friends outside of Liam. Rosie and her were both single mothers. When they started chatting, they realized that they had many simrities. They shared many stories of hardship and helplessness in taking care of their children alone. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ve already decided on Mr. Q and was going to marry him to start a family, but in the end¡­ the person you became married to was the scumbag ex-husband who hurt you?¡± Under the blurry light, Renee downed bottle after bottle of beer with Rosie while Rosie listened to her story with Mr. Q and Stefan Hunt. She did not understand why Mr. Q would do something like that either. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°Mr. Q isn¡¯t someone who would break his promise for no reason, and he¡¯s definitely not a bad person. If I had to guess¡­ your scumbag ex-husband must have done something shady which forced Mr. Q to back off!¡± Rosie was filled with righteous indignation. ¡°I think so too. That¡¯s why I shouted like a madman earlier. I hope that Mr. Q will give me an answer. He suddenly disappeared. I don¡¯t know what to think.¡± Renee closed her eyes and spoke with pain in her voice. ¡°Actually, now that it¡¯se to this, I think you should just treat Mr. Q as someone who never existed. He asked you to reconcile with your ex-husband, right? Then maybe you should do that. After all, your ex-husband is your children¡¯s biological father. No matter how good of a father an outsider is, he can¡¯t take the biological father¡¯s ce. For the sake of the children, maybe you shouldn¡¯t be too stubborn.¡± Rosie sincerely advised Renee from the perspective of an outsider. ¡°Heh. Everyone thinks I should get back together with that guy for the sake of the children. In fact, I¡¯ve considered it myself. But that means I¡¯ll have to spend my whole life getting tangled up with him. Think about it¡­ If you have to act like a loving couple and run a happy family with someone who once hurt you, wouldn¡¯t you feel disgusted?¡± ¡°I can understand how you feel because my ex was a scumbag too. He abandoned me and my son in order to be with his mistress. My son was seriously ill, but hepletely ignored him. He was busy enjoying himself with his mistress and celebrating his new son¡¯s birthday¡­¡± Recalling her painful past, Rosie clenched her fists tightly, and her eyes were filled with hatred. ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t understand how the bad people can live so happily while the good people are trapped in hardship. If he were toe back to me and ask to reconcile, I would spit on his face and tell him to f*ck off!¡± Chapter 811 Chapter 811 ¡°Yeah, you understand, right? A broken heart isn¡¯t easy to mend ¨C even if it was fixed, there¡¯d still be cracks¡­¡± Renee said softly as her beautiful eyes teared up. She held her head up high, not wanting to let her tears fall. She refused to cry over that man again, especially when so many years had passed. It would be too humiliating. ¡°Honestly, for the longest time, I felt like my heart had crumbled to dust. I didn¡¯t want marriage, I didn¡¯t want love, I didn¡¯t even want any type of rtionship. I just believed that I would never be a bride again¡­ until I met Mr. Q. For once, I felt like marriage could be a good thing¡­¡± Renee started thinking about their brief time together. Although it had been a mere facade orchestrated by her children and she had never taken it seriously, every minute she spent with the man had been blissful. No other man had made her feel that way before. Hence, she really didn¡¯t want her judgment to be wrong again. ¡°Yeah, Mr. Q does have a certain charm to him. He might not have had the best reputation back then, but I feel like he had his reasons. Especially four years ago, when he lost to Stefan Hunt, which left a scar on his face¡­ That¡¯s when I found that he was more like a victim of circumstance. He has a big heart, so he really does seem more suitable for marriagepared to Stefan Hunt¡­¡± Rosie shared many stories from Mr. Q¡¯s past, having known him for a longer time. ¡°Everyone sees the Carmine Pawnshop as some kind of hellhole, and thinks we would sell anything for profit, even human lives. They just assume that we are immoral people, and that Mr. Q is the infamous ¡®Night Demon¡¯, the leader of this horrible ce.¡± ¡°Some have even said he would resort to murder if it profited him, but I¡¯ve never seen himmit any crimes, even after I joined the pawnshop. In fact, he¡¯s actually helped a lot of others who were suffering like me¡­¡± ¡°I remember one night, we all heard loud wails in the front yard, and we were terrified. Rumors said that the ¡®Night Demon¡¯ ate babies, after all, and yet¡­ Heh, did you know what he was actually doing?¡± ¡°What?¡± Renee stared at her curiously. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°He was helping a cat give birth! Can you imagine a grown man like him squatting in that pitch ck yard, cheering for the mother cat? The cat was agitated though and scratched his hand, which made him cry out in pain. But people spread rumors saying he was so excited about eating children that he was crying out in glee¡­ It was so ridiculous that we secretlyughed at him for a whole year!¡± ¡°It really is hard to imagine him helping a cat give birth!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help giggling. As the two continued to drink happily, Renee soon became drunk. On the contrary, due to her background, Rosie had quite a high tolerance, and was still sober. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯re drunk. We should head back.¡± She was worried Renee might not be able to walk later, and tried convincing her to stop. ¡°Head back? Nuh uh, we¡¯re drinking like there¡¯s no tomorrow¡­ Waiter, get me another two bottles of beer!¡± Renee stumbled over and pushed Rosie back into her seat, slurring her words. ¡°Come on, tell me more about Mr. Q! That guy¡¯s such aedian!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Just as Rosie was wondering what to do, she noticed that Renee¡¯s phone was ringing. Chapter 812 Chapter 812 ¡°Who the hell is calling?! So annoying!¡± Renee snapped as she stumbled around. She was rather frustrated by the constant ringing of her phone, and just threw it away as a solution. ¡°Hey, why did you throw your phone away?¡± Rosie groaned, trying to keep Renee steady as she picked up her phone from the ground. The person on the other end of the line was quite stubborn as well. They kept calling, especially since Renee was not picking up. Helpless, Rosie had to answer the call instead. ¡°Hello? Who is this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Everheart.¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Umm, I¡¯m her friend. She¡¯s had a bit too much to drink, so she can¡¯te to the phone right now.¡± ¡°She¡¯s drunk?¡± The voice sounded extremely icy. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at this pub in Water Dock. Who are y-¡° ¡°Take care of her, I¡¯ll be there in a minute!¡± The man ordered harshly as he ignored Rosie¡¯s words, hanging up right after. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Rosie was utterly stunned, still holding onto the weak Renee. She didn¡¯t know if she should leave or wait for the man. He had sounded quite intimidating, so she didn¡¯t dare leave, even if she wanted to. ¡°Miss Everheart, wake up! Do you recognize this number? He¡¯sing over soon.¡± Rosie hesitated for a while, and decided that it was best to ask for Renee¡¯s opinion on this matter. ¡°This number¡­¡± Renee stared at the screen groggily. ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is, he must be a bad guy! We can¡¯t let hime over!¡± ¡°A bad guy? Let¡¯s leave right away then, we can¡¯t let him find us.¡± Rosie was rmed, and quickly dragged Renee towards the exit. As they were making their way out, she nearly bumped into a tipsy, muscr man. Seeing how gorgeous Renee was, desire immediately shed in the man¡¯s eyes. He smirked at her and said smoothly, ¡°Hey there, beautiful! What a coincidence, huh? We¡¯re both drunk! You¡¯re the prettiest girl I¡¯ve ever seen, you know? Since fate clearly brought us together, would you like to have a ss of wine with me?¡± ¡°Please, have some respect, sir! She¡¯s not that kind of person!¡± Rosie warned as she blocked the man with one arm, her expression cold. She had worked many different jobs to pay for her son¡¯s medical bills previously, and had been in many pubs and clubs like this. With her experience, she knew exactly what kind of intentions these types of men had. ¡°Shut it. I¡¯m not talking to you, so don¡¯t get involved!¡± Max forcefully pushed Rosie aside and turned to his friend. ¡°Ed, you¡¯re into chicks like this right? Take her then, and make sure she doesn¡¯t get in my way!¡± ¡°How dare you hurt my friend?¡± Renee sobered up slightly when she heard the perverted man¡¯s words. Despite being dizzy, she was still able to send the two-hundred-pound man flying with one kick. ¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s a fight!¡± The entire pub instantly erupted into chaos, with excited screamsing from the crowd. After all, this was the infamous Water Dock, a ce notorious forwlessness. Additionally, the bar they were in had a lot of shady characters around. A fight was considered entertainment to them, so the crowd was very much looking forward to it. Chapter 813 Chapter 813 The bar owner wasn¡¯t even trying to stop them, and instead, egged them on. ¡°Come one,e all! It¡¯s time to ce bets on who will win this fight¡­¡± ¡°I bet on that fat guy!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°That pretty chick seems like quite a fighter though, I¡¯ll bet on her!¡± Everyone crowded around Renee and Max, as if they were in an underground boxing arena. All of them were more than happy to gamble. Rosie immediately panicked, afraid that these big burly men would actually fight them, putting both her and Renee in grave danger. Trying her best to settle things calmly, she shed a desperate smile at Max and his group. ¡°Sir, you took us too seriously. We were just joking, you know? Please calm down, and forgive my friend and I¡­ We¡¯re modest people, so I think it¡¯s best if you find someone you can have more fun with. We don¡¯t have to go to such extremes over a small matter like this. People are going tough at all of us, you know?¡± Seeing Rosie begging for mercy, Max¡¯s interest in her was piqued. He started brushing his thick mustache with his thumb, scanning Rosie up and down. ¡°I¡¯d believe it if you say your friend here is modest, but you¡­ Just look at your body! You must have a lot of experience with men, huh? Do you really think I¡¯d believe that you¡¯re a modest person?¡± Rosie¡¯s face turned red right away, and she lowered her head shamefully. She wanted to defend herself, but didn¡¯t have the courage to. She had indeed worked as a bar hostess for a while, but hadn¡¯t done anything that was considered indecent. However, her strong principles had meant less business for the bar, so her boss had forced her to consume illegal drugs, which led to her addiction. It was during that dark time that people from the Carmine Pawnshop lent her a helping hand, and Mr. Q gave her a chance at a fresh new start in life. Despite this, her horrible past still haunted her, and even the mere mention of it made her self-esteem crumble. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Judging by your silence, it looks like I was right¡­¡± Max grinned wickedly. ¡°Sure, we could settle things peacefully, but first¡­ you¡¯d have to please my bro Ed right now, in the toilets. You¡¯re experienced, aren¡¯t you? If you satisfy him, I¡¯ll let you guys go.¡± ¡°You scumbag! How dare you even suggest such a thing?!¡± Renee snarled and gave him a quick backhanded p. ¡°Why, you¡­!¡± Max was furious. Not only was his chest still hurting from Renee¡¯s kick earlier, his face was now burning from that p. If things continued this way, he knew his reputation would be utterly ruined. In a matter of seconds, the two parties broke into a fight. To onlookers, it looked like six burly men were trying to bully two little damsels. ¡°Don¡¯t! Please don¡¯t fight!¡± Rosie pleaded, her entire body trembling in fear. She knew how violent these men could be, but continued to shield Renee regardless. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Max was so annoyed that he grabbed Rosie by the throat and threw her aside like a broken doll. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t hurt my friend! You¡¯ll regret this!¡± Rosie screamed as she struggled to her feet, enduring the intense pain in her limbs. However, she was far too frail, and couldn¡¯t even get through the crowd. All she could do was scream at them to stop, but her voice was drowned out by the crowd¡¯s cheers¡­ ¡°What do I do¡­ What do I do?¡± Rosie felt like crying; she had no clue on how to save Renee. She quickly rushed out of the bar, hoping to get help from Carmine Pawnshop. To her surprise, she ran straight into a hard, fleshy wall¡­ Chapter 814 Chapter 814 The person seemed to be making a call, and the phone in Rosie¡¯s hand started chiming at the very same time as well. ¡°You must be Stefan Hunt. You were the one who called Miss Everheart, right?¡± Rosie asked nervously. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the tall man, then at the ringing phone. Stefan was wearing a long ck coat and frowning down at her. He looked like royalty, extremely elegant andpletely out of reach. He furrowed his brow and asked slowly, ¡°So, you¡¯re Everheart¡¯s friend?¡± ¡°Uh yeah, kind of,¡± Rosie replied unsurely. She knew that Renee hated her ex-husband, so she didn¡¯t really want to engage with this jerk either. However, the situation was rather urgent, so she looked past his menacing aura and blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re just in time! Please save Miss Everheart ¨C she¡¯s surrounded by a bunch of perverts!¡± ¡°They¡¯re trying to attack her?¡± N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Yeah! Right there! Just listen to the screams yourself¡­ I can¡¯t even get through because there¡¯s so many people around!¡± Rosie was tearing up as she pointed towards the crowd surrounding the ¡®arena¡¯. She felt so useless for not being able to chase those thugs away, and couldn¡¯t bear to imagine what Renee was going through. Stefan turned to look at where she was pointing, and noticed that it was indeed quite noisy. The crowd would cheer with excitement every once in a while, and blood-curdling shrieks would follow right after. To Rosie¡¯s confusion, the man just looked amused, and grabbed a stool and sat down nonchntly. After that, he even called a waiter over and ordered a Long Ind. ¡°Mr. Hunt, what are you doing?! How can you possibly be in the mood for a cocktail? Can¡¯t you hear Miss Everheart getting beaten up? You need to save her!¡± Rosie urged hurriedly. ¡°No need, she can deal with this on her own,¡± Stefan replied calmly, taking a sip from his beverage. Rosie was enraged by Stefan¡¯s indifference, and refused to y nice any longer. ¡°No wonder Miss Everheart hates you so much that she¡¯d rather stay single than be with you! You¡¯re nothing but a cold- blooded reptile! You have no heart!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Stefan was puzzled. He had only ordered a cocktail, so why was he now being called a cold-blooded animal? However, he didn¡¯t get mad, and instead asked curiously, ¡°What did Everheart tell you about me?¡± ¡°She said that you¡¯re an iceberg! She wasted four years trying to warm your heart, but nothing worked! All you did was give her frostbite from your cold behavior¡­ For a while, I was wondering if Miss Everheart was exaggerating. You did put in a lot of effort to get back together with her, which shows that you still have love for her¡­ but she was actually right! You¡¯re cruel and callous! You know how much danger she is in right now, but you¡¯re not doing anything! How can you drink at a time like this? Even animals have bigger hearts than you!¡± Rosie didn¡¯t seem to be scared of the man at all, and finally scoffed, ¡°Whatever. I shouldn¡¯t wait around till you decide to save Miss Everheart, I¡¯ll just do it myself!¡± The woman gritted her teeth as she smashed a beer bottle and walked over to the crowd with her sharp, newfound weapon. She was worried that Renee would get pummeled to death if they stalled any longer. ¡°Sure, good luck.¡± Stefan smiled softly. He thought to himself, ¡®This woman really is Everheart¡¯s friend, huh? She¡¯s just as hot-tempered as her, and Leia Osborne too. Birds of a feather, I suppose, but it is quite amusing.¡¯ ¡°Jerk!¡± Rosie yelled at him and spat at the ground. However, just as she turned back towards the crowd, arge object suddenly flew towards her,nding heavily at her feet. ¡°Ah!¡± Rosie was so frightened that she stumbled back. Chapter 815 Chapter 815 Rosie soon came to realize that this rge object¡¯ was, in fact, the arrogant Max. ¡°Ow!¡± Max yelped. His chubby face was bruised and swollen, and he kept whimpering in pain. ¡°What¡­ What just happened?¡± Rosie looked confused. Stefan, on the other hand, continued sipping his cocktail, unsurprised. ¡°This is her style, after all.¡± Soon after, another person came flying over,nding right on top of Max. It looked like the ¡®Ed¡¯ that Max had mentioned. Another man came flying over, then another, and another, until there were six of them stacked on top of each other like building blocks, wailing and howling. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°The beauty won! She actually won! I¡¯m rich, baby!¡± The few people who had bet on Renee winning the fight cheered at the oue. ¡°If you¡¯ve won money, then share some of it with me! I don¡¯t fight for free, you know!¡± Renee growled and stumbled over to a man, grabbing him by the hair. Immediately, the people around her backed away, staring at her like she was a ghost. ¡°Miss Everheart! Are you okay?¡± Rosie rushed over, helping the drunk woman stand. She looked her up and down, filled with disbelief. ¡°H-How is this possible? You¡¯re¡­ not hurt at all?¡± ¡°Of course! I, Renee Everheart, have never lost in a fight before! Besides, I drank, so my strength went from 30% to 80%! I can¡¯t even pull my punches! These punks were unlucky to have met me!¡± Renee leaned against Rosie, her face flushed red as she continued to brag. She was actually quite fond of fighting. If she could solve a problem with violence, she¡¯d definitely do it. She felt like being a pacifist was just a waste of her time and energy, but now that she was a mother, she knew she couldn¡¯t settle her issues in such a way. That was why she always kept her strength to herself. Now that she was given the opportunity, she was more than happy to relieve some stress, especially since she had been in a bad moodtely. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so strong, Miss Everheart. I couldn¡¯t tell at all! I even thought of you as fragile because of your background. You¡¯re¡­ amazing.¡± Rosie was staring at Renee in awe. ¡°Amazing? Nah! I can even teach you a few moves if you¡¯d like¡­¡± Renee responded, quite happy after being able to swing her fists freely. Rosie then whispered into her ear. ¡°By the way, Mr. Stefan Hunt is here for you.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Mr. Stefan Hunt¡­ your ex-husband.¡± ¡°My ex-husband? Are you mistaken?¡± Renee, still tipsy, thought Rosie was joking. She scoffed mockingly, ¡°If that fragile little rich boy dares toe to a ce like this, I¡¯ll write my name backwards from now on!¡± ¡°You really are drunk, Eener.¡± Stefan approached them, smiling lightly at Renee. Chapter 816 Chapter 816 Renee looked up in shock, looking as if she had sobered up right then. However, the alcohol hadn¡¯t left her yet ¨C her mind was foggy, and she wasn¡¯t in full control of her body. She reached over and pointed at Stefan¡¯s nose, turning to Rosie. ¡°Girl, look, this¡­ this is Stefan Hunt, my trashy ex-husband. Just look at him, he looks fine, doesn¡¯t he? But the truth is¡­ he¡¯s not good at all! In fact, I¡¯ve wanted to send him to heaven for a while now!¡± As the woman rambled on, she really seemed like she was getting ready to kick Stefan up into the sky. ¡°Hey, hey! Miss Everheart, be careful!¡± Rosie tried to hold Renee¡¯s arm to steady her, but it only caused Renee to lose her bnce and fall straight into Stefan¡¯s arms. ¡°Oh? Is this an attempt to seduce me, Everheart?¡± Stefan teased with a smirk, holding Renee gently by the waist. ¡°Hell no!¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks turned red, and she tried to wriggle out of the man¡¯s grasp. ¡°I¡¯m disgusted by your touch, you shameless jerk! How could I possibly want to seduce you?! Let go of me!¡± ¡°How are you still so stubborn? You¡¯re drunk, for God¡¯s sake! Are you not tired of this?¡± Stefan rolled his eyes and sighed wearily. ¡°I¡¯m not drunk, I¡¯mpletely sober! Just wait till I show you how stubborn I can be with my fists! Come at me!¡± Renee scowled and lunged at Stefan. Max and his gang might have looked big and burly, but they couldn¡¯t even take more than a couple of hits from Renee. It felt like a warm-up to her, and now, she wished to relieve her stress elsewhere. Now that Stefan was here as a volunteer, she figured that he couldn¡¯t me her for being violent in a lawless ce like this. To Renee¡¯s surprise, Stefan seemed to have taken lessons from a professional martial artist, as he was able to dodge her attacks perfectly. Suddenly, their position was even more intimate than before. Finally, the man just picked her up and started walking towards the exit of the bar. ¡°Just take it easy if you¡¯re drunk. I¡¯ll be sending you home now,¡± he said, his tone firm yet gentle at the same time. ¡°Let go of me, Hunt! Fight me if you have what it takes!¡± Renee kicked her feet angrily. She might lose in an argument, but she refused to believe that she¡¯d lose in a fight. ¡®Something must¡¯ve gone wrong somewhere! I refuse to yield!¡¯ ¡°Fine, fine, you can fight me when we get home. This isn¡¯t a good ce to show your skills after all.¡± Stefan spoke as if he wereforting a child, his gaze soft with affection. ¡°Okay, you promised, we¡¯ll fight when we get home¡­¡± Renee mumbled, burrowing into Stefan¡¯s chest subconsciously. The man¡¯s body was quite warm and sturdy, and it was oddlyforting to be in his embrace. After a short while, she fell asleep, snoring lightly in his arms. ¡°Hold on!¡± Rosie eximed. All this while she had been standing aside, as if she were watching a romanticedy skit. However, now that Renee was being carried away, she quickly snapped back to reality and caught up to the two. ¡°What is it?¡± Stefan stopped and asked coldly. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡­ you can¡¯t take Miss Everheart with you!¡± Rosie mustered up the courage to say. ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s inappropriate! You must have bad intentions!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a loyal friend, but I suppose she¡¯s told you about our rtionship, hasn¡¯t she?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Miss Everheart told me that you¡¯re her ex-husband, and the worst of the worst. She said she would never forgive you!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stefan nced at the woman in his arms coldly. He then turned back to Rosie with a menacing aura, his tone prideful. ¡°That may be correct if we were to talk in past tense, but now¡­ we are legally married.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 817 Chapter 817 Rosie was at a loss for words, and lowered her head quietly. ¡®I think he¡¯s right. Just a while ago, Miss Everheart did say that they were now legally married again because he used some sort of trick! If they really are husband and wife on paper, I have no right to interfere!¡¯ ¡°So can I take her home now?¡± Stefan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mhm!¡± Rosie nodded profusely. Stefan nodded back. He looked cold and elegant, but his heart was pounding in his chest. ¡®Well now, it does feel good to be legally married!¡¯ He then brought Renee all the way to his limited edition Rolls-Royce, with Elijah opening the door to the backseat already. ¡°Mr. Hunt, is the young miss alright?¡± Elijah asked in concern. Since this was the most dangerous and crime-infested ce in Beach City, he was worried that Renee had been in danger. He even had some of their men on standby, heavily armed. If they received orders from Stefan, they would demolish the entire port in seconds. ¡°It¡¯s fine, she¡¯s just drunk. She also beat up a few grown men, and almost tore apart the entire bar,¡± Stefan said casually, cing the woman gently into the car. ¡°Pfft!¡± Elijah was usually quiteposed, but even he couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. He sighed in amusement and said, ¡°Looks like the young miss is still as radiant as ever ¨C she never disappoints.¡± ¡°Cut the dawdling, let¡¯s head back to the Hunt manor.¡± Stefan shot Elijah a cold nce. ¡°Alright!¡± Elijah nodded obediently and quickly went to the driver¡¯s seat, starting the engine as ordered. The roads in Water Dock were quite bumpy, and even a luxurious car would struggle with such uneven roads. Renee was initially fast asleep, but the car suddenly went over arge rock, causing her head to bump into the car door. She immediately woke up, her eyes tearing from the pain. ¡°Ow!¡± She whimpered pitifully. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Stefan¡¯s face was filled with guilt, and his fingers caressed her head softly as he comforted her. ¡°There, there, it¡¯ll stop hurting after you blow on it, see?¡± ¡°Hmm? It really doesn¡¯t hurt anymore¡­ You¡¯re so nice to me!¡± Renee chirped, still half-conscious. She treated Stefan like a pillow, cing her head back onto hisp and wrapping her arms around his waist tightly. Stefan¡¯s body went as stiff as a board. He didn¡¯t dare to move a muscle, worried that he might disturb the woman on hisp. ¡°You¡­ Do you really think I¡¯m nice?¡± He asked her carefully. ¡°Mhm! Of course you are!¡± Renee curled up against him like a contended kitten, nodding gently. ¡°You gave me the warmth of a home, that¡¯s why I was willing to marry you and be your wife.¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally facing the truth¡­ Actually, Everheart, I-¡± Just as Stefan was about to reveal his true feelings to her, the woman interrupted him cheerfully. ¡°You¡¯re not like my trashy ex-husband at all ¨C he¡¯s a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing at best. You may think you¡¯re ugly, but you have a beautiful heart. I am incredibly lucky to be your wife!¡± Renee confessed with a shy smile. Chapter 818 Chapter 818 The atmosphere in the vehicle suddenly became tense. ¡°So, that means that person is much more important than Stefan Hunt to you?¡± Stefan clenched his jaw, questioning angrily. ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Renee smacked Stefan lightly, still drunk, then started hugging him even tighter. ¡°Mr. Q, you¡¯re the most important person to me now. Why else would I marry you? Stefan Hunt is nothing to me, I moved on from him four years ago¡­ That jerk was probably jealous of your personality and looks, and that¡¯s why he scarred your face! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely get revenge for you!¡± ¡°Really now?¡± Stefan scoffed. ¡°And how are you going to do that?¡± ¡°Simple, he scarred your face, so I¡¯ll scar his¡­¡± Renee let out a burp and covered her face, giggling. ¡°I¡¯m going to carve the words ¡®I¡¯m an ugly jerk¡¯ into his face! Hahaha, pretty cruel, aren¡¯t I?¡± Stefan fell silent. ¡°Pfft!¡± Elijah couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter any longer. When he felt a chill in the car, he cleared his throat and said formally, ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t hear anything, Mr. Hunt, nothing at all¡­¡± ¡°Clearly, you still value your life,¡± Stefan growled, looking embarrassed. If the woman wasn¡¯t drunk, he would¡¯ve given her a thorough scolding. Elijah nced at the man through the rearview mirror, surprised to see how gentle his gaze was when he looked at Renee. He asked softly, ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡¯ve finally realized who you can¡¯t move on from, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always known how I felt deep inside. I just had too much on my te back then, and I gave up on what was truly important to me. Now that the universe has given me another chance to right my wrongs, I am never letting go,¡± Stefan said determinedly as he held Renee¡¯s hand, as if she was the pure embodiment of his happiness. ¡°Good, good.¡± Elijah nodded and let out a sigh of relief. As Stefan¡¯s most trusted assistant, he had witnessed the entirety of Stefan and Renee¡¯s love story,plicated and heart-wrenching as it was. Even as an outsider, he was desperately hoping that they could finally understand each other, and achieve their happy ending. As long as Stefan knew what his heart wanted, Elijah believed that he could definitely win Renee¡¯s heart back. Any woman would wish to be treated with sincerity, after all¡­ N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Right, have you investigated Desrosiers¡¯ whereabouts?¡± Stefan suddenly asked. Briar had been missing for quite a few days, and hadn¡¯t said anything before departing. He couldn¡¯t help but worry for her safety. ¡°Nothing yet¡­¡± Elijah frowned, then hesitantly said, ¡°You just said that you knew how you felt, and that you wouldn¡¯t let go of this second chance. Why are you mentioning that maniptive witch again? She was the reason you ended up in such a horrible state with Miss Everheart to begin with! Could it be that you-¡° ¡°Shut it.¡± Stefan red at his assistant. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Chapter 819 Chapter 819 ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Hunt, I¡¯ve misspoken. I just don¡¯t want to see you making the same mistakes. After all, Miss Everheart-¡° ¡°She already knows the truth, so I trust that she will understand.¡± Stefan obviously knew that he should treat Briar as nothing more than a dead woman, but she was still the woman his brother had once loved deeply, so he did not want her to meet a cruel fate. ¡°Miss Everheart knows the truth?¡± Elijah was shocked and confused. ¡°Wait, but then she¡¯d know that you were merely bound by circumstance, right? Why is she still avoiding you like the gue? Could it be that¡­ she¡¯s fallen for another?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Stefan seemed weirdly calm, which puzzled Elijah further. ¡°That¡¯s not right, Mr. Hunt. You would¡¯ve flipped if she fell in love with another man, so why are you being so calm about this? You¡¯re not usually so generous when ites to Miss Everheart!¡± The more egotistical a man is, the more possessive he bes. Hence, it was only natural for him to hope that the woman he loved would only have eyes for him. No one would be able to ept infidelity, let alone Stefan Hunt, a man known for his pride. He was actingpletely out of character. ¡°No matter who she falls for, the only person who can make her heart race is me. I don¡¯t have to get jealous over some irrelevant person,¡± Stefan replied casually. Elijah was dumbfounded, and chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Mr Hunt, is this some kind of riddle? What do you mean irrelevant? I-¡° ¡°This conversation is over.¡± Stefan stopped Elijah from asking any more questions. He wasn¡¯t one to express his feelings, so he would never reveal just how strongly he felt for Renee. He was also quite annoyed at the fact that Elijah was practically forcing an answer out of him. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about that maniptive witch Desrosiers then¡­¡± Elijah sighed. ¡°Truthfully, I did obtain information about thest person she contacted. Coincidentally¡­ that person was none other than Miss Everheart.¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes, his expression solemn. ¡°She contacted Renee?¡± ¡°Yeah, herst call was with Miss Everheart, and they talked for over two hours. However, we couldn¡¯t obtain the call recording, so Miss Everheart might just be the only one who knows the actual situation¡­¡± Elijah then paused, and reminded his boss. ¡°Besides, Miss Everheart has never gotten along with Desrosiers. If you question her about this out of nowhere, it could potentially ruin your rtionship again.¡± ¡°I will ask her about the call if needed,¡± Stefan said as he stared at the drunk woman. His voice sounded soft, but his resolution was clear. ¡°Mr. Hunt, I have a question, but I¡¯m not sure if it is appropriate.¡± ¡°If you have to wonder, then it¡¯s probably not.¡± ¡°Well, after some consideration, I think this question is quite important.¡± ¡°Go on then.¡± ¡°What if the investigation ended with you only being able to save either Miss Everheart or Desrosiers? Who would you choose then?¡± Elijah asked, then held his breath, awaiting the man¡¯s answer. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. He knew the question was crossing a boundary, but his curiosity got the better of him. Chapter 820 Chapter 820 ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen,¡± Stefan said curtly. ¡°But what if it does?¡± Elijah continued daringly. ¡°The future is unpredictable, so what if their fates are bound to sh? What if only one of them is allowed to survive? Who would you save?¡± Stefan did not reply, but his eyes were fixated on Renee, full of unspoken affection and determination. His answer was clear. He had already made the wrong decision four years ago, causing him to miss out on creating memories with Renee. Now that he had learned his lesson, he swore to never repeat the same mistake. He knew that he, along with Renee and the children, did not have another four years to waste. It was already past 2AM when the car arrived at the manor. ¡°Mr. Hunt, we¡¯ve arrived,¡± Elijah reported in a soft voice. ¡°Alright.¡± Stefan nodded. The two of them were speaking and moving cautiously, as though they were protecting a newborn kitten that was asleep. They were extremely worried that their movements would wake her up. ¡°Do you need some help?¡± Elijah looked at Stefan through the rearview mirror, noticing his ¡®difficult situation¡¯. The drunk woman had wrapped her arms and legs around Stefan like a ko, her head nuzzled against his chest. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Stefan replied coldly. ¡°Your work here is done.¡± ¡°Alright, you take care then.¡± Elijah didn¡¯t want to be the third wheel, and slowly exited the car. Before closing the car door, he stared at Stefan sympathetically and said, ¡°I hope your back will be okay tomorrow.¡± Stefan shot him an infuriated re. ¡°Get lost, will you?!¡± Elijah stared at him innocently. ¡°Mr. Hunt, don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m genuinely worried that you might strain your back!¡± Elijah knew that Stefan would definitely injure his back if he allowed this ¡®ko¡¯ to maintain the same position the whole night. It was also only after Elijah left that Stefan realized what he meant. He tried multiple times to get out of the car, only to find Renee hugging him tighter. ¡°Wake up, let me get out of the car first. I¡¯ll carry you to the room and you can keep sleeping there,¡± he mumbled and tried pulling her arms off of his neck, only to be pped across the face. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I want to sleep!¡± The woman pouted. ¡°If you keep moving, I¡¯ll have to sell you¡­¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Damn you, woman!¡± Stefan groaned, his face burning from the p. Worried that he might get pped again, he quickly straightened his posture and stopped moving. Renee smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Now, that¡¯s a good boy! I knew you¡¯d treat me well. You¡¯re a million times better than my trashy ex-husband¡­¡± ¡®Ugh, she¡¯s doing it again!¡¯ Chapter 821 Chapter 821 Stefan was enraged but helpless at the same time. ¡°How long have you known him? You haven¡¯t even seen his face, so why are you so attached to him? What¡¯s so good about that man?¡± ¡°He has lots of good qualities!¡± Renee protested drowsily. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°He¡¯d cook for me! Every day, no matter how tired I am from work, seeing a warm meal specially prepared for me just melts my heart¡­¡± ¡°Anyone can cook ¨C all you need is cooking sses.¡± ¡°Yeah, millions of people can cook, but Mr. Q is special. He¡¯s one in a million. My trashy ex-husband could never rece him.¡± ¡°Have you ever thought of the possibility that¡­ they¡¯re the same person? In that case, there¡¯s no need to rece anyone at all.¡± When Stefan revealed this information, he quickly regretted it. He was indeed Mr. Q, or more precisely, he was his substitute. After being defeated, the real Mr. Q¡¯s fate was unknown after their previous battle. For years, he had taken over Carmine Pawnshop using a mask and a modified voice. With that, he was able to establish a new order within Water Dock. He had never intended to involve Renee and the kids, but destiny had other ns and brought them together regardless. It was true that one big lie required a thousand smaller lies to cover up. When he put on the mask and faced Renee as ¡®Mr. Q¡¯, he knew that there was no way of turning back, especially when she had started depending on him, and even falling for him. If he were toe clean right now, Renee would definitely use him of purposefully toying with her and humiliating her. He knew just how much her dignity meant to her. The cracks in their rtionship would only grow bigger then, to the point where they wouldn¡¯t be able to fix it even if they tried¡­ ¡®But if I don¡¯t tell her, how am I supposed to win her back? Hah, how ironic. My rival is myself! Is this what they call karma?¡¯ Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Q, you dummy, I won¡¯t let you insult yourself like that¡­¡± Renee continued mumbling, still embracing the man. ¡°You¡¯re a kind, gentle person¡­ So how could you be the same as that iceberg? Unless, of course, you have a split personality!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, we¡¯re not the same person, but our love for you is the same.¡± Stefan had been maintaining his position for quite some time now, and both his neck and back were sore all because he wanted to let Renee sleepfortably. The man then patted her on the back, speaking in his softest voice, ¡°Sleep well, Renee, sweet dreams. Tomorrow will be a new day.¡± Hearing this, Renee smiled and fell into a deep sleep. The next day, as sunlight flooded the spacious backseat of the Rolls-Royce, Renee opened her eyes slowly, only to find herself lying on top of Stefan. Their bodies were basically glued together ¨C her head on his shoulder, and her nose brushing his neck. Their position was¡­ quite intimate, to say the least. Her entire face flushed red, and she held her breath as she carefully tried getting up. Suddenly, Stefan tightened his grip, firmly holding her by the waist. This pulled them into an even more intimate position. ¡°Let go of me, Hunt!¡± Renee struggled, feeling embarrassed. ¡°You¡¯ve slept with me for a whole night, yet now you¡¯re asking me to let go? Is this really how you repay me?¡± Stefan said as he stared at the woman, his gaze piercing. Renee couldn¡¯t bear his intense gaze and averted her eyes. ¡°I was drinking in the bar! When did I even sleep with you? This is nder!¡± ¡°You got drunk and your wild instincts took over. Shouldn¡¯t you be at least a little aware of this?¡± The man¡¯s words were irrefutable, so Renee decided to put on a tough act instead. ¡°So what if I slept with you? It¡¯s not like this is the first time it happened!¡± Chapter 822 Chapter 822 Stefan froze, and finally realized that Renee could have misunderstood him. They didn¡¯t exactly sleep with each other, they merely slept together, but¡­ he didn¡¯t exactly intend to clear things up. Instead, he smirked slyly and teased, ¡°What do you take me for? Do you really think you can just sleep with me whenever you like?¡± ¡°I take you as a toy, okay?¡± Renee blushed and quickly got out of his embrace. She then rummaged through her pockets and took out six hundred dors, finally throwing the cash at the man¡¯s handsome face. Putting on an arrogant face, she said nonchntly, ¡°Here¡¯s your payment ¨C just tell me if it¡¯s not enough.¡± Stefan was speechless, and smiled icily. ¡°How generous!¡± ¡°Good! Now bye!¡± Renee waved and opened the car door, getting ready to make her escape. ¡®You¡¯ll have to be a little shameless if you want an easier life, after all! Anything that seems indecent won¡¯t make you feel as bad, nor would you need to face the consequences.¡¯ For example, although she slept with Stefan, he couldn¡¯t exactly me her for her actions. He only has his good looks to me. He was clearly trying to seduce her! Stefan tried to get out of the car as well, but his entire body was feeling quite stiff and sore, especially his back. Just as he sat up, he heard a cracking sounding from his back, and then he couldn¡¯t move. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Damn it!¡± He cursed. Elijah was right after all ¨C Stefan had strained his back. ¡°Everheart!¡± Stefan called out to the woman coldly. ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°Come and help me out.¡± Stefan was quite embarrassed, as his ego didn¡¯t allow him to ask for help unless absolutely necessary. ¡°Help you?¡± Renee turned around, staring at the stiff man in confusion. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you need help though.¡± ¡°I strained my back, I can¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Why would you strain your back out of nowhere?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± Stefan scowled menacingly. ¡°You slept on me the whole night ¨C anybody¡¯s back would strain!¡± He only intended to rant about how Renee had slept on top of him for the entire night, causing his entire body to be stiff from overexertion. However, hearing this made Renee blush, and she scolded herself in her mind. ¡®Damn, what the heck, Renee Everheart? Just how much did you take from this man? That¡¯s the legendary Stefan Hunt, and his back has been strained¡­ If people find out about this, I¡¯d be known as a subus that hunts down strong men!¡¯ ¡°You¡­ really strained your back?¡± Renee might me herself, but she still refused to believe that she had done so. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to scam me, are you?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression darkened, and he clenched his fists as he huffed. ¡°You would¡¯ve been done for¡­ if I could move.¡± Renee pondered slightly and figured that he was right, letting out a sigh of relief. She walked up to him, and put a finger under his chin, lifting his head slightly. ¡°Hey pretty boy, if your body is in such bad shape, don¡¯t talk big! If you need my help, you can be a little sweeter about it, you know? What are you so mad about?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push your limits, Everheart!¡± Stefan bit out icily. ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts. You¡¯re pretty weak, aren¡¯t you? Your back was strained after just one night! How long has it been since you stopped training? Those old gears are rusting¡­¡± Renee gave a cheeky smile and pinched his face, then punched his chest and sighed deeply. ¡°Ah, this poor man won¡¯t admit that he¡¯s weak. No matter how much potential you have, you didn¡¯t train yourself well! It¡¯s a waste of talent, you know?¡± Renee said dramatically. Stefan wanted to punch someone, but knew that he had no choice but topromise. Chapter 823 Chapter 823 Stefan put on a fake smile, and said smoothly, ¡°You¡¯re right, I should train more. Once I¡¯ve recovered, why don¡¯t you train with me?¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but imagine it, and she felt so awkward that she was unable to keep up her arrogant front. She changed the topic immediately. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll get you to the hospital.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Stefan seemed to have a n in mind. ¡°They¡¯d just ask me to rest anyway. Just get me back to my room and inform my family doctor about my condition. Ask him what we¡¯re supposed to do about this.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Renee found his idea pretty good. The Hunt family¡¯s doctor was a professional from the most prestigious hospital in Beach City, after all. His skills were unmatched. ¡°Put your arms around my neck then, I¡¯ll get you upstairs.¡± Renee bent down and grabbed Stefan by the hand, cing it on her shoulder. Seeing this, Stefan felt his heart ache for her, and rejected her offer. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re too small, I¡¯m worried you might strain your muscles too¡­¡± ¡°Hey, are you underestimating me? I can take you to the second floor, no sweat!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t y tough, you¡¯re just a woman¡­ Ah!¡± Stefan let out a startled yell as Renee carried him on her back. The woman didn¡¯t seem to struggle at all, as if he was as light as a feather. Her strength was able to shut him up right away. ¡°This is nothing! When I was still in training back then, I had to carry three sandbags, which amounted to three hundred pounds, you know?¡± Stefan was speechless as heid on Renee¡¯s back, not even daring to breathe. He was quite impressed, thinking, ¡®As expected of Maurice Everheart¡¯s daughter. She isn¡¯t a spoiled rich girl at all, she¡¯s practically a nuclear weapon! How did she hide all of this during our marriage?!¡¯ In just a few minutes, Renee was able to get Stefan back to his bedroom. She ordered, ¡°Lie still for now. I¡¯ll call the doctor over.¡± ¡°You should rest too.¡± Stefan was still worried about her. No matter how powerful she was, her stamina was probably limited due to her small build. Hence, he didn¡¯t want her to exhaust her body, as it might cause future health issues. ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m not tired at all.¡± Renee waved at him nonchntly. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be off now.¡± ¡°Leaving already?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± The woman figured she had done all she could for him. ¡°You have to take full responsibility for what you did to me.¡± Stefan tried to ckmail her as he spoke seriously. ¡°Look into the vows ¨C married couples have a responsibility to take care of each other. If you don¡¯t care for me, you¡¯ll be breaching your vows.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re bluffing!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, take a look for yourself. As your husband, I¡¯m just asking you for what is obligatory.¡± ¡®Uh, I guess they did say in sickness and in health¡­¡¯ Renee couldn¡¯t deny it. ¡®I have to get this guy to agree to a divorce, or else he¡¯d just pester me for eternity!¡¯ Chapter 824 Chapter 824 After considering it, Renee decided to stay and discuss the divorce with the man. Soon, the Hunt family¡¯s doctor arrived at the manor. With his years of experience in the medical field, he diagnosed Stefan with mechanical back pain. His back muscles were slightly damaged, so it would take a lot of effort to even walk or sit. ¡°Mr. Hunt, your back is severely damaged due to excessive strain. Now, I need to ask you a few questions to determine the appropriate treatment for your wounds¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The doctor nced at the two, hesitant to speak. ¡°Doctor, is something the problem? Are his injuries so serious that he¡¯s going to be partially paralyzed, or worse, bedridden?¡± Renee asked anxiously. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Normally, doctors would only behave this way if a patient was about to pass. Thus, the woman naturally jumped to the worst conclusion possible. ¡°Umm, well, no. I¡¯d just¡­ like to know how you hurt yourself, Mr. Hunt. This is a very serious injury, but I didn¡¯t think it was appropriate to ask.¡± The doctor rubbed his hands together, his expression awkward. ¡°O-Oh.¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks were painted a bright shade of red, and she quickly turned away. ¡®Lord, how do I even answer that? This is so embarrassing!¡¯ On the other hand, Stefan seemed rather calm. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything extreme. I was just in the same position for too long, so that¡¯s probably how I overexerted my back muscles.¡± After hearing this, the doctor finally returned to speaking professionally. ¡°If it¡¯s merely an injury caused by prolonged immobilization, it shouldn¡¯t be too serious. Just apply some medicinal oil and rest for up to three to five days.¡± Stefan nodded. ¡°Anything else I need to be aware of?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say¡­¡± The doctor looked contemtive. ¡°Being in the same position for too long can indeed damage the back muscles, so I suggest changing positions more in the future.¡± Stefan nodded sagely. ¡°I will look into different positions with my wife.¡± The doctor continued. ¡°Not only can good positions improve your rtionship, but it can greatly improve your health as well.¡± Stefan continued, his expression stillpletely serious, ¡°What kind of position is considered good then, doctor? Are there any specific guidelines?¡± The doctor replied, ¡°No, but since I am a professional orthopedic surgeon, I have encountered enough patients toe up with aplete guide for intercourse positions, as most of them were couples who have had simr issues. If you need it, I can send over a soft copy for you and Mrs. Huntter.¡± Stefan smiled pleasantly. ¡°Of course, we appreciate the offer.¡± Meanwhile, Renee had been covering her face with her hands the entire time, wishing she could just disappear into thin air. After the doctor gave Stefan his medication, he turned to leave. ¡°Doctor, don¡¯t forget about the position guide.¡± Stefan reminded the doctor in a stern tone, stillying t on the bed. With that, both Stefan and Renee received a soft copy of the guide three minutes after the doctor exited the manor. The moment Renee clicked into the PDF, her face turned as red as an apple, and she quickly closed it. On the contrary, Stefan scrolled through the document in interest. ¡°Wow, this PDF takes up a whole gigabyte, and it includes pictures. Every positiones with a medical perspective too¡­ I think this guide is quite valuable, everyone should learn a thing or two from this.¡± Renee couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and snapped, ¡°Is this not enough for you, Hunt? Do you think this is funny?¡± Stefan lifted his gaze, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Chapter 825 Chapter 825 ¡°You¡¯re toying with me again! How could you discuss such intimate topics in front of a woman?!¡± ¡°What do you mean? This is merely a normal conversation between husband and wife¡­¡± Stefan said casually, but his eyes were filled with pride. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we are legally married now, so this isn¡¯t crossing any lines.¡± ¡°Hmph, legally married?!¡± This angered Renee, and she scoffed. ¡°You yed despicable tricks to obtain my documents, and bribed the registration personnel too! How could you bring that up with absolutely no shame?!¡± ¡°Of course. But if you have any objections regarding this matter, you could just try to annul the marriage. We¡¯ll see if the judge supports you on that.¡± ¡°You really are a despicable man, Stefan Hunt. You¡¯re a fraud!¡± Renee yelled at the man, helpless. She knew well enough that the judge wouldn¡¯t support her even if she tried. Stefan Hunt was a perfectionist, and would definitely make sure to avoid every single loophole when carrying this n out. The woman knew that there was only one way for them to separate at this point, which was to make him agree to a divorce on his own ord. It was the quickest solution as well. ¡°Stefan Hunt¡­ Mr. Hunt¡­ Please, I¡¯m begging you. Please stop this nonsense and let me go.¡± Renee stopped acting tough and lowered her head, having no other way to resolve this. ¡°Let¡¯s just get a divorce. I won¡¯t stop you from seeing the kids at all ¨C you cane visit them any time, I promise.¡± She knew that the man had never wanted her, he just wanted to take the children from her through legal means. Hence, this was the biggestpromise she could make. Stefan smiled softly. Despite his condition, his intimidating, cocky aura still filled the room. ¡°Do you take me for a fool, Everheart? Right now, I can have both you and the children. Why would I ever agree to a divorce?¡± This question was enough to make the woman explode, and she howled, ¡°You jerk! What do you want from me?! Are you trying to drive me insane? Why don¡¯t you kill me instead? I¡¯d rather take death over this torture!¡± Stefan felt his heart ache. The man stared at her with cold eyes, asking, ¡°Have you ever considered that I¡¯m doing all of this, going through so much trouble, because I want to start over with you? And yet you¡¯d rather die than give us another try?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Renee rested her head in her hands, racking her brain and thinking of an excuse to escape this stubborn man. ¡®This is so weird! Isn¡¯t he cold and distant all the time? Why is he suddenly acting like a lovesick puppy? It¡¯s like there¡¯s no end to his pestering!¡¯ ¡°B-Because I¡¯m not a reliable person. I¡¯m not suited to be a wife.¡± ¡°I beg to differ.¡± ¡°How am I suitable? I was just pretending to be a good wife back then. To be honest with you¡­ I have a lot of bad habits, and dark secrets that I keep to myself too. If you found out about any of them, you would definitely want to stay away from me,¡± Renee said desperately, all in the hopes of escaping this marriage. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Secrets?¡± Unfortunately, this only piqued Stefan¡¯s interest. ¡°I love secrets. Do tell me about them.¡± ¡°Alright then, you asked for it! I have violent tendencies, and I love beating people up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not exactly a secret. I experienced it firsthand long ago.¡± ¡°But did you know that I¡¯m a murderer too?¡± Chapter 826 Chapter 826 Stefan¡¯s gaze turned cold, and shock shed in his eyes briefly. However, he was able topose himself within seconds, putting on a fake smile. ¡°Your martial arts skills are quite impressive, so that¡¯s not surprising.¡± He had long guessed that Renee was someone with great power. Her identity as the gentle daughter of the Everheart family was a mere mask to please the public. Her secret identities would definitely blow everyone¡¯s minds if she were to be found out. However, the man never found enough concrete evidence to rip that mask off. Thus, he was very excited to hear her reveal her secrets. ¡°Really now?¡± Renee cracked her knuckles and approached the bed, smirking coldly. ¡°Are you not afraid that you¡¯d be my next target? After all, you can¡¯t move. A mere flick of my finger would be enough to take your life. Our marriage would automatically be dissolved then, so I wouldn¡¯t have to negotiate senselessly with you.¡± She then ced two fingers on the man¡¯s neck, as quick as lightning. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, thest man who died in my hands was way stronger than you. But my thumb and pointer finger were enough to snap his neck in an instant. The way his tongue fell out was simr to those horror movies too!¡± After revealing this information, Renee hoped that Stefan could finally see just how cruel and cold-blooded she could be, and would voluntarily distance himself from her. Unfortunately, it seemed that she had achieved theplete opposite instead. Stefan didn¡¯t seem scared at all, and his eyes filled with admiration as he asked, ¡°Did you really snap someone¡¯s neck using only two fingers?¡± Renee was dumbfounded. ¡®Is this guy for real? Why is he focusing on that instead?¡¯ ¡°ording to my knowledge, there are no more than five people who have that kind of strength, and those people are quite infamous for their crimes. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re one of them?¡± Stefan looked as if he was teasing her, but was actually trying to fish information out of her. Only then did Renee realize how rash she had been, nearly exposing her hidden identity right then. The man only needed a bit of research to see who had been recently killed with just two fingers. With that, he¡¯d be able to realize that she was one of the most infamous, ruthless bounty hunters ¨C Frost. However, now that things had yed out this way, she didn¡¯t feel the need to hide anymore. ¡°That¡¯s right, I am. Scared, huh? Just so you know, I have a lot of blood on my hands, so I can¡¯t be your innocent, gentle little housewife. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯d agree to a divorce right now, and we can both have our happy endings. And¡­ if you ever need to assassinate someone, I can give you a twenty percent discount!¡± Renee refused to believe that a meticulous man like Stefan would still want to stay married to a cruel murderer who prioritized profits. ¡°So you¡¯ve been beating around the bush, even going as far as exposing yourself, all because you wanted to convince me to get a divorce?¡± Stefan smiled widely. ¡°Well, I do love challenges. Think about it¡­ The infamous, terrifying bounty hunter Frost¡­ as my wife! Don¡¯t you see how cool that sounds? And that just means more protection for me. Who would even dare to give me trouble when I have you as my wife?¡± Renee instantly became speechless after hearing Stefan¡¯s ¡®open-minded¡¯ exnation. She thought to herself, ¡®Is this man mad? He is, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you very picky? How can you be so epting now? You know I like someone else, you know I like violence, you know my hands are drenched in blood, and that I am a greedy, ruthless murderer! How could you not mind at all?¡± Renee started backing away from him, absolutely stupefied. ¡°I really suggest you get your brain checked.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s possible that I just don¡¯t mind any side of you¡­ because it¡¯s you?¡± Stefan asked finally.Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Chapter 827 Chapter 827 Stefan remainedposed, despite facing Renee¡¯s utter disbelief. ¡°No¡­ No way! That doesn¡¯t make sense at all!¡± The woman had goosebumps all over her body, and she quickly left the room. She had always thought that Stefan had some kind of ulterior motive for pestering her so much. The kinder he seemed, the worse his schemes could be. Hence, she knew that she couldn¡¯t let her guard down. Since she couldn¡¯t seem to read him, the only thing she could do was distance herself from him, not giving him a single chance to ¡®plot against her¡¯. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. However, she was still considerate of his current condition, and knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive on his own for the next few days. Thus, she dialed Francine¡¯s number, getting straight to the point. ¡°Your son¡¯s back is strained, so you should hire a caretaker for him.¡± Francine, on the other hand, seemed overjoyed to receive a call from her. She said brightly, ¡°Oh, my dear daughter-inw, I was just about to call you! Guess where I am right now?¡± She seemed to have completely ignored the fact that her son was injured. Renee frowned, asking in a dismissive tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know, where are you?¡± She then, once again, mentioned Stefan. ¡°Your son is injured, you know? It looks pretty serious.¡± Francine replied, ¡°Haha, oh my dear, I¡¯m bringing Abby and Adie to see their grandpa and great- grandpa! They¡¯re definitely going to love these little rascals! Come quickly, and bring Stefan with you too. The old man would be even happier to see all of you together!¡± ¡°What?! You took Abby and Adie?¡± Renee was outraged. ¡°Who gave you the right to take my children wherever you want?! Bring them back right now!¡± This was the reason she didn¡¯t want her children¡¯s existence to be known. The stubborn Hunts were a large family, so once they found out about the kids, she would have to face all of them. ¡°Deary, now how is that fair? I am their grandmother, so it¡¯s not wrong for me to take them to visit family now, is it?¡± ¡°It is if you did it without asking for my permission!¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll ask for permission now. May I take the children to see their grandpa and great-grandpa, please?¡± Francine sounded slightly annoyed, clearly trying to control her temper. ¡°No!¡± Renee rejected her immediately. ¡°Where are you now? I¡¯m heading over to pick Abby and Adie up. As for your son¡­ he¡¯s your problem now!¡± ¡°My son?¡± Only then did Francine mention Stefan, but she sounded indifferent. ¡°You said he strained his back, didn¡¯t you? Then so be it! It¡¯s not like he¡¯d die from that. If you can, just bring him with you. I don¡¯t really care as long as he¡¯s still breathing¡­ Okay, so that¡¯s all for now! My grandchildren are rushing me!¡± Renee fell silent, thinking to herself, ¡®Francine sure is an extreme mother. She just abandoned her son because she has grandkids.¡¯ Chapter 828 Chapter 828 Just as Renee was wondering if she should just allow Francine to take the kids with her, the old woman¡¯s voice turned unusually serious. ¡°Ren, I know you still hold resentment towards the family. I know you hate my son, and you hate me too. I understand that we were horrible towards you, but Grandpa Timothy has always treated you with nothing but sincerity, hasn¡¯t he? He always treated you like you were his own granddaughter, right?¡± ¡°I will always remember the kindness he showed me,¡± Renee admitted. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So please, can you go along with it just this once? For his sake? We just want him to be happy.¡± Renee remained silent. Seeing that the woman wasn¡¯t giving in, Francine sighed. ¡°You might not know this, but the old man¡¯s health is deteriorating rapidly. The doctor said he wasn¡¯t even sure if he¡¯d make it through winter this year.¡± ¡°What?¡± Renee felt her heart sink. ¡°But didn¡¯t Grandpa Timothy go through a heart transnt surgery? It went really well too! So why¡­¡± ¡°Child, have you already forgotten that the surgery was four years ago? He¡¯s be older during the time you left Beach City. Besides, a heart transnt can only do so much ¨C it doesn¡¯t take away the health risks thate with old age. He also has other underlying health issues as well, which is why his condition isn¡¯t as good as you think.¡± ¡°Grandpa Timothy never told me about any of this! Every time I went to see him, he was always so energetic. I really thought he was getting better¡­¡± Renee protested, her eyes reddening. Timothy was like her own grandfather, after all. Thinking about how the kind old man was going to go, just like how Maurice did, she felt extremely heartbroken. ¡°The old man talked about you every single day while you were gone, you know? He would lecture Stefan sometimes, saying that he was a fool for letting go of such an amazing wife. He prayed for you toe back all the time, wishing that you would make up with Stefan, and give birth to beautiful children¡­¡± Francine had always been a tough person, but even she had a lump in her throat as she spoke. She let out a cough and continued, ¡°Stef actually didn¡¯t want me to tell you any of this, as he didn¡¯t want to use this to guilt-trip you.¡± ¡°The old man prohibited me from mentioning it too. All he wanted was for you two to make amends, and for you, especially, to live a happy life. He didn¡¯t want you to force yourself for any reason. But every day, I watch as the old man¡¯s condition worsens, and I get scared and worried that he might pass with regrets. So I¡­¡± Francine trailed off, unable to continue. She knew that it was wrong to suddenly take the little ones away, and that Renee¡¯s anger was completely justified. However, she didn¡¯t want to dy this any longer, especially with the situation at hand. Abby and Adie were still young and healthy, so they could surely endure a little traveling, but the old man didn¡¯t have much time left. ¡°I understand.¡± Renee took a deep breath, replying after collecting her thoughts. ¡°If the kids can make Grandpa Timothy happy, then please take them for a visit. My issues with Stefan Hunt should not affect them at all.¡± ¡°Ren, I always knew you were a generous person. I don¡¯t get how me and Stef never noticed how great you are, and fell for that sly woman¡¯s tricks instead¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to talk about the past. I¡¯m not that generous either. When the children return after Grandpa Timothy¡¯s passing, I will officially wage war against the Hunts,¡± Renee replied coldly and hung up right after. She then returned to Stefan¡¯s room, suppressing her burning rage as she questioned him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about Grandpa Timothy¡¯s condition?!¡± The man was calm, but his handsome face was consumed by mncholy. ¡°It¡¯s a family matter, so there was no need to inform you.¡± Chapter 829 Chapter 829 ¡°Oh, to think you were just saying how I¡¯m the only woman you¡¯d marry! And now I¡¯m not supposed to know about your family matters?¡± Renee burst out, sobbing. ¡°Have you ever wondered how I¡¯d feel if Grandpa Timothy passed away all of a sudden?!¡± Stefan shed her a cold smile. ¡°How would you feel? You think everyone in the Hunt family is evil anyway. You avoid all of us like we¡¯re the gue!¡± ¡°Stefan Hunt, you jerk!¡± Renee stormed over to him, and raised an arm to punch him. However, she remembered that he was currently injured, and couldn¡¯t bring herself to harm him. Instead, she merely yelled at him in a fiercer tone, ¡°Who do you take me for? I¡¯m not a cold-blooded monster like you! You know how much I love Grandpa Timothy, and you know I see him as my second grandfather! Why did you hide his illness from me?! Do you want me to feel guilty for all eternity?!¡± ¡°And what can you do about it?¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze was hostile, his voice disdainful. ¡°It¡¯s not like anything would change after you find out about it. Or do you think Grandpa can be magically cured solely because you know about his condition?¡± ¡°At least, I won¡¯t let him live in regret! I want him to spend thest of his days in happiness¡­¡± Renee clenched her fists, seemingly determined. Stefan wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°How else, you idiot?!¡± Renee shot the man a dirty re, suspecting that he was pretending to not understand. ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Stefan wasn¡¯t lying at all. He finally realized that Renee had an extremely complicated mind, and he couldn¡¯t read her in the slightest. ¡°Grandpa Timothy had always wanted us to get back together. Now that we¡¯re legally married again because of certain mistakes, why don¡¯t we just fulfill his wish? Besides, with Abby and Adie around, he might just be able to recover because of all the love and joy he¡¯ll receive,¡± Renee said hopefully. She never knew about Timothy¡¯s physical condition, so it never once crossed her mind to y pretend in front of him. Now, it seemed to her that she needed to take immediate action, or else the old man might die with regrets. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re willing to start over with me?¡± The iciness in Stefan¡¯s gaze was instantly reced with a spark of hope. Renee didn¡¯t care for his enthusiasm at all, quickly extinguishing any dreams he had for her. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand my intentions, I just want to make Grandpa Timothy happy. Our rtionship is just an act. The day he passes away is the day I cut ties with you again,¡± Renee exined with a frosty expression. Stefan huffed. ¡°Again with the acting? If you like acting so much, why don¡¯t you be an actress instead?¡± Renee was dumbfounded. ¡°What do you mean again? You¡¯re being weird. When have I ever yed pretend with you?¡± She was a simple and direct woman, and she had never been anything other than genuine in every rtionship she had. Hence, she had never yed pretend with anyone in the past, apart from¡­ Mr. Q. Chapter 830 Chapter 830 ¡®Wait, did he find out that I was in a fake rtionship with Mr. Q?! We did really well in ying the role of a loving couple to fool the kids though¡­ No one should know about our fake rtionship apart from us! Unless¡­ Mr. Q decided toe clean to Stefan Hunt about this for some reason. If that¡¯s the case, what is their rtionship with each other? What secrets are they hiding?¡¯ Renee¡¯s mind was working overtime thinking about all this. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°N¡­ Nothing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Renee clicked her tongue, feeling guilty. ¡°I mean what I say. Why would I ever lie to you?¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± Stefan looked at Renee with a knowing smirk, as if he saw right through her. He knew exactly what she was thinking at that moment, but he knew he couldn¡¯t let her find out about the truth. If she did, she¡¯d definitely beat him to death. ¡°What do you think about my suggestion, Hunt? If you agree, let¡¯s pay the old manor a visit, for Grandpa Timothy.¡± Renee¡¯s tone and expression became grim as she changed the topic. Timothy had always been caring towards her, yet she never considered his feelings when she decided to up and leave the city. Moreover, she took away his right to see his great-grandchildren as well. She now knew how selfish and cruel her actions were, so she wanted to right her wrongs while Timothy still had time. ¡°I have no objections.¡± Stefan paused for a few seconds, then continued. ¡°But I hope our fake rtionship can help develop love and affection between us¡­ Even if there is only a one in a million chance, I hope we can try getting back together again!¡± This time, Renee didn¡¯t reject him right away. She was quiet for a while, and finally said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try it out.¡± For some reason, Renee was able to think things through rationally. Life was unpredictable, and their time on Earth was limited. She realized that there were no grudges that she couldn¡¯t possibly let go of in the face of life and death. That was why she figured that it was worth a try, as there was still a possibility that they could live a blissful life as a couple. At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t be holding any regrets about not trying. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The two then rushed to the old Hunt manor. Since Stefan¡¯s back was still injured, he was only able to eithery t or sit upright. He couldn¡¯t stand at all, nor could he exert himself, so Renee was tasked with driving the car. ¡°Lean back against that pillow and stay still. Oh, and tell me if you think I¡¯m going too fast.¡± Renee grabbed hold of the steering wheel with both hands, suppressing her instinct to speed. This was the slowest she had driven in her entire life. Sitting in the back seat with a pillow secured behind his back, Stefan calmly questioned, ¡°I heard from Xavier that you like speeding on the road, and that you were the champion of an underground race. You must feel pretty upset driving at this speed, huh?¡± Renee sighed miserably. ¡°I won¡¯t lie, I do feel really ufortable, but I have to drive slowly for the sake of your back.¡± She had also secretly decided to find the opportunity to go to 81 Curve to have some fun while Stefan wasn¡¯t around. Chapter 831 Chapter 831 The ¡¯81 Curve¡¯ was the most difficult route in the area, with several risky turns, and was a natural racing course. The road had 81 turns in all, thus the name. Many underground racers enjoyed racing there, and as a result, many had died there too. Although racing was no longer permitted on the track, many people still went to race there at night. Renee was one of those courageous individuals. Stefan grinned as he looked out the window at the greenery that shed past him. ¡°You can go as fast as you want; I¡¯m not as weak as you think. You don¡¯t have to hold back in front of me.¡± Renee used to hide her real feelings in order to be the ideal wife in front of him. The more she strived to be wless, the more he loathed it, and it had created a tremendous gap between them. He couldn¡¯t fall in love with someone who buried her emotions behind a mask, but he was so passionately in love with her now that she had ceased caring about his opinion and was genuinely herself. ¡°I read somewhere that the person who makes you feel the most rxed andfortable is the person who is best suited to be your life partner. I hope I can be that person for you.¡± Stefan wasn¡¯t a talker, and he wouldn¡¯t read self-help books, but he meant every word he said. Renee was taken aback when she heard this. She¡¯d never expected to hear such things from him. Then again, she figured he was just trying to make their act seem more real. The very notion of being with him again terrified her! ¡°Well, if someone suddenly reveals their true self, it might not make others happy. It might just scare them away,¡± Renee said coldly. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s because they¡¯re not used to it. Even an obedient puppy can turn into a wolf,¡± he stated lightly. ¡°What are you talking about? Stop wasting my time.¡± She knew what he was implying, but since she was embarrassed, she pretended not to understand him. The mood in the car shifted to something serene and pleasant. They didn¡¯t say anything, but they had undeniably be closer. They arrived at the Hunt Residence in the afternoon. Renee parked her vehicle inside the garage, then unlocked the trunk and pulled out a wheelchair. ¡°Sit on it,¡± she instructed Stefan. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m not handicapped ¨C I can get around.¡± He rejected her and attempted to go forward on his own. ¡°Quit moving!¡± She stopped him and barked, ¡°Stop arguing and get in the wheelchair.¡± Stefan was dominant by nature, but he abruptly relinquished his authority and sat dutifully in the wheelchair as Renee requested. ¡°I¡¯m very happy, Renee.¡± He turned to face the woman who was pushing his wheelchair, and said pleasantly, ¡°I hope you¡¯ll support me like this for the rest of my life.¡± He felt like she actually cared about him. Regardless of the truth, he had to hold on to his happiness. Chapter 832 Chapter 832 The Hunt Residence. Timothy was overjoyed, and his eyes welled up with tears as he saw Francine bring Adie and Abby home. ¡°Kids, this is the grandpa I mentioned. He¡¯s the Hunt family member who likes your mother the most and who your father fears the most.¡± Francine dly introduced Timothy to the children. After interacting with them for a few days, she hade to understand their thought process ¨C anyone friendly to Renee and hostile to Stefan was an ally. She had be their ally by criticizing Stefan on asion, and she hoped that by introducing Timothy in such a way, the children would warm to him. To Francine¡¯s delight, her n worked. Adie, who was usually cautious, approached Timothy on his own. He raised his head and looked at Timothy¡¯s wrinkled face, then gently hooked his finger around the old man¡¯s wrinkled finger and murmured, ¡°Great-grandpa, I can tell you¡¯re a good person. Thank you for looking after my mother.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When Abby saw this, she went up to her brother and happily told him, ¡°Adie, you finally agree with me that people who look good are good. We should assess people based on their looks!¡± She then turned around and smiled charmingly as she grasped Timothy¡¯s other hand in her soft, delicate palm. ¡°My name is Abby, Great-grandpa. You¡¯re the sweetest old man I¡¯ve ever met. You must have been attractive when you were younger, so I¡¯m certain you¡¯re a decent guy!¡± Timothy was taken aback by the two youngsters, and he burst into joyfulughter. He clutched the children¡¯s hands firmly and smiled heartily, tears streaming down his cheeks. ¡°You two are my great- grandchildren, and the Hunt family¡¯s heirs. I never imagined this day would arrive.¡± He looked up at the sky, and smiled fondly. ¡°Are you seeing this, Maurice? They are Stefan and Renee¡¯s children. The Hunt and Evertheart families will go on. I can finally face you in the afterlife!¡± When Alexander heard this, he grimaced, his eyes wet with unshed tears. ¡°What are you talking about, Dad? We just got reunited with the kids. We should be grateful for this opportunity, so don¡¯t say anything negative. You¡¯re going to live a long life.¡± Francine¡¯s eyes welled up with tears as well. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re still alive and well. You¡¯ve recently reconnected with the children, and you must remain with them until they reach adulthood. You have to see the birth of their grandkids!¡± ¡°I know my health best,¡± Timothy dered, waving his hand and taking a deep breath with difficulty. ¡°I¡¯m already d you attempted to find me an ideal heart that would allow me to live my life. God has been kind to me in allowing me to live till I see my great-grandchildren. I have no regrets if I die today!¡± When Adie overheard this, he couldn¡¯t help but be concerned about Timothy. ¡°Great-grandfather, are you sick?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m bing old, and my body is weakening¡­ But don¡¯t worry,¡± Timothy remarked as he stroked Adie on the head. ¡°It¡¯spletely natural. Humans will age, and death is both the end and the beginning of life. I feel we will cross paths again for sure.¡± Francine frowned and sighed. ¡°Dad, that¡¯s too deep. The kids won¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°No. I see what you¡¯re saying.¡± Adie¡¯s lovely face was serious as he nodded. ¡°Great-grandpa is saying that his life will never end. He will reappear in our lives in a different form.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand now!¡± Abby murmured excitedly, blinking her wide eyes. ¡°One day, Great-grandpa will transform into a star and guard us at night. Or maybe he¡¯ll transform into a tree and protect us from the wind and rain, or transform into a cat and keep uspany.¡± Chapter 833 Chapter 833 ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly what I mean.¡± As Timothy listened to them, tears welled up in his eyes, and he felt a surge of pride. ¡°It¡¯s no surprise you¡¯re Ren¡¯s children. You¡¯re both very intelligent, and your thinking is very mature. Your emotions are also stronger than your father¡¯s. It¡¯s the Hunt family¡¯s good fortune to have gotten such good genes from the Everheart family.¡± Alexander was astounded by his grandchildren¡¯s intelligence, but he wasn¡¯t about to give in as he protested feebly, ¡°Dad, Stefan¡¯s genes aren¡¯t bad either. If the children supposedly inherited their mother¡¯s emotional intelligence, they must have inherited their father¡¯s intelligence as well.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Timothy rolled his eyes at Alexander. ¡°Did you know Ren is a top student? She skipped grades and pursued her master¡¯s and doctoral degrees in the most difficult subject, physics. Stefan cannotpete with her ¨C he¡¯s only good at business.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee had wheeled Stefan into the living room just as Timothy was criticizing him, and Stefan instantly scowled. ¡°Oh, Ren, you¡¯re here with Stefan! How thoughtful of you!¡± Francine approached them and joyfully embraced Renee. She paid no attention to Stefan, who was seated in the wheelchair. ¡°It must have been exhausting for you to drive here while taking care of this nuisance, Ren. Come and take a seat. Do you want anything to drink?¡± She guided Renee to the sofa and sat next to her, then instructed the servant to prepare the best coffee possible. ¡°I¡¯m not thirsty or tired.¡± Renee didn¡¯t have the time to entertain Francine¡¯s excessive cheerfulness as she nced at Timothy, her eyes teary as she said, ¡°Grandpa Hunt, I¡¯m sorry for beingte. I had no idea¡­¡± When Timothy heard this, he scoffed, ¡°What do you mean byte? I¡¯m still alive and kicking! I can eat two tes of food at the same time, and I¡¯m a great deal stronger than all of you kids put together!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Renee nodded with a wobbly smile, trying to keep her emotions in check. The kids rushed into her arms tofort her. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be sad. Great-grandpa promised to be a star and protect us.¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll all eventually be stars and meet in the sky!¡± Renee was touched by her children¡¯s words. Everyone talked andughed together, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Only Stefan sat alone in the wheelchair, looking depressed. Nobody bothered talking to him or even pushed him around. ¡°Have you all finished talking? Is anybody going to pay attention to me?¡± He couldn¡¯t keep his cool any longer. ¡°I hurt my back, you know. Isn¡¯t anybodying to assist me to move?¡± Timothy looked at him and remarked tly, ¡°You¡¯re a big man. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed to admit that you damaged your back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you broke your back,¡± Alexander scoffed. ¡°What are you whining for?¡± Francine, on the other hand, had no time for him since she was preupied with the children. She would feed Adie, and then Abby, her joyfulughter ringing out. ¡®Are they ignoring me? This isn¡¯t possible¡­ It¡¯s time for me to take action!¡¯ Stefan thought. Chapter 834 Chapter 834 ¡°Quiet down.¡± Stefan cleared his throat and dered, ¡°I have good news.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Everyone turned to re at him. Timothy, in particr, seemed unsatisfied and irritated every time he saw Stefan. ¡°Are you even capable of giving me good news? It¡¯s most likely horrible news!¡± Francine had the same annoyed expression on her face as she waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Your grandfather and the grandchildren dislike you. Renee dislikes you as well. Why don¡¯t you go into your room and wait there so you don¡¯t spoil our mood?¡± ¡°What do you have to say?¡± Alexander urged him frustratedly. ¡°Make it quick. I¡¯m too busy peeling walnuts for my grandkids to squander my time.¡± He fed a peeled walnut to Adie and then to Abby as he talked, then told them gently, ¡°Adie and Abby, you should eat more walnuts to keep your brain healthy. Don¡¯t be like your stupid father, who does things without thinking.¡± Stefan was stunned. Since Adie and Abby arrived, he¡¯d lost all of his status in the Hunt family. They only saw him as an instrument for carrying on the Hunt family¡¯s genes. ¡°You must be prepared for the news because it will excite you to the point of insanity.¡± Stefan tried again, hoping to arouse their interest. They looked at him for a few seconds before rolling their eyes and going back to ignoring him. ¡°I am reconciling with Renee,¡± Stefan finally said, raising his head proudly. To his delight, his words shocked the whole Hunt family. ¡°What exactly do you mean?¡± Timothy nced hopefully at Stefan. ¡°Did I hear you correctly? Did you say you and Ren reconciled?¡± Francine drew in a surprised breath. ¡°It¡¯s true, Dad. He said that he had reconciled with Ren!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t believe you if you don¡¯t have proof. You have a knack for duping me!¡± Timothy couldn¡¯t believe that an idiot like Stefan could gain Renee¡¯s forgiveness in such a short period of time. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you¡¯re wee to ask her.¡± Stefan turned everyone¡¯s focus to Renee, a smug grin on his face. ¡°Huh?¡± Renee was astounded as well. Although she and Stefan had discussed putting on an act in front of Timothy to cheer him up, she hadn¡¯t anticipated such a sudden announcement. She could only go along with it now that things had progressed to this point. She gave the Hunts a fake grin and said, ¡°That¡¯s correct. I reconciled with Stefan.¡± Timothy, however, was not easily fooled. ¡°Ren, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± he urged, his face solemn. ¡°Tell me ¨C did he threaten you?¡± ¡°Huh? No, he didn¡¯t. I¡­¡± Chapter 835 Chapter 835 ¡°Then you two have agreed to lie to me!¡± Timothy saw straight through their n, and sighed deeply. ¡°You know I won¡¯t live for long, so you decided to put on an act with him to avoid having any regrets?¡± ¡°No, Grandpa. You¡¯ve overthinking it!¡± Renee protested. ¡°I know your personality, Ren. You¡¯ve always put others before yourself, so it¡¯s not surprising that you¡¯d do something like this. As much as I hope you and Stefan will return to the way you both were before, you must forgive him, fall in love with him again, and be content with him first.¡± After advising them, the old man said seriously, ¡°Look into my eyes and tell me you¡¯ve forgiven him and fallen in love with him again.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee unconsciously looked away from his intense gaze as guilt consumed her, and nced at Stefan for assistance. ¡°You should ask him, Grandpa. He is aware of everything.¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t believe me. Fortunately, I came prepared.¡± Stefan scoffed, then pulled out a document from his pocket and proudly said, ¡°This is our marriage certificate. We wouldn¡¯t have gone this far if we were acting.¡± ¡°Show it to me!¡± Francine¡¯s eyes widened as she took the certificate and carefully inspected it. She then jumped into Alexander¡¯s arms and cried out happily, ¡°Finally, our son is married again! What wonderful news!¡± Alexander, too, couldn¡¯t believe it and took the certificate from his wife. He looked at it for a moment, then nodded. ¡°The words are clear, so it¡¯s probably real.¡± ¡°Let me see it.¡± Timothy frowned and adjusted his reading spectacles as he perused it. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. The enormous living room instantly became silent. His gloomy countenance faded after a while, and a big smile bloomed on his face. ¡°This is fantastic! Today is a lucky day for the Hunts. I can now let go of my life¡¯s regrets!¡± He was certain that the marriage certificate was genuine, and based on his knowledge of Renee, he knew she wouldn¡¯t have gone through the trouble of putting on a show merely to make him happy. ¡®Then there is only one possibility left: she has finally considered everything and chosen to forgive Stefan.¡¯ Timothy pondered. ¡°You two have finally matured. Take excellent care of the kids and have a happy life together in the future. Don¡¯t argue anymore, and don¡¯t bring up previous wrongs. If not, my old spirit will not be at peace¡­¡± He took Renee¡¯s and Stefan¡¯s hands and sped them together, saying solemnly, ¡°I want you two to make a promise in front of me. Promise me that you will never break up again. If you do, I, as a witness, will die tragically!¡± Everyone was terrified by his statement. ¡°What is this nonsense, Dad? Don¡¯t be so mncholic on such a nice day,¡± Alexanderined. Timothy ignored him and waited for Stefan and Renee to agree. ¡°If it¡¯s true love, you wouldn¡¯t be afraid to make the promise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Stefan¡¯s steely eyes were fixed on Renee as he spoke determinedly, ¡°I, Stefan, Renee¡¯swful husband, promise to be responsible for her for the rest of my life and to never break up with her again.¡± ¡°Good man.¡± Timothy was relieved that Stefan had finally realized his mistake. He then turned to Renee enthusiastically. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡± Chapter 836 Chapter 836 ¡°Yes. Renee, it¡¯s your turn.¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were filled with passion and hope. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee swallowed her saliva, feeling as though she had been put on the spot. Because of Timothy¡¯s statements, she found it difficult to concur with Stefan. If she made a casualmitment and couldn¡¯t follow through with it, she¡¯d be cursing Timothy. ¡°Ren, you said you got back together with Stefan because you love each other. Isn¡¯t it normal for a husband and wife to swear never to leave one other for the rest of their lives? Why are you finding it so difficult?¡± Timothy frowned. He just wanted them to be happy. ¡°No!¡± Renee gulped hard, smiled gently, and sped Stefan¡¯s hand, muttering, ¡°I hope that as Stefan¡¯s wife, I can always be happy with him for the rest of my life.¡± Stefan was so astonished he choked on his own spit. He stared at Renee, eyes wide in disbelief. He hadn¡¯t expected Renee to say those things to him ¨C he expected her to tell a few falsehoods and lie to Timothy. ¡°Renee, have you given it serious thought? Are you willing to spend the rest of your life with me?¡± Stefan was a born genius. To ensure hermitment, he even utilized Timothy and said seriously, ¡°If you leave me one day, you¡¯ll be cursing Grandpa.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve considered it¡­¡± She raised her head and met his eyes, saying from the bottom of her heart, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to be a good husband, I¡¯ll be a good wife as well. If you do not leave me, I will not leave you.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure whether she would regret her decision, but she was convinced of her sentiments right now. This was the best oue for everyone, and she was prepared to give their rtionship anotherProperty belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. shot. As Stefan said, even if there was just a one percent chance that they would be happy together, she would take it. At the very least, she was happy when Stefan pledged never to leave her. For the first time, their fingers intertwined tightly. It was also the first time they felt the same way about one other. ¡°Thank you so much, Ren. Thank you for giving my son a chance. As his mother, if he tries to cheat on you, I¡¯ll be the first to teach him a lesson!¡± Francine was ovee with emotion, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held Alexander and said, ¡°Alex, the day we¡¯ve been waiting for has finally arrived. We no longer have to be concerned about Stefan weeping in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Alexander nodded eagerly. ¡°Who knew our son could cry more than you and be a bigger simp than I am? He wept every night for four years, but now that Renee has returned, he doesn¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t stopughing at the mental image of Stefan weeping. ¡°It¡¯s all right. If he starts weeping again, I¡¯ll smack him until he stops.¡± ¡°What a great idea! You should strike a guy if he does not listen to you. The more you hit him, the more he¡¯ll pay attention to you. That¡¯s how I get Alexander to listen to me!¡± Francine proceeded to offer her knowledge on how to tame a spouse, or more precisely, how to beat a husband into submission. ¡°You can¡¯t let the man get away with anything or they¡¯ll think they¡¯re better than you. If Stefan bes angry at you, you must punch him as hard as you can¡­¡± Renee patted her chest firmly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In this regard, I am quitepetent. I¡¯ll smack him to make him as subservient as Dad.¡± Chapter 837 Chapter 837 When Stefan and Alexander heard this, they were both dumbfounded. Although the atmosphere was lively and humorous, it was also peaceful and heartwarming. Adie, on the other hand, seemed solemn. He crossed his arms and pouted as if he was angry. Renee and Francine were pleasantly conversing when Renee saw his face and asked, ¡°Adie, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so unhappy?¡± ¡°Mommy, I think you¡¯re being irresponsible.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Renee was perplexed, and everyone turned to stare at the little boy. Adie had kept his displeasure hidden for so long that he finally let everything out. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to marry Q? How did you end up marrying Bad Daddy? Did you forget how he used to bully you?¡± He was afraid Renee would be bullied again. ¡°Hahaha. Well, about that¡­¡± Renee felt uneasy and didn¡¯t want Timothy and the others to discover the act, so she stated, ¡°I was just joking with Mr. Q. How am I going to marry him? He is not your biological father.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who our biological father is. Whoever treats us well is our father. Abby and I picked Mr. Q for you, so we know he will not hurt you. I¡¯m not sure about Bad Daddy.¡± Adie gazed at Stefan with suspicion and resentment in his eyes. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right. You can¡¯t be irresponsible by abandoning Daddy Q. You can marry both Handsome Daddy and Daddy Q! Daddy Q can take care of your daily life while Handsome Daddy can help you with your work.¡± Abby recalled the strategy she had discussed with Adie before. ¡°You won¡¯t get bored of having two husbands!¡± The two children¡¯s statements surprised the Hunts. Timothy asked Renee, ¡°Ren, who is this ¡®Mr. Q¡¯? He seems to be genuinely concerned about them.¡± ¡®Hmph, I¡¯m the father of the children. Of course, I care about them!¡¯ Stefan thought to himself. Renee bit her lower lip and continued, ¡°He¡¯s my friend and nice to me and the kids. I had intended to marry him.¡± ¡°What changed your mind?¡± Timothy¡¯s attention was fixed on her. ¡°You should ask your grandson that!¡± She gritted her teeth and red at Stefan. ¡°He realized I¡¯m better than him, so he decided to let Renee go.¡± When Stefan finished speaking, he took Renee¡¯s hand and added, ¡°Trust me, he knows that I¡¯m your destiny.¡± He couldn¡¯t reveal that he was Mr. Q since he had finally earned Renee¡¯s forgiveness. If she found out, it¡¯d all be over! Chapter 838 Chapter 838 Timothy suspected that Mr. Q was probably a source of contention between Stefan and Renee, so he avoided asking anything else about him. Adie, on the other hand, was a child. Even though he had tremendous intelligence, he had little understanding of rtionships and continued to battle for Mr. Q¡¯s justice. ¡°I disagree with you marrying Bad Daddy, Mommy. You should get married to Q ¨C He¡¯s a thousand times better than Bad Daddy!¡± Pouting, the little boy fiercely dered, ¡°If you don¡¯t marry Q, I won¡¯t acknowledge you anymore!¡± Timothy was perplexed. He grinned as he affectionately rubbed the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Can you exin why you like Q? How is he superior to your father?¡± ¡°Q aced all of my tests. He cooks well, talks kindly, sings well, makes mommyugh, and most importantly, he has a house full of unique treasures. If Mommy is upset, she will go inside for a stroll and immediately feel better!¡± ¡°Treasures?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Water Dock¡¯s treasure house. Everyone admires and fears him. He¡¯s incredible!¡± When Adie said this, everyone realized what he meant. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s him.¡± Francine boldly raised her chin and added, ¡°Do you know that he¡¯s an evil man who your Daddy once defeated?¡± ¡°A few years ago, he was defeated by the Hunt family and hid at Water Dock,¡± Alexander said mockingly. ¡°He now dares to interfere in my son and daughter-inw¡¯s rtionship! He¡¯s inviting his own demise. I¡¯m going to give him a lesson right now!¡± There was a major disagreement between the Hunt family and Carmine Pawnshop that year. They were like two opposing forces that couldn¡¯t stand each other. Following that, Stefan conquered Mr. Q and injured half of his face. Mr. Q leapt into the water to escape and had never been seen since. Stefan took over Carmine Pawnshop as Mr. Q a few monthster. Water Dock became more tranquil after the war, and Carmine Pawnshop ceased conducting illegal business. The Night Demon had perished. ¡°He should¡¯ve been killed a few years ago,¡± Timothy muttered, looking murderous. ¡°However, Maurice decided to let him go, so he is still alive. Otherwise, we¡¯d have to kill him.¡± ¡°My grandfather knew him?¡± Renee was taken aback when she heard this. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Yes. They know one other, and he and the Everheart family had a business rtionship. But I have no idea what urred after that.¡± Timothy was old and couldn¡¯t recall much of the past, nor did he want to. ¡°He must have known about me a long time ago, but why didn¡¯t he tell me about it?¡± She was filled with questions about Mr. Q. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what his motivation is for wanting to get close to you, but he¡¯s not a decent or simple guy. Get as far away from him as you can,¡± Timothy instructed Renee. ¡°You don¡¯t get it, Great-grandpa! It doesn¡¯t matter if Q is a good person or not. As long as he¡¯s good to Mommy, he¡¯s good to me,¡± Adie said, looking up at the elderly man. ¡°If Bad Daddy passes my exam like Q, I¡¯ll support his rtionship with Mommy.¡± ¡°Test me as you like,¡± Stefan responded carelessly after hearing hisments. ¡°I¡¯ll show you that no one else is a better fit for your mother than me!¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯m hoping you won¡¯t let me down.¡± Adie spoke like an adult as he reached an arrangement with Stefan. The father and son bumped fists, and for the first time, the sight of Stefan¡¯s massive hand colliding with Adie¡¯s petite one seemed to be peaceful. Four generations of the family gathered together that day and ate supper amicably. Chapter 839 Chapter 839 Everyone left Renee and Stefan alone at night so they could have some private time together. She wheeled him to his bedroom, and the atmosphere felt loving. ¡°You must be tired today¡­ Rest up. I¡¯ll go get some rest as well. The servant will arriveter to assist you with cleaning.¡± Renee carefully tucked her hair behind her ear and prepared to leave. Before she could, Stefan gripped her slender wrist and gazed at her intently. ¡°We pretended to be in love for an entire day, isn¡¯t it pointless if you leave now?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that this is all a ruse? They¡¯ve fallen asleep, so it¡¯s time to call it quits.¡± ¡°But I want it to be real.¡± He softly took her hand and put it on his handsome face. He was like a lion who had let go of his pride to beg for a pat on the back. ¡°You want it to be real, too, right?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t find the words to reply. His stubble pricked her palm as she stroked his face, and her heart pounded in her chest. ¡°Stay. I want us to sleep together¡­ like a married couple.¡± His voice was thick with emotion, and it made her heart ache. Renee¡¯s face reddened immediately, and she protested, ¡°But¡­ but you hurt your back. How do you intend to sleep?¡± ¡°Hahaha! I know you¡¯re excited, but calm down,¡± he whispered lustfully as he wrapped his arm around her waist and gentlyid his head on herp. ¡°My back will be healed in a matter of days. By then, I¡¯d have fulfilled my obligation as a husband and let you experience the delight of being a wife. But right now, I only want to sleep close to you.¡± ¡°Hooligan!¡± Her cheeks reddened even more when she realized she had misread his intentions. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in having sex with you. It¡¯s only that you never mentioned it, so I assumed¡­¡± ¡°Then let me make it clear.¡± He paused before continuing solemnly, ¡°Renee, as your husband, I want to sleep with you without any other intentions.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. You may not be concerned about your pride, but I am.¡± Her cheeks became bright crimson as she covered his lips. ¡®I¡¯m not sure what other heinous things maye out of his lips if I let him continue,¡¯ she thought. She had no idea the cold and haughty Stefan had such a sexual side, which surprised her. Renee said she would go, but her heart wanted to stay. She washed up after assisting Stefan, and changed into a gorgeous ckce nightgown. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s better if we act this out well to avoid exposing ourselves,¡± she said seriously to him. ¡°Ipletely agree,¡± Stefan murmured, unable to take his eyes off her wless form. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s go to bed!¡± ¡°Okay. Turn off the lights, and let¡¯s sleep.¡± He turned off the lights, and the room became dark. Their night was about to begin¡­ Chapter 840 Chapter 840 Stefan¡¯s back had healed and was stronger than before a weekter. His bond with Renee has strengthened rapidly as well. She didn¡¯t mind spending more time with him, and they were kissing and touching each other like any other husband and wife. Stefan was happy with their current status and treasured his time with her. The thrill of regaining what he had lost was the greatest gift God could have given him! One morning, the sun was bright outside the window, and the birds were chirping as a breeze swept through the beige-colored drapes. Reneey in Stefan¡¯s warm arms, refusing to move. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to wake up, sleepy head.¡± His strong arms wrapped around her, and he tapped her nose softly as he murmured, ¡°Today is a special day. I want to take you and the kids to celebrate.¡± ¡°Shh. It¡¯s so warm here. I want to sleep.¡± She held him tightly, nuzzling his chest like a contented cat. She loved lying in his arms like this because it made her feel safe. She refused to leave this warm and comforting sanctuary after being alone for so long. ¡°Okay, you can continue sleeping then.¡± Stefan was coaxing her as if she was a baby, softly patting her back and looking at her with loving eyes. She slept till noon. It was peaceful upstairs but busy below in the hallway. Timothy invited the Hunt family¡¯s friends and rtives to a feast at the Hunt Residence to celebrate Renee and Stefan¡¯s reconciliation. All who had been invited had arrived early in the morning with presents to congratte the couple. Timothy, Alexander, and the rest of the Hunt family¡¯s men sat together while Francine and the other ladies conversed joyfully. ¡°It¡¯s noon, Francine, but where are Stefan and Renee? Are they still working at thepany?¡± Stefan¡¯s aunt asked. ¡°No. They¡¯re still asleep upstairs!¡± Francine drank her coffee and responded cheerfully. Hearing this, thedies were taken aback and frowned disapprovingly. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t think your daughter-inw was a cker.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Exactly. Is she unaware of who she is? How could she not know such things as the mistress of the Hunt family?¡± ¡°I recall she used to stick to the rules. She would get up early to entertain guests whenever there was a family gathering. Now she¡¯s keeping us waiting while she sleeps?¡± ¡°Exactly! Francine, show her your might so she will listen to you!¡± Francine frowned as she heard thedies chastising Renee. ¡°Please stop talking so much ¨C you¡¯ll wake my son and daughter-inw.¡± Thedies were stunned when they heard this. Chapter 841 Chapter 841 ¡°That¡¯s not right, Francine! Shouldn¡¯t you be angry with your daughter-inw for being sozy?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason to get angry,¡± said Francine in a considerate tone as she took a sip of her tea. ¡°If the young couple wants to sleep, then let them. It¡¯s perfectly natural that they¡¯re especially affectionate with each other. I don¡¯t see any problem in letting them roll around in bed for a while anyway.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s nonsense!¡± one of Stefan¡¯s aunts argued indignantly. ¡°She¡¯s a member of a respectable family now, and she should learn to act like it! All of us who married into the Hunt family know this! We make sure that we¡¯re elegant, dignified, graceful, and courteous at all times¡ªthe basic qualities that the wife of an affluent man should¡­¡± ¡°My daughter-inw doesn¡¯t need any of these qualities,¡± Francine interrupted. ¡°All she needs to do is to spend the rest of her life happily with my son.¡± ¡°You may be able to ept this, Francine, but what about Stefan? Can he endure having such a wife? The Stefan that I remember is an austere and disciplined man. Never once in his whole life has he ever overslept! It seems that this woman is a bad influence on him!¡± ¡°Well,¡± Francine shrugged helplessly, ¡°what can I do? Stefan finally and painstakingly managed to pull his precious wife back to him, so it¡¯s only natural he pampers and indulges her. In fact, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d even oblige if she wanted to sleep till dusk, let alone sleep a little longer than usual!¡± Francine had just discovered that her son was an obliging husband who livedpletely under his wife¡¯s thumb. He would do anything his wife wanted, getting it for her no matter what it was. If his wife had wanted the moon, she was sure Stefan would leap into a spaceship immediately so he could bring the moon down to her. In that case, what could a mother like her do but put her hands up and concede? ¡°Tsk tsk! I can¡¯t believe that Stefan can be such a passionate lover! He simply spoils his wife rotten¡ª what a lucky woman!¡± The women who had just been grumbling bitterly were now full of envy for Renee. How could they not be when each of them, whether they were born or married into affluent families, had to live under strict rules? They had to restrain and control themselves to make sure that they appeared dignified at all times. The kind of suffering they endured was something that only those who had lived through it themselves would understand. How they wished that they could live like Renee¡ªdoing whatever she wanted while her husband doted on her and indulged her unconditionally! What a blissful life that would be¡­ In fact, the women were not the only ones who sighed in envy¡ªeven the men listened in disbelief at what had be of Stefan. ¡°Alexander,¡± said n Hunt, Alexander¡¯s cousin, ¡°we¡¯ve always thought that your son is a lot more rational and level-headed than you are, but it appears he¡¯s just as much of a hopeless romantic as you are! I bet he inherited the gene from you! No one in Beach City spoils their wife as badly as you do!¡± Once n started teasing Alexander like that, the other men began to join in as well. ¡°Although it¡¯s a good thing that he¡¯s so fond of his wife, men should focus more on their careers, and if Stefan wants to do great things, he should spend less time on his wife and family. You should pull him aside and advise him not to neglect his work just because of a woman!¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t they know what time it is? How are they still asleep? I hope he won¡¯t be like emperors of the past, causing the fall of a dynasty due to a disregard for proper governance and spending all their time frolicking with their concubines.¡± The men who spoke up were the more prominent members of the Hunt family, who also held a significant percentage of shares in H Group. They were concerned that Stefan might get so lovesick that his performance as the CEO of H Group might be jeopardized, thus affecting H Group¡¯s operations. ¡°I heard that Stefan hasn¡¯t been to thepany for a whole week now. I certainly hope he¡¯s not so bewitched by his wife that he¡¯s cooped up with her every day,pletely forgetting his work.¡± n Hunt looked in the direction of the staircase and said, ¡°He might¡¯ve been able to eliminate the opposition from thepanyst time by faking his death, but my brother and his people are all still alive and kicking. Who knows what they¡¯lle up with next¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Old Mr. Hunt interrupted. ¡°Have all of you forgotten that I¡¯m still here? Better stay quiet if you have nothing nice to say!¡± He turned pointedly to n Hunt and, in a quietly powerful and intimidating voice, told him, ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing when a man loves his wife? This proves he is made of flesh and blood and that he has feelings and empathy. Why should you be worried if such a man is leading thepany?¡± n lowered his head and meekly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, Uncle Timothy. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust Stefan¡¯s capabilities. It¡¯s just that¡­ My brother and his family are incredibly crafty and cruel. Don¡¯t you remember how that rascal Jovan almost seeded in seizing power in thepany?¡± The brother that n Hunt was referring to was Arthur Hunt, his older brother, and father of Jovan Hunt. Although they were siblings, there was no love lost between him and Arthur, owing to the fact that both Arthur and his son Jovan were ruthless and treacherous. Instead, n had a much closer rtionship with his cousin Alexander Hunt. Just as n was still talking about his brother, Arthur¡¯s recognizable boisterousughter was heard approaching from the entrance. ¡°Ah, Alexander! Francine! Congrattions! Congrattions!¡± Chapter 842 Chapter 842 The atmosphere in the great hall tensed up immediately. There was even a sense that des would be drawn at any second. Ever since Stefan faked his death and Jovan colluded with his cronies in an attempt to seize power in H Group, the Hunt family was divided into two warring factions. The first took Alexander Hunt¡¯s side, while the second took Arthur Hunt¡¯s side¡ªand from then on, the two cousins then became adversaries. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Alexander had a forthright personality, so when he saw Arthur approaching from a distance, he immediately glowered and blurted, ¡°Hmph! I can¡¯t believe you have the gall to step into this house! If I¡¯m not mistaken, I don¡¯t think my father ever invited you and your wife here today!¡± ¡°Come on, Alexander! Why are you treating me like I¡¯m a stranger?¡± Arthur, cunning as an old fox, wore a wide phony grin on his face as he walked up to Alexander and put his hand on his cousin¡¯s shoulder in a fake brotherly gesture. ¡°How could I not be here when it¡¯s such a happy asion for the Hunt family?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m your cousin, after all! Anyway, the more, the merrier, right? I must raise a toast to you today!¡± His wife, She Hunt, followed behind him, d in a luxurious wine-red coat and carrying a limited- edition designer handbag. As soon as she stepped through the door, she jeered, ¡°Say, you two are indeed lucky, Alexander and Francine! You managed to get a daughter-inw, a grandson, and a granddaughter in one fell swoop! I do envy you! Arthur and I can never hope to be as lucky as you!¡± She might possess enormous wealth and a great style, but she still paled in every aspect when compared to Francine. Before she married Arthur, she always regarded Francine as her imaginary rival. Then, after marrying into the Hunt family, she alwayspared herself to Francine at every opportunity she got. Unfortunately for her, no matter which way she made aparison, whether it was herself against Francine, her husband against Francine¡¯s husband, or her son against Francine¡¯s son, she always came up short. She finally won, albeit barely, when shepared their daughters-inw, yet now¡­ Not only did Stefan get himself a wife, but he even had a son and a daughter, which meant that she had, once again,pletely lost to Francine!¡± She was so angry could barely hold it together, but she held her breath and gathered her strength. She would finally put Francine in her ce today! Arthur and She seemed to have no shame at all as they proceeded to calmly and respectfully offer old Mr. Hunt a cup of tea even though they were osted by cold res and angry nces from the people around them. ¡°Take a seat!¡± old Mr. Hunt told them in a lukewarm voice after taking a sip of the tea. ¡°Uncle Timothy!¡± n muttered with displeasure. ¡°You¡¯re too kind and generous! Don¡¯t you remember the shameful deeds of this greedy brother of mine and his cunning son? They almost took over the entirepany! If I were you, I would¡¯ve booted them from the Hunt family a long time ago¡ªyet you still drank the tea they offered¡­¡± ¡°n! You¡¯re my own younger brother! How could you use me of such things?!¡± Arthur acted as if his feelings were hurt and let out a sigh. ¡°At the time, no one knew if Stefan was alive or dead. H Group was thrown into chaos, and Jovan stepped in at the most crucial hour, leading the company in a time of crisis and saving the family¡¯s honor. Don¡¯t you know how much pressure he was under?¡± ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s not surprising that he was under a lot of pressure since he was a usurper!¡± ¡°How could you call him a usurper?¡± Arthur argued. ¡°He was clearly taking charge of the situation to lead thepany out of a crisis! After all, who else in this family could rece Stefan other than my son Jovan?¡± Indeed, no one could refute him in this matter. All along, there had not been many talented and capable people in the Hunt family. In Stefan¡¯s generation, there were only three outstanding male members of the Hunt family, namely Stefan, Jovan, and Julian. The rest were either too unremarkable and mediocre or were women. Julian was only a junior member of the Hunt family. He grew up abroad and had his own career, but he never had much to do with the Hunt family or H Group at all. But Jovan was different. He was Stefan¡¯s cousin. Ever since he was young, he received the same education as Stefan, and he upied the same important position as Stefan in the Hunt family. Unfortunately, he was always ever so slightly inferior to Stefan. If Stefan got 100 points in a test, then Jovan could only ever get 99 points, never higher. It was a minute difference, but it was enough to cement Stefan¡¯s position as the CEO of H Group. As a result, Jovan was forever relegated to the position of substitute. Chapter 843 Chapter 843 ¡°Arthur¡¯s right,¡± Alexander agreed smugly. ¡°No one else in the entire Hunt family could ever hold a candle to Stefan apart from your son Jovan¡­¡± Then he viciously added, ¡°But I¡¯ve got a grandson and a granddaughter now. As their grandfather, I will raise them and train them so well that they¡¯d be able to take over the family business from Stefan one day. We won¡¯t need to trouble your son anymore.¡± Alexander¡¯s words made Arthur and She green with rage, but because old Mr. Hunt was still there, they remained cautious and dared not cause too much of a scene. Still, these two would never give up so easily, especially not She¡ªshe was not one to take it lying down! She had been stifling a grudge all along, and now that Alexander humiliated her in front of the whole family, she swore that she would let them pay no matter what! ¡°Alexander, Francine, let¡¯s not forget that it is a happy asion for the family, so let¡¯s not bring up the messy past! When I heard that Stefan got back together with his ex-wife, I specially prepared a gift just for them.¡± With an affected smile, She pulled a palm-sized gift box from her handbag and ced it in Francine¡¯s hands. ¡°What is it?¡± Francine asked. She could not help but be curious when she found that the box was quite heavy. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing too expensive, just a two-pound lock made of pure gold.¡± ¡°What? Why would you give them a lock?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not an ordinary lock. It¡¯s called a chastity lock. I even had a master make it¡­¡± She covered her mouth to hide her smile and continued, ¡°Because Stefan got back together with his ex-wife, I figured that since no one knows how many men she hooked up with in the years after they divorced, it¡¯ll be important to let her wear this chastity lock. That way, we can guarantee that she stays loyal and won¡¯t dare to run from Stefan again.¡± When the crowd heard this, they could not help but burst intoughter. In fact, the women seemed to find She¡¯s words especially amusing, as they almost howled inughter. They were already irked by Renee for sleeping in sote¡ªa behavior considered utterly improper for the wife of a powerful man like Stefan. With Francine¡¯s protection, however, none dared to say anything about it. Now that She had led the way to criticize Renee, their tongues began to wag again. ¡°She¡¯s right, Francine. The Hunt family has a strict tradition of only letting in chaste women to the family because purity is very important to them. If this chastity lock really does work, then I think you¡¯d better let her wear it!¡± ¡°Besides, and forgive me for being blunt, I think you should do a paternity test on her children. We don¡¯t ever have a gene for twins in the Hunt family, yet she somehow showed up with a pair of twins! I¡¯m just worried that Stefan is being fooled to raise another man¡¯s children¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Francine¡¯s rage almost reached the boiling point. She rolled up her sleeves, getting ready to battle these foul-mouthed women. Meanwhile, Renee had just gotten up. In a set offy pajamas, her hair was still messy as she slowly made her way downstairs, yawning. Awoken by hunger, she headed downstairs to look for something to eat in a daze.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. But just before she could get downstairs, she noticed that the hall was filled with Stefan¡¯s rtives. Her face instantly flushed red, and she quickly turned around to slip back into the room to hide, but she bumped into Stefan, who was following closely behind her, and fell right into his arms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Stefan. He held a coat in his hands, which he gently and lovingly wrapped around Renee¡¯s shoulders, worried that she might catch a cold from wearing too little. Chapter 844 Chapter 844 ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that there were guests downstairs? What would your family think of me now?!¡± Renee buried her beet-red face in her hands, totally humiliated. She wished that she could find a hole in the ground and hide in there forever. They must have found out that she had been sleeping in thiste, and if she showed up looking unkempt and disheveled, she would forever be regarded as the shame of the Hunt family and drown in their saliva from their disparaging opinions! ¡°What they think is their business,¡± replied Stefan. ¡°All I want is for you to befortable.¡± Stefan put his arms around Renee¡¯s shoulders and calmly led her downstairs. Then, in a casual tone, he greeted everyone, ¡°Good morning, uncles and aunts. Please forgive me and Renee for getting up so late.¡± Stefan¡¯s power and position in the Hunt family were only second to old Mr. Hunt, so as soon as he spoke up, his voice carried a certain authority that instantly silenced the whole room. But when he looked down at the woman in his arms, his voice became as gentle as spring showers when he dotingly said, ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be shy. Say hello to the elders in our family.¡± No matter how embarrassed Renee was, she could not possibly just ignore Stefan¡¯s suggestion, so she bit the bullet and greeted the people in the room. The women feared Stefan, so even though they had wagged their tongues just seconds ago, they didn¡¯t even dare to let out a fart, all of them except She, who feared no one. ¡°Ah, Renee! It¡¯s been so long since west met! It must¡¯ve been, let me see¡­ four years!¡± Like a demon hiding behind an angel¡¯s mask, she took Renee¡¯s hands and smilingly told her, ¡°I remember how everyone was cheering on happily when Stefan kicked you out of the house back then, but I was the only one who pitied you because I have a sensitive heart, you see¡­¡± ¡°She!¡± Francine cut her off angrily, barely able to restrain herself from tearing out She¡¯s mouth herself. ¡°If you have nothing nice to say, then just shut up! No one would think that you¡¯re dumb if you don¡¯t speak for a while!¡± The situation had now gotten awkward. Apart from Stefan¡¯s immediate family, the rest were staring at Renee and She, eager to see how the scene would y out. But Renee did not mind She¡¯s words at all. With a faint smile, she said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t hold grudges.¡± This emboldened She, and she continued to speak even more viciously. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl! I was just telling your mother-inw that I¡¯ve prepared a special gift for you. Why don¡¯t you put it on and see if it suits you?¡± She then took out the golden lock from the box and stuffed it into Renee¡¯s hands, telling her, ¡°This is called a chastity lock. It must¡¯ve been really hard for you, raising two children as a single mother all these years. Undoubtedly, you must have looked for some other men just so you could survive¡­¡± ¡°I heard some ridiculous rumors about you out there,¡± she continued. ¡°They say that your children aren¡¯t Stefan¡¯s, but that their real father is that Osborne boy, because they¡¯ve got a gene for twins in that family. Come here. Let me put this on for you. This lock will signify that from now, you¡¯ll stay completely loyal to Stefan and the Hunt family!¡± She,cking an ounce of respect for her, was undoubtedly trying to humiliate Renee. Everyone else was also watching on with amusement. After all, everyone in the Hunt family, even the servants, was so used to bullying and humiliating Renee that it was no longer a surprising sight. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°We don¡¯t need it,¡± said Stefan with a stony face. He exuded an icy cold aura while his piercing eyes were focused on She. Intimidated by Stefan¡¯s gaze, She sputtered, ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s wrong, Stefan? I only mean well!¡± ¡°I think this lock is much more suited for Jovan,¡± Stefan replied firmly with an expressionless face. ¡°Perhaps it might stop him from seducing and deceiving so many women, which would inevitably bring terrible retributions like getting cut off from his children in the future.¡± Stefan¡¯s words caused an instant uproar. Even Renee was visibly shocked. Chapter 845 Chapter 845 This b*stard was downright vulgar! She and Arthur were seething with anger. They quickly rushed towards old Mr. Hunt toin. ¡°You¡­ You heard that, didn¡¯t you, Uncle Timothy? Stefan was simply being disrespectful of us! She only meant to give them the golden lock as a special gift with pure intentions. It¡¯s fine if they don¡¯t appreciate it, but how could he say that Jovan could be cut off from his children? You must grant us justice, Uncle!¡± She clung onto the armrest of the chair where old Mr. Hunt was seated, wailing as if the world was ending. Arthur then added, bringing up his long-dead father to put more pressure on old Mr. Hunt, ¡°My father died young, Uncle Timothy, but before he died, he entrusted me to you. Although I¡¯m only your nephew, I¡¯ve always looked up to you as my real father, so you can¡¯t let your son and grandson bully me like this. If Jovan really is cut off from his children, my bloodline will end with him, and in that case, my father will certainly have something to say about it when you meet him in heaven!¡± ¡°Arthur¡­¡± Old Mr. Hunt began. ¡°We both know that your father entrusted you to me¡­¡± Old Mr. Hunt always remembered his dead younger brother fondly, so he was never able to take any firm and decisive actions against Arthur Hunt and his family because he would always give in to them. He heaved a heavy sigh and told Arthur, ¡°You said you look up to me as your real father, so how could I not love you as my own son? Ever since you were a child, I brought you up together with my children, and I even brought Stefan and Jovan up together too. I¡¯ve always distributed the responsibilities in H Group ording to their abilities. I¡¯ve always been fair and just.¡± ¡°I know,¡± the old man continued, ¡°that you were dissatisfied when I handed H Group over to Stefan and let Jovan manage the branch overseas. I know that since then, you¡¯ve been scheming and plotting to take over. I can turn a blind eye to all that, but what happened today is different¡­ I won¡¯t interfere with what happened today. It is not my right to take charge of this matter.¡± Old Mr. Hunt turned to the butler beside him. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Take me back to my room. I¡¯m going to take a rest now.¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?¡± She felt as if a rug was pulled off from under her feet. In the past, no matter how much they crossed the line, old Mr. Hunt would eventually give in and take their side, so why did he give up his authority so easily today? She quickly chased after old Mr. Hunt with tears in her eyes and snot on her nose, ¡°Uncle! You can¡¯t just leave us like this! You must settle this! You¡­¡± ¡°Please step back, Madam.¡± The butler blocked She¡¯s way, then helped old Mr. Hunt back to his room. Now that the most powerful man in the Hunt family had given up his authority on the matter, Arthur and She¡¯s pomposity and arrogance deted significantly. Arthur turned to his cousin and said, ¡°Alexander, we can forget everything else, but you must tell your son to apologize for the extremely disrespectful things he said!¡± Alexander turned to his son, ¡°Your uncle wants you to apologize, Stefan. What do you think?¡± Stefan pursed his thin lips. His eyes were piercingly cold. He exuded such an intimidating air that the atmosphere inexplicably tensed up. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll apologize, but¡­¡± His eyes became even sharper and more ruthless as he stared straight at Arthur and She. ¡°Only after the both of you apologize to my wife.¡± Arthur was so infuriated that he mmed the table and roared, ¡°What?! I¡¯m your uncle! You want me to apologize to someone younger than me? That¡¯s an utter insult!¡± She shed off her mask and disdainfully spat, ¡°Who is Renee Everheart anyway?! She¡¯s just a down- and-out woman who has nothing, and yet all of you spoil her like a princess! My son Jovan would never give a woman like that a second look! And I will never let someone of her status to even step through the doors of the Hunt family!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re both so brazen¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze grew colder and colder till it was terrifying enough to induce shudders. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make it clear to you now¡ªif you don¡¯t apologize to my wife today, don¡¯t even think about leaving this house.¡± Chapter 846 Chapter 846 Both Arthur and She were startled by Stefan¡¯s threat. They knew that Stefan was a haughty man, but they never expected it to reach the point where he would disregard basic social etiquette of showing respect to the elders¡ªall for a woman of a low status! For a family who had always abided by strict rules, such behavior was simply perfidious! The elders in the room could no longer stand by quietly. One by one, they stood up and voiced their disapproval. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re Arthur¡¯s nephew! How could you speak to him like that? Think of how embarrassing it would be if the public finds out about this!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°No matter how wrong Arthur and She were, they are still your uncle and aunt! You should settle the matter by discussing it like civilized people. Is the problem even worth losing your temper over?¡± ¡°As your uncles and aunts, we think you two are the ones who should be begging for your aunt and uncle¡¯s forgiveness!¡± Because of his arrogance, Stefan now became the target of the family¡¯s verbal attacks. Seeing this, She was once again emboldened. She snorted coldly and jeered at Alexander and Francine. ¡°I guess the education you gave Stefan was too liberal for us, Alexander and Francine! That¡¯s why your son has be a radical that dares to disregardmon courtesy! To put it more bluntly¡­ he¡¯s no different from an uneducated brute! If you don¡¯t reel him in now and let him get away with threatening his uncle and aunt, then you might find him stepping over you and peeing on your heads tomorrow! It¡¯d be toote for you to regret it then!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Arthur echoed vehemently. ¡°He must beg us for forgiveness today, or else I won¡¯t let this matter slide!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Francine replied nonchntly as she sat gracefully on the couch, ¡°but this is between you and Stefan. As for who should be the one to apologize, I¡¯ll leave it to you to sort it out. Besides, my son is well-known for being respectful to the elders, yet there are some of the elders who behave in a way that makes them undeserving of respect!¡± ¡°What are you saying, Francine Milford? Who is undeserving of respect?!¡± She was so enraged that she no longer cared about appearances. She stomped towards Francine, determined to fight with her to the death. After all, the rift between their two families was now so huge that it was irreparable, and there was no point in trying to maintain a semnce of dignity anymore. Seeing this, Renee felt embarrassed. She knew that the fight in the family erupted because of her, and she had no desire to be the ¡®eye of the storm,¡¯ the central point where family discord and dispute swirled around, causing cracks and rifts within the family. And so, she hastily blocked She¡¯s way and humbly said, ¡°Please calm down, Aunt She! This is all my fault, so I¡¯ll apologize to you and to Uncle Arthur, I¡­¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± She had no time for Renee, nor did she care to appear dignified anymore, so she disdainfully shrieked, ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a destitute dog! You arepletely unworthy of marrying into the Hunt family, and you don¡¯t even have any right to speak!¡± After speaking, she violently shoved Renee aside. ¡°What are you doing¡­?¡± Renee was caught off guard. She staggered and almost facented on the floor. Fortunately, Stefan had quick eyes and quicker hands, so he was able to swiftly support Renee¡¯s body with his long arms. At the moment, his eyes were like daggers that were savagely aimed at She. ¡°She¡­ she was blocking my way! It¡¯s not my fault! Why are you looking at me like that?¡± She¡¯s puffed-up arrogance suddenly vanished, and she gulped nervously, feeling somewhat guilty. Chapter 847 Chapter 847 ¡°Apologize to her.¡± The demand that came out of Stefan¡¯s mouth sounded simple, but it was given firmly and coldly as he slowly stepped toward She. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯te near me! You¡­ You¡­¡± She backed away from Stefan in fright. She looked so distressed that she could barely hold her tears in. Renee tugged at Stefan¡¯s sleeve and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Stefan! Please, stop looking like a man- eating monster! We¡¯re still younger than them, so let¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°I said apologize!¡± Stefan repeated his order to She in a much more forceful manner now,pletely ignoring Renee¡¯s pleas. He looked as if he might beat She to death in a heartbeat! Seeing this, Arthur rushed over and acted as if he was teaching Stefan a lesson, asking him, ¡°What are you doing, Stefan? Is this how you speak to your aunt?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only counting to three. Both of you will apologize to my wife¡­¡± Stefan had a savage expression on his face, and his eyes looked bone-chillingly cold as he counted, ¡°One, two¡­¡± Before he could say ¡°three,¡± Arthur and She were already putting their hands up in defeat. ¡°We¡¯re sorry! We¡¯re sorry!¡± Arthur had a false smile on his face as he turned to Renee and said, ¡°My wife and I were only joking, but we definitely crossed the line and offended you and Stefan. We both deeply apologize to you and hope you won¡¯t take what we said to heart. From now on, we¡¯ll make sure to choose our words more carefully.¡± She was naturally still furious, but she considered the possible consequences of offending and angering Stefan and how it would surely bring terrible repercussions to their family, especially their son Jovan, so she could only begrudgingly say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I said some things without thinking just now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± replied Renee, trying to turn the whole thing into a small matter so she could get this over with as soon as possible. ¡°We¡¯re the ones who should be apologizing! It¡¯s our fault that we couldn¡¯t take a joke and made the whole atmosphere strained and awkward.¡± Renee could not imagine what the rest of the Hunt family would think of her from now on. Stefan¡¯s aunt and uncle had just been forced to apologize to her, so they must think of her as an unruly,zy, and wicked woman! By now, Stefan¡¯s expression finally warmed up a bit, and he sneered, ¡°The truth is, I have a lot of respect for you, Uncle Arthur, and Aunt She. You raised Jovan into a very capable man who managed to do a great job with H Group¡¯s branch overseas, raking in huge profits for ourpany. I¡¯m aware of all this¡­¡± ¡°So,¡± he added, ¡°as long as you stay loyal to us and refrain from cooking up sinister plots behind me, I will make sure that you are rewarded handsomely. But if I find out that you have impure intentions against me, or if you¡¯re unable to do something so basic as respecting my wife, then don¡¯t me me for being merciless to the elders.¡± Arthur was no fool, perfectly understanding the warning in Stefan¡¯s words, so he hurriedly replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Stefan! Jovan had always been steadfastly loyal to H Group. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he devoted his life to thepany. As for your wife, he had nothing but respect for her! In fact, he kept reminding us to congratte you both!¡± Stefan nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°Uncle Arthur, Aunt She, I know you¡¯re both smart people, and I know that Jovan is an intelligent man as well. I trust that you will never let me down¡­¡± He then turned to face the rest of the family. He was younger than the rest, but he carried an undeniable air of definite authority when he dered, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard what I said, aunts and uncles! I don¡¯t care what you think of her, but Renee is my wife. She is the woman I love the most, so if you dare to criticize her, it means that you dare to criticize me. If you dare to disrespect her, it means that you dare to disrespect me. If I find out about it, don¡¯t me me for being disrespectful to the elders and for being unkind to the members of my own family!¡± As soon as he uttered those words, the women who had been wagging their tongues and gossiping about Renee held their breaths right away, fearful that Stefan¡¯s terrifying gaze would fall on them. None of them ever expected that the down-and-out woman who they used to humiliate and bully would soar to such an elevated position in the family, so spoiled and doted on by Stefan even after marrying into the Hunt family for the second time! This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It was almost unbelievable! None of them would be so stupid as to provoke or offend Renee from now on! Chapter 848 Chapter 848 After Stefan had given his warning, the party then went on quite harmoniously, and the jeering and sneering were gone as well. Renee used to upy an even lower status than stray dogs in the Hunt family, but she had risen to the pinnacle as if she was the main star of the show. Elders who used to hold her in contempt now surrounded her and praised her incessantly. This helped her understand a certain truth¡ªhow popr and respected you were with your inws had nothing at all to do with how friendly and sociable you were or how good you were at your career because, at the end of the day, it all depended on how your husband treated you. When your husband doted on you, it did not matter howzy or unruly you were. When all had been said and done, you would be his one in a million, an irreceable wife and a remarkable daughter-in- law. But when your husband neglected you, it did not matter how much you abided by the rules or even if you werepletely perfect. In the end, you would still be the most pitiful one who deserved absolutely no respect from anyone! Once the party was over, Renee was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Her whole body slumped down on the couch, and she stared listlessly at the luxurious ceiling above. ¡°Tired?¡± Stefan asked gently as he wrapped an arm around her slim waist. ¡°What do you think?¡± Renee pinched her cheeks which felt sore, and grumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve been faking a smile at your rtives all day! How could I not be exhausted?¡± Those rtives of Stefan were masters of treating people differently based on their status and importance. As soon as they realized that Renee¡¯s status in the Hunt family had risen to the top, they all surrounded her to tter her, which made it all the more exhausting for her to deal with all the attention. ¡°You did great¡­¡± Stefan massaged her shoulders with his long fingers and lovingly told her, ¡°From now on, you can smile whenever you like. If you don¡¯t feel like smiling, then don¡¯t force yourself. You¡¯re Stefan Hunt¡¯s wife. You can do whatever you want. You don¡¯t need to worry about what others might think of you.¡± His words made Renee feel warm and gooey inside. Her big bright eyes twinkled, then she climbed on top of Stefan and pinned him down, then she stared straight into his eyes and began her interrogation, ¡°Mr. Stefan Hunt, your words shocked me. What made you treat me so nicely all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to treat you this nicely, but you never gave me the chance. Now that I¡¯ve finally got it, you can bet that I¡¯ll seize it and use it well¡­¡± At this point, Stefan turned over and pinned Renee underneath his body. His thin lips curled into a mischievous smile, ¡°Did it move you to tears? Don¡¯t you think I deserve to be handsomely rewarded?¡± ¡°Handsomely reward your *ss¡­ Mmm!¡± Before Renee could finish her sentence, her rosy lips were sealed by his own, and once again, she was trapped in passionate convolution. Alexander and Francine came downstairs at that very moment and were met with such a scene on the couch. Both of them blushed deeply and hesitated to enter the hall where the young couple was entangled with each other. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Alexander asked his wife, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that the rascal who¡¯s always been so cold and distant actually has a passionate side as well?¡± ¡°How could I tell you when I just found out about it myself?¡± replied Francine. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s another submissive man in the Hunt family.¡± ¡°If they keep up at that pace,¡± said Francine, ¡°we¡¯d better get ready to wee our third grandchild!¡± Renee¡¯s whole body was limp and powerless, and her brain was empty of any thoughts. Stefan had been kissing her so violently that she was almost out of breath. The more she resisted, the more excited and aggressive he became. Any longer like this, and she would soonpletely lose all self- control¡­ ¡®Damn it,¡¯ she thought, ¡®why did no one ever tell her that this frigid iceberg of a man is such an ardent lover?!¡¯ Ever since she agreed to ¡°fake¡± being in a rtionship with him, this man never left her alone and was always kissing and canoodling with her almost twenty-four hours a day. ¡®Oh god, who would save me from this blissful torment?!¡¯ Deep amid their heated embroilment, Renee¡¯s misty almond eyes caught sight of Stefan¡¯s parents near the staircase. In an instant, she became agitated and kept beating Stefan¡¯s chest, pleading with him, ¡°No, Stefan, don¡¯t¡­¡± Stefan very deftly unbuttoned Renee¡¯s shirt with his long fingers and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°What did you say? I know, you were saying don¡¯t stop, right?¡± Chapter 849 Chapter 849 Meanwhile, Alexander and his wife, who were on the stairs, were so embarrassed that they shifted awkwardly and quickly turned around to look away. ¡°Geez,¡± Francine muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t know our son could be so shameless!¡± ¡°Geez,¡± Alexander eximed with pride, ¡°I didn¡¯t know our son could be so good at it!¡± Renee mustered up all her strength to kick Stefan off her body and shot up to her feet. She tried her best to straighten her messy hair and clothes and said, ¡°Mom, Dad, would you¡­ would you like a cup of tea?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about us! You¡¯re both clearly very busy right now, so we won¡¯t trouble you. Your dad and I were just passing through.¡± After that, Francine quickly dragged Alexander away, and they were gone. ¡°Oh god, I¡¯m done for! My image ispletely and permanently ruined! What will your parents and all your rtives think of me from now on?!¡± Renee buried her flushed red face in her hands out of bashfulness. She felt like crying, but no tears came out. She thought of the perfect image she managed to foster as the prim and proper Mrs. Stefan Hunt all those years ago andmented at how it was being diced into pieces. ¡°In their eyes,¡± she grumbled, ¡°I must be nothing but azy and greedy woman who only knew how to seduce men all day! Everyone in your family must hate my guts right now!¡± ¡°Why should you care about all that?¡± Stefan leaned on the couchnguidly like a scoundrel. His lips had been stained red by Renee¡¯s lipstick. He raised Renee¡¯s chin with a finger and told her, ¡°You¡¯re my very own vixen, and I don¡¯t care what others think. I will dly let you seduce me.¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re giving me the heebie-jeebies!¡± Renee indeed felt goosebumps all over her body. She hastily pulled away from the man and maintained a safe distance from him. ¡°Will you stop it and act normal? You¡¯re scaring me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure you get used to it in no time.¡± The two were once again entangled with each other for a long while before Stefan¡¯s appetite was finally satiated. He raised his wrist and nced at his watch before snapping his fingers and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Time to pick up the kids now! The four of us should celebrate together this evening!¡± They both then got into the car and drove to Monte Perry Kindergarten. Since it was a private international kindergarten, the children epted here were all from wealthy families, so by the end of school time, there would be a huge number of luxury cars parked in front of the kindergarten gates. The extent of luxury cars on disy made it look like there was a luxury car show in front of the school. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As usual, Renee would drive her ordinary but trusty Volvo to pick up her kids. Although the car was not luxurious in any sense of the word, it was still one of the best in the market in terms offort and safety. The only problem with it was that she often got looked down on by the other parents, who often turned their noses up at her when they saw the kind of car she drove. It resulted in her often being forced to stop or get blocked by the other cars. Something simr just happened to them. When Stefan clearly saw a parking spot in front of the school entrance and was about to take the spot, an expensive Panamera rudely cut them off and snatched it right from under their noses. ¡°Did that guy just steal my spot?!¡± Mr. Hunt, the CEO of H Group, had never experienced anything like this before. Naturally, he was instantly enraged. His brows knitted tightly, and he mmed the steering wheel violently to stop the other car. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Renee asked, startled. ¡°I¡¯m taking back my parking spot!¡± ¡°Look at you, acting all immature!¡± Renee could not help butugh and said, ¡°We¡¯re at the kindergarten entrance. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be embarrassing if the parents started to fight when even the kids get along nicely? Come on, let¡¯s forget this and not make things worse.¡± ¡°But they stole my parking spot! I¡¯ve been driving for so many years, and no one has ever dared to do that!¡± Mr. Hunt¡¯s usually cool and handsome face was now pouting like a boy who had had his toy snatched away from him. Neither he nor the Panamera was willing to give in. All along, not only had no one ever dared to steal a parking spot from him, most cars did not even dare to get near his car and had always maintained a distance of a few hundred feet at all times. How could a man so feared and respected ept such despicable treatment?! ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry, baby, but for the sake of the children, let¡¯s keep a low profile and let this slide. I¡¯ll get you some ice cream on the way home, okay?¡± After patiently and gently persuading Stefan, Renee then pointed in a direction in front of them and told him, ¡°There¡¯s an open-air parking lot about half a mile ahead. There are tons of parking spots! Let¡¯s not waste our time fighting for one here!¡± Chapter 850 Chapter 850 ¡°Fine!¡± Stefan¡¯s renowned haughtiness finally gave way to Renee¡¯s gentle persuasions. He turned the steering wheel with one hand while he tousled her hair with the other. ¡°For the sake of my angelic wife, I won¡¯t stoop to their level today.¡± And so, they agreed to part ways¡ªStefan drove away and headed towards the open-air parking lot less than half a mile away, while Renee got out of the car and queued up in front of the kindergarten gate and waited her turn to pick up her kids. Once the kids were with her, Stefan drove back to the kindergarten, and they would meet up again. In fact, many other parents had opted to do the same thing, because there were just too few parking spots in front of the kindergarten, so it did not matter whether you were a powerful official or amon citizen, once they became parents, they had to abide the rules to set a good example for their children. Meanwhile, the Panamera boastfully screeched to a halt in the parking spot that Stefan had just given up. The door opened, and out came a young woman with long curly hair and heavy makeup, d in a Chanel haute couture dress and an expensive, limited edition designer handbag slung over her forearm. Her ten-inch stilettos clicked onto the ground as she snobbily stepped out of the car. The line in front of the kindergarten was already very long as the teachers handed the children one by one to their parents. Because she waste, Renee ended up at the very end of the line. She stood on her tiptoes and stretched her neck to look inside, only to see from afar that Adie, Abby, and another boy had been singled out by the teacher Miss Apple, who seemed to be giving them a lecture in a corner. ¡®Oh boy,¡¯ she thought, instantly worried, ¡®what did the two rascals do this time?¡¯ But no matter how anxious she was, she still patiently waited in line for her turn. The snobby woman with curly hair, on the other hand, walked right past Renee and cut the line, taking the spot at the very front. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s that woman? How could she just jump in line like that? The other parents started to murmur and grumble in displeasure, albeit in lowered voices. The rest were just as annoyed but dared not say a word about it. ¡°Just ignore it. That woman has powerful connections. We can¡¯t afford to offend her¡­¡± ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not the first she jumped the line anyway, so let¡¯s just endure it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Like Renee, most parents would rather turn a blind eye to certain things, hoping they wouldn¡¯t ruffle any feathers for the sake of their children¡¯s safety. Renee had initially nned to just stay quiet about it, but when she remembered how pompously snobbish the woman was when she snatched their parking spot earlier and how she had the gall to jump in line in front of everyone, she just lost all her patience! ¡°Hey, curlyhead!¡± ¡°Curlyhead?¡± the snobbish woman turned around and looked around disdainfully. ¡°Stop looking around, I was talking to you¡­¡± Renee¡¯s exquisite face turned cold and intimidating as she asked the woman, ¡°Have you ever been to kindergarten?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°If you¡¯ve been to kindergarten before, you would¡¯ve surely learned how to abide by the rules and stand in line to wait for your turn. That way you¡¯d be a good example to the children. But of course, if you turn around now and stand at the back of the queue, you may disregard everything I just said.¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡­!¡± The woman was so infuriated that she turned pale. She pointed at Renee and shrieked, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who I am? How dare you! You must have a death wish if you dare speak to me like that!¡± The other parents gasped in awe at Renee¡¯s courage for daring to provoke this woman. But Renee merely sneered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no idea who you are. Why don¡¯t you get yourself a megaphone and introduce yourself to everyone here? That way your child would learn what kind of a mother they have!¡± ¡°Listen to me carefully¡ªI have connections with the Murphy family. Don¡¯t you know Ethan Murphy? If you dare to go against me, it means going against the Murphy family!¡± ¡°Ethan Murphy, huh? Renee was suddenly fascinated. ¡°Yes, of course, I know him. He¡¯s the current patriarch of the Murphy family and a famously powerful man indeed.¡± Ethan Murphy was Seraphina Murphy¡¯s father, and he almost became Stefan¡¯s father-inw, so how could Renee not know him? Chapter 851 Chapter 851 ¡°Well, so you do know your ce!¡± Jasmine crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her chin high before she roared at Renee arrogantly, ¡°Hurry up and kneel in apology. I won¡¯t hold you responsible for it.¡± The surrounding parents tried to persuade Renee to give in. It was because Jasmine was Ethan¡¯s lover for many years. She had be quite arrogant because of how much he had spoiled her. The reason why she dared to be so arrogant was because she had given birth to a son for Ethan. It was a general fact that the Murphy family had only pronounced having a daughter called Seraphina, but in fact, Ethan¡¯s illegitimate son was more than four years old now. Jasmine was bold enough to even put Ethan¡¯s original wife down because of that illegitimate son. She also became very wilful and unscrupulous. ¡°Great idea!¡± Renee cracked a smile and put on a queen¡¯s demeanor. She stated condescendingly, ¡°I¡¯m ready. You can kneel now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so insensible. I asked you to get down on your knees!¡± Jasmine then raised her arm in indignation since she wanted to p Renee. However, Renee tilted her shoulders slightly, rapidly dodging the attack. ¡°Ah!¡± Jasmine staggered and fell. As a result, the hem of her dress was lifted, and she was in an extremely sorry state. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± The surrounding parents could not hold themselves back anymore as they burst into peals ofughter. That wilful and arrogant homewrecker finally suffered a defeat. It was a great satisfaction. Renee looked down at Jasmine condescendingly and smirked. She sounded like she was half joking. ¡°Hmm¡­ Although your posture is a bit ugly, you kneel well. I¡¯ll ept it and forgive you. If I see you cut the line again, I¡¯ll make you kneel even more urately!¡± ¡°Why¡­ you¡­ and you guys. Are you courting death?¡± Jasmine was greatly humiliated. She gritted her teeth and made a fierce threat. ¡°Just you wait. You are all going to be ruined. Not a single one of you will escape!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. After she scolded them, her pretty but coquettish face immediately became delicate. She took out her phone and called Ethan. ¡°Hello, Ethan,e to the kindergarten now. Your son and I are getting bullied!¡± The parents, who wereughing heartily, quickly lost their humor. They kept quiet in fear. ¡°Go on! Why did you stopughing? Weren¡¯t you all having augh?¡± Jasmine pointed at a housewife who dressed up inly and scolded, ¡°Youughed the hardest just now. When my manes, you and your child will have to kneel before me. If not, I won¡¯t let you off the hook!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯tugh at you. Please forgive me¡­¡± That housewife lowered her head and trembled all over in terror. ¡°Humph! You¡¯re scared now, but it¡¯s toote!¡± Jasmine habitually extended her hand to p that housewife to retrieve her dignity. Of course, Renee could not bear to see that. She grabbed Jasmine¡¯s wrist and yanked her gently. Consequently, Jasmine slipped and fell again, which threw her into a sorrier state. Now no parents dared tough. They¡­ had to suppress theirughter. Renee once again assumed an air of superiority and looked at the woman lying on the ground as if she was looking at her hand. ¡°Well, it¡¯s more standard now. You¡¯re rather sensible, after all!¡± ¡°Why, you¡­¡± Jasmine gnashed her teeth in hatred. She almost burst into tears of anger. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± That housewife retreated repeatedly out of fear. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it. It has nothing to do with me. Don¡¯te to me!¡± However, Renee said overbearingly, ¡°My name is Renee Everheart. Come to me if you want revenge!¡± Chapter 852 Chapter 852 Just when swords almost shed, Miss Apple, the ss teacher, waved at them. ¡°Miss Everheart, Miss Click, both of you happen to be here today. Pleasee over. I need to tell you something about your children.¡± ¡°Sure, Miss Apple. I¡¯ll be there.¡± Renee appeared devastatingly smug as she put on airs, but in the next second, she was full of smiles. She became brighter and gentler. Jasmine also quickly crawled back up and dusted off the dirt on her body. She also put on a very ttering front. ¡°Miss Apple, I¡¯ming!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Their humble and ttering looks were rather amusing. It was understandable. In today¡¯s world, women left their children to society as hostages, and the kindergarten teacher was the one who managed those hostages. So, nearly all parents, including the local dignitaries as well as the cleaners, would be ttering and humble in front of the kindergarten teacher. It was no exception for a pompousdy like Jasmine. Miss Apple led them to the consulting zone of the kindergarten. The three children were sitting upright on the stools in the consulting zone. However, Renee noticed at a nce that the children were just like them. The children, in an uncannily simr situation, were also at daggers drawn. Especially Adie and Huddie. If the counselor did not stop them, they might have gotten into a fight. ¡°Huh? Miss Apple? Did someone beat my son up? Why is his face scratched?¡± Jasmine ran to her son angrily and inspected him. After that, she red at Adie and Abby fiercely. ¡°Did you b*stards bully my Huddie?¡± ¡°Miss Click, please calm down. Please sit down with Miss Everheart.¡± Miss Apple frowned and pointed at the sofa in front of her. She seemed slightly impatient. ¡°But Miss Apple, my Huddie¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Click. I¡¯ll handle the children¡¯s affair well.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Jasmine pursed her lips. Although she found it uneptable, she could only sit down furiously. She did not dare to offend her child¡¯s ss teacher openly. Inparison, Renee was way more generous and prudent. She said apologetically, ¡°Miss Apple, thank you so much for your hard work. My children must have caused you a lot of trouble.¡± Chapter 853 Chapter 853 Inparison, Jasmine became more arrogant and ill-mannered. Miss Apple quickly said to Renee, ¡°Of course not. Adie and Abby are very smart and don¡¯t create trouble at all. They never make me worry about them. But unfortunately, some students are more spoiled. They like to annoy or bully others, and it¡¯s giving all the teachers a very hard time¡­¡± When Miss Apple mentioned that issue, she gave Jasmine and Huddie a cold nce before she sighed. ¡°Adie and Abby have a great sense of justice, especially Adie. He¡¯s the prince and hero to all the girls in our ss. Everyone likes him! ¡°This noon, Huddie snatched a small cake from a girl in ss. Adie boldly did the right thing and wanted to snatch the cake back for that girl, but Huddie was adamant about holding on to it. Eventually, he even threw the cake on Adie, and they broke into a fight. Seeing that, Abby quickly ran over to help Adie. And¡­ they ended up in the state that you see now.¡± After Jasmine heard the teacher¡¯s description, she red up in a rage. She screamed sharply, ¡°Miss Apple, you¡¯re a teacher. How could you let the kids get into a fight? You even let two ill-mannered b*stards bully my Huddie¡­ Look at how fierce they were. They scratched my Huddie¡¯s face. Well, I won¡¯t let you guys off the hook if you don¡¯t give me a satisfactory exnation today!¡± Miss Apple rubbed her aching temples after being screamed at. She became rather helpless while speaking to Jasmine. ¡°Miss Click, I think I¡¯ve made myself very clear. It was your son who was overbearing, and he disobeyed the ss rules. He constantly bullies and annoys others. Adie merely had a rtively stronger sense of justice and stepped forward to stop it. Don¡¯t you think you should educate your child now and ask him not to be too naughty and overbearing?¡± Teachers generally disliked meeting parents the likes of Jasmine. She relied on her wealth and status to indulge in her child¡¯s willfulness, while the teachers had to bear the consequences of the child causing trouble. ¡°My son is just lively and optimistic. Of course, he¡¯s not naughty and overbearing. But these two b*stards¡­ I heard that all they have is a mother and no father. Of course, they must be morally inept. Even if my son beat them up, that must be because they deserved it!¡± Jasmine had long heard from her son about how much he hated a child called Adie in his ss. He imed that this child was fatherless, though he was also stronger than him. Not only was the child much more handsome and smarter than him, but the girl he liked favored that child more. Hence, he had long wanted to teach Adie a good lesson. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. The tant disregard formon courtesy instantly enraged Miss Apple, so she retorted rudely. ¡°Miss Click, please stop your personal attacks. Single parents are bing moremon nowadays. There are many fatherless children. What¡¯s more, their mother is virtuous, and the children she raised are so much better than those from ordinary families. On the contrary, some parents arepletely ill- mannered, setting an awful example for the children who, in turn, take after them.¡± ¡°Miss Apple, who are you referring to? Whom are you trying to criticize? What kind of background do these b*stards have? Are they even worth your ardent defense? You should know about Huddie¡¯s status and background. Are you courting death? How dare you offend Huddie for these nameless and statusless b*stards?¡± Jasmine stopped pretending as she red at Miss Apple ferociously. She then threatened, ¡°Do you believe that a single call from me is enough to make you lose your job? I¡¯ve been very respectful toward you, but it was just for the favors. Don¡¯t get over yourself and lose whatever little sense you have. You overestimate yourself!¡± ¡°Hey, Miss Click, are you threatening me? Well, go ahead. It¡¯s not like I want to work here anyway, but I won¡¯t ept you threatening these two kids. I¡¯m going to fight you to the end!¡± Miss Apple was ready to risk everything. With gritted teeth, she sounded extremely resolute. It was because Adie and Abby were so adorable that her heart was softened. They were the most beautiful and witty children she had ever taught, and even if it meant she¡¯d have to lose her job, she would seek justice for them. ¡°Great! Some integrity you have there!¡± Jasmine spoke with deep indignation. ¡°Go and ask the principal who Huddie¡¯s father is. You¡¯ve gotten yourself into some big trouble. Not only do I want you fired, but I also want these two b*stards and their mother to kneel and say sorry to me! ¡°Let me be frank with you. The people my man sent will be here soon. I want all parents to witness the miserable consequences that would befall anyone who dares to stand against Huddie!¡± Chapter 854 Chapter 854 As soon as Jasmine made that statement, a man in a white suit with sunsses barged into the ce fiercely with three to four men in ck suits. ¡°Miss Click, are you and Young Master okay?¡± The man in a white suit asked Jasmine nervously. ¡°Ken, you guys are here atst. Hmm¡­ Anyter, and my son and I would¡¯ve been chastised to the dump!¡± Jasmine grabbed the man¡¯s arm andined about it while crying piteously. After that, she pointed at Renee and Renee¡¯s children. ¡°They bullied Huddie and me. Even the teacher conspired with them¡­ ¡°Look at Huddie! His face was terrible with the scratches. If my man saw it, he¡¯ll feel very sorry! ¡°You guys must take revenge for Huddie and me today. If not, my man will be greatly humiliated.¡± Ken, Ethan¡¯s assistant, patted Jasmine¡¯s shoulders and consoled her softly, ¡°Miss Click, don¡¯t worry. My boss ordered me to make those who bullied you and Young Master pay a heavy price regardless of the mess it¡¯ll cause. We won¡¯t let any of them off the hook!¡± When Miss Apple witnessed that, she extended her arms and shielded Renee, Adie, and Abby. She stood against the tall and burly men. ¡°What do you want? This is a kindergarten. If you dare cross the line, I¡¯m calling the police!¡± ¡°Do you want to call the police?¡± Ken sneered and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? If calling the police is useful, we won¡¯t be bold enough to get so many people here. You don¡¯t even ask around. No one in the whole of Beach City dares to offend my boss¡¯ people except for the Hunt family.¡± ¡°I know you guys have a strong background, but you guys can¡¯t juste in and rough us up. Let¡¯s discuss things nicely. It¡¯s just a conflict between kids. We don¡¯t have to make such a big scene¡­¡± Miss Apple was naturally afraid of the power of the Murphy family, but she could not bear to see Renee and her family being bullied. This left her in a great dilemma. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. On the other hand, Jasmine became more arrogant and superior after she got some supporters on her side. ¡°Miss Apple, we also want to discuss things nicely, but it appears we can only rely on violence while facing these inferior people! ¡°Well, I can let you off the hook as long as you keep your criticisms to yourself since you¡¯re Huddie¡¯s ss teacher. If not¡­ I¡¯ll ask them to hit you too!¡± ¡°What? Hit me? No, you can¡¯t do that. No¡­¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Ken pushed Miss Apple away. ¡°Mommy!¡± Abby was timid, so her eyes turned red instantly before she hid behind Renee. On the contrary, Adie was calmer. He raised his handsome face expressionlessly and said to Renee, ¡°Mommy, did you hear that? They want to resolve it with violence.¡± ¡°Hmm, I heard that¡­¡± Renee nodded and slowly clenched her fists. She then nted her long legs on the ground before she told her children about her experiences. ¡°I¡¯m not promoting resolving issues with violence, but most of the time, the best resolution is through violence!¡± Having said that, she used a foot sweep to kick Ken to the ground. With that kick, all who were present, including the parents who were watching the scene from outside, became dumbfounded. ¡°Argh, my hips!¡± Ken gritted his teeth and shouted at the other men. ¡°What are you still standing there for? Get them!¡± They exerted themselves and rushed over. But the consequences were obvious. Renee used the same technique to kick all of them to the ground. Atst, Renee slowly walked to Huddie and stared at him condescendingly. She then grinned and asked, ¡°Boy, I heard that you really like to fight, huh?¡± ¡°Waaa!¡± Chapter 855 Chapter 855 Huddie stood upright. He did not dare to move at all, and he burst into tears because he was frightened. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m scared!¡± ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t scare my son. Juste at me!¡± Jasmine pulled Huddie to her back. She was originally arrogant, but when she saw Ken and the others who copsed on the ground from the fight, she turned cowardly, gulping in fear. ¡°You¡­ Just talk nicely. Why did you have to use violence?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys say you want to resolve the issue with violence? What¡¯s wrong? Do you think¡­ I¡¯m not violent enough?¡± ¡°No!¡± Jasmine admitted to her defeat and bowed her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s very normal for kids to argue and fight among themselves. Adults shouldn¡¯t meddle. You also shouldn¡¯t¡­ act so violently. Look at how scared the kids are!¡± ¡°Okay, we won¡¯t resolve this with violence¡­¡± Renee paused briefly before she bent down to grin at Huddie. ¡°Boy, say sorry to whomever you bullied. Otherwise, I¡¯ll get mad and hit your hips again.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Waah! Mommy, I¡¯m so scared. Mommy, save me!¡± Huddie cried and wailed piteously, which hurt others¡¯ ears. ¡°What do you want?¡± Jasmine was also terrified. Hugging her son, she did not even dare to look at Renee, afraid that she¡¯d be kicked if she angered her. ¡°I made myself very clear. I asked your son to apologize to all the kids he ever bullied.¡± ¡°Okay, sorry. I¡¯ll ask him to apologize now.¡± As a result, the habitually arrogant and unscrupulous Jasmine and Huddie put themselves down and apologized to all the children and the children¡¯s parents who she had bullied. The parents in the same ss were greatly satisfied. All of them regarded Renee, Adie, and Abby as the heroes of justice. ¡°Let me repeat myself. My name is Renee Everheart. If you can¡¯t ept it, you¡¯re wee to take your revenge at any time!¡± Before Renee left, she repeated her name. She was extremely fearless and smug. Stefan became rather impatient while waiting in the parking lot. So, he drove to the door of the kindergarten. He happened to see Renee walk out of the kindergarten hand-in-hand with the two children. When the other parents saw Renee and her children get into a very ordinary Volvo, they became worried about her. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°What? It looks like Miss Everheart¡¯s family isn¡¯t doing too well. She was bold enough to stand against Miss Click. I¡¯m sure the Murphy family won¡¯t let them off the hook!¡± ¡°Tsk! No one in Beach City dares to offend the Murphy family except for the Hunt family. Miss Everheart and her kids are going to suffer!¡± Renee took the shotgun seat while the two children sat at the back. ¡°What happened?¡± Stefan leisurely held the wheel while the car silently rolled down the road. He was sensitive enough to notice that something must have happened to them, or the atmosphere wouldn¡¯t be so weird. ¡°Handsome Daddy, Mommy was so awesome just now. She kicked¡­¡± Abby was about to ramble, but Renee coughed immediately. ¡°Nothing. Adie and Abby are so good. Miss Apple even detained them to praise them in front of me.¡± There were many interests and favors involved between the Hunt and Murphy families. Hence, Renee did not want Stefan to know much about that affair, fearing it might create a conflict between the two families. ¡°By the way¡­¡± The woman quickly changed the subject. ¡°Early this morning, didn¡¯t you im that you wanted to take us to a special ce? Where is it? Hurry up and take us.¡± Chapter 856 Chapter 856 Stefan could tell that Renee was hiding something and stopped asking. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a special day today, so I¡¯m taking you to a special ce. Let us celebrate as a family¡­¡± Stefan gripped the steering wheel, then nted his right foot on the gas pedal and drove into the unknown. ¡°Special day? What special ce? Can you tell us?¡± Renee asked with a frown. What Stefan said earlier made her very curious. ¡°Nope.¡± Stefan drove the car out of the school area with ease. Then, he turned into the Marine Highway at a quick pace. He said mysteriously, ¡°Have a good sleep. The mystery will be unveiled in a few hours. Don¡¯t be too excited or faint from overexcitement.¡± Although full of secrecy, Stefan¡¯s handsome cold face lit up with an irrepressible pleasure. Stefan had always dreamt of having his wife in the passenger seat and his children in the back seat. He was simply blessed to enjoy this moment in peace. As the car sped along the blue sea, the sunset burned in its boldest ze, turning the sky and sea into a glorious orange-red. Renee and the two children were a little tired. As their eyelids got a little heavy, they dozed off eventually. Finally, the car stopped at the airport apron in the sea. Stefan turned on the interior lights. The soft light shone upon Renee and the children¡¯s faces like a beautiful filter, making the scene slightly surreal. Somehow, words like good quiet years and peaceful reality came to Stefan¡¯s mind. Stefan unbuckled his seatbelt and moved his body. He could not help but lean closer to Renee. Then, he gently covered her rosy lips with his slightly cold ones. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Renee woke up with a kiss. She nudged the man sleepily, reminding him of the children. Even so, Stefan did not let go. Lost in her intoxicating sweetness, he demanded more as he nibbled her soft lips. Renee went speechless. Seeing that resistance was futile, Renee could only respond to his rhythm with her eyes closed. Soon, her head buzzed and went nk. Renee believed she was probably on par with Stefan in most areas, except for inter-gender intimacy. She had to admit he had a gift for it. He had little practical experience in it, but the experience he brought her was dangerously addictive. ¡®Stefan is a genius hunter,¡¯ Renee thought about how Stefan hadid a trap and made her fall into it at ease. ¡®Bah!!!¡¯ Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡®Renee. Oh, Renee. Lust isn¡¯t good! You have no principles!¡¯ Renee strongly condemned her own recklessness in her heart yet enjoyed this passionate lingering. While the two were kissing passionately, Stefan suddenly got a hard p on the cheek. ¡°Bad Daddy! You¡¯re biting Mommy again! I won¡¯t forgive you this time,¡± Abby snapped. Abby pouted her pink lips and crossed her arms in anger. The little one just woke up to see Stefan holding Renee and biting her aggressively. Thinking that Stefan was bullying Renee again, she pped him without hesitation. ¡°Ahem!¡± Stefan and Renee separated immediately. ¡°Abby? Are you two awake?¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks flushed in shame. She scrambled to fix her hair and wipe the traces Stefan had left on her lips. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are we there yet?¡± Chapter 857 Chapter 857 The noises eventually woke Adie up, who rubbed his eyes sleepily. ¡°Adie! Bad Daddy was biting Mommy again. I pped him hard. You¡¯re right¡­ He¡¯s terrible and always bullying Mommy! We don¡¯t want him anymore!¡± Abby was too young to understand what she had just seen. She simply thought Stefan was hurting Renee by forcing her underneath him, so pping him was considered a rather light punishment. Stefan sighed helplessly. He patiently exined to the two little ones, ¡°Adie, Abby. I¡¯ve told you many times. That wasn¡¯t bullying. That was Daddy¡¯s expression of love for Mommy. We were kissing.¡± ¡°I believe there are many who have kissed you too. That¡¯s their expression of love to you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right!¡± Abby¡¯s face was red. She said sternly, ¡°Our uncles and aunts always kiss our cheeks and forehead, not bite our mouths. You were biting Mommy¡¯s mouth. I saw clearly! You¡¯re bad!¡± Abbyined in agitation, raised her hand, and pped Stefan on the other cheek. This p was hard and loud. Stefan had two small palm marks on both his cheeks. Somehow, this was a prettyical scene to see. ¡°Abby, listen to me. People have different ways of kissing in different rtionships. Renee and I truly love each other. We¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t listen! I won¡¯t listen! Bad Daddy, are you a puppy? Why do you like to bite people so much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not biting. That¡¯s a kiss. That¡¯s because I love your Mommy so much¡­¡± Stefan racked his brains to exin himself. ¡°Abby, be a good girl. When you grow up, you¡¯ll meet someone who loves you. By then, you¡¯ll understand what this means. Baby, be good. Don¡¯t be angry with me anymore, okay?¡± ¡°Bwahahaha!¡± Renee could not help butugh at Stefan attempting to coax the little princess with the p marks on his cheeks. Who would have thought that the usually cool and arrogant Mr. Hunt would face such a struggle?! Sure enough. Men with children, especially those with daughters, would do anything to make their children happy. ¡°Stopughing!¡± Stefan was so embarrassed that he wanted to cry. He turned to Renee for help. ¡°Dear, please say something.¡± Stefan had the lowest status in the family of four. It was up to Renee to say something nice about him and establish his image as a good father to the children. Renee turned to the children after she finally stoppedughing. She reassured, ¡°Okay. Abby, Adie. You don¡¯t have to argue with your Daddy anymore. Well, he didn¡¯t bully me. He¡¯s not a bad guy.¡± Adie had a serious look and analyzed rationally, ¡°Mommy, if Bad Daddy didn¡¯t bully you, were you happy when he bit you?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ah¡­ Umm¡­¡± Renee¡¯s face flushed. How could she answer? ¡°Mommy, please answer honestly. If you feel happy, that means you aren¡¯t hurt. If you¡¯re unhappy, that means he¡¯s bullying you!¡± Adie acted like a little adult and interrogated Renee with a stern face. ¡°Yes. I hope you answer honestly.¡± Stefan grinned, looking forward to Renee¡¯s answer as well. After all, he never knew how she felt about their intimate moments. ¡°Stefan!¡± Renee gave Stefan a fierce re for chucking at her embarrassing moment! Chapter 858 Chapter 858 ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so shy!¡± Stefan pursed his lips and smiled, looking at Renee with fascination. His eyes were so charming. ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re unhappy about my kisses, and I swear to never kiss you again.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee bit her lips subconsciously, seemingly very embarrassed. Adie patted Renee¡¯s head and reassured her, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be afraid. Just say what you want. Don¡¯t let him threaten you.¡± ¡°Mommy, be brave and say it! We¡¯ll protect you!¡± Little Abby took Renee¡¯s hand and tried to give her strength. Those clueless about what was going on would think Renee was hurt by Stefan. ¡°Dear, say something. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be a viin and can never clear my name.¡± Stefan opened his arms and looked at her with innocent yet handsome eyes. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll say it. I¡¯ll say it¡­¡± Renee gritted her teeth and said with a red face, ¡°I wasn¡¯t hurt! I-I was happy with the kiss!¡± As soon as she said that, she quickly covered her face with her hands and was so ashamed that she wanted to dig a hole and hide. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Oh, good Lord. She felt so embarrassed and could no longer face Stefan and the two little ones. ¡°Silly. That¡¯s right!¡± Stefan smiled unconsciously and pulled Renee into his arms. He whispered, ¡°If you¡¯re shy, hide in my arms.¡± Renee¡¯s shyness and honesty gave him great satisfaction. As a man, it was more fulfilling and aplishing than his sessful career. ¡°You¡¯re so annoying. It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡± Renee buried her head in Stefan¡¯s arms, embarrassed. It was the first time she had ever behaved this way with Stefan, a great juxtaposition to her usual character. Adie and Abby were stunned by Renee¡¯s reaction and looked at each other in confusion. Abby asked, ¡°Adie, why do I think that Mommy seems really happy?¡± Adie replied, ¡°There¡¯s no doubt. She is happy.¡± Abby asked, ¡°But he was biting her. Shouldn¡¯t she be angry? Why is she still happy?¡± Adie answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Adults are soplicated. If Mommy is happy, let her be!¡± Abby agreed, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just have to let her be. She makes us so worried!¡± The two little ones sighed long and hard before epting the fact. It turned out that Mommy really enjoyed Daddy¡¯s bullying! Stefan gently held Renee in his arms as if holding a fragile kitten. Meanwhile, he lectured the two little ones, ¡°Adie, Abby. When you see Daddy kissing Mommy, you should avoid us quietly. Give us some space, understand?¡± Stefan did not want the children to jump out and attack him whenever he shared an intimate moment with Renee. Adie frowned and rolled his eyes wildly like an adult. ¡°Can you guys kiss less? There are only twenty- four hours a day, and you¡¯re kissing almost twenty hours a day. How can Abby and I avoid it?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± Stefan smiled awkwardly, feeling a little ashamed. Renee and Stefan were indeed a little too much. The children probably had seen enough and were tired of seeing them kissing! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We thought you were bullying Mommy before, so we had to stop you. Now that Mommy says she¡¯s happy, Abby and I won¡¯t bother you anymore. You can kiss as much as you want from now on.¡± Adie said very understandingly. Renee buried herself in Stefan¡¯s arms, more embarrassed than she was before. ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s go!¡± Stefan patted Renee¡¯s back and whispered softly in her ear. ¡°It¡¯s been a long night, and we haven¡¯t even left yet?¡± Renee jerked her head up from Stefan¡¯s arms, feeling slightly speechless. Chapter 859 Chapter 859 ¡°We¡¯re officially departing now,¡± Stefan said. Then, he opened the door and got out of the car. Renee and the children got out of the car too. They looked around and realized they were on a strip of tarmac by the sea. The ce was empty and surrounded by the ocean. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Airport?¡± Renee could not help but raise her guard.¡±Where are you taking us?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you for a flight!¡± Stefan arched an eyebrow at Renee and strode to a small twin-engine jet. The man standing at the entrance of the ne reported to Stefan respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Mr. Hunt. We¡¯vepleted the safety checks and topped up the gas. All functions are normal. The flight route is approved. You, Mrs. Hunt, and the others are ready to set off.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Stefan nodded and led Renee and the children onto the ne. Although not a big ne, the small twin-engine jet with only seven seats was luxurious enough. There was arge selection of food and wine and a y area specially prepared for the children. The toys in the y area immediately caught the children¡¯s attention. They immediately immersed themselves and looked to be having a great time. Meanwhile, Stefan went straight to the cockpit and sat in the pilot¡¯s seat. ¡°Seriously? Stefan, you can actually fly a ne?¡± Renee followed Stefan to the cockpit and looked at him in surprise. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s easier than driving.¡± Stefan started the ne with ease. He looked sideways at Renee and said, ¡°If you¡¯re interested, I can teach you.¡± ¡°Of course! I want to learn!¡± Renee looked at the joystick, which resembled a game controller joystick. She was excited and eager to try, ¡°I¡¯ve long wanted to learn to fly a ne but have never found the time. It would be great to experience the feeling of flying freely!¡± ¡®Haha,¡¯ Renee thought, ¡®Lack of time is one thing, butck of money is the other main reason.¡¯ A typical base model would cost at least 50 million, whereas an advanced model like this would cost at least 520 million and above. ¡®Gee,¡¯ Renee thought to herself. She knew Stefan was rich but did not expect him to be this rich. He was super rich! ¡°You¡¯re so smart. Watch me fly once, and you¡¯ll learn,¡± Stefan said, smiling. Then, he added charmingly, ¡°Sit tight. We¡¯re taking off.¡± The ne slowly taxied to the runway. Soon, it took off and gradually rose into the sky. Renee sat in the co-pilot¡¯s seat with her back pressed against the chair. She was nervous and excited at the same time. ¡°This view is out of this world! Oh, it¡¯s simply amazing!¡± Renee looked at the wide ss front and watched as the ne broke throughyers of clouds and rose to a higher sky at a speed of several hundred meters per second. Her adrenaline soared uncontrobly as the dark ocean sped past beneath her. Although she had flown numerous times, it was the first time she had sat in the cockpit. This flight was the ultimate experience she would never forget! Stefan turned on the autopilot when the ne was at an altitude of 40000 feet. Then, he raised his wrist and looked at his watch with a meaningful smile. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Stefan asked Renee. ¡°Great!¡± Renee was reveling in the excitement of flying. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an even better experience next.¡± ¡°W-what do you want?¡± ¡°Look at my watch¡­ We¡¯re four and a half hours away fromnding. That¡¯s plenty of time to do a lot of things.¡± Stefan pointed out the time on his watch and could not wait for what would happen next. Chapter 860 Chapter 860 ¡°Do what?¡± Renee asked in confusion. She pointed at the joystick and said nervously, ¡°Y-you¡­ Don¡¯t you have to operate it? Isn¡¯t this too dangerous?¡± ¡°The ne is 40000 feet above the ground and on autopilot until itnds. I¡¯m now free to do whatever I want.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so high-tech!¡± Renee was so shocked, though she did not understand. Renee had heard of nes flyingpletely on autopilot without continuous hands-on control. Pilots bored on long flights would always end up having some hanky-panky actions with the flight attendants. ¡®Stefan said he could do a lot of things. Was this what he meant?! Wait!¡¯ Renee shook her head and scolded herself, ¡®Renee, you must be mad! Why are you suddenly thinking about this? You and your dirty mind!¡¯ Stefan slowly leaned closer to Renee and trapped her in the seat. He smiled at her inexplicably flushed cheeks and asked meaningfully, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Why is your face suddenly red?¡± ¡°Is it red? No, it¡¯s not!¡± Renee tried to act calm and put the back of her hand on her cheek. He was right. Her cheeks were really hot. ¡°You look so red and delicious, like a cherry¡­¡± ¡°Stefan, you¡­ Hmm!¡± Stefan pressed his lips on Renee¡¯s cherry-like lips again, catching her by surprise. She could not even react in time. ¡°We didn¡¯t have enough fun in the car earlier. Let¡¯s continue¡­¡± Stefan spoke into Renee¡¯s ear with a husky voice and unbuttoned her shirt wildly. ¡°Stefan, are you crazy? We¡¯re 40,000 feet in the air! You¡¯re not flying the ne properly, you¡­ Hey! What are you doing?!¡± Renee¡¯s heart was pounding nervously. She pressed her delicate hand against Stefan¡¯s restless palm in fear. She was afraid. Her whole family could be gone at the slightest mistake! ¡°The thrill of doing it ten miles up in the air is exactly what we¡¯re after¡­¡± Stefan kissed the woman¡¯s neck, leaving trails of his hot breath on her slightly cool skin. He seized all of her and enraptured her in his seduction. ¡°Rx. I know what I¡¯m doing. Just follow my rhythm and let your body fly to the peak!¡± Renee shuddered involuntarily. She breathed heavily on the edge of herst sanity. ¡°But the kids¡­¡± ¡°They won¡¯t disturb us¡­¡± Stefan intertwined his fingers with hers and hushed quietly, ¡°Ren, I¡¯ll take you real high!¡± At an altitude of tens of thousands of feet, the ne sped to its destination, slicing through one cloud after another. Meanwhile, a passionate fire swept through the rather cramped cockpit like a raging me going out of control¡­ Renee did not know how long it took, but she really could not take it anymore. Finally, Stefan reluctantly let her go. ¡°Have a good rest. We still have half an hour before we are ready tond.¡± Stefan slowly buttoned his shirt with his long fingers and reverted to his usual modest and gentlemanly appearance. He concentrated on monitoring the instrument panel. The aircraft was level, and the gauges were all within their nominal operating parameters. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Renee waspletely exhausted. Her cheeks were still red. Shey limply on the cushion and cursed through gritted teeth, ¡°You¡¯re a freaking beast!¡± Stefan grinned. ¡°If I¡¯m a beast, you¡¯re the beast¡¯s wife. We¡¯re the same kind.¡± ¡°Hmph! I am not talking to you!¡± Renee turned her back and fixed her clothes. The passionate madness earlier was a surreal mix of reality and fantasy that left her with a clear and vivid sensation. ¡®It¡¯s crazy. You¡¯ve gone mad, Renee!¡¯ she thought to herself. Chapter 861 Chapter 861 Feeling a little embarrassed, Renee got up and left the cockpit. ¡°Mommy, look at the blocks we put together. Don¡¯t they look great!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Abby proudly pointed out the results of the hours of work she and Adie had put in. ¡°Wow, what a great castle. You put it together so quickly. You guys are great!¡± Renee looked at the big castle, which was several meters high and few meters wide, and was impressed them from the bottom of her heart. She believed perhaps only her genius son and daughter had the ability to finish this amount of work in such a short time. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ve got it all arranged in this big castle. Great Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandma, and Margaret will upy the first floor. Bad Daddy and Daddy Q will upy the second floor with you. Adie and I will be staying on the third floor. Look at the front of the castle. There are many sunflowers there. All of us will live here and be very happy, right?¡± Abby looked up and happily introduced the castle to Renee. ¡°Yes, yes. W-we¡¯ll always be happy.¡± Renee¡¯s expression suddenly turned a little gloomy. She thought about how she and Stefan had gotten back together recently and their bizarre act in the cockpit. To think she was still thinking about her life with Mr. Q only a month ago, and now¡­ If Abby had not mentioned him, she would have forgotten about him. ¡®Renee. Oh, Renee,¡¯ she thought to herself, ¡®You¡¯re such an unfaithful adultress!¡¯ ¡°Mommy, why haven¡¯t we heard from Q for so long? Can you contact him? I miss him,¡± Adie said, sounding a little sad. ¡°Sorry, Adie. Mommy can¡¯t reach him either.¡± ¡°Is it because he knows you¡¯re with Bad Daddy? Is he so angry that he ignores you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened either. He suddenly disappeared¡­¡± Renee took a deep breath and asked Adie, ¡°Do you like Mr. Q. better? Or¡­ Do you find Mommy unloyal? For dumping him to be with someone else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Adie shook his head and took Renee¡¯s hand. ¡°Abby and I will like whoever Mommy likes, but I¡¯m worried. Bad Daddy isn¡¯t as reliable as Q and may hurt you in the future.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I see your Daddy has changed his ways. He¡¯s truly devoted to me now and shouldn¡¯t hurt me anymore.¡± Renee did not have much confidence when saying this. She said it only to reassure her children. Of course, Renee and Stefan¡¯s reconciliation wasn¡¯t the problem overall. It was more of her impulse and sudden decision. No one knew what would happen in the future. She only hoped that things would not turn out worse! While the kids continued to y, Renee went to the bar, ready to rx with a ss of wine. There were many famous wines in the wine cooler, each bottle worth a small fortune. Renee selected a bottle of Bordeaux ¡¯82 for herself. When she was about to pick it up, a Christian Louboutin lipstick next to it caught her eye. Renee¡¯s face darkened slightly. She picked up the lipstick, removed the lid, and found obvious signs of use. It meant she was not the first person to board the private jet. In her heart, she could not help but feel sour. Rationally speaking, Stefan and her had been free and single for the past four years. Even if he had taken a woman or ten women to his ne, she had no position to say anything about his actions. Even so, she just could not help but feel a little ufortable about it! At the same time, the ne started to descend as dawn ignited the sky. ¡°Wow! Mommy! Mommy! Quick! Look at this!¡± Two children lying on the window suddenly shouted at her excitedly. Chapter 862 Chapter 862 Renee put the Christian Louboutin lipstick in her pocket and followed the children¡¯s voices to the window. ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­¡± As Renee caught a glimpse of the view outside the window, her eyes widened in surprise. She couldn¡¯t help but cover her mouth with her palm. ¡°Mommy, so this special ce is Sun Ind. Daddy is too good for us. I¡¯ll forgive him for a while, and stop calling him a bad guy!¡± Abby¡¯s cute eyes widened in excitement. She looked at the blue sea below and was so excited that her affection for Stefan rose. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It was also rare for Adie to praise Stefan from the bottom of his heart. He nodded like a grown-up and agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. He really put his heart into it this time. Interestingly, he knows we miss this ce the most¡­ But how did he know about this ce? ¡°Yeah, how did he know about this ce?¡± Renee looked at the paradise where she and her children had lived for four years. She was surprised and had a lot of questions. Renee touched the Christian Louboutin lipstick in her pocket, displeased and having a lot on her mind. She wanted to know how many women Stefan had brought on board this ne. How many women he had brought to Sun Ind? Did he take many women up high? A myriad of questions clouded her mind. Soon, the ne descended smoothly and finallynded on the only airstrip on Sun Ind open to the public. ¡°Yay! Yay! We¡¯re here! We¡¯re here! I¡¯m so happy. We¡¯re back on Sun Ind! I¡¯ve always dreamed of coming back!¡± Abby was jumping up and down in the cabin, feeling very excited. Her two braids bouncing up and down while jumping made her even more adorable. ¡°Come, Abby. Let¡¯s go down and take a look. I miss myb too!¡± Adie took Abby¡¯s hand and excitedly ran towards the ne¡¯s exit. Sun Ind was a special and meaningful ce for the children. It was where they were born and the ce they grew up. They had a lot of good memories here, and it was a ce they felt safe. At the same time, Stefan came out of the cockpit. ¡°Children, what do you think about this ce? Do you like it?¡± His handsome face with a soft smile and eyes full of anticipation was obvious. He was simply begging for apliment! ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re the best! From now on, you¡¯re the best dad! Thank you for bringing me to where I wanted to go most!¡± Abby¡¯s attitude towards Stefan took a 180-degree turn. She was no longer hostile to him. Instead, she opened her arms and jumped at him in excitement. Stefan picked up Abby in a firm embrace, then sat the little one firmly on his shoulder. He said in a serious tone, ¡°Now that you know Daddy is amazing, you two should say more nice things about me to your mommy, okay?¡± Stefan¡¯s reputation in the children¡¯s hearts had been plummetingtely. The children smeared his image in front of Renee daily and urged Renee to break up with him. Thanks to all the ups and downs, his heart was in turmoil. Therefore, Stefan made up his mind to win his children¡¯s favor in the shortest possible time! Stefan knew Sun Ind meant a lot to his children and nned to bring them to Sun Ind to relive their beautiful memory. He hoped this would solve the root problem, allowing them to let go of their prejudice against him and ept the fact that he was their real father. ¡°What¡¯s the use of us saying nice things to Mommy? You have to work hard and show your sincerity. Be nice to Mommy and protect her. Never hurt Mommy again! Only then will Abby and I ept you!¡± Little Adie crossed his arms and stated his opinion in a serious manner. ¡°You¡¯re right, Adie! You¡¯re one level-headed kid!¡± Stefan gave a thumbs up to Adie. Then, he looked at Renee with amorous eyes. ¡°I think I¡¯m very devoted to your Mommy. I¡¯m taking care of her and pleasing her in every way. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s happy with me, right?¡± Stefan could feel that his rtionship with Renee had be a little closer after their earlier stint of intimacy. Chapter 863 Chapter 863 It had only been half an hour, and Stefan started thinking about her again. Stefan thought Renee would feel the same as him, with a me burning in her heart, but who would have thought that Renee would wear a cold face the entire time? She said with a stoic face and without even looking at him, ¡°Let¡¯s get off the ne!¡± Renee¡¯s sudden change in attitude made Stefan very confused. Why was she suddenly so cold? Stefan vividly remembered how Renee followed his rhythm and blossomed like a shy rose under him earlier. Was she disowning him after sleeping with him once?! However, considering the children were still present, he could not say anything more. Stefan opened the cabin door. Soon, the family of four got off the ne one by one. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so beautiful! We¡¯re finally back!¡± Abby took deep breaths like a stranded fish finally returning to the ocean. Sun Ind had a marine climate with temperatures that hovered around 20 degrees all year round. It was neither cold nor hot and had stable weather without storms or heavy rains. The natural white sandy beach trailed for kilometers. The ind was lush with coconut palms and the fields of sunflowers Renee and her family nted. The sea was blue and clear under the sea breeze. It was no exaggeration to call this ce a heaven on earth! ¡°Adie, let¡¯s go pick up shells. We¡¯ve been away for so long. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to find lots of shells on the beach, even pearls perhaps!¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s pick lots and make a ne for Mommy¡­¡± The two little ones ran hand in hand on the soft sand like they did when they were young. They enjoyed absolute freedom and absolute security on a private ind like this. Stefan and Renee followed behind the two little ones leisurely. They strolled with no hurry, leaving their footprints on the sandy beach. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Stefan wanted to say something but hesitated several times. He could sense that something was wrong with Renee, but he could not tell what was wrong., ¡°Are you unhappy?¡± Stefan finally asked. ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. Why do you ask?¡± Renee felt emotional looking at the sea she¡¯s lived in for four years. Her delicate and pretty face revealed a bit of mncholy. ¡°Why do I feel that you don¡¯t want to talk to me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m always answering you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re only answering questions, which is the problem. I think¡­ You¡¯re not passionate about me anymore.¡± Stefan was a big man, towering at nearly one point nine meters. Instead of his usual cool and arrogant look, heined like a man distressed by love and said, ¡°A-are you done and over with me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re tired of me. You don¡¯t feel any excitement with me and don¡¯t love me anymore. Is that why you¡¯re so cold?¡± Chapter 864 Chapter 864 The hint of loneliness in Stefan¡¯s deep eyes was like a sparkler that extinguished itself after the splendor. ¡°I know, I¡¯m a boring person. I¡¯m cold and unromantic. I only have work in my mind and don¡¯t sweet talk. I can¡¯t bring emotions to you, so¡­ You¡¯re tired of me and want to get away from me, don¡¯t you?¡± Stefan lowered his head. He spoke like he was very aggrieved, with a soft and gentle voice and pitiful eyes. ¡°Just look at you. Here we go again. When have I ever gotten tired of you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we getting along well? Can you stop finding fault every day?¡± Renee said to him impatiently, like a scumbag who yed with his feelings. ¡°I¡¯m not finding fault. I¡¯m just trying to solve the problem. I sensed something wrong with your emotions¡­¡± Stefan took Renee¡¯s hand with firm yet affectionate eyes. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t want us to have any misunderstandings again. If you think I¡¯m not good enough, I¡¯ll change, okay?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You¡¯re doing very well.¡± Renee was inexplicably irritated and said in an annoyed tone, ¡°And you¡¯re good at it. You can take me high while flying a ne tens of thousands of meters above the sky. Aren¡¯t you very romantic and experienced in this?¡± She really wanted to ask him, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so. Had he taken someone else on this wild ride in the sky? Who else did he share the excitement with? First and foremost, she did not want him to realize how jealous she could be. Besides, she was really afraid to hear unwanted answers from him. Therefore, she had no choice but to bottle her feelings. She was angry at herself and took it out on Stefan! ¡°I¡¯m not experienced. I¡¯m just willing to put in the effort to make you happy¡­¡± Stefan failed to grasp the sarcasm in Renee¡¯s reply. He naively thought she was sincerely praising him and instantly turned happy. Stefan put his arms around her shoulder and leaned closer. He pressed his lips against her ear and spoke in a deep and seductive voice, ¡°To tell the truth, I listened to the doctor¡¯s advice and learned a couple of positions for couples. I also let Xavier teach me his best romantic skills. The high-altitude experience on the ne was just an appetizer. The next few days at Sun Ind are the real feast which will definitely satisfy you.¡± ¡°Y-You¡¯re crazy!¡± Renee¡¯s cheeks flushed instantly. She could not take it anymore and broke away from Stefan¡¯s restraints like a little snake. She used, ¡°Stefan, you don¡¯t have to act innocent here. You say you¡¯re inexperienced, but¡­ You must have been very experienced!¡± Stefan was confused. ¡°Act innocent? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still pretending. You should know it!¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know. Have you misunderstood me?¡± Stefan realized that the problem was worse than he thought and got serious. He held Renee¡¯s slender shoulders and said solemnly, ¡°Tell me. What happened? If there¡¯s a problem, we¡¯ll solve it together. I don¡¯t want the same to happen like four years ago. We¡¯ve already wasted four years because of mimunication.¡± Renee calmed down upon hearing Stefan¡¯s words. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Renee looked into his eyes and said, ¡°Okay then. Promise me. No matter what I ask you, you will answer me honestly.¡± ¡°I promise you. Whatever you ask me, I will answer truthfully. I will never deceive you.¡± Stefan put his index and middle fingers together and looked at her earnestly. He swore sincerely, ¡°I swear!¡± Renee mustered up her courage to question him. She stammered, ¡°Y-you¡­ How many other women have you taken on this ne? How many other women have you flown with?¡± It was so embarrassing that her face turned adorably red. ¡°Huh?¡± Stefan froze. He thought there was something very wrong, like¡­ His heart was racing. He even thought Renee must¡¯ve discovered something sacrilegious or the truth that he was actually Mr. Q. Chapter 865 Chapter 865 It turned out to be this? That was it?! ¡°What ¡®huh?¡¯ Answer me!¡± Renee could tell from Stefan¡¯s reaction. He must have brought plenty of women on this ne to have fun. As she thought of that, a sourness rose in her heart. ¡°I knew it. Few rich men are honest. The rich kids like to party on the yacht or pool, while you¡­ You¡¯re amazing. You party on the ne instead. I reckon you must have invited plenty of women on this ne before, right?¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin anymore. I don¡¯t me anyone. From the moment I chose you, I was destined to get cheated. I kenw it wasing. I knew you were unreliable, but I still went along with you. I deserve it!¡± ¡°No, wait. Dear, listen to me. You¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to exin. I can understand. Men are animals that think with their lower bodies. You look like an abstinent man, but you¡¯re not really one. Just tell me the truth. How many women have you slept with? You¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Stefan could not stand Renee¡¯s incessant chatter. He quickly covered her mouth with his big palm and said in a cold voice, ¡°Can you please listen to me?¡± ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Renee red at Stefan with pitiful eyes. It was heartbreaking to see her with watery and red eyes while stubbornly looking at him. ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t cry. Listen to me. Actually, I¡­¡± Stefan took a deep breath and whispered in her ear, ¡°Actually, you¡¯ve always been the only one I had.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hm?!¡± Renee widened her teary eyes in surprise. It sounded surreal to her. What did Stefan just say? She had always been his only one?! Stefan was the coolest man in Beach City and the president of H Group. Did she actually take Stefan¡¯s first time without knowing it? ¡°For most men, it¡¯s not something to brag about. It¡¯s a little humiliating too. But for me, I¡¯m blessed to have you. I want you to be my only woman,¡± Stefan said affectionately. After that, he gently removed his hand from covering her mouth. ¡°Now, what else do you want to ask?¡± If Renee hadn¡¯t asked this question so bluntly, he would rather hide it from her all his life. Stefan did not want to seem inexperienced with her. What if she was unhappy and disliked hisck of experience? If she wanted another partner, what should he do? ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Renee felt slightly awkward and did not dare to meet the man¡¯s eyes. ¡®Tsk,¡¯ Rene thought about how she took Stefan¡¯s first time and felt shy. Stefan could not help but feel worried. ¡°It can¡¯t be. Do you dislike me? Are you nning to rece me?¡± ¡°Huh? Dislike what?¡± ¡°Dislike how I only have you and not much experience?¡± Stefan said in all seriousness as if he was waiting for customer feedback. In his opinion, the intimate actions between men and women were the same as business. The more experience he had, the smoother the negotiation would be. Stefan felt disadvantaged by hisck of experience and had no idea how satisfied Renee was about doing business with him. Chapter 866 Chapter 866 ¡°Um¡­¡± Renee was stunned, then lost control and burst outughing. ¡°Hahaha! Why would I? Chastity is the best gift a man can give to a woman. I would love a pure and virtuous man like you with all my heart. Why would I be disgusted with you?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Really?¡± Stefan sought confirmation from the woman in a serious manner. He was clearly not ying tricks on her and really cared about this, or more precisely, really cared about Renee¡¯s feelings. This made Renee feel too awkward tough anymore. She forced herself to put on a serious face and stroked the man¡¯s head like how she would a kitten and coaxed him patiently. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t feel pressured. I really don¡¯t mind. You are doing really well. Although your experience is little, your theoretical knowledge is deep. Besides, you beat all those phnderers with your fullmitment every time you do it.¡± ¡®Well, it is always good for a man to be pure and innocent. Not only would he be clean, but he¡¯d be particrly reflective. He¡¯d never run away from problems. Instead, the first thing he would do would be to reflect on whether he did well enough. This alone would make him better than most of the men in this world.¡¯ Renee suddenly felt that she had hit the jackpot! ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get better slowly. The more experience you get, the more you will be familiar with it. You should be confident in yourself. You are a talented man and meant to be better than all those men!¡± Holding herughter, the woman counseled the man seriously. ¡°All those men?¡± His voice turned cold instantly. The man who looked like an aggrieved puppy just now had now turned into a demon in the dark night, ready to devour everything at any time. He tilted Renee¡¯s chin up with his long finger and looked at her with sharp cold eyes, smiling ambiguously. ¡°Are you saying that you have had a lot of men before?¡± Renee was not a wimp. She was not afraid to anger the man in front of her and started counting with her fingers. ¡°Let me count. One, two, three¡­¡± The man was silent, but his handsome face turned darker and darker every time she bent her fingers. After counting with one hand, she continued with another hand nonchntly. ¡°Six, seven, eight¡­¡± Now his face turned from ck to green. ¡°Stop counting!¡± He interrupted the woman in dismay. ¡°I know you have had a lot of experience, but you don¡¯t have to be so explicit!¡± ¡°Why? Are you angry?¡± ¡°No!¡± He inhaled deeply and used all his rationality to suppress all his negative feelings. Then, he pursed his lips for a minute of silence. Though it was just a short time physically, it felt like a century, long and unbearable. In the end, after an intense mental struggle, the man chose to relent. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many men you had before. Just promise me that you will only have me alone from now on, and I will treat it as if you only have had only me alone.¡± He admonished word by word, with a bit of the arrogance of a big boss and the aggravation of a submissive lover. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t hold back and burst outughing. This was the first time she had ever seen Stefan look so stifled after so many years of entanglement with him. It was true that men, whether sessful or not, were very concerned about these things. This guy was always so domineering and possessive, yet he couldpromise to such an extent for her sake. It was indeed true love. Chapter 867 Chapter 867 At least it was a stint of true love. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Stefan was feeling depressed, but when he saw Reneeughing so happily, he immediately realized that it was a trick and embraced her waist. ¡°How dare you, Renee, tease me? I shall teach you a lesson!¡± The man lifted the woman and put her on his shoulder as if she was a sandbag. Giving her a p on her buttocks, he questioned coldly, ¡°Tell me honestly, how many men did you exactly have?¡± ¡°Hey, put me down¡­¡± She lost her bnce and grabbed his clothes in panic. Then, she continued her nonsense seriously, ¡°I told you, eight, nine, ten¡­ Ah, I lost count!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Stefan pped her buttocks again and threatened her. ¡°Stop lying, or I will p your ass again!¡± ¡°You rascal!¡± Renee punched the man¡¯s shoulder with her tiny fists and kicked her legs. She shouted in a huff, ¡°I warn you. Put me down, or I will scream¡­ Adie, Abby, save me! Mommy is about to die. Come save Mommy!¡± The woman yelled at the top of her lungs in the direction the children were running. Unfortunately, the children were in full-throttle mode, running around the beach like crazy, and couldn¡¯t hear her cry for help. ¡°Go ahead and scream. It¡¯s useless.¡± Stefan took advantage of the body size of a man to restrict her and pped her buttocks a few more times. Then, he said tly, ¡°You should have thought of the consequence when you joked about this thing.¡± The force he usedpletely exceeded the force of yful ps. He was punishing her for real. ¡°Oww!¡± She felt so aggrieved that her eyes turned red. She stopped yelling and struggling and cried miserably, ¡°You are not a man, Stefan Hunt. No man bullies a woman like this!¡± Stefan thought she was pretending at first but realized he had gone too far when he felt the warm tears on the back of his palm. ¡°You¡¯re really crying?¡± He put her down immediately and cupped her small face, only to see that it had long been covered with tear marks, coupled with pearl-like tears that were rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Oh, my dear. Don¡¯t cry. I was just joking with you. I thought you would resist since you usually show no mercy to people when you are angry¡­¡± He panicked and anxiously wiped away her tears. He rarely saw her cry. She seemed to be very calm and did not shed a tear even when they divorced. Seeing her cry so miserably really scared him! ¡°Sob¡­ Stefan, go on and bully me¡­ sob. I will vanish from your world and never care about you anymore when you break my heart!¡± said Renee harshly, her eyes still red. ¡°Don¡¯t say such an ominous thing!¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He wiped away her tears carefully and coaxed her as if she was a little girl. ¡°I am very sorry, okay? I won¡¯t force you to answer this kind of stupid question again. I don¡¯t care how many men you had. You are all I want and care about.¡± ¡°You idiot. Listen up. I only have one man in my life, and that is you. In fact, I don¡¯t believe that you only have me!¡± ¡°I swear to God I only have a woman, and that is you. I don¡¯t have to lie to you, and I will never lie to you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Renee wiped away her tears and smirked. She threw the Louboutin lipstick at the man and said, ¡°Then exin this to me.¡± Chapter 868 Chapter 868 ¡°What is this?¡± Stefan picked up the Louboutin in confusion, only to realize that it was lipstick after a long, careful inspection. With her arms crossed, Renee annoyedly said to the man behind her, ¡°Stop pretending. I found this on the ne. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve never seen this before.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve really never seen this. I thought this is a lighter¡­ hmm, is this really not a lighter?¡± Stefan knitted his eyebrows and focused on looking for the valve, and ended up smearing lipstick all over his palms. What a stupid man who was so totally ignorant of women¡¯s stuff. Renee rolled her eyes, speechless. Regardless, the man did not seem to be faking his reaction. ¡°Oh, I remember now¡­¡± His face tensed, and he said irritably, ¡°It must be Xavier. He must have brought someone on the ne and did not clean up afterward!¡± ¡°Xavier?¡± Renee doubted. ¡°Didn¡¯t he break up recently? It¡¯s not nice to me this on him, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a breakup. That¡¯s breaking free. I wouldn¡¯t have lent him the ne for celebration, otherwise¡± He snorted and said resentfully, ¡°If he listened to me and broke up earlier, he would not have suffered. His rtionship with that girlfriend is simply poisonous!¡± Renee was fired up when she heard this gossip and asked, ¡°What exactly happened? Tell me more about it.¡± Stefan was amused. He cupped the woman¡¯s tear-stained face and gazed at her lovingly. ¡°Why are you so curious about it? Have youpletely resolved your own matters?¡± ¡°Um¡­ about that¡­ My matters are not important, but Xavier is my lifesaver, my best friend. Hurry up and tell me what happened between him and his girlfriend. What makes you say their rtionship is toxic?¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She deceived his feelings. That¡¯s about it.¡± He shook his head and let out a long sigh. ¡°Xavier is comparable to a master of romance, and he always says that he will never fall into the trap of love, but he somehow falls into hers. He tasted a lot of the bitterness of love in these four years. I am very happy that hees to his senses now.¡± ¡°Is this what you should do as his good friend? Why are you so happy when he broke up?¡± Though she said so, she recalled thest time she met Xavier. He did seem a lot more depressed and lost his carefreeness four years back. He looked really different from his old casual self. Love was indeed the destructor of one¡¯s soul if one made the wrong choice! ¡°To me, love is not suffering, but not meeting the right person is. Take Leia, for instance, my best friend. She also met a jerk a while ago¡­¡± Something came to her mind suddenly, and she said, ¡°Hey, do you think there will be a spark between Xavier and Leia?¡± One was adykiller, and one was a woman who sealed her heart and stopped loving. Would there be chemistry between these two if they were put together? ¡°You can try.¡± He smiled expectantly. ¡°Leia, as you said, is not a simple woman. Maybe she really can tame that wild horse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled then!¡± She snapped her fingers and said eagerly, ¡°I will call her toe here for a vacation now, and you will do the same to Xavier.¡± The two acted as Cupids once they were on the same page. Coincidentally, Xavier and Leia happened to be on vacation in a nearby ind country. They rushed over without a second thought when receiving the invitation. The sea breeze blew through Renee¡¯s long hair and the hem of her white dress. Holding her heels in one hand, her feet were stepping on the soft sand on the beach, leaving a trail of uneven footprints. The golden sunbeam set off her beauty as it showered over her slender body. Chapter 869 Chapter 869 Stefan felt as if he was looking at a painting. Everything in the scene and every beam of sunlight were perfect, as if they were created just for Renee. ¡°So, you were angry just now because you were jealous?¡± The man trailing behind the woman suddenly grabbed her hand and asked with a triumphant smirk. ¡°Hmph, why do you ask when you know the answer?¡± She rolled her eyes and shook off the man¡¯s hand haughtily. ¡°Everything will be clear when Xavieres. I¡¯ll see if you can still pretend by then.¡± Once she said that, she ran happily like a little bird. He looked at the back of the woman in silence, his eyes overflowing with love. ¡®I hope you will never fly away again¡­¡± ¡­ In a floating hotel on Quartz Ind in the Meryah Republic, Xavier, upon ending his call with Stefan, dived into the massive soft bed in the five-star suite, eager to fall back to sleep. He had been like a lifeless zombie these days, sleeping in the hotel room during the day and partying at the pool at night. He cared nothing about his family business and numbed himself with this extravagant and indulgent life day after day. Knock, knock. Someone knocked at the door. ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Xavier buried his head deep in the pillow and covered himself in the nket, exposing only his strong muscr arms. His back was thick and broad without a trace of fat. His physique was the perfect kind that women loved. Knock! Knock! Knock! The knocks only sounded more urgent. Meanwhile, Dn¡¯s embarrassing voice came from the inte at the bedside. ¡°Are you up, Master Xavier? Could you open the door? Um¡­ Miss Shirley is here.¡± Xavier nned to sleep until night but opened his eyes wide the moment he heard the name and sniffed. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± ¡°Master Xavier, Miss Shirley said that¡­¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Dn was interrupted by Shirley. ¡°Open the door, Xavier. I think we need to talk.¡± A woman¡¯s weak and sad voice came from the inte. ¡°I was wrong. You can punish me however you like, but I beg you not to hurt yourself like this. I heard that you have been drinking every day and thepany is in chaos. If this were to go on, your body¡¯s going to give up on you. If Mr. Stuart learns about this¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention that old man!¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes turned dark and cold as if he had turned into an enraged beast. He chided in a dangerous voice, ¡°Get out of my sight while I am still willing to spare your life. Don¡¯t think that I will still be like before because of old sentiment!¡± ¡°I never expect you to forgive me for my big mistake. I finally found you after searching for so long. I never thought of going back¡­¡± She sobbed slightly. ¡°Open the door. Let me see you for onest time; then you can decide my life and death. I will do as you say.¡± ¡°Stop acting pitiful. This trick is no longer useful to me.¡± Xavier¡¯s fists were clenched, his body trembling uncontrobly as rage seethed through his veins. ¡°Huh, you think I am acting¡­¡± Shirley shook her head and looked out into the ocean surrounding the hotel. The next moment, he heard a ssh and Dn shouting in panic. ¡°Oh no, Master Xavier, Miss Shirley jumped into the sea!¡± Chapter 870 Chapter 870 ¡°Let her jump if she likes. It¡¯s none of my business!¡± Xavier said, expressionless, and pulled the nket with his long arms to wrap himself tightly like a dumpling. ¡°But-but Miss Shirley can¡¯t swim, and neither can I!¡± Dn was sweating anxiously outside. ¡°Oh no, Miss Shirley is drowning¡­ Help! Help! Is there a lifeguard around?¡± The floating hotel was actually a cluster of wooden vis, so the sound instion was not ideal. Shirley¡¯s action made so much noise that the staff members and the guests were attracted to the scene, causing amotion outside Xavier¡¯s room. ¡°Damn it!¡± Xavier could no longer sleep peacefully, or¡­ Whether it was noisy outside or not, his mind was in turmoil from the moment Shirley found him, so how could he possibly sleep? The man grabbed a pair of beach pants and slipped them on, further highlighting his tight muscles and lanky model-like body. His messy hair somewhat enhanced his inherent charm, making him not only devilishly handsome but even a little carefree. He and Stefan were the kind of people with innate charm. They were the perfect artwork that God would want to show off. Thus, the moment he opened the door, the chattering crowd outside fell silent immediately and instinctively made way for him. Dn sighed in relief instantly. ¡°You finally came out, Master Xavier. Hurry up and save Miss Shirley. Only you can save her! She¡¯s not allowing other lifeguards to go near her!¡± ¡°What a nuisance!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. He grunted disdainfully while stretching his muscles. Then, he walked along the wooden corridor to where Shirley was drowning and dived headfirst into the sea without saying a word. Shirley¡¯s hair and clothes were soaked wet. Struggling in the water, she refused the assistance of all the lifeguards who tried to get near her. It was until she realized that the person swimming toward her was Xavier that she stopped struggling. ¡°Xa¡­ Xavier, I knew it. You wouldn¡¯t¡­ Cough! Cough¡­ wouldn¡¯t leave me alone!¡± She choked on the seawater while floating up and down the sea, looking rather weak and helpless. Xavier pursed his lips and swam over quietly. His long arm wrapped around her waist easily while his other arm paddled skillfully. Within ten minutes, Shirley was safely brought back to shore. ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Shirley was curling her body lying on the wooden corridor extending out from the vi. Her white dress was still dripping water, sticking to her slim body, outlining her sexy curve. Her tiny face, which was glistening with water droplets, was very fair. It was smooth and silky, like porcin. Under the sunlight, she looked just like the kind of mythical creature described in ancient texts, pure and lustful. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t she Shirley, the famous movie star? Why¡­ why did she jump into the sea?¡± ¡°Tsk-tsk. She is the diva of Universal Entertainment. Even Xavier, the entertainment mogul, spoils her. Why is she in such a miserable state?¡± ¡°I like her movies a lot. Is this really her? I always wanted to take a selfie with her¡­¡± Some tourists recognized her. They gathered around her excitedly and started sizing her up. Feeling embarrassed, Shirley buried her head in her arms. Perhaps it was the cold seawater or her numbing anxiety that she was shivering. With her eyebrows slightly furrowed, she looked extraordinarily pitiful. Xavier stood indifferently but failed to harden his heart. He grabbed a towel and threw it onto the woman. ¡°Send her home, Dn!¡± As soon as he said that, he turned around and prepared to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Xavier!¡± Chapter 871 Chapter 871 With reddened eyes, Shirley hugged Xavier¡¯s long legs and said with a shaking voice, ¡°I know I made an unforgivable mistake this time, but can you at least listen to my exnation? That night I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin yourself!¡± Xavier turned his back to the woman and said in an eerily cold voice, ¡°There is nothing to say about me and you. You know best how I have treated you for so many years. I have nothing to feel guilty about.¡± ¡°Of course, I do. You are the nicest person to me, and also the only one. You only wanted to be good to me and never asked for anything in return. Because of this, I feel miserable. I hurt you, so I want to make up¡­¡± ¡°If you want to make up for it, get lost from my world. I don¡¯t want to see you anymore!¡± Xavier tensed his face and tried to harden his heart. He tried to break away from Shirley¡¯s restraints, but she held on desperately and refused to let go. With her face firmly nted against the man¡¯s leg, she cried, ¡°I was wrong, I was really wrong. I didn¡¯t know until now how good a person I had hurt. Will you give me another chance? I know you still love me. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have saved me¡­¡± More and more people were attracted to themotion. They took out their smartphones to film the scene. Frowning, Xavier lowered his voice and said, ¡°Knock it off. You are a public figure. How are you going to survive in the industry after making such a mess?¡± ¡°I have searched all the inds of this world these months. I cannot just let you go now that I found you. I won¡¯t let you go even if it ruins my acting career!¡± Shirley shouted, disregarding her public image. Xavier stood on the spot, not knowing what to do. ¡°Stop filming!¡± He stopped the tourists from filming Shirley¡¯s wretched appearance and warned, ¡°If anyone of you filming dares to upload this online without consent, I shall see you in court!¡± Shirley was greatly relieved though she was still weeping. She knew that she had won again this time! Though, she made a mistake that no normal man could possibly forgive. But so what? She was emboldened by favoritism. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Xavier hadpromised for her too many times in these four years, and this time was no different¡­ ¡°Hey, hey, hey, are you guys done messing around? It¡¯s so noisy!¡± A clear and snobby voice suddenly rang outside the crowd. The crowd looked over and saw a tall woman. Donning a denim sunhat, a bohemian halter top, and blue denim shorts, she was curling her thin lips into a sneer and watched with her arms crossed. ¡°Leia?¡± The moment Xavier got a good look at her face, there seemed to be stars shining around her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, making them look visibly brighter. It was a pleasant thing to meet someone he knew in a foreign country, especially when the person had quite a rtionship with him. ¡°You¡­ you know her?¡± Shirley froze and suddenly felt a bit anxious because she had a feeling that this woman had an unusual rtionship with Xavier. As the head of one of the biggest entertainmentpanies in the nation, Xavier was constantly surrounded by so many women. He was nevercking one in the first ce. However, this woman waspletely different from the other eye candies. This made Shirley instantly feel a sense of crisis. ¡°We¡­ Not only do we know each other, our rtionship is rather unusual!¡± Leia walked slowly to Xavier with an ambiguous smile, then hugged the man¡¯s arm and said coquettishly, ¡°Come on, introduce me to Miss White.¡± Chapter 872 Chapter 872 ¡°Huh?¡± Xavier looked at the prettydy leaning on him with a dismayed face, feelingplicated. Not only he was confused, he even felt likeughing. ¡®What rtionship?¡¯ If he remembered correctly, thest time they met was at a banquet; they nearly got into a fight over the question of whether Stefan and Renee should reconcile. The scratch on his arm had just started forming a scab. If that was the ¡®rtionship¡¯ she was talking about, it would certainly be unusual! ¡°Don¡¯t just stand here, darling. Say something, don¡¯t make me look like a third wheel¡­¡± Leia acted as if she was a bystander. She exaggerated her actions and pinched the man¡¯s arm quietly. Her first thought was¡­ ¡®Wow, this guy¡¯s muscles feel really hard!¡¯ This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Shirley¡¯s eyes got even redder, and they were now filled with glistening tears. She bit her lip and, devoid of expression, said, ¡°Yeah, say something, Xavier. I can ept whatever your rtionship with her is. Just don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t make me look like the third wheel.¡± ¡°Hmm, you can ept anything?¡± The woman¡¯s words pricked his heart like a thin needle. He gave Shirley his heart and cherished her carefully for the past four years and pleased her in all sorts of ways like a puppy. But in the end, their rtionship remained one stage above friendship and one below courtship. She could address him by his name. She would hold his hand and lean on his shoulder. In their most intimate moments, they would even kiss. Yet she was just reluctant to confirm their rtionship. After pursuing her for four years, he was tired and had had enough. He refused to let his feelings consume him any further. ¡°As you can see, Leia and I are a couple. If everything goes well, we will get married at the end of the year. We¡¯ll invite you to our wedding,¡± Xavier said nonchntly with a smile. Leia was dumbfounded and turned to look at the man in disbelief. ¡®What did he mean? Why is he more willing to go all out than me?¡¯ Her intention was just to avenge her loss at the party, but he actually took the cue and made a greater scene out of it. Shirley¡¯s face turned paler, and her lips were trembling. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Stop joking, Xavier. You don¡¯t look like a couple at all. If this is your idea of revenge, then I think it¡¯s simply childish. I won¡¯t believe it, nor will I be angry with you. I¡¯ll just¡­ pity you.¡± Leia hated pretentious people the most. She only intended to watch the drama at first but could not help but refute, ¡°Miss White, I cannot agree with you. My darling and I are not only a lovely couple, but our families are verypatible. Why do we not look like lovers?¡± ¡°Excuse me, miss. My words might have hurt you, but Xavier and I have been together for more than four years. No one knows him better than I¡­¡± Shirley sized Leia up from top to bottom when she said that and suggested, ¡°You are not Xavier¡¯s type.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Leia lowered her head and looked at her t chest, then at Shirley¡¯s curvy body, and pouted subconsciously. ¡°So what if you and Xavier have known each other for four years? I am his childhood friend. What type of girls does he like? What you say doesn¡¯t count. He has the right to say it himself! Xavier, tell her honestly about what type of girl you like. I don¡¯t want to see her getting hurt¡­¡± Men normally couldn¡¯t resist Shirley¡¯s loving almond-shaped eyes. Xavier looked at Shirley, then at Leia. Although they were about the same age, they were two completely different girls. Chapter 873 Chapter 873 Shirley looked tender and lovable like a tiny white bunny, but the curves that lined her slender figure were extremely alluring. She was the woman that men would desire most. Her face especially resembled Renee¡¯s, which was the reason he fell for her at first nce. Perhaps this was what love at first sight meant. And because of that, he loved her submissively for four years¡­ As for Leia, she was not unlike a fox, blessed with a pair of bright and enchanting eyes. Her skin wasn¡¯t nearly as fair as Shirley¡¯s, but it had a glowing tan that denoted its wless condition. She exuded an elusive wildness as if she was the wind in the air that nothing could trap. Contrastively, Leia¡¯s personality was very simr to Renee¡¯s. She was straightforward, cheerful, and impartial. Her mind was also filled with brilliant ideas, inplete contrast to the usual superficial girl that craved attention. In terms of who moved his heart more, it was certainly Shirley. But given the chance, he would rather choose Leia. He felt more rxed andfortable with her and, in a sense, not having to walk on eggshells all the time. ¡°Why would Leia be hurt?¡± Xavier suddenly wrapped his arm around Leia¡¯s waist, posed intimately with her, and said with a wicked smile, ¡°She is the woman I love the most, and I am the one she loves the most. We love each other dearly, and we are very happy.¡± Leia was dumbfounded. Her scalp tingled, and she involuntarily tried to pull away from the man. But the man reacted mischievously and held her tighter, ending up in a position that only made them look even more like a real loving couple. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I won¡¯t believe it!¡± Shirley waspletely flustered. Her tears gushed like a waterfall, and she almost lost her breath. ¡°You know well enough how much you love me. I refuse to believe that you don¡¯t love me anymore¡­¡± ¡°Huh? How do you know that I loved you? I thought perhaps you were blind and weren¡¯t able to see it.¡± ¡°I saw it. I really did. It¡¯s just that¡­ that I could not be with you because of my circumstance, I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Even if I loved you, it is in the past. Leia is the one I love now, so stop bothering me.¡± After he said that, he kissed Leia¡¯s forehead and said affectionately, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Leia.¡± Leia was speechless. Not only did her scalp feel numb, but she was also literally awash in goosebumps. ¡®Oh, save me, God. Why did I dig myself such a big hole? Now I have really fallen into it!¡¯ Consequently, Leia could only walk toward Xavier¡¯s wooden cabin, in his embrace, under the stares of everyone. ¡°Wait, wait for me!¡± Shirley stumbled up from the ground and tried to catch up with them, but the door shut right in front of her face. Camera shes glimmered non-stop behind her. The crowd of fascinated onlookers broke into a fervent discussion about whether Shirley had been dumped. ¡°Xavier, open the door. I¡¯m not finished. I have to talk to you¡­ One minute is all I ask, just one bloody minute!¡± Shirley banged on the door, crying so hard that her tears and snot streaked ugly lines all over her face. She was the most attractive star during her most glorious moment, but now she was just an abandoned woman without a public image.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Chapter 874 Chapter 874 Leia reacted as if she had seen a ghost and shunned a good distance from Xavier the moment they were in the room. She listened to Shirley¡¯s wail in disbelief. ¡°Xavier, you scum. Are you going to let her be like this? You are the infamous simp of Beach City¡­ ahem, I mean the most loyal man. Why have you suddenly be so cold-blooded and heartless?¡± Xavier crossed his legs and leaned against the door casually. He nocked his chin up a little and stared at the woman nonchntly. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just make it very clear that you are my true love? Desting my true love for the sake of an unworthy old me is simply not worth it!¡± ¡°Bleurgh!¡± Leia pretended to puke and punched the man. ¡°You¡¯d better stop,¡± she growled. ¡°I¡¯ve just had breakfast. Don¡¯t make me puke and waste food!¡± ¡®Haha! How hrious. If I am Xavier¡¯s true love, the Sun will rise from the west.¡± As the descendants of The Great Eight of Beach City, they had known each other since young. Though they had little interaction with each other, they would fight whenever they met. Leia did not like Xavier¡¯ssciviousness, and thetter didn¡¯t approve of her abstinence from love. If Stefan and Renee got involved in theirplicated rtionship, it would be a disaster the scale of a world war! ¡°You are still the same person as I remember. You are a cold and unapproachable girl allergic to romance and unmoved by flirtation!¡± The man shook his head helplessly. He walked to the bedside, pressed the inte button, and said to Dn, ¡°Take good care of her. I don¡¯t care how you do it. Make sure nothing about what happened today gets to the public. Otherwise, her career will be ruined.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Xavier. Don¡¯t worry about it. I know what to do,¡± replied Dn seriously and respectfully. Not long after that, nothing was heard from the outside. Shirley was not bawling, and the crowd wasn¡¯t chirping. Everything returned to how it was, as if nothing had just happened. ¡°Hmm, Master Xavier, it seems like you still care a lot about her. The title of the most loyal man of Beach City is undoubtedly yours¡­¡± Leia teased Xavier as always but suddenly sensed that his mood was not right. Silent and with his head hung low, he exuded an aura of mncholy, one that waspletely different from his usual yful self. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you? Acting depressed? It is not like your style.¡± Leia patted the man¡¯s shoulder, trying to make hime to his senses. ¡°Don¡¯t be a loyal man,¡± she mocked. ¡°It¡¯s better to be a scum. You¡¯ll be happier.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Xavier raised his head slowly. His beautiful almond-shaped eyes were as bright as the shining stars as always, but the rim of his eyes was red, channeling a deep sense of sorrow. His eyes were enchanting when paired with his overly handsome face. ¡°Is-is it not so?¡± Leia stammered. She admitted that she was fascinated by this guy for a moment. Well, no matter which kind of man he chose to be, his face was stunning! Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Even you think that it is despicable and ridiculous for me to be a submissive lover, don¡¯t you?¡± Xavier stared at Leia, smiling very bitterly. ¡°I never expected that I, a man who has had so many women, would end up like this the first time I loved someone dearly. Sincerity is such a worthless thing.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 875 Chapter 875 Leia frowned in confusion. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have her heart set on you now? As the top star, she disregarded her public image and cried so miserably outside just to win your heart back. What else do you want from her?¡± Xavier remained silent, a deep mncholy still permeating his eyes. ¡°So, I would say that it¡¯s not that sincerity is worthless, but it was you who wasn¡¯t sincere. You are just unwilling to ept that you got no love in return. Now you¡¯ve gotten it; you start to act cocky again¡­¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Like a bear that was being poked, Xavier lost all of his calm. His eyes turned cold, and he pushed Leia onto the big bed, sneering. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot in love and have no experience at all. Do you know what love is? Aren¡¯t you a little too presumptuous to talk about it when you have never experienced it?¡± ¡°Who-who told you that I have no experience? I have lots, I¡­¡± Leia looked into the man¡¯s beautiful eyes, and her heart started to race inexplicably, and she stammered involuntarily. ¡®Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t have much experience in romance indeed. Even the only one I had was a bad one that is not worth mentioning!¡¯ ¡°Oh, you are in love?¡± Xavier¡¯s face turned yful, and his slender fingers gently brushed across the woman¡¯s rosy cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t you always say that you are not getting married nor having a child so that you have a peaceful life? You say that romance is something even the dogs hate, and you would rather watch other couples than look for a man yourself, so I thought you had to be a virgin. It appears, however, that you¡¯ve secretly fallen in love with somebody. It¡¯s really¡­¡± He suddenly stopped talking, and his gaze turnedplicated. ¡°It¡¯s really what?¡± asked the woman curiously. ¡°Nothing!¡± Xavier shook his head and smiled. ¡°I just think it¡¯s a shame that the world has lost another pure woman.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Leia pondered the man¡¯s words and then said angrily, ¡°Xavier, I find that you have such double standards. On the one hand, you are a yboy who likes to hurt pure women, but on the other,ment that women are not pure enough. You look young and trendy but are so old-fashioned in thinking. Since you are so concerned about a woman¡¯s purity, why don¡¯t you print a signboard about appreciating chastity? I wondered why you suddenly be so cold and ruthless to the female upstart that you single-handedly cultivated¡­ so the rumors are apparently true¡­¡± Xavier froze and questioned coldly, ¡°What rumors?¡± ¡°The paparazzi published an article about you suddenly falling out with an actress after discovering you weren¡¯t her first man. You were so furious that you have been avoiding her¡­¡± Leia continued cautiously, ¡°It¡¯s 2023. If this causes you to abandon your love, then you are being too much.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Xavier felt much more relief. It seemed that the paparazzi still cherished their lives. They knew what they could and could not expose. Upon noticing the man¡¯s silence, Leia sighed. ¡°You are quietly admitting it, aren¡¯t you? We really cannot see things superficially. I thought that you were the aggrieved one, but it looks like it¡¯s Shirley¡¯s bad luck to have met such a conservative man!¡± Despite the muck and mockery, he remained unruffled. He yed with the woman¡¯s hair with his long fingers and said deeply, ¡°Who says I care about that? Compared to the inexperienced, I think that a slightly more mature person like you is more attractive¡­¡± Chapter 876 Chapter 876 The atmosphere was very ambiguous. The two of them were about to kiss each other. Suddenly, Leia seemed to have regained her wits. She abruptly raised her legs to kick Xavier off the bed. After that, she leaped and stood up. ¡°All men are scumbags. What¡¯s more, you¡¯re that scumbag Stefan¡¯s buddy. Birds of a feather flock together. You¡¯ll only be worse than him!¡± However, Xavier seemedpletely unperturbed. Half sitting on the carpet, he propped his arms up and revealed a carefree smile. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you have such an awareness. Keep this in mind. Don¡¯t ever tread the path of love. This thing is devastating. One can only lead an easy life without love.¡± They bade each other goodbye before they took their respective flights to fly to Sun Ind, which was near Quartz Ind. They did not know that their destination was the same. They boarded the ne to the edge of Sun Ind before they got a private speedboat to go to the ind. The speedboat heading to Sun Ind only ran in the morning and at night. So, it would only set off for the ind when everyone had arrived. Leia arrived at the dock first, so she sat in a simple cold beverages shop. However, she became slightly impatient from the wait. ¡°Captain, can you set sail now? I¡¯m in a rush!¡± She was still wearing a cowboy sun hat. However, her delicate facial features were almost fully hidden by her sunsses. Her Bohemian sling was embroidered with mysterious and wonderful patterns, which perfectly matched the blue sea andrge tropical forest. The captain was in the sailing business all year round, so his skin was rather tanned. At a nce, he was immediately charmed by that unique woman and spread his hands helplessly. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m sorry. I would like to set off too, but that customer paid too much, so I have to wait for him.¡± ¡°How much did he pay? I¡¯ll pay you double!¡± Leia was the most adored daughter in the Osborne family. She was never short of money, so she immediately waved herrge hand. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll book your boat. Refund triple the price to that person, and we¡¯ll set off now.¡± ¡°Err¡­¡± The captain was hesitant for a while before he answered, ¡°Let me just make a call.¡± After a while, the captain shrugged apologetically. ¡°This customer seems richer than you. He said he¡¯ll pay ten times your offer and book my boat. I hope that you¡¯re sensible enough to give up your spot. He likes VIP service and dislikes sharing the boat.¡± ¡°Who is that? How arrogant!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Consequently, Leia becamepetitive. She also became curious about that man. ¡°Wait a moment. He¡¯ll arrive in another ten minutes. Then, you guys can discuss whom I shall take.¡± ¡°Fine. When that timees, I¡¯ll let you witness the power of money!¡± Leia was very confident, ready to spend extravagantly to teach that insensible person a lesson. After all, the Osbornes were one of the eight great families in Beach City. They had endless properties and abundant wealth. Hence, only a few families in the entire world dared to challenge the Osbornes. She did not believe that she would bump into a person more powerful than her family in such a niche ce. That probability was slimmer than winning the lottery. Ten minutester, she saw the captain assume a ttering and humble attitude in the face of a tall and sturdy man. That man was none other than Xavier. Well, there were only a few families that could challenge her family in Beach City¡­ And¡­ And she bumped into a person from such a family. As expected, enemies were bound to meet one way or another. For a moment, Leia felt defeated. She lowered her head and gulped down two sips of orange juice. The captain led Xavier to Leia and said, ¡°Sir, thisdy wants to book the boat too. I¡¯ll take whoever offers a higher price.¡± Chapter 877 Chapter 877 ¡°You¡¯re very smart. Money does indeed resolve a lot of conflicts¡­¡± Xavier was wearing a floral shirt, beach pants, and a pair of flip-flops. Although he had dressed humbly, he appeared very natural and casual, especially with the innate aura of a wealthy heir that he exuded. So, he appeared very noble and elegant. He did not at all look like a poor man. At a nce, he saw Leia, who was sitting on a high chair, and unconsciously broke into a charming smile. ¡°Naughty kitty, we meet again. If nothing happens between us, given our destiny, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll disappoint God.¡± Leia nced at him and said angrily, ¡°Xavier, don¡¯t you have anything else to do? Why did you stalk me instead of coaxing Shirley?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t stalk you.¡± ¡°Stop lying. If you didn¡¯t stalk me, how would you know this dock and book this speedboat¡­¡± Leia sighed, ¡°I know I made a big joke today and sewed discord between you and Shirley. When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll exin to her well. But please do me a favor and don¡¯t mess with me today. I¡¯m in a hurry. Can you let me have the speedboat?¡± If it was someone else, she could resolve it by paying a great sum of money. However, it was Xavier. So, she soon became demotivated, as if she had lost all hope. Not only did the Stuarts own more properties than the Osbornes, but most importantly, Xavier was the leader responsible for the wealth of his family. The amount of wealth that he could casually manage was, in no doubt, greater than a naive rich youngdy like her. So, she could not defeat him if she wanted to resolve the issue with money. She could only admit to her defeat. ¡°I didn¡¯t stalk you. I¡¯m in a rush, too, so I need to board this speedboat.¡± Xavier was at a loss as he exined helplessly, ¡°I won¡¯t do such an outrageous and vulgar thing of stalking even if I like you. The best thing is that I don¡¯t even like you. At least¡­ I don¡¯t hold any affection for you.¡± His statement made her feel slightly awkward. She never ttered herself that Xavier would fall in love with her. She just thought that he was messing with her just because of what happened that morning. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. However, as a woman, she still felt rather defeated when he imed that he did not like her at all. ¡®s, am I that unattractive? I¡¯ve been single for more than twenty years. The only love affair I had was with a liar. ¡®Now even a frivolous yboy like Xavier, who generally epts all kinds of women, ims that he dislikes me! What a dent to my self-esteem!¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s on your mind, but in short¡­ No one can go to the ind I¡¯m going if not for the invitation from its master. You¡¯re not about to tell me that you, too, have been invited by the ind¡¯s master?¡± Leia tried her best to hide her disappointment and stay calm. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s the ind master or not, but the gathering ce he gave me is indeed in this location¡­¡± Xavier was very smart. He soon understood the whole affair, so he asked with a profound meaning, ¡°If my guess is right, the ind master that invited you is¡­ your bestie, Renee?¡± ¡°How did you know? She wouldn¡¯t have invited you. That¡¯s impossible!¡± Sun Ind was a sacred ce where Ren and the children could live away from the world. For so many years, she had never told anyone about this ce except for Leia and her brother. If Ren invited Xavier, it meant that she had exposed that utopia to Stefan, Xavier¡¯s buddy. That was impossible. ¡°What a coincidence! The person who invited me is Stefan, my buddy!¡± Xavier answered generously while Leia was still confused. ¡°What?¡± Leia suddenly exploded in a burst of wrath. Chapter 878 Chapter 878 ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to my bestie¡¯s utopia,¡± Leia stressed. ¡°She won¡¯t expose it to others easily. How would that scumbag know? Are you trying to fool me?¡± Xavier remained calm and smiled with a profound meaning. ¡°Is there a possibility that Stefan isn¡¯t an outsider to your bestie?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s not her outsider, then he is her enemy. She¡¯ll never tell her enemy herst sacred ce, so there must be¡­ some kind of deception!¡± ¡°As for that, why don¡¯t¡­ you call and ask her?¡± Putting both of his hands in his pockets, Xavier kindly reminded her. Leia frowned. After a long hesitation, she took out her phone and eximed fiercely, ¡°I¡¯ll call my bestie now and expose your cunning scheme!¡± Raising his brows, Xavier gestured for her to go on. ¡°You¡¯re more than wee to do so.¡± Soon Renee answered the phone. When she learned that Leia happened to be with Xavier, she nearly screamed on the other end of the phone. Renee shouted, ¡°Dang! There are a total of 197 countries in the world, but you still had to bump into each other. What a wonderful destiny! Hurry up and get together already. It¡¯s written in the stars!¡± Leia was struck speechless. Renee said, ¡°Stop dilly-dallying! Hurry up and get on the ind. The kids and I, as well as the kids¡¯ dad, have long prepared a wee feast for you two. We¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡± Leia asked, ¡°The kids¡¯ dad? Who is it? Could it be¡­¡± Renee answered, ¡°All right, the signal here is bad. You two shoulde here now. Bye!¡± Leia continued, ¡°Wait, hello! Hello¡­¡± There was a busy signal on the other end of the phone. Xavier held back his smile and asked leisurely, ¡°Well? Did you get it clear? Was there any deception involved?¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Leia knew that she was in the wrong, so she ignored him and got up. She then sat at the rear of the boat with her arms across her chest. On the other hand, Xavier boarded the boat calmly. He then sat across from Leia before he waved his hand at the captain. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Vroom! The speedboat sped toward the most spacious area of the ocean in the waves. The sea area of Southern Aeos was not as t and open as Osren or as luxurious and modern as Varangia. It was also not as deste and cold as Antia. The mountains and seas there were intertwined with mountains ovepping each other. It even had a temperature of 57 Fahrenheit throughout the year, and it was beautiful and mysterious. Leiay on the railing of the speedboat to watch the scenery quietly. Her long hair became quite messy because of the breeze, but it gave her another kind of charm. In the past four years, she had been to Sun Ind many times. So, she was not as gratified as she was the first time when she witnessed that charming scenery now. She was rtively calm during the journey. On the contrary, Xavier was different. He behaved like an unsophisticated tourist as he ceaselessly clicked away on the shutter of his professional camera. In truth, he vehemently admired the extremely beautiful oceanic view. ¡°This sea area is too awesome. It¡¯s of a great standard, and the water is crystal clear. This is so much better than ces like Lagooncall and Tahato¡­ ¡°Well, Renee is just mean. Instead of sharing such a beautiful ce, she¡¯s hoarding it all to herself. What a waste of a natural treasure! ¡°Come on, naughty kitty! After all, we¡¯re free. Let¡¯s take a selfie!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Xavier enthusiastically turned on the ultra-high pixel camera on the screen of his phone and extended his arm. He then leaned his head on her shoulder. With a click, he snapped a picture. Leia became confused. Sooner rather thanter, her face turned cold and gloomy. Chapter 879 Chapter 879 ¡®Is he really as dumb as a dog? If he isn¡¯t, how is he always so foolish and happy-go-lucky all the time? ¡®He¡¯s a rich heir. It¡¯s fine if he likes to take selfies, but he even made a peace sign while taking selfies. It¡¯s so unsophisticated. He looks so foolish that people can¡¯t hate him at all. Click! Click! Click! Xavier waspletely unbothered by Leia¡¯s gloomy face. He excitedly took a few dozen photographs before he started picking and editing the photographs with satisfaction and had them up on social media in no time. ¡°I¡¯ll upload a post on Facebook. If not, my buddies will think that I¡¯m dead.¡± He purposely picked a photograph in which Leia gave the most cooperation. He did not even edit it before he happily posted it on Facebook. He even added a caption. ¡°My wonderful ind trip with my world-weary buddy.¡± Of course, there was no way Leia could see that. Although they knew each other since they were young¡­ they were strangely not friends on Facebook up until now. Leia pretended for less than half an hour. Atst, she could not hold herself back, so she asked Xavier directly, ¡°I want to ask you something. Your buddy, Stefan¡­ Er¡­ Could it be that he and Ren¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Xavier had long foreseen that Leia would ask about that, so he leaned against the railing of the speedboat easily. He seemed to have long prepared to resolve her doubt. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me. Just be frank. Did my bestie repeat a disastrous mistake with that scumbag buddy of yours?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not repeating a disastrous mistake. They¡¯re just patching up old wounds¡­¡± When he reached that point, his smile became slightlyplicated. In his regret, he gave them his blessing. ¡°I¡¯ve long known that they would not end things between them so easily. So, isn¡¯t it within expectation to see them getting back together?¡± ¡°It was f*cking unexpected!¡± Leia became so anxious that she cursed. She blinked herrge and witty eyes ceaselessly. ¡°That scumbag must have used some cunning schemes to force my bestie to agree. I hope that he¡¯s not on Sun Ind. If he¡¯s there, I will¡­¡± ¡°What will you do?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll strike him and make him fruitless. After that, I¡¯ll make him kneel before my bestie and make it up for the hurt he caused her all these years!¡± ¡°Wow, bravo! I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± Xavier grinned and pped with a tinge of unnoticeable adoration in his eyes. Undeniably, Leia was always so serious every time she brought up those lousy affairs between Stefan and Renee. Besides, she seemed like she was about to re up in a rage at any minute. Could it be the power of the top fan of Stefan and Renee¡¯s love after she stopped being their fan? How interesting! The speedboat sailed rapidly for nearly two hours. Atst, it reached the dock of Sun Ind. It was dusk, and the setting sun painted the blue ocean with streaks of orange and red. Coupled with the roaring waves, it only reaffirmed the calmness and peacefulness that one could find on that ind. ¡°Lei!¡± Renee had long been waiting at the dock. When she saw Leia disembark from the speedboat, she waved excitedly. ¡°Ren, I miss¡­¡± Leia¡¯s smile stiffened the minute she saw Stefan, who entwined his fingers with Renee¡¯s. ¡®What the hell? This scumbag has the audacity to be here?!¡¯ Xavier also disembarked from the speedboat. He nudged Leia, who was frozen on the spot. At the same time, he suggested eagerly, ¡°Go on! Strike him. Make him fruitless.¡± Chapter 880 Chapter 880 Leia was struck speechless. She remained quiet and motionless as if she had been petrified. Xavier walked to Stefan, looking at the charming, lovey-dovey couple in front of him. Strangely, his handsome and bright face seemed solemn and gloomy. With a sentimental vibe, he whined, ¡°Stefan, you sure are awesome. I just went on a trip, but you guys turned hostility to love and made up with each other. As expected¡­ no matter how skillful one is, one is no better than a talented person like you.¡± Stefan was so gripped in a state of deep love that he acted as if he was Eros. He was not as cold and distant as he was before. On the contrary, his whole being radiated with the light of love and peace. ¡°B*stard, stop teasing me. It¡¯s all because of my deep sincerity that she changed her mind. Keep this in mind. Sincerely is the key to love!¡± After he said that, he hugged Xavier with one arm and whispered in his heart, ¡°Leia is kind and magnanimous. She¡¯s much more reliable than that woman called Shirley. You should grab hold of this chance and don¡¯t make me lose face in front of my wife.¡± Xavier raised his brows in enlightenment. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you and Renee went to so much trouble waiting for me here?¡± ¡°What tone is that? Are you dissatisfied?¡± Stefan knitted his brows deeply and said in amanding presence, ¡°My wife is exceptionally charming and excellent. Of course, her bestie can¡¯t be any worse. Don¡¯t tell me you despise her, huh?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect that you obey your wife so. You force me, the first kiss*ss in Beach City, to admit defeat.¡± Xavier was greatly amused by his buddy, who was so obedient toward his wife. Hence, he inevitably threw Renee an admiring look. He then smiled faintly and stated, ¡°Renee, as expected, your charm is boundless. I¡¯m sure no men in this world can resist that¡­¡± ¡°Thank you. Stop ttering me. I was too young and inexperienced, so I was tricked by your buddy. Now we even have two kids. I might as well make do with it.¡± Renee waved her hands. Although she appeared reluctant, she could not hide the joy and gentleness in her eyes. ¡°Since you¡¯d just make do with it, why didn¡¯t you make do with me instead?¡± Xavier broke into a frivolous smile, and his charming eyes became quite bewitching as he said ambiguously, ¡°I made a bet with Stefan four years ago, and you were nearly mine¡­¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh?¡± Renee immediately became curious as she immediately asked, ¡°What kind of bet was that? Tell me.¡± However, Stefan maintained a cold expression and warned Xavier grumpily. ¡°It happened so long ago, so there¡¯s no need to mention it. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re talking about your buddy¡¯s wife.¡± ¡°Pfft! Stefan, calm down. I told you I¡¯m not Chris. Of course, I know that my friend¡¯s wife can¡¯t be coveted. I just feel a little regret¡­¡± Xavierughed in a carefree but wicked manner, but the deep sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. ¡°When you went missing four years ago, I made a bet with Stefan. If I had found you before him, I would forget the so-called friendship and boldly pursue you. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t lucky. I thought I found you, but I got an ill-fated rtionship instead¡­ ¡°I always tell myself how nice it would be if the one I found at the underground casino in Water Dock back then were you!¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± For a moment, Renee felt slightly awkward because she did not know what kind of response she should make. She and Xavier were good friends. Their friendship was extremely precious. However, his sudden ambiguous speech made things very awkward. As a result, Stefan¡¯s face became gloomy. ¡°I told you. She¡¯s your buddy¡¯s wife. Stop your nonsense!¡± He knew that Xavier was frivolous and yful. Xavier always changed girlfriends, not to mention his unceasing appetite for flirting with any woman he came across. However, he knew very well that Xavier was never sincere, especially when he flirted with women at will. The only time that he was serious was when it was Shirley. Coincidentally, Shirley had a face very much simr to Renee¡¯s. Hence, Stefan could not help but worry¡­ Chapter 881 Chapter 881 ¡°Bro, why are you so nervous?¡± Xavier¡¯s lips curled into a mischievous smile. He remained as unpredictable as ever. ¡°You¡¯re the one who invited me here, so shouldn¡¯t you at least show some confidence?¡± The two men were locked in an invisible battle. The atmosphere became weirdly tense. ¡°Can you two¡­ act normally?¡± Renee gulped and suggested cautiously. Xavier¡¯s beautiful eyes immediately curled into crescent moons as he beamed at Stefan. He patted Stefan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Haha, just kidding. Look how scared Stefan is. He¡¯s worried that his wife would run away with someone else¡­¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. This ind is beautiful! I want to look around!¡± He ran a few steps, then suddenly stopped and came back because he remembered something. He told Stefan, ¡°Umm¡­ Miss Osborne has something important to say to you, Stef. Be mentally prepared, okay? Make sure you tighten your belt.¡± ¡°Tighten my belt?!¡± Renee was confused. ¡°What the hell? Xavier, exin yourself¡­¡± However, Xavier had already skipped away. All this while, Leia had been pouting at the dock. She was unwilling to take a single step forward. She even had the urge to turn around and leave. ¡°Why is she just standing there?¡± Stefan wondered coldly. He did not know much about Leia Osborne. He vaguely remembered hearing someone mention that she was once the biggest fan of him and Renee, but when he divorced Renee, she turned into his biggest hater. Wait¡­ it was Xavier who told him that. Because Xavier was a behemoth in the Aeos entertainment industry and knew a lot of paparazzi and media, he once came across Leia¡¯s gossip posts which recorded her process of turning from a fan into a hater in detail. Therefore, it made sense that Leia would¡­ dislike him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. She might find it hard to ept now, but I¡¯ll exin it to her. You can go keep Xavier company.¡± Renee knew her good friend very well. She could understand Leia reacting badly to her decision. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m counting on you, honey. These two people are so much hassle to deal with. We must seed, or I¡¯d feel uneasy.¡± Stefan cuddled with Renee for a bit before parting with her reluctantly. Seeing this, Leia became even more infuriated. She gritted her teeth and tried to leave. This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, the speedboat had already departed. She could only turn her back on Renee with a frown. She was furious. ¡°Leia, oh Leia, please don¡¯t be mad!¡± Renee hugged Leia from behind and said coquettishly, ¡°I know, it¡¯s my fault. Will you forgive me? You¡¯re the best¡­¡± ¡°Save it!¡± Leia pouted. She originally wanted to keep giving Renee the cold shoulder, but she relented only after a few minutes. She turned around, held Renee¡¯s beautiful face in her hands, and said angrily, ¡°You better have a good exnation for this, or I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll jump into the sea and make you live out the rest of your life in regret!¡± Chapter 882 Chapter 882 ¡°Hmm.. Where should I begin? Actually, I¡¯m not sure how things turned out like this either¡­¡± Renee grabbed Leia¡¯s hand and let out a long sigh. She told Leia honestly, ¡°I made up my mind not to get involved with him ever again, but things change. He came at me really aggressively. I couldn¡¯t stop him, so I pretended to ept him and waited for him to get bored. But after a while, I realized that he¡¯s¡­ actually not that bad.¡± ¡°Not that bad?!¡± Leia poked Renee¡¯s forehead and scolded her, ¡°Have you already forgotten about the pain he made you go through just because the wounds have healed? Have you forgotten about all the dirty things he did four years ago? Have you forgotten about all the hardship you went through in thest four years, having to bring up your children by yourself?¡± ¡°That guy is cold and unpredictable. He might treat you well now, but what if he suddenly has a change of heart? He¡¯ll hurt you again and snatch Adie and Abby away from you. Have you thought about that?¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I have¡­¡± Renee¡¯s beautiful face became slightly gloomy, but she soon lifted her head with confidence. ¡°The highest level of love is to not be afraid of losing. I ept his passion when he loves me, and I¡¯ve also prepared myself to face his coldness when he doesn¡¯t love me anymore. He¡¯s just the icing on the cake for me now. What¡¯s truly important is the cake ¨C the icing is just an embellishment! I can live without it!¡± Leia rolled her eyes helplessly and said, ¡°Wow, such wisdom! I¡¯ve learned so much!¡± Leia knew that she could never win an argument against Renee. Renee¡¯s IQ and EQ were both exceptionally high. She could crush Leia with words if she wanted to. ¡°But what about my brother¡¯s feelings for you? If he found out that the goddess he has been protecting for the past four years has returned to the demon, I think he would go crazy!¡± Leia paused. She really did not want to drag Liam into this if she could help it because she felt like she was guilt-tripping Renee, but if Renee and Stefan were to reunite, Liam was a problem that they could not avoid. At least for Renee, it was¡­ Sure enough, Renee¡¯s mood instantly plummeted like she was riding a roller coaster. Even if Leia had not mentioned Liam, he had been a constant thorn in Renee¡¯s heart. Whenever Renee thought of him, it would hurt really bad. Guilt wrapped around her like a quagmire, making it hard for her to breathe¡­ ¡°Leia, I feel so guilty about your brother¡­¡± Renee¡¯s eyes went red. She choked up. ¡°I¡¯ve always lived an honest life. I¡¯ve never felt like I treated anyone unfairly¡­ except for your brother. I know that even if I try to make it up to him until my next life, I still can¡¯t fully repay him. I really don¡¯t know what to do. Tell me what I should do, Leia.¡± At this point, she was already sobbing uncontrobly. She crouched down feebly, covering her face in shame. Tears streaked down from the gap between her fingers. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t cry, Renee!¡± There were not many things that could unsettle Leia, but both her and her brother Liam hated seeing their queen, Renee, cry. She crouched down to hug Renee. She pretended it was fine and consoled Renee, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. My brother is a tough guy. When he finds out that you and that scumbag Stefan have reconciled, he¡¯d be sad for one day at most. The next day, he¡¯d be as good as new. But¡­ you must be happy. If you¡¯re truly happy, it¡¯d be the bestpensation he could ask for.¡± She was not just saying that to make Renee feel less guilty. It was Liam¡¯s intention. Before she came, her brother had asked her to take good care of Renee. He said, no matter what choice Renee made, as long as she was happy, Leia must support Renee unconditionally. Chapter 883 Chapter 883 In hindsight, perhaps her brother had already anticipated that Renee and Stefan would reconcile sooner orter! Tsk, she felt really bad for her brother, but there was nothing she could do. Renee¡¯s shoulders trembled as she sobbed quietly for a while. Then, she lifted her head and grabbed Leia¡¯s hand tightly. She said, ¡°Leia, tell me where your brother is. I want to see him. I have a lot to say to him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s traveling around the world. I¡¯m not sure where he is right now¡­¡± Leia smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Last time we said goodbye was half a month ago. We went to Nouveand together, after which he traveled east. Apparently, there¡¯s a ce called the East Cape Lighthouse there that¡¯s said to wee the world¡¯s first rays of sunshine every day. As for me, I went west all the way to Quartz Ind, Meryah.¡± It was there that she ran into the massive yboy, Xavier Stuart! By the way, wasn¡¯t it funny that all three of them brokenhearted souls ¨C her brother, Xavier, and her ¨C chose to heal their wounds by going on a holiday? Perhaps fundamentally, all three of them were the same type of people. They seemed carefree, but in reality, they were just cowardly and could only forget by running away. Inparison, Renee and Stefan were brave and unapologetic, which was why they were able to get back together. ¡°To tell you the truth, I sometimes wonder if I made the right choice. If I had continued to stay on Sun Ind and had not returned to Beach City, if I had been willing to give up the idea of getting revenge forContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. my family and had continued to live a carefree life here, maybe I would already be married to your brother by now¡­¡± Renee once again fell into self doubt. She looked up at the starry sky. Everything felt like an illusion. It was particrly surreal. ¡°Your brother went against his family to help me and the Azure Group, which caused him a lot of trouble, yet I¡­ I couldn¡¯t let go of my petty love. Even I look down on myself. I don¡¯t know how to face him.¡± Renee confided in Leia her true feelings. She did not notice that Stefan had walked over. He was currently standing behind her¡­ looking rather unhappy. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past now. Don¡¯t think about it too much¡­¡± Leia bumped against Renee slightly, hinting at her to stop talking. She did not support Renee getting back together with Stefan, but since they had reconciled, she naturally wished them the best. She did not want to see them getting into conflict over some inconsequential things. ¡±What do you mean it¡¯s in the past? It¡¯s not!¡± Renee was adamant. She said stubbornly, ¡°In truth, I know that Stefan and I are just drinking poison to quench our thirst. It won¡¯t end well. Maybe I got back together with him not because I still love him, but because I have too much regret about how things ended thest time and I want to win this time¡­¡± She was upset that her sincere feelings were wasted thest time and she regretted admitting defeat in humiliation, so she wanted to taste the feeling of ¡°having all those things¡± one more time. ¡°Maybe after a while, the novelty will pass and I¡¯ll get tired of this rtionship, and everything wille to an end¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stefan¡¯s voice came from above Renee. It dropped down on her like a sharp icicle. Chapter 884 Chapter 884 Renee turned around and their eyes met. In his eyes, she once again saw the coldness of old. The air seemed to freeze at that moment. Even though they were on a warm ind, it felt as cold as the South Pole. Neither of them spoke, but one could feel the exchange of sharp des between their eyes. ¡°Oh no!¡± Leia covered her face. She knew this would happen! The atmosphere was as eerie as a horror film. Leia, who was stuck between them, felt extremely awkward. She felt like jumping into the sea to get away. ¡°Umm¡­ Mr. Hunt, please don¡¯t misunderstand. The two of us talk nonsense to each other all the time. Sometimes, we don¡¯t really mean what we say. Besides, besides¡­¡± Leia was crumbling under the intense pressure. She racked her brains trying to make excuses for Renee. Although she strongly disapproved of their reunion, she did not hope to see them get into a fight over something so ridiculous. ¡°I meant everything I said.¡± Renee stared at Stefan expressionlessly. His coldness did not make her nervous at all. She said calmly, ¡°Everybody wants eternal love, but fundamentally, love is just the result of a sudden surge in hormones. After a while, you¡¯ll get tired and you¡¯ll get bored. Instead of making hypocritical promises, why not just ept thews of human nature honestly?¡± ¡°How rational of you. If I hadn¡¯t known better, I would have thought that I¡¯m dating a robot.¡± Stefan gave her a cold smile. It cut her like a sharp knife. He was a calm, rational, and emotionally stable person himself. In fact, he was known to the public as an emotionless person. But now, he had be the one who had lost control of his emotions. He lost control because of what Renee said and did. In fact, she did not even have to do anything; merely her rational attitude was enough to make him lose control! Renee continued expressionlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t tter me. I can¡¯tpare to a robot. A robot can guarantee to treat you the same way forever. I can¡¯t guarantee that.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, you¡¯re mentally prepared to leave me already?¡± Stefan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, but¡­ I wouldn¡¯t get hung up on the idea of eternal love either. Let nature take its course. We¡¯ll stay together if we feel like it, and we¡¯ll break up if we feel like it. You feel the same way, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were as deep as ck holes that would suck everything in. He gave her a firm stare. ¡°From the moment I decided to start over with you, I never thought of breaking up.¡± Even Leia was a bit moved by his words, let alone Renee. As a former stan of the ¡°Hunt My Everheart¡± ship, her desire to stan the couple once again burned fiercely, but she tried to suppress the impulse with reason. ¡®Wake up, Leia Osborne! A copsed ship is not worth stanning!¡¯ Leia looked at Renee. She thought Renee must be really touched too, like she was. She was half expecting pink bubbles to pop up around Renee. After all, no woman in the world could resist sweet words from the man she loved, right?! But surprisingly, Renee seemed puzzled instead. She kindly reminded Stefan, ¡°Your nose will grow out if you lie.¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Leia: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee was worried that Stefan¡¯s ego might be bruised, so she softened her attitude and, like a mother coaxing a rebellious son, said, ¡°The moon always wanes after it bes full. Sometimes, it¡¯s a bad omen to make empty promises too early. I¡¯m just worried that we might be disappointed. That¡¯s why I¡¯m nning for the future.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 885 Chapter 885 ¡°You mean you¡¯ve been thinking of a ¡°future¡± with me?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Renee held the handsome man¡¯s face and teased him, ¡°If I don¡¯t n to have a long-term rtionship with you, why would I waste my time? Look at you. Your face bes tense so easily. It¡¯s not handsome anymore. Come on, smile for me. I love your smile. It captivates me every time.¡± ¡°Stop being glib with me. I warn you, if you dare leave me, I¡¯ll break your leg.¡± Stefan¡¯s tone was still cool and arrogant, but his mood had obviously improved, and he could not help but smile. ¡°I know, I know. Hurry up and make dinner already. Leia¡¯s starving!¡± ¡°Fine. Xavier is roasting a leg ofmb. It should be done soon. Let¡¯s head over there.¡± After that, he gave Renee a possessive kiss and went away to prepare dinner. Leia watched everything with wide eyes. She remained shocked for a long time. ¡°T-That¡¯s it?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She gulped hard and asked, ¡°Renee, what did you do? How did you tame the legendary giant iceberg who¡¯s used to being in control? I was ready for him to erupt, but his rage subsided so easily and he¡¯s even making dinner for us! He¡¯s be a model husband!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Renee shrugged and let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s probably karma. It¡¯s like he became who I used to be.¡± They set up the weing feast on a beach on the west side of Sun Ind. The beach was t and vast, with soft, fine sand. Because it was well above sea level, it was basically not affected by high tides. It had always been the best gathering spot on the ind. A campfire and a barbecue grill had been set up on the beach. A hugemb leg was on the grill, ready for consumption. It was sizzling and dripping oil. The aroma was very tempting. ¡°Sun Ind is still as rxing as ever. It¡¯s totally my dream ind!¡± Leia faced the sea and spread open her arms, embracing the wind and the waves. Her body and mind felt rxed. Adie and Abby had a great time ying with their newly-met uncle Xavier, but when they saw Leia, they immediately abandoned Xavier and ran towards her. ¡°You¡¯re here too, Aunt Leia! Yay! Adie and I missed you so much!¡± Abby gave Leia a sweet smile and plunged into Leia¡¯s arms, then gave her a big kiss on the cheek. ¡°Long time no see, my little princess. You look even cuter now. Let me give you a kiss back.¡± Leia held the little girl¡¯s face and kissed her repeatedly. When it was Adie¡¯s turn, the little boy crossed his arms, turned his head away, and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m a boy and you¡¯re a girl, so we can¡¯t kiss or we¡¯ll have to get married.¡± This was the conclusion Adie came to after he saw Stefan and Renee kiss each other following an argument. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s¡­¡± Leia was speechless. ¡°Dinner¡¯s ready! Come here, everyone!¡± Xavier knocked on a champagne ss and greeted everyone as if he was the ind¡¯s owner. He had completely made himself at home. All of them gathered by the fire. The long dining table had various delicious food on it. It was decorated with flowers and ribbons, making the mood very romantic. ¡°Kids, Aunt Leia would like to perform a show for us. Let¡¯s enjoy the show before we start eating.¡± Xavier smiled at Leia, who was sitting across from him, through the flickering candlelight. Chapter 886 Chapter 886 ¡°What the hell???¡± Leia was staring at the leg ofmb and salivating wildly when she heard what Xavier said. It was so sudden that it stunned her. ¡°I still remember the bold words you said on the speedboat. I, Xavier, have rarely been impressed with anyone, especially women, but after hearing what you said, I¡¯mpletely impressed. Don¡¯t let me down now.¡± ¡°What bold words? I say lots of bold words all the time. You can¡¯t expect me to remember all of them.¡± Leia feigned ignorance and said, ¡°Wow, the leg ofmb looks so good¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember because I do. I can remind you. You said you would show him your skills with a knife, you said you would castrate him and turn him into an eunuch, you said you would force him to his knees to apologize, etc¡­¡± Xavier crossed his long legs and said mischievously. He kept fanning the mes, trying to turn the situation chaotic. ¡°D-Did I say that?¡± Leia shrunk back. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Yes, she was indeed determined to fight Stefan to the death when she was on the speedboat, but after seeing Stefan¡¯s dignified and proud demeanor, her attitude immediately softened. She was the one who almost ended up kneeling. ¡°What are you guys talking about? You two are acting so weird.¡± While slicing the roasted leg ofmb, Renee smelled something funny in the air. It smelled like the scent of¡­ a budding love rtionship? That¡¯s great! They held the weing feast to set those two up in the first ce! Renee bumped Stefan¡¯s leg andmanded, ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t just sit there and wait to be served. Do your duty as a host. Give a toast to my bestie and your bro and wish them a longsting rtionship¡­ I mean longsting health and vitality!¡± ¡°Yes, honey!¡± Stefan, like a good husband that he was, did as Renee ordered. He poured a ss of champagne each for Leia and Xavier and spoke with a rare enthusiasm, ¡°A toast for you two on behalf of my wife and myself.¡± Xavier joked, ¡°Bro, this isn¡¯t a business meal. Stop being so formal. You don¡¯t even hold liquor that well. Leave the drinking to me and Leia.¡± After saying that, he touched Leia¡¯s ss with his and said with a smile, ¡°I heard you can hold your liquor. I happen to be a good drinker myself. Let¡¯s have a drinking contest tonight.¡± Leia turned her head away in refusal. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna have a drinking contest with a yboy.¡± ¡°I see. You must be really eager to perform, then.¡± Xavier told Stefan seriously, ¡°Bro, Leia has a performance she wants to show you¡­¡± ¡°Since destiny has brought us together on this fateful day, there¡¯s no need for words. Let¡¯s speak with our drinks.¡± Leia immediately had a change in attitude. She downed her champagne in one go. Xavier nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°Our little Leia is indeed a very flexible woman. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Leia Osborne felt more and more interesting to him. She would say the fiercest words and then act in the most cowardly manner. He found her quite adorable. ¡°Ace!¡± ¡°One more ss! Another one!¡± And so, the two of them got into a drinking contest. Leia was determined to make Xavier copse to get her revenge. Stefan, Renee, Adie, and Abby stared at them, dumbfounded. Stefan: ¡°Your bestie drinks as much as you do.¡± Renee: ¡°Your buddy can¡¯t even beat a woman at drinking.¡± Abby: ¡°Are they dating?¡± Adie: ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they¡¯ve definitely gone mad.¡± As she got more drunk, Leia¡¯s behavior became increasingly rowdy and unrestrained. Renee felt like things were developing in the wrong direction. ¡®This won¡¯t do. If this goes on, they¡¯ll be buddies instead of lovers!¡¯ In truth, the reason Leia had remained single for so many years was because of her boisterous personality. She was really thick when it came to love affairs. She ended up treating everyone who confessed to her or showed interest in her as her buddy. This time, Renee would not leave her be. Chapter 887 Chapter 887 ¡°Simply drinking like this is boring. Why don¡¯t we y the Three Gardens game?¡± Renee reached out to stop Leia and Xavier from drinking and proposed eagerly. ¡°That¡¯s a kid¡¯s game. Boring!¡± Leia and Xavier surprisingly had the same opinion. They both expressed no interest in the game. ¡°How can you say my wife¡¯s proposal is boring?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression turned cold. He threatened, ¡°You¡¯ll y the game and you¡¯ll like it.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll y it.¡± Leia and Xavier once again acted in unison. They both sumbed to Stefan¡¯s pressure. Leia secretlyined to Xavier, ¡°Is Stefan possessed? He¡¯spletely turned into a henpecked husband. It¡¯s scary.¡± Xavier was unperturbed. ¡°Nah. Deep down, my bro is actually a hopeless romantic. It took him a lot of effort to act like an iceberg in the past.¡± Renee pped her hands and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start. I visited the Three Gardens on Wednesday. Today, we visited the ¨C Fruit Garden!¡± Stefan: ¡°Watermelon.¡± Leia: ¡°Peach.¡± Abby: ¡°Strawberry.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Adie: ¡°Apple.¡± Xavier: ¡°Banana.¡± After one round, Abby could not think of a fruit in time and lost the game. She had to perform a dance. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going!¡± Renee eagerly hosted the game. Everyone had lost at least once except for Stefan. He remained lossless until the end. ¡°Well, this drinking game isn¡¯t too hard. I haven¡¯t taken a sip of champagne yet.¡± Stefan said somewhat smugly. He seemed to have forgotten the embarrassment of losing hard in a drinking game and bing so drunk that he could not even recognize his own mother. ¡°How arrogant!¡± Xavier grinned and said, ¡°Bro, I¡¯ll decide the topic this time. Let¡¯s see how smug you are after this.¡± ¡°Anything¡¯s fine. My vocabry is rich enough to handle the likes of you.¡± Stefan was confident. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Xavier held back a smile and said, ¡± I visited the Three Gardens on Wednesday. Today, we visited the ¨C Exes Garden!¡± Stefan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Leia: ¡°¡­¡­¡± To no one¡¯s surprise, Stefan was the first to lose. He had to ept a punishment from the questioner. ¡°You win this time, you brat.¡± Stefan¡¯s cold eyes were like daggers. He issued a warning with a smile that did not reach his eyes, ¡°You better not overdo it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t threaten the questioner, or I¡¯ll ask for reinforcement.¡± Xavier sent an SOS signal to Renee. Stefan immediately relented. ¡°Okay. How do you want to punish me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, bro. I value our brotherhood very much, so I won¡¯t do anything too terrible to you. I just want to have a casual conversation with you¡­¡± Xavier then asked, ¡°Answer truthfully ¨C what is your biggest fear?¡± Chapter 888 Chapter 888 The atmosphere suddenly became tense again. Everyone looked at Stefan, waiting for his answer. The man slowly took a sip of champagne and said meaningfully, ¡°I used to be fearless, but now, what I fear most is my wife leaving me.¡± ¡°Oh no, you really are a hopeless romantic. Show some backbone, Stef!¡± Xavier waved his hand. He expected that answer. It did not surprise him at all. Leia also could not help mocking Stefan. ¡°Can you two please stop taking every opportunity to show how much you¡¯re in love? It¡¯s making me sick. I don¡¯t even have the appetite for the leg ofmb anymore.¡± Renee was calm though. Her beautiful lips curled into a shallow smile. She looked gentle and peaceful, but there was a trace of coldness in her eyes. She crossed her legs and wrapped the nket tighter around her, then said to Stefan, ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± Stefan shrugged and said calmly, ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°You keep emphasizing that you¡¯re afraid I¡¯d leave you one day. Does that mean, deep down in your heart, you don¡¯t have much confidence in our love? Or¡­ is there a hidden risk factor between us that I don¡¯t know about?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were as sharp as her question. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Stefan did not deny it. ¡°I¡¯m not a forthright person. I have my dark side. If you discover my dark side one day, maybe you won¡¯t forgive me.¡± This is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Stefan said this with a smile that carried a hint of helplessness and bitterness. As a mortal, he had no control over which direction destiny would bring him. If Renee discovered his ¡°dark side¡± one day and could not ept them, she would leave him and there would be nothing he could do about it. ¡°Dark side?¡± Renee raised her eyebrows but did not pursue the matter. She merely let out a long sigh and said, ¡°It seems like I still don¡¯t know you well enough.¡± The formerly lively campfire feast fell into a long silence, with Stefan and Renee each having their own thoughts. They were both people who had a lot of secrets. Xavier could not stand the silence anymore. He pped his hands and said, ¡°Hey, I thought this was a weing feast ! Why is everyone so serious? Let¡¯s have some fun!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s have some fun!¡± Leia stood up to liven up the mood. Based on past experiences, whenever both Stefan and Renee fell silent, something big was bound to happen. Leia was scared! And so, Xavier and Leia tried hard to liven up the atmosphere. They ended up getting drunk. Leia proimed her love for the moon. Hearing that, Xavier immediately ran towards the sea. He said he wanted to pick up the moon from the sea to give it to her. In the end, Xavier ripped the pull tab off a metal can and got down on one knee to propose to Leia. ¡°Leia, marry me. Neither of us believe in love anyway. Maybe we¡¯re meant for each other!¡± Leia blushed profusely and bit her finger. Tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m so touched. Thest man who proposed to me was a scammer and I almost killed him. If you dare to lie to me, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± ¡°Kill me if you want! If it makes you happy, I¡¯ll willingly offer you my head!¡± Xavier lowered his head to expose his neck to her. ¡°You fool, why would I chop off such a handsome face? If you lie to me, I¡¯ll make you a gigolo so that you¡¯ll earn money for me! Hahaha¡­¡± Leiaughed heartily as she took the pull tab from Xavier and wore it on her ring finger. ¡°Nice! I have a wife now! I, Xavier Stuart, finally have a wife!¡± Chapter 889 Chapter 889 Xavier leaped up, swooped Leia off her feet and carried her on his shoulder, then walked unsteadily towards the vi. Stefan and Renee were in shock. They stared at each other for a long time before they snapped back to their senses. Renee: ¡°Your buddy is crazy.¡± Stefan: ¡°Your bestie doesn¡¯t seem that normal either.¡± Renee: ¡°Are they entering the bridal chamber now?¡± Stefan: ¡°Probably.¡± Renee: ¡°Should we stop them?¡± Stefan: ¡°They¡¯re consenting adults. Whatever happens, happens.¡± And thus, Leia and Xavier spent a whole night doing adult stuff. After Renee put the two kids to bed, she sat on the beach next to the fire with Stefan, drinking some wine. The waves rose and fell. The two drank one ss after another. They were both feeling a bit tipsy by now, Stefan more so than Renee because his alcohol tolerance was low. ¡°We¡¯re alone. Can you tell me what your dark side is now?¡± Renee¡¯s hair had been blown into disarray by the sea breeze. It also made her mind much clearer. In the end, she could not help but ask Stefan the question that she had been holding in all evening. ¡°Nope!¡± Stefan took a sip of wine and shifted his eyes like a child. ¡°If I tell you, you¡¯ll get mad and leave me. If I can, I¡¯ll take it to the grave.¡± ¡°Let me guess¡­¡± Renee closed her eyes and pondered for a moment, then said confidently, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this dark side of yours must have something to do with Mr. Q, right?¡± Stefan¡¯s tipsy face suddenly stiffened. His eyes also went a bit cold. ¡°Tell me what you know.¡± Mr. Q had always been a thorn in Stefan¡¯s heart. It was a thorn that could sever his rtionship with Renee at any moment! He had thought abouting clean to her several times, but he could not muster the courage. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. And the longer he put it off, the less courage he had. He decided to just keep it a secret forever. ¡°I kept asking you today how you know about Sun Ind and why you¡¯re so familiar with the terrain here, but you¡¯ve been avoiding answering my questions. That means you¡¯re hiding something¡­¡± Because Renee was a bit tipsy, she let her emotions run wild. She confronted Stefan emotionally. She wished her deduction was wrong because it was something that she could never forgive. ¡°Keep going.¡± Stefan had actually calmed down by now. It was a problem that he would have to face sooner orter. It might not be a bad thing to get it over with. ¡°Do you know the origin of Sun Ind?¡± With teary eyes, Renee exined, ¡°Sun Ind is a private ind I bought for myself before we got married. I spent a lot of time, money, and effort to make it a paradise for me and the children. I lived a carefree life here for four years, and after that¡­ I pawned the ind to Mr. Q.¡± ¡°That means, except for Mr. Q and a few people that I trust, no one knows about this ce, let alone be able to take control over it¡­¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Stefan knew that he would not be able to avoid the topic today. Chapter 890 Chapter 890 ¡°Admit it, Stefan. You¡¯re a murderer. You killed Mr. Q, didn¡¯t you?!¡± Renee clenched her fists and questioned Stefan emotionally. She had had her suspicions before, but it was not until Stefan arrived at Sun Ind that it was 100% confirmed. This was also the reason she had been feeling depressed and gloomy all day. She wanted to confront Stefan about it, but she was afraid that the moment she did, they would never be able to go back. ¡°? ? ?¡± Stefan was caught off guard by the usation. He did not expect Renee toe to that kind of conclusion. He did not know whether tough or cry. It seemed like he overestimated her intelligence. He thought she already realized that he was ¡°Mr. Q¡±! ¡°What kind of reaction is that? Did you kill him or not? Tell me the truth. Why are youughing?¡± Renee could not understand why he was holding backughter. Was it an arrogantugh because she guessed right, or was it a mockingugh because she guessed wrong? ¡°Do I look like a murderer to you?¡± Stefan asked with a faint smile. ¡°You can¡¯t judge a book by its cover. There are many serial killers in the world who are attractive people. For example, there¡¯s a notorious serial killer called Richard Ramirez who was nicknamed the ¡°Night Stalker¡±. His handsome face fascinated the juries. Not only did he have numerous fans, he even got married in prison¡­¡± ¡°So just because I¡¯m handsome, you came to the conclusion that I¡¯m a serial killer?¡± Resting his chin on his hand, Stefan patiently listened to her exnation. He once again did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re a murderer because you¡¯re handsome. I¡¯m saying that a handsome person can be a murderer too¡­¡± Renee was starting to get confused herself. She continued, ¡°Whatever. Stop changing the topic. Just tell me if you killed Mr. Q.¡± Stefan knew he could not keep it a secret anymore, so he could only answer, ¡°All I can say is, I didy my hands on him, but the Mr. Q you know did not die by my hands.¡± ¡°What do you mean youid your hands on him? Did you kill him or not?¡± Renee was running out of patience. She felt the urge to beat the guy up. Why couldn¡¯t he just answer the question? Why did he have to be so cryptic? Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°I did get into a conflict with him four years ago. At that time, either he died or I would die. But now¡­¡± Stefan paused for a moment before saying mysteriously, ¡°All I can is, he¡¯s still alive. If you really want to see him again, I can notify him.¡± Stefan believed that the reason why Renee was still so attached to ¡°Mr. Q¡± was because ¡°Mr. Q¡± left without saying goodbye. If that was the case, he did not mind making an appearance as ¡°Mr. Q¡± again to say goodbye to her so that she could get over him. ¡°Sounds like you actually have a good rtionship with Mr. Q. At the very least, you¡¯re able to contact him anytime you want. You¡¯re much closer to him than I am.¡± Renee sneered. Wasn¡¯t it public knowledge that the H Group and the Carmine Pawnshop were enemies? They did not look like enemies to her. They clearly had a very harmonious rtionship! What a generous man Mr. Q was. He was willing to let Stefan have his woman, his children and even Sun Ind. They¡¯re not enemies; they¡¯re clearly brothers who were even closer than real brothers! ¡°Can you help me arrange a meeting with him? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll never let the matter rest.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were filled with determination. This matter was a thorn in her heart too. Chapter 891 Chapter 891 It¡¯s time to bring the matter to a conclusion. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. The next day. ¡°Ah!¡± Leai¡¯s scream could be heard from the guest room. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Xavier sleeping next to her on the bed. The most tragic thing was that she was holding onto him tightly with her hands and legs like an octopus! ¡°You¡¯re awake, Leia?¡± Xavier stretched with drowsy eyes. He looked gently at the woman in his arms with a smile. ¡°Xavier Stuart, what¡¯s going on? You¡­ me¡­ how did we¡­¡± ¡°We drank a lotst night. Generally speaking, this is a normal oue.¡± Xavier put on a rxed demeanor. Every inch of him, from his hair to his toes, told Leia that he was ¡°experienced¡±. Leia was going crazy. She had a sacred view of love. She could not ept the concept of casual sex. ¡°Shut up, you rotten scumbag! Don¡¯t talk to me!¡± She kicked him out of bed, hastily put on her clothes and fled the room like she was running for her life. ¡°Good morning, Leia.¡± Renee was already awake. She was taking a walk on the beach. When she saw Leiaing out of the guest room, she smiled mischievously and asked, ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Leia blushed so hard that even her neck was red. She grabbed Renee¡¯s arm and shook it wildly. ¡°Is this how you treat your bestie? You just let me get dragged into the devil¡¯s den? Do you still have a conscience?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that serious¡­¡± Reneeforted Leia, ¡°First, we did try to stop you, but you went so crazyst night that we couldn¡¯t hold you back.¡± ¡°Second, Xavier is a pretty good guy. He¡¯s reliable. I sincerely hope that you two can get together.¡± ¡°What the hell?!¡± Leia was getting mad for real now. With her chest rising and falling emotionally, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that he¡¯s the number one yboy in Beach City? He changes girlfriends like he changes clothes. He would flirt with any woman he sees.A guy like him knows nothing about love. He might make you fall in love with him, but he would not truly love you. Dating this kind of person is a waste of time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just what he looks like on the surface¡­¡± Renee smiled and continued, ¡°Xavier is just behaving like that to conceal his real feelings. He doesn¡¯t fall in love easily, but once he does, he¡¯s extremely loyal. You know about the story between him and Shirley White, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I know. So he¡¯s like a shit-vored chocte. You need to peel off the outer shell to discover the goodness inside.¡± ¡°Well, I guess you can say that. Like you, I used to think that he¡¯s just a good-for-nothing yboy too¡­¡± ¡°Wrong, he¡¯s a shitboy!¡± ¡°Pfft hahaha! You¡¯re too much!¡± Renee could not help but burst intoughter upon hearing Leia¡¯s nickname for Xavier. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to tell me that Xavier is a good guy, but¡­ why should I settle with a shit-vored chocte? Why can¡¯t I just look for a normal chocte?¡± Leia sighed. ¡°Fine. If you really have no chemistry with him, I won¡¯t try and persuade you any more. I¡¯ll ask him to leave!¡± ¡°You do just that! I¡­ I can¡¯t face him anymore!¡± Leia¡¯s face turned red again. She felt so embarrassed that she could die. At that moment, Xavier came out and walked towards them. He was dressed in casual attire and slippers and was holding a can of soda in his hand, as if nothing had happenedst night. Chapter 892 Chapter 892 ¡°What should I do? He¡¯s here! He¡¯s here! I don¡¯t know how to face him. Hurry up and stop him!¡± Leia awkwardly scratched the ground with her leg while blushing, making a hole in the beach beneath her feet. ¡°Uhh¡­ How am I supposed to stop him? I¡­¡± Renee was at a loss. After all, a shameless guy like Xavier would just go wherever he wanted. There was no way she could stop him. As the man approached, the panicking Leia jumped into the sea and swam offshore. ¡°? ? ?¡± The smile on Xavier¡¯s face disappeared. He was also shocked by Leia¡¯s action. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Leia?¡± He asked Renee with a puzzled look. ¡°Umm¡­ She¡­ She¡¯s just taking a morning swim. It¡¯s a habit she¡¯s had for years.¡± Renee came up with a random excuse to cover up for Leia. Xavier believed her. He had an appreciative look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a great habit to have. Many of the girls I¡¯ve met are very delicate. They would startining after staying too long under the sun, let alone exercising.¡± ¡°Leia is a special woman. Other women are like fragile and delicate flowers, while she¡¯s like wild grass, always exuding an air of freedom and resilience.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Seeing his expression, Renee carefully probed, ¡°Sounds like you like my bestie. You have good taste. I¡¯ll give you a thumbs up.¡± ¡°Of course I like her. In fact¡­ I like any independent and confident woman.¡± ¡°Tch, you yboy!¡± Renee¡¯s face suddenly turned serious. She grabbed his cor and asked, ¡°Tell me honestly. Did you bully herst night?¡± ¡°What do you mean by bully?¡± Xavier smiled and said, ¡°Perhaps what you thought of as bullying was a wonderful experience for both of us.¡± ¡°Stop feigning ignorance. You know what I¡¯m talking about. Did you touch her?¡± Renee let out a long sigh and said with concern, ¡°She has a huge mental burden right now and she doesn¡¯t know how to face you. But you can¡¯t avoid each other forever.¡± ¡°Why? We¡¯re both adults. But what a surprise. Even though she wears sexy clothes, she¡¯s actually such a conservative person. The contrast is pretty cute.¡± Xavier remarked while watching Leia swim in the sea. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t realize that either. She makes a lot of lewd jokes with me, but it turns out she¡¯s all talk¡­ This is all my fault. I was so eager to set you two up that I neglected how she would feel.¡± Renee really wanted to give herself a big fat p. If Leia suffered a psychological trauma from this, she would never be able to forgive herself! ¡°Aah, it¡¯s my fault, it¡¯s all my fault. Because I saw how intimate you guys werest night, I thought you had a good impression of each other and just needed a little push¡­ I didn¡¯t expect one of you to be a yboy while the other to be a virtuous woman! You¡¯re people from two vastly different worlds!¡± ¡°Hahaha, the yboy and the virtuous woman¡­ I like this description.¡± ¡°Stopughing! What should we do now? Will you take responsibility?¡± Renee pinched Xavier hard, hating him for being so unreliable. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xavier kept quiet. He stretched and slowly took off his jacket, revealing his muscr body. His body was so perfect that Renee could not look away. ¡°What are you doing? Why did you take off your clothes?¡± Renee asked curiously. She then urged, ¡°Take off your pants too if you dare!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going for a morning swim, of course!¡± Chapter 893 Chapter 893 Xavier¡¯s beautiful eyes curved into wicked arches. ¡°I won¡¯t take off my pants. Leia might feel shy¡­¡± Then, like Leia, he too plunged into the sea. Renee watched as the two figures got closer and closer to each other in the blue sea. She ran away, but he gave chase, and now she¡¯s caught! Tsk, tsk, tsk. How romantic. Renee could not help but smile. She was almost moved to tears. She knew her decision was correct. The man she had carefully chosen for her bestie could not be that bad! ¡°Hurry up and catch up to her, Xavier! Do your best!¡± Renee cheered Xavier on from the shore. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Be careful not to catch a cold.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Stefan had arrived at some point. He gently wrapped a striped embroidered shawl around Renee¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Thank you.¡± Renee turned around and gave him a sweet smile. The two embraced each other like they had for many mornings in the past. Feeling the warmth of the man¡¯s embrace, she felt a happiness from the bottom of her heart. So this was what it felt like to enjoy peace and quiet with a loved one! ¡°What are they doing?¡± Stefan asked affectionately as he wrapped his arms around Renee and gently pressed his chin against her head. One of the people in the sea was constantly chasing while the other was constantly fleeing. Sometimes, they would get tangled up. It was indeed hard to tell what they were doing. ¡°Haha, who knows, maybe it¡¯s just normal animal courtship behavior?¡± Renee smiled and joked, ¡°I have to say, Xavier really knows how to capture a woman¡¯s heart. I don¡¯t think any prey he has his eyes on can escape from him.¡± ¡°Have you been charmed by him too?¡± The CEO of H Group asked coldly in a jealous tone. ¡°What nonsense are you saying? I just think it¡¯s really nice to see them like this.¡± There was a hint of envy in Renee¡¯s voice. ¡°Their love is straightforward from the beginning. No misunderstandings, no obstacles. When they get old and reminisce about this, all they will remember are sweet memories.¡± Some love was just destined to be smooth sailing from the start. Unlike the love between her and Stefan. Even after years of twists and turns, it could still copse anytime. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with that.¡± Stefan said seriously, ¡°Any rtionship that is genuine would not be smooth sailing because you would be influenced by your emotions, and that¡¯s a very troublesome thing. Of course, it could also be very sweet.¡± ¡°If you think their love is smooth sailing, that can only mean one of them is not sincere.¡± After hearing Stefan¡¯s theory, Renee felt as if she had been doused with cold water. She could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°Thanks for that lecture, O wise one.¡± They call this guy a hopeless romantic, but sometimes he¡¯s really rational. Therefore, if they were ever to break up one day, he would definitely be the one to let go first. The two of them admired the scenery quietly for a while, and then Stefan said softly, ¡°Something happened in thepany so I have to go back to deal with it. You and the children should rest here for a few more days. I¡¯lle back to pick you guys up after I¡¯ve handled the problem.¡± Something happened in thepany?! Renee was curious but did not press him for more information. She merely nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 894 Chapter 894 Stefan was gone for more than a week. He was gone without any news, as if he had disappeared like Mr. Q. He could not be contacted by phone, Francine said she did not know where he was, and the media did not mention his disappearance at all. Leia was really anxious. She used her connections to look for him everywhere, but the rich young people who were usually fearless all yed dumb this time, afraid to say too much. However, Renee remained calm. When her call couldn¡¯t get through, she would just try calling again after a few hours. If she still couldn¡¯t get through, she would simply give up as if nothing had happened. On a certain morning, Renee leisurely set up an easel facing the sea to paint the beautiful sunrise. Leia anxiously paced back and forth beside her. After a while, she could not stand it anymore. She grabbed Renee¡¯s paintbrush and asked with a frown, ¡°Ren, how can you still paint at a time like this? Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Renee asked leisurely. ¡°You haven¡¯t heard from Stefan for a week. He couldn¡¯t stay away from you when he was here, but now he¡¯s suddenly disappeared. This is abnormal¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s abnormal about it?¡± Renee smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯d get killed or he¡¯d cheat on me.¡± ¡°Why not?!¡± Leia said emotionally, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time he cheats on you. Have you forgotten that he once made his mistress pregnant and forced you to divorce him? A man either doesn¡¯t cheat, or he would cheat multiple times. There¡¯s no in between. You can¡¯t be too careful.¡± Leia was worried that Renee would get hurt again, so it was difficult to say many things directly, but she felt anxious if she did not say anything. ¡°If he really did cheat on me, considering his personality, I don¡¯t think he would hide it from me, let alone do something as childish as avoiding me by not answering the phone. That¡¯s why I think he must have his reasons for going missing. Once he¡¯s solved the problem, he¡¯ll naturally appear again.¡± Renee spoke with confidence and optimism. A good rtionship must be able to withstand tests, and the first hurdle was always the matter of trust. If they could not even pass this hurdle, it would only be a matter of time before they broke up, so there was no need to be anxious. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Men are like kites, you have to hold onto them with a string. Stefan is currently like a kite that has broken free from the string. God knows where he¡¯s flown to. You can¡¯t just let him fly further and further away while relying on nothing but your trust to keep him honest. You¡¯ll regret it.¡± Leia and Renee havepletely opposite views on the matter. To Leia, a rtionship had to be carefully managed. Certain ¡°constraints¡± were necessary. After all, human nature was too profound and unpredictable. Both Renee and her had lost to it before. That¡¯s why they should be even more cautious! ¡°No, no, no. Leia, I don¡¯t agree with what you said.¡± Xavier walked over with a milk-vored lollipop that he had just cheated off Abby. His hands were in his pockets and his gait was carefree. He said yfully, ¡°If a man wants to fly away, he¡¯ll still fly away even if you tie him up with a thousand strings. Your constraints will only make him fly away faster. Renee has the right idea. You must treat men nonchntly, like you¡¯re willing to let them go anytime. If he¡¯s yours, he won¡¯t fly away, and if he¡¯s not yours, you won¡¯t be able to tie him down. Understand?¡± ¡°You scum! You and Stefan are birds of a feather. Don¡¯t spread your stupid theory here!¡± After that night, Leia¡¯s feelings for Xavier had changed in ways that even she had not noticed. Her healthy tan skin inexplicably felt a bit hot. She felt very awkward. She turned her back on Xavier, too shy to face him. Xavier, on the other hand, behaved very casually. He approached Leia and, like an elementary school boy who pulled a girl¡¯s braids, teased her by saying, ¡°You¡¯ve never even dated me before, so how do you know that I¡¯m a scum? Or do you want to date me but you¡¯re afraid that I¡¯d cheat on you?¡± ¡°Scum!¡± Leia blushed even harder. She mmed her elbow into Xavier¡¯s stomach and threatened, ¡®¡±If you want to die that badly, I don¡¯t mind helping you!¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± Xavier¡¯s body curled up like a shrimp. Not only was her tongue sharp, her blows were heavy too. Xavier was in a lot of pain. Chapter 895 Chapter 895 Tsk tsk, if they really were to date, he would probably need to get a bigger insurance policy! ¡°Alright, you two, stop messing around. My two children already give me enough headaches. If I have to take care of you two as well, I¡¯ll copse from exhaustion.¡± Renee rubbed her temples with a tired expression. Xavier childishly licked the lollipop and patted Renee on the shoulder. ¡°Ren, don¡¯t worry. Stef is really good at solving problems. He¡¯ll take care of the problem in no time.¡± Renee¡¯s expression changed slightly. She asked, ¡°Does that mean you know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± There¡¯s something behind Xavier¡¯s words. Leia was angered. She red at Xavier. ¡°Can you speak like a human? Stop being so elusive.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll say it. Don¡¯t get mad.¡± Xavier instantly turned into an obedient little boy. He told them honestly, ¡°I tried to contact Stef too like you did, but my calls couldn¡¯t get through either, so I asked my old man. He said that he heard the H Group was betrayed. Their business partner, the Murphy family, suddenly betrayed them and joined forces with the H Group¡¯s rivals, causing the H Group to suffer attacks from multiple sides. It¡¯s a real headache¡­¡± ¡°The Murphy family?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Renee¡¯s expression became a bit gloomy. She knew that her reconciliation with Stefan would not be smooth sailing. It would offend many people. ¡°Yeah. I only recently learned that the Murphy family had been nning a marriage with the Hunt family. Stef and Seraphina had already chosen a date for the wedding, but you and Stef suddenly got back together and ruined all the ns. Mr. Murphy was so angry that he smashed several antique vases worth millions of dors.¡± Xavier sighed and said, ¡°For many years, Stef and Seraphina have been getting along as buddies. Seraphina was afraid that Mr. Murphy would get back at Stef, so she knelt outside Mr. Murphy¡¯s room for three days to plead for mercy. Initially, Mr. Murphy was ready to just let everything go, but his young mistress threw a tantrum and insisted on getting revenge. After that¡­ the Murphy familypletely turned on the Hunt family despite years of friendship.¡± ¡°No way.¡± Leia was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s the grudge between Old Murphy¡¯s mistress and Stefan? Why is she so adamant on getting back at the Hunt family? Did Stefan do anything to her?¡± ¡°I have no idea.¡± Xavier spread his hands helplessly. ¡°Is Mr. Murphy¡¯s mistress a woman named Jasmine Click?¡± Asked Renee. ¡°I think so. To be honest, this Jasmine Click ain¡¯t all that, but she gave birth to an illegitimate son for Mr. Murphy, so Mr. Murphy would always do what Jasmine Click asks.¡± ¡°Then it makes sense.¡± Renee nodded and added, ¡°This matter is personal. They¡¯re not after the Hunt family. They want me to come forward.¡± ¡°What do you mean? What does it have to do with you?¡± Leia was still confused. Renee told Leia and Xavier about the grudge between her, Seraphina, Jasmine Click and her son. ¡°I¡¯m going to Beach City immediately. You two stay here and help me take care of the kids, please.¡± Renee packed up the easel in a hurry. ¡°You can¡¯t go!¡± Xavier grabbed her hand and refused to let her leave. Chapter 896 Chapter 896 Leia also spread her arms to block Renee¡¯s path. ¡°If Xavier is telling the truth, then if you go now, you¡¯ll just be sacrificing yourself. I won¡¯t let you take this risk!¡± Renee was deeply moved by their concern for her, but she felt that they were overreacting. She chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you two. I just want to resolve the conflict. I¡¯m not gonna sacrifice myself. I would sacrifice them first before I sacrifice myself. You know what I¡¯m capable of.¡± ¡°Of course I do, but you don¡¯t know what the Murphy family and the other enemies are capable of.¡± Xavier¡¯s tone was heavy as he said, ¡°Do you know how many people in Beach City want to bring Stef down? The Murphy family is just the tip of the iceberg.¡± ¡°So? I¡¯ll take care of all of them, no matter how many there are.¡± Renee clenched her fists. Her beautiful face disyed absolute confidence. ¡°You¡¯re too optimistic. The reason these people have not been able to defeat Stef for so many years is not because they¡¯re not strong enough or because the Hunt family is too strong, but because Stef has never had any weaknesses. Now that he has you and the children, he suddenly has a lot more weaknesses. I¡¯m not sure if he can win this time¡­¡± Xavier had always been smart. He sighed and said, ¡°If I¡¯m guessing correctly, the reason why Stef suddenly left Sun Ind and broke off all contact with you is to ensure the safety of you and the children. If you go back now, you¡¯ll just be a burden to him.¡± ¡°You have a point, but I don¡¯t want to be a coward and just hide here while he¡¯s out there fighting. I¡¯ll fight alongside him!¡± Renee said stubbornly. ¡°No, you¡¯re not thinking straight. I won¡¯t let you go.¡± Leia wrapped her arms around Renee¡¯s waist and firmly refused to let her take another step forward. At the same time, she begged Xavier for help with teary eyes. ¡°Xavier, help me convince her. When she bes stubborn, she won¡¯t listen to anyone.¡± Xavier gestured to Leia to let Renee go first, then said unhurriedly, ¡°If you really want to go, we won¡¯t stop you, but before you do, let me ask you a question. Have you watched a popr TV show called ¡°Game of Thrones¡± before?¡± This question was so sudden that it stunned both Renee and Leia. ¡°Xavier, I asked you to convince her. Why are you talking about a TV show?¡± Leia felt like beating him up. Renee was curious. She raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t watch a lot of TV. What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°¡°Game of Thrones¡± tells the story of a family persecuted by the king. They rose up in rebellion and seized their own political power. Originally, the eldest son Robb was the one with the most leadership and the one who looked like the protagonist the most. He recruited troops from north to south, iming victory wherever he goes¡­¡± Xavier told the story while licking the lollipop. He told the story in an interesting way, just like a storyteller would. Even the irritated Leia became drawn to the story. She asked, ¡°And then what happened? Did Robb win the war?¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Robb was supposed to win because he was about to recruit more troops and strengthen his army further by marrying the daughter of a powerful family. If they united against the king, they had a very good chance of winning. However, this Robb was a hopeless romantic. During the march, he fell in love with a nurse and the two had a child. Therefore, he decided to apologize to the family whose daughter he was supposed to marry and cancel the engagement¡­¡± ¡°Canceling an engagement was a great shame for a prestigious family. That allied family was naturally unhappy, but they did not say that they wanted revenge at first. However, Robb was just brain-dead. He brought his mother, his wife, his officers, and all his close aides to the family¡¯s stronghold to apologize, and even expressed his hope that they would continue to be allies.¡± Xavier could not help but snort. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a foolish protagonist before.¡± Renee slightly furrowed her eyebrows and asked, ¡°How did it end?¡± ¡°They got wiped out, of course. The only survivor was Robb¡¯s little sister who was saved by a kind- hearted person. This scene is famous. The fans call it the ¡°Red Wedding¡±. Robb, his wife, and his mother all died at the banquet, their throats slit. His wife had the most tragic ending. She was pregnant, so they stabbed her in the stomach¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Chapter 897 Chapter 897 Leia had goosebumps all over her body. She quickly stopped Xavier from continuing. ¡°That¡¯s insane. They killed them all?¡± ¡°This is just a TV show, so rtively speaking, it¡¯s already a pretty mild oue. If it had happened in real life, it would have been even more insane.¡± Xavier sighed deeply. As one of the eight major families in Beach City, the Stuart family had seen a lot of things that were even uglier and more insane than what happened in TV shows. ¡°So what you¡¯re trying to say is, Stefan is like Robb who canceled his marriage, while I¡¯m like the innocent nurse who ended up getting stabbed in the stomach. If I go back, I¡¯m dead for sure?¡± Renee asked Xavier. ¡°You know it.¡± Xavier shrugged and said, ¡°All I can tell you is, the Murphy family came to power through shady means. The methods they used were much more brutal than what you see in TV shows. If you don¡¯t show up, considering the power of the Hunt family, maybe there¡¯s still room for negotiation between the two families. But if you go back, it would be a huge provocation to the Murphy family. If you upset them, the consequences could be really dire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s just stay put and not do anything reckless. I think Stefan must have thought this through.¡± Leia quickly agreed with Xavier and secretly gave him a thumbs up. ¡®This yboy is quite eloquent. He managed to exin the situation with just a few words.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll wait a little longer.¡± Renee finally changed her mind. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Leia released Renee¡¯s hand with relief. She exchanged nces with Xavier and they smiled at each other. For the first time, the two of them were on the same side. That evening, they drank some wine and had a long conversation. The children were restless that evening. Even though it was already past eleven o¡¯clock, they were still not feeling sleepy. They insisted that Renee keep thempany. The children¡¯s bedroom was decorated like a starry sky. Reneey in the center of the bed with a child on each side. The children clutched Renee¡¯s arms like a couple of kittens. ¡°Mommy, Daddy has been gone for so long. When is heing back? Abby misses him.¡± Abby pouted, clearly feeling a bit unhappy. The two kids were dissatisfied with Stefan to begin with. Stefan managed to regain some favor when he stayed on Sun Ind for a few days, but his sudden disappearance disappointed the children again. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bitplicated.¡± Renee felt a bit awkward. Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Adie asked expressionlessly, ¡°What¡¯s soplicated about it? He abandoned us, right? It¡¯s not the first time he¡¯s done it, so it¡¯s no surprise.¡± ¡°Ugh, no, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Renee decided to be honest with the children. She then asked them sincerely, ¡°If you¡¯re Mommy, do you think Mommy should fight alongside Daddy or stay here and wait for him toe back?¡± Chapter 898 Chapter 898 The two children barely hesitated. They spoke in unison, ¡°We should fight alongside Daddy, of course!¡± Even though Adie was small and adorable, he carried himself with a mature and calm demeanor that belied his age. He was smarter and moreposed than many adults. The little boy rubbed his chin and came up with a n. ¡°Maybe you can stay here with Abby while I go to Beach City to check out the situation there. If the problem is small, I¡¯ll just take care of it myself so you won¡¯t have toe forward.¡± ¡°Adie is amazing. Let Adie handle it. He can solve any problem¡­¡± Abby sang Adie¡¯s praises while looking at him with starry eyes. At the same time, she did not forget to insult Stefan. ¡°I knew it. Handsome Daddy only has a handsome face, but he¡¯s actually really weak. He gets caught by the enemy so easily and now Mommy has to go rescue him. Adie is much stronger than he is.¡± Adie shook his head and sighed with a youthful maturity. ¡°Like I always say, without me, this family is done for!¡± Renee: ¡°¡­¡­¡± She sometimes wondered if her kids had been possessed by some sort of spirit. They seemed to be able to do anything already at such a young age. It made adults like her appear redundant and foolish. Tsk tsk, she should not have chosen to give birth at sea! Renee naturally could not let Adie go to Beach City to ¡°stir up trouble¡±, so she ordered the two kids seriously, ¡°Alright, listen up, you two. I agree with you, we can¡¯t just do nothing. We should fight alongside your father. However, the enemy this time is too dangerous, so Mommy must be the one to go to war. The biggest help you two can give us is to stay on Sun Ind, listen to Aunt Leia and Uncle Xavier, and wait for us toe back¡­¡± ¡°Mommy, trust me, I can do it!¡± Adie frowned and insisted. He was actually worried that Renee might be in danger and did not want Renee to go alone. ¡°It¡¯s not up to discussion. You¡¯re not allowed to leave Sun Ind until we get back, otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll break your legs!¡± Renee looked stern and pointed at Adie. ¡°Do you hear me? I¡¯m mainly talking about you. Don¡¯t mess around.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She then rubbed Abby¡¯s head and said gently, ¡°Abby, your task is to keep an eye on your brother, okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I¡¯ll keep a close eye on him. I won¡¯t let him go anywhere.¡± Abby nodded. To her, Mommy¡¯s words were absolute. No one could disobey them. At about three o¡¯clock in the morning, while everyone¡¯s asleep, Renee contacted the captain and left Sun Ind to return to Beach City. When the nended in Beach City, it was daytime. The rising sun pierced through the clouds, dyeing the sky golden, making the day seem full of vitality and hope. As soon as Renee walked out of the VIP exit, she called Stefan, but he still would not pick up the phone. ¡°Damn it, did he get killed by an assassin sent by the Murphy family?¡± Various bloody scenes shed across Renee¡¯s mind, intensifying her unease even more. She was about to grab a taxi when a silver Bugatti honked at her. The window of the car slowly rolled down, revealing a handsome face that looked like Stefan, but more mischievous and dangerous. ¡°Sister-inw! You¡¯re finally here!¡± The man casually leaned on the car window with smiley eyes. He was handsome in a bad-boy kind of way and attracted a lot of attention. ¡°Jovan Hunt!¡± Renee¡¯s expression instantly soured. ¡®What is that madman doing here? Is it a coincidence or is he waiting for me?¡¯ Regardless of what he was doing there, at a critical time like this, she should stay as far away from him as possible. So, Renee pushed her sunsses up her nose and pretended that Jovan did not exist. She lifted her chin like a proud peacock as she walked past his car. Jovan remained smiling. He raised his eyebrows and looked even more excited. He started the car and followed behind Renee in the lowest gear. ¡°Sister-inw, you won¡¯t be able to grab a taxi here. Where do you want to go? I can take you there.¡± Jovan leaned out of the window while holding the steering wheel with one hand. He shouted at Renee. Chapter 899 Chapter 899 Moving at a turtle speed like that was an insult to a sports car like a Bugatti. But in the eyes of outsiders, it was a scene straight out of soap opera! Tsk tsk, the wealthy young master made the sister-inw he¡¯s secretly in love with mad, so he followed behind her like an obedient puppy in a limited edition sports car worth millions. It was such a romantic scene! At first, Renee nned to pretend that he did not exist, but Jovan went crazy. Not only did he cause a traffic jam, he also recklessly shouted many inappropriate things. She could only take a deep breath, clench her fists, open the passenger door, and get into the car reluctantly. ¡°Jovan Hunt, you madman, what are you scheming this time? I thought after Stefan defeated you, you would have been so humiliated that you wouldmit seppuku. Why are you still here?¡± Renee¡¯s words were as sharp as daggers. She was being brutal on purpose. She had no choice. Against a madman like Jovan, she could only be even crazier than him to scare him away. However, Jovan was not angry. He slowly drove out of the congested area of the airport. The smile on his face became wider and wider. It was obvious that he was enjoying himself. The harsher Renee scolded him, the more he enjoyed it! ¡°Sister-inw, I also didn¡¯t expect you to fall back to a scumbag like my cousin Stefan. Since you¡¯re so resilient, how can I be so fragile?¡± Jovan counterattacked. The car soon reached the Marine Bridge. Sunlight poured down from the windshield, illuminating his handsome face. His entire body was wrapped in ayer of light that was hazy and soft, making him look surreal. Renee crossed her arms and looked out the window at the blue sea. She scoffed and said, ¡°Besides your mouth, which part of you is superior to your cousin? You can¡¯t even hold a candle to him. If I were you, I would just be satisfied with being number two forever. You could have just lived off the stock dividends for the rest of your life, but you insisted on messing around and now everyone hates you.¡± This remark definitely hit a sore spot. Jovan¡¯s eyes became noticeably sharper. Even the car moved a little faster. Renee was finally satisfied. A triumphant smile crept onto her face. Hmph, you¡¯re no match for me, you little shit! She checked the road sign ahead. Although she was not sure where Jovan was taking her, she could guess that his appearance at the airport was most likely rted to Stefan. ¡°Looks like you know more about your cousin¡¯s situation than I do. This is an opportunity for you to redeem yourself. You should take advantage of it.¡± Renee turned to look at Jovan, deciding to recruit him. Although he was crazy, he was still a Hunt. The Hunt family was now in grave danger. Every member of the family would be affected. They needed to unite against the external enemies. She believed that Jovan would understand this. ¡°What kind of situation is Stefan in? Tell me.¡± Jovan asked. Renee could not tell if he was serious or joking. ¡°Stop feigning ignorance. The Hunt family and the Murphy family have fallen out. The Hunt family is in danger. If you have any brains left, you should know that this is the best opportunity for you to make up for your past mistakes.¡± ¡°Make up for my mistakes?¡± Jovan smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to make up for anything. I¡¯m now doing exactly as you said I should. I¡¯m having fun every day while living off the stock dividends. It¡¯s a great life. I have no wish to join the H Group, and I don¡¯t need the family to recognize my capability. I¡¯m happy being a useless guy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee was speechless. However, she would never believe that someone like Jovan would be willing to remain number two forever. He must be scheming something and was just waiting for the right moment to make a bigeback! Whatever. She did not need his help. As long as he would not make the situation worse, it was good enough for her. ¡°One more thing. I think you¡¯re still as naive as before. You still don¡¯t understand me and you still don¡¯t understand my cousin¡­¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Jovan said with deep meaning, ¡°First, what I covet the most has never been the H Group. Second, my proud cousin Stefan is also not in any danger. He¡¯s¡­ enjoying life right now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Renee could not understand. Her expression was solemn. Chapter 900 Chapter 900 ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Jovan smiled meaningfully as he elerated the car. After over an hour, the car arrived at a famous five-star resort hotel. The hotel was holding a banquet today. It was not open to the public. The hotel¡¯srgewn was beautifully decorated. Multiple exquisite trays containing various drinks and desserts could be seen around the swimming pool. Various wealthy young people and celebrities of Beach City were gathered here today. Many of them were enjoying themselves at the swimming pool. Beautiful women in bikinis and handsome, muscr men chased each other and frolicked in the water. Some were even hugging and kissing as if they were alone rather than in public. The atmosphere was wild. Renee did not like this kind of atmosphere. She could not help questioning Jovan with a frown, ¡°What are you doing? Why did you bring me to this kind of ce?¡± Jovan put his hands in his pockets and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to make up for my mistakes and save my arrogant cousin with you? He¡¯s indeed in trouble and is waiting for us to rescue him.¡± Renee suddenly felt energetic. She asked, ¡°You mean Stefan¡¯s here?¡± ¡°He might be here or he might be in a room. You¡¯ll have to find him.¡± Jovan paused for a moment, then said meaningfully, ¡°But you need to prepare yourself. You might be heartbroken to see the ¡°pain¡± he¡¯s in.¡± ¡°Stop being so mysterious.¡± Renee red at the man angrily and then began to carefully search the hotel. The most crowded ce was by the pool. A really loud electronic music was ying. Someone was holding a sprinkler in the middle of the pool to liven up the atmosphere. The young men and women there danced along with the rhythm. The scene was so chaotic that it gave Renee a headache. Just as she was about to look away to search another area, she suddenly noticed a familiar figure lying on a lounge chair near the pool. He was dressed in a white bathrobe and sunsses. He seemed very rxed. Next to him sat a sexy woman in a ck and white bikini, affectionately feeding him grapes. Renee gulped. It was a hot sunny day, yet she felt cold from head to toe, as if she had been turned into ice and was unable to move an inch. Who could it be but Stefan, the man she had been worrying about day and night? ¡°My cousin has always liked the quiet. He rarely attends gatherings like this. He came today mainly to keep the Murphy girlpany. Doesn¡¯t he look like he¡¯s suffering?¡± Jovan¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He added, ¡°Sister-inw, hurry up and rescue him. I¡¯ll back you up!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee could not say anything and could not move. She simply stared at them. The interaction between them was extremely intimate. Besides feeding fruits, they were also hugging and sometimes even lightly kissing each other. The image was like a steel knife that pierced straight into Renee¡¯s heart. It was so painful that she could not breathe. ¡°Are you okay?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Jovan stared at the woman¡¯s face that had turned deathly pale. She looked like she was about to copse. He could not bear seeing her like this. He subconsciously supported her shoulder and said with a frown, ¡°If you can¡¯t take it, then let¡¯s turn around and leave. We¡¯ll pretend we saw nothing. He hasn¡¯t noticed us anyway.¡± As soon as he said that, Stefan¡¯s eyes turned coldly towards them. The young men and women in the swimming pool seemed to feel the chill emanating from the man. They all followed his gaze to Renee and Jovan who were standing at the entrance. Renee took a deep breath and tried to force back her tears. She said confidently and casually, ¡°Of course I can take it. I¡¯m someone who has experienced lots of things. This is nothing to me!¡± After that, she walked straight to where Stefan was. Jovan followed after her without hesitation with a hard-to-detect smile on his face. He was like an audience who was watching the scene unfold, but more than that, he was like a maniptor who controlled everything¡­ Chapter 901 Chapter 901 ¡°Long time no see, honey. I thought you were assassinated, but you¡¯re actually here sunbathing. Don¡¯t you owe me an exnation?¡± Renee stood in front of Stefan arrogantly. She was slim, but her body still managed to block out all the sunlight like a towering mountain, casting a shadow on the man. Stefan¡¯s deep eyes stared at her for a long time. He then calmly said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve seen everything, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for me to exin.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee bit her lip. Her fingernails pierced into her palms. She was trying hard to control her emotions. How could he betray her so casually? Was his heart made of stone? Did he have no conscience? Seraphina continued to slowly feed peeled grapes into Stefan¡¯s mouth. She smiled coquettishly and asked, ¡°Stef, am I not supposed to be here? Should I give you two some space?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Stefan embraced Seraphina and looked coldly at Renee. ¡°Why are you still here? Do you want to stay and y with us?¡± Renee looked at the two people on the sun loungers with a scoff, like she was looking at a couple of clowns. She told Stefan, ¡°I know your family is in trouble and you need to get in the Murphy family¡¯s good graces, so you act intimate with Seraphina in front of me on purpose, hoping that this would help the Hunt family ovee its difficulties, am I right?¡± ¡°If thinking that way makes you feel better, feel free to do so.¡± Stefan shrugged casually and said, ¡°The union of the Murphy family and the Hunt family will bring a new order to Beach City. If the cost is my marriage, it¡¯s a price I would willingly pay.¡± ¡°I understand your predicament, so I can give you onest chance¡­¡± Renee, like a god, extended her hand to Stefan and said, ¡°Come with me. We¡¯ll get through this difficult time together.¡± She still believed that the love between her and Stefan was real. She believed his love for her was not an act. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. He must have his reasons for hurting her in such a childish way. He must have encountered a difficulty he could not solve or perhaps he had no choice. There was clearly a slight change in Stefan¡¯s eyes. Not only him; Seraphina and Jovan also seemed surprised. They were all insiders. They had nned all this to shatter Renee¡¯s love for Stefan. But it seemed that¡­ her love for him was so deep that she could even tolerate betrayal. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I don¡¯t have any difficulties. I just realized that I love Seraphina more. Seraphina and I are the perfect match for each other. We can support each other.¡± Stefan said ruthlessly. ¡°Heh, your poor acting skills merely confirmed my suspicion further¡­¡± Renee went straight to the point. ¡°Tell me honestly, what did the Murphy family promise the Hunt family to make you betray your heart? Whatever they can give you, maybe I can give you too. I might even be able to give you more.¡± ¡°Yeah, right!¡± Seraphina sneered, ¡°The Everheart family has long fallen into ruins. The Azure Group you established with Liam Osborne is also losing money. What can you give him? You¡¯re just making empty promises¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m the one who decides if I can give him that, not you, so shut your trap.¡± Renee gave Seraphina a fierce re, then turned back to Stefan. She reached out to him and said, ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll only count to three. One, two¡­¡± Chapter 902 Chapter 902 ¡°I refuse!¡± Stefan already gave his answer before Renee had even finished counting. He was expressionless, as if he was looking at a stranger. Without any emotion, he said, ¡°You¡¯re always so arrogant. You think you have unlimited charm and can make me bow down to you. Little did you know that I was just ying with you. I¡¯ve won when I confirmed that you¡¯ve truly fallen for me. Naturally, I have no reason to continue our rtionship anymore. I didn¡¯t expect you to get addicted to being toyed with. You would rather be humiliated than give up. You¡¯re pathetic.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Jovan fists were clenched. For the first time, he shed his calm and collected outer shell. With his emotions slightly out of control, he mocked Stefan, ¡°If you have the time to humiliate her, why not use it to think of a way to help the H Group ovee the crisis? If news of you doing something so cruel to a woman spreads, our Hunt family will be a joke!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that exactly what you want?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes swept towards Jovan like sharp daggers. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not like you. At least I do things openly and never use dirty tricks.¡± That hit Jovan¡¯s sore spot. Jovan, who had never backed down in an argument, decided to stop arguing with Stefan. He turned around, grabbed Renee¡¯s hand, and whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve met him now. It¡¯s about time you give up on him. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the hurry¡­¡± Renee¡¯s beautiful face seemed to be covered in ayer of frost. There was neither sadness nor joy there, making it difficult for others to read her thoughts. Was she sad, was she angry, or was she indifferent? ¡°Even after what he said, you still wouldn¡¯t give up on him?¡± Jovan was angered by Renee¡¯s pathetic attitude. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re still the same as before. For this man, you would even throw away the basic dignity of a woman. You deserve to be betrayed and humiliated.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so noisy!¡± Renee red at Jovan and said impatiently, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, get out of my sight, or I might identally hurt you.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Jovan was confused, but he obediently moved further away. Seraphina gulped and shrank deeper into Stefan¡¯s arms. She said, ¡°What are you trying to do? This is the Murphy family¡¯s turf, so don¡¯t think you can¡­ Aah!¡± Before she could finish speaking, Renee had grabbed her by the neck and threw her into the swimming pool. Chaos immediately ensued. Everyone there ran around like headless chickens. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Only Stefan remained calm in the sun lounger with no expression on his handsome face. He merely waited patiently for Renee¡¯s next move. ¡°Stefan Hunt, I can¡¯t believe you have the guts to betray me again. Do you know what¡¯s the price for betraying me?¡± Renee looked down at the man and asked coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I ept it.¡± Stefan smiled coldly, ¡°After all, I know I¡¯ve done you wrong. You¡¯re free to retaliate in any way you want.¡± ¡°You really think I can¡¯t touch you, Stefan? Listen up, I won¡¯t let it go this time. Since you dare to betray me, I¡¯ll make you suffer!¡± After saying that, Renee grabbed the sprinkler from the man in the swimming pool and shot water at Stefan¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Aah!¡± Everyone who witnessed it was shocked out of their wits! Chapter 903 Chapter 903 They could not believe that someone would dare to be so disrespectful to Stefan Hunt. Stefan¡¯s bathrobe and hair were soaked through. His face was in a mess, and he was also in pain. However, he was not mad at all. Instead, he smiled. His long fingersbed through his wet hair. After being washed, his handsome face became even more dazzling in the sunlight. ¡°Is that your retaliation? So childish.¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s not just this. This is just the appetizer. The main dish is yet toe. Wait for it!¡± After that, she threw away the sprinkler and smashed the banquet venue like a crazy woman before leaving the hotel. The hotel manager wanted to rush forward to ask forpensation, but he was stopped by Stefan. Stefan said coldly, ¡°Leave her be. I¡¯ll pay for all the damages.¡± When Seraphina saw that Renee was gone, she climbed out of the swimming pool and came to Stefan¡¯s side. She said a bit apologetically, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to react so strongly. Should I catch up to her and exin?¡± ¡°If you had any intention of exining, none of this would have happened, would it?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. His cold, emotionless words werepletely devoid of any affection. ¡°Stef, you hate me, don¡¯t you?¡± Seraphina rubbed her fingers and said with a pained expression, ¡°Do you know how much I had to go through to calm my father down? All I ask for is to date you for three months. After three months, the grudge between the Hunt family and the Murphy family will be wiped clean. You can still go back to your darling wife then. Is that such a big sacrifice for you?¡± ¡°A conflict between the Hunt family and the Murphy family is inevitable. It can¡¯t be avoided even if I makepromises for three months. The reason why I agreed is because you promised not to hurt Renee¡­¡± Stefan gave her a threatening gaze and warned, ¡°After three months, if you don¡¯t destroy all those things cleanly, the entire Murphy family will go down with you, I guarantee you that.¡± Those words angered Seraphina. She lost control and shouted at Stefan, ¡°Do you really love that woman so much that you would risk your career and the Hunt family¡¯s interests for her?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, so you better not try me.¡± ¡°Hahaha, these words are like a p to my face. Each word reminds me of my foolishness. I¡¯m much more of a foolpared to you. I risked the future of the Murphy family for a man who doesn¡¯t even love me and for three months of lies.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re indeed foolish. You¡¯ve depleted everyst bit of affection I had for you.¡± ¡°In that case, there¡¯s no turning back¡­¡± Seraphina hugged his neck and leaned against him. ¡°Since you promised to date me for three months, you¡¯ll have to perform your duty as a man!¡± After Renee left the hotel, she continued to run amok along the seaside. Weather at the seaside was always unpredictable. It was sunny earlier, but it suddenly rained cats and dogs in the blink of an eye. Renee waspletely drenched. Jovan propped up his umbre and followed behind her. He jokingly said, ¡°God is so good to my cousin Stefan. He refused to let Stefan suffer any injustice. You just gave Stefan a cold shower, and now you¡¯re already suffering the payback.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Renee did not even spare him a nce. She held herself and said crossly, ¡°I¡¯m in a bad mood. If you don¡¯t want to die, shut up!¡± ¡°You can sulk in my car. Why sulk in the rain? Do you think you¡¯re filming a drama? Besides getting sick, how does it benefit you?¡± Jovan suddenly eximed, ¡°Stefan? What are you doing here?¡± Chapter 904 Chapter 904 When Renee heard that, she immediately stopped her rampage. She snatched Jovan¡¯s umbre from him, lifted her chin, and stood straight. Even if she was sad, she would only be sad in secret. She would never let the scumbag see her sad¡­ She posed for a few minutes but did not see anyone or any caring over. She asked with a confused expression, ¡°Where¡¯s the scumbag?¡± ¡°Pffthahaha!¡± Jovan burst intoughter. ¡°My good sister-inw, you¡¯re the cutest and proudest woman I¡¯ve ever met¡­¡± ¡°? ? ?¡± ¡°You can stop posing now. I was just bluffing. He must be sitting in a warm presidential suite right now, drinking coffee and getting intimate with Seraphina. There¡¯s no way he would be out here in the heavy rain.¡± ¡°You bastard! How dare you prank me!¡± Renee was angry to begin with. Now that she had been pranked, she became even angrier. She was so mad that she grabbed Jovan and beat him up. ¡°Are all the men in the Hunt family sick in the head? Why do all of you like to deceive me so much? You really think the Everheart family is an easy target for bullying? I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡± Her fighting skills were top-notch, and coupled with the fact that she was angry, Jovan ended up getting beaten like a human sandbag. What¡¯s worse, he was a human sandbag in a heavy rain. It was truly a tragic sight. Their clothes were all soaking wet by now. Jovan had fallen to the ground due to Renee¡¯s beating, so he simplyy t on the ground and let Renee do whatever she wanted with him. ¡°C¡¯mon, hit me! If it makes you feel better, you can hit me as much as you want¡­¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t show me mercy just because I¡¯m good-looking, baby!¡± His words sent a chill down Renee¡¯s spine. She immediately lost the desire to keep hitting him. She squatted down like a deted ball. The red umbre sat upside down next to her like a rose pelted by the rain, beautiful and fragile. *Sob sob* Renee could not hold the tears back anymore. She hugged her legs and bawled her eyes out in the rain. The heavy rain was the best cover she could have asked for. It covered up the sound of her crying and it covered up her tears. Thanks to that, she looked less embarrassing and less pathetic¡­ ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m sure you feel better now after giving me a good beating. Let¡¯s go back to the car. If we continue to stay in the rain, we¡¯ll both catch a cold¡­¡± Jovan finally behaved seriously. He picked up the umbre and held it above Renee¡¯s head. The scene was strangely aesthetic. You would usually only see something like this in a drama. While that was happening, Stefan was actually sitting before a french window in one of the presidential suites of the hotel, watching them with cold eyes. His heart was so painful. Jealousy washed over him, almost causing him to lose control. ¡°Regretting it already?¡± Seraphina leaned against him while holding a ss of red wine and said with a smirk, ¡°Although your cousin is useless, he¡¯s a charming person. He¡¯s good with women. A passionate woman like Renee Everheart can never withstand such a seductive man.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to regret.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Stefan pried his eyes away and walked back into the room. He said coldly, ¡°If she falls for him that easily, it only proves that our love isn¡¯t strong enough.¡± Jovan finally managed to persuade Renee to return to the car. He closed the windows and turned on the air-heating system. ¡°Here you go. Dry your hair first.¡± He pulled out a towel from the driver¡¯s seat and gave it to Renee who was sitting in the back row. He then found another towel for himself which he used to wipe his wet hair and clothes. Renee¡¯s dress was very thin. Now that she was wet, it stuck to her skin and outlined her seductive curves. She looked very sexy. Chapter 905 Chapter 905 When she was wiping her body, she felt a bit awkward. She was too embarrassed to lift her clothes and wipe inside. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can¡¯t see anything. I¡¯m blind.¡± While saying that, Jovan flicked the interior rearview mirror close and raised his hands. Seeing the man¡¯s back facing her and the interior rearview mirror closed, Renee¡¯s finally felt less awkward. She started to wipe her body more carefully. Meanwhile, Jovan had no such concern. He took off his shirt and threw it onto the passenger seat, generously showing Renee his muscr body. To be honest, his body was just as impressive as Stefan¡¯s! *Ahem!* Renee quickly removed her gaze and chastised herself for looking. ¡°Haha, Renee, you¡¯re already the mother of two children. Why are you still so shy? Looks like sex with Stefan must have been very conservative!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee gave the man a sharp punch on the back and warned him, ¡°Just because I got into your car doesn¡¯t mean you can make lewd jokes with me. If you keep being so rude, get out of the car!¡± ¡°My bad. As you¡¯re well aware, my mouth is all I have. I¡¯ll try to control myself.¡± Getting hit by Renee made Jovan very happy. He cherished this moment alone with Renee. He did not want it to end that quickly. The air inside the car was very warm. The two of them were no longer damp. They gradually rxed. Jovan turned on the car stereo, filling the interior of the car with lively music. It happened to be a soft rock song, which was a genre that they both liked. The song was Michael Bolton¡¯s ¡°How Am I Supposed To Live Without You¡±. ? Tell me how am I supposed to live without you~ Now that I¡¯ve been lovin¡¯ you so long¡­ ? The song¡¯s rhythmplemented the raindrops outside the window. As a former lead singer of a band, Renee was still quite sensitive to music. She immediately nodded along to the dense guitar and drum beats. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Jovan smiled unconsciously. ¡°Now that¡¯s the Renee Everheart I know. Carefree and unrestrained. There¡¯s no need to bawl your eyes out for an unfaithful man.¡± Renee red at him. ¡°Stop spreading rumors. I would never bawl my eyes out for any man.¡± ¡°Then who was the person who ran amok and cried like a baby in the rain and even beat up an innocent passerby just now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t cry. The rain got into my eyes.¡± ¡°Fine, fine, you didn¡¯t cry. My beloved lead singer is the coolest woman in the world¡­¡± Jovan agreed with whatever Renee said. ¡°But I¡¯m curious. Is that all you¡¯re gonna do?¡± Jovan asked curiously, ¡°You said just now you would make my arrogant cousin pay. What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± Renee sighed. Her face was filled with sadness. ¡°There¡¯s no right and wrong in love. You get together if you like each other and you break up if you don¡¯t like each other anymore. I can me no one but myself for being stupid. It¡¯s not like I can actually do anything to make him pay. Do you want me to break his leg or something?¡± It was only a marriage. If she was betrayed, then she could just get a divorce. There was no need to make a big fuss. That was what she believed. But if she let him off just like that, she could not appease the anger in her heart. ¡°I have an idea. You can pay him back without causing him bodily harm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± Chapter 906 Chapter 906 Jovan turned back on his seat and gestured to Renee to move closer. ¡°Move your ear closer. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Renee was too innocent. She leaned forward curiously. The strap of her summer dress slid off her shoulder due to the slightlyrge neckline, revealing her snow-white skin. Jovan caught a quick nce and gulped unconsciously. His voice was a bit hoarse as he said, ¡°Marry me and snatch the H Group away from him!¡± ¡°? ? ?¡± Renee was so mad that she was close to fainting. Her head was almost spewing fire. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°You damn brat, do you want another beating? How dare you trick me again!¡± Seeing Renee pull back her fist to give him another punch, Jovan quickly raised his hands and begged for mercy. ¡°My good sister-inw, hear me out. Let me finish¡­¡± ¡°What else is there to say? As if anything good could result from this!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to marry me for real. It¡¯s just an opportunity for you to vent your anger¡­¡± Jovan said seriously, ¡°Think about it. Stefan betrayed you in order to make peace with the Murphy family so that he can protect the H Group. If, in the end, the H Group ended up in your hands and you even obtained a handsome, obedient husband like me, surely it would be like a p to his face!¡± ¡°Obtain the H Group?¡± This actually piqued Renee¡¯s interest. Her Azure Group was poised to take off. If she could truly obtain the industry¡¯s leading corporation, the H Group, then not only would the Azure Group have a bright future, even the fallen Everheart family could regain their former glory. Before this, she cared about Stefan¡¯s feelings, so she never thought about doing something like this, but now¡­ why not? Jovan had been observing her expression. He smiled triumphantly, ¡°How about it? Wanna join hands with me and give it a shot?¡± Seeing how eager Jovan was, Renee scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re still so ambitious even after what happened the last time. Have you forgotten how you got kicked down like a dog after you failed to usurp the throne? It hasn¡¯t even been that long since then and you¡¯re already nning something new. Aren¡¯t you afraid that Stefan will end you once and for all?¡± ¡°Even if the sky copses, you¡¯ll be there to hold it up. Why should I be afraid?¡± ¡°Besides, all I want is to defeat him. I want to see him fall off the altar and be deserted by the people close to him. I don¡¯t really care who ends up with the H Group.¡± After listening to his n, Renee had a thoughtful expression. ¡®Tsk tsk, this guy is really crazy!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re so obsessed with Stefan. You¡¯ve been fighting against him your whole life. Could you have any special feelings for him that you haven¡¯t noticed yourself?¡± ¡°Special feelings?¡± ¡°Yeah! Do you always feel like doing something outrageous to catch his attention? Do you like to provoke him for fun? Do you subconsciously try to imitate him, like what he likes, and desire what belongs to him?¡± The more she spoke, the more excited she got. Her eyes shone with anticipation. Jovan frowned. He thought she was asking some really weird questions. He asked coldly, ¡°What are you implying?¡± ¡°Have I not made myself clear enough? You¡¯re actually a hidden bro-con, aren¡¯t you? The psychotic kind. You¡¯ve been secretly in love with your cousin for a very long time. Seeing him get married, have children, and make new friends, you feel increasingly jealous and increasingly frustrated. Your love thus became hate. You swore to pester him forever.¡± Renee¡¯s thoughts poured out of her. She had alreadye up with a smut story in her mind. Thinking of Stefan and Jovan chasing each other, falling in love with each other while hurting each other, she could not help but blush. Jovan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Chapter 907 Chapter 907 ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shy. I¡¯m very open-minded. I love taboo stories the most.¡± ¡°You have such a rich imagination. You must have been an author in your previous life.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m an author in this life too! I once wrote a very popr fan fiction which was made into a movie!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Renee was quite proud. ¡°Hunt my Everheart¡±, which used to make waves in the forums, was written by her and waster continued by Stefan. It was even made into a movie. Renee rubbed her hands eagerly, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I can tailor-make a fan fiction for you and Stefan. It¡¯ll surely be an instant hit in the fan fiction circle!¡± Jovan was so angry that his face paled. He said awkwardly, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡± ¡°Pffthahaha, you¡¯re shy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Renee was having so much fun nning the fan fiction. ¡°Who do you think should be the dominant one and the submissive one between you and Stefan? I think you should be the dominant one because you¡¯re more aggressive. The cold, arrogant type being the submissive one is more popr nowadays. But most importantly, that way, you can abuse Stefan. I¡¯m getting excited just thinking about it!¡± Jovan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee: ¡°Isn¡¯t it your lifelong wish to climb above your cousin? I¡¯ll satisfy your desire.¡± Jovan: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Renee had not written a novel for a long time. Her creative juice suddenly erupted like a geyser. She had the urge to start typing on the spot. Her words kept getting more and more outrageous. The plot had progressed to the point where Jovan and Stefan were going abroad to get married! ¡°Stop!¡± He could not stand it any longer. He covered Renee¡¯s mouth to stop her from talking, then moved closer, pressed her nose against her face, and whispered into her ear, ¡°Of all your spections, only one thing is correct. I do like what he likes and want to own everything that belongs to him¡­ for example, you.¡± The warm air in the car rose and fell along with the music. The mood in the air was ambiguous and warm. Jovan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down. He closed his eyes and kissed Renee on the lips. How could he make the woman in front of him understand that this was what he truly desired and had been chasing after? For this, he did not mind being an unscrupulous and despicable scoundrel. He remarked in his mind, ¡®Stefan, you chose to sacrifice yourself for the family, so don¡¯t me me for getting the beauty¡­¡¯ ¡°Jovan Hunt! Do you want to die?!¡± Renee was momentarily stunned. The warmth on her lips numbed her whole body. She kicked the man away. Jovan was not angry. Like a glutton that had finally satisfied his hunger, he wiped his thumb across his thin lips, savoring the warmth from a moment before. He smiled yfully and said, ¡°Since you like to write so much, why not write some stories about a brother- and a sister-inw? Those should be more exciting than the taboo story you mentioned earlier.¡± Renee red at the man angrily and said, ¡°Enough nonsense. I ept your suggestion. We¡¯ll take over the H Group!¡± Renee would do this to teach Stefan a lesson, then¡­ be his sugar mommy! ¡®Hmph, Stefan Hunt, you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking? You¡¯re just pretending to be the viin so that you won¡¯t drag the children and I into your mess.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s okay. Seraphina isn¡¯t the only one who can be your sugar mommy. I can too!¡¯ Chapter 908 Chapter 908 The annual Global Electronic Technology Industry Summit was held at the Santa Fe Hotel in Beach City. All thepanies invited were top technologicalpanies from around the world. The H Group and the KCL Group were without a doubt the two biggestpanies there. They drew a lot of media attention. However, the H Group had been in trouble recently. There were rumors that the cooperation between the H Group and the KCL Group had not been finalized, resulting in the H Group¡¯srgest investment, the G6 chip phone project, being dyed for nearly half a year. Their major production lines and sales lines were thus non operational. The H Group¡¯s performance had declined for two quarters in a row, resulting in heavy losses. To make matters worse, a group of investmentpanies led by the Murphy family seemed to have heard some rumors and were divesting. H Group¡¯s most prestigious R&D team was also showing signs of breaking up. Thepany was going through a turbulent time right now and was showing signs of copsing. Therefore, today¡¯s Global Electronic Technology Industry Summit was quite important for the H Group. It would determine the power distribution of the electronic technology industry in Beach City, and even the entire world, for the next decade. ¡°Will Murphy¡¯s Investment Group really divest from the H Group?¡± ¡°Can the H Group still reach an agreement with the KCL Group?¡± ¡°Can the H Group weather the crisis and maintain top spot in the industry?¡± These questions would be answered in this summit. Reporters were already waiting outside the hotel early in the morning, eager to report live from the summit. However, the entry threshold for the summit was very high. Not everyone in the electronic technology field was qualified to enter. Even the media members could only wait outside the hotel. Flowers and red carpets wereid out all the way to the parking lot. Big shots in the industry appeared one after another. A Lincoln limousine pulled up to the red carpet. Reporters swarmed over, excitedly pressing their camera shutters. The onlookers were also talking excitedly among themselves. ¡°Look, I think that¡¯s the Murphy family¡¯s car. I wonder if Murphy¡¯s Investment Group will continue to cooperate with the H Group after the summit.¡± ¡°I think they will. Recently, both families have been discussing a marriage alliance, but for some reason, we haven¡¯t heard much progress¡­¡± ¡°Whether they¡¯ll continue to cooperate depends entirely on the Murphy family¡¯s eldest daughter. After all, she¡¯s Murphy¡¯s Investment Group¡¯s only heir!¡± The doorman respectfully bent down to open the car door. The people who got down from the car were none other than Stefan in an elegant suit and Seraphina in an expensive gown. The two of them got out of the car one by one. Seraphina took Stefan¡¯s arm, and they proudly walked into the venue amidst flowers, apuse, and envy. Their joint appearance brought the atmosphere at the venue to a climax. The non-stop camera shes almost turned night into day. Their appearance no doubt signaled to the outside world that the H Group and Murphy¡¯s Investment Group were in a ¡°honeymoon period¡±. Their rtionship was fine and they would keep cooperating in the future. The H Group and the Hunt family would still be the leading family in Beach City! Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Stefan and Seraphina arrived at the meeting. They were warmly weed by everyone in attendance. The leaders of various groups came forward to greet them and to chat. Seraphina looked like a future wife of the Hunt family already, and maybe even the futuredy of the Hunt household. She socialized with everyone gracefully, asionally leaning close to Stefan to show their intimate rtionship to the outside world. ¡°Hahaha, you tter us, Mr. Dickens. Stefan and I are the younger generation. We still have a lot to learn from you and the other elders¡­¡± Seraphina skillfully touched sses with a leading industry figure. She then whispered to Stefan, ¡°Like we agreed upon, today, you will announce our rtionship, while I, as the heir of Murphy¡¯s Investment Group, will announce the news of our continued cooperation.¡± Stefan said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t care if the Murphy family wants to continue the cooperation, but you better keep your word and destroy everything like you promised. I don¡¯t want to see those things ever again.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve been friends for so many years. You can trust me¡­¡± Seraphina was somewhat displeased. ¡°You¡¯re only concerned about her? What happens today may decide the life and death of the H Group. Don¡¯t you care about that at all?¡± Chapter 909 Chapter 909 ¡°I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t care even if the Hunt family goes bankrupt.¡± Stefan had long grown tired of all this. He had grown tired of the lies and deceit in the business world and the hypocrisy and greasiness of businessmen. The fame and fortune that seemingly everyone in the world coveted could interest him no more. He did not want to stay in this field for a minute longer than necessary. ¡°I¡¯m going outside for some fresh air. Please excuse me.¡± Stefan nodded slightly, put down the champagne ss in his hand, and escaped from the crowd without looking back. On the second floor of the Santa Fe Hotel, there was arge terrace that contained lush tropical nts. It was also adorned with tiny lights that flickered like little stars. This spot was quiet and secluded. Sometimes, one could even find birds and butterflies here. It was like a secret realm hidden in the bustling city. Few people knew about this ce. Stefan discovered it by chance. After walking throughyers of trees and flowers, he saw a beautiful and enchanting figure leaning against the wooden railing of the terrace. The woman was wearing a red gown that was tight in the upper body and loose in the lower body. The design of the gown meant that her back waspletely exposed. Her beautiful back was as fair and delicate as snow. Stefan could hardly take his eyes off it. A gentle breeze blew over her rose-colored gown and her waterfall-like hair. The sight was beyond enchanting¡­ ¡°Renee?¡± Stefan clenched his fingers and called out the woman¡¯s name. The woman turned back and gave him a smile while flicking her hair that was blown by the wind. ¡°There you are.¡± She was like a predator that had been lying in wait for a long time for her prey to deliver itself to her! Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Should the CEO of H Group really be here right now?¡± Renee had a ss of red wine in her hand. She swayed it gently and joked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be talking to the big shots below about the future of the industry? What are you doing here?¡± Stefan frowned as he observed the woman¡¯s every move. He asked, ¡°What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like this?¡± ¡°Dressed like what?¡± Renee put down her wine ss, lifted her skirt and spun around. She looked at him seductively. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t I look good in this?¡± ¡°Stop wasting your time.¡± He grabbed her wrist forcefully and pulled her into his arms. He said mercilessly, ¡°It¡¯s over between us. No matter what you do, I won¡¯t feel anything.¡± ¡°Then why are you so scared to look into my eyes?¡± ¡°Says who?¡± Stefan lifted her chin with his fingers and looked straight into her eyes. Although his handsome face was as cold as ice, his moving Adam¡¯s apple betrayed his chaotic emotions inside. With a hoarse voice, he asked, ¡°Tell me what you¡¯re doing here.¡± Chapter 910 Chapter 910 ¡°Take a guess.¡± Renee¡¯s red lips curled into a fox-like smile. It was enchanting, mysterious, and unreadable. She reached out and gently caressed the man¡¯s perfect face. The slight stubble and the faint coolness all felt so familiar to her. The lingering love of the past was still vivid in her memory, but right now, the two of them seemed to be worlds apart. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your purpose is. Leave immediately. This isn¡¯t where you belong.¡± Stefan tried his best to put on a stern face so that Renee would leave. He did not want her sudden appearance to mess up his meticulous n. But more importantly, he was not sure if he would falter at the final phase of the n because of her! If he faltered, everything would be over! ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to drive me away? Because of guilt?¡± Renee asked confidently. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Stefan ignored her. He let go of her hand and tried to maintain a safe distance from her. He knew his own nature very well. Although he looked as cold as an iceberg, he was actually a hopeless romantic. The closer they were to each other, the less rational he became, which was very troublesome! Unfortunately, Renee was naturally rebellious. When she realized that he wanted to keep a safe distance from her, she took the initiative and put her hands around his shoulders. Her thin lips brushed across his face, seemingly by ident. She said slowly, ¡°What if I tell you I came here tonight to take you back. Would you believe me?¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop causing trouble.¡± Stefan obviously never expected Renee to be so persistent in wanting him back. He was pleasantly surprised and struggled to keep a straight face. He said arrogantly, ¡°I thought you said you¡¯ve prepared yourself to break up with me one day? You said I¡¯m merely the icing on the cake, and even without me, you¡¯ll still live a colorful life. Why are you so desperate now?¡± ¡°Yes, but that only applies to the day we¡¯re meant to part. We obviously haven¡¯t reached that point yet¡­¡± Renee buried her head deep in his shoulder like a kitten and whispered in his ear, ¡°I don¡¯t believe for a second that you don¡¯t love me anymore. You must be doing this for a reason. There¡¯s no one else here, just you and I. I¡¯ll give you another chance. Tell me the truth. Whatever it is, we can face it together!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Stefan stood tall and motionless like a mountain. He had to admit, for a moment there, he was very close to faltering, just as he had expected. But when he thought about the cost of doing so, he managed to pull himself back. ¡°Let me tell you something. Don¡¯t underestimate your wife. I, your wife, is amazing. Whatever support the Murphy family can give you, I can give you too. You don¡¯t have to make such a big sacrifice. We¡¯re still married, so don¡¯t you go and announce another engagement now!¡± Renee felt a bit anxious when Stefan did not make any reply. Her attitude also became a bit more humble. ¡°What kind of support can you give me?¡± Stefan remained unmoved. He slowly pulled her hand away and said, ¡°You can¡¯t even take care of yourself, so stop dragging me down. If you still care about me, then please give me and Seraphina your blessing.¡± Renee once again felt a chill from head to toe. Like a moth, she flew towards a light source willingly, even though she knew it would kill her. In the end, she received a huge p to the face! ¡°Fine, Stefan Hunt. Remember what you said today. I¡¯ve already given you enough chances. No matter what reason you turn out to have, I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were red as she lost control and yelled at him. *Ahem!* Chapter 911 Chapter 911 Jovan coughed lightly from another corner of the balcony, and walked over with a fake smile on his face. He was wearing a tidy suit and a pair of frameless sses, and was the epitome of a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. ¡°Honey, you¡¯ve got what you wanted. It¡¯s time to get ready for the main show!¡± The man reminded Renee with a smirk as he tapped his expensive wristwatch. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time for the show.¡± Renee took a deep breath and beamed radiantly at Jovan, no trace of her disappointment from earlier. She patted Stefan on the shoulder, and said briefly, ¡°Take care, Mr. Hunt.¡± She linked arms with Jovan, and they headed into the banquet hall. Stefan was speechless for a while, but the shock was soon reced with amusement, and a soft smile appeared on his face. He thought to himself, ¡®Yes, this is how Renee Everheart is supposed to live. I don¡¯t care if she wants revenge, or anything else¡­ I just don¡¯t want her to be sad because of me.¡¯ Renee and Jovan attracted a lot of attention the minute they appeared in the hall, but it was mostly just disdainful stares. After all, Jovan was known as the right-hand man who failed in betraying his own family, whereas Renee was known as a useless, abandoned woman whose family had fallen from grace. To many, it was unthinkable that they would willingly attend an event like this given their reputations. Meanwhile, Seraphina soon noticed that she was no longer in the limelight. Everyone was looking somewhere else, which made her quite upset. She followed everyone¡¯s gaze to the spiral staircase, only to find Renee and Jovan under the spotlight. Seraphina sneered as she approached Renee and said mockingly, ¡°Miss Everheart, are you attending this summit as Mr. Hunt¡¯s plus one? You might not know this, but only people with significant contributions to the industry were invited to attend. Thus, Mr. Hunt is not qualified to be here, and neither are you.¡± ¡°Oh, there were requirements? Sorry, but I had no idea!¡± Jovan grinned cheekily and replied, ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble, but this lovelydy isn¡¯t my plus one ¨C I¡¯m hers! You might not know this, but my sweetheart here is the president of the Electronics Technology Association. I just came here to broaden my horizons, you know?¡± Hearing this, some of the people in the crowd immediately became enraged. ¡°How dare you even mention that?! Have you no shame? All of us voted for this woman as president because we trusted her, but she decided to just up and leave her post! Don¡¯t you know how we were mocked because we had no leader?!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who even made the attendance list? Allowing them to attend is an insult to our industry¡­ Security! Kick these two out right now!¡± ¡°I was wrong back then, and I sincerely apologize to everyone for it,¡± Renee said solemnly as she bowed deeply. She knew that her sudden departure had brought harm to the association, so she had long expected that she would be the main target for their resentment. ¡°However, I actually came here with a very important goal in mind. It was also the current president, Mr. Frederick Yarrow, who personally invited me to this summit. So, my plus one and I are more than qualified to participate,¡± she continued with a confident smile. ¡°Frederick Yarrow personally invited you? How is that possible?!¡± Shocked, everyone immediately turned to their current president. Chapter 912 Chapter 912 Frederick adjusted his sses as he faced the crowd calmly, looking distinguished in his well-tailored suit. ¡°Calm down, everyone. I sent Miss Everheart an invitation because she has a special identity ¨C one that is very significant in our industry. She is more qualified than anyone here to join this summit, so for the good of our industry, please respect everyone here as equals.¡± The man¡¯s words instantly enraged the older individuals in the hall. ¡°Yarrow, what are you saying? She¡¯s just an inexperienced little girl! How could she possibly contribute more to the industry than us? Did you fall for that temptress¡¯ tricks, youngster?! Did you exploit some loophole so you could invite her here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we can remove you from your position just as easily as we put you there, so don¡¯t get cocky with us!¡± Frederick smiled sadly. ¡°By the time the conference starts, all of you will understand that I was only speaking the truth. If you still think Miss Everheart has no right to attend by then, I¡¯ll be willing to resign immediately.¡± When everyone saw how serious Frederick was, nobody dared to make the situation more difficult for him. The crowd soon dispersed, not even giving Renee or Jovan a second nce. However, Seraphina did not want to let the matter go so easily. She took a ss of wine and handed it to Renee with a fake smile. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯re here for Stef, aren¡¯t you? I must say, you have amazing timing ¨C we¡¯ll be announcing our rtionship to the public today! You¡¯ll give us your blessing, won¡¯t you?¡± Renee nonchntly clinked sses with her, shing her an equally fake smile. ¡°If my blessings could help reassure you, I¡¯d be happy to offer them¡­ but I¡¯m sure you already know that you could never keep him at your side. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t even dream of taking such a huge risk. Try to cherish this feeling while itsts, because you¡¯re going to be heartbroken and ashamed once he¡¯s done with you.¡± Her words instantly triggered Seraphina, and the woman¡¯s eyes widened in rage. Uncaring of her image, she screamed at Renee, ¡°Shut your mouth, Everheart! Stef and I will be together forever, and the only heartbroken person here will be you! You were abandoned four years ago, and now, you¡¯re being abandoned again!¡± Seraphina let out a snarl and sshed her wine at Renee¡¯s face, her eyes wild. Jovan quickly shielded Renee, and warned Seraphina coldly, ¡°Miss Murphy, you are crossing a line. If you keep behaving like this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to have you escorted out!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Seraphina red at him arrogantly and scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re just a good-for-nothing assistant who was banished by your own family, so you have no right to speak to me. The Hunt family¡¯s fate ispletely in my family¡¯s hands now, so how dare you act like you own this ce?! I should be the one kicking you out! It¡¯s amazing how you can¡¯t even see how worthless you are!¡± Jovan was fuming, and he sshed his own wine at Seraphina, not holding back at all. ¡°Don¡¯t push me! I won¡¯t go easy on you just because you¡¯re a woman, I¡¯ll hit anyone who deserves it!¡± ¡°Ah, you¡­ you¡­¡± Seraphina was gaping at him in shock, red wine dripping down her face. The delicately beautiful makeup she had put on earlier had been ruined by this madman. Seraphina was furious, but she knew how ruthless Jovan could be, so she didn¡¯t dare to provoke him any further. Instead, she decided to target Renee again. She turned to the security guards and shrieked, ¡°What are you waiting for? Kick both of these freaks out! I¡¯m ordering you as the eldest daughter of the Murphy family! If you don¡¯t get it done now, I¡¯ll have my family retract their sponsorship for this event!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­¡± The guards looked rather conflicted. The Murphys were not involved in the electronics industry, and Seraphina wasn¡¯t exactly a professional either. However, the Murphy family was still the biggest sponsor of the event, and were also the biggest shareholders of the legendary H Group. Thus, the security guards didn¡¯t dare disobey her. ¡°Miss Everheart, Mr. Hunt, please cooperate with us¡­¡± One of the guards finally said as he approached them. Chapter 913 Chapter 913 After all, Renee had no money, while Jovan had no skills. Since they were both practically outcasts, the guards figured it would be safest to side with Seraphina. Jovan lost his temper, and grabbed the guard by his cor furiously. ¡°Do you have a death wish? How dare you ask us to leave?!¡± Renee, however, shrugged dismissively. ¡°Let him go. If they want us to leave, we will.¡± ¡°Why should I? This is clearly an abuse of power! We got an official invitation fair and square, so what makes them think they can just take that away from us?¡± Jovan snarled defiantly. Being a pampered son of the Hunt family, he had never been treated like this before. Renee smirked and said mysteriously, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Even if we leave now, they¡¯ll be begging us toe back.¡± Seraphinaughed mockingly and sneered, ¡°Just who do you think you are? Apart from the heads of this summit, everyone here is receable, especially people like you who only got an invite through their connections!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Ignoring her, Renee grabbed Jovan by the arm and pulled him out of the banquet hall. She went to the hotel¡¯s parking lot, got into her luxurious car, and started casually ying a mobile game. Jovan stared at her in disbelief, then covered her phone screen and said impatiently, ¡°Why are we giving up now? It wasn¡¯t easy to get that invitation, you know? I can¡¯t let this opportunity slide, especially since we haven¡¯t even shown them who¡¯s boss yet!¡± ¡°Stop that, you¡¯re getting in the way!¡± Renee pushed his hand away crossly and continued ying her game. A smirk slowly curved her lips as she said softly, ¡°I said they¡¯d be begging us toe back, didn¡¯t I? What¡¯s the rush?¡± ¡°How can I not panic? The conference is starting in ten minutes, and the new chairman of KCL Group is attending too!¡± Jovan protested agitatedly. ¡°Do you know how amazing the new chairman is? They invented the G6 chip all on their own, and managed to be thergest shareholder of KCL in just two years through a creeping acquisition! They even overthrew the original chairman, Mr. Y, and acquiredpletemand of KCL¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± Renee seemed unbothered. ¡°So we have to cherish this opportunity! Let¡¯s go back to our original n and find a way to win KCL¡¯s chairman over so that they¡¯ll work with Azure Group! With that, we can crush H Group, and finally win against Stefan Hunt!¡± Jovan was exhrated, his eyes gleaming with determination. ¡°Back then, Stefan used his connections with Mr. Y to stay at the very top of the industry. Now that KCL has changed chairmans, it¡¯s rumored that they might start looking for a new business partner too. Since H Group is in trouble, they¡¯re no longer the best candidate to work with¡­ Basically, whoever gets to take H Group¡¯s ce and sign a contract with KCL will be able to rule the industry!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Renee smiled, amused at how naive and straightced Jovan could be sometimes. ¡°Ah, the conference is starting in five minutes!¡± The man whined miserably. Chapter 914 Chapter 914 The most important part of the event was starting soon, and several important figures were already seated at the round table. This included Stefan, Frederick Yarrow, and many other powerful leaders of the industry. The rest of the participants could only observe their meeting from arge meeting room outside the hall. Even the biggest sponsor of the event, Seraphina, was not allowed to attend the conference. To start the conference, the eight industry leaders would have to press the activation button, located in the middle of the conference table, simultaneously. This activation button was shaped like the Earth and divided into eight pieces, representing the eight regions that contributed most to the technology industry. The conference was scheduled to start soon. Some people had even brought automated trantors, and they counted down excitedly. ¡°Five, four, three, two¡­¡± There was a long silence. Nothing had happened, and the attendees were visibly confused. The activation button should have been pressed by now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re experiencing some technical issues.¡± Frederick Yarrow, the president of the Electronics Technology Association and the host of the event, suddenly announced in a panicked voice. ¡°Huh? Technical difficulties? What happened?¡± Everyone outside the conference room was confused, and they all started discussing possible reasons for the dy. In the end, only the industry leaders would know what was happening, all¡­ seven of them?Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°As you can see, there are only seven leaders sitting here. There is still one very important member who is absent, and the piece they represent is second to H Group. Without them, we are unable to light up the button, which is why this conference cannot begin yet.¡± Frederick then pointed at the empty seat next to Stefan. ¡°The person who will join us shortly is the newest chairman of KCL, someone who has made remarkable contributions to our industry¡± Frederick inhaled deeply, then exined, ¡°KCL is fortunate to have quite a skilled research team that constantly brings us many surprises, leading our industry to greater heights¡­ This new chairman is a fellow researcher too, just like their predecessor, Mr. Y. This person is also the genius who invented the renowned G6 chip! Once this chip is officially introduced to the public, it will revolutionize our current industry, potentially changing everyone¡¯s lives!¡± Frederick¡¯s words piqued everyone¡¯s interest, and the people there grew more and more curious about the chairman¡¯s identity. They didn¡¯t really mind that the chairman waste, considering how influential the person was, but they were worried that the chairman might not show up at all. ¡°President Yarrow, everything you just said is practicallymon knowledge at this point. We¡¯ve been waiting for so long to see who this mysterious KCL chairman is, not to hear about how great they are! We hope this legend can help lead our industry to greater heights!¡± ¡°Yeah! We just want to see who this new KCL chairman is! Can¡¯t you use your position as the president to summon them here?!¡± Many people were starting to feel impatient, and they started pressuring Frederick. Frederick was feeling quite anxious as he turned to the crowd. ¡°Calm down, everyone. I¡¯ve already made some calls to the new chairman of KCL. They might be busy at the moment, because they¡¯re not picking up any of my calls¡­¡± ¡°What? Can¡¯t you get anything right, Yarrow? As the president of the Electronics Technology Association, you should at least be able to do this much, right? If you can¡¯t, you should really consider resigning!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you couldn¡¯t bring over the one you were supposed to invite, and instead ended up inviting not one, but two unwee strays! A useless president like you should have resigned long ago!¡± Frederick repeatedly dialed the new chairman¡¯s number, feeling so stressed that he was close to tears. On the other hand, Stefan was sitting in the very middle of the conference table, looking remarkably composed. His cold gaze made it seem like he wasn¡¯t involved in this summit at all. Chapter 915 Chapter 915 Next to him was Akio Higashino, a legend of Aeos who specialized in artificial intelligence. The man was the third most influential individual in the room, after Stefan and the new KCL chairman. Akio was very ambitious, and wanted to diversify his business to different technological domains. Not only did hispany excel in artificial intelligence, they were also researching electronic chips as well. However, they were unable to make a breakthrough in their research, resulting in their inability to produce the electronics they wanted. Hence, they were stuck in third ce. For over a decade, the man had been trying to destroy the partnership between H Group and KCL Group, in hopes of recing H Group as KCL¡¯s business partner. If hispany, Higashino Corp, could sign a contract to work with KCL, he was confident that they would surely surpass KCL in the future. ¡°Mr. Hunt, you¡¯re so calm! Could it be that you¡¯ve already signed a contract with KCL in private? If that¡¯s the case, congrattions are in order!¡± Akio nodded as he naturally shed Stefan a fake smile. Truthfully, he had no idea about the man¡¯s rtionship with the new chairman of KCL, and was just trying to pry information out of Stefan. ¡°No, I¡¯m not close to the new chairman,¡± Stefan replied indifferently. ¡°Oh? You aren¡¯t?¡± Akio¡¯s eyes lit up, and his lips curved into a grin. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll be having a fair competition then, Mr. Hunt. KCL might choose to work with Higashino Corp now, or even someone else entirely.¡± ¡°Indeed. As long as the person is genuine about working with them, they¡¯d probably have a chance at signing a contract with KCL,¡± Stefan said honestly. Back then, due to his special rtionship with Julian, H Group was the solepany that formed a partnership with KCL Group. However, now that Julian had been reced by the new chairman, he wasn¡¯t quite sure if he¡¯d be able to sessfully win KCL over. He had tried to find out about the new chairman¡¯s identity from Julian, but his nephew had no idea who the person was either. This only made Stefan even more curious about the person¡¯s identity. ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s simply too inconsiderate! If Higashino Group were to partner up with KCL, wouldn¡¯t that make us H Group¡¯s biggest threat?¡± Akio maintained his smile, pretending to be kind. ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t H Group facing a lot of issues right now? Not only has your primary research team left, but your investors, with the Murphys in the lead, intend on withdrawing their investments as well. If your most important G6 chip project fails, H Group might even face bankruptcy. We¡¯re really worried about you!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Stefan chuckled coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about us, Mr. Higashino, why don¡¯t you just voluntarily give up on working with KCL?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Akio¡¯s expression shifted instantly. ¡°How could we miss out on such a great opportunity?¡± At that moment Frederick¡¯s call had finally gotten through, but the person on the other end of the line gave him a rather odd request. ¡°Umm¡­¡± The president put down his phone and looked at Seraphina, who was in the meeting room outside of the conference. ¡°Miss Murphy, whether the new chairman attends and whether our conference goes sessfully¡­ is up to you! We¡¯re counting on you!¡± Chapter 916 Chapter 916 Everyone immediately turned to Seraphina. ¡°Huh? Is¡­ Is it really up to me?¡± The woman was stunned. Although the Murphys were the biggest sponsor of the event, the family was actually not familiar with the electronics industry. Seraphina had only been acknowledged because of all the money her family had spent, so she felt a bit insecure attending such an event. However, hearing that she would be the sole reason behind the sess of this event, she felt pride bloom in her. ¡°Yes, Miss Murphy, the newest chairman of KCL, requested you, specifically, to cooperate with them¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything for them! It¡¯s an honor for me to be of assistance!¡± Seraphina was even more excited after hearing that the new chairman had personally requested her. After all, if she managed to befriend this new director, she would be a renowned figure within the technology industry as well. Powerful and rich businessmen would have to put effort into getting on her good side if they wished to work with KCL. If that happened, Stefan would definitely have more respect for her, and rely on her even more. ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± Frederick adjusted his sses, seemingly awkward. ¡°The new chairman of KCL said they really like Beach City, and wish to have a goddaughter. So, their request is for you to say ¡®Daddy, I was wrong, please forgive me just this once and attend this conference!¡¯ in front of all the cameras.¡± After hearing this, everyone gasped. Seraphina¡¯s expression turned stiff. ¡°The chairman is¡­ so funny¡­¡± Six of the seven leaders in the conference room burst outughing. Akio even started pping enthusiastically. ¡°Hahaha, amazing! I like this new chairman, they have spunk! I must get the chance to work with them!¡± On the contrary, Stefan was the only one who seemed extremely solemn, and he frowned deeply. ¡®Why do those words sound so familiar? Could it be that¡­¡¯ After a few moments of hesitation, Seraphina decided that she should go all out. She stood up from her seat with a bright smile and dered, ¡°It is an absolute honor to be their goddaughter. I¡¯m more than happy to do as they say! Why wouldn¡¯t I cooperate?¡± After that, she turned to the cameras and said obediently, ¡°Daddy, I was wrong, please forgive me just this once and attend this conference!¡± Secondster, she started cursing inwardly. ¡®Damn that chairman, I¡¯ve never been so humiliated in my entire life! But¡­ I¡¯m doing this to win Stefan¡¯s heart, so I¡¯ll bear with it.¡±¡® Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Frederick finally let out a sigh of relief. He spoke to the other party over the phone, then turned back to the crowd. ¡°Thank you for your passionate speech, Miss Murphy, the chairman said they are very happy to have a daughter like you. They will enter soon, so let¡¯s wee them with a round of apuse.¡± Soon enough, the entire venue was drowned in cheers. Everyone was craning their necks, hoping to catch a glimpse of this mysterious and unique new chairman. The door to the conference room was opened by the staff, and the new chairman walked in casually. Instantly, the area erupted into chaos. ¡°Oh my god! Is this some sort of mistake?! What is she doing here?!¡± ¡°Impossible! My eyes must be deceiving me!¡± Ignoring the people¡¯s doubtful stares, the chairman beamed and nodded. ¡°Hello everyone, I am Renee Everheart, the new chairman of KCL Group. Sorry for the wait.¡± Then, she slowly walked towards Stefan and sat down next to him. Chapter 917 Chapter 917 ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Hunt¡­ we meet again.¡± Renee nodded at Stefan, a prideful smile on her face. ¡°Indeed. You¡¯ve been nning this for a very long time, haven¡¯t you? What a great performance!¡± Stefan said, raising an eyebrow. ¡®Tsk tsk, it really was her!¡¯ Stefan didn¡¯t seem shocked in the slightest. Instead, he felt strangely content. ¡®Oh, Renee Everheart, of course it¡¯s you. You took quite a huge risk this time, huh? I have to admit that I¡¯m impressed.¡¯ The woman¡¯s status left him feeling much more relieved than before. At the very least, as the ¡®new chairman of KCL¡¯, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her being taken advantage of. Moreover, her wealth was now enough to give four generations of her family a life of luxury. ¡°Yarrow, what is the meaning of this? Why is this woman here?! Don¡¯t tell me she really is the new chairman of KCL?¡± ¡°Exactly, Yarrow, you have to give us a reasonable exnation. Is KCL Group toying with us elders?!¡± The attendees immediately voiced their concerns. They just couldn¡¯t ept the fact that this woman, who they looked down upon, could possess this much power in their industry. They were convinced that it was all a grave mistake, or that KCL Group was ying a prank on them. Seraphina was also throwing a temper tantrum in the meeting room, and was trying to barge in to confront Renee. Her rage seemed to have consumed all of her rationality, and her lovely image from before was no more. ¡°Let me in! If you don¡¯t, my family will hear about this!¡± However, no matter how much she protested now, she and her entire family had already been ridiculed live on television. Facing the crowd¡¯s pressure once again, Frederick exined hastily, ¡°Please calm down, everyone. Miss Everheart really is the newest chairman of KCL Group, and the one who invented the G6 chip. She was able to be the biggest shareholder in KCL through her own efforts, and has single- handedly pushed the entire industry forward by nearly a decade. It definitely isn¡¯t a stretch to call her our hero, so please, respect and support her!¡± Despite this, Frederick¡¯s words were still unable to convince the group of elderly men. ¡°Cut the crap! This woman must¡¯ve manipted her way into this position! KCL Group is definitely corrupted, and our association will never be united! We should vote on whether we should allow this woman to be a part of this conference!¡± ¡°Exactly, we have to! Every member of the conference carries an important responsibility in our industry ¨C not just anyone can join our cause!¡± The people were quite agitated, and their fierce attitudes made it seem like Renee was a witch they wanted to burn at the stake. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. It was basically a typical showcase of sexism and age discrimination; they just refused to believe that a young woman like her would ever possess such skill and knowledge, let alone the right to obtain a higher status than themselves. ¡°This isn¡¯t quite right though. The new chairman of KCL Group should naturally be a part of the conference. It would be unfair to Miss Everheart if we were to change the rules¡­¡± Frederick protested, clearly in a difficult position. He genuinely admired Renee. In his opinion, the woman was an absolute prodigy in technology, and was clearly much more knowledgeable than these old men who loved unting their wealth and status. It would be unjust for them to doubt her just because of her gender and age¡­ Just as the atmosphere was bing tense, Stefan raised his hand calmly. ¡°I¡¯m fine with her joining.¡± Chapter 918 Chapter 918 Everyone turned to look at Stefan, falling silent right away. They didn¡¯t dare to utter a single sound. Renee stared at the man as well, her beautiful eyes clouded with confusion. The man¡¯s support was understandable, but also extremely unexpected. ¡°Our industry doesn¡¯t solely rely on experience ¨C skill is a very important trait as well. Since the attendees of this event are all top contributors, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen her capabilities from four years ago¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s indifferent gaze traveled over the crowd as he spoke calmly. ¡°She managed to pass every test and earned her position as the president of the Electronics Technology Association, which proves that she is more than capable. Now that she has invented the G6 chip, I think she definitely has the right to be a conference member.¡± ¡°I think Miss Everheart is quite admirable too!¡± Akio bowed deeply and smiled at Renee. ¡°Wee, Miss Everheart! New talents are always wee. Let¡¯s get to know each other better!¡± Frederick sighed, turning to the other members. ¡°What do you all think?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Seeing the two most influential figures in the room taking Renee¡¯s side, the others naturally didn¡¯t dare to object. With that, they quickly changed their attitudes towards the woman, and started sucking up to her. ¡°My my, of course we wee her! Our industry needs young prodigies like you!¡± ¡°Miss Everheart is a talented young woman and a feminist icon! The future of technology lies in your hands! I can see all the unlimited possibilities you will bring us!¡± Renee shed them all a fake smile. ¡°You all tter me. I¡¯m just a lucky youngdy who still has a lot to learn from all of you! The industry is blessed to have all of you here¡­¡± Beside her, Stefan couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡®This woman is actually pretty fluent in sarcasm.¡¯ After handling the old men, Renee found a chance to talk to Stefan, and asked him softly, ¡°Why did you help me?¡± The man didn¡¯t answer, and instead asked her, ¡°So you disappeared for four whole years just to research electronic chips?¡± ¡°Well, that is part of it, but my end goal was to gain control over KCL Group, then use advanced technology to take over H Group as well. When we got a divorce, I rejected your offer of 40 million and only requested for thew firm because I wanted those threewyers to help me with my equity transfer cases¡­¡± Renee happily exined her n. She had never once regretted her choices, no matter how many obstacles she encountered. Everything had brought her to this moment, so she could safely say that her n had been a sess. ¡°That¡¯s right, I even gave birth during that entire process. ording to inheritancews, Abby and Adie are now legally the heirs to H Group!¡± Stefan nodded and pped softly. ¡°That does sound like a perfect n. I¡¯m impressed!¡± He realized that he really did underestimate Renee. The woman had been nning for four years, and each step had been carefully calcted, giving him nowhere to go. ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯m very curious, did you truly invent the G6 chip all on your own? Can you tell us about the research process?¡± As the host, Frederick asked the question that had been on everyone¡¯s mind. Renee replied calmly, ¡°The G6 chip was a sess because of my friend¡¯s support as well, and that friend is none other than Liam Osborne, the sixth son of the Osborne family. He provided me with the bestboratory facilities I¡¯ve ever seen, and gave me everything I needed for years¡­¡± Her speech was simple and professional, and it impressed all the people there. Chapter 919 Chapter 919 ¡°So here¡¯s another question¡­ Since the G6 chip is about to be publicly listed on the market, can you perhaps reveal whichpany KCL Group will choose to work with? This will decide who¡¯s the leader of our industry for the next decade, after all!¡± Frederick asked yet another question that piqued everyone¡¯s interest. ¡°Miss Everheart, don¡¯t think about it too much, just partner up with Higashino Corp! Nearly seventy percent of the artificial intelligence technology in our industry was created by us, and our yearly profit is basically immeasurable! If KCL chooses to work with us, I¡¯ll give you twenty percent of our shares!¡± Akio said eagerly to Renee. Twenty percent of shares sounded quite generous, but a partnership with KCL would certainly bring Akio much more profit. ¡°Miss Everheart, you should work with DR Group! We are currently earning a lot of profit too, and I¡¯ll be willing to offer up to fifty percent of our shares to you¡­¡± The other members couldn¡¯t stand by and watch any longer, and quickly fought to get her attention. The whole time, Renee didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she looked at Stefan, as if she were waiting for his answer. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Everyone soon understood the situation. Due to Renee and Stefan¡¯s past rtionship, KCL Group was likely going to continue working with H Group. ¡®Looks like the Hunt family¡¯s position in this industry is irreceable after all!¡¯ At that moment, Seraphina rushed angrily into the room, a few security guards right behind her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Murphy, you can¡¯t go in there¡­¡± ¡°I can go anywhere I want! My family sponsored this event, so shut up!¡± The woman yelled at the guards behind her. ¡°If you don¡¯t keep quiet, I¡¯ll make sure you never step foot in Beach City ever again!¡± All the guards were quite conflicted, but didn¡¯t dare to stop her this time. Seraphina approached the conference table and pointed at Renee angrily. ¡°How dare you ridicule me like that, you witch?! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± After that, she lunged at Renee like a rabid beast. ¡°Aww, my little daughter is mad! Daddy was just joking, don¡¯t be so petty!¡± Renee giggled and dodged swiftly. This made Seraphina lose her bnce, and she nearly tumbled onto the floor. ¡°Careful.¡± Stefan instinctively caught Seraphina, preventing her fall. ¡°Stef! You have to stand up for me! You saw how this woman insulted me!¡± Seraphina took this chance to cling to the man, sobbing hysterically. ¡°I¡¯ve been treated like a princess all my life, and I¡¯ve never been so humiliated before! She made fun of me and my family, Stef! How can we ever face the public if we don¡¯t do anything about this?!¡± Stefan frowned. ¡°You were willing to call her Daddy, so how exactly did she ridicule you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I was doing it for you¡­¡± Seraphina clenched her jaw. ¡°I thought the new KCL chairman really wanted me to be their goddaughter! Wouldn¡¯t that guarantee that KCL would work with H Group?¡± Renee stifled herughter and put on a serious expression. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to call me Daddy, you know? As long as you¡¯re willing, I promise KCL will sign a contract with H Group.¡± Chapter 920 Chapter 920 ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, Renee Everheart!¡± Seraphina howled like a banshee, and lunged at Renee again. ¡°Who do you think you are?! I¡¯m telling you, I have something that could ruin your reputation! It might even cost you your life, so don¡¯t you dare provoke me, or else¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Stefan growled harshly, grabbing her and holding her firmly. His gaze was icy as he warned her, ¡°You¡¯ve been enough of an embarrassment today, so don¡¯t make things worse. If you keep this up, not even your entire family¡¯s wealth would be enough to pay for the consequences.¡± After hearing this, Seraphina immediately fell silent. Renee quickly took the opportunity to provoke Seraphina into giving her more information. ¡°Oh? Ruin my reputation, you say? Tell me your n then, my good daughter, Daddy won¡¯t get mad at you. Unless¡­ you¡¯re bluffing!¡± Seraphina hid behind Stefan, her mouth shut but her re piercing. It was obvious that suppressing her rage was absolute torture for her. ¡°You should stop messing with her too. She just has a fiery temper, so I¡¯ll apologize in her stead. Please stop trying to provoke her.¡± Stefan bowed gently to the woman. His politeness made it seem like there was a great wall between them, despite their previous intimate rtionship. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. At that moment, Renee felt defeated, and her heart twisted painfully. Facing his courtesy was far worse than fighting with him. ¡°And what¡¯s your rtionship with each other? Why are you apologizing for her? Are you close? Who is she to you?¡± Renee smiled coldly as she sneered. When she heard this, Seraphina¡¯s eyes lit up and she nudged the man¡¯s arm. She smirked and said, ¡°Stef, since Miss Everheart brought it up, shouldn¡¯t you give her an answer? It¡¯s time we officially announce our rtionship to the public anyway! You promised.¡± Stefan tightened his grip on Seraphina¡¯s shoulder, silently reassuring her. ¡°Seraphina and I¡­¡± The gesture infuriated Renee, and she clenched her fists. ¡°Hold on!¡± Before Stefan could speak, Renee interrupted him in an icy voice. She stood up from her seat and approached them with slightly reddened eyes, staring at the man quietly. ¡°Stefan Hunt, I¡¯d advise you to think before you speak. You should know how important KCL is to H Group¡­ it¡¯s worth far more than the Murphy family, I¡¯m sure. Not only does your choice concern you, it concerns your entire family too.¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but put pressure on the man, making her stance clear. This was a battle between two women who wanted to have Stefan all to themselves. As potential ¡®sugar mommies¡¯, they were both equally willing to make sacrifices to win this pretty boy over. Renee knew her skills were more valuable than the Murphys¡¯ support. Anyone with a sane mind would know who to pick. Feeling threatened, Seraphina started bluffing topensate. ¡°What¡¯s so great about the KCL Group anyway? Aren¡¯t you just some patheticpany that makes chips? How could you possibly be wealthier than my family? What H Group needs the most is cash! Does yourmepany even have that?¡± Renee looked at Stefan imploringly and responded, ¡°Stefan should know the current market value of KCL Group. As long as you make the right choice, both H Group and KCL Group are yours.¡± Seraphina, however, refused to admit defeat. ¡°Oh, so what? My dad intends to hand our entire family business to Stef too! All our assets will be his, sooner orter!¡± Chapter 921 Chapter 921 ¡°Whoa!¡± Everyone there gasped in awe, unable to hide their envy at how Stefan was being fought over. Akio instinctively brought out his pocket mirror to tidy up his hair, then turned back to the two women and said smoothly, ¡°You know,dies, if you two want a pretty boy, I can arrange for a stic surgeon to operate on me now! Would that work for you?¡± Anyone would dream of beingpletely provided for, especially when a life of luxury was promised. Moreover, Renee and Seraphina were quite the lookers, which made the offer even more tempting. ¡®Stefan Hunt is so lucky! Not only is he a genius, but he¡¯s been blessed with the perfect face as well!¡¯ ¡®His looks alone were able to make these two beauties give up everything for him! Isn¡¯t God clearly ying favorites here?!¡¯ With that, everyone eagerly awaited Stefan¡¯s answer, especially the men. All of them rubbed their hands eagerly, wishing they could be in his shoes instead. Stefan, however, was expressionless. ¡°My answer has always remained the same; Miss Murphy and I are childhood friends, after all. Thus, I hereby announce that we are officially dating.¡± Seraphina felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest, and she smirked triumphantly at Renee. ¡°You hear that? Stef chose me, not you, even if you might be richer than me! I¡¯m his true love!¡± ¡°True love? Hahaha, that¡¯s the funniest thing I¡¯ve heard all day!¡± Reneeughed sarcastically, refusing to believe anything Stefan said. She knew Stefan well enough to know that a formal and dismissive ¡®announcement¡¯ like that was definitely scripted. However, she didn¡¯t quite understand their motives for keeping up this act. ¡°Stefan Hunt, if you¡¯re being held hostage, blink once. Your acting sucks! Do you really expect me to believe any of that?¡± Renee was so confused that she started wondering if Seraphina held something against the man and had forced him into this facade. ¡°Did she threaten you with your nudes? There¡¯s no need to be so modest, just let her leak them ¨C you have a great body anyway! Don¡¯t give up just because of a small issue like that!¡± Renee said earnestly. Stefan didn¡¯t answer her, and instead grabbed Seraphina¡¯s hand and turned to the crowd. ¡°Since the conference is over, I¡¯ll be leaving with my girlfriend now.¡± They turned around and walked past Renee, quickly leaving the conference room. Meanwhile, Renee was frozen in ce. She closed her eyes as she thought to herself absently, ¡®I tried, but¡­ it was all useless in the end.¡¯ The others in the room wanted to speak to her, but were frightened of her frosty expression. Akio, however, was brave enough to approach her. He circled the woman like an excited puppy, looking as if he wasn¡¯t scared of the consequences of crossing her boundaries. ¡°Miss Everheart, might I have the pleasure of inviting you to dinner?¡± ¡°I mentioned that I¡¯d go through stic surgery for you, and I wasn¡¯t joking, you know? My country has the best stic surgeons in the world!¡± ¡°Do you want to consider an official rtionship with me? I can go get a divorce right now and marry you. After our wedding, all you need to do is sit back and enjoy life¡­¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Renee was rather annoyed by this, and turned to him with a cold re. ¡°Do you really want to marry me, Mr. Higashino?¡± ¡°Of course! My looks and body may not be as good as Stefan Hunt¡¯s, and I may be a little older than him, but I have many other good traits too!¡± ¡°Then help me out with something,¡± Renee said in a mysterious voice. Chapter 922 Chapter 922 Jovan was leaning against the doorway of the meeting room at the time, waiting for Renee. His arms were crossed over his chest, and azy smirk was stered on his handsome face. ¡°Hey now, chairman, you sure hid your secret well. You never fail to impress me!¡± ¡°It was my major for my degree and masters. I never really hid anything, it¡¯s just that you just don¡¯t know me well enough,¡± Renee said coolly as she eyed the document in her hand, running her fingers through her silky hair. Her demeanor was nonchnt, but her charm shone through regardless. The woman was the epitome of beauty and brains, and she had masked her true self by bing a gentle housewife back then. Once the mask was off, she could easily make a name for herself. ¡°Right, right, I never understood you, nor did Stefan. He was such a useless husband¡­ to think that he doesn¡¯t know a thing about you! He deserved whatever karma you just gave him!¡± Jovan had been watching the livestream outside of the conference hall, and was impressed by how strong and tenacious Renee was. Seeing Stefan¡¯s embarrassment on screen had given Jovan quite augh. He had never felt so happy before, as if he had been the cause for Stefan¡¯s humiliation. ¡°Stop gloating, I didn¡¯t humiliate him at all. I¡­ I just embarrassed myself.¡± Renee gave a deep sigh, feeling like an absolute failure for the first time ever. She felt even worse than when she had been heartbroken by Stefan¡¯s betrayal. Four years ago, she had just been a useless, rich housewife, so she figured it was reasonable that he didn¡¯t want to be with her. However, she had just shown him how capable she was, and the man had rejected her regardless, which was a jab to her pride. ¡°Jovan, be honest with me ¨C am I that bad? Why is he so willing to just¡­ give up on me?¡± The woman looked up unsurely, trying to hold back tears. She had never doubted herself like this in the past. Jovan¡¯s signature yful expression shifted slightly, and he lowered his voice gently, ¡°You¡¯re not bad, he¡¯s just blind. He may not be able to see your greatness, but that doesn¡¯t mean you should ever doubt yourself.¡± ¡°No way though. No matter how blind he is, he wouldn¡¯t pass on a life of luxury, right? Anyone with a brain would choose KCL over the Murphys, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± Renee looked at Jovan imploringly. ¡°Well, then maybe he¡¯s blind and dumb.¡± Jovan shrugged. ¡°Impossible!¡± Renee was certain. ¡°You can say he¡¯s blind, but he¡¯s definitely not stupid¡­¡± ¡°Then maybe it really is true love between them¡­ Oh, just stop overthinking it! Since we¡¯ve won, we should go celebrate! Would you like some hotpot? Or sushi?¡± Jovan said enthusiastically as he dragged her out of the hotel, desperately trying to change the topic. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Anything¡¯s fine,¡± Renee replied nkly. She was staring into space the entire journey, her mind deep inside the little world she created in her head. It was as if she hade to a dead end, unable to escape no matter how much she tried. Jovan soon brought her to a famous hotpot restaurant nearby. They were known for their fresh ingredients, along with their cheap prices. Hence, the humble little ce was packed most of the time. ¡°Scarlet, a table for two please! And I¡¯d like the usual.¡± The man greeted the boss warmly, making it obvious that he was a regr here. ¡°Oh my, Van! When did youe back? It¡¯s been so long since you visited us. Sam has been missing you a lot too¡­¡± Scarlet had been busy with the restaurant, but the moment she saw Jovan, her expression brightened. She turned around and shouted, ¡°Hubby,e here right now! Your little Van is finally back!¡± ¡°What?! Van is back? This is great! I have to have a drink with him tonight!¡± A middle-aged man ran out of the kitchen quickly. His oily hands grabbed Jovan¡¯s, and he was beaming happily. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not drinking this time. I¡¯d just like to have some of your delicious hotpot with my friend here to cheer her up, you know?¡± Chapter 923 Chapter 923 It was rare to see Jovan being friendly with other people. ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡± Scarlet and Sam looked at Renee, then turned back to Jovan with knowing smiles. ¡°Oh Van, you¡¯ve finally settled down. We¡¯re so happy for you!¡± ¡°You sure are pretty, girl! No wonder you captured his heart! You¡¯re the only one Van has ever brought here!¡± ¡°Our hotpot restaurant is Van¡¯s secret hideout, and he always says that some good hotpot is all you need to solve any problems in life! We hope you¡¯ll be happier after having some of ours today!¡± Jovan had always behaved like a madman with absolutely no boundaries, but today, he was as bashful as a young teen in love as he brushed Scarlet and Sam off. ¡°You guys, stop being so nosy! You should get back to work!¡± Jovan and Renee headed over to a table next to a window and sat down. The woman was still quite depressed, and she rested her head in her hands, her eyes gloomy. ¡°Alright, chairman, don¡¯t be so sad. You fought and won beautifully, so let¡¯s have a drink.¡± Jovan opened up two beer bottles and poured them into tworge sses, then clinked the woman¡¯s ss. ¡°I¡¯m not sad, I¡¯m just confused¡­¡± Renee took a sip with a dejected look, frowning. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why Stefan changed so suddenly. How can he be willing to choose Murphy and put H Group at risk?¡± Jovan¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°What is there to understand? I told you, it¡¯s true love.¡± ¡°If it really is true love, shouldn¡¯t they have been dating long ago? They didn¡¯t have to wait till now. I think Stefan and Murphy must have made some kind of deal, and they¡¯re hiding it from me.¡± ¡°So what if that¡¯s the case?¡± Jovan chuckled frostily. ¡°No matter what the reason is, he still chose to hurt you. That¡¯s unforgivable in itself.¡± ¡°What if he was just trying to protect me?¡± Renee hit the nail on the head, and Jovan stayed silent. ¡°See? I¡¯m right! He only hurt me because he wants to protect me!¡± Renee chirped, her gloominess reced with joy. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She then tried to get more information out of Jovan. ¡°You must know something, right? Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything, so stop asking.¡± Jovan scowled, focusing on his meal instead. Scarlet then brought them another te of fresh, thinly sliced meat. Cooking the meat in the hot broth, then dipping it into some sauce made it an absolute delicacy. The man was quite frustrated, but¡­ ¡®Some good hotpot is all you need to solve any problems in life! If I¡¯m still unhappy after this te of meat, I¡¯ll just order some more!¡¯ ¡°Jovan, don¡¯t just eat! You must know something, so please tell me!¡± Renee grabbed the man¡¯s wrist, pleading. Jovan stared at Renee¡¯s hand, not saying anything for a few minutes. After that, he said cryptically, ¡°That¡¯s right, I do know all about it.¡± After all, he didn¡¯t just know the entire story, he was the one behind all of it. ¡°Really? Tell me! Tell me now!¡± Renee eximed excitedly. ¡°I can tell you, but you¡¯ll have to promise me something first¡­¡± Jovan started grinning as if he were the devil himself. Chapter 924 Chapter 924 Renee was slightly speechless upon hearing this. ¡®Is this guy copying me? I just had Akio Higashino do me a favor, and this punk here is trying to make me do the same? This is basically just canceling out what I got!¡¯ ¡°What would you like me to do? It has to be reasonable though. I won¡¯t promise you anything that crosses the line!¡± Renee pondered and decided topromise. ¡®My, my Stefan. I¡¯mpromising so much that my boundaries are basically non existent!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to force you to do something you don¡¯t like. Do I look like that type of person?¡± ¡°Yeah, you do. Every time you go nuts, you¡¯re far from a good person. Heck, you don¡¯t even act human when that happens!¡± Renee said. She hadn¡¯t forgotten how terrifying the man was when he was in a crazed state. It wasn¡¯t even a far stretch to call him a savage animal at those times. Now they were temporarily on the same boat, and could work in peace for the time being. However, that didn¡¯t mean she had epted him as a person. Jovan sighed helplessly. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m not going to change your perception of me, but I really don¡¯t intend to do anything bad today¡­¡± ¡°Just spit it out, what do you want from me?¡± ¡°Nothing much, I just want you to stop overthinking and have a nice meal with me,¡± Jovan said casually as he ced a piece of meat dipped in sesame sauce into Renee¡¯s bowl. He did seem genuine as he gestured at her to eat it. ¡°Have a taste, it¡¯s really good.¡± ¡°Uh, is that it?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try it out.¡± Renee finally picked up a pair of chopsticks and took a bite. This was her first bite of food tonight, and soon she felt surprise filling her, as if she had found newnd. It was delicious! ¡°Oh wow, this¡­ this is so good! How could it be so juicy and savory? This is the best meat I¡¯ve ever had!¡± Renee excitedly grabbed another piece, cing it in the boiling hot broth with the fragrant steam attacking their senses. ¡°Lamb innards taste great in hotpot, you know? And eating this with beer can make you feel like you¡¯re in paradise!¡± Jovan was happy with Renee¡¯s reaction. He even started rmending her the best way to enjoy it like he was an expert. ¡°Oh, this is so good! I¡¯m going to cry!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t stop at this point, switching between the meat and beer. She didn¡¯t even have the time to talk, and naturally forgot all about the trivial matters regarding Stefan. ¡°I told you so, some good hotpot is all you need to solve any problems in life! If one meal can¡¯t help, have two!¡± Jovan watched the woman scarf down the food, his lips curving upwards as his eyes were filled with affection. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Humans are still animals after all. Once you¡¯ve satiated your hunger, everything else doesn¡¯t matter all that much.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have a deep side, you know. Looks like you¡¯re not a total mess! I agree with your statementpletely, those are some pretty wise words.¡± Renee sipped on her beer, feeling an innate happiness deep inside her. Humans had very basic needs after all, any other problems were just created by themselves, most likely from overthinking when they couldn¡¯t move on from certain situations. ¡°Good to know that you agree then. Come on, let¡¯s eat and drink to our heart¡¯s content! I¡¯ll be right here with you.¡± Jovan said enthusiastically. When Scarlet brought another few tes of meat and innards, the two quickly devoured everything on those three tes, all while drinking twelve sses of beer each. In the end, they started feeling quite tipsy. Chapter 925 Chapter 925 Renee ced her chin on her palm, leaning into her seat. She was giggling profusely, mumbling on and on about how she wanted to keep going. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s go. No more drinking, or else we aren¡¯t going to be able to get home.¡± Jovan snatched the beer bottle out of Renee¡¯s hands, refusing to allow her to drink more. Even he was reaching his limit. ¡°Say¡­ Jovan¡­ Do you think I ate to my heart¡¯s content?¡± Renee grabbed the man¡¯s arm, her eyes nk as she slurred her words. ¡°Of course, you almost finished up Scarlet¡¯s stock!¡± ¡°Then¡­ Did I drink to my heart¡¯s content?¡± ¡°What do you think? If you drink any more, you¡¯re going to get alcohol poisoning.¡± ¡°So can you tell me¡­ why Stefan won¡¯t¡­ choose me? He¡­ What¡¯s his reason?¡± Renee stood up, swaying slightly on her feet. She held onto the man¡¯s cor as she waited for his answer. Jovan was initially still rather tipsy, but this sobered him up. He frowned coldly. ¡°Why are you still thinking about it?¡± ¡°Of course, I am. Wouldn¡¯t you want to know why you were abandoned?¡± Renee covered her face, sobbing into her hands. ¡°Why are you men like this? He was the one who insisted on getting legally married, then he just disappeared! He swore to spend the rest of his life with me! How could he change so quickly?! Why is my love life so messed up?!¡± ¡°You made your choice to shoot yourself in the foot. Who else can you me but yourself?¡± Jovan scoffed as he helped her out of the restaurant, standing by the road while they waited for their ride. ¡°I didn¡¯t! I really didn¡¯t! I gave myself choices, but¡­ they all left¡­ They left¡­¡± Renee waved her arms around, clearly agitated as she recounted the people she once considered as partners. ¡°Stefan left¡­ Liam left¡­ Even Mr. Q left! Maybe I¡¯m cursed, that must be it!¡± ¡°Alright, alright, I promise that I will never leave. I¡¯ll stick to you like superglue, okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you though, I want Stefan¡­ Just tell me, why is he leaving me? Didn¡¯t you say you know the reason? If you don¡¯t spill, I¡¯ll annoy you the whole day!¡± Seeing how pained Renee¡¯s expression was, Jovan was heartbroken and jealous, and a cruel fury burned in his chest. ¡®Why? Why does Stefan Hunt get all her passion and love?¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to be some kind of second male lead who loved and protected the female lead unconditionally. He was done being in Stefan¡¯s shadow, and he was done being in second ce. ¡°Do you really want to know why?¡± Jovan asked coldly as he held Renee firmly to keep her standing, all while scanning her flushed red face. ¡°Mhm, I can¡¯t sleep if I don¡¯t.¡± Renee nodded drowsily, her brain foggy though she insisted on searching for answers. ¡°Then listen up, I¡¯m only saying this once,¡± Jovan said in a monotonous voice, his gaze chilling. ¡°He¡¯s doing this because of Briar Desrosiers. He¡¯s doing this for her.¡± ¡°Briar¡­ Desrosiers?¡± Renee shuddered slightly, thenpletely passed out, as if her soul had literally left her body. Just then, a vehicle arrived at the entrance. ¡°Hello sir, did you call for a cab? What¡¯s your destination?¡± The man carried Renee in his arms, and looked down at her with a frigid stare. ¡°My ce.¡± Chapter 926 Chapter 926 The next day, Renee woke up with a horrible hangover, still in quite a daze. She noticed she was in an unfamiliar room. It looked modern and minimalistic, with mostly ck, gray and white furnishings. There weren¡¯t any decorations either, with merely a book named ¡®The 48 Laws Of Power¡¯ by Robert Greene ced on the nightstand. ¡°Who¡­ What¡­ Where?¡± Renee muttered in confusion. She had way too much to drinkst night, and couldn¡¯t remember anything that happened after she cked out. She then lifted the nkets, only to find that she was wearing nothing but loose pajamas, not even underwear. ¡®Oh no¡­ Oh no!¡¯ The woman felt her head throb painfully, and wished she could end it all right there. ¡°Oh hey, you¡¯re up. Good morning.¡± Jovan greeted Renee with a soft smile, leaning against the door frame in casual clothing. ¡°Ah!¡± Renee jolted in surprise. Seeing him only made her thoughts be even more chaotic. She was too nervous to speak at this point, and couldn¡¯t even form proper sentences. ¡°Jovan, what¡­ What happened? Why am I¡­ Did you¡­ Did I¡­?¡± Jovan smirked slyly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing happened between usst night. I may have fancied you for a very long time, but I would never take advantage of you when you¡¯re in a vulnerable state.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Renee raised an eyebrow, doubtful. After all, this man was known for his schemes and antics. His reputation was in the dirt, and he seemed absolutely capable of doing something like that. ¡°Of course! I want our first time to be nice and memorable, so we can reminisce about it over and over again¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Renee threw a pillow at his head. ¡°I always knew you had a dirty mouth¡­ but it¡¯s good to know you know boundaries.¡± She would definitely castrate the man if he everid a finger on her. Jovan took a sip of coffee and chuckled. ¡°Not that I know boundaries. It¡¯s also just that it¡¯s hard for drunk men to get it up to begin with. Don¡¯t you at least know that much?¡± ¡°Really? Don¡¯t people make mistakes when they¡¯re drunk though?¡± Renee asked. As she remembered, her first time with Stefan only happened after they drank together. Moreover, she knew another pair who experienced the same ¨C Xavier and Leia. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. In all honesty, she wasn¡¯t quite sure if Xavier and Leia had done the deed, but she definitely had sex with Stefan back then. ¡°If a man was actually drunk, they¡¯d rather lie down like a dead log. If he can still screw around while being drunk, it just means he wasn¡¯t that drunk to begin with. It could be that he¡¯s desired the woman for a long time, and wished to take advantage of her. So he used alcohol as an excuse to.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Renee fell into deep thought, speechless for a moment. She thought to herself, ¡®So Stefan was secretly into me during our marriage, even though he showed so much disgust towards me for years? Looks like he¡¯s just a prick who won¡¯t admit his feelings! So doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ he wasn¡¯t talking from the heart when he said those harsh words?¡¯ ¡°I may have kept to myself, but you vomited all over the cest night. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I let my eyes wander while changing you,¡± Jovan said calmly. Renee shuddered and quickly hopped out of the bed. ¡°What do you mean by that?! You pervert! What did you do to me?!¡± Chapter 927 Chapter 927 ¡°Nothing really, I¡¯m just thinking about how certain feelings can blossom out of control¡­¡± Jovan mumbled to himself, then turned to her with a mysterious grim. ¡°I have to say though, Stefan sure is a lucky guy. I wonder if he¡¯d regret his choice after seeing what¡¯s trending on the inte today.¡± ¡°Trending? What¡¯s trending?¡± ¡°You have a phone, so take a look yourself.¡± The woman had a bad feeling about this, and quickly unlocked her phone and scrolled through social media. It seemed that the paparazzi had been following them the whole timest night. There was video footage of them hugging each other as they got into the car, up until Jovan carried her into his home. To make matters worse, these videos were currently on the top of the current trending articles. Each title was more scandalous than the other. [Jovan Hunt¡¯s night with his ex sister-inw, lovebirds finally get their happy ending.] [Stefan Hunt¡¯s bold ex-wife spends a ¡®rough¡¯ night with ex lover.] ¡°Are these people insane? When did I ever have a ¡®rough¡¯ night with you?! Ugh, I hate rumors, it¡¯s almost impossible to get rid of them!¡± Renee put her hands on her waist and gritted her teeth, seething. ¡°I¡¯m going to sue them into bankruptcy!¡± ¡°Calm down, I get scandals like this every month. Just ignore them and things will naturally die down. The more you try to fight it, the more content you¡¯re going to give them. It would make a fake story sound true,¡± Jovan said nonchntly,pletely unbothered. ¡°Of course you¡¯re calm, your reputation sucks! But mine doesn¡¯t! And I¡¯m a woman! Don¡¯t you know scandals can ruin a woman¡¯s life forever?!¡± Although Renee wasn¡¯t all that modest, she still cared about her image and refused to be involved in senseless rumors. ¡®And what if this gets back to Stefan?! How am I going to face him then?!¡¯ ¡°Oh stop panicking. I have loads of experience in solving these things. I have just the perfect n too, and we don¡¯t even need to go to court for this n.¡± ¡°Really? What is it? Tell me!¡± ¡°Simple. Since you think these rumors are going to ruin your reputation, I can just take the loss and marry you. Then the rumors would be true and no one can go around spreading lies.¡± ¡°Ugh! Are you trying to make me mad, Jovan?! Were you the one who spread this to the media?! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Renee lost all rationality as she lunged towards the man and pinned him to the ground. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She started punching him over and over again, questioning, ¡°Be honest! Did you hire those paparazzi? Did you leak the news? Are you trying to ruin my life, you madman¡­¡± For some reason, Jovan allowed Renee to continue yelling and hitting him. As if he were enjoying it, he shed her a cunning smirk. ¡°If you beat me to death, you¡¯re just going to make it seem like we did have a ¡®rough¡¯ night! So go ahead, give me all you¡¯ve got!¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane!¡± Renee wrapped her fingers around his neck, howling. ¡°You must have been spoiled rotten to have be so demented! If your parents won¡¯t teach you a lesson, I will!¡± Just then, Jovan¡¯s bedroom door swung open. His mother, She, was standing in the doorway. When she noticed them, her jaw dropped and she nearly fainted. ¡°You¡­ You two?!¡± Jovan turned around, looking annoyed. ¡°Mom, how many times must I tell you to knock? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m busy with Renee? We need some space.¡± ¡°What¡­ What are you busy with?¡± ¡°She¡¯s pinned me to the ground and I can¡¯t move. What do you think?¡± Renee stared at him in disbelief. ¡®What the¡­? He must be doing this on purpose! He¡¯s making things worse!¡¯ ¡°Oh¡­ Oh my god! Oh god, forgive me for my sins!¡± She gulped as she begged for forgiveness. However, no god would be able to help them at this point. The old woman then took her phone out and dialed Francine¡¯s number. ¡°Francine Milford! Have you no shame?! You bettere and deal with your dirty family matters right now!¡± Chapter 928 Chapter 928 Francine hurriedly rushed over to Jovan¡¯s home, a scowl on her face for the whole journey. She had always been rivals with She ever since she joined the Hunt family. For years, she had never lost once, apart fromparing their daughter-inws back then. Now, she was proud of her daughter-inw as well. Not only did Renee have a sessful career, she had even given birth to a pair of beautiful twins. That was surely enough to keep She at the bottom for eternity. ¡°She Campbell, what is your problem? It¡¯s seven in the morning! Did something great happen to my family that you just couldn¡¯t bear to watch in envy any longer?!¡± Francine ignored the maids¡¯ attempts at stopping her and barged right into the living room. She was clearly ready for a fight, and her aura was absolutely intimidating. She then walked out of Jovan¡¯s room and stood by the staircase, mocking her. ¡°I really am quite envious of what great things have been happening to your family recently. I mean, it is really difficult to find such an indecent daughter-inw after all.¡± ¡°Daughter-inw?¡± Francine narrowed her eyes. ¡°My daughter-inw is an amazing woman! She can bnce both work and family perfectly! Just look at her sessful business and lovely children! All you can do is shrivel up in jealousy¡­¡± However, the woman¡¯s prideful expression stiffened as soon as she saw Renee and Jovan walking out of the room together. ¡°Wh¡­ What¡¯s this? Renee, why did youe out of that useless trash¡¯s bedroom? Did youe here to teach them a lesson because you couldn¡¯t bear to look at this sorry family too?¡± Renee lowered her gaze, not knowing how to exin her way out of this. ¡°Hahaha. Oh Francine, you¡¯re too old to be so naive! What else can a man and a woman be doing in a room, all alone?¡± She cackled, finally taking the upperhand. ¡°How did you manage to teach your daughter-inw such sinful acts?! She came all the way here to seduce her own cousin-inw! My little Jovan¡¯s reputation is ruined!¡± ¡°If I had to pin the me¡­ She didn¡¯t have good role models to look up to. You people must¡¯ve been acting sinfully as well. I won¡¯t let this off so easily, the old man is going to hear about this! How else is my Jovan going to live his life with pride after this?¡± ¡°Jovan isn¡¯t like your son, he wants someone decent and modest! He-¡° ¡°Enough! Shut your dirty mouth, She Campbell!¡± Francine roared, unable to handle her rambling any longer. Her voice reached the houses three blocks down from where they were. ¡°Funny you should mention reputation when your son¡¯s rotten banana basically destroyed any he had left! What does he do apart fromze and fool around with women?!¡± Francine rolled her sleeves up, retorting. ¡°Everyone in Beach City knows how gentle and humble my daughter-inw is! Do you not know what trash your son is?! Your son must have been too lustful and forced himself onto her! I don¡¯t want to let this go either! I¡¯m going to report your son for rape right now!¡± ¡°You¡­ Stop trying to shift the me!¡± She didn¡¯t intend to back down either, storming down the stairs and approaching Francine. ¡°My Jovan is a charming, dashing young man. Countless women wish they could marry him! How could he possibly be into this useless witch who¡¯s given birth to two!? She¡¯s been used, and even if it was rape, your daughter-inw must be the criminal here! Call the cops all you want, they will find the truth!¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Hah! How dare you call my daughter-inw useless?¡± Francine scoffed. ¡°Ask around! Don¡¯t you know who the renowned chairman of KCL is? They¡¯re all saying how she is a feminist icon, and a hero to all!¡± ¡°Now, look at your trashy son. What other achievements does he have apart from his womanizing history?!¡± ¡°How is my Jovan trashy?! Don¡¯t you know how much my son did for H Group¡¯s international marketing?! Do you have no eyes? Did you not see for yourself?!¡± Chapter 929 Chapter 929 ¡°So what? My daughter-inw is a prodigy, she was the one who invented the G6 chip that will change the entire world! Your son is nothingpared to my daughter-inw!¡± Seeing the two arguing so furiously, Renee and Jovan both let out a deep sigh. ¡°Jovan, this is your fault! Aren¡¯t you going to do something?¡± Renee nudged the man, pressuring him. If they continued on, she was worried Francine might reveal every single bit of her past. However, she had to admit that her ex mother-inw was quite protective of her. Anyone who didn¡¯t know her would mistake her as some kind of hardcore fan of Renee¡¯s. It was as if Francine had memorized every single thing she had done in research, along with her projects and achievements. Mentioning any of them would make her smile pridefully. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave this up to me.¡± Jovan raised a brow at her and joined the fight nonchntly, standing in between the two older women. ¡°Ladies,dies, stop fighting. One said I raped Renee, and the other said Renee raped me, but have you ever considered that we just fell in love with each other and decided to be together?¡± He exined slowly as he turned to look at them. ¡°Well¡­¡± Francine and She were stunned, unable to argue further. ¡®Oh yeah¡­ How could we have forgotten about that possibility?!¡¯ Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Renee pped herself on the forehead and quickly rushed down the stairs, questioning Jovan. ¡°Are you kidding me?! Why are you making it worse?¡± His exnation made it so that she had almost no way of clearing her name. ¡°You said you wanted them to stop, so that¡¯s what I did. Just look!¡± Jovan shrugged, seemingly justified. Francine grabbed Renee, frowning. ¡°My dear, tell me, is there some kind of misunderstanding? I know you must be mad at Stef, I saw what happened at the summit too. My son was absolutely terrible for doing that, but believe me when I say he has never loved you any less. He¡¯s doing this for a good reason¡­¡± Francine knew there had been lots of rumors about Stefan and Seraphina spreading like wildfiretely, especially when the two were about to get married. These rumors did have some truth to them after all, but it was quite a long time ago. Before Renee came back, and before she found out about Abby and Adie¡¯s existence, she might¡¯ve taken Seraphina¡¯s side. However, she had already be Stefan and Renee¡¯s number one fan, which was why she would unconditionally stand by Renee. ¡°You must have been so upset to have ended up letting this scumbag take advantage of you¡­ How about this? I¡¯ll have Stefe over and apologize to you right now!¡± Francine still found her son guilty, no matter how much she thought about it. Hence, she figured that it waspletely reasonable if her son was really cheated on. She then took her phone out and dialed Stefan¡¯s number. Once he answered, she barked at him harshly, ¡°Hey, Stef, where are you? I¡¯m giving you thirty minutes toe here and reassure your wife!¡± Chapter 930 Chapter 930 Francine never hoped for her dense son to actually swing by as told, as she only intended to intimidate Jovan and She. After all, Stefan was undoubtedly the future head of the family, so no one would ever dare to upset him. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. As expected, She¡¯s arrogance instantly faded, and she lowered her voice. ¡°Such embarrassing things should be handled privately, right? Let¡¯s not bother anyone else. Besides, my dear nephew is probably busy with his new girlfriend, so he wouldn¡¯t have the time for such trivial matters!¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re calling it a trivial matter? Didn¡¯t you want to call the cops not long ago?¡± Francine red at She, her demeanor arrogant. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, Campbell. My son and Seraphina are just acting, who he truly loves is Renee! Now that your son hasid a finger on his girl, my son will definitely not let him off!¡± She gulped nervously, her cocky expression reced with extreme panic. She warned Jovan, who was standing next to her. ¡°Son, I don¡¯t care who started it, but you have sinned. Let¡¯s fly back to Newrest and repent before the Lord!¡± At the time, she felt like the perfect strategy was to send Jovan away for now. When their family tried to mit treason¡¯ back then, Stefan and Jovan¡¯s rtionship had already deteriorated to the point of no return. Stefan had been merciful enough to have spared Jovan, and yet the womanizer proceeded to make a move on his own cousin-inw. She knew that Stefan might actually murder her son with his own two hands if he were toe. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go yet. Weren¡¯t you acting all high and mighty just now? Why are you being a coward now? You¡¯re clearly guilty!¡± Francine blocked Jovan¡¯s path, looking fierce. Jovan smiled casually and replied, ¡°Aunt Francine, I never wanted to run. I actually want Stefan to come by, so I¡¯ll be able to exin it all to him. I believe Stefan is a generous man, and he¡¯ll give us his blessings by the end of this.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± She was so painicked by her son¡¯s madness that she stomped her feet, shoving him to the side. ¡°You punk! Are you trying to make me mad?! I told you to leave, so leave! Stop this nonsense now!¡± Ultimately, she just wanted her son to survive this. As long as her son lived, they would still have a chance at turning the tables. If he lost his life due to this, not only would thew dismiss their case, the entire family would think they deserved it too. ¡°Madam, Master, M¡­ Master Stefan is here!¡± As they were still fighting, one of the maids came running up with a report. Stefan¡¯s tall figure entered the room, a cold expression painted across his face. His menacing aura was simr to dark clouds in the sky, causing the entire living room to fall silent. Everyone immediately tensed up, not daring to make any reckless moves. The only person who seemed unaffected was Renee. Despite being in the eye of a hurricane, she behaved like aplete outsider, crossing her arms as she calmly smiled at the man. She hadn¡¯t expected Stefan toe at all¡­ ¡®So, that means I¡¯m still pretty important to him! I¡¯m not so easily thrown away!¡¯ ¡°Son, you¡¯ve finallye! If you were anyter, this shameless piece of trash would¡¯ve escaped!¡± Francine beamed, as she had not expected him either. At the very least, this indicated that Stefan cared about Renee to some extent, and the two had a chance to start over. Stefan, on the other hand, had his eyes fixated on Renee. It was as if no one else existed in this world to him. Chapter 931 Chapter 931 He advanced slowly as he questioned her, his lovely features chilly, his voice cold. ¡°Tell me, did you really sleep with Jovan?¡± Renee¡¯s cherry lips curved into a tiny grin as she asked him, ¡°Do you really care if we slept together?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking whether you did it or not!¡± Stefan¡¯s voice lowered a few notches, and he harshly gripped the woman¡¯s shoulder, unable to control his emotions. Renee¡¯s grin stopped, and her eyes were scornful as she asked him another inquiry, ¡°Did you sleep with Seraphina? Where did you go with her after yesterday¡¯s announcement?¡± ¡°Renee, don¡¯t push my buttons. You are well aware of the consequences of upsetting me!¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We¡¯ve faced each other before, and I¡¯ve never been terrified of you. Do you think I will be afraid of you and your consequences now?¡± She swatted his hands away, pretending to be affectionate with Jovan while pulling his hand while she challenged Stefan. ¡°If you can cheat behind my back, so can I. We¡¯re no exception.¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Stefan was on the verge of losing his mind. His face flushed as he red at her fiercely. ¡°You can¡¯t stand being alone, can you? If you think you¡¯re getting even with me by doing this, you¡¯re insane because you only hurt yourself!¡± ¡°Hahaha!!! I can¡¯t stand being alone?¡± Reneeughed as if his words were the funniest she¡¯d ever heard. ¡°Compared to you, I have the decency to do it openly. I never did something as heinous as infidelity throughout my marriage. I¡¯m not the one who can¡¯t stand being alone. It¡¯s you. Not only that, but youck even the slightest morality!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what happened between Seraphina and me because we had feelings for each other. I didn¡¯t humiliate myself. You understand Jovan¡¯s personality better than anyone. Don¡¯t you feel ashamed of yourself, sleeping with him just so you could get back at me?¡± He was furious, not because she had betrayed him, but because Jovan was a jerk. Ths would, of course, leave him enraged since the woman he treasured and protected with his life was damaged so simply by a jerk. ¡°Uhm, Stefan, I think your words are a little¡­¡± Stefan hit Jovan straight in the nose before he could say anything. The impact was so powerful that his nose instantaneously cracked. ¡°Ah! Are you trying to murder him?¡± She yelled and stepped before Jovan. ¡°Why are you standing there?¡± shemanded the servants. ¡°Call the cops! He¡¯s attempting to murder Jovan.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop Stefan, Mom. Understandably, he¡¯s furious about it. This is a conflict between two men, and it is bound to happen at some point.¡± Jovan wiped the blood from his nose with delight on his face. ¡°Go ahead, strike me. Renee will officially be my girlfriend once you¡¯re done with your bashing session. Strike me, even if it means losing half of my life.¡± ¡°Let me help you in achieving your dying wish!¡± Blinded by burning rage, Stefan lost all sense as he kicked Jovan. ¡°Enough!¡± Having had enough, Renee yelled at the top of her voice. ¡°You¡¯re both adults, yet you¡¯re fighting like children?¡± I¡¯m done with the Hunt family because you all disgust me. I don¡¯t want to be associated with any of you. Goodbye!¡± She walked away without looking back once she finished speaking. Chapter 932 Chapter 932 Renee went down the road after leaving the abandoned location, having no clue where she was headed. She spent four years developing the G6 Chip before bing chairman of the KCL Group. She was supposed to be sessful in life and should rightfully feel that way. Yet she felt empty. It felt as if she had lost more. In the years that she and Stefan got back and split up, it had sucked up all her energy and drained her completely. So she tightened her fist and promised silently to herself, ¡®No matter what it is, I will never engage myself with him again!¡¯¡¯ It was then that her phone abruptly rang. She took out her phonezily and saw an unknown number on her screen. Her initial reaction was to reject the call, but the unknown person was tenacious and wouldn¡¯t stop calling. ¡°Who are you, and why do you keep calling me?¡± She was already annoyed and let out her frustration towards the person on the other line. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Ren,e home. I¡¯m the one you¡¯ve been looking for.¡± The man on the phone sounded gentle and secretive, yet it gave her a strange familiarity. Her tumultuous emotions immediately eased. ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I was in a bad mood earlier. Who are you? Do we know each other?¡± ¡°I think we knew each other from a long time ago.¡± The man on the phone chuckled lightly and added, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the Everheart Residence.¡± Renee didn¡¯t think much before she stopped a cab and rushed to Everheart Residence. The house was not as broken down as before. The sewage treatment nt that was going to be built beside the house had stopped because of her. The environment looked way better than before, without the dust and the workers around. A pleasant and fresh fragrance flooded over her as she pulled through the carved iron gate. The Acacia tree had grown tall in the garden corner; its thick and green foliage looked like a green umbre. The sunshine passed through the cracks in the branches, producing a lovely shadow. Under the tree stood a tall guy wearing a white shirt with pants. His back was sleek and fresh, but there was something strange about him. ¡°Who are you? What brings you to my house?¡± She frowned, her eyes intrusively turning sharp with defense. When the man heard her voice, he spun around and stretched his hand towards her. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re finally home.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The guy wore a face mask, and the way he spoke seemed weird to her. No matter how hard she racked her brains, she simply had no recollection of when they¡¯d met! ¡°I am the Mr. Q you are looking for. The boss of Carmine Pawnshop.¡± The man smiled warmly as he introduced himself. ¡°No. That¡¯s impossible.¡± Renee stepped back, her thoughts racing. ¡°You said you¡¯re Mr. Q, but the Mr. Q I know looks nothing like you. Even if you both wear a mask and your appearance and voice sound the same, I can identify differences that ordinary people can¡¯t. You are not at all like him!¡± Chapter 933 Chapter 933 ¡°I am the real Mr. Q. The man you met before is a fake!¡± Instantly, his voice turned harsh. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a day that¡¯s gone by without me wishing I could tear him apart!¡± ¡°Why are you telling me these things? What do they have to do with me?¡± She gulped nervously and backed away unconsciously. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. The man before her was weird. Although he was gentle with her, his sheer viciousness terrified her. ¡°Ren, don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯ve endured the humiliation for umpteen years, but now, I can exact my vengeance.¡± He slowly inched toward Renee and tried to reach his hand out to pat her head as his eyes were full of pride. ¡°I saw on the news that you¡¯re the new president of KCL Group. The Everheart family will be proud of you. Beach City will belong to our Everheart family in the future!¡± ¡°Our Everheart family?¡± Renee was astute and got right to the point when she asked him, ¡°You said you¡¯re Mr. Q, but I¡¯m certain you¡¯re not the same man I met. So, how do you know me or the Everheart family?¡± ¡°Hahahaha. Ren, you¡¯re incredibly clever. There¡¯s no doubt that you¡¯re my twin sister. I think we have telepathy.¡± He wasughing loudly and proudly. Renee, on the other hand, was at a loss for words. She felt as if someone had smacked her head as she couldn¡¯t think straight and believe what she heard. ¡°Hold on. What did you say earlier? I¡¯m your twin sister? We¡­? ¡°Ren, calm down. I understand that this might be too much for you to handle, and you need time to process it. But you must ept me as your brother that everything I say to you is the truth.¡± Quinton felt his throat trembling as he choked on his tears. After 28 years, he could finally use his identity as Quinton Everheart to reconcile with his family and twin sister! ¡°Brother?¡± Renee muttered the word under her breath. The word was foreign to her because she had never used it before in her 28 years of life. The depth of her emotions was hard to express. Ever since the Everheart family went bankrupt, she has always felt alone and dreamt of having a rtive in the world. But suddenly, her twin, who shares the same blood as her, appeared before her, and tears gathered around her eyes. However, she was still highly vignt and looked at him defensively. ¡°What proof do you have that you¡¯re my twin brother?¡± She knew not long ago that the Everheart family had the gene for twins, and she had a twin brother before this, but he died when she was young. Anyone with malicious intent could use this information to plot against her. Hence, she had to be extra vignt. ¡°What proof do I have, my sister? For the past 28 years, I¡¯ve been living as another identity, and it wasn¡¯t until four years ago that I knew my real identity.¡± ¡°All I could say is that my existence is the best proof,¡± he said after a long sigh. ¡°We can do a DNA test now.¡± This would also allow him to prove whether his adoptive mother was telling the truth about her will. ¡°Sure. I feel like there¡¯s no point in just saying without any proof. We need to do a DNA test.¡± They both came to an agreement and drove to the nearby DNA center, did the test, and were waiting for the results. After all, people were prone to lying, but data was definitely not! Chapter 934 Chapter 934 Renee and the man¡¯s DNA had a 99.1% match, proving that they were biological siblings. ¡°This¡­ this is incredible!¡± Her fingers shook as she nced at the report, and her heart raced wildly. ¡°Do you believe I¡¯m your twin brother now, Renee?¡± Quinton, on the other hand, was considerably moreposed. He moved before Renee grasped her shoulder and murmured, ¡°We¡¯ve finally reconnected. Let me take a look at you.¡± His gaze was soft as he inspected her as if she were another version of himself. His eyes were filled with love. ¡°Bro¡­ brother.¡± Renee moved her head up slightly and gazed at the guy. Despite the fact that she was unustomed to the term, she weed him nheless. She immediately realized she wasn¡¯t alone at that time. She finally had someone on whom she could rely. This was probably the magical power of family! Renee apanied Quinton to Carmine Pawnshop on his invitation. He owned the whole area, including the Water Dock. The fearsome Night Demon has returned!Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. However, when Renee returned to this location, she noticed a significant shift in her feelings. She had far too many inquiries. ¡®If he¡¯s Mr. Q, who impersonated him?¡¯ She was perplexed. When Quinton returned to the pawn store, the first person he harshly reprimanded was his once- trustworthy subordinate Chase! ¡°You¡¯re a stupid being! You served an imposter for four years without realizing it. I believe you did it on purpose!¡± Quinton stood before the lion-carved bench. He stepped on Chase¡¯s chest with one leg and yelled fiercely. ¡°Boss, it¡¯s my fault that I was blind. Please punish me!¡± Chase realized the grave mistake he¡¯d made and kneeled with his back straight, eager to ept his punishment. ¡°Since you know you¡¯re blind, you don¡¯t need your eyes.¡± ¡°Drag him to the organ room, remove his eyes, and sell them!¡± Quinton ordered the subordinate beside him. Despite wearing a face mask, he had a chilly sneer that made people uneasy. He was the devil himself since he had no tenderness in how he responded to Renee before. This was what the genuine Mr. Q looked like. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to expand his empire to the same degree of power as the H Group if he wasn¡¯t as cruel. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Two muscr guys approached Chase, who was now kneeling on the floor, and prepared to take him to the organ room. ¡°Hold on!¡± Chapter 935 Chapter 935 Renee sat beside Quinton, anxiously gulping. ¡°Quinton, what is an organ room?¡± Quinton instantly rxed and calmly exined to Renee. ¡°The organ room is the same as any other treasure room. It¡¯s a facility for removing and storing organs. It is the best-selling service here at Carmine Pawnshop. However, it is a pity that the imposter halted the business, and the shop became just another pawn shop.¡± He stated it casually, as if he were discussing something as mundane as the weather. Renee felt goosebumps crawling all over her skin, and she inquired gently, ¡°Isn¡¯t it illegal to deal with organs?¡± ¡°Renee, the Water Dock lies on the border of three countries. There is now here. The only concern is about making money. Do you know why the pawnshop is named after the color red?¡± In order to make money, Carmine Pawnshop relied on the red heart of humans. A beating heart would be extracted with a sharp de that was sliced through the chest.¡± ¡°Stop talking!¡± Renee paused in his detailed exnation of the procedure. She was mortified just thinking about the sight. Despite the fact that she had witnessed many bloody scenes and was not afraid of blood, such ughtering was uneptable to her. He sensed her difort with the subject and calmed her. ¡°Renee, the earth has different dimensions. Each dimension has its own method of survival. Our parents raised you, so you have no idea how terrible the world is. If I weren¡¯t harsh, I wouldn¡¯t have existed till today.¡± Renee attempted to control her emotions. She wasn¡¯t so naive as to be blind to the horror of the world so she could understand Quinton¡¯s actions. ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t present in your past, I can¡¯t say whether your actions are right or wrong. But now that we¡¯ve reconnected, there are some things Ie across where I can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing.¡± ¡°Tell me, what do you want to do?¡± He raised his chin and stared at her lovingly. ¡°First and foremost, Chase is a good person who is capable of doing work,¡± she pulled in a big breath and stated slowly. ¡°I suppose he didn¡¯t recognize you because he is too devoted to you and has no reservations about you. It¡¯s not his fault. You can only me the imposter for being too wicked.¡± ¡°Also, you should cancel the organ room and run the shop as a regr pawn shop.¡± Quinton grimaced and declined her request without hesitation. ¡°No!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the harm? Do you need financial assistance? I have enough money to take care of you. Also, do you have a blood fetish that makes you happy only when you see blood?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a fetish or a financial need. I¡¯m just afraid of losing again. I¡¯m worried that if I lose, it will be like four years ago, and I won¡¯t be able to give you better protection. I don¡¯t want you to be bullied, and I can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± He clenched his hand and narrowed his eyes. ¡°I understand better than anyone that wealth and power are built on extremes. We will eventually be reced if we merely aplish the bare minimum.¡± ¡°How many pawn shops are there in Beach City?¡± Carmine Pawnshop stood out from the crowd and took over Water Dock because we don¡¯t do normal andwful business!¡± After hearing his remarks, she felt helpless. ¡°Brother, you underestimate me. I¡¯m not easily bullied, and you don¡¯t have to put so much strain on yourself. Even though the Carmine Pawnshop hasn¡¯t done any criminal business in years, the impersonator has kept it running well. Why don¡¯t you emte his business style and keep doing yours?¡± Quinton could not respond for a long time since it was indeed the truth. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Hepromised out of not wanting to upset Renee. ¡°OK, I¡¯ll think about it. We¡¯ll talk about itter. In terms of Chase¡¯s sight¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take Chase¡¯s eyes from him!¡± She cast a mysterious smile at Chase. ¡°However, I found a way where he can make up for his mistake.¡± Chapter 936 Chapter 936 ¡°He¡¯s an idiot,¡± Quinton said curiously to Renee. ¡°How do you expect him to make amends?¡± Renee stood up and walked in front of Chase, helping him. ¡°Chase, I know you¡¯re devoted to my brother. You simply have a weak vision and haven¡¯t realized you¡¯ve been working for an impostor for thest four years. You probably want to know who the impostor is, right?¡± Chase¡¯s lips paled, and he felt weak as he murmured guilty, ¡°Boss is why I¡¯m still alive. He rescued me. However, I was too blind and stupid and couldn¡¯t identify between an imposter and my boss. I¡¯ll be ashamed of myself if I continue to live!¡± ¡°Wait a minute. Let¡¯s not talk about death or living first. Tell me, do you want to know who the imposter is?¡± ¡°Of course, I do!¡± His eyes were wrathful, and he lost his tenderness and serenity. ¡°This imposter is so bold that he dared to impersonate Mr. Q. He better not let me capture him, or I would make him suffer a terrible death!¡± ¡°Uhm, calm down¡­¡± she soothed him. She had the impression that Chase had shifted to another person. Before this, he was a well-mannered genius. He has now turned into a vicious monster. Everything that exited his mouth was obscene and ticked all the wrong boxes. ¡®Is this because the leader¡¯s attitude influences how the subordinates act? The imposter does not seem to have deserved heavy punishment. After all, he never did anything uwful that caused damage to others; all he did was transform the abnormalities in the pawnshop into normal,¡¯ she reasoned. ¡°This is your chance to atone for your sins. I¡¯ll ask Quinton to forgive you if you can find the imposter.¡± Renee said with a half-smile. ¡°I¡­¡± Chase swallowed his spit anxiously and remained silent. His expression wasplicated, and it was difficult to guess his thoughts. ¡°I agree. This is your chance for redemption,¡± Quinton pounded on the table. ¡°Don¡¯t let us down.¡± Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll do my best!¡± Chase nodded and looked anxious. To be honest, he had been subordinate to the impostor for quite a few years and was charmed by the man¡¯s personality. Previously, his interest was extracting a live person¡¯s heart. He would frequently study how to cut the chest open to ensure the organ was kept in its ideal form. However, after four years of working for the imposter, he was obliged to wear long sleeves and analyze poetry. He even investigated how to spot a genuine antique merely by looking at it. It had been long since his hands had been stained with blood. So long that he nearly believed he was educated. ording to Quinton, if he sessfully lured the imposter, the only thing that awaited it was death. Quinton was finally relieved and engaged in the delight of reconnecting with Renee after he was done dealing with the troubles that had umted at Carmine Pawnshop over the years. ¡°What do you like to eat, Renee? I¡¯ll cook you something. We should rejoice in our reunion as brother and sister.¡± He pulled up his sleeves and inquired sweetly. ¡°How good are your cooking skills?¡± She was a bit taken aback. She had no idea the nasty and cold-blooded Night Demon could cook, and this was something he and the imposter shared inmon. Chapter 937 Chapter 937 Quinton donned an apron and went to work in the kitchen. He grinned pleasantly and responded, ¡°I¡¯m not the best cook out there. It¡¯s simply that I am mature at a young age. Therefore, I¡¯m ustomed to performing duties like purchasing groceries, cooking, and washing clothes.¡± Renee leaned against the wall, staring at the busy but organized man as she wondered how many dinners he must¡¯ve prepared to be this acquainted with cooking. ¡°Quinton, could you tell me how you survived all these years?¡± she asked, phrasing her words carefully, afraid that her question might trigger his pain. The knife in his hand stopped chopping the vegetable, and he pursed his lips without uttering anything. ¡°If it¡¯s ufortable telling me, then you don¡¯t have to. After all, that was in the past, and it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. What matters is the future!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She could feel that his mood had soured and swiftly shifted the topic. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­¡± He smiled faintly at her and resumed cutting as he said casually, ¡°I don¡¯t tell many people of my past. To be more urate, I¡¯ve never told anyone about my past. But you¡¯re unique. You¡¯re my sister. If you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m listening.¡± She bowed her head and was prepared to hear him out. She understood that this would be a long and miserable story. ¡°I grew up in a small fishing vige in Beach City. My adoptive parents are two good fishermen. I have an ipetent older brother and an obedient little sister at home. I knew I was adopted since I was a child because my clothes were always ripped. They were passed down after their original owners decided to discard them. The meals I had were the leftovers that my brother and sister left. After I graduated high school, I waspelled to abandon my studies. Do you know I got first ce out of all students in the exam? I could answer questions easily even the teachers couldn¡¯t.¡± At the mention of this, his pair of eyes turned red. Some people needed a lifetime to recover from childhood traumas. He was sopetitive and desired money, power, and sess because he had so many regrets when he was a child. ¡°When I was in primary school, my teacher told me that I was a genius. I frequently believe that if I was born in a regr household, I might be a mathematician and not the devil that runs an illicit enterprise. I¡¯d be researching math forms rather than making an urate offer for an organ.¡± ¡°Quinton, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m terribly sorry!¡± Renee suddenly felt a sting in her heart. Although she wasn¡¯t the cause of this tragedy, she felt terrible for having a carefree and cheerful childhood. It was as if she got double the happiness whenever Quinton was getting double the pain! ¡°Silly girl, why are you apologizing to me? The person who should be apologizing is those who damaged my life and the enemy of the Everheart family!¡± He smiled faintly andforted Renee, who was on the verge of tears. ¡°Enemy?¡± She dried her tears and gravely questioned him, ¡°Who ruined your life, and who is the enemy of the Everheart family?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± He paused before responding, ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now. When the time is right, you will know.¡± ¡°If now is not the time, then when? I, too, am a member of the Everheart family. I have the right to know!¡± Renee was over-emotional as her heart burned with the desire for revenge. She pledged that she had to know the enemy at all costs! Chapter 938 Chapter 938 Renee ultimately failed to obtain any additional information from Quinton. ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re not going to tell me, I¡¯ll just have to figure it out myself!¡± She stated obstinately. She had always assumed that the Everheart family¡¯s downfall was due tomercial rivalry, which led them to bankruptcy. She had always med it on society. But suddenly, there was a legitimate exnation behind it. Quinton¡¯s past, the Everheart family¡¯s bankruptcy, and even the loss of her parents were not as simple as she had imagined. ¡°Silly girl, if you want to find out for yourself, you can. Just don¡¯t be too depressed when you do¡­¡± He sighed while his skillful hands prepared the food. ¡°The closer you are to the truth, the more hurt it will bring.¡± ¡°No, I disagree. It hurt the most to be lied to and treated like an idiot. I¡¯m almost 30, not a fragile flower that needs protection. I¡¯m not actually as weak as you¡¯d like to believe.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were filled with passion, and she stated firmly, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not a flower!¡± Quinton was nearly through with his preparation for dinner when Renee began acting suspiciously. ¡°Quinton, wait for me for a while. I wish to invite a guest to join us. Is that okay?¡± Quinton grimaced and scoffed at the suggestion. ¡°This is our first meal together. Why are you inviting unimportant people?¡± ¡°No. They¡¯re very vital to the Everhearts. Maybe they¡¯ll tell us what happened before.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯d be delighted to invite them over. Go swiftly ande back.¡± The restaurant of Carmine Pawnshop was themed like the Elizabethan period. The vermilion dining table and chairs and the ink drawings on the walls symbolize grandeur and elegance beneath the gentle light. Quinton had prepared a variety of delicious foods on the circr table. He sat on the main seat, momentarily checking his watch as his frustration gradually increased with the waiting. ¡®Could it be that she dislikes me and made up an excuse to run away?¡¯ he pondered. ¡°Men, go and see if my sister is back. If she hasn¡¯t returned, think of a means to get her back to me quickly!¡± His face was tense as hemanded his subordinate. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. He was wearing his famous ck and white face mask. Even so, it couldn¡¯t hide his perfectly outlined lips and jawline. Even though he grew up in a small fishing vige, Quinton had a charming face that people around him admired, even though he grew up in a small fishing vige. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to im that if he hadn¡¯t founded Carmine Pawnshop, he could still earn handsomely with his face and wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about running out of money for the rest of his life. However, it was a shame that his lovely face had been ruined. The twisted scar extended from the corner of his left eye to the corner of his right lip. It was like a mark of his trangressions, burning away thest bit of good he had in his heart. Renee was his only hope for redemption, so he was understandably concerned about her. When his subordinates went through the door and saw Renee with an olderdy, they breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯ve returned. The boss is about to cause carnage if you hadn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Carnage?¡± Renee thought it was amusing, unable to connect the image of Quinton in an apron to the word carnage. ¡°Is he that dramatic?¡± she asked,ughing. ¡°We can¡¯t say for sure, Miss Everheart. You¡¯ll realize it in the future. Please hurry to the restaurant!¡± ¡°Margaret, mind your step,¡± Renee warned as she proceeded to the restaurant. Chapter 939 Chapter 939 Margaret followed Renee carefully, and her ideals about how she saw the world reiterated themselves many times along the road. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°What is this ce, Miss Ren? Why is everything so chaotic? Everyone here appears to be frightening. Is this a dangerous ce?¡± She delicately inquired, pulling on the corner of Renee¡¯s clothing. ¡°Margaret, rx a little. It is very chaotic here. Out of all the ces in Beach City, this is the most dangerous, as there are no boundaries. But don¡¯t worry because someone is looking after us, and no one will attempt to hurt us.¡± ¡°Taking care of us?¡± As Margaret was lost in confusion, Renee pushed open the double-carved log door of the restaurant and walked in with a smile. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re finally back. Quickly sit down and eat. The food is starting to get cold.¡± Quinton, irritated earlier, immediately brightened up, and his gaze softened and gentled. When he saw Margaret behind Renee, he grew concerned and grimaced. ¡°Who is she?¡± The Carmine Pawnshop wasn¡¯t a public park that allowed any random person to enter. ¡°This is Margaret, my nanny. She has been caring for Mother since Mother married into the Everheart family until you and I were born. She¡¯s been looking after me until now. Margaret is like my mother to me, the closest rtive I have.¡± Renee held Margaret¡¯s arm affectionately, as if she were holding her mother¡¯s arm, and sincerely introduced her to Quinton. ¡°Nice to meet you, Margaret.¡± He watched her before cautiously holding out her hand and greeting her. ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Quinton?¡± Margaret was so taken aback that she remained stunned, unsure how to respond. Renee had been preparing her, but as she stared at him standing before her, she felt it was too unbelievable to be true. ¡°Margaret, since you know my name, you should know how I became an orphan, right?¡± Quinton was emotional. Although his adoptive mother said that she discovered him in the garbage, it looked now that things weren¡¯t as way it was. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have coincidentally named him after his real name. ¡°Master Quinton, this is so unbelievable. Are you really Master Quinton?¡± Margaret¡¯s eyes turned bright red as tears pooled around them. She braced herself and pulled Quinton closer to examine him. After a while, she choked and cried, ¡°The doctor did dere that you were not breathing, and I remember how devastated Mr. and Mrs. Everheart was then. I¡¯m amazed you¡¯re still alive!¡± ¡°I recall Susan telling me that you were born with your umbilical cord wrapped around your neck, leading you to die.¡± Renee had absolutely no recollection of her twin brother. She would not have known she had a brother if it hadn¡¯t been for Susan¡¯s mention of Quinton. The reason for that was that the Everheart family had kept the tragic death of their son a secret. It was a wound that no one was allowed to touch! ¡°The reality is, Mr. Quinton did not die shortly after birth. Numerous things happened in between. It¡¯s also one of Mr. and Mrs. Everheart¡¯s greatest regrets. They instructed everyone to keep it a secret so no one really knew what had happened.¡± Margaret sighed deeply. Her mind wandered back to 28 years ago. Chapter 940 Chapter 940 The atmosphere instantly turned solemn as the air grew thick with sorrow. ¡°Can you tell me what exactly happened back then?¡± Quinton asked, lowering his voice. ¡°Even though the Everheart family abandoned me, I have the right to know the truth.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that, Mr. Quinton. Please don¡¯t misunderstand Mr. and Mrs. Everheart. They never abandoned you. They loved you just as much as they loved Miss Ren. However, an ident did happen that year.¡± With a sad face and enduring heartache, Margaret told them the tragic events that happened 28 years ago. ¡°At that time, everyone was happy that Mrs. Everheart was pregnant with twins. They picked the greatest private hospital for your and Miss Ren¡¯s arrival on the day of your birth. Finally, both of you were born safely. But then a gang of thugs burst into the delivery room and kidnapped you and Miss Ren. Madam had just given birth to you two and was weak, so she could only protect Miss Ren and watch you being taken away by those people¡­¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Renee was furious. ¡°Those people were far too brave. I recall that that time was the peak period for the Everheart family. We were once The Great Eight of Beach City. Only the Hunt family came close to our wealth. How were those people so bold?¡± ¡°Yes. We want to know too how could they be so brave!¡± Margaret gritted her teeth, and her body shuddered with wrath. ¡°At that time, Mrs Everheart was so depressed and lost so much blood that she almost died. The Everheart family exerted all their might to locate Mr. Quinton, but there was no news at all in the end.¡± ¡°After three months, Mrs. Everheart was diagnosed with depression because she missed Mr. Quinton so much.¡± She tried to end her life numerous times but was unsessful. Mr Everheartpletely lost interest in continuing the business. It was then that the Everheart family began its road to downfall. Several families saw the opportunity and stole the Everheart family¡¯s businesses!¡± ¡°Then I was abandoned in a small vige and never met my parents anymore?¡± ¡°No. At that time, the Hunts had a good rtionship with the Everhearts as they were the only family who didn¡¯t take advantage of them. Mr. Hunt utilized his contacts to locate you in an abandoned factory. But¡­¡± Margaret shook her head slowly. ¡°But we werete. When you were transported to the hospital, you had stopped breathing. The Everheart family buried you beside the mountain and river and cleaned up all your traces, and left just a quilt as a memento that you existed. Soon after, it was as if you had never existed.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Is that my destiny to never exist before?¡± Quinton questioned with a sad face. He couldn¡¯t understand why his life had been so difficult since birth. It wasn¡¯t always because he chose the bad path but because he was already in a dark path from the beginning. ¡°Did they find out who kidnapped me?¡± His face was flushed as he choked and questioned Margaret. ¡°No.¡± She shook her head again. ¡°Because there was still Miss Ren to look after, Mr. and Mrs. Everheart decided to stop thinking about it, and none of us ever mentioned you anymore.¡± Renee sympathized with Quinton. She patted his shoulders andforted him, ¡°Brother, believe me, they might say they want to forget you, but they never once forgot you. I¡¯ve always seen Mother holding onto the quilt and crying. I didn¡¯t know why then, but it appeared because they missed you.¡± She had always assumed that the quilt with the unique print had been used to wrap her, but she recently discovered that it was also used on Quinton. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aware that they never forgot about me. It¡¯s just that they have no idea I¡¯m still alive. I¡¯ve never med them, I only loathe the people who took me away.¡± Quinton clenched his fist, his eyes filled with rage. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the person who took me away, bankrupted the Everheart family and killed Mom and Dad is the same person.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Howe you¡¯d say that? Do you have any clues?¡± Renee asked sharply. ¡°I have some, but I¡¯m unsure¡­ I¡¯ll let you know when I get solid evidence.¡± Chapter 941 Chapter 941 Quinton Everheart turned sullen as he once again cleverly avoided the subject. ¡°¡­¡± Renee, too, had no desire to pursue it. She did not want to put any more pressure on Quinton, as she felt that he was already under enough. Besides, no matter what, she would find a way to get to the bottom of the truth and find out what actually happened herself anyway. She swore that the Everheart family would be avenged! It ended up being a dinner that was filled with warmth and happiness for Renee. Her heart was bursting with so much bliss and joy that she was almost moved to tears a few times. ¡°I have a brother now! I actually have a brother!¡± What a wonderful feeling it was to find that she had a close family member again! No longer was she duckweed floating aimlessly without any roots to anchor it down. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°The Everheart Residence is in a sorry state right now,¡± she told Quinton, ¡°but I¡¯m determined to rebuild it, and when it¡¯s done, you and I, along with Adie and Abby, will move into the house and live together as a family.¡± Renee raised her ss towards Quinton and excitedly ardently said, ¡°Wee home, brother!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Quinton replied, also raising his ss, ¡°I¡¯m finally home. Soon, Beach City will belong to the Everheart family!¡± By that point, tears had been streaming down Margaret¡¯s cheeks. She wiped her tears with a tissue and said, ¡°General Everheart, Mr. Everheart, Madam¡­ You¡¯re seeing this too, aren¡¯t you? God has been watching over us. Master Quinton is still alive! Glory awaits the future of the Everheart family! All of you may rest in peace now¡­¡± As the dinner was about toe to a close, Chase Cheever stood at the dining room door shuffling on his feet, looking as if he was hesitant to say something. Quinton had long noticed the man¡¯s presence and so asked him in a vexed tone, ¡°What are you doing standing at the door like a clown?! What¡¯s happening? Stop wasting time and give me the report!¡± Chase entered the dining room with his head hung low. He was so nervous that his fists were balled tightly. ¡°Forgive me, boss. I¡¯ve tried my best, but that impostor is too cunning. He didn¡¯t take the bait, so I think I¡­ I won¡¯t be able to lure him out.¡± ¡°Useless *ss!¡± Quinton hurled his wine ss violently at Chase¡¯s head, looking disgruntled. ¡°So your eyes aren¡¯t the only worthless part of your body. I think I should just scoop out your brain and feed it to the dogs!¡± In the past, Chase Cheever had always been resolute and decisive, nothing at all like the timid and fumbling man that resembled the feeble and sensitive poet he had be. Evidently, that impostor must have been so inept that he turned a slick jackal into azypdog. What a pitiful waste of a rare talent! Chase dropped to his knees with a loud thud in front of Quinton and once again ced himself in a perilous position right on the cusp of a deadly storm. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, Boss! I fully admit to it. You may punish me however you see fit, so long as it calms your anger!¡± But Renee merely sipped her wine nonchntly and asked Chase in a meaningful tone, ¡°Were you really unable to lure him out, Chase? Or were you just unwilling?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chase fell silent and made no effort to refute Renee. She was right, he could have lured the impostor out if he wanted to, but he was simply reluctant. He had developed an attachment to the impostor in thest four years, and even if he was not the real Mr. Q, his talents and capabilities were definitely real, so how could he have the heart to lure him out to die? Chapter 942 Chapter 942 ¡°This bastard is clearly a traitor! How could you still plead for me to let him go, my silly sister?¡± Quinton mmed the table furiously and shouted an order to his men outside, ¡°Get in here! Drag this turncoat out and feed him to the fish! I don¡¯t ever want to see him again!¡± ¡°Calm down, Quinton! Why are you screaming for blood all of a sudden?¡± Renee sighed helplessly. She waspletely unustomed to the cruel and vicious side of her brother, having only known him as a gentle and polite man. But then she thought of the arduous life he must have had to suffer through since he was a child, and the violent outburst failed to anger her. Instead, she just felt sorry for him. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. In this situation, the only thing she could do as his sister was to tolerate and try to understand him. Later, at a more suitable time, she would be his ¡°tranquilizer¡± and try to keep him under control. ¡°Actually,¡± she said, ¡°I think the fact that Chase is unwilling to lure out the impostor proves the strength of his character. It shows that he isn¡¯t just an emotionless and unthinking robot who can only follow orders. This is the type of person that we must treasure, Quinton.¡± As she spoke, she walked up to Chase and assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Chase. I can promise you that even if we do manage to catch the impostor, we won¡¯t take his life. All we really want from him is an exnation¡­¡± ¡°An exnation?¡± asked Chase as he stared at Renee with a puzzled expression. ¡°Exactly. That man not only owes Carmine Pawnshop an exnation, but he also owes me one. I have to know who he really is and why he yed with my feelings by disappearing without a trace on the day that we were supposed to get married.¡± This mystery had been guing Renee¡¯s mind ever since it happened. She was convinced that it would haunt her for the rest of her life if she never got to the bottom of the matter. ¡°Ms. Everheart,¡± said Chase in an earnest voice, ¡°I can¡¯t promise you anything else, but I can confidently promise you that the impostor¡¯s feelings for you were genuine. He was a proud man who hated everything tedious and troublesome, but he worked very hard to learn how to cook just to leave a good impression. From a man who¡¯s never stepped into the kitchen before, he transformed into the perfect househusband just because of you. He couldn¡¯t have possibly done it if he didn¡¯t love you ardently!¡± Chase had had the most contact with the impostor Mr. Q in the past four years. The man¡¯s whereabouts had always been mysterious and uncertain most of the time, and he would only pass his orders down to Chase via the phone. At times, Chase only saw him once a year. Yet ever since Renee barged into Carmine Pawnshop, he would show up every few days, almost turning the establishment into his own home. If such a drastic change was not proof of true love, then what else would? ¡°Shut up, you traitor!¡± Chase¡¯s words greatly upset Quinton. He flung a teacup towards Chase and yelled, ¡°Any man who dared to deceive my sister deserves no forgiveness! I don¡¯t care if it was true love¡ªthe only thing that man deserves is to be fed to the fish¡ªno, he deserves to be chopped up into pieces before being fed to the fish!¡± Quinton was extremely protective of his sister. Anyone who dared to touch even a single strand of hair had to pay with their head! Initially, he merely wanted the impostor to die, but now that he learned that the bastard yed with his sister¡¯s heart, he decided that the man had to suffer a fate worse than death! ¡°Quinton,¡± Renee began, massaging her temple and visibly exhausted. ¡°Please stay out of this and let me handle it, okay?¡± ¡°How are you going to handle it? Are you sure you won¡¯t just give in to him and let him go?¡± ¡°Listen to me,¡± Quinton added earnestly. ¡°You have to be harsh and firm when dealing with men; otherwise you¡¯ll just be setting off a time bomb that will one day explode, and you¡¯ll end up crushed and burned by him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my choice to handle it however I want,¡± argued Renee. ¡°I¡¯m almost thirty now. I can deal with the consequences of my own choice¡­¡± Renee sped her hands and pleaded with her brother, ¡°I¡¯m begging you, Quinton. Let the impostor be a gift for me on the asion that we finally reunited again, and let me handle it, please?¡± Quinton was eventually persuaded, and he gave in. He turned his head and sighed. ¡°You stubborn girl! Fine, do whatever you want!¡± Hearing his words, both Renee and Chase finally sighed in relief. Chapter 943 Chapter 943 Renee and Chase secretly discussed how to lure the impostor Mr. Q out of the study. ¡°Ms. Everheart,¡± said Chase with emotion, ¡°although you are his sister, you are nothing at all like Boss. You have a kind disposition, and I¡¯m assured that, at the very least, the impostor Mr. Q won¡¯t be so cruelly tortured once he was handed over to you.¡± ¡°You speak as if my brother is a savage beast and that impostor is some kind of angel of justice! Is that guy really worthy of your protection?¡± ¡°He is!¡± Chase nodded gravely. ¡°I believe that everyone else who works in Carmine Pawnshop would make the same choice.¡± ¡°Then¡­ is there going to be a mutiny? What will happen to my brother? He built Carmine Pawnshop from the ground with his own hands! Is he going to be reced?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Everheart. Boss won¡¯t be reced. I¡¯m sure that Carmine Pawnshop will soon resume its operations in the same way that it once did. It¡¯s just that we¡¯ll all miss the security and stability that we enjoyed these past four years.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it! My brother promised me that for the time being, Carmine Pawnshop won¡¯t get involved with the questionable business it once dabbled in and that it would continue to operate in the same manner as it did for thest few years.¡± ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t really know Boss at all¡­¡± Chase smiled, then deliberately changed the subject by pulling out his phone and saying, ¡°I¡¯ve sent a secret signal to the impostor, Mr. Q. If nothing out of the ordinary happens, very soon he¡¯d be at the Carmine Pawnshop. All I ask from you is to let him live.¡± ¡°Only a secret signal? Would that really work? Surely he¡¯s too smart to fall for it!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not an ordinary secret signal,¡± Chase beat his chest and confidently assured her. ¡°It¡¯s one I only send him during extreme emergencies. He always showed up soon after receiving the signal in the past, so as long as the news of Boss¡¯s return hasn¡¯t reached him yet, I¡¯m sure the impostor, Mr. Q would definitely be here.¡± Half an hourter, Chase stared at the reply he received, his face swollen after being punched so many times. ¡°Um, well¡­ He said that he would never reappear again no matter what happens and that he gives full authority over Carmine Pawnshop¡­ to me.¡± ¡°He sounds really cautious¡­¡± Renee observed doubtfully. ¡°You didn¡¯t warn him earlier, did you?¡± ¡°I swear to God that I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Then why the hell would he give up his authority to you so suddenly?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s that sudden¡­¡± Chase then came clean and told Renee, ¡°Since he disappeared on the day both of you were supposed to get married, he never showed up at Carmine Pawnshop ever again. In fact, when he left, he made it clear that he would never show up again. It was obvious that he wanted to make a clean break with Carmine Pawnshop. Perhaps¡­ He caught a whiff that Boss was going to return even back then?¡± ¡°But what is he nning to do?¡± asked Renee, still bewildered. ¡°He¡¯s been running Carmine Pawnshop for thest six years! How could he give it all up just like that? It¡¯s like he¡¯s been working for my brother for free! Doesn¡¯t he have anything better to do?¡± All the questions that were ying in Renee¡¯s head only deepened her resolve to find a way to lure the man out. Seeing Renee¡¯s firm determination, Chase clenched his fists and suggested, ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea, but it¡¯s thest resort, and it requires your cooperation. Do you want to¡­ give it a try?¡± Chapter 944 Chapter 944 Renee pped Chase violently across his face, her patience worn thin to the bone. ¡°Spit it out, will you?!¡± she demanded. ¡°Just tell me your idea and stop sputtering like that! It¡¯s like you¡¯re teasing me!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chase smiled awkwardly and replied, ¡°The impostor, Mr. Q is indeed a cautious man, and he would only contact me through text messages. There¡¯s also no way to ascertain his address or whereabouts through his phone number, so unless he¡¯s willing to voluntarily show up, we have no way of finding him. So far, the only person who can make him turn up willingly is you, Ms. Everheart.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not that powerful¡­¡± said Renee dejectedly. ¡°Ever since he stood me up, I couldn¡¯t contact him at all. If he really cared about me, he would¡¯ve been a little more to say goodbye before he left.¡± ¡°I believe the impostor, Mr. Q, must have a good reason for it¡­¡± ¡°So? Get to the point. What should I do to get him to show up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really simple.¡± Chase curled his finger in a beckoning gesture at Renee. ¡°Follow me, Ms. Everheart.¡± In the dead of the night, Chase and Renee weaved through the vast andbyrinthine Carmine Pawnshop. After a long journey through twists and turns, they finally stopped at the most remote courtyard. The ce looked as if no one had stepped into it for centuries, and the door was covered in thick wads of cobwebs, cementing in an air of decay and ruin. ¡°Chase Cheever, what¡­ what are you trying to do?¡± Renee pursed her lips and instinctively took a few steps back. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Ms. Everheart¡­¡± Chase dusted off his long coat and calmly exined, ¡°This is the area where water torture, one of the ten worst torture techniques employed by Carmine Pawnshop, is conducted. It has been four years since thest person was tortured here, so it might look as if it¡¯s in disrepair, but back in the day, people filled this ce all the time. It was a much livelier ce back then.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ ten worst torture techniques? A lively ce?¡± Renee was so taken aback that she almost choked on her own saliva. ¡°Are you sure you guys weren¡¯t filming a movie here? Torture techniques? I¡¯ve only heard of that in movies!¡± ¡°What you¡¯ve seen in movies is probably much tamer than what we actually do here in Carmine Pawnshop. Because some of them might be too atrocious for your taste, I won¡¯t borate and go straight to the water torture¡­¡± Chase then continued, ¡°Water torture is the mildest among the ten worst torture techniques. The victim is first tied up inside the water prison, where they will then suffer all manner of tribtions. At first, the water level reaches just around the victim¡¯s waist, but every half an hour, there will be other things added to the water. Firstly, all kinds of venomous snakes, centipedes, and loaches will be released. Then, slowly, boiling water will be added. After that, boiling oil will pour in, and finally¡­ sulphuric acid!¡± ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t want to hear it anymore! Whoever thought of such a heinous thing must¡¯ve been a complete psychopath!¡± Renee could hardly bear to even imagine such a scene. Forget about the boiling oil and acid; she was covered in goosebumps even thinking about the snakes! Even worse was the thought of how the snakes would writhe and il around wildly in a panic once the boiling water was added¡ªshe could not imagine how horrifying such a situation might be! ¡°You¡¯re too faint-hearted, Ms. Everheart. I told you that water torture is the lightest among the ten worst torture techniques. Besides, Boss was the one who came up with these punishments.¡± ¡°My brother came up with these?¡± Renee could not help but sigh. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he a little too aggressive?¡± ¡°His original intent for these things was to deter would-be dissidents,¡± Chase exined, ¡°whether it be the employees of Carmine Pawnshop or the customers. Anyone who disobeyed the rules must face the punishment. Yet, when faced with the grim possibility of being punished with the ten horrifying torture techniques, almost no one dared to cause any trouble, so strictly speaking, the actual number of people who were tortured is very low.¡± ¡°I can understand that,¡± said Renee. ¡°Historically, rulers must have an extremely strict punishment system to maintain order. I¡¯m sure my brother must¡¯ve seen a lot of period movies and read lots of books about history toe up with such a thing. Otherwise, no normal person could ever think of doing something so insane.¡± Renee was highly empathetic by nature. Although she disagreed with Quinton¡¯s method, she could still understand why he had to take such extreme measures. After all, Quinton must have had to work exceedingly hard to reach his current position, seeing that he came from a humble fishing vige. Without taking some extraordinary measures, he would never have made it this far. ¡°By the way, why did you take me here? Is someone getting punished?¡± Chapter 945 Chapter 945 Renee asked Chase the question in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re right, someone¡¯s getting punished, and it¡¯s you!¡± Chase smiled and pulled out a key to open the door to the water prison before bowing slightly and making an inviting gesture towards Renee. ¡°Go ahead, Ms. Everheart!¡± ¡°???¡± Renee gulped, her hair standing on end. The water prison wasn¡¯t evenrge. It was about the size of a small bedroom with a height of about six and a half feet, more than deep enough topletely submerge a human being. The walls were smooth and polished, but they were dotted with numerous holes of different sizes. These were possibly the cavities from where the snakes, centipedes, boiling oil, acid, and whatever else were let out into the water prison. Because no one had been in there for a long time, the water prison gave off a nasty rotten stench, like the smell of dead rats or even human corpses. She could not bear to be inside the water prison for long, because as soon as she took a breath, she would be ovee by an urge to vomit! ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Chase assured her. ¡°My idea is to let you stay in the water prison for a while and act as if you¡¯d been tortured. Then I¡¯ll send a picture of you here to the impostor Mr. Q and tell him that the real Mr. Q had returned and demanded that hee here to save you. Even the impostor knows how terrifying water torture is, so I¡¯m convinced that as soon as he sees a picture of you here, he would come to your rescue at full speed!¡± ¡°This way,¡± Chase added, ¡°not only can we make him show up, we can also prove if he truly loves you. It¡¯s a brilliant n, don¡¯t you think?¡± At that moment, Chase felt that he was simply a genius for having thought of such a perfect n that managed to solve two problems at once. ¡°I think¡­¡± Renee stroked her chin as she was lost in thought. ¡°Your n sounds pretty good!¡± She really wanted to know who in the world the impostor actually was, and whether his feelings for her were genuine. ¡°Great! Then let¡¯s start right away, because the sun ising up soon¡­¡± Chase then proceeded to test every switch and mechanism of the water prison with full enthusiasm, looking as if he was eager to try them all out. Meanwhile, Renee stood in front of the water prison in a seemingly dejected mood. ¡°Is this really going to work?¡± she asked, full of hesitation. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s such a cunning and cautious man! Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t even show up!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine too,¡± replied Chase. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t show up, then it proves that his feelings for you were all lies, and it also proves that I have a poor eye to judge a character. In that case, you may just scoop my eyes out because I won¡¯t have any use for them!¡± ¡°Then I hope he doesn¡¯t show up!¡± whispered Renee. She really did wish that he would not show up, because if he did risk it all and turned up just to save her, and in the process putting himself in grave danger, she would regret it for the rest of her life. ¡°He will decide for himself whether or not he is going to show up,¡± said Chase. ¡°All you have to do now is to act as convincingly as possible. My guess is that¡­ he¡¯s going to be here within thirty minutes, because in half an hour, all kinds of snakes and centipedes will be released from the holes in the walls. He would never let you suffer such a gruesome fate!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Renee nodded and gritted her teeth before going into the water prison. ¡°Let¡¯s do it then!¡± Right now, the water level in the water prison merely reached her ankles, but the water was flowing continuously into the water prison through the holes. Renee¡¯s hands were then chained to the walls, making her look frail and extremely pitiful. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Very good!¡± Chase pulled out his phone and began to direct Renee on how to act as he recorded a video, ¡°Now just maintain this posture and try to squeeze out some tears and cry for help¡­¡± Soon afterwards, they sessfully shot a ten-second video, and it was immediately sent to the impostor Mr. Q. Chapter 946 Chapter 946 Chase¡¯s guess was right on the money¡ªStefan did indeed n topletely distance himself from Carmine Pawnshop, so he would never turn up anyway under the guise of ¡°Mr. Q¡± ever again. He even intended to discard the SIM card with the hidden IP address. But as soon as he saw the video of Renee being tortured in the water prison sent by Chase, he instantly lost his mind, retaining not the slightest trace of reason. At the moment, he was apanying Seraphina as they attended a very important family banquet of the Murphy family where they discussed the cooperation between the Hunt family and the Murphy family for the next season. Seraphina¡¯s father, Ethan Murphy, was fully satisfied with the agreement he had reached with Stefan, and all throughout the evening, he had been dropping hints every now and again that they should start nning for the wedding between Stefan and Seraphina. ¡°You must be aware of how I¡¯ve treated you all these years, Stefan. You and my darling Sera have been childhood sweethearts¡ªboth of you basically grew up sharing the same pants, so it¡¯s only natural that you¡¯d be sharing the same bed now!¡± ¡°Daddy!¡± With face flushed red, Seraphina hastily stopped her father from continuing on, fearing that if she was not careful, Stefan might suddenly stop keeping up the act. ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re drunk! How can you say such embarrassing things? Didn¡¯t I tell you that Stefan and I are only dating now? We¡¯ll only think about marriage when the timees.¡± ¡°What embarrassing things? I worked my *ss off my whole life to turn the Murphy family into what it is now, and I intend to hand it all over to you one day. If you¡¯re with Stefan, then it means that the Murphy family will be in Stefan¡¯s hands one day too. Stefan¡¯s a talented man, so I¡¯m sure that with him at the helm of the Murphy family, we¡¯ll certainly get richer and richer¡­¡± Ethan patted Stefan¡¯s shoulder with eyes full of admiration and added, ¡°My son-inw, the Murphy family¡¯s future is in your hands. Just think about it, with the joining of the two great families¡ªthe Murphys and the Hunts. Who would even dare to touch us?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Who else in the whole of Beach City besides Stefan is worthy of bing the Murphy family¡¯s son-inw?¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s stop talking and start drinking!¡± The other Murphy family members started joining in, each of them eagerly raising a toast to Stefan. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Stefan began with a stony face. ¡°I have to leave now.¡± And then, without even ncing at the sses raised in his name, he got up and was ready to leave. Seraphina quickly grabbed his wrist and tried her best to put on a gentle smile before persuading him, ¡°But the banquet has only started, Stefan! Everyone¡¯s still drinking happily! It might be inappropriate to get up and leave in the middle of everything, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got an urgent business to attend to.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°What could be so urgent that you have to leave now?¡± Seraphina asked with a lowered voice as she smiled and continued pleading, ¡°Please, I beg you! My daddy is a proud man. You¡¯ll embarrass him if you leave now! Just endure another ten minutes, okay? Just ten minutes!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stay even for another minute,¡± Stefan replied sternly as he shoved Seraphina¡¯s hand away and immediately left the banquet hall. ¡°Stefan, wait! Stefan, please don¡¯t go!¡± At first, Seraphina was still able to keep herposure, but now she could not pretend anymore and just started to sob uncontrobly with her face buried in her hands. The lively banquet now suddenly became so silent that only the sound of breathing remained. ¡°This is ridiculous! The Hunt family is clearly on the brink of copse and he still has the audacity to be so arrogant! He¡¯s clearly stomping on the honor of the Murphy family! I¡¯ll never forget this!¡± Ethan Murphy was so enraged that he saw red. In one violent shove he overturned the table as he threatened to fight the Hunt family. But Stefan ignored all this as he hurried out of the Murphy residence and headed straight to his supercar. He put the pedal to the metal and sped towards Carmine Pawnshop as quickly as his car could take him. ¡°Where is she? Where is Renee?!¡± Still wearing Mr. Q¡¯s ck and white mask, he headed straight to the water prison courtyard and sharply questioned Chase of Renee¡¯s whereabouts as soon as he saw him guarding at the door. ¡°She¡¯s inside,¡± replied Chase cautiously. ¡°Our boss said he wants you to unlock the chains yourself and exchange your life for Ms. Everheart¡¯s.¡± Chapter 947 Chapter 947 Although Chase knew that the man in front of him was an impostor, he still instinctively became respectful and deferential when facing him, not least due to the naturally powerful aura that he exuded. ¡°In that case,¡± said Stefan, ¡°tell him to keep his word!¡± Without hesitating for another second, he then pushed the door open and tried to head inside. ¡°Wait!¡± Chase stopped Stefan just as he was opening the door, frowning. ¡°Think carefully before you barge in! This is the water prison. Once you go in there, you might nevere out alive again, or worse, you might suffer a fate far worse than death!¡± ¡°As long as she¡¯s safe, I don¡¯t care.¡± Stefan took a deep breath and still pushed the door open without any hesitation. Inside, the water level had already reached Renee¡¯s waist, and in less than five minutes, when it would reach her shoulders, at least 500 snakes, bugs, and rats would be released automatically through the holes. There would soon be plenty of venomous snakes in there, so the situation was dreadfully urgent right now. ¡°Renee!¡± Stefan¡¯s heart tightened as soon as he saw Renee all chained up, and it made him shout out her name at the top of his lungs. ¡°You¡­ You really came?¡± Renee had been waiting for so long that was about to doze off. She thought that the man was definitely never going to show up, so she was just about to give up when the man really came to save her! She was moved to tears. All the doubts about how he might have just been ying with her heart in the past vanished in an instant. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for so long! Why weren¡¯t you willing to see me? Why did you have to give me up to Stefan Hunt? I¡¯ve got so many things to say to you, and so many questions to ask. I¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking! The water level will reach a dangerous level soon! You have to get out of there right now!¡± Stefan knew more than anyone else how barbarous water torture actually was, so in the four years that he ran Carmine Pawnshop, he ordered for this area to be sealed offpletely. If he had known that the psychopath Q would resume the torture technique so soon after he returned, he would have ordered for it to be destroyed a long time ago! Without taking off his clothes, Stefan dived straight into the water prison and rushed to Renee¡¯s side. He then tried to unchain her with all his might. By then, Renee was so cold that her lips had turned pale, and her whole body was soaking wet, yet her eyes were shining brightly as she looked at Stefan with great stirring emotions and told him, ¡°You must¡¯ve known that you¡¯re walking into a trap, yet you still came to save me! This proves that your feelings for me were genuine, so you must have a really good reason for not showing up when we were supposed to get married, right? Were you coerced by that bastard Stefan Hunt?¡± Stefan remained silent, though he was breathing rapidly as he attempted to undo the chains that were trapping Renee in there. Despite being in the water, he was sweating profusely from anxiety. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much! I¡¯ll be fine. In fact, it¡¯s all just a trick to lure you out. You¡­¡± Renee was so moved that she was about to confess everything to Stefan, but just then, all the lights in the water prison turned on, and half a dozen burly men barged in. ¡°It¡¯s time! Chain him up!¡± Quinton stood on the highest spot in the room and peered down haughtily at the two people inside the water prison. Meanwhile, Chase was standing by his side. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s going on here? Chase¡­ Didn¡¯t you tell me that we¡¯d be dealing with this matter alone? How¡­¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Everheart. There are some things that I can¡¯t control.¡± Chase sighed in regret. Next, the burly men then chained Stefan up at the spot where Renee originally stood. Chapter 948 Chapter 948 Standing at a high spot, Quinton looked down at Renee, who was still in the water prison and told her, ¡°Hurry up and get out, sister. The water level is increasing, and soon, what¡¯s going toe out of these holes won¡¯t be water, but venomous creatures of all manner like snakes and bugs.¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee raised her head and looked at her brother in panic. ¡°Brother, you gave me your word! You told me you¡¯d give me the full authority to deal with the impostor, didn¡¯t you? So what are you doing now?¡± ¡°I wanted to let you handle it yourself, but as soon as I learned the impostor¡¯s true identity, I knew I just had to break my promise to you. Please forgive me, Renee.¡± Beneath his mask, Quinton¡¯s eyes became dangerously ruthless, as if he could hardly restrain himself from tearing the impostor into pieces right then and there. ¡°This is my own personal vengeance. I have endured crushing humiliation for so many years just so I can avenge myself one day, so I can¡¯t just let him go.¡± ¡°Personal¡­ Personal vengeance?¡± Renee turned around and stared confusedly at the man whose arms and legs had been chained up. In a lowered voice, she asked him, ¡°So, who are you? Are you going to tell me yourself?¡± Renee had a hunch of the man¡¯s true identity, but as long as she had not seen it with her own eyes, she simply refused to believe it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Stefan with his head hung low as he evaded the question. Since he had chosen death, he was also prepared to have his identity exposed. It no longer mattered to him whether Renee would forgive him or despise him even more than she already did. As long as¡­ she remained safe and sound. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman, Renee. You must¡¯ve already guessed who he is, so stop deceiving yourself and get out of there immediately.¡± Quinton could never bear to see his sister be tortured, but the water level was rising fast, and there was no way that the mechanism in this torture chamber could be controlled manually, so if Renee still would not get out of there quickly, the consequences might be disastrous. ¡°I¡­ I still haven¡¯t guessed it! I really don¡¯t know who he is! He¡­¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were reddening. She looked like a stubborn fool, and the reason she was being stubborn was that she simply could not ept the possibility that she was just a fool who had been deceived and yed with all along! ¡°You¡¯re still too emotional, Renee. I can¡¯t indulge you anymore¡­¡± Quinton frowned and waved a hand before ordering, ¡°Get her out of there now!¡± The tall burly men then tried to pull Renee out of the water, but Renee effortlessly slipped through their fingers and escaped. Then, she took a deep breath and, at lightning speed, pulled off the mask on Stefan¡¯s face¡­ ¡°So it really is you!¡± Renee¡¯s heart almost stopped beating when she came face to face with the man. She could hardly describe how she felt, but when she remembered her past interactions with ¡°Mr. Q,¡± how she used to bawl out her eyes in front of him,ining to him about how much she hated Stefan Hunt, how she then opened her heart to him and decided to love someone again, how happy and secure she felt with him¡­ she then realized how much of an idiot she was, how she was nothing but a living joke! ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± said Stefan. His eyes were filled with deep sorrow. Guilt and regret were written all over his handsome and wless face, but still, all he could say were those two words. ¡°Did you have a lot of fun ying games with me, Stefan Hunt?! Did it make you proud for having sessfully manipted my feelings and stepping all over my dignity? You really are the most worthless and deceitful man I¡¯ve ever met!¡± Renee¡¯s anger erupted like a volcano. The humiliation wiped away all of her rationality. She quickly got out of the water and peered down at the man before coldly dering, ¡°A man like this deserves to be bitten to death by venomous snakes and his body corroded by acid! So, Quinton¡­ I leave the rest to you.¡± A look of pride and satisfaction cropped up on Quinton¡¯s face. ¡°As expected from my very own sister! Very good, Renee! You¡¯re way stronger and far more capable than I expected. It¡¯s only when a woman discards her feelings and emotions can she finally be invincible!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Renee said nothing, turned around, and left. Chase noticed that the water level was fast approaching the dangerous level. He clenched his fists, and after hesitating for a while, he finally turned around and followed Renee out of the room. Chapter 949 Chapter 949 ¡°Ms. Everheart.¡± Chase chased after Renee, who looked rather emaciated and lonely from the back. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Are you really going to leave now?¡± ¡°Why should I stay here?¡± ¡°You should hurry up and stop Boss! He¡¯s not joking, you know. No one else in Carmine Pawnshop¡ª no, no one else in Beach City can stop him except you! If you leave now, then Mr. Q¡­ no, then that devil Mr. Hunt will surely die!¡± ¡°Since you called him the devil yourself, then isn¡¯t it right that he should die anyway?¡± ¡°You can say that,¡± Chase warned her with feeling, ¡°but if he really dies, then he¡¯ll really be gone forever. Won¡¯t you be upset? Or rather¡­ aren¡¯t you afraid of the consequences?¡± Stefan Hunt had always been Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s deadliest enemy. Back then, when the two parties were at war with each other, Chase was one of the main forces fighting against him, and he even had his leg injured by the Hunt family, an injury from which he still suffered long-term effects even now. Naturally, Chase also hated Stefan Hunt with a passion. But when he remembered his interactions with Stefan Hunt in the past four years, he realized that the man was not as heinous as he thought. He definitely did not deserve to die so easily. ¡°Hmph, upset? Why would I be?¡± Renee turned her back against the water prison and sneered, ¡°Should I be upset that he¡¯d yed me like a puppet? Or should I be upset that he raised up my hopes, only to once again obliterate them into pieces? Or should I be upset that he gave up on me again and again?¡± She had always been a woman with high self-esteem and pride. The first time she got hurt, she was still strong enough to lick her wounds and heal herself. But now that she was hurt by the same person again and again, she would not just be pitiful if she forgave him again, but also pathetic! ¡°You¡¯re right, Ms. Everheart. He should never have deceived you, but¡­ what if he was forced to do it? No matter what, his love for you had to be real, or he would never have rushed here without hesitation, even though he knew full well that he was running headlong into a dead end, all just to keep you safe and sound.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s an idiot!¡± Renee gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening. ¡°In that case, he¡¯s getting what he deserves!¡± ¡®What a foolish man!¡¯ she thought. ¡®You should¡¯ve known that it¡¯s a trap! It¡¯s none of my business that you just run into it like an idiot!¡¯ ¡°I have nothing more to say, Ms. Everheart. Just think about it yourself. I only hope that you don¡¯t regret itter.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After saying that, Chase heaved a long sigh and nced at his watch before speaking in a tense voice, ¡°By this point, the snakes, bugs, and rats should¡¯ve all been released. If it had been someone else, we would¡¯ve heard them shouting and howling in pain, but this guy is stillpletely silent. He really is a tough one!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And those creatures are no ordinary creatures, you know. The banded kraits would be the mildest ones among them¡­¡± ¡°The¡­ the banded kraits? Aren¡¯t they venomous?¡± Renee gulped. Just thinking about it gave her goosebumps all over. ¡°They sure are! I hope they won¡¯t bite him for no reason, but still¡­ when the water gets hot, who knows where it will go to hide away from the heat? And when the acid is added¡­¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Renee¡¯s heart was thumping in her chest like a drum. She wished she could just ignore her conscience and walk away, but her legs were as heavy as lead, and refused to move no matter what. ¡°Aaaaaaah!!!!¡± Just then, Stefan¡¯s tormented wail rang out from the water prison. Chapter 950 Chapter 950 Immediately following that was the sound of Quinton¡¯s roaringughter. ¡°Hahahaha, look at you now, Stefan Hunt! I can¡¯t believe something like this would ever happen to you. Do you remember how I begged you to let me live all those years ago, and you refused me? Now you get the retribution that you deserve!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± He ordered his men. ¡°Keep it going! Keep releasing more things into the water! I want this snob to taste what it¡¯s like to suffer a fate worse than death!¡± Just then, Stefan¡¯s agonizing cry of pain once again rang out. Chase was in such a panic that he stomped his feet and rushed towards Renee, who still stood coldly and frigidly there, ¡°Ms. Everheart, he really can¡¯t hold on for much longer! I hope, and I wish, that you won¡¯t regret this!¡± ¡°Ugh! So annoying! How can you be such an annoying gnat?!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. After yelling at Chase, she then turned around and returned to the water prison. As expected, the water had reached Stefan¡¯s neck, and snakes and insects could be seen floating and swimming in the water. Stefan seemed to be in excruciating pain. His handsome face, which had originally been fearless and gutsy, was now twisted by agony. It looked like he must have been bitten by the snakes many times now. ¡°Stop it!¡± Renee shouted. She could not bear it any longer. ¡°Stop releasing more things into the water!¡± ¡°Renee!¡± Quinton turned around. ¡°What are you doing back here? Are you also here to enjoy the sight?¡± He then smiled with smug satisfaction at Renee and told her, ¡°I can finally enjoy the sight of this arrogant bastard suffering in such a sorry state! I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment for so long.¡± ¡°Quinton,¡± Renee¡¯s voice was all choked up, and her eyes were reddening as she pleaded, ¡°I beg of you! You¡¯ve punished him enough. Let him go!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You were so firm and decisive just now! Why are you suddenly turning soft for this garbage of a man again¡­¡± ¡°Let us not waste time talking. Just let him go! He can¡¯t hold on for much longer.¡± ¡°So what if he can¡¯t hold on for much longer? I never intended to let him go anyway!¡± ¡°But I intend to let him go, so¡­ you have to let him go.¡± ¡°Have to?¡± Quinton¡¯s expression turned as hard as stone. ¡°Renee, you can¡¯t force me to do anything just because you are my sister. I don¡¯t ¡°have to¡± do anything here. You¡¯re just too emotional. The main purpose of what I¡¯m doing now is to let you make a clean break from your feelings and discard any love or affection you have¡­¡± ¡°Fine! If you won¡¯t let him go, then I¡¯ll save him myself!¡± Without saying another word, Renee jumped into the water. ¡°Renee!¡± Quinton had no idea Renee could be so impulsive. He quickly raised his hand and shouted, ¡°Quick! Close the valves! Get her out of there!¡± ¡°Renee¡­¡± Stefan was already very weak because the snake venom had spread throughout his body, and he was barely conscious. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry¡­ Get out!¡± He could hardly hold on any longer now, but when he saw Renee, he told himself not to pass out and began to struggle hard to break free from the chains. ¡°Listen to me! Don¡¯t be stupid! Get out!¡± ¡°Shut¡ªGulp! Shut up!¡± Because Renee was shorter than Stefan, the current water level was more than enough to submerge herpletely, and she inevitably choked on some of the water. It was so harrowing that she wished she could die in that instant. What was even more disgusting was how the creepy crawlies began to slither through her clothes¡­ But she had no time to care about anything else. She took a deep breath and dove into the water, trying her best to free Stefan from the chains. The water was so murky that she dared not open her eyes. The iron chains were thick and heavy, and they were very tightly bound. Renee smashed a rock violently against the chains till her skin was chafed. The pain was unbearable¡­ ¡°Hold on!¡± Renee shouted as she floated on the surface. She took a deep lungful of breath and told Stefan, whose lips were deathly pale and who was quickly losing consciousness, ¡°You¡¯ll be free soon!¡± ¡°You, you idiot¡­ You can¡¯t fool me¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s whole body was cold, and although two-thirds of his soul was already in heaven, his snarky wit remained. In the end, he used up all the might that he still had left to once again tell Renee, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chapter 951 Chapter 951 ¡°Cut the crap! Hold on.¡± After Renee said that, she fainted out of exhaustion. Atst, Quinton¡¯s heart softened. He asked someone to help Renee and Stefan up before he found some exceptional doctors to try their best to save them¡­ The next day, Renee woke up in deep pain. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re finally awakened. You scared me so much!¡± Quinton grabbed Renee¡¯s hand. He became so agitated that his eyes turned red. ¡°If anything happens to you, I won¡¯t survive¡­¡± Renee¡¯s lips were pale, and she had not a bit of strength in her. She asked feebly, ¡°How is Stefan?¡± ¡°He¡­¡± Quinton¡¯s gaze flickered and he instantly changed the topic. ¡°How are you feeling now? Does your head hurt? Are your eyes blurry? Can you see things well? ¡°I¡¯m fine. My head hurts a bit. Tell me¡­ How is Stefan?¡± Renee asked anxiously. She could tell from her brother¡¯s expression that something must have happened to Stefan. If not, her brother would not look like he had a guilty conscience. ¡°Err¡­ I¡¯m not very sure about his condition.¡± Quinton stammered and gave an ambiguous answer. Consequently, Renee¡¯s anxiety intensified. She eximed agitatedly, ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re not very sure? Tell me. Is he alive?¡± ¡°He¡¯s alive but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°But he¡¯s still in aa. Besides, his eyeballs have been afflicted with the venom of the king cobra, and¡­ he may be blind.¡± Quinton sounded more and more cautious. Based on his previous temper, he did not think that he was out of the line. If his opponent was Stefan, he would not even bat an eyelid if he hacked Stefan into pieces. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. However, his sister cared so much about Stefan. She could even risk her life to save him. If something happened to Stefan, the sibling affection he finally gained after yearning for such a long time would be ruined. ¡°What? He¡¯ll be blind?¡± Renee felt like she had received a fatal blow. Her mind went nk in an instant. Stefan was such a proud person. If he became blind, it would be torture worse than death. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Why did I have to set that up? Why did I ask him to jump into that?¡± Great remorse washed over her. So, she pped herself hard. She hated herself for pushing Stefan into such a deep abyss because of her selfishness. ¡°Sis, calm down. Don¡¯t worry too much. The doctor said that there¡¯s a possibility, and that means it¡¯s not a certain case. What if he can¡¯t wake up at all?¡± Quinton pressed her hand down in grief and consoled her kindly. ¡°So, it means that turning blind isn¡¯t the most horrible oue. He may be in aa forever, or¡­ he may even die. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Er¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean that!¡± Quinton swallowed slightly with an awkward expression. D*mn it! Why did it be worse after he consoled her? ¡°The doctors are trying their best to save him, and they even induced antivenom into his body immediately. He fought against me for so many years. He¡¯s such a fierce and powerful person. He won¡¯t die so soon. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Quinton patted Renee¡¯s shoulders, but he didn¡¯t sound very confident. ¡°Where is he? I want to see him,¡± Renee asked between sobs. Chapter 952 Chapter 952 Stefany in the guest room of Carmine Pawnshop. His eyes were tightly closed, and his breathing was slow. He was still in aa.¡°How long has he been in aa?¡± Renee forcefully exerted her weak body and rushed to the man¡¯s bed before she asked in concern. Her eyes inevitably turned red the moment she saw Stefan. It was because she¡¯d never seen him so weak before; it was as if anyone, even a three or four-year-old child, could kill him with great ease. ¡°You guys are rescued together. It¡¯s already been three days.¡± Quinton stood at the back with both hands in his pockets while making an honest reply. ¡°Didn¡¯t you send him to the hospital? I¡¯m sure a more professional hospital can save him, given his condition. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send him to the hospital?¡± Quinton exined, ¡°The first thing I did was got some people to rush you guys to the hospital, but those doctors were out of options. They imed that you guys were dying, so I spent a lot of money to get a professional physician to save you. But¡­ you¡¯re now out of danger. Whether he can survive this will completely depend on him.¡± ¡°Humph! So, we need to thank you for saving us, huh?¡± Renee sneered and demanded. She and Stefan turned out this way. It was impossible if she did not hate Quinton. However, he was her closest family member. She could not hate him at all. Hence, she was in a great dilemma. She had two different sides fighting against each other in her mind, so she was in excruciating pain. Quinton was no fool. Of course, he noticed Renee¡¯splicated feelings. His handsome face also turned much more solemn. ¡°Sis, how did he bewitch you? You¡¯re so loyal to him. Didn¡¯t he betray you? Is it worth it to fall out with your brother for a scumbag?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not loyal to him. I also won¡¯t fall out with you. I just think that he¡¯s not so bad as to have to pay with his life. Your means were too extreme. You¡¯re just like a cold-blooded monster!¡± Renee¡¯srge eyes were full of tears. Atst, she could not hold back but looked up at Quinton with the most using re, expressing her deep agony. ¡°I sincerely and wholeheartedly epted you from the moment we were reunited with each other. I felt sorrier for you after I heard about your miserable encounters. I secretly made up my mind to make it up to you properly and to let you feel the warmth of family, so I always trusted you boundlessly. I tried to understand you and even tolerated you¡­ ¡°I understand your mercilessness, cruelty, and extreme means. Unexpectedly, you schemed against me¡­¡± ¡°Sis, why did you say that? Why did I ever use extreme means on you? I also made up my mind secretly that I want to protect you for the rest of your life!¡± Quinton defended himself agitatedly. He was slightly angry. ¡°I thought you would do the same and tried all means to take revenge just like me after you were harmed by this man. Surprisingly, you feel so much for him. You even risked your life to save him!¡± He clenched his fists tightly and stated with deep regret, ¡°I would never order them to release those dangerous animals if I knew that you would jump into the water dungeon¡­¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°All right, it¡¯s useless to say that now. Nothing can happen to Stefan regardless of the price I have to pay because¡­¡± Renee sobbed and said, ¡°Not only was he my past lover, but he is also my children¡¯s father. I can¡¯t let my dear children lose their father.¡± ¡°What? Your children?¡± Quinton was shocked and surprised. He said excitedly, ¡°So, you have kids. Why didn¡¯t I receive any news? That¡¯s wonderful! Our family has descendants, after all. That¡¯s great¡­¡± ¡°Is it wonderful? Chapter 953 Chapter 953 Renee said pessimistically, ¡°I¡¯m afraid my kids will hate me to the core for killing their father!¡± Enter title¡­ ¡°No, that won¡¯t happen. Sis, don¡¯t worry. The exceptional physician I hired is an outstanding physician with great medical skills. He imed that Stefan will be all right as long as he can wake up in time. This guy will be fine.¡± At first, Quinton did not n to let Stefan off the hook, but since he was his nephew and the biological father of his niece, he could only let go of his grudge and let him stay alive. ¡°I hope so¡­¡± Renee heaved a long sigh. ¡°My mind is a mess now. Please leave me alone. I want to stay with him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Quinton nodded and patted her shoulder. He said apologetically, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sis. I was too impulsive. I¡¯ll try my best to make it up to you.¡± After Quinton left the room, Renee no longer pretended to be rational or aloof. She sat before Stefan¡¯s bed and held his hand with a heart full of worry and pain. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯ve been sleeping for a long time. You should wake up now. Adie, Abby, and I are waiting for you to wake up. So, listen to me. Wake up.¡± She gained no replies. Stefan¡¯s eyes remained closed. He did not give any reaction. ¡°Although you¡¯re very aloof and cruel, and you repeatedly tricked me as if I was a fool and that I should hate you forever, I¡¯m born a generous person. All the grudges between us will be put away and forgotten as long as you¡¯re willing to wake up. What do you think?¡± Stefan said not a word. He stilly there quietly, showing not a tinge of response. Consequently, Renee became a bit despaired. She almost broke down. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Stefan, that¡¯s enough. What should I do so you¡¯ll wake up? Do you want me to leave you forever before you¡¯re willing to wake up?¡± Crying and sobbing, Renee uttered, ¡°All right, you have my word. I¡¯ll no longer pester you as long as you wake up. I won¡¯t appear in your life again. I¡¯ll give you and Seraphina my blessing. I can even give you and Briar my blessing. Is that okay?¡± She still gained no replies. However, something mysterious happened. After Renee made that promise, Stefan¡¯s tightly closed eyelids moved slightly as if he had made a slight reaction. Renee was bbergasted as she stared at him in a trance. Great bitterness engulfed her heart. Could it be a signal from God? They were destined not to be a couple. If they did, they would have to pay with their lives. If that were the case, she would leave. ¡°Okay, Stefan, listen well. God, please listen to my prayer. Stefan, I¡¯ll no longer pester you as long as you can wake up this time. If I break my promise, I¡¯ll pay with my life!¡± Renee put her hands together and made a cruel vow seriously. At that time, Stefan¡¯s fingers moved a bit. ¡°Come! Help!¡± Renee got up wobbly and shouted at the people who were guarding outside. ¡°Call the doctor now. Stefan¡­ has awakened!¡± Many things were ipatible in this world, such as water and fire, the night and the day, and she and Stefan. Chapter 954 Chapter 954 When Renee came out of the room, Quinton, who had been guarding outside, went to her. ¡°Sis, what happened? Why are you in such a flurry? Did that guy wake up?¡± ¡°His fingers moved. I think he¡¯s about to wake up¡­¡± Renee tried her best to calm herself down before she said to Quinton seriously, ¡°Can you promise me one thing?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll promise you no matter what you ask of me!¡± Quinton announced humbly as he tried his best to please Renee for fear that his only sister would hate him. ¡°Treat Stefan¡¯s illness. Don¡¯t hurt him. Let him live even if it¡¯s not for me. Do it for Adie and Abby.¡± Renee stared at Quinton with a firm and solemn gaze that had no intention of giving in. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After a series of incidents, she felt that she did not know him enough. She did not know his limits after being reunited with him after such a long separation. So, she still did not dare to trust him fully, even though they were a pair of twins. ¡°Er¡­¡± As expected, Quinton¡¯s eyes wavered. He was slightly hesitant. He might not want to let Stefan off the hook at the very beginning. He was just trying to stall for time and pacify Renee temporarily when he imed that he had hired a so-called exceptional physician. ¡°Stefan¡¯s life is the key that holds our siblinghood together. If he¡¯s alive, we¡¯re still brother and sister. If he¡¯s gone, we¡¯ll cut off our rtionship.¡± Renee made a cruel statement. Quinton frowned deeply. After a fierce internal struggle, he nodded coldly. ¡°Okay.¡± His rtionship with his sister was more important than Stefan¡¯s life. ¡°Thank you.¡± Renee nodded at Quinton and said sadly, ¡°I¡¯ll leave him in your care. I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°Go?¡± Quinton blocked her and said with confusion, ¡°Where are you going at this critical time? You care so much about him. Shouldn¡¯t you stay by his side until he¡¯s out of danger?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be unnecessary.¡± Renee shook her head and said with grief, ¡°He and I are ipatible. It¡¯s destined that we can¡¯t be together. Leaving him is thest thing I can do for him.¡± ¡°Where are you going? Why don¡¯t I go with you? We¡¯re just been reunited with each other. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you again¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t stay away for long. We still have a lot of things to do. We¡¯re yet to rebuild and revive our family. I¡¯ll just be gone for a while, and I¡¯ll soon be back.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Quinton also epted her decision and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s good. Your mood will be influenced if you stay by him all day. It¡¯s better to stay far away from him, and you¡¯ll lead a carefree and happy life¡­ In short, don¡¯t worry. Although I hate him so much that I want to hack him into pieces, I¡¯ll try my best to cure him since I gave you my promise!¡± Renee left that day after she said those things. Coincidentally, Stefan woke up after she had gone. However¡­ his situation seemed to be worse than when he was in aa. ¡°Go! Get lost!¡± Stefan¡¯s crazy roar could be heard in the room from time to time, coupled with the smashing of bottles and jars. Chapter 955 Chapter 955 The servant was standing outside while carrying a bowl of steaming herbal medicine, but the servant did not dare to enter the room. ¡°Mr. Hunt, please take the medicine while it¡¯s hot. There is residual venom in your body. If you don¡¯t take the medicine in time, I¡¯m afraid that the toxin may spread. It¡¯ll be dangerous by then¡­¡± The physician, whose mustache had turned white, stood outside the room and advised Stefan earnestly. He had treated many noble and rich people, so he had seen a lot of patients who were hard to deal with. However, it was the first time for him to meet such a difficult patient like Stefan. At first, Stefan was nearing death. He was finally saved after much difficulty, but he did not listen to the others at all. He did not even want to take the medicine. He was simply courting death. ¡°Where¡¯s Renee? Where is she? I want to see her. Get lost if you¡¯re not her!¡± Stefan casually picked up an antique vase and threw it hard at the door. When it was about to fall, Quinton quickly grabbed it before he said coldly, ¡°If you want to make a scene, wait till you¡¯re back home. Why do you make a scene in my Carmine Pawnshop? I purposely bought this antique vase from a seller in Jade City. I spent quite a lot of money on it. Are you going to pay for my loss if you break it?¡± ¡°Just go ahead if you want to kill me. You don¡¯t have to torture and humiliate me like this!¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was low, and his expression was filled with extreme pain. ¡°Why did you say that? When did I torture and humiliate you? I served you well. I even hired the best physician to cure you. It¡¯s fine if you didn¡¯t thank me, but you ndered me. Well, how ungrateful you are¡­¡± Quinton ced the antique vase carefully before he took the bowl of medicine from the servant. Waving his hand, he asked the physician and servant to leave first. After that, he slowly walked to Stefan and waved his hand in front of Stefan. As expected, Stefan made no response. ¡°s, just have the medicine. It¡¯s better to stay alive.¡± He was full ofplicated feelings. After shaking his head, he handed the bowl to Stefan, whose facial features were perfect, but his gaze was dull. ¡°I told you. Get lost!¡± When Stefan smelled the deep scent of the medicine, he waved his hand and nearly turned the bowl over. He gnashed his teeth and shouted, ¡°Where is Renee? I want to see her!¡± Quinton reacted quite agilely and dodged it in time. Only then did he keep the freshly brewed medicine intact. Unable to take any more, he ced the bowl on the table and grabbed Stefan¡¯s neck angrily. He then said fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself! You¡¯re a blind guy now! It¡¯s very easy for me to kill you. Stop challenging my patience again!¡± However, Stefan did not resist at all. He let Quinton do what he wanted and said with despair, ¡°Sure, just go ahead and let me have it. Of course, it¡¯s better to be dead rather than live on like this.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Quinton gritted his teeth furiously. However, he could only let go angrily and cursed, ¡°What f*cking sin did Imit to suffer such consequences? You ruined my face and territory back then! I humbly suffered in silence for four years. But I didn¡¯t even get to take revenge on you after I came back. I even have to serve you well. Well, why do I have to suffer so¡­ ¡°Let me warn you onest time. Drink the medicine. If not, I¡¯m going to force it on you!¡± He put the bowl of medicine near Stefan¡¯s lips again and threatened Stefan to drink the medicine as if he was threatening a child. s, if his sister did not ask him to keep Stefan alive before she left, he would have gotten rid of Stefan. Why did he have to dillydally and waste each other¡¯s time? ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me to the core? Why didn¡¯t you kill me but keep me alive?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes were dull as he asked in Quinton¡¯s direction. He was poisoned by a highly toxin venom. He might have died, but he seemed to hear someone calling after him when he was nearing death. The crying voice made his heart ache, so he tried his best to wake up. Unexpectedly, he learned the truth when he woke up. The thing he would face was more frightening than hell. Humph! The proud and superior president of H Group had be a blind man. He was now a cripple who could not even walk. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Drink the medicine if you want to know the answer,¡± Quinton said slowly. Chapter 956 Chapter 956 After a brief pause, Stefan found the bowl of medicine before he leaned his head back to gulp it down. ¡°Can you tell me now why you¡¯re keeping me alive?¡± His thoughts were very clear. He made a guess and hit the nail on the head. ¡°Did Renee say something to you? You guys reached some kind of deal¡­ What is your rtionship with her?¡± He vaguely heard Renee address Quinton as her brother and Quinton address her as his sister when he was in the water dungeon. However, wasn¡¯t Renee the only child? When did she get a brother out of the blue? He had too many doubts he needed to figure out. Even if he had to die, he had to die without any doubts. ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you about our rtionship. The reason I keep you alive is because I¡¯m kind and generous. I don¡¯t want my pawnshop to be stained with blood¡­¡± ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Stefan snorted and retorted, ¡°Is Night Demon someone to be trifled with? You¡¯re born a demon, and you regard the lives of others¡¯ lives as mere dust. You know very well how many people you¡¯ve killed. I got rid of you guys cruelly that year to get rid of the harmful people for society, and I¡¯ll still do the same now. So, you¡¯d better don¡¯t let me off the hook!¡± Consequently, Quinton became quite baffled. He was greatly infuriated that he was at a loss for words.He had been fighting against Stefan for so many years, but he had never yearned to break his neck so much as he was now. But for the sake of his sister, nephew, and niece, he had to suppress his urge. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I told you I¡¯m kind and generous. Of course, I won¡¯t bully a blind guy.¡± Quinton cracked a mean smile as he tried his best to poke at Stefan¡¯s sore spot and said, ¡°Blind guy, today¡¯s weather is rather good. Do you want me to take you out for sunbathing? You¡¯ll get so bored mulling over in the room all day.¡± Stefan became speechless. Quinton continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be a shy blind guy. I can be your white cane for the time being.¡± Stefan was rendered speechless again. Hence, a strange scene appeared. The once two sworn enemies of Beach City were now on the roof together, facing the river at the border of three kingdoms and lying on thewn chairsfortably. They were basking in the sun leisurely. Of course, Quinton was enjoying himself thoroughly, but Stefan was full of wrath. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°What do you want? Tell me. You don¡¯t have to humiliate me again and again!¡± He clenched his fists tightly. He struggled to get up from thewn chair several times, but Quinton considerately pressed him down. ¡°Well, can¡¯t you rx? I told you we¡¯re here to enjoy some sunbathing. It¡¯ll help you to recover sooner. Why do you think I want to harm you? Are you paranoid?¡± When he reached that point, he fed a round and crisp grape into Stefan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Have some fruits to give your body some vitamins.¡± Stefan red up in a rage, but he could see nothing. He was just a disabled person. What else could he do? ¡°When are you going to let me go?¡± He asked desperately with a low and deep voice. But he regretted it the moment he raised that query. It was because he did not have to ask that question at all. It was just humiliating himself. Both the Hunt family and Carmine Pawnshop fought against each other vigorously that year. Quinton was a man who haggled over everything. He finally gained the victory. Why would he let his enemy back home? Quinton slowly sipped the tea and gazed upon the wide river ahead of him. The world he created was beneath him. This world was once so glorious. Although it was gray, it at least brought him extreme power and endless wealth. Unfortunately, this world could be ruined so easily by the man before him Chapter 957 Chapter 957 Logically, he should have fed Stefan to the crocodiles in the river, but¡­ his desire to kill him had somewhat subsided. It might be because of his sister or that he had been lying low for so many years. He did not like killing as much as he was in the past. ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to die? Do you want tounch a counterattack?¡± After that, he turned around and looked at Stefan with a smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll give you a ride back to the Hunt family after your body is clear of the snake venom.¡± ¡°Are you willing to let me go?¡± With knitted brows, Stefan felt quite surprised. The Night Demon he remembered was aplete demon. He was inhumane too. It was considered kind if he did not hack his enemy into pieces or ruined his enemypletely. But¡­ he was willing to let Stefan go. It was as if pigs could fly. Humph! Unfortunately, he would not be able to see that even if it did happen¡­ ¡°Let me correct you. I¡¯m not going to let you off the hook. I¡¯m just keeping you alive for the time being. The fight between Carmine Pawnshop and the Hunt family will not end.¡± Quinton said with profound meaning, ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy if you fall into my hands the next time¡­ So, you¡¯d better work harder. Don¡¯t be defeated by me again!¡± After the sunbathing session on the roof that day, Stefan seemed to be enlightened. He epted the fact that he had turned blind. He no longer made a scene and gave others a hard time. He gave his full cooperation to the physician for the treatment. When Quinton saw that, he heaved a sigh of relief. He rarely stimted Stefan again. After all, although Stefan had turned blind, his body was free of snake venom now. He could stay alive. Finally, Quinton had fulfilled the promise he made to his sister. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. On that day, Stefan gulped down the medicine brewed by the physician in one go. The physician then inspected Stefan¡¯s body before he was overjoyed. He announced, ¡°Mr. Hunt, congrattions. Your body has rid itself of all the venom. You¡¯re now out of danger and can lead a bold life.¡± However, Stefan¡¯s handsome face was aloof. His deep-set eyes were still numb and lifeless. ¡°How about my eyes? They can¡¯t be cured, can they?¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± The physician touched his white mustache and heaved a long sigh, saying, ¡°The venom¡¯s damage to your retinal tissues and eyeballs nerves is irreversible unless you find a pair of eyes that matches your body thoroughly. If not, the probability of you regaining your eyesight is very slim.¡± ¡°Okay, got it. Just go.¡± Stefan did not want to discuss it for long. He would consider it at length after he was back to the Hunt family. He fumbled and wanted to go out, but he bumped into the corner of a table halfway. So, he nearly fell. A pair of hands supported him firmly, and that person sounded very respectful. ¡°Chase?¡± Steven asked sensitively. ¡°Mr. Hunt, it¡¯s me.¡± Chase was still wearing a light long shirt. He appeared very handsome and refined. He felt slightly guilty to see the once high-spirited president of H Group fell into such a sorry state. If he did not suggest that lousy idea back then, Stefan would not have turned out this way. So, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Stefan would feel like killing Chase now. ¡°Great! Atst, you¡¯re willing to see me.¡± Not only did he not hold a grudge against Chase, but he was over the moon. He grabbed Chase¡¯s wrist as if he had found a savior. ¡°Come here. I want to ask you about a great many things! Chapter 958 Chapter 958 While fumbling, Stefan vigntly closed the door. The only person he trusted in Carmine Pawnshop was Chase. He did not think that the four-year master-servant rtionship was merely acting. ¡°Mr. Hunt, what would you like to ask me?¡± Chase sighed secretly and asked Stefan softly. ¡°How is Renee? Did that maniac hurt her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Hunt. Miss Everheart is fine. Even if my boss hurt himself, he won¡¯t hurt Miss Everheart,¡± Chase answered honestly. ¡°So, they¡¯re siblings?¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re mixed-gendered twins.¡± ¡°No wonder that maniac let me go. It¡¯s unprecedented!¡± Stefan slowly clenched his fingers with deep shock. Although he had long guessed that Renee had an extraordinary rtionship with that man, he was still ill at ease when he confirmed it at the moment. His beliefs were deeply shaken. It turned out that the rumor was not ungrounded. That year, the Everheart family did gain a pair of twins of mixed genders. However, rumor had it that the elder son died upon birth, and he turned out to be aliveter. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t Reneee and see me? Is she¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s heart skipped a beat because he did not dare to dwell on it anymore. He vaguely remembered that Renee jumped into the water dungeon to save him. It meant that she might also be bitten by the venomous snakes. If she was fine and if she was that man¡¯s sister, she would have freedom in Carmine Pawnshop. Shouldn¡¯t shee and see him long ago? It had been such a long time, but she did note. So, the reason was obvious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Miss Everheart is fine. She¡¯s not at Carmine Pawnshop now.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not around?¡± ¡°Yes, she left long ago when you were nearing death. She might not even care about whether you¡¯re alive or not!¡± Chase shrugged and borated lightly, ¡°Miss Everheart is the same as my boss. They¡¯re rational people. They won¡¯t dy their ns for the sake of romantic rtionships. What¡¯s more¡­ there¡¯s one thing which I¡¯m unsure whether I should tell you honestly or not.¡± Stefan subconsciously clenched his fingers. His heart was filled with unstoppable pain. He asked coldly, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t the boss¡¯ idea to lure you into the water dungeon. It was Miss Everheart¡¯s idea instead. She hates you for lying to her and betraying her. So, she wanted to go the whole hog and kill you so as not to be affected by you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned scarlet. He said firmly, ¡°Do you think you can sew discord between us?Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Renee isn¡¯t that kind of cruel and wicked woman. It¡¯s very easy if she wants me dead. She didn¡¯t have to spend so much effort, let alone jump into the water prison to save me!¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal, even if you don¡¯t believe me. After all, you guys were once a married couple, and you¡¯ve had children together. Who will believe that their significant other wants to kill them?¡± Chase shook his head and gave Stefan a fatal blow. ¡°But if she cares for you, why would she leave at such an important moment without any concerns about you? When you¡¯re blind, and at your most helpless, she leaves you all alone in your enemy¡¯s base, which is full of danger. She didn¡¯t even inquire anything about you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Shut up¡± Chapter 959 Chapter 959 Finally, Stefan had a mental breakdown. No matter how strong his heart was, how could he convince himself to face such a hard truth? ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to say. Your body is clear of snake venom now. My boss is a man of his word. Soon someone will take you back to the Hunt family. Take care.¡± After that, Chase gave Stefan a firm bow full of apology before he left the room. After a long silence, Stefan¡¯s crazy roars came from the room. He sounded like a wounded beast. There was even the sound of things being smashed. ¡°Renee, you¡¯re such a cruel monster!¡± Standing not far away from the room, Chase rubbed his fingers together in a deep struggle. Quinton was standing beside Chase with his head high and chest out. He then cracked a satisfactory smile and nodded at Chase. ¡°Chase, you did a good job. So, it seems you¡¯ve made up for your faults with some contributions. Work hard at Carmine Pawnshop from now, and I won¡¯t hold you responsible for what happened in the past.¡± However, Chase was full of worry. He endlessly looked toward Stefan¡¯s room and said in concern, ¡°Sir, Stefan seems to be too agitated. He hit and smashed things. Isn¡¯t it dangerous? After all, he¡¯s a blind guy now. What if he steps on the broken pieces of the porcin¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s a very cunning man. He¡¯s just venting his feelings. He won¡¯t hurt himself. What¡¯s more¡­ I¡¯ll ask someone to give him a ride home. Nothing will happen to him.¡± Chase was at a loss for words. He then lowered his head and heaved a long sigh. He appeared like he wanted to say something, but he dared not do so. Consequently, Quinton¡¯s eyes turned cold before he red at Chase and uttered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can¡¯t bear to do this, huh? Don¡¯t forget how cold-blooded he was back when he got rid of our Carmine Pawnshop. You¡¯re the only one left in The Three Musketeers. Are you grieving over your enemy?¡± ¡°No, of course not!¡± Chase hurriedly exined, ¡°He deserves to die. Sir, you let him off the hook. So, it¡¯s considered his blessing. Of course, I won¡¯t pity him. I just think that¡­¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°He¡¯s indeed despicable, but he¡¯s sincere toward Miss Everheart, and so does Miss Everheart. You asked me to say such cruel words just now to sew discord between him and Miss Everheart. Will it¡­ be bad for Miss Everheart?¡± Chase asked carefully. Renee risked her life to save Stefan. When she woke up, she ran over to visit him, who was still in a coma. However, Quinton asked Chase to distort the truth purposely and im that Renee was a cruel and bad woman. Hence, Chase felt that it was too cruel for both Renee and Stefan. ¡°Humph! What do you know?¡± Quinton always nned ahead. He exined, ¡°I did this for my sister¡¯s sake. She wants to cut off all ties with this guy, so she needs some very extreme means. I¡¯m just granting her wish. ¡°Acting on impulse would only harm her. Look at what she did this time! She knew that the water dungeon was full of venomous snakes, but she dived in just to save a traitor. Luckily, she was rescued. We can¡¯t be sure if the same thing will happen again¡­ She¡¯ll never be harmed if emotions and love are completely eliminated!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Getting rid of all emotions and love is the slogan you asked us to remember when you first established Carmine Pawnshop. We¡¯ve been adhering to it for so many years. You even acted like a role model that was never in love. That¡¯s why Carmine Pawnshop is so glorious. Maybe your method is indeed good for them.¡± After dwelling on it for a while, Chase chose to side with Quinton. He even began convincing himself. ¡°Hmm, never in love¡­¡± Quinton rubbed his fingers together. His gaze slowly turned gloomy as his memories overwhelmed him. He was once stubborn enough to fall in love. After that, he swore never to fall in love again. That kind of thing was no different from poison. Once a person got in touch with it, one would be filled with deep pain. It was even fatal.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Chapter 960 Chapter 960 Quinton was about to ask someone to give Stefan a ride home to Hunt Manor. However, his subordinate hurriedly came to inform him about something. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s an issue. A group of thugs came. They want us to deliver that b*stard, Stefan, to them. If not, they¡¯re going to set this pawnshop on fire!¡± ¡°Humph! They¡¯re so bold! How dare they make a scene in my territory?¡± ¡°They¡­ They look extraordinary, and theye fully armed. The key is the leaderes from a very strong background, so we don¡¯t dare to act rashly. So, please¡­ step forward!¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯m curious as to who is courting death!¡± Quinton brought nothing with me as he went to Carmine Pawnshop in his casual clothes. Therge ancient gate of Carmine Pawnshop exuded a majestic magnificence. The front courtyard was covered with b stones several thousand square feet wide. Tall and upright pine trees were nted at either side of the gate, in addition to tworge ferocious-looking lion statues that were ced at either side of the door. Arge blue signboard was hung above the door with gilded handwriting that read ¡°Carmine Pawnshop.¡± For Water Dock, Carmine Pawnshop was an importantndmark that symbolized absolute solemnity and power. It was a presence that guarded the condition of the whole dock. Generally, the front courtyard of Carmine Pawnshop was guarded by two rows of security guards. The whole ce was quiet and solemn. Besides, it was vastly different from the other crowded, noisy, and messy ces in Water Dock. However, the gate of Carmine Pawnshop was quite crowded. Some who carried along firearms waved them high in the air, chanting, ¡°Hand him over! Hand him over! Hand him over!¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. The leader was standing on high ground with no weapon but a torch. At the same time, that person led the crowd and shouted with all her might, ¡°If you don¡¯t hand him over, we¡¯ll set this ce on fire! Hand him over! If not, we¡¯ll set fire!¡± Quinton walked out and looked closely to find that the leader was a woman. Besides, he knew that woman. She was the heir of the Murphy family, Seraphina. ording to rumors, the Murphy family was going to ally themselves with the Hunt family through marriage. In other words, this woman was Stefan¡¯s future wife. So, she was his sister¡¯s past rival in love. Well, how could he let her off the hook? At first, Quinton was a bit angry, but he red up in a rage because that woman was his sister¡¯s rival in love. ¡°Miss Seraphina, I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. You¡¯re just a spoiled youngdy. Why have youe to this bloody, run-down purgatory of mine?¡± ¡°You¡­ You bloodthirsty monster. You¡¯re finally here!¡± When Seraphina saw Quinton, a tinge of fear emerged in her gaze. ording to rumors, Carmine Pawnshop was not merely a simple pawnshop but was the center of ck-market trading. Anything could appear in this establishment, not least of all human lives. Everything under the sun was avable as long as it could be seen. Besides, the head of Carmine Pawnshop was called Mr. Q. Going by the moniker of Night Demon; he was cold-blooded and merciless. He treated human life as something as cheap as dirt. It also meant that if she stood against Carmine Pawnshop or offended Night Demon, her internal organs might be openly exhibited or sold in the pawnshop the next day. But she was fearless for Stefan¡¯s sake. So what if her organs would be dug out? She could even risk her life, if it came to that. ¡°Cut the crap. The people I have here aren¡¯t ordinary thugs. They¡¯ve been to wars. Their power will crush yourckeys¡¯ easily. Listen to me and hand Stefan over if you don¡¯t want your territory to be ruined!¡± Seraphina waved her torch and threatened rampantly. ¡°Miss Murphy, you should know that my Carmine Pawnshop holds a deep grudge against the Hunt family. That year, he shed my face and ruined it. He also ruined the business I built with sweat and tears. I suffered in silence for four years just so I could get my revenge. Now that I¡¯ve finally grabbed hold of my enemy, do you think I¡¯ll just let him go so easily?¡± Quinton put both of his hands in his pockets and asked with a faint smile. He appeared rxed and nice, but the ferociousness in his eyes made those experienced thugs tremble in fear. Chapter 961 Chapter 961 Seraphina was just a naive youngdy, so naturally, she shuddered in fear. She swallowed nervously, taking a few steps back. ¡°So, what is it you want? People like you are always fighting over money, right? My family is rich, so I can give you all the money you want¡­ just let him go! If you don¡¯t, the Murphy family will crush this pathetic ce with just a few of our men. There¡¯s no need for the Hunt family to take action!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Quinton¡¯s smile widened and his eyes gleamed wickedly. ¡°You¡¯re such an ignorantdy¡­ so silly and naive. I have more than enough money, so I don¡¯t need more. You should keep it for yourself, Miss Murphy.¡± Quinton grinned wolfishly and slowly approached Seraphina. He had the grace of a dangerous predator cornering its prey, and the atmosphere grew thick with tension. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t want money? What do you want then? Don¡¯t be greedy!¡± Though Seraphina was holding a torch, her arrogance was draining away. Now, she just looked like a timid youngdy. The reason she was so scared was because Carmine Pawnshop was infamous for its powerful Daredevil Army. The Daredevils were so terrifying that none of the eight families dared to get involved with them. Additionally, the fighters Seraphina hired were not particrly strong ¨C only some of them had experience in fighting and had military training, the rest were just there for backup. Seraphina had nned to use money to resolve this, because she knew she was doomed to lose as soon as the two sides fought. ¡°I don¡¯t want money ¨C I want his dignity. I want the victory of destroying him and watching him crumble under my feet,¡± Quinton sneered, loathing clear in his tone. When Quinton was younger, he used to long for money, but now, it had lost its meaning. To him, crushing the powerful Stefan¡¯s pride and joy was far more interesting.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You freak!¡± Seraphina hissed in disgust, ¡°Lowly people like you will never be able to match him, let alone defeat him!¡± ¡°What? Haven¡¯t I already defeated him?¡± Quinton pulled Seraphina to him roughly, and then raised her chin so her eyes met his. Lips curved up into a smirk, he said mockingly, ¡°The almighty president of H Group got caught by his enemy and needed a woman to save him. Doesn¡¯t that prove how weak he is?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you used dirty tricks on him. If you came at him honestly and openly, you¡¯d never win!¡± Seraphina struggled in his grip, and unable to free herself, finally ordered her fighters to attack. The men moved forward bravely to try and rescue her. The two sides began to fight, but unfortunately, the fight ended quickly. The weak fighters Seraphina hired were quickly overpowered by Carmine Pawnshop¡¯s Daredevils. Seraphina¡¯s eyes widened, and her body trembled in fear. ¡°W-Wait! What do you want? My family¡­ They¡¯re powerful! We can give you anything!¡± ¡°What do I want? That¡¯s a good question. Let me think¡­¡± Quinton chuckled softly as he stroked the side of her face. Chapter 962 Chapter 962 Quinton¡¯s gaze travelled over Seraphina¡¯s body meaningfully, and he replied, ¡°I heard you¡¯re Stefan¡¯s girlfriend now. Are you two getting married soon?¡± ¡°Yes, Stefan and I are childhood sweethearts, and we have simr backgrounds, so it¡¯s only a matter of time before we get married. If you don¡¯t want to offend both the Hunts and the Murphys, let him go!¡± Seraphina said defiantly. Quinton merely smirkedzily in response. ¡°Say, I think I want to have some fun with Stefan¡¯s woman. What do you think will happen if I do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, you hooligan!¡± Seraphina¡¯s face flushed in anger. She tried to p Quinton¡¯s cheek, but he quickly grabbed her wrist and stopped her. Quinton sneered, ¡°You¡¯ll do anything for your fiance, won¡¯t you? How about I offer you a deal then? If you serve me well, I¡¯ll let Stefan go.¡± Quinton pretended to be a pervert and caressed her body, making her shiver. ¡°After that, I¡¯ll release the video of us to the public. When that happens, the whole world will watch Stefan¡¯s woman pleasure his enemy, and then they¡¯ll know what a loser he is¡­ Heh, I¡¯m getting excited just thinking about it!¡± ¡°N-No!¡± Seraphina struggled fearfully in his grip, crying, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not Stefan¡¯s girlfriend at all. He has no intention of marrying me either. Renee Everheart, whose family used to be renowned, is the one he really loves. If you really want to ruin his woman, get her to serve you¡­ That woman¡¯s whole family is dead, so you can y with her all you want. Even if she dies, it wouldn¡¯t cost you anything. If you mess with her, you¡¯ll definitely hurt Stefan!¡± Quinton¡¯s yful expression instantly turned dangerous. He grabbed Seraphina¡¯s neck and hissed, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°R-Renee Everheart! I¡¯m not lying ¨C Stefan really loves her, and she has no family!¡± Seraphina looked at the man in horror, wondering what she had said wrong. Everyone in Beach City knew that Stefan and Renee were a married couple. What was with his sudden change in attitude? ¡°Do you know who I am to Renee?¡± The man growled softly in her face. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Seraphina choked out, trembling. Quinton¡¯s grip on her neck was so tight that her face had turned red. She hurriedly added, ¡°Are you her lover? I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that shameless woman has a few. She¡¯s¡­ Cough, cough, cough!¡± Quinton remained silent, but his fingers dug into Seraphina¡¯s throat, as if he was restraining his urge to snap her neck. He watched emotionlessly as Seraphina¡¯s eyes rolled back in her head and said slowly, ¡°Listen carefully¡­ I¡¯m Renee¡¯s brother. When you insulted my sister, you insulted me. I didn¡¯t have any ns for you, but now, well¡­ I think you need to be taught a lesson. This is for my sister, you foul- mouthed witch!¡± After saying that, Quinton mmed Seraphina onto the ground. He watched her gasp for air, and his lip curled in disgust. He turned to the leader of the Daredevils and sneered, ¡°She should have had her tongue removed. Since all of you have worked hard, you can have her. Consider it a gift.¡± ¡°Thanks, Boss!¡± The leader looked at Seraphina, who was sitting on the ground weakly. He smirked wickedly and said, ¡°Brothers, thank Boss for his generosity.¡± ¡°Thank you, Boss!¡± All the Daredevils knelt down in unison, thanking Quinton. Then, they got up and approached Seraphina like a starving pack of wolves. ¡°No, you¡­ What are you doing? Stay back!¡± Seraphina gasped, eyes wide in terror. ¡°You wanted to save Stefan, didn¡¯t you? This is the price you have to pay,¡± Quinton said coldly, then left without looking back. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Stefan was in the room when he heard a woman¡¯s cry for help. Immediately, he turned towards the sound. ¡®Is that Renee?¡¯ Chapter 963 Chapter 963 Stefan frowned. As he carefully made his way towards the door, the crying voice became Louder. ¡°It must be Renee¡­ they¡¯re torturing Renee! Chase was lying, Renee can¡¯t be the Night Demon¡¯s younger sister! She would never leave me behind!¡± Agitated, Stefan hurriedly opened the door. Unable to see, he tripped over the steps and crashed to the ground, hurting his palms and knees. He quickly got up, but tripped and fell again after just a few steps. He was aplete mess. ¡°Save me! Help! Don¡¯t touch me! Get away from me!¡± Stefan¡¯s heart ached with worry when he heard the woman¡¯s cries for help. ¡°Useless! Damn it, Stefan, you good-for-nothing!¡± Stefan snarled, feeling distraught. He covered his face with his hands, feeling like he was losing his mind. How he wished he could gouge out his eyes! He knew his woman was in danger but couldn¡¯t do anything about it. It was worse than having someone torture him to death! ¡°Renee, wait for me. I¡¯ming! I¡¯ll save you!¡± Stefan swore, his body sore as he stumbled and fell over and over again. Atst, he finally got closer to the crying voice. He was so close that it felt like she was right in front of him. The cries for help gradually stopped. A strong man pinned Seraphina down. Though she struggled, she was vited. Seraphina felt herself sink into deep despair. Her hair was messy, and her cheeks, hands, and thighs were bruised and bleeding. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Hahaha! As expected of a richdy ¨C her smooth skin and slim body are truly the best! What a reward!¡± ¡°Stop babbling and hurry up! Everyone is waiting for their turn!¡± Seraphina did not make a sound. She listened to the men being vulgar, her face emotionless. As she stared up at the dark night sky, tears silently rolled down her cheeks. She was just like a broken toy at the mercy of others. Suddenly, the group of men stopped talking and moved away anxiously. ¡°Damn, what¡¯s wrong with you guys? Why did you stop?¡± The man pinning Seraphina down quickly realized something was wrong and looked back. His eyes widened in fear, and he immediately shot to his feet, scrambling to pull up his pants. He ducked his head, hiding among the other men. ¡°Renee, is that you?¡± Stefan asked unsurely as he moved forward, reaching out to try and figure out where the woman was. Despair marred his perfectly contoured face. Impossible! He must have heard it wrong! However, it was indeed the Night Demon¡¯s style to do such an inhuman thing. Was Renee really¡­ ¡°S-Stefan?¡± The heartbroken Seraphina heard Stefan¡¯s voice and a spark of hope flickered in her. She looked at the man in disbelief as she rushed towards him frantically. ¡°Stefan? Is it really you, or am I hallucinating? You¡¯re here¡­ You¡¯re finally here!¡± Only then did Stefan realize that the voice was not Renee¡¯s. Though it was unusually hoarse and sad, he vaguely recognized the voice as Seraphina¡¯s. ¡°Seraphina? Is that you?¡± Chapter 964 Chapter 964 ¡°Stefan! What do you mean? I¡¯m Seraphina. Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡± Seraphina tried to tidy her torn clothes, her eyes filled with tears. She looked at Stefan, feeling ashamed. ¡°Are you disgusted? Those monsters hurt me and made me dirty. Is that why you don¡¯t want to talk to me anymore?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡± Stefan exhaled, feeling relieved. Stefan had thought it was Renee who called for help, and images of her being tortured had flooded his mind and made his head ache. Fortunately, it was not Renee. ¡°W-What do you mean?¡± The desperation in Seraphina¡¯s eyes grew. Stefan¡¯s attitude towards her was a million times more painful than the abuse she had just suffered. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Did you think I was Renee? Did you think those monsters tortured Renee as she tried to save you? Are you relieved to find out that it was just me? Because if it¡¯s me, you wouldn¡¯t have cared as much, would you?¡± Seraphina cried out bitterly. Stefan did not reply, and instead asked her, ¡°Seraphina, what are you doing here? What happened?¡± Seraphina stumbled back, tears streaming down her face. Stefan¡¯s indifferent attitude devastated her. ¡°Stefan, what do you think happened? Didn¡¯t you see what happened to me just now? Are you blind? Do you even have a heart? I came here to save you! Do I really deserve this?!¡± ¡°Seraphina, just calm down and tell me what happened.¡± Stefan made his way towards Seraphina and tried to pull her. He fumbled for a long time but still could not reach her. ¡°W-What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you looking for something? What¡¯s wrong with your eyes¡­¡± Although she was heartbroken, Seraphina eventually noticed something strange about Stefan. She waved her hand in front of Stefan¡¯s face, but to her surprise, his deep eyes showed no response at all! ¡°I can¡¯t see anything. My eyes are indeed blind¡­¡± Stefan spoke calmly. Now, he had be indifferent to his fate. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee. It¡¯s dangerous here. Come here¡­¡± Stefan said reassuringly and reached out to the woman, ¡°I¡¯ll take you away.¡± Seraphina was no longer in the mood to care about safety. She had gotten into such a state, and safety did not matter anymore. What was the point anyway? ¡°Y-Your eyes¡­ How can you be blind? What have you been through?¡± Seraphina asked hesitantly. The once powerful and sessful man was now¡­ blind? For her, the realization was more painful and heartbreaking than anything else! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. The man in charge is a cold-blooded and heartless freak. He¡¯ll do anything to hurt you. You have to leave now. Come here!¡± Stefan waved in the direction of Seraphina¡¯s voice. Stefan had spent four years at Carmine Pawnshop. Even though he was blind, he could rely on his memory and find the exit through his sense of touch. ¡°It was the freak who made you like this, right? It must be the freak! He said he was Renee¡¯s brother. They must have joined forces to harm you!¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes were red and watery. She hugged Stefan and gently rested her fingers on Stefan¡¯s beautiful eyes. ¡°Stefan, I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯m not afraid of anything now, so let me avenge you!¡± Chapter 965 Chapter 965 ¡°That freak! I¡¯m going to dig out his eyes and make him pay!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive. This is his territory. He¡¯s unrestrained here. You won¡¯t be able to imagine how crazy he could be.¡± ¡°Stefan, why have you be such a coward? That man made your eyes blind. He even sent those monsters to humiliate me. Are we going to let this slide? Aren¡¯t you the powerful Stefan? You¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Stefan said without any emotions in his eyes, ¡°Stefan is dead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Even though you¡¯re blind now, it¡¯s not impossible to heal with advanced medical technology now and the right eyes.¡± Seraphina hugged Stefan and wept. ¡°Stay strong. The Hunt family and the Murphy family are so rich and powerful. I¡¯m sure your eyes will heal!¡± ¡°All the more reason to stay calm and find a way out of here. Things will get better,¡± Stefan said emotionlessly. He wanted Seraphina to leave safely. Otherwise, this guilt would weigh him down for life like a mountain. ¡°You¡¯re right. Things will eventually get better!¡± Seraphina finally calmed down. She wiped away her tears and held Stefan up. ¡°Let¡¯s escape together. Tell me where we should go. I¡¯ll help you!¡± The two supported each other. At this moment, Stefan and Seraphina were each other¡¯s only support. ¡°p, p, p!¡± Suddenly, there was a burst of apuse. Quinton emerged from the dark andughed. ¡°Wonderful, how wonderful! Is this what the legendary desperate lovebirds are like?¡± ¡°Ah! Stay away!¡± Seraphina instinctively screamed upon seeing Quinton as if seeing a ghost. She hid behind the tall Stefan in fear. Honestly, she had never been so afraid of a person in all her years of Arrogance. Stefan shielded Seraphina behind him and frowned. He uttered coldly, ¡°If you want to take revenge, take revenge on me alone. Don¡¯t involve others.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to involve her either. She¡¯s the one who came threatening me with a group of rookies. She threatens to burn down my pawn shop unless I hand you over. I tolerated her¡­ but how dare she insult my sister! You should thank me for being kind enough and not removing her tongue!¡± Quinton was very biased toward his sister at heart. When he thought of Seraphina¡¯s insult to Renee, his eyes became ruthless again. He wished he could get another group of people to vite her again! ¡°That¡¯s just her personality. Besides, you¡¯ve punished her enough. Let her go,¡± Stefan said with a cold look in his eyes. ¡°Oh? Are you heartbroken?¡± Quinton was inexplicably angry. ¡°Who is she to you? Why are you so protective of her? Have you considered my sister¡¯s feelings? What about my sister? What do you consider of her?¡± ¡°My rtionship with Renee is none of your business.¡± ¡°First, you¡¯re moring to see my sister, and next, you¡¯re having an affair with another woman. You¡¯re just an unloyal sc*m. You got yourself in such a situation and deserved it. No wonder my sister disowned you. She doesn¡¯t care about your life anymore. That girl is quite sober on this¡­¡± Stefan quietly clenched his fist as he listened to these painful words. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. Let Seraphina go.¡± Quinton looked at the two, amused by their strong rtionship. He suggested in a meaningful way, ¡°Okay. You want me to let her go? It¡¯s not entirely impossible. If you do as I say, I¡¯ll let her go. Chapter 966 Chapter 966 ¡°What do you want from me? Just say it.¡± Stefan knew Quinton would not let them go just like that. Quinton was vengeful and would not stop until he tortured Stefan. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I just received an order from an old customer. He¡¯s old and needs a strong heart. He wants a strong heart from someone powerful and strong, so he has his eye on you. After all, you¡¯re the second young master of the Hunt family. You¡¯re the only one deserving of the title in Beach City,¡± Quinton said, smiling casually as if he was talking about the weather. ¡°So, if you willingly cooperate with my surgeon and give your heart to my client, I¡¯ll release Miss Murphy.¡± ¡°No, never!¡± Seraphina had been hiding behind Stefan, but when she heard that, she ran in front of Stefan and held her arms out to block the way. She no longer cared about anything at this moment. ¡°You freak! Devil! You can find the right heart for a little money, but you want Stefan¡¯s. What you really want is his life! Don¡¯t even think about it! I won¡¯t let you hurt him!¡± Seraphina snapped. Quinton ignored Seraphina and looked at Stefan with a wide smile. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Hunt? Are you willing to sacrifice your heart for Miss Murphy? She sacrificed her body for you just now, you know. The time hase to put your feelings to the test¡­¡± ¡°If I cooperate with you, you¡¯ll let her go, right?¡± Stefan asked tonelessly. ¡°Of course!¡± Quinton raised his brows. ¡°I might be a blood-loving maniac and the Night Demon, but I keep my word and do what I say.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± Once he got Quinton¡¯s word, Stefan agreed without hesitating. ¡°Let her go. I¡¯ll get the operation done.¡± Seraphina pulled Stefan¡¯s arm, feeling devastated. She was moved yet heartbroken by his sacrifice. Seraphina cried miserably, ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t talk nonsense! I¡¯ll always be with you. If something happens to you, I won¡¯t live¡­ I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯m staying with you, and I¡¯ll protect you. Even if I die, I¡¯ll never leave you!¡± ¡°Listen. You shouldn¡¯t have gotten yourself involved in the first ce¡­¡± Stefan turned around and tapped Seraphina¡¯s head like he did when they were kids, and said with a faint smile, ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the thing that scared me the most when we were kids was the thought of you crying. If you really want to do me a favor, stop crying and go home.¡± Quinton furrowed his brows deeply at the touching moment, his expression growing increasingly complicated. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°How brave! The Hunt family is truly courageous!¡± Quinton smirked, then waved his hand and ordered his men, ¡°Take him to the operation room.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t do this, you can¡¯t¡­¡± Seraphina held onto Stefan and would not let go. She kicked and bit the men that came for him but was separated from Stefan eventually. Soon, Stefan was taken into a small, dark room. However, for him, it was the same anywhere ¨C dark and pitch ck. Quinton said coldly, ¡°Well, well. It looks like it¡¯s true love between you and Miss Murphy, even at such critical moments. You¡¯re an unloyal scumbag, Mr. Hunt. I really feel bad for my sister!¡± Stefan¡¯s handsome face was nk as he said coldly, ¡°When will the surgery be done? Hurry up.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Are you in a hurry to die?¡± Quinton rolled his eyes and scoffed. He had to admit that Stefan was really a warrior that was fearless of death. Quinton took out a document and slipped a pen into Stefan¡¯s hand. ¡°First, sign on this voluntary donation agreement. We¡¯re running a pawn business, so we require both parties¡¯ consent in all transactions.¡± Stefan did not say much and signed his name with a few strokes. Quinton shook his head at Stefan¡¯s signature. ¡°I knew emotion is a weakness. You¡¯re supposed to be invincible, but you¡¯re too emotionally invested and ended up in this situation. Well, you deserve it¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a dying man. You can cut the crap.¡± For the first time, Stefan felt that Quinton was not just a freak. He was also talkative, which was really annoying. ¡°Anyst words?¡± Quinton asked sweetly. After a short silence, Stefan said softly, ¡°May my loved ones be happy for the rest of their lives.¡± Stefan¡¯s reply surprised Quinton again. ¡°Gee. Men like you are really so stubborn in love. How tragic!¡± Stefan did not know when he passed out, but he was sitting in a car when he woke up. Chapter 967 Chapter 967 Stefan was a little dazed. He touched his chest subconsciously and thought, ¡®It seems¡­ my heart is still there. It¡¯s still beating.¡¯ ¡°Damn. What happened?¡± Stefan had a terrible headache. He couldn¡¯t see and didn¡¯t know where he was. Suddenly, he heard Francine¡¯s miserable cries. ¡°It¡¯s Stef. It¡¯s really Stef. He¡¯s back! Oh, thank God!¡± Francine hugged him so tightly she almost crushed him. ¡°Mom?¡± Stefan frowned slightly and called out, feeling unsure. ¡°Son! I¡¯m right here. You¡¯ve suffered so much, my poor boy!¡± Francine said agitatedly. During the days of Stefan¡¯s disappearance, Francine cried all day and night. She seemed to have aged ten years from crying so much. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Son, where the hell have you been all this time? We searched the whole of Beach City but couldn¡¯t find you. Are you okay? Who had the audacity to do this to you? We must take revenge. Our family¡­¡± Francine started heatedly, but was soon interrupted by Stefan. ¡°Mom, where am I now?¡± ¡°Silly boy, where do you think? You drove home yourself. Don¡¯t you recognize our gate?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drive back.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Why are you in the driver¡¯s seat then? Don¡¯t you recognize your own home? It¡¯s dark, but it¡¯s not that hard to see at night? What¡­ exactly have you been through?¡± Francine asked hesitantly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom, for making you worry,¡± Stefan said quietly. It seemed that Quinton had shown mercy and spared his life. However, it was very much unlike him. Could it be¡­ Stefan felt worried at that thought. ¡°Mom, do you have your phone? Call Seraphina for me and ask if she arrived home safely.¡± ¡°Okay. That girl said she found out your whereabouts and swore to bring you back safely. I knew Seraphina was the most reliable¡­¡± Francine rambled on as she dialed Seraphina¡¯s number. Coincidentally, Seraphina stumbled out of a taxi in front of the Hunt Residence. ¡°Seraphina, over here! Stef is back!¡± Francine waved at Seraphina excitedly. ¡°Miss Francine!¡± Seraphina¡¯s legs went limp as soon as she saw Francine. She copsed on the ground and cried in despair. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s the matter? The two of you¡­ what have you been through? Were you hurt?¡± Francine held Seraphinafortingly. However, when she saw Seraphina¡¯s torn clothes and bruised skin, uneasiness bloomed in her heart. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. How is Stefan? Is he really back?¡± Seraphina asked incredulously. ¡°Yes, but he¡¯s acting strange. He drove home himself but asked me where he was. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s blind¡­¡± Francine paused abruptly, then her body turned cold at her sudden realization. ¡°N-No. It can¡¯t be¡­¡± Francine was afraid to face the truth. In fact, the entire Hunt family would be afraid to ept it! Chapter 968 Chapter 968 ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t protect myself, and now I¡¯ve made you sad.¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was calm. Francine looked at Stefan sadly. Her son used to be such a proud man, and now he was so depressed and mncholy. The light in his eyes seemed to have disappeared. Francine was devastated seeing her son like this; it was so painful that she could hardly breathe. ¡°Stef. Oh, son. What have you been through?¡± Francine hugged Stefan tightly. She couldn¡¯t imagine the kind of torture Stefan had been through during his disappearance to be like this. ¡°It¡¯s over. I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Stefan said indifferently. He did not want to reveal anything, and forbade Seraphina from saying anything. Stefan believed what he had suffered was the consequence of his past actions. It was to repay what he owed to Renee, and he deserved it. The debt was cleared, and the two no longer owed each other anything. There was no need to get involved with each other again. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s not talk about it. I¡¯m d you¡¯re back. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back¡­¡± Francine silently wept, stroking Stefan¡¯s back the way she did when he was a child. She said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do everything I can to heal you!¡± Stefan fell asleep the minute he got home. Francine, however, was unwilling to give up. She wanted to know who had the audacity to do this to her son. Francine knocked on the guest room door. ¡°Seraphina? Are you awake?¡± ¡°W-Who¡¯s there?¡± Seraphina asked in a terrified voice. She had changed into her pajamas after washing up and was now curled up in bed, trembling. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, child. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°Miss Francine, pleasee in.¡± Seraphina got up and turned on the light in the room. Francine walked in and closed the bedroom door behind her. She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her hands, wanting to say something. ¡°Child, it¡¯ste. You should be resting. I shouldn¡¯t have bothered you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Francine. How can I possibly sleep after all that? I¡¯m d you¡¯re here to talk to me.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought so too.¡± Francine hesitated shortly before asking bluntly, ¡°Stef was in a bad state earlier, and didn¡¯t want to talk about what happened. However, I have to do something, or I won¡¯t rest in peace. You have to help me¡­ Can you tell me about what you two have been through? Why are Stef¡¯s eyes like this?¡± Seraphina let out a long sigh and looked very sad. ¡°Actually, it was all my fault. Maybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened if I hadn¡¯t been selfish.¡± ¡°Your fault?¡± Francine was puzzled. ¡°What does it have to do with you? Aren¡¯t you and Stef happy together? Why would you harm him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because Stefan and I were so close that I got him hurt.¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes were watery. ¡°Miss Everheart is the reason why Stefan is blind. I guess she did it out of spite¡­ Maybe she couldn¡¯t ept how she was abandoned, and retaliated in this way. Maybe her love has turned into hatred!¡± ¡°What? Renee made him blind? She doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would do something like that.¡± Francine was shocked but sceptical. After all, Renee had been her daughter-inw for many years, so she knew her character well. Chapter 969 Chapter 969 ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it either! I didn¡¯t think Miss Everheart would be so cruel to Stefan, the man she truly loved. Her love may have turned sour, but she shouldn¡¯t have been so cruel. Unfortunately, it was indeed Miss Everheart¡¯s doing. Love can be so beautiful, yet so scary sometimes!¡± Seraphina sobbed, deliberately ndering Renee. Renee¡¯s brother was the one who harmed them anyway, which was the same as Renee hurting them. ¡°Stefan was reluctant to tell you for old time¡¯s sake. Miss Everheart was the one who did it, but he did not want you to act impulsively and try to avenge him.¡± Seraphina watched Francine¡¯s expression and continued to add fuel to the fire. ¡°Also, when I went to save Stefan, Miss Everheart retaliated and hurt me. I¡­¡± Seraphina hesitated, then burst into tears. ¡°Good girl, calm down. How did she hurt you? Tell me¡­¡± ¡°S-She ordered a bunch of men to vite me. I almost died!¡± As Seraphina spoke, she lifted the hem of her nightgown, revealing the shocking bruises on her legs. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s terrible!¡± Francine shivered when she saw the marks on Seraphina¡¯s thighs. It was obviously the result of multiple assaults. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Miss Francine, you may not believe that Miss Everheart made Stefan go blind, but this was all her doing. I didn¡¯t think she would hate me this much¡­ I don¡¯t want to live anymore! I don¡¯t deserve Stefan!¡± ¡°Good girl, please don¡¯t say that. You may have lost your body¡¯s purity, but a certain someone is far more despicable for losing her pure heart!¡± Francine put her arm around Seraphina. ¡°You and Stefan have suffered. I won¡¯t let you two suffer in vain. Renee¡­¡± She said with a cold look in her eyes, ¡°I won¡¯t forgive her!¡± Francine was a little sceptical of Seraphina¡¯s words at first as she trusted Renee¡¯s character. However, Francine had no choice but to believe the story after seeing the marks on Seraphina¡¯s body. ¡°P-please, Miss Francine. Don¡¯t take revenge on Miss Everheart. If Stefan finds out, he¡¯ll be angry!¡± Seraphina begged. ¡°Even if he¡¯s angry or tries to sever ties with me, I must take revenge for him!¡± Francine clenched her fists and said coldly, ¡°My son is too emotional. I thought Renee was a good and kind girl and wanted to get them back together¡­ It seems I didn¡¯t know her true colours. How could she do such a cruel thing?!¡± Meanwhile, at Sun Ind. Renee was dressed in a floral dress and had on a huge sun hat that covered her small and delicate face. She was lying in the hammock, feeling bored. The bright sun shone on her face as Renee swayed the hammock back and forth. She looked like she had been having a good time. Renee had been back on Sun Ind for the past few days, but felt like a visitor in her own home. It was quite irritating to see how Adie and Abby had already formed a new family with Xavier and Leia. They even went fishing early in the morning without inviting her! Renee was bored out of her mind. Suddenly, her brother Quinton video called her. ¡°Sis, as you requested, I have sent the guy back to Hunt Vi safe and sound. When are youing back?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see. I¡¯m fine here,¡± Renee answeredzily. She was relieved to know that Stefan was safe and sound, but she wasn¡¯t brave enough to go back to Beach City. She feared getting entangled with Stefan again. After all, she had sworn to God ¨C if he lived, she would never go back to him. What if she broke the promise and put him in danger again? She would rather wait for him to recover first. ¡°I knew you¡¯d stall again¡­¡± Quinton shook his head affectionately. He couldn¡¯t say no to his sister. Finally, he asked teasingly, ¡°I have something nice here. Do you want to see it?¡± Chapter 970 Chapter 970 Renee took a sip of her grape milk tea, then sighed. ¡°Well, it would be rude if I didn¡¯t see it then, right?¡± ¡°Prepare yourself. It may be a little heartbreaking,¡± Quinton said mysteriously. Renee could not help but roll her eyes. ¡°Enough with the dramatics, brother. Hurry up, or I¡¯m going to fall asleep.¡± ¡°Youzy pig. You sleep so much every day! I guarantee you¡¯ll suffer from insomnia after watching this,¡± Quinton scoffed and sent a video to Renee. Renee casually clicked on it. However, the second the video started, she froze and clenched her fists subconsciously. After a few minutes, Quinton asked, ¡°Well, have you finished?¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Renee said indifferently, ¡°I finished it.¡± ¡°You finished it?¡± Quinton was slightly surprised and asked eagerly, ¡°So, how do you feel?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything,¡± Renee replied calmly. ¡°No way! How can you not feel anything? I¡¯m usually unemotional, but even I felt touched seeing it. Shouldn¡¯t you be feeling something more?¡± Quinton urged. When Renee didn¡¯t respond, Quinton let out a long sigh. ¡°I was quite surprised too. Stefan is such a brave man, willing to give up his heart for Miss Murphy like that. Isn¡¯t that the same as giving up his life? It seems like he really loves her. He seems like the kind that would go crazy for love, doesn¡¯t he? If I were his family, I¡¯d kill him!¡± Renee suddenly realised something, and asked nervously, ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything to his heart, did you?¡± ¡°How can I? I promised you I¡¯d spare his life. It was just to scare him, sister dearest. I wanted to know who he had in his heart, and this was the result!¡± Quinton gritted his teeth, feeling furious. ¡°Turns out that he¡¯s really in love with Miss Murphy, the cheating scumbag. If you hadn¡¯t insisted on saving him, I would¡¯ve chopped him up and fed him to the fish.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Renee looked at the blue sea and shrugged indifferently. ¡°How are you not affected by this?¡± Quinton asked curiously. ¡°Should I be crying as if he abandoned me?¡± Renee scoffed. ¡°If you really didn¡¯t feel anything, why haven¡¯t you returned? What are you afraid of?¡± Quinton demanded. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee paused, unsure of what to say. ¡°I¡¯m just tired. I want to rx and spend more time with my kids ¨C it has nothing to do with him.¡± ¡°I hope so!¡± Quinton stopped smiling and turned serious. ¡°The Hunt family will definitely retaliate. They¡¯ll join forces with the Murphy family and take their revenge. We don¡¯t have much time left. I need you¡­ and so does our family.¡± Quinton frowned. ¡°I sent you this video to tell you that Stefan doesn¡¯t love you. He loves another woman, so it would be cowardly for you to avoid returning to Beach City because of him! I won¡¯t comment further; juste back quickly. At least let me meet my niece and nephew.¡± Renee bit her lip and said in a low voice, ¡°I understand.¡± After the call ended, Xavier and Leia returned from ying in the sea,ughing as they carried Adie and Abby Chapter 971 Chapter 971 ¡°Mommy, look ¨C Uncle Stuart took us to a treasure cove today! We caught a lot of fish and colourful starfish! Aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡± Abby was carrying a small bucket, her round face flushed like a red apple. ¡°Look, Mommy! It¡¯s a colourful starfish! Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± The little girl took the starfish by its two arms and excitedly showed it to Renee. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s so pretty.¡± Renee forced a smile, looking distracted. Little Abby put down the colorful starfish and hugged Renee tightly. She looked up and asked worriedly, ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong? Are you unhappy? Did someone hurt you?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m happy. You¡¯re amazing, Abby. Did you collect many good things?¡± Renee tried her best to keep her spirits up and share her children¡¯s joy. Unfortunately, her depression was like a dark cloud in the sky ¨C it was so obvious that Adie, Xavier, and Leia felt it too. ¡°Ren, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Leia put down the bucket full of fish and took Renee¡¯s hand. She asked worriedly, ¡°Is it him again? Did he profess his love to another person? Give me your phone. I¡¯ll call and scold him!¡± Not long ago, Stefan officially announced that Seraphina was his current girlfriend. Even though the group had been on the isted Sun Ind, they heard the news right away. One could only imagine Renee¡¯s tremendous disappointment and pain. If Xavier had not stopped Leia, she would have returned to Beach City and beat the crap out of Stefan! ¡°It¡¯s not him. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m happy here.¡± Renee forced a grin, but it looked worse than her crying. ¡°Why are you still so stubborn? It must be him! Don¡¯t try to protect him. That jerk has hurt you over and over again. He¡¯s nothing but a bully!¡± Leia got even angrier after saying that. She grabbed Renee¡¯s phone, ready to teach Stefan a lesson. Xavier felt bad for Stefan and said weakly, ¡°He probably has his reasons. Stefan is a loyal man, he won¡¯t change his mind for no reason.¡± ¡°Oh, do men need a reason to change their hearts? He probably got tired of the rtionship. Maybe he¡¯s bored of an independent woman like Renee, so he¡¯s trying to tter someone else. Didn¡¯t you see the official announcement video? Did someone point a gun at him and force him to show his love for her?¡± Leia demanded. ¡°Uhm, well, about that¡­¡± Xavier looked away. ¡°Well? Am I wrong? The facts are clear. Stefan is just a huge jerk who has been cheating on Renee repeatedly. I say he should be punished and humiliated for what he¡¯s done!¡± Unable to handle Leia¡¯s wrath, Xavier raised his hands in surrender and backed off. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Xavier and Leia had always been at odds, but they got along better after taking care of Adie and Abby together. Sometimes, they understood each other like they knew each other for years, but they would quickly fight and argue whenever Stefan was involved. ¡°Are you really sorry? Go on then, give him a call.¡± Leia handed the phone to Xavier, her eyes narrowed. ¡°He¡¯s your good friend, isn¡¯t he? Give him a good scolding and show me your loyalty.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Isn¡¯t it inappropriate?¡± Xavier wanted to bury a hole in the sand and disappear. He added softly, ¡°Besides, I haven¡¯t been able to reach his phone. I don¡¯t know where he¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Excuses! You¡¯re either a coward or a cheating scumbag like him!¡± Leia burst out furiously. ¡°No way, I¡¯m not like him. I¡¯m better than him. He has yet to do better,¡± Xavier defended himself quickly. Renee had been silent the whole time, but when she saw the two arguing, she interrupted them, ¡°Stop fighting. We¡¯ll go back now, so you both can scold him in person.¡± Chapter 972 Chapter 972 Renee was not joking; she figured her brother was right. She should go back. Soon after, the group took a flight back to Beach City. Quinton came early to pick them up. His gentle and elegant appearance made him look like a kind and knowledgeable schr. No one knew he was the notorious and fearsome Night Demon who had spilled the blood of many people. Quinton leaned against arge ck SUV and kept his eyes on the exit. When he saw Renee and the two little ones, he waved at them excitedly. ¡°Sis, over here!¡± ¡°Sis?¡± Leia and Xavier exchanged nces confusedly, then turned to Renee. ¡°Who is he? Why is he wearing a mask in broad daylight?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother,¡± Renee replied honestly, a smile on her face. She had been talking to Quinton on callstely, but Leia and Xavier had been unaware of his existence. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Brother? Is he your godbrother?¡± Xavier frowned andined in disgust, ¡°What age is this? That¡¯s such an old-fashioned way to hit on girls. I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± ¡°No! He¡¯s my real brother!¡± Renee rolled her eyes at Xavier and said, ¡°Do you think everyone is like you? All you think about is flirting with girls!¡± ¡°Real brother? That can¡¯t be!¡± Leia was in shock. ¡°Ren, aren¡¯t you the only child? Why do you suddenly have a brother? Were you fooled?¡± ¡°He¡¯s really my brother. We¡¯re twins, just like you and Liam!¡± Renee raised her chin and exined proudly. It was nice knowing she still had family and someone who doted on her. ¡°Quinton!¡± Renee called out to Quinton, then ran over and jumped into his arms like a little girl. Her brother¡¯s embrace was warm and steady. What was happiness? Happiness was getting off the ne and then seeing your family waiting to take you home. ¡°Little girl, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while. Have you lost weight? Are you not eating well?¡± Quinton hugged Renee firmly, then began to nag like a father, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? There¡¯s nothing more important than eating well. Even if you¡¯re unhappy, you mustn¡¯t starve yourself. Your health is important. Don¡¯t let your anger affect your health. If you fall sick, that¡¯ll make your enemies happy. This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ll cook for you from now on. You have to eat two bowls per meal before leaving the table, do you hear me?¡± Renee was overwhelmed and protested weakly, ¡°Quinton, are you serious? Two bowls per meal? I¡¯ll be fat! What if no one wants to marry me in the future?¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t get married! I¡¯ll take care of you. Marriage is not for all women, you can stay unmarried and always be a young girl. If you get married, your husband¡¯s family will only take advantage of you. Why bother getting married?¡± Quinton said reasonably. ¡°Right. I want to stay as a young girl all my life and never marry again¡­¡± Renee nodded absently. ¡°That¡¯s the way to go. Women don¡¯t have to get married or have children in this modern era. I¡¯ll support you and keep you safe and happy all your life.¡± Quinton smiled at Renee affectionately. Chapter 973 Chapter 973 The dialogue between the two siblings made Leia feel a little jealous. Their conversation touched her. Leia wiped her tears and bumped Xavier with her elbow. ¡°Look at them! How touching¡­ Ren rarely relies on other people, so her brother must be a really good person. I¡¯m so envious!¡± Xavier was the only child and could not understand such sibling love. He frowned, looking confused. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a brother? Isn¡¯t your brother the same?¡± ¡°No way. I¡¯ve been fighting with my brother since we were young. He always insults me and calls me names. He always says no one will ever want me, and I will never get married. He says I must equip myself with more skills, or I¡¯ll starve to death!¡± Leia whined. Leia could not stop whenever sheined about Liam. ¡°Did you know he used to trick me when I was a kid? I handed my pocket money to him for safekeeping, but when I asked him for it, he asked me to pay a service fee. I had to give him two dors to retrieve a dor of pocket money. In the end, he took away a big chunk of my pocket money, and I ended up owing him money. Have you seen such a terrible brother?¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Xavier could not helpughing. ¡°You were stupid enough to give your pocket money to him, so how can you me anyone else for it?¡± ¡°How dare you! You may not sympathise with me, but how can youugh at my misery? Do you know how much I suffered in my miserable childhood?¡± Leia burst out, pouting. ¡°Hahaha. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here now. He can¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡± Xavier rubbed the woman¡¯s head, a soft and doting smile on his face. Leia fell silent. Her cheeks flushed as the two looked at each other bashfully. Leia and Xavier had worked together to take care of Adie and Abby on Sun Ind. During that time, they seemed to have developed feelings for each other, but neither confessed or took the initiative to make a move. Xavier had been flirting with her daily but never made a proper confession. Leia constantly warned herself not to fall for him. She kept telling herself that Stefan was a jerk, so his best friend Xavier would not be any better. ¡°Hey, what are you two doing? Come here! Let me introduce you!¡± Renee called Leia and Xavier over eagerly. ¡°This is my brother Quinton. Brother, this is my best friend and closest friend. Meet Leia, the seventh daughter of the Osborne family.¡± ¡°And this¡­¡± Renee looked at Xavier, unsure how to introduce him. After all, Xavier was Stefan¡¯s good friend. If Quinton knew this, Xavier might be in danger. Xavier, however, had a bright smile as he introduced himself without any concerns. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Xavier. I¡¯m a good friend of your brother-inw Stefan. I¡¯m also very close to Renee!¡± Hearing that, Quinton¡¯s gentle smile turned strained. He had aplicated look on his face. ¡°Oh, Are you Xavier Stuart, the only son of the Stuart family? Stefan¡¯s good brother?¡± ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right! Do you know me?¡± Xavier started to talk about his achievements like an idiot, ¡°Speaking of which, I may not be as famous as Stefan, but I¡¯ve done some great things¡­ Do you know Carmine Pawnshop? It¡¯s a powerful pawn shop. I spent a fortune and opened a simrpany to compete against them. Atst, I managed to capture at least half of their customers. Stefan took advantage of this opportunity to beat up their boss back then¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee coughed hard, trying to stop Xavier from talking any further. Xavier was really good at digging a grave for himself. He went for all the dangerous topics and offended Quinton repeatedly. Did he really want Quinton to kill him?! Xavier continued to hit Quinton¡¯s sore point. After that, he even added, ¡°You look so gentle. What¡¯s your profession? Are you a college teacher?¡± Quinton put his hands in his pockets and said with a half-smile, ¡°I¡¯m not a teacher. I actually run a small business.¡± ¡°Really? What kind of business? Are we in the same line of work?¡± Xavier asked enthusiastically. ¡°I¡¯m in the pawn business.¡± Quinton added, ¡°I run a small pawn shop ¨C Carmine Pawnshop.¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Chapter 974 Chapter 974 Everyone was at a loss for words. There was a long silence. Xavier¡¯s smile froze a little, but he eventuallyughed and reached out his hand to Quinton cheerfully. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re an old friend! I¡¯ve heard so much about you!¡± ¡°We¡¯re indeed old friends.¡± Quinton had a cold look in his eyes. He said, smiling, ¡°After all, there were many times when I wanted to chop you up and feed you to crocodiles!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Quinton, you¡¯re such a funny man!¡± Xavier pointed at Quinton. ¡°I thought Stefan had beaten you into depression. Is that why you¡¯ve been hiding in Water Dock?¡± ¡°You must be joking, Mr. Stuart. Do I look depressed? You can try to find out.¡± ¡°If I do, I¡¯ll die.¡± The two men were going back and forth with smiles on their faces, but it felt like they were fighting it out with their words. Renee and Leia held each other¡¯s hands and retreated to the side, afraid of being identally injured. ¡°Okay. Have you had enough? Can you stop fighting? Don¡¯t block the entrance and hinder traffic.¡± Renee held Adie and Abby and said to them, ¡°My loves, he¡¯s the uncle I¡¯ve mentioned before. Isn¡¯t he very dear? Call him Uncle Quinton.¡± ¡°Uncle Quinton!¡± The two little ones greeted Quinton adorably. ¡°Oh, Adie, Abby. I finally get to see you! Come and let me hug you!¡± Quinton wanted to keep fighting with Xavier, but his anger faded when he saw the two little ones. He squatted down and picked them up in excitement. ¡°Uncle, why are you wearing a mask like Daddy Q? Do you know Daddy Q?¡± Adie asked Quinton curiously, trying to remove Quinton¡¯s mask. ¡°Hey, Adie! Don¡¯t touch my mask!¡± Quinton stopped him with a stern expression. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°My face was disfigured by some bad guys. I have a really big scar, so I don¡¯t want to scare you,¡± Quinton exined honestly. Little Abby said sweetly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Uncle Quinton. You¡¯re our dearest uncle, so we won¡¯t be scared. The scar isn¡¯t a big deal. It¡¯s just your unique mark ¨C no one else has it!¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Quinton had a heart made of stone, but Abby¡¯s words softened him. He had not felt this way in a long time. ¡°Adie, Abby. Don¡¯t be rude to Uncle Quinton. He has his reasons for wearing a mask, so don¡¯t pester him. Besides, isn¡¯t it cool to wear a mask?¡± Renee lectured her children sternly. Renee knew Quinton¡¯s face had always been a wound in his heart. It was normal for him to hide his scar, and Renee had always respected his decision. ¡°It¡¯s okay. If the kids are curious, I can take it off. We¡¯re a family. There¡¯s no need to be so secretive,¡± Quinton said and took off his mask. Quinton had a long and deep scar across his face. It was crooked and spread from the end of his left eye to the right corner of his mouth. It was as if the scar split his face in half! Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Everyone was shocked but did not say much. They cared about Quinton¡¯s self-esteem and did not want to hurt him. However, the surrounding passers-by¡¯s responses were hurtful ¨C they screamed in fright and retreated a few metres away. Chapter 975 Chapter 975 ¡°Ah, monster!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so scary! Did someone cut off half of his face? That¡¯s terrible!¡± The passersby¡¯s reactions hurt Quinton¡¯s self-esteem badly. He quickly put his mask back on and smiled bitterly. ¡°Sorry for scaring you.¡± ¡°N-No¡­¡± Renee felt sorry for Quinton andforted him, ¡°I think you¡¯re very handsome. Your eyes are very much like Mom¡¯s ¨C gentle and determined. Your mouth is very much like Dad¡¯s. You have beautiful lips. You¡¯re really my brother. If we weren¡¯t blood-rted, I would¡¯ve fallen in love with you at first sight!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Quinton¡¯s eyes brightened immediately. Quinton had always wondered what his mother looked like. He had imagined it countless times, but it never felt real. However, when Renee described her, her image immediately came to his mind and his heart softened. ¡°Of course. You can ask Lei too. She¡¯s Mom and Dad¡¯s goddaughter and often visited us. She knows Mom and Dad¡¯s faces very well¡­ Right, Lei?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Leia had been startled by Quinton¡¯s scar earlier, but when she thought about it, Quinton actually had a handsome face. His handsomeness was no less than Stefan and Xavier¡¯s. In fact, he was even more perfect than Stefan and Xavier. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. Quinton¡¯s eyes, which he inherited from his mother, looked like they held many stories. Renee¡¯s mother had been as famous as Francine back then. She had been the most beautiful person in North City! ¡°Quinton¡¯s eyes are exactly the same as Godmother¡¯s eyes. I was stunned, I thought I saw my godmother¡­¡± Leia said with a sincere look on her face. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Quinton finally regained his self-esteem. Renee and Leia¡¯s praises had put a smile on his face, and he glowed like an elegant prince. Xavier, on the other hand, said coldly, ¡°Gee. Stefan was ruthless back then and cut his face so badly. He¡¯s like a monster. Who wouldn¡¯t have a nightmare after seeing him? Renee and Leia were at a loss for words. Xavier asked, ¡°Why are you both ring at me? Did I say something wrong? He knows what his face looks like. Otherwise, why would he wear a mask? He may lose himself because of your excessive praise. If he stops wearing the mask, he may scare the children. Even if he doesn¡¯t scare the kids, what if he scares innocent passersby?¡± Leia could not take it anymore and punched Xavier hard in the stomach. ¡°Xavier, just shut up, will you?!¡± ¡°Oww! It hurts!¡± Xavier covered his stomach and grimaced in pain. He blurted out, ¡°Leia! Damn! Are you trying to murder your husband?¡± Immediately, Leia froze. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she stopped talking. Xavier took a while to calm down. After that, he said solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry! I¡¯m saying it for his own good!¡± Then, he turned to Quinton, who had an icy expression on his face. ¡°Quinton, haven¡¯t you considered getting a stic surgeon to restore your handsome face?¡± ¡°No!¡± Quinton gritted his teeth and replied in annoyance. Quinton was already at the limit of his patience. Xavier was just a frivolous man and another rich kid like Stefan. If it were not for Renee, he would have killed him! ¡°No? That doesn¡¯t matter. Universal Entertainment may not be familiar with all kinds of business, but we¡¯re renowned for our stic surgery services. Nine out of ten artists in ourpany have undergone stic surgery. I know a highly-skilled stic surgeon called Ghost. He can surely save this face of yours!¡± Xavier said enthusiastically. ¡°Really?¡± Quinton frowned. Xavier¡¯s words sparked a glimmer of hope in him. Who would not want to have a normal face if they could? Chapter 976 Chapter 976 ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± Xavier draped his arm around Quinton¡¯s shoulder and patted his chest with his other hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bro. You are Ren¡¯s brother, so you are also my brother. I only want the best for you!¡± ¡°But you are Stefan¡¯s friend, so how good can you be?¡± Quinton frowned and looked at the man¡¯s arm in disgust, restraining the urge to cut it off. Years of bloody battles had made him wary of people and unfamiliar with intimate interactions. ¡°No, no, no. I am no longer his brother. From now on, I will cut ties with that cold-blooded and heartless man!¡± Xavier crossed his arms, and smiled earnestly. ¡°I am now your brother, so I will listen to everything you say. And I wasn¡¯t joking earlier. If you want, I can bring you to the stic surgeon and let him see if your face can be reconstructed.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Quinton nodded, the defensiveness in his eyes fading slightly. They got into the car and started talking happily. Quinton even warmly invited Xavier to Carmine Pawnshop to have tea with him. Watching them from the backseat, Renee and Leia exchanged nces in confusion. ¡°What is going on here? Why are they suddenly so close? Did I miss something?¡± ¡°What¡¯s so strange about it? Xavier is very sociable.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t he too quick to defect to Quinton, knowing that my brother and his best friend are deadly rivals?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ he¡¯s acting weird. What¡¯s he up to?¡± ¡°There must be a conspiracy!¡± ¡°Yeah, it must be!¡± Soon, they arrived at the Carmine Pawnshop. Quinton announced that he would personally cook for them, and Xavier acted like a loyal follower as he said, ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll go with you. Please teach me how to cook.¡± So, the two men talked in the kitchen again. They were like long-lost brothers, and their excitement was very peculiar. Renee and Leia sat on the sofa near the table with a bunch of fruits and snacks. The children were running around in the courtyard, casually ying with priceless antiques with a panicked Chase running after them. ¡°Ah, please be careful with that, Master Adie. That is not an ordinary ser ball but one used by royalty in ancient times. It¡¯s made of pure gold and ancient jade and is very very expensive, so please don¡¯t break it!¡± ¡°Ah, Miss Abby, p-please don¡¯t touch this vase. It¡¯s a high-quality product from an imperial kiln and Mr. Everheart¡¯s favorite¡­¡± Leia, like the twins, felt like she had entered a foreign world and found everything very new. ¡°Ren, look at this snuff bottle. I have seen it in a museum before. I remember that the price is estimated to be around fifteen million dors. How could you treat it like amon ornament? Isn¡¯t it a bit wasteful?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 977 Chapter 977 ¡°This is just my brother¡¯s hobby. There are dozens more in his disy case. If you like them, I can ask him to send you a few.¡± ¡°My gosh, Ren, you are simply too rich!¡± Leia pretended to wipe away tears as sheined. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re literally living the perfect life! You were born into a rich family, you¡¯re skilled at practically everything, and are currently the president of KCL. Not only that, your children are pretty and clever, and even your brother who appeared out of nowhere is a magnate. How aremon girls like me going to live? Oh, but I forget about the scum from the Hunt family that tainted your life. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t matter. You have cut ties with that pathetic being, so you can live a beautiful life alone in the future¡­¡± Renee was amused by Leia¡¯s dramatic monologue. ¡°My dear Miss Leia, aren¡¯t you born into a rich family? Don¡¯t you have a powerful brother? And the most precious thing is that you have a reliable man. I am the one who should envy you.¡± ¡°Man?¡± Leia frowned in confusion. ¡°Where is the man? Howe I don¡¯t know about him?¡± ¡°Stop acting. Where do you think he will be?¡± Renee nced at the kitchen, hugged Leia, and said teasingly, ¡°Tell me honestly. How far have you and Xavier gone? When will you get married?¡± ¡°What? Stop talking nonsense!¡± Leia blushed immediately like a shy young girl. ¡°I only worked with him to take care of the kids. We are not from the same world, and we¡¯re not even friends.¡± ¡°Why does he address himself as your darling then?¡± Renee smirked. ¡°He¡¯s always been like this, flirting with all women he encounters. He¡¯s simply a yboy addicted to sex!¡± Leia recalled the recent days they spent together and inexplicably felt annoyed. Truthfully, he had not said or done anything. It was she who had been making a fuss out of it, so he did not deserve her anger¡­ ¡°I see.¡± Renee got serious and patted Leia¡¯s shoulderfortingly. ¡°It¡¯s not your problem, it¡¯s his. Don¡¯t feel pressured about it.¡± ¡°What should I do now, Ren? Sometimes I feel like an idiot whose emotions are easily manipted by him. I feel so powerless!¡± Leia confessed to Renee miserably. ¡°You know that I only have theoretical knowledge about romance. I have very little practical experience, and the only one I had was a failure. I really have no resistance toward a love master like Xavier.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know just how to deal with this kind of man. Just wait and see.¡± Renee smiled ambiguously at Leia and went to the kitchen to look for Xavier. Xavier and Quinton were no longer chatting happily in the kitchen and started poking fun at each other. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what is on your mind when you try to tter me. I advise you not to waste your time here¡­ I won¡¯t agree to it!¡± Quinton scoffed as he chopped the meat. Xavier was washing the vegetables beside him. His noble demeanour made the greens in his hands look very expensive as he smiled and said, ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Stop pretending to be weak. We¡¯re men, so you should understand what I mean¡­¡± Quinton smiled and nced at the man sharply. ¡°Are you shamelessly staying here because you like my sister and fear that I willter estrange her from you, so you want to show your loyalty to me in advance?¡±Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 978 Chapter 978 Xavier paused briefly and his yful smile turned stiff, but he admitted openly, ¡°You¡¯re really smart. I indeed like your sister so I don¡¯t want to fall out with you or else I would have a thin chance of meeting her again.¡± ¡°I know you are a hopeless romantic like Stefan who can betray your friends for the sake of a woman. If Stefan knows about this, I bet he will want to kill you.¡± Quinton smiled cryptically and continued. ¡°Anyway, he might not be in the mood to care about this now, so it might be the best time for you to pursue my sister.¡± ¡°What happened to Stefan¡­ I mean, that scum¡­ Isn¡¯t he enjoying his life now with a beautiful woman in his arms? How can he be in a bad mood?¡± ¡°Why are you so concerned about him now that you have betrayed him?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious about whether karma will find the bad guys.¡± ¡°Rest assured, it will.¡± Looking at Quinton¡¯s triumphant expression, Xavier knew that Stefan must be in some kind of trouble. Before he could ask about it, Renee pushed open the door and walked into the kitchen. ¡°Xavier,e out. I need to talk to you for a second.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Xavier felt a bit surprised and nervous when he looked at the domineering woman. ¡°Yeah, you. Come with me.¡± Renee waved at the man and went out without leaving him a chance to refuse. ¡°Um, Brother, I¡­¡± Xavier turned to Quinton to ask for permission. ¡°Just go. You won¡¯t be able to get her anyway,¡± said Quinton dismissively as he waved his hand. As far as he was concerned, all the men in the world, except Stefan, had no ability to move her sister¡¯s heart, so it was totally unnecessary to guard her from other men. They were just wasting their efforts. On the contrary, he could make use of them. Xavier was Stefan¡¯s best friend, so no one knew Stefan¡¯s weaknesses better than him. Renee and Xavier arrived at a quiet and dark corner of the backyard of Carmine Pawnshop. No one woulde here unless he was being punished. ¡°There¡¯s no one here, so why don¡¯t you tell me what it is you want?¡± Renee asked Xavier, her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°What? Damn, you and your brother are truly biological siblings, you both are so vigorous,¡± mocked Xavier, smiling. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop changing the subject. What do you think I¡¯m asking you? I¡¯m asking about you and my bestie!¡± ¡°Oh, her¡­¡± Xavier¡¯s yful smile faded and he said nonchntly, ¡°Nothing. I was just messing around with her like friends do.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± Renee exploded and punched him. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re a school kid? Messing around with a friend? Tell me now: do you like her?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. I like her, I like you, and I like every beautiful woman in this world. I like to joke with them, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Chapter 979 Chapter 979 ¡°Bah, you really are the king of yboys and jerks. So, what you¡¯re saying is that you don¡¯t really like Leia, and you¡¯re just messing around with her out of habit?¡± Renee questioned sharply. She had to confirm Xavier¡¯s feelings for Leia before she could help Leia make her choice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to answer this.¡± There was a subtle uneasiness under Xavier¡¯s nonchnce. He looked at Renee indifferently and said, ¡°You¡¯re not my girlfriend, so I¡¯m not obligated to tell you about my feelings.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to evade this with your yfulness, Xavier. Answer my question if you¡¯re a man. I know you¡¯re not a real yboy, you¡¯re just disguising yourself.¡± Renee had hit the nail on the head. She still remembered that he nearly died in the fire to save her. No matter how vile he pretended to be, he could not hide his true self as a brave and responsible man. ¡°What does it have to do with you? Your righteous indignation may make me misunderstand you.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Huh? What do you mean? ¡°What do you think?¡± Still behaving casually, Xavier advanced slowly toward Renee, then tilted up her chin and smiled slyly. ¡°A man might misunderstand that a woman likes him if she cares too much about him¡­ I had feelings for you once, you know. Now that you¡¯re single again, my feelings for you might be easily rekindled!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re crazy!¡± His words gave Renee goosebumps and she pushed him away hard. ¡®Damn it, it¡¯s just like what Lei told me. He is just a yboy who likes to flirt ¨C his mind cannot be read.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m warning you ¨C I don¡¯t care about your reasons, but if you really have feelings for Lei, you¡¯d better confess to her as soon as possible. She might look like a carefree person, but she is very sensitive inside. Her previous rtionship was traumatic, so she can¡¯t afford to be hurt again. If you have no feelings for her, stop flirting with her. She will take it seriously and it will hurt herter on!¡± Renee warned Xavier seriously. His eyes darkened and he asked, ¡°What happened to her previous rtionship? Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Why are you curious about it?¡± Renee smiled thoughtfully. ¡°When a man cares a lot about a woman, doesn¡¯t it mean that he has feelings for her?¡± Xavier did not admit or deny it, and continued, ¡°Was her ex a jerk? What did he do to her?¡± ¡°Um, how should I put it? He is a highly-educated elite, very gentlemanly and elegant, and very smart. Lei liked him a lot¡­¡± ¡°Hah, an elegant and smart elite¡­¡± He sounded very disdainful, and even his gaze exuded hostility. He sneered, ¡°So, that¡¯s the kind of guy she likes?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Come to think of it, I seem to have worried too much¡­¡± Renee pursed her lips thoughtfully. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She said haughtily, ¡°You are not her type at all. If she is not interested in you, she will naturally not be hurt by you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± A hint of frustration shed across Xavier¡¯s handsome face, but it was quickly reced with cynicism. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s also what she thinks¡­ Right, dear Lei?¡± The man asked suddenly with a wry smile. The man¡¯s gaze looked past Renee at the corner where Leia had been hiding for a while. Chapter 980 Chapter 980 Renee felt nervous when she turned around and spotted Leia. ¡°Lei, when did you get here? Why didn¡¯t you say something?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while. It looked like you both were having a good chat so I didn¡¯t have the heart to interrupt.¡± Leia slowly approached them, her tone indifferent and cold. ¡®Darn!¡¯ Renee knitted her eyebrows. She did not expect that Leia would overhear her conversation with Xavier. As someone with high self-esteem, Lei must be very hurt! ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his crap, Lei. He is just speaking casually. He is not such a person, he¡­¡± Renee anxiously tried to make excuses for Xavier, but then realized that the man¡¯s words were simply unforgivable. ¡°You don¡¯t have to defend me, darling, I am that kind of person. It¡¯s good for Lei to know this early so that she will give up on her unrealistic fantasies.¡± Xavier put his hands in his pockets. The corners of his lips curved upwards and his gaze was carefree and charming. Leia looked at the man coldly and said disdainfully, ¡°I admit that you are skillful in flirtation, Xavier, and I did have some moments of confusion during the days we were on Sun Ind, but the confusion I had is still far from admiration. I would never love a man like you.¡± Xavier shrugged carelessly. ¡°I know. I am not an elite or brainy man. I am just a jerk who lives casually. I won¡¯t ask for your love.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you because I despise you. You are a coward deep down. You don¡¯t even have the guts to face your heart. You are the most cowardly man I have ever met, and you¡¯re even more cowardly than my ex!¡± ¡°Coward?¡± Xavier rubbed his chin, as if she had poked his sore spot, andughed. ¡°How am I a coward? What is wrong with not liking conflict?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a coward since you don¡¯t even have the courage to face your own feelings?¡± Leia snarled,¡±I was wondering why I felt you were sad though you looked happy. It¡¯s the sorrow of unrequited love, isn¡¯t it? I understand now¡­¡± ¡°Um, what do you understand?¡± He was confused for real this time. Did she really know his true feelings? Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You like Ren, your best friend¡¯s girl.¡± Leia had figured out his true feelings this time and pitied him. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you only dare to love her secretly and do not dare to pursue her. This is why you use your yfulness to hide your true feelings, then stay by Ren¡¯s side as her best friend. You even deliberately flirt with me to use me as a cover-up because you are afraid that your true feelings will be exposed!¡± ¡°Um¡­ is that what you think?¡± His handsome face stiffened immediately. ¡®Why is this girl not reacting the way a girl normally would?¡¯ Was she some kind of mind reader who could see into his heart? Leia, on the other hand, continued to criticize him. ¡°You¡¯re such a coward! You¡¯re old enough to stop having a crush on someone. Ren is already single now anyway, so act like a man and pursue her openly!¡± ¡°Um, you are right. Darling is single now, so maybe I really can try to woo her. But the thing is, I am only good at talking, so I don¡¯t know where to start!¡± He frowned slightly, then sincerely asked Leia for advice. ¡°You are her best friend, so you should know her best. Why don¡¯t you teach me how to do it?¡± ¡°Hmph, maybe there¡¯s hope for you yet, since you asked the right person.¡± Leia looked angry at first, but when she heard that he wanted to pursue her best friend, she suddenly got fired up. ¡°It¡¯s easy. First, you must be handsome¡­¡± Renee stood beside them, totally dumbfounded. ¡®Are these two alright? Why do I have to deal with this? Why are they openly discussing how to pursue me?¡¯ What¡¯s more, they were very excited about it. It was like they were in their own world, and no one else was around. Chapter 981 Chapter 981 ¡°Eh, well¡­¡± Renee tried to join their conversation but found that they were too engrossed in their conversation. She had no chance to get a word in. Hence, she decided to leave first. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your chat. Bye.¡± When she was back in the dining room, Quinton had almost finished cooking. He was now enthusiastically arranging the dishes on the table. ¡°Sis, you¡¯re home. You¡¯re just in time for the meal. Where¡¯s Xavier and Lei?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still chatting.¡± ¡°What are they talking about? They¡¯re so engrossed in it.¡± ¡°Er, they¡¯re discussing how to gain my heart.¡± Renee became quite helpless. While arranging the dishes, Quinton¡¯s hands stiffened briefly. He asked tentatively, ¡°What do you think of Xavier?¡± ¡°Although he¡¯s not very serious, he¡¯s a good man. He even saved my life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. You can consider him.¡± ¡°Oh, please. Quinton, why do you behave like Lei? Why do you keep setting me up with some random guy? Didn¡¯t you promise to take care of me for the rest of my life and ensure my safety without me getting married and pregnant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I hope that you can get a good lover. What¡¯s more, Xavier is Stefan¡¯s buddy. He should have a deep understanding of Stefan. Well, we¡¯ll get a higher chance of winning the battle after turning the friend of your enemy into our confidante.¡± Quinton raised a profound statement. Both Xavier and Leia were back now. They were after the same target, so they were no longer at daggers drawn with each other now. In fact, they were at peace with each other. Quinton now joined them, and the three of them shared the same goal. While having dinner, Quinton and Leia both regarded Renee as a dish and nearly served her to Xavier. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Come, have some prawns. Prawns are Ren¡¯s favorite.¡± While Leia was talking, she shot Xavier a look. Xavierughed on his own. He picked up a prawn, then put on a pair of gloves and started peeling it patiently. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good. You ept advice readily. Keep this in mind: Ladies don¡¯t peel the prawns themselves if they want to eat it.¡± Xavier nodded before he ced the nicely peeled prawn on Leia¡¯s te. ¡°Miss, you must be tired from teaching me the entire night. Have a prawn to rejuvenate yourself.¡± Consequently, Leia was stunned. She stared at him in shock. ¡°Dude, are you out of your mind? Why did you give it to me? You should give it to Ren!¡± ¡°Oh, right. I¡¯ll peel one for Renee.¡± He turned around and exchanged a look with Renee. Suddenly, Renee was enlightened. She echoed his words, ¡°It¡¯s fine. My taste has changed. I don¡¯t like prawns anymore. He doesn¡¯t have to peel it for me.¡± Xavier shrugged helplessly. He appeared to be sad. ¡°Look, she doesn¡¯t even let me peel a prawn for her. She must feel that I have no right to do so. I¡¯m such a loser.¡± When Leia saw his defeated look, she inevitably pitied him. So, she immediately did him the favor and ate the prawn. ¡°People have different tastes. I¡¯ll eat it then.¡± ¡°Great, I¡¯ll peel a few more for you.¡± Hence, Xavier, who imed that he wanted to pursue Renee, peeled prawns for Leia one after another. Sitting in the main seat, Quinton was bbergasted and confused. What was happening? Their rtionships were tooplicated! Chapter 982 Chapter 982 The dinner was indeed quite chaotic. It was as if Cupid had gotten drunk and it began to arbitrarily set up couples. Both Quinton and Leia hinted at Xavier ceaselessly to please Renee, but Renee gave Xavier endless chances to please Leia. Xavier imed that he wanted to pursue Renee, but his focus was all on Leia. He peeled prawns for her repeatedly. After that, he started peeling crabs for her. Hence, there was so much food on her te that she could not finish it¡­ ¡°Okay, stop peeling. I¡¯m already full.¡± Smiling awkwardly, Leia stopped Xavier from peeling more prawns for her. After that, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Are you done using me? You should chat with Ren and serve her food. Have you forgotten what I just taught you? She¡¯s leaving the table if you don¡¯t act now.¡± ¡°So you do dislike me indeed. Didn¡¯t I peel the prawns and crabs nicely? I¡¯ll change, okay?¡± Xavier behaved like a feeble person and looked at her pitifully. Leia was dumbfounded. ¡°Ahem, well, I¡¯m full. Enjoy your meal.¡± Renee wiped her lips before she got up and left the dining table. She said to the two children, ¡°Adie, Abby, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll y with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m full now.¡± Quinton also got up. Even if he was insensible, he could see whom Xavier aimed to win over now. Hence, he stopped trying to set him up with Renee casually. In short, he regarded Leia as his younger sister too. If Leia won Xavier over, it was the same as if Ren had won Xavier over. The effects would be the same, and he could make use of Xavier too. In the end, Xavier and Leia were the only ones left at the dining table. Suddenly, the atmosphere became awkward and slightly ambiguous. But Leia was well aware of Xavier¡¯s feelings. She hated that kind of ambiguity very much. She put down her cutlery and red at him in annoyance. ¡°Hey, Xavier, do you take me for a fool?¡± ¡°Of course, I haven¡¯t the stomach for that.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Innocence was written all over Xavier¡¯s handsome face. ¡°Haven¡¯t I served you well tonight? Why did you say that I take you for a fool?¡± ¡°You told me that you want to pursue Ren, so I told you a lot of moves that you could use. But you didn¡¯t even use any of that. You just used me the entire night. Now my stomach is full of prawns and crabs. Aren¡¯t you fooling me?¡± Leia inevitably burped when she reached that point. She grabbed a few pieces of fruit to cleanse her palette. Xavier raised his charming countenance and looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Well, thank you, my good friend. But¡­ did I ever tell you that I¡¯d pursue Ren?¡± ¡°What? If you like her, don¡¯t you want to pursue her? What¡¯s more, you told me just now that you wanted to. You even asked me to teach you. Why are you refusing to admit it?¡± ¡°I just told you that I could try and pursue her, but I didn¡¯t say that I would really do that. What¡¯s more¡­¡± Xavier paused all of a sudden. His gaze turned deep-set with a profound meaning as he looked at Leia. ¡°When again did I say that I liked her?¡± ¡°There you go again. No one else is here. Why are you so shy?¡± She looked at him, and felt remorseful for failing to live up to his expectation. ¡°I know that you¡¯re very stressed to have such a love rival like Stefan. After all, he¡¯s handsome and capable. He¡¯s your buddy too. It¡¯s reasonable that you don¡¯t dare to pursue your buddy¡¯s woman, but Ren is single now. Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t even have the courage to admit to it now, do you?¡± However, Xavier merely chuckled and touched her head. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about other stuff. I simply want to know the reasons for your firm belief that I fancy Renee?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Ren is outstanding, pretty, and unique. She is a model of a perfect woman. No men can resist her charms, including a frivolous yboy like you.¡± Leia produced a well-founded answer. Chapter 983 Chapter 983 ¡°But you¡¯re also awesome, pretty, and unique. Why can¡¯t you feel my fondness for you?¡± ¡°Why, you¡­¡± Leia¡¯s calmness was fluttered by him. Consequently, she blushed faintly. It might be because she had some wine, or it might be because of the romantic night. When she looked up at him, her clear eyes were watery and eager. ¡°Tell me. Do you like me?¡± That was the first time she asked him that question directly. There seemed to be a tinge of ambiguity between them in the past. She seemed to have received some hints from him, but she did not dare to confirm it. Afraid that she would be misunderstood, she never dared to ask him that. After what happened tonight, she was indeed quite annoyed by that kind of endless ambiguity. She had no right to take a step forward in their rtionship, but she was afraid of having regrets if she retreated¡­ ¡°I¡­¡± It might be beyond Xavier¡¯s imagination that Leia would take the initiative toy everything on the table, given her abnormally high self-esteem. At first, he handled that rtionship with great ease, but now, he was in a slight panic. He did not know how to handle it. However, his hesitation hurt her self-esteem. Unexpectedly, she would suffer a loss the first time she took the initiative. ¡°Okay, you don¡¯t have to give me an answer. We¡¯re adults. I understand.¡± Adults, when truly in love, moved forward bravely. If they were not in love, all that would be left between them was hesitation. At the moment, she was certain that Xavier did not like her. Flirting with her was just one of his habits. She was just fancying wild thoughts all this while. ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯ll be going.¡± Leia stood up and tried her best to force a smile at him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened just now. I made you awkward. I guarantee that such a thing won¡¯t happen again¡­ Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And if you really like Ren, there¡¯s no need for all that deliberation. Just pursue her boldly like my brother did. He pursued Ren for so many years, and although he failed, he didn¡¯t take it too hard because he has no regrets.¡± While talking, she retreated. Consequently, she bumped into an ornament and nearly fell. ¡°Be careful!¡± Xavier acted fast and supported her. His gaze was full of sorry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are¡­ you okay?¡± ¡°Nonsense! Why did you say sorry to me? I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t confess my love for you. I just asked you if you liked me. It¡¯s very normal that you don¡¯t like me. I know that you like Ren. You¡­¡± ¡°I told you I don¡¯t like Renee!¡± He sounded slightly displeased as he stated coldly, ¡°At least I don¡¯t like her now.¡± ¡°So, you¡­¡± Leia instinctively wanted to ask him whom he liked now, but she was a proud woman. She did not want to be humiliated again. ¡°Whatever!¡± She grumpily pushed him away and walked out of the dining room. However, her body started to feel weird while she was walking. The pain from her belly made her bend over and squat on the floor in pain¡­ Chapter 984 Chapter 984 ¡°Lei, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Xavier noticed something wrong with Leia, so he quickly ran over and inquired about it. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine. It¡¯s none of your business!¡± She covered her belly and pushed him away, trying to act strong. However, the excruciating pain was killing her. She was in so much pain that she almost burst into tears. ¡°Stop being stubborn. You don¡¯t seem fine at all. And your face¡­ your face¡­¡± Xavier could not help but swallow slightly while looking at her face. He was bbergasted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Xavier tried to help her up again. ¡°We¡¯d better get to the hospital now. I¡¯m afraid something bad might happen if we dy this.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re lying. There must be something wrong with my face.¡± She was in so much pain that she broke out in a cold sweat, and she could not even stand steadily. She let Xavier support her before she took out her phone and checked her appearance. After that, she cried out involuntarily. ¡°Ah!¡± She saw that her face, which was reflected by the phone screen, was deeply swollen. Even her eyes and lips were deformed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I think it¡¯s an allergic reaction. I¡¯ll get you to the hospital now.¡± He acted decisively. He ignored her wish and carried her to rush her to the nearest hospital. He did not even manage to inform Renee and the others. When they arrived at the hospital, they went straight to the emergency. When the doctor saw Leia¡¯s look, the doctor was shocked too. ¡°Oh gosh, why is your face so swollen?¡± ¡°Doctor, can I be saved? Am I dying?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t die, but it¡¯s too serious¡­¡± When the doctor reached that point, the doctor inevitably nced at Leia and nearly vomited. After that, the doctor worked hard to present a serious and professional front. ¡°We¡¯ll have to test the allergen first before we decide how to treat it.¡± After testing, both Xavier and Leia sat in the corridor to wait for the result. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s over. My face is ruined. I look like a pig!¡± Leia covered her face and cried piteously. ¡°As expected, my brother¡¯s inauspicious remark turns out to be true. I can¡¯t get married for the rest of my life. No man will want to marry an ugly woman like me. I¡¯m doomed!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. When the result is out, you¡¯ll get better after they prescribe the right medicine for you.¡± He then patted her shoulders and said sarcastically, ¡°What¡¯s more, I think it¡¯s pretty good if you look like a pig. How adorable! I like pigs the most.¡± ¡°Xavier, that¡¯s enough. My face became like this, but you teased me. I¡¯m going to beat you up!¡± Consequently, she was deeply infuriated. Hence, she started hitting him and teaching him a lesson while her face was still red and swollen. While they were quarreling and fighting, she bumped into a person with her back. So, she turned around to notice a tall man in a white coat that looked quite refined and handsome. He even carried a gentle aura. Leia immediately covered her face with her hands, feeling like hiding herself once she¡¯d met the man¡¯s gaze for a few seconds. ¡°Lei?¡± The man in the white coat was unsure, so he addressed her tentatively. When he noticed her reaction, he immediately affirmed it before he strode forward to catch up with her. ¡°No, that¡¯s not me. You¡¯re mistaken.¡± While running, Leia waved her hands. She wanted to find a thing to cover her face, but it was to no avail. Helplessly, she pulled Xavier over to block her face, fearing the man in the white coat would see her face. It was because the man in the white coat was none other than the liar who yed with her feelings. He was her first love and boyfriend, William, the top student in medical science. Chapter 985 Chapter 985 It was not humiliating to step on sh*t, but it would be the most humiliating ever to bump into one¡¯s ex while stepping on sh*t. At that moment, given her swollen face, she seemed to be in a sorrier state than stepping on sh*t. She did not want William to see that. ¡°Lei, stop hiding. I know it¡¯s you.¡± William deeply cherished this rare chance to meet Leia, so he sounded extremely agitated. Xavier stood between them, and he was taller and studier than William. His body appeared like arge mountain before William. William could not bypass Xavier no matter what he did, so he became very anxious. ¡°Mister, please step aside. I have something to say to Lei.¡± Helplessly, William pleaded with Xavier politely. However, Xavier took up an annoying front. He arrogantly looked over William¡¯s head. ¡°Which midget is talking? I can¡¯t hear him.¡± The assistant who stood beside William became angry. ¡°Why did you say that? Doctor Jones is an expert that the hospital hired at a high cost. He¡¯s a truly talented youth. Of course, adies¡¯ man like you can¡¯t reach his height!¡± ¡°So, you are also admitting that your doctor is short, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not short at all. He was five feet eight during the physical examination, and he¡¯s five feet nine in shoes. He¡¯s not short¡­¡± The assistant looked up at Xavier, who was at least six feet and an inch, and stated with a guilty conscience, ¡°But he¡¯s not as tall as you.¡± Xavier appeared smug and looked at William, who was one head shorter than him. ¡°So, I suppose calling you a midget won¡¯t be offensive then?¡± ¡°Why, you!¡± The assistant was so angry that he felt like beating Xavier up. William waved his hand and stopped his assistant from speaking anymore. After that, he cracked a professional smile. ¡°Mister, we hold nothing against each other. I don¡¯t know why you harbor such great hostility toward me.¡± ¡°No reason why. I simply find you an eyesore, shorty.¡± He then put both of his hands in his pockets as deep disdain emerged in his eyes. If it were not for Leia, such an insignificant doctor hadpletely no right to speak to him. Leia stood behind Xavier and listened to their argument. She felt slightly bad about it, so she gently tugged at his clothes. ¡°Xavier, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t be too harsh on him.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he hurt you deeply? I have yet to attack him, and you already feel sorry for him,¡± Xavier said ambiguously while tilting his head slightly and ncing at Leia, who appeared cowardly. As a result, Leia was stunned. ¡°How do you know¡­¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± He grumpily pinched her ear. ¡°Look at how timid you are. Will you be so cowardly if he wasn¡¯t your ex- boyfriend?¡± Leia was rendered speechless. She felt quite awkward, so she covered her head silently. She had an allergic reaction, and her face was as swollen as a balloon. It was humiliating enough to bump into her ex-boyfriend, but her crush just had to watch from the side at the same time. It was indeed so embarrassing that she felt like dying. ¡°Leia, your report is out.¡± Aboratory doctor arrived with a test report. The doctor said to Leia, ¡°It¡¯s an allergic reaction because you consumed seafood with mango, so it¡¯s a bit serious. I suggest you get treatment from Doctor Jones. He¡¯s an expert in all fields¡­¡± ¡°Let me have a look at the report.¡± William snatched the test report from theboratory doctor and read the test data on it. His frown grew deeper. ¡°Lei, why are you so disobedient? I told you previously that you may be allergic to mango and seafood. It¡¯s okay if you eat them separately, but you¡¯ll get in big trouble if you eat them together, especially seafood. You can¡¯t eat too much seafood, or else you¡¯ll suffer from shock!¡± ¡°Are¡­ you allergic to seafood?¡± When Leia realized that she could no longer keep that a secret, she nodded weakly. ¡°A bit.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°D*mn it! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Xavier realized the grave mistake he had made, and he was extremely guilty. Chapter 986 Chapter 986 Feeling slightly aggrieved, Leia red at the man who got angry out of the blue. ¡°I got an allergic reaction instead of you. Why did you roar at me? If I wasn¡¯t afraid that you would be embarrassed, would I have eaten so many prawns and crabs? How ungrateful of you!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Xavier¡¯s anger soon subsided. Feeling guiltier, he lowered his head more and whispered to her, ¡°Why were you so silly? I thought you liked eating them, so I kept on peeling them for you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the silly one, not me!¡± Leia rolled her eyes at him andined grumpily, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to peel them for me even if I liked eating them. I¡¯m nobody to you. Why did you exhaust yourself so?¡± Xavier heaved a long sigh and shook his head. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m silly. I¡¯m the silliest person in the world¡­ You¡¯re the smartest. There¡¯s nothing you don¡¯t know.¡± When William witnessed their ambiguous interactions, he felt rather sad. ¡°Leia, your allergic reaction needs to be handled right away. Follow me.¡± He bypassed Xavier and held Leia¡¯s hand before he said in worry. ¡°Can we get another doctor?¡± Annoyance engulfed Xavier as he red at the hand on Leia¡¯s arm with his beautiful eyes. He yearned to chop that hand off. ¡°Doctor Jones has one of the best medical skills in the field. It¡¯s better to leave the patient in his care, given her condition, as to prevent a rpse,¡± Theboratory doctor suggested sincerely. ¡°Humph! Can he get handsy with the patient if his medical skills are good? Is this a hospital or a brothel?¡± ¡°Excuse me, Sir, but why say such nasty things? Stop being rude to Doctor Jones or we will refuse to treat the patient.¡± ¡°Did I say the wrong thing? He¡¯s a doctor but has no medical ethics. Why did he hold the so patient¡¯s hand so casually?¡± Hence, William had no choice but to let go of Renee¡¯s hand quickly. He nudged his sses and looked at Xavier with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I acted impulsively because my rtionship with the patient is a bit special. I¡¯ll be more careful. ¡°But I think the patient should be the one who voice out if I wasn¡¯t being considerate enough. An outsider like you didn¡¯t have to seek justice for her. What if the patient didn¡¯t feel vited at all?¡± Xavier was greatly infuriated. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Unexpectedly, a seemingly refined nerd like William was not such an honest man either. But on the contrary, he was rather crafty man. Xavier hated such people the most. ¡°Lei, tell us whether you feel offended and whether you want to get another doctor. Don¡¯t make me look like I¡¯m being unreasonable here.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t get another doctor.¡± Leia made a straightforward reply before she looked at William and said, ¡°I trust your medical skills. You must cure me. I don¡¯t want any scars. If not, I can¡¯t get married.¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry. Of course, I¡¯ll do my best for you.¡± After that, William led Leia forward like a winner. ¡°Where are you going? I want to go too!¡± Seeing that, Xavier immediately pursued them like a child. He tried to persuade Leia, ¡°There are so many good doctors in this world. I can get a great number of them with just a call. Why do you want this guy to treat you? ¡°This guy looks so young. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t have much experience. Be careful of him ruining your face, now that you have it in his care.¡± When he walked to the treatment room door, a nurse stopped him. ¡°The doctor will begin treating the patient. Please wait here.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t surgery. Why can¡¯t I go in? Is your hospital of standard? I¡¯m going to lodge aint.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sir, but you can¡¯t go in. Please don¡¯t disturb the patient¡¯s treatment.¡± The nurse still acted responsibly and blocked him outside no matter how he made a mor. Sitting on the chair in the treatment room, Leia listened to Xavier¡¯s shameless wails from outside. Consequently, this put hert in a dilemma and she was very confused. Chapter 987 Chapter 987 ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him today? Is he in a drunken fit? Why did he go berserk all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡°Lean your head closer.¡± William was wearing white gloves. He was ready to use professional tactics to apply anti-allergic medication for her. After calling her name several times, she seemed to have still not heard him. All her attention seemed to be attracted by the noise outside. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was only then that Leia noticed his instruction. She obediently leaned her face closer to him. ¡°This medicine is a bit stimting, so you may feel a bit of pain when I apply it to your face. But it¡¯s highly effective, and it can help reduce the swelling rapidly. Just bear with me.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. William patiently introduced the medication to her, and his techniques were very gentle. ¡°What did you say¡­ Ah!¡± However, she still did not listen to him. On the other hand, she was all ears while listening to Xavier¡¯s words from outside. When she heard of something, she inevitablyughed. After that¡­ she burst into tears out of the stimtion and pain because of the medication on her face. ¡°What did you apply on my face? Are you sure you¡¯re not going to ruin it?¡± Leia could not sit still because of the pain. The scorching pain on her face made her feel that he¡¯d just applied sulfuric acid to her skin. It was killing her. ¡°It¡¯s a strong anti-allergic ointment. It¡¯s extracted from nts, so its acidity is a bit high. It¡¯ll stimte the skin and cause some pain, but it¡¯s very effective. There are no side effects either, so it¡¯s very safe to use.¡± While he exined, William applied arger amount of medicine. After that, the whole corridor was filled with Leia¡¯s painful wails. ¡°Ah!!! It hurts so much. I¡¯m in so much pain. I don¡¯t want to cure it now. I feel that my face will be burned and ruined. It¡¯s so painful!¡± ¡°Bear with me. It¡¯ll soon be over. Grab my arm if it¡¯s too painful!¡± William felt very sorry for her, but he had to firmly keep on applying the ointment to her face to cure her allergic reaction. Standing outside, Xavier became more agitated the more he heard Leia¡¯s pitiful and fierce wails. He completely lost all control of himself. ¡°That guy in sses must be doing something bad! My friend is asking for my help now. Step aside. Let me in!¡± Xavier no longer wanted to talk nicely with the nurse. He forcefully pushed the nurse away and barged into the room. ¡°B*stard! You¡¯re a doctor, but you use your job to vite patients. I¡¯m going to enforce justice for God today. I¡­¡± He wanted to kick William away because he thought that he was doing something bad. Even his leg was now raised. After that, he saw that William was applying medicine to Leia¡¯s face. Both William and Leia were bbergasted. Deep awkwardness engulfed Xavier. He coughed lightly and slowly put his leg down. ¡°Oh, you guys are busy. Go on.¡± Dr. William¡¯s face, however, was extremely cold. He raised his voice to the nurse outside, ¡°Susan, get security and drive this man away. Who is going to bear the responsibility if the treatment is affected?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll be unnecessary. I¡¯ll be going.¡± Xavier was deeply embarrassed, but he still behaved like a frivolous and casual yboy. He raised his fist at Leia. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m here. No one can hurt you.¡± Consequently, Leia was amused. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be very grateful if you¡¯re normal.¡± Miraculously, themotion Xavier made seemed to have given her the kind of effects an anesthetic did. No longer was she in so much pain. She was even rather¡­ d. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± After treating her, William could not help but ask. Chapter 988 Chapter 988 Leia showed a disdainful expression and looked at William coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t have to inform you about my rtionship with him, do I?¡± William appeared defeated. He even sounded slightly anxious. ¡°Lei, don¡¯t be mad. I just feel that he¡¯s not a good man. He looks like a yboy. You¡¯d better stay away from him so you won¡¯t get hurt.¡± ¡°Humph! Even if he doesn¡¯t look like a good guy, he¡¯s better than a liar like you!¡± She then grabbed his cor. At the same time, her eyes were full of hatred. ¡°It was merely because of my generosity that I let you stay alive. It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve let bygones be bygones and forgiven you. You¡¯d better don¡¯t test my patience.¡± ¡°You can hate me or even kill me. But please don¡¯t give up on yourself and get such a man to harm you. You¡­¡± Before William could finish talking, Xavier, who was eavesdropping outside, could not remain calm. He barged into the room again. ¡°What did you say just now? Who gave herself up? Who is a bad guy? What f*cking kind of man am I? Tell me!¡± ¡°Why did youe in again?¡± When Leia noticed Xavier¡¯s deep fury, she had a headache. ¡®Why doesn¡¯t he remain calm? Why does he like eavesdropping so much?¡¯ ¡°If I didn¡¯te in, I wouldn¡¯t have known how this despicable man nders me. I didn¡¯t offend him. Why don¡¯t I look like a good guy? Why did hebel me as a yboy?¡± When Xavier retorted and imed that he was not a yboy, he was not very confident. He then added weakly, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m just fond of making friends with a lot of pretty girls.¡± Leia was struck speechless. William ignored Xavier and looked at Leia, stating gently, ¡°Lei, you need to stay in the hospital for a week to fully recover, given your condition. I¡¯ll go and go through the admission formalities for you now.¡± After the formalities were settled, Leia got to stay in the most luxurious room with the highest standards the hospital could offer. Her face was no longer very swollen, but it was quite red. She looked particrly frightening. While looking at the mirror, Leia was deeply worried. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s over. I think my face will be ruined. What should I do if it can¡¯t be cured?¡± However, Xavier was casually ying games at the side. He did not even look up before he said naturally, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be worried about. I don¡¯t care about one¡¯s face. What¡¯s more, your red face is pretty cute!¡± ¡°Xavier, you did it again. My face became this way. Can you be more serious? I notice that you¡¯re insincere¡­¡± Xavier put his phone down and observed her for a while before he replied seriously, ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking. I¡¯ll marry you if your face is ruined.¡± ¡°Humph! Is it out of pity? I don¡¯t need that!¡± Leia finally received his answer, but that kind of answer filled her with deep pain. It turned out that he was aware of her feelings, but he purposely refrained from exposing them. He exposed them now merely out of pity or to make it up to her. It was not because he liked her. That seemed like a humiliation, given how arrogant she was. ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want to see you.¡± With a cold expression, Leia pointed at the door and drove him away rudely. However, Xavier appeared innocent. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why do you fly into a rage for no reason? I won¡¯t marry you if you don¡¯t want to marry me. You don¡¯t have to fall out with me, do you?¡± ¡°You know very well how to infuriate me. I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore. Go away!¡± ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be mad. I¡¯ll go now.¡± After that, he directly left the ward. Consequently, Leia was at a loss for words. She was infuriated by his frivolous attitude that her eyes turned red. After that, shey on the nket quietly and burst into tears. She hated that kind of feeling very much. He always handled their rtionship like an outsider, regardless if they were talking about superficial or serious topics. His emotions would always remain unaffected. She, on the contrary, seemed that she¡¯d copse at any minute. It made her look like an unreasonable maniac. ¡­ When Renee heard that Leia was hospitalized because of an allergic reaction, she hastily rushed over. However, she became confused when she saw Xavier leaning against the wall in the corridor outside the ward while ying a game on his phone. ¡°Xavier, how is Lei? Why didn¡¯t you go into the ward?¡± ¡°She¡¯s safe for the time being, but she needs to be admitted for a week for observation.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. After Xavier said that, his handsome face was full of innocence. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did to offend her. She wants to cut off her rtionship with me.¡± ¡°Cut the crap! Lei isn¡¯t an unreasonable person. You must have pushed her limits.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Xavier looked toward the door of Leia¡¯s ward. ¡°I¡¯m not a responsible man, let alone one who¡¯s suitable for marriage. It¡¯s wise that she wants to stay away from me.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why do you give up and stop bothering? I remember that you weren¡¯t like this. Do you have some misunderstanding between you?¡± Renee looked at him with slight worry. She felt that he might have some rancor to behave so timidly. He felt something for Lei, but he wanted to pretend to be a yboy. ¡°No, there¡¯s no misunderstanding between us. It¡¯s just that I know very well what kind of a person I am¡­¡± After a brief pause, he turned off his phone and said with a tinge of sadness, ¡°I admit that I was a bit out of line recently. It¡¯s my problem that I made her misunderstand me. It¡¯s time to end this. We should be back to our respective lives now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°I should go home. I won¡¯t see her again if there¡¯s no ident.¡± Xavier smiled bitterly before he stood up straight and turned around to leave. After he returned from Sun Ind, he realized that he had lost control of his heart. He should have bid her goodbye, but he was unwilling to do so for such a long time. He even regarded Stefan¡¯s sworn enemy as his buddy just to spend more time with her. Now he was suddenly enlightened. He realized how childish and ridiculous he was. It was good for both of them to bid each other goodbye sooner. ¡°You¡­¡± While looking at his back, Renee instinctively wanted to stop him, but she felt that¡­ it seemed to be unnecessary. He did not even have the courage to admit his love. He was indeed an irresponsible man. This kind of man was unsuited for Leia, who held pure eagerness and impression toward love. Renee pushed the door of the ward open and bumped into Leia, who was eavesdropping behind the door. ¡°Er, here you are. I¡­ I¡¯m about to go out.¡± Leia appeared awkward. Her red face grew more flushed at the moment. ¡°Stop trying to steal nces at him. He¡¯s gone. If you want to pursue him now, you may be able to catch up to him.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to!¡± Leia said arrogantly, ¡°It¡¯s best if we no longer see each other to not exhaust myself.¡± Looking at her, Renee inevitably thought of herself. She sighed helplessly. ¡°s, we¡¯re timid girls. We¡¯re both unlucky women who share simr ill fates.¡± At that time, William walked into the ward. He saw Renee at a nce. Soon terror andplicated feelings crept up to his face. He appeared bbergasted. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Everheart, it¡¯s been a long while.¡± Chapter 989 Chapter 989 ¡°William?¡± When Renee saw him, she was shell-shocked. She thought that such a scumbag like him should disappear from Leia¡¯s world. Unexpectedly, he¡¯d be so bold to appear again. When Renee recalled Lei¡¯s bad deeds, she was fuming with anger. So, she grabbed his cor. ¡°You¡¯re still alive? Why do you pester Lei again? If you¡¯re courting death, let me help you!¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, I know that you have powerful means. You can kill anyone you want. I¡¯m not the first, nor will I be thest. Go ahead if it makes Lei happy!¡± William closed his eyes and said with a profound meaning. Renee was confused. Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. She intensified her grasp and frowned deeply. At the same time, she red at the man in front of her as though he was courting death. ¡°What do you mean? Why do you make me sound so ruthless and bloodthirsty? Why im that you won¡¯t be the first nor thest one?¡± William was strangled by her grasp around his cor, so he found it hard to breathe. As a result, his face flushed. He said gradually, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what I meant. Leia is still around, so it¡¯s inconvenient for me to say that directly. Well, it¡¯s better that only both you and I are aware of some affairs.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± When Renee saw that he was about to die out of breath, she let him go and smashed him on the ground hard. William awkwardly crawled back up and walked to Leia to inspect her desensitization. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sleep well. Your face will be cured after you wake up tomorrow.¡± He sounded extremely gentle. His gaze was very tender too. ¡°If I¡¯ll be cured tomorrow, why should I stay in the hospital for a week?¡± Leia inquired aloofly. She would not even want to talk to him if she did not trust his medical skills. ¡°Your allergic reaction is too serious, and it may recur. If you identally get in touch with something you¡¯re allergic to this week, you may be in grave danger. So, this one week shall serve as an observation as well as a ninjanovel protection period. You should stay here patiently until the week is over.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll stay here for a week then. Please leave if there¡¯s nothing else. Don¡¯t disturb my bestie and me. We want to chat.¡± Leia rudely drove him away. She was no longer shy and pure like how she was back then when she was madly in love with him. She exuded deep aloofness and disdain. ¡°Okay, well¡­ I won¡¯t disturb you guys.¡± After swallowing briefly, he appeared like he had suffered a great setback. He then secretly left the ward. After he left, Renee gave Leia a thumbs-up. ¡°Lei, you¡¯re good. You can let things go if you want to. You¡¯re straightforward.¡± She always thought that Leia was a stubborn lovestruck fool and that Leia would always be immersed in that disappointing love. After all, she and William were so madly in love in the past¡­ Unexpectedly, she could forget about him so fast. Hence, Renee could not help admiring Leia. Leia smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m straightforward, but the substitute is more than charming¡­¡± ¡°Substitute?¡± Renee appeared curious. ¡°Tell me. How charming is the substitute you found?¡± Chapter 990 Chapter 990 ¡°Have you heard of a saying? The only two things that one needs to forget about a person are time and a new lover¡­¡± Leia¡¯s gaze became distant as she said slowly, ¡°I traveled around the world during this period to meet different people and gain new experiences. I want them to heal me. ¡°At first, it was ineffective. But God made me bump into Xavier on Quartz Ind. He isn¡¯t my new lover, but he¡¯s indeed like a lifeguard. He pulled me out of the deep sea so I could crawl out of the hurt William caused me. But now it seems like¡­ I¡¯ve fallen into a deeper abyss.¡± When Renee saw her downcast look, she felt very sorry for Leia. ¡°You should try to seek his heart if you truly like him. I think he must be troubled by some rancor, so he¡¯s so hesitant and awkward. He isn¡¯t bold enough to get closer to you. He may be in some kind of abyss too, and he needs you to pull him out.¡± ¡°His rancor¡­¡± Leia looked at Renee and smiled with a profound meaning. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Leia, don¡¯t say that. What I have with him is pure friendship. It¡¯s very awkward that you and my brother are trying to bring us together. Stop setting couples up arbitrarily.¡± ¡°Who is it if not you?¡± Leia heaved a long sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone else other than you. Which woman in the world can be his rancor?¡± ¡°s, I recalled a pure and naive woman called Shirley now that you mentioned this. Xavier seems to value her very much. Is she the rancor troubling him?¡± During these years, everyone who paid attention to the entertainment circle would know how much Xavier adored Shirley. ¡°I recalled it now that you brought it up. I saw him having a conflict with Shirley on Quartz Ind. That woman begged his forgiveness desperately. Is it where the real problem is?¡± ¡°It must be!¡± Renee snapped her fingers. ¡°Stay here and rest well. I¡¯ll meet that woman when I have time. I¡¯ll see what Xavier experienced to make him change his perception and is afraid to fall in love again after a setback.¡± ¡°Ren, don¡¯t trouble yourself for such a bit of trouble of mine. I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him either. Going to Shirley rashly might not be wise.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all because of you if I¡¯m going to Shirley to learn about this affair. Xavier once saved me, so I owe him a favor. If I can help him resolve his rancor, it¡¯ll grant one of my wishes too.¡± Hearing that, Leia found it hard to dissuade Renee from that anymore. Besides, she was full of curiosity. ¡°Okay then!¡± Renee stayed with Leia a little longer before she left the hospital. It was nowte at night, and the lights in the corridor of the hospital were going on and off intermittently. It appeared rather frightening. Suddenly, a dark figure came out of the corner and blocked Renee. That person was none other than William, who had an argument with her just now. Renee was shocked, so she stared at him coldly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t I throw you over hard enough? Are you courting death again now?¡± William said seriously, ¡°Miss Everheart, I mean well. I just¡­ want to talk to you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to talk about between us?¡± She gave him a scornful look. ¡°You wronged Lei, so you don¡¯t have to behave aggrievedly and innocently in front of her best friend. If it weren¡¯t for fear of Lei¡¯s sadness, I would have tortured you vigorously.¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°I want to talk to you about¡­ Briar.¡± After a long hesitation, William decided to be frank with Renee. He went straight to the point and said, ¡°I¡¯m aware of those things that you did to Briar.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes sank and asked icily, ¡°What¡­ What do you know?¡± Chapter 991 Chapter 991 William pat Renee on the shoulder after seeing her panicked reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re Leia¡¯s friend. She¡¯d be upset if something were to happen to you, so I won¡¯t run my mouth either.¡± Renee seemed conflicted, taking a deep breath as she looked toward the man. ¡°You have to promise you won¡¯t tell a single soul, and I mean it. I know I did something bad, but I want to wait till the right time to put an end to it all.¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re wrong at all. Desrosiers deserved it! Let¡¯s just pretend none of this ever happened. We¡¯ll bring this secret to our graves,¡± William said coldly and resolutely. The woman didn¡¯t doubt William¡¯s words at all. A frosty expression like that indicated that his love had completely run cold. However, she just couldn¡¯t understand how people could behave so indifferently after they¡¯ve had a change of heart. She knew just how much William used to love Briar after all. He was even willing to trick Leia just for her sake, offering himself to be the absolute jerk in their stories. ¡°I don¡¯t get you, Jones. Wasn¡¯t Desrosiers your one true love? How could you be so calm when you know I have something to do with her death? And you aren¡¯t going to take revenge for her? You¡¯re even¡­ willing to hide the truth from me?¡± Renee asked after some pondering. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. She wasn¡¯t afraid that William was trying to fool her, but she just wished to obtain an answer, as this had been a thorn in her heart for the longest time. If the man called the cops on her now or used this as an excuse to threaten her, she would be willing to ept it as well, as she was well prepared to face the consequences. ¡°One true love? You must be joking. I was just obsessed because she wouldn¡¯t love me back¡­¡± William squinted his eyes and sighed. ¡°Briar Desrosiers hasmitted far too many crimes, so she deserved to die like that. You were doing the world justice, so don¡¯t be too harsh on yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not, but I¡¯ve never wanted her dead. It was just an ident. But even if I could rewind time, I¡¯d still do the same regardless. I will never allow her to harm Leia, let alone my children.¡± Renee said, slightly agitated. Thinking back to that stormy night, she felt her heart clenching tightly, her expression growing twisted from the pain. The ident happened over three months ago. Briar, who had been missing for quite some time, suddenly contacted her with an unregistered number, requesting to meet up. Initially, Renee intended to ignore this woman. After all, they were both victims of what happened back then. Continuing fighting in this lose-lose battle would be meaningless, as they would only be hurting each other further. However, the malevolent madwoman sent her a video instead. It was footage of Leia and William having intercourse. ¡°If you refuse, I¡¯ll publish this video all over the inte right now. Let¡¯s see how your best friend can live on after this!¡± Briar threatened, ordering her to do as told. They then scheduled to meet up at a remote cliff within Strix Ind. The storm was quite heavy that night, illuminated by giant sparks of lightning and loud, rumbling thunder. Renee was not senseless; she knew that Briar must harbor malicious intent when she forced her to meet under such circumstances. Chapter 992 Chapter 992 Despite that, Renee had no choice but to meet with Briar, all for Leia¡¯s sake. ¡°I was actually pretty shocked at the state she was in. Her hair was a mess, and she looked malnourished. And I felt sorry for her¡­¡± Renee balled her fists up, a lump rising in her throat. She was inexplicably upset. ¡°That¡¯s nothing but a facade. That woman is used to acting fragile to gain sympathy. She¡¯s actually an evil sociopath deep down. I thought I could fix her if I showed her some genuine love, but¡­ she dragged me down to her level instead!¡± Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org. ¡°Hah, you sure are quick to shift all the me to her. You men are the same. You¡¯re just mad because you couldn¡¯t handle her.¡± ¡°Looks like Desrosiers is a pitiful woman after all. To think the man who imed to love her with everything he¡¯s got abandoned her in the end regardless.¡± Renee shook her head, sighing. Due to their simr experiences with men, Renee somehow empathized with Briar at some point in time, despite being rivals. ¡°She used my tape with Leia to threaten you. Isn¡¯t that enough evidence to show that she is a bad person through and through? She doesn¡¯t deserve your sympathy. It¡¯s not your fault you pushed her off the cliff! She crossed the line first,¡± William said calmly. ¡°So you were there too? You saw our fight that night and how I pushed her off?¡± Renee replied in a composed tone. At this point, she could finally face the ident with a fresh new perspective. Technically speaking, she was indeed a murderer in this case. Briar made many insulting remarks that night. Her goal was simple. She wanted Adie. If she didn¡¯t get him, she would publicize the video to the entire inte. Not sacrificing either her child or best friend was a no-brainer. She would never send them in harm¡¯s way. Hence, she lunged over to Briar in order to snatch the phone out of her hands, losing all rationality. As they continued to struggle, she identally pushed the woman off the cliff¡­ ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯s still alive, but I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s not. Her corpse was probably washed away by the waves. Else how were these past three months so quiet? No one came looking for trouble at all!¡± Renee smiled sadly. She had been living in terror for the past few months, waiting for the police to bring her in for an investigation every single day. At times, she would even get the urge to hand herself in every time she saw a police car driving by. However, she remembered that her children were no older than five. For the sake of their future, and for the sake of the Everheart family, she could only choose to hide this secret deep within her heart. She had never expected another to be present when it happened. It was rather hard to keep a secret all to yourself, especially when it concerned others. Ultimately, no one could truly pretend that nothing ever happened when they know for a fact it did. ¡°I saw the entire thing, but I don¡¯t think you were at fault. Even if the cops found out, you¡¯d probably get a light sentence too. And well¡­ I¡¯d personally want us to take this to our graves.¡± William, once again, expressed his opinion. He then took a nce at Leia¡¯s ward, his eyes filled with guilt, and took something out of his bag. He handed it to Renee and said, ¡°This is the original video file. Please destroy it. And let¡¯s hope Desrosiers really drowned so we can finally move on from this damn chapter. Leia¡¯s reputation would be protected as well.¡± Chapter 993 Chapter 993 Renee returned to the Carmine Pawnshop after destroying the tape thoroughly. She headed to bed with a heavy heart. She was especially restless for the entire night, with several dreams popping in her head during her slumber. In her dreams, Briar crawled out of the sea with messy hair, with her limbs dislocated and her bones prating through her flesh. She then cackled eerily, her facepletely drenched in blood. ¡°Hahaha, Everheart, your days are numbered¡­ I may not have been able topete against you when I was alive, but I can drag you down to hell with me as a ghost!¡± Briar screeched as her bloodied face inched closer to Renee, to the point she seemed to be hovering right above her. The suffocating pain consumed the woman¡¯s chest. She flung her arms around in panic, screaming, ¡°No! Don¡¯te near me!¡± ¡°Miss Ren! Miss Ren! Wake up! The sun is up!¡± Margaret worriedly held her hand, sitting by her bed. ¡°Argh!¡± Renee felt like she was pulled out of an abyss as her eyes snapped open. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest. ¡°Miss Ren, you look pale. Did you have a nightmare?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Renee nodded, panting. Her nightmare was just too vivid, as she remembered how Briar¡¯s gory face was right in front of hers and remembered just how despairful the sensation was. It felt like she was drowning. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you woke up¡­¡± Margaret patted her on the back, visibly concerned. ¡°You must¡¯ve been stressing yourself out, Miss Ren. That¡¯s why you had a weird nightmare.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you a small scented bagter. It can help get rid of germs and reduce anxiety, so bring it around with you. Then you won¡¯t get those nightmares anymore.¡± ¡°Thanks, Margaret.¡± Renee took a deep sigh, then asked in a whisper. ¡°Hey Margaret, do you think really evil ghosts exist in this world?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Margaret¡¯s expression turned serious, reminiscing her past. ¡°I¡¯ve learned medicine from my grandfather, and I¡¯ve seen a lot of weird stuff too. Traditional doctors usually believe in these things since life and death, when viewed from a medical standpoint, are great mysteries. So I can¡¯t really say for sure¡­ ¡°Evil ghosts may exist in some other realm, a realm we can¡¯t see or touch. Or maybe, its existence is a form of energy, a maic field. When the energy or maic field is too strong, it might affect our realm as well. ¡°For example, Miss Ren, you don¡¯t get nightmares back then. But you suddenly dreamed of something that was so scary that it woke you up in cold sweat. It is possible that you were affected by those types of negative energies. So it¡¯s best to be more cautious,¡± Margaret exined, her cryptic message sending chills down Renee¡¯s body. She gulped, carefully responding. ¡°So you mean some kind of evil spirit with high negative energy might be attached to me?¡± ¡°Hush hush! You shouldn¡¯t say things like that! You¡¯re a nice person, Miss Ren. It¡¯s not like you offended or provoked anyone. So there¡¯s no way you would encounter evil spirits!¡± Margaret was very superstitious, quickly nagging her like how most elderly would. After that, she got busy preparing the scented bag as promised.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Renee looked towards the mirror at her dressing table, noticing her paleplexion. Briar Desrosiers, if you really are haunting me, I advise you to reincarnate soon, she thought as she clenched her fists. ¡®You couldn¡¯t win against me while you were alive, so don¡¯t assume you¡¯d ever have a chance at death either!¡¯ After having breakfast, Renee checked the time and noticed that she should be leaving soon. She then got up from her seat and turned to Quinton, Margaret, and the children. ¡°You guys take your time, I have to head out for a bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still so early in the morning. Where are you going?¡± Chapter 994 Chapter 994 Quinton was reading the newspapers at the time, and as he lowered his hands, a sharp re was revealed. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just going to tend to some work in thepany. There¡¯s going to be a lot of new projects coming in, so I figured I should head back to work after such a long vacation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my sister. As long as I¡¯m here to provide for you, you can have a lifelong vacation if you so, please. Besides, it¡¯s been quite dangeroustely, so I¡¯d say you should rest a little longer before returning to your work.¡± Quinton was considered the current head of the Everheart family, hence somehow taking up the father figure role. He couldn¡¯t help but wish he could ce Renee under lockdown forever just to ensure her safety. After all, Beach City was currently in an ever-changing state. Moreover, he had made many enemies in the past and was very worried that his sister would be dragged into his mess. ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re just being dramatic. I¡¯m not a weakling! If anyone dares to try something on me, that just means they¡¯ve got a death wish! Don¡¯t worry!¡± Renee waved nonchntly, then kissed Adie and Abby on their cheeks. ¡°Be good, you two, and listen to your uncle and Aunt Margaret. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy.¡± ¡°Alright, be careful, Mommy, and stay safe!¡± The little ones pecked her back on the cheek, not worried about their mother¡¯s safety. ¡®Uncle may not have seen how great Mommy is, but we have! Many, many times! She can do anything!¡¯ They thought to themselves. ¡°Ah, Miss Ren, wait!¡± Margaret got up and caught up to her. ¡°Take this medicinal pouch with you. I just feel like your nightmare is some kind of bad omen. Anything that might prevent it counts.¡± ¡°Rx, Margaret, I¡¯m not scared of anything or anyone! I¡¯m confident that I can take down any monsters or demons in my way!¡± Renee replied confidently as she tucked the pouch into her pocket. However, the woman wasn¡¯t heading toward thepany but instead a filming location. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When she returned from the hospitalst night, she could contact Shirley through certain methods. Shirley seemed overjoyed after realizing it was her and immediately agreed to meet. Coincidentally, the venue was in Strix Ind, exactly where she and Briar fought. ¡°Talk about bad luck!¡± Renee gulped as she parked her car, staring at the familiar space in front of her. She had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Hello, Miss Everheart. I¡¯m Shirley¡¯s manager. She¡¯s still busy with the film at the moment, so I¡¯ll be taking you to the waiting area first. Is that alright with you?¡± The manager came up to Renee with all smiles. Her enthusiasm felt odd to Renee. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Let her finish up with her work first. I¡¯m not in a rush.¡± Renee responded courteously, as she wasn¡¯t one to shut down friendliness. The waiting area was around a sheltered t ground, and she had a clear view of the film set. ¡°Miss Everheart, here are some snacks.¡± The manager came over with a few slices of various fruits and then rambled. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve admired you for the longest time! I actually didn¡¯t want to take in any more neers when Mr. Stuart mentioned he had someone he wanted to rmend. I was nning on retiring after all. I already have superstars like Miley, Yasmine, and many others too. But the moment I saw Shirley, I immediately changed my mind¡­ Want to know why?¡± ¡°Uhm, why?¡± Renee asked awkwardly. She had no problem socializing but was still somewhat wary of overly friendly people like these. Chapter 995 Chapter 995 ¡°Haha, why else? It¡¯s because Shirley is practically your clone!¡± The manager pped the woman on the back excitedly. ¡°You just look so alike! Everyone in our industry is saying how Shirley is your stand- in too.¡± ¡°Shirley¡¯s debut film was the one that starred the famous Mr. Hunt and was inspired by the trending short story ¡®Hunt my Everheart.¡¯ People absolutely loved it, and that was Shirley¡¯s big break¡­¡± Renee brushed her hair out of her face and continued replying awkwardly. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve kind of heard of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame that Mr. Hunt is currently going out with Miss Murphy. Looks like everyone¡¯s ship sank¡­¡± The manager let out a long sigh, her eyes filled with regret and sympathy. Renee watched as Shirley worked from afar, unable to contain her curiosity. ¡°Is Miss White still single?¡± ¡°Oh her?¡± The manager turned to look at Shirley as well, smiling. ¡°She has someone rich, but you can¡¯t tell anyone this, okay?¡± ¡°Who is it? Is it Xavier Stuart?¡± ¡°No, no, think bigger.¡± ¡°Bigger?!¡± Renee felt like she was getting closer to the truth and continued questioning. ¡°Who could it be? Wasn¡¯t Xavier supporting her this whole time? Did something happen between them?¡± The woman assumed that the two had gotten into a big fight, so much so that it gave Xavier anxiety towards love and rtionships. ¡®So this is why he turned out this way! He¡¯s so hesitant when ites to love, even when he really wants tomit to another!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure about that. I just know that¡­¡± The manager intended to continue her gossip due to her admiration for Renee. However, Shirley had just finished up her scenes and was walking towards them with her assistant holding an umbre at her side. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Everheart. I hope I didn¡¯t keep you waiting for too long.¡± Shirley interrupted their conversation with a soft smile, elegantly sitting on the chair her assistant pulled back. As Renee observed the woman before her, she was reminded of their first encounter four years ago. The natural simplicity in Shirley¡¯s beauty was long gone by now, especially after being influenced by fame and fortune. She thought to herself. ¡®What a pity that she became like this¡­¡¯ ¡°You look prettier since thest time we met, Miss White. Looks like the life of a celebrity has been treating you quite well.¡± Renee greeted politely, hoping to quickly ease away the awkward atmosphere between them. Shirley lowered her head and grinned, then hushed her manager away. ¡°Louis, can you please help me discuss the details of the uingmercial with our business partners?¡± ¡°Alright, Shirley, have fun talking with Miss Everheart then.¡± The manager got up as told and gave the women some space. ¡°Do you have something urgent to tell me, Miss Everheart? You went out of your way to contact me after all. Since there¡¯s no one around us, you can be honest with me,¡± Shirley said as she looked towards Renee with a sharp gaze, holding a cup of coffee in her hands. She was well aware that most people wouldn¡¯t contact her without holding certain intentions. Moreover, just like Renee, she didn¡¯t like beating around the bush either. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be honest with you¡­¡± Renee sat up straight and cleared her throat. ¡°What¡¯s your current rtionship with Xavier Stuart? Did something bad happen between the two of you?¡± Shirley paused, clearly surprised. ¡°I thought you came for Mr. Hunt, Miss Everheart. I didn¡¯t expect you to be concerned about Stuart at all. Seems to me that you have a special rtionship too!¡± Renee frowned. ¡®Why does she sound so sarcastic?¡¯ Her expression turned cold, her tone slightly sharper than before. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. We do have a special rtionship. That¡¯s why I hope to lend him a hand.¡± Chapter 996 Chapter 996 ¡°Does that mean you like Stuart?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only rtionship a man and a woman could have, you know¡­¡± Not intending to stall any longer, Renee told her everything. ¡°Basically, my friend likes him, and I think he¡¯s fallen for her too. But he¡¯s just acting so weird! He likes her, but he doesn¡¯t dare to make a move.¡± ¡°So I was wondering if he has some kind of unresolved issues and if it has anything to do with you.¡± ¡°Fell for your friend?¡± A glimpse of jealousy shed within Shirley¡¯s gorgeous eyes for a split second. She then let out a cold chuckle. ¡°I think your friend must have been assuming things. Stuart loves me very much, and he¡¯d never move on so easily. ¡°I did reject him in the past, but something happenedter on, and it helped me confirm my feelings towards him. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to be with him. So I¡¯m guessing he rejected your friend because of this.¡± ¡°R¡­ Really?¡± Renee was dejected after hearing this. After all, everyone knew just how head over heels Xavier was towards her. Hence, it didn¡¯t sound like a lie at all. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry our troubles have affected someone else. We¡¯ll make sure to give her a proper apology later on¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Renee let out a long sigh, feeling quite sorry for Leia. ¡°It¡¯s good enough that we cleared things up, and I wish you and Xavier a happy rtionship.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Shirley called out to her all of a sudden. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You care so much about your friend¡¯s love life, Miss Everheart. But do you really not care about your own?¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°I heard Mr. Hunt got into an ident. As his ex-wife, aren¡¯t you concerned in the slightest?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that!¡± Renee figured that the conflict between Stefan and her brother had been spread to the public, so she pretended to be nonchnt. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just life, isn¡¯t it? We all have ups and downs. What¡¯s important is that he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°How cruel, Miss Everheart; even I¡¯m starting to feel bad for Mr. Hunt. Don¡¯t you even feel an ounce of guilt towards him?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why would I? He was the one who provoked his enemy, so he definitely deserved it. I wouldn¡¯t shed a tear even if he were to die.¡± She likely wished to convince herself the same, which was why she purposefully spouted such heartless words. Before leaving, she picked up the cup of coffee on the table and lightly sipped on it, then turned to Shirley. ¡°Thanks for your concern, though, Miss White. Oh, and the coffee¡¯s great.¡± Shirley watched as Renee walked far, shifting the small microphone she tied to her waist, and whispered. ¡°Auntie, I asked everything you wanted me to ask. Miss Everheart really is cruel! I feel so bad for Stefan!¡± On the other end of the line was Francine, about to explode in rage. She had heard every single word Renee said earlier, and that was enough to crush thest sliver of hope she held in her heart. She initially thought that this was all just some kind of misunderstanding, that Renee had no idea about Stefan and Seraphina¡¯s ident. However, now it seemed to her that it was far from a misunderstanding. ¡®That woman is nothing but a vicious viper!¡¯ ¡°If that¡¯s so, I won¡¯t be showing any mercy either. Have them take action!¡± Francine said with an expressionless face, her eyes frosty. This order was basically sentencing Renee to death. Chapter 997 Chapter 997 As Renee headed towards the parking lot, she found her head heavy, and she was feeling more disoriented the more she walked. ¡°Alright, everyone, get in position! And¡­ action!¡± Behind her was the director giving orders, followed by the sound of the pperboard. Shirley had already left the waiting area by then, and she now stood by the cliff for yet another shoot. Amongst her dizziness, she noticed Shirley¡¯s long hair and white dress. It was rather odd, but she found her looking quite simr to Briar, who she identally pushed down this cliff three months ago. Shirley and Briar¡¯s faces started merging into one, passing through the group of staff with an eerie smile. She was staring straight at her as blood started dripping out of the corners of her eyes and mouth¡­ ¡°Ah! No! Don¡¯te near me!¡± Renee screamed as she cked out, falling straight to the ground. After some time, as she regained consciousness slightly, she felt a bucket of ice-cold water poured onto her face. She opened her eyes in an instant, realizing she was currently lying in a dark, moist warehouse. She had a leash connected to a metal chain that left a red sore mark around her neck, as if she were a dog. ¡°So you¡¯ve finally woken up, witch!¡± A cold voice came from somewhere higher within the warehouse. Francine soon appeared in her field of vision, with Seraphina right by her side. Their eyes were filled with strong hatred as if they could shoot poisonous venom at any given time. ¡°Miss Francine, now that this wench has woken up, let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± Seraphina persuaded the old woman, wishing she could cut Renee into thousands of pieces. She couldn¡¯t forget the pain she felt when the group of men assaulted her. Hence, as Quinton¡¯s sister, she thought Renee should naturally be the first to experience karma and retribution for their sins. Francine, on the other hand, was holding onto the metal railing in front of her. She stared at the woman with a scowl, her voice filled with disappointment as she questioned. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, Renee Everheart?¡± She was actually quite conflicted when it came to her opinion of Renee. She disapproved of her at the start but slowly grew fond of her with time. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Yet now, she was consumed by resentment, unable to ept that the woman her son loved so deeply was such a vile, maniptive person. Despite having ¡®evidence¡¯ on Renee¡¯s ¡®crimes,¡¯ she still hoped that there was a chance that they could be wrong. At the very least, she wanted to hear Renee admit to every sinful deed before giving up on all hope. The woman tugged on the chains, trying her best to struggle out, only to find these chains being made from a certain material. Not even a professional bodybuilder could ever dream of breaking them. Hence, she knew that she had no way to get out of this situation, despite knowing many methods that could have potentially helped. She was just like a wingless bird, and she waspletely at their mercy. ¡°Hmph, what else can I say when you two have already beat around the bush and made such a big commotion?¡± Renee¡¯s beautiful face was painted with ayer of ice. She didn¡¯t even bother looking at Francine and Seraphina. ¡°You¡¯re still as tough as before, Renee Everheart. I put in a lot of effort in capturing you, but nothing worked. You¡¯re always on high alert, and you won¡¯t let anyone near you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you still missed one little detail. You contacted my goddaughter Shirley on your own ord¡­¡± ¡°I was indeed foolish. I didn¡¯t expect you to have any rtions with Shirley White¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t. I intentionally found a woman who looked like you for my son when you disappeared for four whole years. I hoped that Shirley could rece you, but my son was stubborn. He only loves you. ¡°But I ended up taking a liking to that child, so I asked her to be my goddaughter.¡± Renee was able to catch on in an instant. She chuckled coldly. ¡°So when I contacted Shirley, she contacted you too. If my guess is right, she even drugged that cup of coffee for you, didn¡¯t she?¡± Chapter 998 Chapter 998 Francine stayed silent, not denying these allegations. Renee had always been a smart woman, which was why she admired her to begin with. ¡°Hah, well, I can¡¯t me anyone but myself for this. I was fooled by Star Actress Shirley¡¯s innocent demeanor. As expected from her, I suppose, her acting skills are immacte.¡± Renee gave a thumbs up as she shook her head, smiling sadly. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re admitting to all the crimes you havemitted?¡± Francine asked as she tightened her grasp on the railing, her entire body trembling. ¡°What crimes?¡± Renee lifted her head and stared straight at Francine with her usual thorny attitude. ¡°What do you think? Do you feel no regret for what your demented brother has done to Stef and Seraphina? He ruined their lives!¡± ¡°You can insult me but don¡¯t you dare insult my brother. I was the one who made the decision to lure Stefan Hunt into the trap. So I¡¯ll take full responsibility for what happened.¡± Renee could guess that her brother had definitely crossed the line, knowing his personality. Hence, if someone had to pay for this to die down peacefully, she was willing to volunteer. ¡®Ugh, he¡¯s still my brother after all!¡¯ ¡°Fine then. I can¡¯t believe you feel no remorse, even in this state! How could you continue acting so stubborn!?¡± Francine nearly fainted from anger, shivering uncontrobly. ¡°What bad luck. It¡¯s my fault for having such poor judgment. I thought you were a kind child, and I secretly treated you like you were my own daughter. I told Stefan that he should never betray you, even if he had to betray the entire world!¡± ¡°But now¡­ I can finally see that you¡¯re just like a viper. You¡¯re a cold-hearted, cold-blooded monster!¡± ¡°Miss Francine, let¡¯s stop trying to talk sense into her. She¡¯s very calctive, and it¡¯d be troublesome if she were to get away. Let¡¯s¡­ just do it.¡± Seraphina quickly urged, worried that their n might go wrong. After all, Stefan had no idea about this. If he did, the man would no doubt forgive Renee unconditionally, which meant that she had the chance to turn the tables. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve admitted to everything, I have nothing to say to you. I won¡¯t take your life because you¡¯re still Abby and Adie¡¯s mother, but I will make you pay twice as much as what you made Stefan suffer!¡± Francine howled, turning away slightly. She then looked towards Seraphina. ¡°I¡¯m leaving her to you now. I¡¯m getting old, and I can¡¯t stand gory scenes.¡± Seraphina beamed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Francine. I¡¯ll be sure to deal with her properly.¡± ¡°Remember to keep her alive.¡± Francine reminded the woman and nced at Renee once more, giving her just enough time to beg for mercy. However, Renee was resolute, seemingly unrepentant for what she had done. She didn¡¯t even bother to apologize for her wrongdoings. ¡®This is uneptable! I may be generous, but I can¡¯t possibly forgive her!¡¯ The old woman thought and left the warehouse after some hesitation. Now, Seraphina and Renee were the only ones left in there.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina immediately leaped down and approached Renee, giggling maniacally. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the arrogant, all-mighty Miss Everheart. Have you prepared yourself for hell?¡± Chapter 999 Chapter 999 There wasn¡¯t even the slightest hint of fear shown on Renee¡¯s face. She even burst outughing, as though she wasn¡¯t being held captive. ¡°You b*tch. How could youugh in the face of death?!¡± Seraphina fumed, pping Renee across the face as hard as she could. ¡°What¡¯s so funny, huh? Are you not scared?!¡± A red p mark slowly appeared on Renee¡¯s fair skin, with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. It seemed quite painful, yet she didn¡¯t even furrow her brows. Instead, the woman continuedughing loudly. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯mughing because of your stupidity. You¡¯re the one staring in the face of death, yet you still act like you have the upper hand! Isn¡¯t that hrious?¡± ¡°You¡­ What do you mean by that?! I¡¯m doing just fine! How dare you curse me?!¡± Seraphina was actually feeling quite guilty from the start, and hearing Renee¡¯s words took her aback. Despite this, she still intended to p Renee once more, but it was no match for the woman¡¯s great reflexes. She kicked her in the gut, sending Seraphina stumbling backward. ¡°Argh!¡± Seraphina yelped, her face twisted as she clutched her stomach as though her organs were ruptured. She pointed towards Renee with a shaky finger. ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°Seraphina Murphy, we shouldn¡¯t have any animosity towards each other. You don¡¯t have to kill me over a man.¡± ¡°Besides, if something were to happen to me, my brother would be the first toe after you. My other friends too. For example, my best friends, Leia and Liam, would also do whatever it takes to seek revenge on you. So tell me, do you still think you¡¯re doing just fine?¡± Renee asked as she red at Seraphina, who was still retching from the pain. Even though she was still in chains, her unsympathetic boldness was enough to strike fear in just anyone. Seraphina was rmed, taking a few steps back to ensure Renee couldn¡¯t attack her again. She then continued speaking with a cocky attitude. ¡°Sure, we didn¡¯t have anything against each other back then. We may have been rivals, but I never wanted to take your life either.¡± ¡°But ever since that night, I swore to send you straight to hell, even if it costs my life!¡± ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Renee was confident. ¡°Francine just warned you not to. She needed me alive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I can tell that Francine is still softhearted towards you. That¡¯s why she let me deal with you instead. That also means I am the one to decide your fate¡­ Do you really think I¡¯d ever let go of such a great opportunity?¡± Seeing how Seraphina was determined to murder her, Renee didn¡¯t want to persuade her any longer. However, she couldn¡¯t understand what had happened ¡®that night.¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡®What happened for her to hate me this much?¡¯ She wondered. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m not going to waste any more energy with you if you¡¯re so adamant. Just remember that this will bring you consequences. But I¡¯d just like to know why. At least give me some closure before killing me off.¡± Renee said nonchntly, folding her arms in front of her chest. She looked as if she had actually given up. ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re still putting up an act. You know exactly what I¡¯ve been through. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know you¡¯re just using your demented brother to cover up your crimes and that hideous evil heart of yours!¡± Seraphina shrieked as her mind returned to that traumatic event, shivering with a pained expression. ¡°You¡¯re a woman too! How can you even sleep at night after using such a horrible way to seek revenge on me?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll admit I used a lot of tricks to ruin your rtionship with Stefan, but you could¡¯ve just taken him back if you had what it takes! Why did you have to¡­ make your brother hire those dirty men?! Did you know how miserable I felt when I was assaulted?!¡± ¡°That was when I swore to myself that I had to seek revenge. I wanted to find hundreds and thousands of dirty, disgusting men to kill you the same way you killed my soul!¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes reddened with extreme resentment. ¡°Wh¡­ What?¡± Renee was initially rather rxed. However, hearing Seraphina¡¯s wailing, her face was immediately consumed by disbelief and sobriety. ¡°You mean¡­ my brother¡­ had some people do¡­ that to you?¡± Chapter 1000 Chapter 1000 ¡°Like I said, there¡¯s no use putting up an act at this point! I will never forgive you, no matter how much you pretend to be innocent! You can never undo the damage you¡¯ve done to me. I will only find peace by making you suffer a hundred times worse than I have!¡± Seraphina yelled. She then pped her hands and turned her head to the door. ¡°You maye in.¡± After that, several rows of burly men, an estimated hundred in total, walked through the entrance. They were all wearing the same clothing and were mostly tanned. Their expressions were rather fierce, and they looked like foreigners. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Renee asked Seraphina frostily. ¡°You¡¯re a smart woman. How could you possibly not know what I¡¯m trying to do here?¡± Seraphina patted the tall man next to her, her smile twisted. ¡°I specifically found these guys from a countryside far, far away, just for you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re very rugged, you know? They have more than enough stamina to satisfy you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d die happy even if you were to go to hell¡­ Oh, aren¡¯t I just the best?¡± ¡°Murphy, believe it or not, I really had no idea about what happened to you. All I can say is¡­ I¡¯m very sorry.¡± Renee was not afraid but instead felt rather apologetic. She knew that her brother had been raised in a rough environment, which was why he always chose to go to extremes. He never left room for mercy, but she didn¡¯t expect that he actually go to such an extent. ¡®I can imagine how scary that experience was to her, especially when she had always been a prideful rich girl.¡¯ ¡®No wonder she wants me dead at all cost. Her hate ispletely reasonable¡­¡¯ ¡°Haha, you¡¯re sorry?¡± Seraphina cackled. ¡°Do you think your apology holds any meaning to me now? I won¡¯t forgive you even if you have no idea about it! You will pay for your brother¡¯s crimes! This is your karma!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I have no right to apologize. If revenge is what you need, go ahead!¡± Renee closed her eyes and epted her fate. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I suppose this is my karma¡­ Just like how I identally pushed Desrosiers down the cliff. This is my punishment.¡¯ ¡®The only people I still worry for are my children.¡¯ ¡®Poor Abby and Adie, you have to take good care of yourselves, okay? Mommy will be your mommy again in our next lives!¡¯ ¡°Are you all deaf? She said to go ahead! Stop standing around. She¡¯s letting you f*ck her for free, you hillbillies!¡± Seraphina shoved one of the men forward and ordered. ¡°Starting with you! Get on with it!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ M¡­ Miss Murphy.¡± Along with his hesitant answer, the muscr man seemed to have a righteous expression, which indicated that he wasn¡¯t exactly a bad person. He slowly approached the woman and reached over to her clothes¡­ Chapter 1001 Chapter 1001 ¡°Wait!¡± Seraphina suddenly called out to the man and took her phone camera out, smiling. ¡°A lovely scene like this should be recorded and shown to the public! Everyone will get to enjoy this over and over again on the inte.¡± ¡°I pity you, Murphy, but you sure aren¡¯t a weakling. Color me impressed!¡± Renee had given up at this point. She merely regretted not being able to leave a proper will to her friends and family. ¡®I probably won¡¯t be able to rest in peace if I die such a sudden death.¡¯ ¡°Looks to me you¡¯re still resisting. Well, I could tell you one more thing¡­¡± Seraphina said slowly as she captured Renee¡¯s embarrassing state. ¡°Do you know why Stef suddenly broke up with you out of nowhere, even though your rtionship was going really well? And why he chose to be with me instead?¡± Renee scoffed, finding this quite woeful. ¡°How insecure do you have to be to show off your amazing love story at this moment? Why else would he do that? Isn¡¯t it all because you are childhood friends, and he¡¯s so deeply in love with you?!¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, never have I ever imagined that I could make you feel jealous, Everheart. What a shame¡­ that I don¡¯t actually have what it takes to do that.¡± Seraphina let out a long sigh, speaking truthfully. ¡°I really feel bad Stef, you know? To think the woman he swore on his life to protect views him in this light.¡± Renee froze, noticing something off with her statement. Her tone was stern as she questioned. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Stef didn¡¯t agree to date me for three months just because he wanted to continue working with the Murphys. In reality, he doesn¡¯t even care if my family would save him, nor does he care about the possibility of H Group facing bankruptcy!¡± ¡°All he cares about is you,¡± Seraphina replied. She didn¡¯t mind divulging such information with a soon- to-be corpse. Hence, she continued on with her story, revealing every single detail to the woman. ¡°Three months ago, I received an anonymous video¡ªclear evidence that you were the one who murdered Briar Desrosiers. What do you think would¡¯ve happened to you if I handed that clip to the police?¡± ¡°You¡­ How did you¡­¡± Renee was once again shocked. At first, she had really given in to her faith and intended to go out with pride. Yet now she felt deted, finding herself an unforgivable sinner. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to speak against Seraphina. ¡°How did I get my hands on that tape?¡± Seraphina shrugged,pletely unaware as well. ¡°I have no idea who was the saint who sent me this either. They even kindly reminded me that I could use this as leverage to ask Stef to be with me.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if that could work, considering how well I know Stef. He hates being threatened. And I thought he wouldn¡¯t sell himself out just for you, right? You¡¯re not that important to him, right?¡± ¡°Wrong. Haha, I didn¡¯t even know if I should be happy or sad about this. He actually agreed to date me, and he allowed me to do anything to him. All he wanted was for me to destroy that clip and never tell a soul about the murder.¡± Seraphina started tearing up as she spoke, stumbling slightly. No one could tell if she was mad, jealous, or sorrowful at that point. She just kept choking back tears, repeating her words. ¡°I don¡¯t get it! I just don¡¯t get it! You¡¯re no better than I am, so why does he love you so much?!¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Renee gulped. Intense despair shed across her gorgeous face as she whispered to herself, ¡°So that¡¯s why. He¡¯s such an idiot! I knew he wouldn¡¯t change so easily. That big stupid idiot!¡± Still mumbling to herself, warm tears trickled down her cheeks. However, she was crying from relief instead of resentment and misery. ¡°Thank you, Murphy, for telling me the truth before I die. At least I wouldn¡¯t die misunderstanding his actions.¡± Renee¡¯s gaze seemed more determined and courageous. At the very least, she finally realized that her only rtionship in life was true and beautiful. She was happy enough to know that it wasn¡¯t a train wreck. Chapter 1002 Chapter 1002 ¡°Hahaha, thank me?¡± Seraphina shook her head,ughing coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not a good person, Everheart. I only told you this, so you realize how horrible you¡¯ve been. You missed out on such a great man. And now¡­ he¡¯s mine. I¡¯ll be the one to take care of him. I¡¯ll be the one to support him. All he needs is me now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll thank you again in advance then. Please take good care of him for me, and support him well. When I was with him, we were quite a disaster. It¡¯s like we¡¯re oil and water or something.¡± Renee said, genuinely wishing Seraphina and Stefan well. She found Seraphina¡¯s love towards the man was purer, deeper, and unwavering than hers. If this was truly where her life ended, she figured that Seraphina was the best candidate as Stefan¡¯s future lover. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t act all nice now. No matter how selfless you pretend to be, I won¡¯t go easy on you. I¡¯ve said all I wanted to say. Everyone, get on with it now!¡± Seraphina ordered. She seemed perturbed and didn¡¯t want to stay at the scene at the time. All she left was her phone aimed straight at Renee, capturing every second of this event. With that, the only people left in the warehouse were the helpless Renee and the group of energetic men. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. The leader of the group cracked his knuckles and nodded towards Renee. ¡°Sorry,dy. We just want money. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not sick in the head. We¡¯ll be gentle with you. But whether youe out alive is up to your capability to endure through all of it.¡± Renee shut her eyes, filled with despair. ¡°If it¡¯s possible, I hope you guys can just kill me right now.¡± ¡°No can do. Miss Murphy specifically ordered us to ¡®torment you to death.¡¯ If she just wanted to take your life, this would¡¯ve been so much easier.¡± The man said and scanned the area, politely speaking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you justy down and cooperate with us now?¡± ¡°And what if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t me us for being violent!¡± The man¡¯s expression immediately shifted, aggressively lunging towards her. Renee was merely on a leash. Her limbs were not restricted, so she intended to make a desperate attempt to escape. Suddenly, the man spoke in a surprised tone. ¡°Wait,dy. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re a Middleton?¡± Renee frowned, opening her eyes to look back at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The pouch in your shirt pocket. Who gave this to you? The white plum blossom embroidery is our family crest. Seeing this crest is no different from seeing our ancestors¡­¡± The man exined as he fell to his knees, groveling. ¡°We are terribly sorry for not realizing sooner. Please ept our sincerest respect.¡± At the very same time, the rest of the group knelt down as well. Renee was speechless, looking towards the medicinal pouch, then remembered how Margaret briefly mentioned The Albus Order. Thinking back to how these people didn¡¯t look like they were from the city, she instantly sighed in relief. ¡®Tsk tsk, Margaret sure is a psychic! The pouch did help get me out of a pickle! It saved my life!¡¯ Chapter 1003 Chapter 1003 Renee had no doubt escaped from this deadly experience. However, she didn¡¯t intend to seek revenge on Seraphina after this, as she found her experience extremely pitiful. She knew that her brother waspletely in the wrong for making that call, and she decided to find a way to make it up to Seraphina. She owed her at least that much. As for Stefan¡­ She realized that she needed to part ways with him properly. Even if they weren¡¯t together now, they didn¡¯t have to leave any regrets between each other. Moreover, it would be much better if they could look back on their memories fondly. ¡°Let go of me, Everheart! You b*tch! Fight me head-on instead!¡± Seraphina struggled and screamed hysterically, being the one tied to a pir in the warehouse this time. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. This¡¯ll be just temporary. Once I¡¯m done handling my business, I¡¯ll have someone release you,¡± Renee said calmly, trying her best tofort Seraphina. ¡°I know I have wronged you, but I will make it up to you no matter what.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like a saint, b*tch. Either kill me right now or let me go! You don¡¯t have to torture me this way!¡± Seraphina¡¯s eyes reddened from anger, her voice hoarse from all the shouting. ¡°Though I have to give it to you, I can¡¯t believe you managed to escape that situation! I guess this is what people call fate. I am destined to lose to you! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and kill me!¡± Renee let out a long sigh and shook her head. ¡°Believe it or not, I never wanted to hurt you. And I was being honest before. I can tell you love Stefan more than I do, so I hope you can take care of him in my stead. I promise that I won¡¯t have anything to do with him from now on.¡± ¡°Enough with your charade. Do you think I have no idea that you¡¯re just going to seduce Stef again?! Well, too bad¡­ he won¡¯t forgive you this time. He hates your guts. Even if you go looking for him, you¡¯ll just be wasting your time and energy.¡± Seraphina growled, not worried that their love might rekindle at all. After all, if they really got back together, Stefan would no longer be the man she was once in love with. She didn¡¯t want a man who had nearly no dignity or backbone. ¡°Think whatever you want.¡± Renee didn¡¯t bother to reason with Seraphina any longer, ordering the Albus Order to look after her right before leaving. She then tidied herself up, hoping to look slightly presentable. It was already night when she headed out. As dark clouds covered the skies, the entire world seemed to be drowned out in pitch ckness. After hearing from Seraphina that Stefan was currently staying at Hunt Manor, Renee immediately called a cab. She was highly agile and very familiar with the manoryout, so she could sneak in easily. At that time, Stefan was sitting in a bamboo chair in the backyard and enjoying the chilly night breeze. He was wearing ck casual clothes and seemed rathernguished. He looked like he had just recovered from a serious illness, especially since his dashing aura was long gone. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Renee decided to hide behind arge rock pir, hesitating to approach the man. Although she had nned to say her goodbyes, her legs were glued to the floor, and she didn¡¯t dare to move a muscle. She didn¡¯t know what to say, worried that breaking her promise could potentially affect Stefan¡¯s health. She wasn¡¯t superstitious, but she didn¡¯t want to risk the man¡¯s life to prove her beliefs. ¡°Stef, it¡¯s getting cold, and it¡¯ste. Aren¡¯t you tired? Let¡¯s get you back to your room, okay?¡± Francine draped a wool jacket over the man¡¯s shoulders, her eyes filled with tears. She was absolutely heartbroken over the fact that her high-flying, confident, and proud son had be so depressed and gloomy. Chapter 1004 Chapter 1004 ¡°I¡¯m not tired. You should go to bed first, don¡¯t mind me,¡± Stefan hoarsely replied in a weak, unmotivated tone. ¡°What¡¯s the point of staying here and giving yourself a cold? You should go back to your room and warm up.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like some time alone.¡± ¡°But you¡­¡± Francine let out a long sigh. ¡°That woman made you this way. Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still hung up on her.¡± Stefan remained silent. ¡°Oh Stef, don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m your mother, and I know my son best. You may be perfect in every way, but you¡¯re still a victim to love. If it weren¡¯t for that woman, your life would¡¯ve been smooth sailing, and you wouldn¡¯t have ended up¡­¡± ¡°Mom, I told you. I want some time alone.¡± The man, sounding slightly aggrieved, balled up his fists gently. ¡°Alright, I¡­ I¡¯ll leave you alone. Just¡­ ring the bell if you need anything.¡± Francine didn¡¯t say anything else and wiped away her tears, leaving the backyard quietly. Renee, on the other hand, hid herself quite well, which was why no one noticed her the entire time. She continued to stand behind the pir, watching Stefan from the back for a long while. She didn¡¯t want to leave just yet. ¡®Hey Stefan, you¡¯ve lost so much weight¡­ oh, you weakling! A mere snake bite caused you to end up like this? Come on, man, get up! What¡¯s the point of moping in the middle of the night?¡¯ ¡®You know, I actually came here to say goodbye. I made a deal with the gods when you were on the verge of death. I was willing to step out of your lifepletely if it meant you could stay alive. So hate me all you want. I¡¯m sure that will bring you more happiness than loving me.¡¯ ¡®So I hope you spend the rest of your life with Seraphina Murphy and be happy, okay? She really does love you. She had to endure so much trauma just to save you. I don¡¯t even think I could ever do that for you. That¡¯s why I just know you¡¯ll be loved when you¡¯re with her. It will be much easier than loving me¡­¡¯ Not daring to approach him, Renee was only able to bber on in her mind, taking this as saying her goodbye. Just as she was about to leave, she identally bumped into a vase. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Stefan¡¯s hearing had drastically improved after losing his sight. He stood up and slowly walked over towards the pir, asking in an alert tone. ¡°Mom, are you still here?¡± Despite still hiding behind the pir, Renee was sure her cover had been blown. Just as she was about to wave at him, the man¡­ acted as if she wasn¡¯t there. ¡®What the hell is this guy doing? Is he doing this on purpose to ridicule me?¡¯ Renee thought. She took a deep breath but soon noticed something off when she was about to exin herself. ¡®Stefan¡¯s eyes look kind of weird. They aren¡¯t focused on anything at all. It¡¯s like he¡¯s blind¡­¡¯ Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Wait¡­ Is he actually blind?!¡¯ Renee felt her heart sink as soon as she thought about that possibility. She gulped and mustered up the courage to walk away from the pir, revealing herself to him. Stefan narrowed his eyes slightly, walking towards the sound of footsteps. ¡°If you¡¯re not my mother, are you Seraphina?¡± Chapter 1005 Chapter 1005 Stefan¡¯s words confirmed Renee¡¯s suspicions. He¡­ was really blind. He couldn¡¯t see her, although she was standing right in front of him. ¡°You must be Seraphina. You¡¯re not saying anything.¡± Stefan didn¡¯t suspect much and pointed to the chair next to him, speaking softly. ¡°The sky must look nice tonight, and it¡¯s breezy too. So stay with me for a little.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Renee imitated Seraphina¡¯s voice and responded lightly. Stefan hadn¡¯t noticed anything just yet. Specifically¡­ In his current situation, no one was permitted to come near him apart from his mother and Seraphina. Hence, he naturally didn¡¯t assume otherwise. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Renee noticed the man looking for something with his hands and could tell that he likely wanted some coffee. She quickly handed him his cup, which led to their fingers touching momentarily. Stefan frowned slightly as if he realized something but merely took a sip from his coffee, not saying a word. The two then continued to sit in silence, with Stefan not wanting to speak, and Renee not daring to. The windy night brought them a nice flowery fragrance in the air, providing them with an indescribable romantic harmony. After a long while, Stefan spoke up. ¡°Seraphina, you know me so well, unlike my mother. She was really noisy. And you know that I love hand-ground coffee.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, I didn¡¯t like coffee before, especially at night. Every time I had any, I could basically kiss my sleep goodbye. But my ex-wife loved making things like these. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she got her coffee beans and her coffee machine, and I have no idea how she ground them so finely. But the coffee she brewed had some kind of magic spell. I was hooked the moment I took a sip, and that¡¯s how I developed my caffeine habit.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Renee continued imitating Seraphina¡¯s voice, replying dismissively. This was the first time she realized that the man liked the coffee she had brewed. He had never admitted this to her in the past, of course, usuallyining about the texture or taste. Sometimes, he wouldn¡¯t even visit ninjanovel bother to take one nce at it, ordering the maids to throw it out instead¡­ Yet now, he was acting like an old man, reminiscing about the past over and over again. ¡®What a tsundere!¡¯ ¡°I know you must hate her after everything that¡¯s happened, and¡­ I know that I should too.¡± Stefan¡¯s solemn face was stered with pain. ¡°When I was at my lowest point in life, my only wish was to see her. At the brink of death, I want nothing else but to hold her hand¡­¡± ¡°But she left me. She didn¡¯t care if I was dead or alive. She was the one who plotted against me, but I just¡­ I¡¯m hopeless. I can¡¯t bring myself to hate her even after all this. I¡¯ll forgive her as long as she¡¯s willing toe see me.¡± Renee was unable to utter a single word, her tears blurring her vision. She couldn¡¯t tell him that she was right in front of him, let alone hug him or give him any sort offort. ¡°Do you think she¡¯de, Seraphina?¡± Stefan turned towards Renee, asking desperately. He then shook his head, his gaze turning gloomy. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t think she should, not with the way I am now. I am useless, and she¡¯ll despise me for that. I can¡¯t face her like this.¡± ¡°No, she won¡¯t!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t resist any longer and replied loudly. After that, she regretted doing so. Despite her efforts to imitate Seraphina¡¯s voice, Stefan was too smart to have not noticed the difference. Chapter 1006 Chapter 1006 The man smiled, speaking in a knowing voice. ¡°You were reckless. You¡¯re not Seraphina. She hates Renee too much to ever say anything good about her. Let me take a guess as to who you are¡­¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, falling into deep thought. ¡°Are you Cecilia? Or Charlotte? Or are you Shirley¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I know. You must be La, the new caretaker my mother hired because I¡¯ve never heard of your voice before!¡± Renee was initially consumed by sorrow, with her tears falling down like pouring rain. However, the man¡¯s questions made her roll her eyes instead. ¡®How unexpected, Stefan Hunt, you had more women in line apart from Desrosiers and Murphy?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s four other women that you¡¯ve just guessed! You even assumed I¡¯d be the caretaker you¡¯ve never even met! What about me?!¡¯ ¡®Is he really still in love with me, or is he just faking it?¡¯ Noticing that the woman wasn¡¯t replying, Stefan continued. ¡°Whoever you are, I just know you¡¯re not Renee. Else why would she not dare to face me when she¡¯s sitting right beside me? Why would she care for me but not dare to give me even a single hug?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not her style.¡± Renee was stunned, watching Stefan silently. ¡°But if you really are Renee, hug me. I said I¡¯m willing to forgive you no matter what, right?¡± Stefan opened up his arms, holding onto thest bit of hope in his mind, waiting for the woman¡¯s embrace. Although he was blind, he was not stupid. He could tell that this woman was imitating Seraphina¡¯s voice on purpose. However, he just wasn¡¯t sure if she was Renee. Hence, he went against his usual behavior and rambled on, hoping to help relieve her mental weight so that she¡¯d reunite with him. He waited for such a long time to the point he found himself acting too desperately as well, and yet the woman still wasn¡¯t doing anything. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯re disgusted by me. I am blind, and I can¡¯t even take care of my basic necessities on my own. I don¡¯t deserve you anymore.¡± Stefanughed at himself with his arms still open, waiting for her regardless. He thought to himself, ¡®This is thest chance I¡¯m giving her.¡¯ ¡®I can throw my dignity away and forgive her for her faults. All I want is a simple life with her.¡¯ Renee covered her mouth, staring back at the sad lonely man. She didn¡¯t dare to utter a sound, sobbing quietly instead. She told herself over and over again that she must not give in. That was because she made a deal with the gods. She had to leave him in order for him to be safe. She just didn¡¯t want to risk anything after he barely survived what she put him through. ¡®Goodbye, Stefan. The only thing I can do for you now¡­ is stay away from you.¡¯ Renee spoke in her mind, exiting the backyard without alerting anyone. She was worried that she might change her mind if she had stayed any longer. She knew that it would only hurt the both of them if she broke her promise. At the very same time, Stefan felt a soft fragrant body leaping into his arms. He hugged the person tightly, surprised. ¡°Are you finally willing to face me now, Renee?¡± Chapter 1007 Chapter 1007 The woman in his arms shifted around ufortably, carefully speaking up. ¡°M¡­ Mr. Hunt, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m not Miss Everheart.¡± Stefan froze. His expression darkened. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m your personal caretaker, La Bridges. The madam sent me.¡± La had quite an innocent- looking face. Even the way she spoke sounded like she could do no harm. Stefan¡¯s expression was frosty, rudely pushing the woman away without hesitation. He then questioned her, clearly upset. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°For quite¡­ a while.¡± ¡°So you were the one who enjoyed the night breeze, gave me my coffee and listened to me this whole time?¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes.¡± La hid the fact that Renee hade by just to win Stefan¡¯s heart. Instead, she inserted herself into the narrative. ¡°The madam said you were in a bad mood and you need some quietpany. So I didn¡¯t talk the entire time and just listened to you. I didn¡¯t think you would mistake me as Miss Everheart. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me you.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was nk as he mocked himself. ¡°I was being too naive, I underestimated how cruel a person could be.¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt, I can tell you have yet to move on from Miss Everheart. If you trust me, I could try contacting her for you.¡± La mustered up the courage, pretending to be kind and understanding. The man was blind, but his facial features were still perfect, and his natural elegance was more than enough to make anyone swoon. If she had been able to win him over because of this, she would have undoubtedly won the lottery of life. ¡°No need.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression turned dreary once more, responding in a dismissive tone. ¡°I have to ept that we are over, and I have to thank her for being so cold. Only then would I be able to move onpletely.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Would you consider getting into a new rtionship, Mr. Hunt?¡± La took a deep breath and clung to the man¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m an orphan, and the famous doctor, Karter Bridges, raised me since I was a baby. That¡¯s how I managed to learn so much about medicine.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m willing to stay by your side and take care of you forever, even if I have to take a vow of chastity. And I¡¯ll further my studies so that I can heal your eyes as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Stefan scowled, pushing the woman away harshly again. He was enraged. ¡°Are you pitying me? I can¡¯t believe that I, Stefan Hunt, am being pitied by a mere servant! How depressing!¡± ¡°No, Mr. Hunt, that¡¯s not it. I¡­ I¡¯ve admired you for the longest time, but I know Ie from a humble background, and I have no right to get close to you. I even had to go through many challenges just to be hired as your caretaker¡­¡± ¡°Your mother had specifically mentioned that bing your personal caretaker means that I have to first take a vow of chastity. And once I get the job, I¡¯ll have to continue caring for you for the rest of my life. I¡¯m more than willing to do that for you!¡± La said weakly. She knew that marrying Stefan was nothing more than a dream. Thus she only wished to stay with him as a servant. She didn¡¯t need a name or title.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°I am capable of taking care of myself! So get lost!¡± Stefan flung his arm and knocked the coffee cup off of the table, visibly enraged. He used to be so full of pride, after all. Even so, the love of his life no longer cared for him, not even sparing him a nce. On the contrary, a random servant was insisting on taking care of him forever, even if it meant taking a vow of chastity. ¡®This is so ironic. This just makes my rtionship with Renee sound like a joke!¡¯ ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t be mad, Mr. Hunt. If you dislike me, I can just stop talking, I¡¯ll be quiet when I¡¯m with you. You can treat me like a mere decoration if you so wish! I live to serve you¡­¡± Chapter 1008 Chapter 1008 La showed humility in order tofort the angry man, but he didn¡¯t want to listen. He even went as far as to push her to the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± La yelped in pain as her head collided with one of the rock pirs, causing her to bleed. ¡°Now you know that I¡¯m not a good person. So stay away from me if you value your life.¡± Stefan warned her with a hostile expression. An egotistical man like him didn¡¯t need any sympathy, nor did he want to be a burden to others. He found it extremely ridiculous to have a woman sacrifice her whole life just to take care of him. ¡°Mr. Hunt, I volunteered for this, and I¡¯m staying, even if you chase me away! Please give me a chance to care for you. I won¡¯t evenin if I end up dying in your hands!¡± La ignored her bleeding wound and expressed her dedication instead. Francine had been watching them for some time and nodded to herself with a satisfied smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay, La. I knew I was right to have chosen you. You¡¯re the best candidate to take care of my son. You are dismissed for now. Go tend to your wounds.¡± She patted the woman on the shoulder, consoling. ¡°Sorry for the trouble. But don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t mistreat you.¡± ¡°M¡­ Madam. Alright, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± La nodded and left. ying the victim this time had secured her position within the Hunt family. Stefan would just have to live with her existence from now on, whether he liked it or not. Francine looked at Stefan¡¯s pained expression, only to find a deep sting in her heart as well. She said, ¡°Son, I specifically chose La to care for you. She has knowledge of medicine, and it¡¯d be good if she¡¯s your personal caretaker. It might even help you recover your sight quicker. Don¡¯t be so fierce with her. We don¡¯t want to scare her away now, do we?¡± ¡°What? Have I fallen so far from grace that I should be worried about offending a mere servant?! Or are you saying that¡­ even a servant should find me despicable and abandon me too?¡± Stefanmented in self-pity. Bing a blind man had crushed his ego entirely, and Renee¡¯s indifference was thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. He no longer felt confident in himself, especially when he thought of himself as nothing but useless garbage. ¡®Useless garbage like me should be rotting away in the sewers. I shouldn¡¯t bring anyone down with me!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t say that, son. This is all just temporary. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve lost your mind or lost a limb. There¡¯s still hope. As long as you cooperate with La¡¯s treatment ns, you¡¯ll get better¡­¡± ¡°Haha, get better?¡± Stefan chuckled bitterly. ¡°My eyes were permanently damaged. I won¡¯t get better. Just face it already, don¡¯t try tofort yourself with lies.¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen? I told you that La is a skillful medic. Her father is the famous Karter Bridges too! Do you know who he is? He¡¯s the only outer disciple of the mysterious Albus Order leader. Do you know how prestigious the Albus Order is in the medical field? They¡¯re¡­¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care.¡± Stefan immediately interrupted. From his point of view, Francine was basically panicking and looking for any type of remedy to cure him. It was simply madness¡­ Chapter 1009 Chapter 1009 Francine ignored his hostility and continued introducing the order in detail. ¡°The Albus Order is very mysterious. We don¡¯t even know who their leader is. However, they are known as the miracle of the medical field. Especially the ¡®Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation Therapy¡¯ they have invented. I¡¯m not even exaggerating when I say they could revive the dead with that¡­¡± ¡°People say that no matter how sick someone is, they can fully recover within ten days after receiving treatment from the Albus Order leader. If we can somehow contact them through La, we might be able to even cure your hemophobia, let alone your eyes!¡± Francine then sighed deeply, wiping her tears away silently. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d rest in peace knowing that you¡¯ve recovered from your condition. I wouldn¡¯t have any regrets if I dropped dead right then.¡± Initially, Stefan wasn¡¯t quite paying attention to anything his mother said, but hearing the words ¡®Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation Therapy¡¯ piqued his interest. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of Scraping Therapy, not Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation. Putting everything else aside, this Albus Order leader is pretty extreme. Are they intending to draw all of the patient¡¯s blood?¡± ¡°Who knows? See, you¡¯re getting curious, too, aren¡¯t you? Since we can¡¯t think of any other way either, why don¡¯t we look for that expert and give it a try? Anything is better than doing nothing, right? What do you think?¡± ¡°If you can really find this miracle doctor, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Stefan seemed to be less rigid now. At the start, he only wanted to lock himself away from the world, refusing any medical treatment. Hence, it was quite a hard journey for him to open up to the idea of trying. Little did they know that he was only willing to try this because he figured that he might die from receiving such extreme treatment, not because he wanted to recover from his condition. He couldn¡¯t possiblymit suicide in his current situation. He didn¡¯t want to seem like a coward and didn¡¯t wish for the living to mourn over his death for eternity. Moreover, dying from an ¡®ident¡¯ did make him feel less guilty for making this final decision. To him, this miracle doctor¡¯s supposed treatment sounded as ridiculous as spirit possession. Thus, it was a suitable method for him to pass away without any regrets or guilt. Francine naturally didn¡¯t know that Stefan had such ns, thinking her son was finallying out of his darkness. She was so overjoyed that tears flooded her eyes. ¡°This is great. You¡¯ve finallye around, Stef! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll find whoever that leader is even if I have to dig through the Earth¡¯s crust¡­¡± ¡°Besides, we can¡¯t stay in such a passive state. I received news that your second uncle and your cunning cousin are making moves again.¡± ¡°I told you to get rid of them for goodst time, but you just had to let them go because you still considered them family! Now we¡¯re in for more trouble. They¡¯ve been plotting in secret for so long that it looks like they¡¯re making aeback soon!¡± Francine was feeling more anxious as she spoke, her lips twisted into a deep frown. ¡°And there¡¯s this other thing¡­ I didn¡¯t want to tell you at first, but the situation doesn¡¯t allow me to hide it from you any longer.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What is it now?¡± ¡°I have been keeping your blindness an absolute secret for a while now. That¡¯s why no one but us would ever know about your condition.¡± ¡°Yettely, there¡¯s been rumors being spread around, and the board of directors is starting to feel uneasy. With Jovan provoking them even further, they¡¯re demanding to hold a shareholders¡¯ meeting at the end of this month. If you have yet to recover by then, you might lose your position as their CEO¡­¡± ¡°So be it. I can¡¯t do much as a blind man anyway. Giving that position to someone who is more capable won¡¯t be a bad thing for H Group.¡± Stefan was already in the depths of despair. He wasn¡¯t even interested in staying alive, let alone fighting for power and status. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just praise you for your improvement? Why are you so depressed again? I told you that this will be temporary and you¡¯ll get better. If you just hand over your position like that, what would happen to our family if Jovan was the one who took that chance?¡± Francine didn¡¯t want to risk it and continued advising Stefan. ¡°You know just how cruel Jovan can be. He wouldn¡¯t be as merciful as you if he had that chance. Me and your father aside, I don¡¯t even think he¡¯d let Abby and Adie off. If you really want to step down, wait till you¡¯ve secured a future for the kids first. Understood?¡± Chapter 1010 Chapter 1010 ¡°Adie¡­ Abby¡­¡± Stefan mumbled his precious children¡¯s names, the sadness in his eyespounded. ¡°What right do I have to call myself their father now? I don¡¯t think they¡¯d even want someone useless as family.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t be useless! You¡¯re just blind and still have your smarts to back you up, and you¡¯re definitely still capable of managing thepany. It¡¯s just that you can¡¯t show yourself during this period of time. Don¡¯t let anyone, especially Jovan, find out that you have lost your sight. Else we¡¯d have more problems to worry about.¡± Francine had already thought this through and had only announced to the public that Stefan caught a severely contagious disease. She told everyone that he was still in recovery and couldn¡¯t manage the company or receive guests for the time being However, a lie like that would only cover up the truth for so long. The limited time they currently had was a great incentive for her to find this Albus Order leader as quickly as possible. Just then, one of the maids shouted in a panic from outside, ¡°No, Master Jovan. Our madam said that no one is allowed to enter without her permission! Please cooperate with us.¡± ¡°What the heck? I¡¯m part of the Hunt family, too, you know? I came to see my cousin. I heard he¡¯s sick, and I¡¯ve been so worried this whole time!¡± Jovan said in a loud and sarcastic tone as he strode into the manor, despite the maid¡¯s attempt at stopping him. ¡°Damned kid! He¡¯s like a f*cking ghost. We can¡¯t even mention his name in this house!¡± Francine was so mad that she started cussing, then turned to Stefan. ¡°Head back to your room. I¡¯ll handle him, for now. And remember¡­ Don¡¯t show yourself!¡± Jovan was in the living room at the time. His hands were in his pockets, his expression nonchnt and arrogant. ¡°Hey, Aunt Francine, your maids are so stubborn. I just swung by to check up on Cousin Stefan, but she wouldn¡¯t let me in! It¡¯s like you guys have some kind of secret to hide.¡± Francine knew that they were still the passive party and didn¡¯t want to fight with Jovan. After all, this man was insane, and fighting with him would only result in a lose-lose situation. With that in mind, she put up a smile and greeted him instead. ¡°Hey, dear nephew, what brings you here? It¡¯s almost midnight, but you still went out of your way to visit us. I¡¯m so touched I could cry! But, well¡­ Stef caught a pretty bad contagious disease, so he needs a lot of rest. He went to bed hours ago, so he can¡¯t see you just yet!¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m feeling tired too. If you don¡¯t mind, Aunt Francine, I could stay for the night. Then I can just see Stefan when morninges.¡± Jovan replied and started going up the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is actually Stef and Renee¡¯s house. Only their close ones are allowed to sleep over. If you really want to visit him, you coulde earlier tomorrow.¡± ¡°As you said, this ce is my cousin and his wife¡¯s. Does that mean I can stay if I got permission from Renee?¡± Jovan smiled slyly.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1011 Chapter 1011 When Francine heard Renee¡¯s name, her expression immediately became unnatural. At that moment, she was unaware of Renee¡¯s current condition but guessed that she must be in great danger since she had fallen into Seraphina¡¯s hands. She sighed quietly with a tinge of mncholy, but she had no regrets. It was all because that wicked woman had sought to harm her only son with a passion. Besides, Renee did not regret it, which was why Francine felt that it was not outrageous to hack her into pieces. ¡°You know that Stefan divorced her. It¡¯ll be useless even if you call her. Just keep in mind that Stefan dislikes unrted people staying overnight¡­¡± She sounded unconfident, so she gradually became impatient. She tried to drive him away. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Lisa, see him to the door.¡± However, Jovan¡¯s teasing smile turned chilly. He went straight to the point and stated, ¡°Aunt Francine, don¡¯t think of getting rid of me that easily since I came to you at this hour. I came asking for her. I won¡¯t leave if I can¡¯t get her.¡± ¡°What¡­ Who are you looking for?¡± ¡°You should know very well who.¡± Jovan¡¯s eyes turned ruthless as he said, ¡°I heard that she met an actress called Shirley this morning. She contacted no one after that. What¡¯s more, I heard that you took this actress called Shirley as your goddaughter in previous years just to please Stefan. The only person she contacted after Renee disappeared was you¡­ I feel that there¡¯s something wrong with this affair. Aunt Francine, shouldn¡¯t you exin?¡± Consequently, Francine¡¯s expression became more hideous. She snorted and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re her brother-inw, but you care so much about your cousin¡¯s ex-wife. Your extensive connections go way beyond my expectations too. I think you¡¯ve nted a lot of spies around my family and me these years. Well, you¡¯re indeed awesome.¡± ¡°Likewise. Don¡¯t you and Stefan know full well of my actions too?¡± He smiled coldly as he sighed. ¡°So, you came to make a scene here in the middle of the night because of that woman?¡± Francine interrogated as her eyes became sharp. She thought that Jovan had learned about Stefan¡¯s blindness, so he purposely came to find fault with him. Unexpectedly, he came for Renee. It made Francine hard to handle. ¡°Yes, you can say that.¡± Jovan nodded. He did not at all hide his strong purpose before he answered honestly, ¡°Let me have her, and I¡¯ll leave right away. If you refuse to hand her to me¡­ Umm, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware of my temper.¡± ¡°Preposterous!¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Francine said disdainfully, ¡°Why do you care so much about her? Don¡¯t tell me that the rumor in the gossip magazine is true. Are you her first love? You guys have been entangled with each other from god knows when, and she cheated on Stefan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deny that I like her very much, even more than the love Stefan holds for her. But it¡¯s unimportant whether she likes me or not. After all, I have ways to make her fall in love with me in the future.¡± Jovan raised his chin, and his smugness came on disy, admitting his feelings for Renee openly. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re a pervert! How dare you covet your sister-inw. I¡¯ll call Master now and ask him to disown such an immoral and shameless b*stard like you!¡± ¡°Whatever!¡± Jovan¡¯s gaze was full of viciousness and recklessness. ¡°Do you think this lousy identity is meaningful to me? I¡¯ve long had enough. I just want Renee now. Don¡¯t test my patience. Let me have her now!¡± Francine knew for a fact that Jovan would lose his mind inexplicably, but it was beyond her expectation he would react that way because of Renee. Hence, she said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s not here. Just go ahead if you want to make a scene. I have all the time in the world to waste with you.¡± She would never tell Jovan about Renee¡¯s location because doing that would only create greater trouble. She felt that she should avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, she would prevent him from getting close to Stefan and learning about his blindness. At most, he was just a young man who was unable to stir up any trouble. ¡°Well, you refuse to tell me, don¡¯t you¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll ask your son then.¡± Jovan knew for sure that Francine must have done something to Renee. It meant that Renee might be in grave danger at the moment. Chapter 1012 Chapter 1012 He could no longer waste time with Francine so calmly. His eyes turned red as he shouted in the direction of Stefan¡¯s room. ¡°Stefan, you coward! Did you hear? Your mother wants to kill Renee. Why are you still hiding and doing nothing like a coward?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Francine was afraid that Stefan woulde out when he heard it, so she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance since you want to y the hero and save the damsel in distress. She¡¯s now in Warehouse Seven. You may be able to save her life if you¡¯re fast enough.¡± ¡°That was direct!¡± Jovan did not expect Francine to tell him Renee¡¯s whereabouts so straightforwardly. A tinge of complicated feeling arose in his eyes. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re not so cruel as I think. You¡¯re considered a good mother-inw. At least you¡¯re more open-minded than my mother.¡± ¡°Humph! You¡¯re overthinking. I wanted to get rid of you sooner by telling you about her whereabouts. I wasn¡¯t trying to be kind. Get lost now!¡± Francine would never admit that she was kind to Renee. She felt like she had to suffer greatly, given how wicked of a woman Renee was. On the other hand, Jovan did not dy anymore. He turned around and left Hunt Vi, and sped toward Warehouse Seven like a bat out of hell. Francine heaved a long sigh. She thought that this incident was finally over, but she did not expect that Stefan had long heard her conversation with Jovan. Stefan groped around and went out before he used his phone to get a cab. He then rushed toward Warehouse Seven. It was nowte at night. Warehouse Seven was located in the countryside outside the city near the river surrounding the river. It was remote, and its terrain was very dangerous. ¡°Help¡­ Help me!¡± Seraphina¡¯s weak voice resonated in the dark warehouse. Under Renee¡¯s orders, the men left the scene after tying Seraphina up alone in the warehouse. It was a special circumstance, so Renee didn¡¯t let Seraphina go to ensure her safety. She decided to ask a passer-by¡¯s help, who¡¯d untie Seraphina the next early morning. After all the hysterical screaming, Seraphina grew weary. Her voice grew softer. At first, she was pretty scared in the pitch darkness. She gradually became numb. ¡°Renee, are you in there?¡± When Jovan arrived at the warehouse, he kicked the door open and asked nervously. ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. When Seraphina heard someone¡¯s voice, she woke up with a start and looked toward the door of the warehouse. ¡°Renee, wait. I¡¯ming for you!¡± When Jovan heard her voice, he thought it was Renee. He turned on the torchlight on his phone and rushed toward Seraphina. ¡°Jovan?¡± ¡°Seraphina?¡± Atst, both of them were slightly surprised when they saw each other¡¯s faces. ¡°Why are you here? Where did you leave Renee?!¡± He rudely grabbed her hand and interrogated her fiercely. Chapter 1013 Chapter 1013 ¡°Are you here to y hero and save the damsel in distress? It¡¯s a pity you camete.¡± Seraphina¡¯s hand hurt from his grasp, so she was grumpy. ¡°What do you mean I camete? Make it clear!¡± Jovan was no longer as calm and as reserved as he was. He was very agitated now. ¡°Why are you roaring? You sound like she¡¯s your wife or something. She has nothing to do with you. You¡¯re just her n B and backup!¡± Seraphina uttered hurtfully. ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. Let me repeat my question. Where did you get Renee to?¡± Jovan had lost all his sanity. He strangled Seraphina¡¯s neck and interrogated her with a hideous face. It was a critical moment. If it was dyed for even a second, there might be an irretrievable result. He could not afford to see that happen. ¡°She¡­ She¡¯s dead!¡± Seraphine almost suffocated. Her face flushed deeply as she answered with difficulty. ¡°What did you say? Say that again!¡± Jovan lost his mind. He wanted nothing but to break Seraphina¡¯s neck now. Thest tinge of sanity left in him make him release his grasp. He then lifted her and demanded like a demon would, ¡°What happened?! What did you do to her?!¡± ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± She finally grabbed a chance to breathe again. Sneering, she stared at the man who had gone mad. She then said sarcastically, ¡°Jovan, aren¡¯t you too engrossed in the acting? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve fallen for Renee. I¡¯m not sure about others, but aren¡¯t you trying to make Renee cheat on Stefan by approaching her? You just want to take revenge on Stefan and find a sense of existence as the backup?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± With his fists clenched tightly, Jovan¡¯s face became extremely gloomy. However, Seraphina was courting death. She continued, ¡°You¡¯re never serious in your life. You care about nothing, and you never regard anyone seriously. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing you lose control like this for someone irrelevant. Well, you¡¯re just a humble love-struck fool like Stefan. Is this some kind of gene that runs in the Hunt family?¡± ¡°I asked you to shut up!¡± Jovan could no longer take it before he screamed angrily at Seraphina. His eyes were scarlet. His mind was a mess. He could not ept the fact that Renee had died. ¡°You¡¯re lying, aren¡¯t you? Renee is so tough. She could even escape from Stefan. How could she die so easily? You must be lying to me, aren¡¯t you?¡± He grabbed her shoulders and asked repeatedly and crazily. ¡°Umm, I¡¯m not sure about that either¡­¡± Naturally, Seraphina would not be so dumb and tell the truth. She got a hundred men to humiliate Renee and tamper with her dignity, but her n failed. On the contrary, she was tied up here. It was a deep humiliation. Hence, she replied ambiguously, ¡°I just got her here to chat with me, but she took things too seriously. She jumped into the river. I¡¯ve got no idea whether she¡¯s still alive or not. I¡¯d rather she¡¯s dead!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that you forced her to die? Did you ask her to jump into the river?¡± Deeper craziness overwhelmed him. He grabbed her hair. ¡°Why are you so wicked? I¡¯vee up with ways to help you get Stefan. Why aren¡¯t you willing to let Renee go?¡± ¡°What f*cking ways did you use? Your ways aren¡¯t long-term. I want him to forget everything about her instead of forcing himself to be with me just to protect her. As long as this hindrance is out of the way, he¡¯ll forget about her one day and fall in love with me!¡± When he mentioned that affair, she was fuming with anger. Chapter 1014 Chapter 1014 Jovan was the mysterious man who gave her the video of Renee pushing Briar down the cliff. She sessfully broke Stefan and Renee up by relying on that video. However, they were just separated. The feelings Stefan had for Renee never changed, but they intensified. A great sense of defeat washed over her when she saw him sacrifice himself just to protect Renee. On the contrary, she felt like her dignity was being vited. Naturally, her hatred for Renee grew with time. All she wanted now was for Renee to die. Seraphina believed that Stefan would belong to her if Renee died. Unfortunately, Renee was too tough, and she escaped repeatedly. She was indeed hard to handle. ¡°Seraphina, tell me honestly. You¡¯re lying by iming that Renee had jumped into the river, aren¡¯t you? She won¡¯t do such a stupid thing given her character.¡± Jovan used thest bit of sanity he had to analyze the possibility of Renee jumping into the river. ¡°Humph! Jump into the river to search for her. You¡¯ll know if I¡¯m lying to you.¡± Seraphinaughed coldly and said, ¡°You imed that you love her, but you¡¯re chickening out. Frankly, all men love themselves the most. How will you endanger yourself for an uncertain factor?¡± As she mocked him with gusto, she suddenly nced at the door of the warehouse, where she caught a glimpse of a tall and upright figure. She recognized the person at first nce. He was Stefan. It was because only Stefan possessed such a perfect body figure. ¡°Stefan, why¡­ why are you here? Did Miss Francinee with you?¡± Seraphina, unable to keep appearing as if she was teasing Jovan, was concerned now. She struggled anxiously and tried to rush toward Stefan. ¡°Stefan?¡± Jovan turned around and looked at the door of the warehouse. He was trying to sound Stefan out. ¡°Didn¡¯t they im that you¡¯re suffering from an infectious disease and that you can¡¯t even get out of bed? You look fine and healthy now!¡± It was too dark, so Jovan could only see a dark figure. He could see nothing, so he could not affirm whether the rumors were true. Stefan stood there uprightly. It did not affect him at all, no matter how dark the surrounding was. Hence, he was currently the most sensitive and responsive one among the three. ¡°Seraphina, can you repeat what you said just now?¡± Stefan ignored Jovan and tried to seek confirmation from Seraphina. ¡°What happened to Renee?¡± ¡°She, she¡­¡± Seraphina became flustered. She was at a loss for how she should answer the question. ¡°Be frank with me. Did she jump into the river?¡± Stefan¡¯s voice turned low and cold with an innate autocracy. Seraphina swallowed. She seemed to be ced in a dilemma now, and she could not make up her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I know nothing. She may be in danger, or she may still be safe. Go and look for her¡­ Or, you can let me go first. We¡¯ll look for her together.¡± Seraphina¡¯s words made them rx a little. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s look for her together. If we can¡¯t find her, I¡¯ll make you jump into the river.¡± Jovan knitted his brows and shot the iron chains that bound her. He broke them with a gunshot.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1015 Chapter 1015 After Seraphina regained her freedom, she ran to Stefan, who was at the door of the warehouse. ¡°Stefan, how are you? Are you hurt? Where¡¯s Miss Francine¡­ Did youe here alone?¡± She ignored her physical injury and held his arms firmly. She then began to look for Francine. ¡°I came alone.¡± Stefan sounded cold, devoid of any extra emotion. ¡°What? Did youe alone? You¡­ How did you do that? Are you not hurt?¡± Seraphina could not imagine how a blind man like Stefan would walk a few miles from a luxurious vi to such a dangerous and remote warehouse. ¡°That¡¯s not important. Tell me where Renee is.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. His deep-set and bright eyes were hidden in the dark as he anxiously interrogated her. ¡°Do you love her that much?¡± Excruciating pain engulfed her. She inexplicably felt pathetic. Her eyes turned red as she said, ¡°She¡¯s caused you and me so much harm. Why don¡¯t you hate her? You came to her alone from so afar. Have you ever thought of bumping into your enemies? What would happen to you then? Even if you didn¡¯t bump into your enemies, a sports bike ident would have caused an unimaginable result. Are you even willing to give up your life for her?¡± ¡°I told you. That¡¯s not important.¡± Stefan wore a cold face and shoved her away. He then groped around and headed outside. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me the truth, I¡¯ll look for her on my own.¡± ¡°Let me¡­ go with you. I know where she is. I¡¯ll look for her with you.¡± Even if she was full of hatred and fury, she could not bear to leave Stefan alone, let alone Jovan, that cunning excuse of a man. She wiped away her tears and quickly went forward to support him. ¡°I told you. I¡¯m your walking stick. I¡¯ll be with you no matter where you want to go.¡± ¡°Seraphina, thank you. I know you¡¯re a good girl. You won¡¯t kill her.¡± Stefan looked in Seraphina¡¯s direction in a daze. ¡°Help me find her. I won¡¯t hold you responsible if she¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Wait, count me in!¡± Jovan had been standing inside the warehouse and observing Stefan and Seraphina. Their conversation was strange, especially the insufferably arrogant Stefan. He was extremely weird. Was the rumor true? His perfect cousin was blind? ¡°Go and look for her on your own. Don¡¯t follow us!¡± Seraphina was not dumb. She¡¯d been protecting Stefan all along, not giving Jovan a single chance to approach him. She obeyed Francine¡¯s order and tried her best to prevent Jovan from realizing that Stefan was blind. Luckily, it was a dark, moonless night. Hence, the outside and inside of the warehouse were in pitch darkness. Nothing could be seen. Jovan attempted to approach Stefan to observe his eyes, but he was blocked by Seraphina fiercely. Of course, he was in no mood to investigate if Stefan¡¯s blindness was true. He wanted to find Renee as soon as possible, so he could stop the debilitating anxiousness that gued his soul. They walked on with great difficulty, trundling through the rough mountain road that was behind the warehouse to the river. Seraphina felt that it would not do, so she stated honestly, ¡°Let me be frank with you. I was kidnapped at that time, so I didn¡¯t know where Renee went. I just wanted to curse her when I imed that she had jumped into the river. She might have long gone home. Let¡¯s not look for her around the river. The ce is too steep, and it¡¯s very dangerous.¡± Chapter 1016 Chapter 1016 Unexpectedly, the both of them did not believe her. Jovan argued and threatened, ¡°Things havee to this state, but you¡¯re still ying tricks? Do you think I¡¯ll believe you? You must have pushed her into the river. You¡¯re just stalling for time, aren¡¯t you? If anything happens to her, I¡¯ll kill you, even if I have to risk my life for it!¡± Stefan chimed in gloomily, ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide anything now. I told you. I won¡¯t hold you responsible as long as she¡¯s still alive. The rapids are strong, and we can¡¯t dy this!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not ying any tricks, and I don¡¯t want to hide anything either. She didn¡¯t jump into the river. Even if you suck out the water from this river, you won¡¯t find her. I don¡¯t want you guys to waste your energy!¡± Seraphina helplessly tried to exin. At that time, Jovan found something strange by the river bank by relying on the light of his phone. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that clothing belong to Renee? She might have fallen into the river in that position.¡± Seraphina looked over and was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s really her clothing. Did she slip and fall into the river?¡± Stefan was rendered speechless. He then pursed his thin lips. While listening to the turbulent water, he struggled out of Seraphina¡¯s support and rushed toward the river bank. ¡°Renee!¡± He groped along the river fence and screamed Renee¡¯s name. However, all he heard was the fierce roar of the gushing river. Jovan also followed suit and observed the river. He then looked at Stefan, who was beside him, and pointed at a spot in the middle of the water. He said urgently, ¡°Look! Something is floating there. Is it Renee? It seems to have lost consciousness. It¡¯s not moving¡­¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s right before you, at your two o¡¯clock. Can¡¯t you see it?¡± Jovan turned on his phone and sounded very urgent. ¡°I¡¯ll call for help now¡­ D*mn it! The signal is bad here. Let me go get the signal. Wait here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± Stefan did not doubt him at all. He risked everything and dived into the river. However, the water was simply too rapid, and after looking around briefly, he couldn¡¯t find Renee. Consequently, he was washed away by the river¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Stefan!¡± Seraphina caught up to them and watched as Stefan was washed further and further away. Shock dawned on her, and her mind went nk. Holding the phone, Jovan walked over from not afar unhurriedly. He stared at the surface of the river expressionlessly. ¡°My insufferably arrogant cousin turned out to be so dumb. I just tested him a bit, and he¡¯s already exposed himself. He¡¯s blind now, but he foolishly dived into the river and dreamed of saving the damsel in distress. He can¡¯t be considered a lovestruck fool anymore. He¡¯s so hopelessly in love that he can¡¯t even think straight. There¡¯s no hope for him now.¡± ¡°What did you do? You¡¯re a maniac! What did you do to him?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nothing. I just lied to him that there was something in the river. I just wanted to test if he was blind, but he dived into the river straightaway. I am not to me.¡± Jovan spread his hands and appeared very helpless. ¡°Jovan, you¡­ you¡¯re simply disgusting!¡± Seraphina¡¯s face turned very pale. Shaking, she pounced on him to beat him up. ¡°He¡¯s your cousin. What you did is murder!¡± ¡°Murder?¡± Jovan grabbed Seraphina¡¯s hand and smiled coldly and ruthlessly. ¡°He jumped into it himself. It has nothing to do with me. If you find me guilty, you can report me to the police.¡± Chapter 1017 Chapter 1017 While the heated argument ensued, two rays of light appeared in the dark. After that, the sound of tires screeching could be heard. Renee opened the door of the driver¡¯s seat and got out of the car coldly. She aloofly stared at the two people who were illuminated by the rays of light. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± She demanded arrogantly and superiorly. Both Jovan and Seraphina were stunned. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Great! Renee, here you are!¡± His tense facial features were instantly rxed. He was so unsettled that his eyes turned watery. ¡°Do you know how you scared me? I nearly jumped into the river to look for you¡­¡± Renee frowned slightly and asked in a trance, ¡°Why did you want to jump into the river to look for me?¡± After she left Hunt Vi, she wanted to return to Carmine Pawnshop. However, she was still worried about Seraphina, so she went back there to release her and talk to her about Stefan. When she drove to the warehouse, she saw two people having a heated argument at the river bank. Unexpectedly, they were Jovan and Seraphina. Before Jovan could answer, Seraphina struggled out of his grasp and rushed toward Renee crazily. She then pped Renee hard. ¡°You jinx! Why are you still alive? Stefan dived into the river to save you. If anything happens to him, I¡¯ll fight you until myst breath!¡± ¡°Stefan?¡± Renee could no longer keep her aloofness. She asked in disbelief, ¡°What are you joking about? Isn¡¯t he at Hunt Vi? Why did hee here? Did he¡­ dive into the river?¡± ¡°What do you think? He did that to save a jinx like you. Why didn¡¯t you kill yourself? Just go to hell! Once you¡¯re dead, all of us will be free!¡± Seraphina¡¯s hatred toward Renee had reached its peak. Completely unhinged and unrestrained, she attacked Renee. Her hair that hung loosely about her made her look like a deranged psychopath. ¡°Seraphina, are you out of your mind? You can¡¯t hurt her!¡± Jovan reacted fast and rushed forward before he grabbed Seraphina¡¯s hair and pushed her to the side. ¡°Are you okay? Does your face hurt? Did he scratch you?¡± He held Renee¡¯s face and looked at the clear p mark on her face with deep heartache. He then said fiercely, ¡°I think I¡¯d better push her into the river as well so she won¡¯t scheme against you again.¡± Seraphina copsed on the ground and appeared enlightened. Her fingers trembled as she pointed at them. ¡°I see. You guys conspired to harm Stefan. You pretended to go missing to lure Stefan here, then Jovan lied to him about someone in the river. Stefan was just a fool. He stupidly dived into the river just like that. You two are so wicked and cruel. What a cheating couple!¡± ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re noisy.¡± Jovan shot Seraphina a cold re and found her quite annoying. He then said calmly, ¡°I did lie to that stupid Stefan, and he dived into the river as a result. But I didn¡¯t expect him to be so dumb. He¡¯s blind, but he still tried to act strong and save the damsel in distress. It serves him right if he¡¯s dead¡­ But this thing has nothing to do with Renee. She¡¯s a victim too. If you speak nonsense again, I¡¯ll push you into the river so you can reunite with Stefan.¡± Renee gradually learned about the ins and outs of the incident from their conversation. Her eyes turned red, and a spear drove through her heart. She sobbed and looked at Jovan, ¡°Did¡­ Did you mean that Stefan dived into the river just¡­ to save me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He dived into the river a few minutes ago. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s crushed to mush now. That¡¯s because he¡¯s dumb. It was a trap, but he jumped right in like an idiot,¡± Jovan spat arrogantly before he lowered his head gently. He held her swollen face tenderly. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone bully you again. Never!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Renee roared at him. ¡°At first, I thought that you were just crazy. It turns out that you¡¯re not only crazy, but you¡¯re wicked¡­ wicked to the core.¡± Jovan felt excruciating pain before he cracked a sinister and stubborn sneer. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. Of course, I have to be wicked. If not, I can¡¯t defeat him for the rest of my life, let alone gain you¡­ Do you know how much I love you, Renee?¡± ¡°Love?¡± Chapter 1018 Chapter 1018 Renee¡¯s face turned pale before she cracked an extremely cold smile. ¡°A person like you has no right to talk about love. Keep tonight in mind. If I die, it¡¯s all because of you. The love that you im to show willpletely destroy a person.¡± Jovan blinked and appeared slightly scared, ¡°What¡­ do you mean?¡± ¡°It means goodbye!¡± After that, she pushed him away forcefully before she rushed to the river and jumped in without turning around. The rapid water cruelly washed Renee away in the same merciless fashion as it did to Stefan ¡°No¡­ No!¡± Jovan looked at the wide river and wailed desperately. He received a great blow at that moment. He did not expect that such a smart and rational woman like Renee would do something so impulsive and extreme. It went beyond his imagination that Renee would jump into the river to rescue Stefan. He seemed to have won. But on the contrary, it was an utter defeat to him. Seraphina also ran to the river bank and stared at the surface of the water in incredulity. ¡°She¡­ dived into the river too. They¡¯re crazy. It¡¯s no different frommitting suicide!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re out of their minds.¡± Jovan¡¯s expression turned nk. He was struck dumb on the spot. ¡°What should we do now? Aren¡¯t¡­ you going to dive in?¡± Seraphina was at a loss. Her lips turned pale as she asked Jovan. ¡°Why? Do you want to jump into the river too?¡± Jovan¡¯s eyes turned cold as he cracked a mocking smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you always im that you wanted to risk your life for him? You love him so much. Why aren¡¯t you pursuing him?¡± Seraphina stared at the turbulent and rapid river. Consequently, her legs trembled ceaselessly. ¡°I¡¯ll die if I jump in. It¡¯s useless even if I do.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t love him that much?!¡± ¡°What right do you have to mock me? You¡­ You didn¡¯t jump into the river, either. I think you don¡¯t love her that much!¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re the same kind. Frankly, we love ourselves the most. But the two of them have lost their minds¡­¡± Jovan said dully before he rationally took out his phone to call for help. He did love Renee and wanted to possess and protect her, but there was no way he would kill himself just because of that. Only his desperately-in-love cousin would do such a foolish thing. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee repeatedly relied on her agility in the water and strong willpower to avoid the sharp hazards that littered the rapids. She sessfully held on until she reached the downstream. The area downstream was wide and t. There were no branches or rocks, so it was rtively safer. ¡°Stefan!¡± Renee was greatly exhausted. She was choked before she screamed Stefan¡¯s name. The water was indeed rapid and dangerous, but she kept looking for him along the way. She did not find him, so she believed that he must¡¯ve been washed downstream like she was. Chapter 1019 Chapter 1019 As expected, she saw Stefan lying beside a t rock on the river. ¡°Stefan!¡± Great joy overcame her. She ignored the scratches on her legs and rushed toward him rapidly. Having choked on water, he appeared to have passed out. Like Renee, his body was filled with cuts and gashes. On the other hand, his left leg had rpsed from his old injury, and it could not move it at all. ¡°Hold on. You must hold on!¡± Deep excruciating pain overcame her now. It was deep heartache. While crying, she suppressed her deep pain and brought him to the river bank. After that, she bent down to give him CPR. His lips were as cold as his body. That perfect and handsome face had lost its rosiness because he¡¯d been soaking in the water for too long. His face had lost all its color and was as white as a sheet¡­ as if he was dead. ¡°Wake up! Stefan, wake up!¡± Renee pressed on his chest quickly and gave him oxygen through his lips. At the same time, she could not hold back her tears. She had encountered an endless stream of major and minor idents all these years, but she had never been so panicked and afraid. Even though she had long made up her mind that she would have no future with him, she still wished that he could be safe and happy. ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± Stefan finally regained consciousness under Renee¡¯s desperate attempts to rescue him. He grabbed her hand tightly as if he was a man in hell, holding onto the only connection he had with this world. ¡°Oh, great! Stefan, hold tight. The rescue team wille soon¡­¡± Renee continued to bend down to give him CPR. His lips were once so familiar to her, and she yearned for them so much. Atst, his lips were gradually warmed. Stefan had yet to regain his wits fully. He was in a half-conscious state, as if stepping on clouds. He felt as light as a feather, and he could not tell if he was dreaming or if it was reality. The only thought he had now was to save Renee and to ensure her safety even though he was blind and could not see. ¡°Renee¡­ Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ming to save you. I¡¯ll save you!¡± With his eyes closed, he furrowed his brows in pain and muttered endlessly. ¡°What did you say? How do you feel now?¡± Renee could not tell if he was awake or in aa, so she leaned her ear close to his lips to listen to his murmur. ¡°Renee, I¡¯ll protect you. I¡¯ll protect you no matter where you are¡­¡± Stefan could feel Renee, so he tried his best to hold her hand tightly. ¡°Silly man. Why were you so silly? You risked your life for me so many times. You¡¯re so silly¡­¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Hugging him, Renee cried desperately. Of course, she would be moved no matter how unfeeling and rational she was after she learned that he loved her so deeply. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. With you by my side, I¡¯m fearless. We must hang tough and stay alive¡­¡± While she spoke, her breathing became weaker. Suddenly, she felt extremely sleepy as her body caved to the effects of exhaustion and hypothermia. After a while, both Jovan and Seraphina reached the downstream location with the rescue team and found the two on the verge of death. They huddled together like two vines that were entangled with each other. Though they had fainted, they had be a part of each other. ¡°They¡¯re breathing! They¡¯re alive!¡± Chapter 1020 Chapter 1020 The people of the rescue team screamed in joy. ¡°How unbelievable! They survived such rapid waters. It¡¯s a miracle!¡± ¡°Cut the crap! Let¡¯s get them to the hospital.¡± Seraphina looked at Stefan, and when she saw him breathing on the ground, she heaved a sigh of relief. However, she became very gloomy. She regretted being so weak and timid and not diving into the river to save him immediately. If not, she would be snuggling with Stefan now. ¡°We want to get them to the hospital too, but¡­ but they¡¯re hugging each other too tightly. We can¡¯t separate them at all. Don¡¯t just stand there and do nothing. Come and give a hand.¡± The captain of the rescue team wiped away the sweat on his forehead and tried his best to separate Stefan and Renee, but it was to no avail. After that, several other men rushed forward to help, but it was still useless. Hence, the rescue was dyed. ¡°Let me!¡± Jovan, who was standing beside and looking on coldly, volunteered proudly. At that moment, he shared the same feeling as Seraphina. He was extremely envious. However, there was a difference. He did not regret not pursuing Renee and jumping into the river. After all, he had countless ways to get her. Killing oneself for love was the dumbest one! When Jovan spoke up, the members of the rescue team automatically retreated. He bent down and held Renee¡¯s face. After that, he put his lips against hers and started kissing her¡­ ¡°Jovan, stop that! You¡¯re a crazy pervert! She¡¯s fainted, but you¡­ you¡¯re a pervert!¡± Seraphina found his crazy moves unbearable. However, Jovan seemed to have been separated from the world. He cared not what others said or thought of him. He continued kissing her violently until she could not breathe. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± That tactic was indeed slightly useful. Renee, who was in aa, appeared to be suffering because someone snatched her breath. She struggled in difort because she wanted to push away the person snatching her breath. ¡°Hurry up! She let go. Break them apart now.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. The rescue team acted fast and found the right timing before they quickly separated Stefan and Renee. Stefan was carried into an ambnce quickly. On the other hand, Jovan carried Renee and got into another ambnce. Both ambnces arrived at the nearest hospital one after another. At the same time, both Stefan and Renee were rushed to different emergency rooms. Jovan leaned his tall body against the wall in the corridor and waited. He was frustrated, so he ignored the warning sign and lit a cigarette. He nced at the emergency room from time to time. While smoking, his handsome face became gloomier and more reticent. ¡°You¡¯re such a rude vagrant. Why smoke in the hospital?¡± Seraphina rolled her eyes at him before she raised her brows and said, ¡°Do you have an extra? Give me one. I¡¯m worried sick.¡± While holding the cigarette with his thin lips, Jovan took out a box of cigarettes and handed one to Seraphina. They then smoked together. ¡°Well, you¡¯re a pervert. You kissed a fainted person. It¡¯s no different than kissing a corpse,¡± Seraphina smirked and mocked meanly. ¡°Am I a pervert? But I¡¯m more efficient than you. At least I got what I wanted. How about you? I served him to you, but you didn¡¯t gain his heart. You¡¯re too disappointing.¡± While talking, Jovan lifted her chin and sneered. ¡°And you¡¯re so honest and upright. Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t even hold his hand?¡± Chapter 1021 Chapter 1021 ¡°You¡¯re so vulgar!¡± Seraphina clenched her fists tightly. After she put away her fierceness, she suffered a great sense of defeat. He brought up her most painful rancor. During these years, she had been Stefan¡¯s buddy. They seemed to be close, so it was not strange that they ate and slept together, let alone held hands. However, their hand-holding was unlike that of lovers. She dreamed to be his true girlfriend, so she could hold his hand, kiss him, and even do something more intimate with him. ¡°You got angry, so it looks like I made the right guess. You¡¯re indeed noble, but you can¡¯t be reconciled with it. This kind of reluctance will distort your mind. In the end, you¡¯ll be more vulgar, worse than me.¡± Jovan got closer to her and revealed a smile with profound meaning. ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m different. I love Stefan, so I won¡¯t hurt him. You said you love Renee, but all you did was hurt her. Renee was right. Your love is vulgar and extremely destructive!¡± Seraphina found him very disdainful. Although she technically grew up with Jovan, she stood against him because she was on Stefan¡¯s side. If Jovan did not promise that she could be with Stefan after she did what he said obediently, she might not even be bothered to speak to him for the rest of her life. Although he kept his promise and she sessfully got together with Stefan, she¡­ felt that there was something amiss, as if something wascking. ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha! So, you¡¯re troubled by your conscience? Are you backtracking? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re so generous that you¡¯re allowing them to be together?¡± Jovan seemed to have found some preposterous joke, so heughed exaggeratedly. ¡°I can¡¯t give them a blessing, but I feel very tired after so many things. I almost lose the strength to fight¡­¡± Staring at the emergency signboards that were blinking at the same time, she said withplicated feelings, ¡°I always thought that b*tchy Renee never loved Stefan in the slightest. She just loved his identity and limelight. But I wavered today. She was willing to die for him. It was such a tall cliff and a deep river, but she jumped into the river without any hesitation. Why was she so brave? Well, I couldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°So, what are you trying to tell me? Do you really want to retreat?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mind is a mess now. All I wish is for Stefan to be out of danger.¡± ¡°If I tell you I can help you gain Stefan¡¯s heartpletely this time, are you willing to try again?¡± Jovan¡¯s gaze turned deep and mysterious. ¡°So, what if I gain him? His heart doesn¡¯t belong to me. It¡¯s meaningless. What¡¯s more, unlike you, I¡¯m not as vulgar to force myself on the person I love¡­¡± While talking, sheughed at herself. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯re a couple, but we didn¡¯t even hold hands, let alone kiss each other. We¡¯re not even a couple.¡± ¡°So, I told you. If you want to be a winner in your love affair, your love alone isn¡¯t enough. You have to manipte some means. If you don¡¯t have any up your sleeves, I¡¯lle up with some for you¡­ Well, now is the best timing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the best timing?¡± ¡°The best timing for you to make his body and heart solely yours.¡± When he came to that point, he leaned to her ear and whispered something. Seraphina clenched her fists tighter and swallowed. ¡°Will¡­ it work?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t my methods always work?¡± He smiled lightly and confidently. Seraphina wavered and was moved, but she was still doubtful. ¡°Why would you help me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m a desperate egoist. I help no one else except myself. In other words,¡­ I¡¯m not helping you, but I¡¯m actually helping myself.¡± Chapter 1022 Chapter 1022 After one night, Renee gradually regained her strength and woke up. ¡°You¡¯re awake. How are you feeling now?¡± Jovan sat beside the bed with his head low, peeling an apple. He sliced the skin into a thin and long stripe. It did not even break until the end. It was just like what he always did, meticulous to thest detail, leaving no space to turn around. A painful headache pounded Renee¡¯s head as she looked at the white ward. For a moment, she was stunned. ¡°Where am I? Am I still alive?¡± ¡°Of course you are. You¡¯re so tough. How could such a puny river defeat you? What¡¯s more, you have a great will. You hurt your leg from the fall, but you held on until downstream. I admire that very much!¡± Jovan appeared like a warm younger man as he smiled tenderly and handed Renee the apple he had just peeled. Of course, she was not in the mood for apples. She frowned and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Stefan? How is he?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He has stronger willpower than yours. He lost so much blood, yet he survived the experience. I¡¯ve got to hand it to him too.¡± Jovan sounded indifferent, but it was a fatal blow for Renee. ¡°What? He¡­ Did he lose too much blood¡­ Ah!¡± She tried to stand up because of the deep shock. But she felt so much pain that her face scrunched up as the wound on her leg tore open. ¡°Why are you so anxious? You¡¯re in pain now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jovan quickly supported her wavering body and gently helped her to lie in bed. ¡°The doctor stated that you need to rest. You can¡¯t get out of bed before half a month, or ten days at least.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. The key is Stefan. How is he now? Why did he lose too much blood? Is he seriously injured? He¡­¡± ¡°Calm down. He¡¯s out of danger now, and Seraphina is taking close care of him. He¡¯s pretty good.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s good.¡± Renee heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, her eyes turned gloomy. Although she had long prepared herself to give Stefan up to Seraphina¡­ When the time came, she still could not help feeling excruciating pain. ¡°His body is fine, but it looks like there¡¯s some problem with his mind. It¡¯s pretty troublesome.¡± Jovan cut arge piece of apple and ate it casually. He then stated absent-mindedly. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with his mind?¡± ¡°Hmm, he seems to have forgotten about a lot of things, and he relies so much on Seraphina until it¡¯s pathologically sick. He doesn¡¯t let anyone get close to him except Seraphina. I could only stand at the door when I visited him. How pitiful!¡± ¡°Why¡­ why did that happen?¡± ¡°No one knows. He might have hit his head hard, or it might be the severe blood loss that deprived his brain of oxygen. Suffice it to say; he¡¯s lost some parts of his memories. In short, the doctor said a lot, but I didn¡¯t really understand much.¡± When Jovan reached that point, he smiled and looked at Renee. ¡°But you don¡¯t care, do you? After all, you broke up with him. He¡¯s long betrayed you. You were too silly to risk your life for that kind of person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. He didn¡¯t betray me. He did everything to protect me. I was too stupid to keep hurting him in so many ways.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes turned watery as she sobbed and confessed. ¡°So, do you want to get back together with him?¡± Complicated feelings washed over his eyes as he asked. Chapter 1023 Chapter 1023 ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Renee shook her head and sounded firm. She made up her mind never to get back together with him again after learning about his deep and passionate love for her. She once vowed to God that she would leave him as long as he was safe and sound. It was a vow. After she made it, it would bring greater danger if she broke it. The great disaster that happened this time around was like a warning given by God to her. If she stubbornly wanted to break that vow out of her selfishness, Stefan might not be so lucky this time. He might even get killed. ¡°Well, what do you n to do next?¡± Jovan heaved a sigh of relief and continued sounding her out. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯ll take one step at a time.¡± Renee shrugged. All she had now was exhaustion, and she did not want to think too far ahead. After all, a n was always at the mercy of fate, no matter how perfectly things were arranged. It was just like what happened a few months ago: She was deeply in love with Stefan. They were even nning to spend the rest of their lives together as a family of four, with Adie and Abie happily. In the end, it changed just like that. Everyone was helplessly at the mercy of God and their fates. Hence, she no longer wanted to make ns now. She would take one step at a time and see where it led her to. ¡°Be with me¡­¡± Suddenly, his countenance became passionate. He held her hand and clearly confessed his love for her for the first time. ¡°Now I realize how deep my love for you is. Stefan is useless now. The future of H Group is in my hands. I¡¯m inviting you to manage H Group with me as well as its fate.¡± Renee¡¯s beautiful eyes were calm as she mocked him coldly. ¡°As expected, you gain the most out of this battle. If my guess is right, you¡¯ve been setting up a grand scheme, and it¡¯s time for you to get what you want.¡± ¡°No, you gain the most in this battle. I¡¯ll only humbly give you whatever I gain to please you. If I fail to defeat Stefan one day, I don¡¯t have any right to give you the things I gain. So, I might be despicable while doing so, but I don¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Ha! Ha! You¡¯re pretty calm.¡± Renee was so angry that she trembled angrily. She never met such a shameless person who made his cunning and sinister means sound so righteous. She recalled the series of incidents that happened recently and sought confirmation from Jovan. ¡°Seraphina told me that a mysterious person sent her a special video, and Stefan was forced to break up with me because of that video and promised to date her for three months. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re that mysterious man, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I did give her that video.¡± Jovan smiled lightly and began to exin it calmly. ¡°I hid Briar during the period she went missing. Well, she was not to be trifled with. At first, I nned to use her to deal with Stefan, so I told her that he would be hers as long as she obeyed me. But she was too impatient and contacted you. Then¡­ you know what happened afterward.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°So, does it mean that you saw the whole thing?¡± ¡°Of course. Besides, I even recorded it.¡± Renee was at a loss for words. She then pressed her lips tightly and inevitably held her breath. She could not bring herself to say anything. She thought she secretly got rid of Briar, but so many onlookers turned out to be at the scene. It was fine if William saw it, but now even Jovan saw what she did. As expected, others would inevitably learn about it if onemitted a crime. One could never be left in peace if a crime had beenmitted. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. As long as we are reticent, some secrets will be forever hidden. It¡¯ll hardly affect you.¡± Chapter 1024 Chapter 1024 Jovan patted her shoulders and said that with deep meaning. ¡°Ha! Ha! Reticent?¡± Renee found that word extremely ridiculous. ¡°If you could be reticent, how did Seraphina get that video? Frankly¡­ it was just something you held against Stefan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jovan heaved a long sigh. ¡°I did that just because I love you too much and I yearn to be with you. I couldn¡¯t think of any way to make him leave you except it¡¯s for protecting you¡­¡± When he reached that point, he showed a thumbs-up. ¡°The facts show that Stefan does love you very much. He was willing to let me be the president of H Group, let alone date Seraphina. Well, I admire that very much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so despicable!¡± Renee red at him fiercely and said, full of disdain, ¡°You never defeated him, so don¡¯t even dream of that now. I¡¯ll turn myself in for this crime I did. If you want to use this to threaten him to give up his post as the president, you¡¯re just too naive.¡± ¡°No, I love you so much. Why would I risk your reputation and freedom? To be more specific, I want to threaten you with his reputation and freedom.¡± Jovan cracked aplicated smile and revealed a cunning gaze. ¡°Do you want to threaten me?¡± Renee could not see through his mind. ¡°I told you that I love you very much, so I¡¯ll use everything in my arsenal to make you mine. At first, I thought you guys would break up naturally as long as Stefan and Seraphina got together. Unexpectedly, you guys didn¡¯t separate but love each other more. You even risked your lives for the love you have for each other. Do you know how sad I am?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re sad, you can kill yourself. It has nothing to do with me!¡± Renee retorted grumpily. She became greatly annoyed. After she got involved with this maniac Jovan, he pestered her relentlessly and endlessly. ¡°How will I bear to die? If I die, I won¡¯t have a future with you. I even want to have a lot of kids with you!¡± Jovanughed recklessly before he lifted her chin and tried to enjoy that tenderness. Bang! As expected, she pped him hard. ¡°Jovan, are you out of your mind? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s no use trying to gain something forcefully if it¡¯s not meant for you? I feel nothing for you, yet you racked your brain to get me. Is it fun?¡± Renee was used to his craziness, so she was left with helplessness. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s indeed no use trying to gain something forcefully if it¡¯s not meant to be, but I like you. I feel so much for you. I¡¯ll be very happy if I make you mine, so I have no reason to reject this kind of happiness.¡± ¡°So, how do you want to threaten me?¡± Renee rolled her eyes. He almost drove her mad. At first, she thought that Stefan was very stubborn, but Jovan was worse than him. It made her doubt if this was some kind of gene that ran in the Hunt family. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. I¡¯m sure you can guess.¡± ¡°Ha! Ha! You tter me. You¡¯re too vulgar. I can¡¯t guess that since I¡¯m just an ordinary person, so I can¡¯t guess it.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s too simple¡­¡± Jovan said gradually, ¡°Be with me. If not¡­ Stefan is doomed!¡± Chapter 1025 Chapter 1025 ¡°Get lost, you maniac!¡± Renee regarded him as crazy, so she did not take his words seriously at all. ¡°You¡¯re a vulgar man who deserves to disappear and hide in a dark corner. If you¡¯re smart, stay in your dark corner and grow in whateverscivious way you want. If you dare to create trouble in front of me, I¡¯ll make you pay a price you¡¯ll never forget!¡± She casually picked up an ornament and smashed it hard on him, trying to get rid of him. Jovan was tall, so he had the advantage. He easily dodged the attack. He held up his chin with a wicked smile. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be mad. If you don¡¯t want to see me, I¡¯ll leave. After all, you¡¯lle begging me sooner orter. We¡¯ll have kids by then.¡± ¡°Get lost! You pervert!¡± Renee was fuming with anger. She ignored her leg injury and pounced on him, picking up everything she could throw in the ward and flinging them on him. The loudmotion immediately attracted the attention of the nurse. ¡°Hey, Miss, you have just gotten out of danger. Don¡¯t agitate yourself. Your wound will tear¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a deranged man! Please help me get rid of him. If he doesn¡¯t leave, I will!¡± Renee clutched the deep wound around her leg and ran toward the door desperately. She did not want to linger there for even a minute. She was afraid that she would go berserk and kill that maniac if she stayed there any longer. ¡°Sir, the patient is emotionally unstable. You must leave now.¡± While supporting Renee, the nurse raised a forceful request at Jovan. ¡°Well, then. I¡¯ll go now. Please take good care of her. If she¡¯s hurt even a tiny bit, I¡¯ll make all of the staff here pay.¡± Shrugging, Jovan appeared to be half joking. He then turned around and left the ward. ¡°Miss, how are you feeling now? Can you breathe properly?¡± The nurse considerately supported Renee and helped her to lie in bed. She then asked nervously. ¡°I won¡¯t die as long as that maniac isn¡¯t around.¡± She took deep breaths and clenched her fists. She would be deeply infuriated if that man still lingered on. ¡°That¡¯s a surprise! I thought your husband love you very much. When you were sent to the ER, he was sick with worry. He nearly got into a fight with the hospital staff. I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± The nurse shook her head and sighed. However, Renee was bbergasted. ¡°Husband?!¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s your husband, isn¡¯t he? He sighed his name as your husband on the hospitalization document.¡± ¡°That paranoid pervert! I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± She had just calmed down, but she became infuriated again. Her wrath intensified tenfold. ¡®Well, Jovan is indeed something. He can always infuriate him in various kinds of ways. ¡®If he¡¯s still alive, I won¡¯t be able to live for long!¡¯ At that time, Margaret rushed into the ward in worry. Her eyes were watery as she held Renee¡¯s hands. ¡°Miss Ren, I¡¯mte! How are you feeling?¡± Chapter 1026 Chapter 1026 ¡°Err, Margaret. Why¡­ did youe?¡± Renee panicked a bit. She wanted to cover her leg injury. ¡°Stop covering that. You make me so worried!¡± Margaret hugged Renee and started crying violently. ¡°I know what silly things you did. How silly you are! You jumped into the river for an unworthy man. Have you ever thought about your two kids, Mr. Everheart and even me? If anything happens to you, I won¡¯t be able to answer for it even if I pay a heavy price!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Margaret. I was impulsive, so I didn¡¯t think so far. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m all right. It¡¯s nothing serious. It¡¯ll cure in two days. It¡¯s just a minor affair!¡± Renee patted her chest in a carefree manner. ¡°That¡¯s no minor affair! That¡¯s the river around the city, and it¡¯s so high. There are jagged rocks at the bottom, and if you aren¡¯t careful, you could be smashed into mush. You would have regretted it very much then!¡± ¡°Okay, got it. I won¡¯t be so impulsive now. After all, I¡¯m your adorable kid. I want to listen to you.¡± After that, she made funny faces at Margaret, just like what she did during her childhood. Atst, she made Margaretugh. ¡°But how did you learn about this?¡± Renee always held back unpleasant news. Of course, she would keep this affair a secret and never expose it to her family so they would not be worried. ¡°The guy named Jovan told me.¡± When Margaret mentioned the Hunt family, her face sank immediately. She was full of despise for them. ¡°He told me that you jumped into the river to save Stefan, and you were on the verge of dying. He asked me toe to this ward to you so I can take good care of you. I found he isn¡¯t a good man from what he said.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s indeed not a good man. Just ignore him from now on.¡± When Renee found that she could no longer keep it a secret, she had no choice but to tell Margaret the truth, including how Francine and Seraphine plotted against her and how she escaped danger before she dived into the river. ¡°Margaret, you came in time. I want to ask if you have any idea what The Albus Order is. Why did those people im that member after they saw the herbal sachet you sewed for me? Not only did they let me go, but they vowed to work for me.¡± ¡°Er, that¡­¡± Margaret averted her gaze as if she found it hard to broach. ¡°Just tell me. You¡¯ve been working for me for so many years, and you¡¯re even the nanny Grandma purposely appointed for me. You¡¯re like my second parent. You don¡¯t have to hide anything from me.¡± Renee could tell that Margaret found it difficult to broach, so she tried her best to eliminate her psychological pressure. ¡°s, Miss Ren, it¡¯s not that I want to keep it a secret, but this affair is a bit embarrassing. Before my grandfather died, he asked me not to get involved in it. In short, I¡¯ve got to me myself. Why didn¡¯t I sew another pattern instead of the symbol of The Albus Order¡­¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Margaret¡¯s words made Renee more curious. ¡°So, you do know about The Albus Order, so¡­ is your grandfather the leader of The Albus Order?¡± Renee had long heard from her mother that Margaret was born into a medical family. Margaret¡¯s great- grandfather was exceptionally good at medical skills. So, Margaret followed his family¡¯s steps and was good at curing difficult diseases. When she was pregnant with Adie and Abby, her body became quite weak, so she had the risk of a miscarriage. She relied on Margaret¡¯s medicine solely to protect her children well until she was able to give birth to them. ¡°No, that¡¯s not so.¡± She heaved a long sigh and said slowly, ¡°The leader of The Albus Order is my father instead of my grandfather, but he had long been driven out of the Middleton family. My grandpa even announced to the public that my father was dead, but he is in fact leading a secluded life. He no longer cares about worldly affairs, but The Albus Order he founded is very famous in the world. It also saved a lot of seriously ill people.¡± ¡°What? Your father is the leader of The Albus Order?¡± Renee widened her eyes in deep amazement. Chapter 1027 Chapter 1027 Renee knew little about The Albus Order, but she heard that it was a mysterious organization that enjoyed a strangely high status in the medical world. Many patients who failed to be cured by conventional medical science would recover atst as long as they gained the treatment from The Albus Order. Besides, the leader of The Albus Order generally would not appear. If he did, it would be an extraordinary case. He was best at snatching back souls from the Grim Reaper. His exceptional medical skills could only be exined with metaphysics. It was rumored that the leader of The Albus Order would not easily treat a patient. He did not even take in disciples or ask about worldly affairs. He was even said to be no longer alive. Unexpectedly, Margaret¡¯s biological father was such a famous and magical figure. Well, what a great coincidence! ¡°Margaret, you¡¯re very awesome. Your father is so excellent. No wonder your medical skills are so exceptional. It¡¯s a waste of your talent to let you be my subordinate all this while. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll inherit The Albus Order in the future, right?¡± Renee looked at Margaret in admiration as if she was looking up to an outstanding physician descended from heaven. At the same time, she sighed secretly for wasting such a great talent. She made the daughter of an exceptional physician be her servant for so many years and deal with nothing but trifles. What a sin! However, Margaret appeared fearful. She held Renee¡¯s hand and said agitatedly, ¡°Miss Everheart, what do you mean? Did I do something bad? Why are you trying to drive me away? Please don¡¯t drive me away. Madam Everheart saved my family. Grandpa told me since I was young that my mission is to protect the Everhearts. I¡¯m used to taking care of you. If you want to get rid of me, I¡­ I can only kill myself as a form of apology.¡± ¡°Uhh, you got me wrong, Margaret. I feel that you must have a more important mission, given your status as the daughter of an exceptional physician. It¡¯s a waste of your talent to make you take care of Adie, Abby, and me. At the end of the day, you¡¯ll have to inherit your father¡¯s business as well as The Albus Order. So, your life will be worth living.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Margaret said resolutely, ¡°He and I are different. He¡¯s been driven out of the Middleton family. So, regardless of how big his organization grows and how high a status it enjoys in the world, it has nothing to do with me. I¡¯ve cut off my rtionship with him forty years ago. I don¡¯t see him as my father, and I never want to see him again.¡± ¡°Margaret, don¡¯t be mad.¡± It was the first time she was seeing the gentle and kind Margaret get so angry. Her aloofness made it seem as if she was not talking about her father but her sworn enemy. So, Renee naturally did not force Margaret anymore. She hurriedlyforted her instead. ¡°I want you to stay with my kids and me for the rest of our lives if you don¡¯t want to leave. I¡¯ve long regarded you as my closest family.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Ren, thank you. My family was once glorious, but I¡¯m the only one left now. My fate is almost the same as yours, but¡­ the person who nearly exterminated my family was none other than my own father. So, I vowed never to contact him or have anything to do with him for the rest of my life!¡± When Margaret reached that point, she revealed a painful expression. Her slightly aging body shuddered slightly. However, Renee was filled with more shock. ¡°Exterminate?¡± ¡°Yes, extermination. Even our dogs got implicated.¡± Margaret nodded and didn¡¯t want to recall much. She sobbed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to mention this affair again because it tortured me for too many years. Miss Everheart, I hope you can understand.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Renee knew more than anyone else how excruciating and desperate it was to see one¡¯s family getting ruined before their own eyes. Margaret hid that scar for almost forty years. The wound had stopped hurting so bad, and if Renee wanted to expose it again, it would be too cruel. Chapter 1028 Chapter 1028 Margaret was an outstanding physician, in addition to her meticulous studies of medical science through the years. Although she was not a divine physician, she could be considered the top medical expert in the world. She inspected Renee¡¯s injury carefully before she prescribed herbs for Renee based on Renee¡¯s body condition. Renee obediently consumed the medicine. Consequently, her injury, which was supposed to only heal in half a month, was almost cured in less than three days. At first, she could not move at all. After that, she could get out of bed and move around alone. Even her attending doctor imed that it was a miracle. ¡°Margaret, thank you for your medicine. It¡¯s too magical. I can get out of bed on my own now.¡± Renee rested for three days before she felt energetic again. She felt like she was reborn. She then carefully asked Renee, ¡°Did you help me keep it a secret from my brother?¡± While tidying up the room for Renee, Margaret said confidently, ¡°Miss Ren, don¡¯t worry. I told Mr. Everheart that you¡¯re in a bad mood recently, so you¡¯re leading a secluded life away from others. You don¡¯t want to see anyone. He imed that he could understand your feelings and asked me to take good care of you. He¡¯ll take care of Adie and Abby.¡± Hearing that, Renee felt much relieved. ¡°I did such a silly thing and got hospitalized. If he knows, he¡¯ll definitely give me a good scolding me. So we can¡¯t let him know. What¡¯s more, I can¡¯t contact him anytime soon.¡± ¡°Miss Ren, did you fall out with Mr. Everheart? You just got reunited with him for only a few days.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s because what I want to do may make him very unhappy, or we may fall out with each other again if I¡¯m not being careful. What¡¯s more, it may push me into an abyss, so¡­¡± Renee heaved a long sigh with a worried expression. Margaret knew Renee¡¯s character very well, so she neither raised any more questions nor tried to dissuade Renee from that. On the contrary, she said firmly, ¡°Miss Ren, you always have a sense of propriety. You never make us worry, no matter what you decide. So, forge boldly ahead if you think this is the right thing. I¡¯ll always support you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Margaret. You¡¯re always my strongest support.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes became watery as she looked at Margaret. Sometimes, what she wanted was not great help but her family¡¯s understanding. It would make her realize that she was not going alone on the bumpy and dangerous vast road ahead. Margaret¡¯s encouragement gave Renee courage. That night, she secretly supported her not-fully- recovered body and walked out of the ward while the doctors and nurses retired to rest. She was about to go to a near ce. It would only take a few steps. She was going to Stefan¡¯s ward on the same floor as her ward. She should have gone to see Stefan early during the three days that she was recuperating there. However, she did not have the courage to visit him or let others learn that she did. Hence, she held on until she could get out of bed on her own. She then secretly went to see him when the others were asleep. She had heard from the nurse that Stefan¡¯s ward was at the end of the corridor. At that moment, the door of the ward was slightly ajar¡­ Chapter 1029 Chapter 1029 Renee gradually became nervous. She held her breath and slowly walked to Stefan¡¯s ward. She then gently opened the door. The luxurious ward was spacious and clean. A light rxing fragrance lingered in the air. Stefan was lying t on the hospital bed with his eyes tightly closed. His long and thick eyshes lit up under the light of the orangemp on the bedside cab. They even cast mottled shadows on his face. He had suffered a severe fall. His head was wrapped in a thick bandage, and his left arm and right leg were in casts. He appeared like a mannequin that was torn apart and reassembled. He looked in an extremely sorry state. Renee became speechless. At the same time, her eyes instantly became watery. Stinging tears blocked her vision. Stefan turned out that way because of her. His old injuries were still not cured, but now he gained new injuries. His injuries were just like deep shackles, and they oppressed her so much that she could not catch her breath. ¡®You silly man! You¡¯re a smart and rational person. Why did you sacrifice so much for me? ¡®I owe you so much now. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t even repay you even if I pay with my life.¡¯ Stefan fell into a sound sleep, so he did not notice that Renee was right beside him. He might be in a bad dream, given that he furrowed his brows slightly. His handsome and cold face appeared to be in pain. ¡°Silly man, you¡¯re sleeping, but you¡¯re still on guard. Can¡¯t you rx a little?¡± Renee dragged over a chair and sat beside his bed, staring at his charming face greedily. After that, she inevitably extended her hand to gently rubbed his furrowed brows. Her slim fingertips were rather warm. She wished that he could be happy and rxed. Even while dreaming, she wanted to see him happy. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. That was what she mentioned to Margaret. It was the thing she was about to do. It was true that it was destined she had to leave him. But before leaving, she wanted toe up with ways to cure him. She decided to heal both his body and mind. Her decision was against her brother¡¯s wishes, so she could not let her brother learn about it. This decision might very likely push her into an abyss, but she would not retreat. It was because she had to be worthy of the love Stefan held for her. She wanted to leave without owing him anything. Stefan was a very vignt person. After he got seriously injured, his vignce grew. The touch on his brows jolted him from his dream. He grabbed Renee¡¯s wrist and said in an extremely tender manner, ¡°You. I finally caught you. You can¡¯t leave now!¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡± She did not expect him to be so vignt. He woke up just with the lightest of touches. Consequently, her mind went nk because she did not know what she should do. He stared at her with his deep-set eyes. They were as dazzling as the stars and as vast as the ocean. He then continued to say gently, ¡°You know what? I was running a nightmare. I dreamed that I fell from a high ce and hit my head against a rock. My head bled vigorously, and my limbs were torn apart from the fall. I wanted to reassemble my limbs, but they were so broken that no matter how I tried, they wouldn¡¯t stick to me. After that, a halo appeared before me. It was so dazzling that I couldn¡¯t stare straight at it. A woman¡¯s figure was in the middle of the halo. I guessed that must be you¡­¡± Renee was at a loss for words. She pursed her lips in silence. Stefan¡¯s eyes appeared so energetic, so she could not tell if he was blind. ¡°I thought I must have fallen to hell, but I knew that I was in heaven the moment I saw the figure in the halo. My heaven is where¡¯d you be¡­¡± Chapter 1030 Chapter 1030 He held her hand and put it on his distinctly featured face. He then acted coquettishly with her like a kitten and intimately rubbed her hand against his face. The stubbles on his face rubbed against her palm, and it softened her heart. Tears rolled down her cheeks. When she was about to speak, Stefan said, ¡°Promise me. Let¡¯s stay together from now on, okay, Seraphina?¡± Renee was struck speechless. She stared at him in a daze. So, his eyes were not cured. Besides, he mistook her for Seraphina again. ¡°I felt very cold while I was in the river, and I bled a lot. In the deep and endless darkness, I almost failed to hold on several times. Luckily, you were with me. I remembered you giving me CPR, and we hugged each other tightly like vines. I remembered the feeling of risking our lives together, so I¡¯ll pester you for the rest of my life. Don¡¯t even dream of getting rid of me even though I¡¯m blind!¡± Stefan held her hand and refused to let go. He then passionately kissed the back of her hand with his thin lips and said fervent, romantic words. She did not find such a passionate side of him unfamiliar, but now, the target of his passion was no longer her¡­ What was more excruciating than that? Enduring the heart-wrenching pain, she almost could not breathe. She tried her best to break free and sobbed, saying, ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m not Seraphina.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not Seraphina?¡± Stefan¡¯s gentle expression instantly turned aloof. He grabbed Renee¡¯s finger forcefully and interrogated her, ¡°Who are you? Why did you sneak into my ward?¡± ¡°Who am I?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Renee smiled bitterly as the tears rolled down her cheek. Her bitterness intensified. ¡°Do you pretend not to know me, or you really don¡¯t know me?¡± ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Stefan¡¯s cold gaze turned fierce. He directly bent Renee¡¯s slender fingers as punishment for her hasty intrusion. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for being rude if you¡¯re acting strange.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Fingers were linked to the heart, so the deep pain made her frown deeply. She could resist him at any time, given her skills, but she had no intention to do so. On the contrary, she seemed to have gone mad as she enjoyed the pain. She said hoarsely, ¡°I know that you hate me and are angry at me, so go ahead and punish me if it¡¯ll make you feel better. I won¡¯tin at all.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind or courting death? Or do you doubt my ability?¡± Facing her, he gradually intensified his force. He almost broke her fingers. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Pa! The light of the ward was turned on. Seraphina walked into the ward and said to Stefan, ¡°Stefan, let her go. She¡¯s just an irrelevant person who came to change your medicine for you. You don¡¯t have to be mad at her.¡± ¡°Seraphina, you¡¯re back. Come to me now!¡± When Stefan heard Seraphina¡¯s voice, he seemed to be suddenly enlightened from a deep confusion. He immediately let go of Renee¡¯s hand and extended his arms to get ready for a hug. His whole being emitted a strong message of how deeply he loved and relied on Seraphina. Chapter 1031 Chapter 1031 Seraphina approached Stefan and caressed his back gently with one hand, all while intertwining their fingers with the other. It made them look as if they were an old couple who had been married for decades. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform me before entering, attendant? Can¡¯t you see you startled my boyfriend?¡± Seraphina¡¯s expression was cold and arrogant. Such arrogance normally would only show on Renee¡¯s heart, as she was absolutely confident in their rtionship. She no longer felt this confidence now. When faced with Stefan and Seraphina¡¯s lovey-dovey actions, she just stood out like a big third wheel. However, Renee had always been a headstrong person, with almost every fiber of her body being delinquent. Even with the pain in her heart and the tears flooding in her eyes, her expression was determined. She smiled spitefully. ¡°Don¡¯t be a stranger, Miss Murphy. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to make reservations to see Stefan with how deep our rtionship goes.¡± ¡°You!¡± Seraphina gritted her teeth, clearly frustrated. ¡°You¡¯re just here to change his bandages, so know your ce! We don¡¯t need you here anymore. Get lost.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you have a say in this. Stefan does.¡± Renee looked towards the man, her chilling gaze softened as she said, ¡°Stefan, I know you¡¯re still mad at me. That¡¯s why you¡¯re pretending that you can¡¯t recognize my voice, right?¡± ¡°You have every right to be mad. I admit that I have been a total jerk, and I¡¯ve gotten my punishment. I only came here to help, so¡­ please don¡¯t chase me away.¡± Stefan was silent, pressing his lips together and furrowing his brows. His expression was filled with genuine confusion. It didn¡¯t seem like he was putting up an act. Seraphina felt uneasy after seeing this. She let go of Stefan¡¯s hand and shoved Renee to the side. ¡°That¡¯s enough! He just survived life-threatening surgery, so stop bothering him! Do you need him dead before you¡¯re satisfied?!¡± Renee, however, ignored the screaming woman and continued staring at Stefan, waiting for his answer. ¡°I will only listen to him. If he wants me gone, I will leave. But if he wants me to stay, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Seeing how she couldn¡¯t coerce Renee, Seraphina could only turn to Stefan. ¡°Stef, this woman is a scoundrel! She¡¯s only getting close to you because of her ulterior motives! Don¡¯t give her hope. Just tell her to get out!¡± ¡°Ulterior motives?¡± Stefan¡¯s frown grew deeper, his tone cold. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say she was just an attendant? I don¡¯t think she would dare to hold any motives. So why don¡¯t we just let her change my bandages?¡± ¡°Stef!!¡± Seraphina yelled and stomped her feet angrily, upset that she had once again lost to Renee. ¡°I don¡¯t like her! She¡¯s definitely here to seduce you! I won¡¯t allow this!¡± ¡°Oh, you!¡± Stefan grabbed Seraphina by the waist with his movable arm and spoke in a loving tone. ¡°You know how I feel about you. There¡¯s no need to feel threatened. I just asked her to stay because we need someone to help you with these tedious tasks. Your hands are soft and dainty. We can¡¯t possibly let any medicinal cream hurt these beautiful hands now, can we?¡± The man then lowered his head to peck the back of Seraphina¡¯s hand ever so softly. His carefulness made it seem as if he was kissing the most precious treasure he had ever had. Renee was silent, feeling as if her heart was being pierced by thousands of needles. Every heartbeat tore her wounds further. She was initially quite happy that he let her stay, but now it seemed that this decision was no different than punishment. After receiving reassurance, Seraphina felt as if she could rule the world. Moreover, seeing Renee¡¯s pained expression gave her a great sense of satisfaction. ¡°Okay then, she can stay. She¡¯s just an attendant anyway. She is no match for me.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She then pointed towards the antiseptic cream on the nightstand and ordered Renee arrogantly. ¡°What are you standing there for? Stefan¡¯s wounds are very deep, you know? You have to get the dressing changed every three hours, so get to work!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 1032 Chapter 1032 Renee nodded and obediently took the medicinal cream from the nightstand. At the time, she was still unable to determine if Stefan was pretending to have forgotten her or if he really had. However, none of that was important¡ªher main goal was to help him recover. She just wanted happiness for him. Anything else was¡­ insignificant. ¡°Mr. Hunt, please lie down. I will be changing your bandages now,¡± Renee requested of Stefan, who was still acting all lovey-dovey. She then slowly squeezed out the thick cream into her palm. Since this wasn¡¯t the first time she took care of the man, she was especially familiar with such procedures. First, she had to unbutton his shirt and undo the gauze bandages around his torso. After that, she had to spread the cream on both her palms and gently smear it all over his wounds. ¡°Thank you.¡± Stefan didn¡¯t refuse or felt embarrassed, immediatelyying down as told. His tall perfect figure looked as if it were an artifact being disyed in a museum. Seraphina quickly came forth to stop her the moment Renee tried to undress the man. ¡°I¡¯ll help him out with this. Letting an outsider like you do this would be inappropriate.¡± Renee raised a brow, seemingly nonchnt. ¡°Whatever.¡± With that, Seraphina helped Stefan unbutton his shirt. As soon as Reneeid eyes on the man¡¯s chest, her heart tightened when she noticed the several cuts all over. ¡®No wonder he resents me so much. I was the one who caused him harm! I totally deserve any punishmenting for me, even if he wanted to skin me alive!¡¯ ¡°Hey, uh, hang in there. This medicine will sting a little.¡± Renee choked back on her tears, her vision blurring. She then lowered her gaze and smeared the cream onto his torn wounds with her finger. ¡°Mmh!¡± Stefan groaned from the pain, furrowing his brows. ¡°What are you doing?! You¡¯re such a klutz! You hurt my boyfriend!¡± Seraphina pushed Renee away and gave her a stern lecture. ¡°Don¡¯t bother changing his bandage if you don¡¯t know how! And don¡¯t even think about seducing him! Everyone knows you should use cotton swabs, but you¡¯re using your fingers! I know exactly what you¡¯re trying here!¡± Renee bit her lower lip to suppress her anger, ring back coldly. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing, okay? Cotton swabs are too rough, and using fingers will ensure minimal pain!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ Isn¡¯t that just bullsh*t?! All the nurses used cotton swabs. You clearly have ulterior motives!¡± ¡°Hah, don¡¯t make meugh! Do you think I need to resort to such methods with how important I am to him?¡± Renee replied straightforwardly. ¡°You, on the other hand, are so afraid that someone might steal your boyfriend away. Is it because you got him through certain methods? Is that why you¡¯re feeling so guilty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all! Shut up!¡± Seraphina howled angrily. After all, Renee¡¯s words pierced her heart in every way, especially since it was all true. Just as the two were about to fight, Renee suddenly noticed something was off with Stefan¡¯s condition. Cold sweat was dripping from his forehead, and his limbs were spasming uncontrobly. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wait, stop! We have to check him!¡± Renee yelled at Seraphina. Chapter 1033 Chapter 1033 ¡°Stef, what¡¯s happening?! Don¡¯t scare me! Say something!¡± Seraphina just realized Stefan¡¯s condition had worsened, with all color draining from his face. It seemed he had fallen unconscious as well. ¡°His heart rate is going up! Call the doctor! Now!¡± Renee looked towards the heart monitor, whose lines were dancing, as if indicating that the man was in a very unstable condition. The chief doctor quickly rushed over and started providing emergency care. ¡°Please wait outside, ladies. The patient¡¯s blood pressure is unstable, and he needs urgent treatment!¡± Renee and Seraphina didn¡¯t dare to stay any longer, immediately cooperating with the medics and leaving the ward. ¡°You unlucky b*tch! Look what you¡¯ve done to Stef?! Haven¡¯t you caused enough harm?!¡± Seraphina wailed as she hit Renee harshly. ¡°Nothing happened when you were gone! The doctors even said his condition had stabilized! He only needs a few more days of rest before he can get discharged! ¡°But as soon as you showed up, his heart started palpitating, and his life is now in danger again! You¡¯re the bane of his existence! So please just leave him alone, I beg of you!¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this either.¡± Renee worriedly stared at Stefan¡¯s ward, her eyes filled with deep mncholy and regret. She started feeling as if the deal she made with the gods was slowlying true. The first time might have been a coincidence, but with it happening a second and third time, calling it a mere coincidence wasn¡¯t going to cut it. ¡®Murphy is right, I¡¯m really the bane of Stefan¡¯s existence. He¡¯ll be in danger as long as I¡¯m near him¡­¡¯ ¡°I told you that you had to use a cotton swab to apply the cream, but you insisted on using your fingers! He¡¯s still in a weak state. Even a slight breeze could endanger his life!¡± ¡°There must be bacteria on your fingers, and his wounds are now infected! You witch, why didn¡¯t you drown back then?! Why did you have toe back and hurt Stef all over again?!¡± Seraphina lunged at the woman once more, releasing all her pent-up rage from the past few days. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Renee could feel a lump in her throat, with tears trickling down her cheeks. She allowed Seraphina to take out whatever anger she had on her without the slightest resistance. ¡°Stop it!¡± Jovan was met with this messy scene when he exited the elevator. He dashed over to the two women. He then grabbed Seraphina¡¯s wrist and questioned, ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you not to hurt her?!¡± Seraphina shrunk as soon as she saw Jovan, like a rat encountering a cat. She suddenly became subservient, gulping nervously. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, but she deserved it! She used her dirty hands to apply medicine to Stef¡¯s wounds!¡± ¡°You know how many difficulties he had gone through just for his condition to stabilize! But now¡­ his life is at risk again!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How can you me her?¡± Jovan shot her a cold re. ¡°The doctors have already told you about Stefan¡¯s condition. They said he was still in a crisis and he could be unstable at any time! He injured his head badly and even underwent major surgery! Even if no one touched him, he might have ended up in this situation.¡± ¡°Surgery?¡± Drowned in tears, Renee¡¯s eyes were cold and sharp. ¡°Weren¡¯t his wounds external!? Why would he need any major surgery?¡± Seraphina¡¯s expression visibly shifted as she nced at Jovan carefully. She kept her mouth shut, not daring to utter a single word. Jovan, however, seemed quite rxed. He smiled at the woman and responded. ¡°Stefan had a concussion. He hit his head on a rock which caused internal bleeding in his skull. That¡¯s why they had to give him brain surgery. Isn¡¯t that considered major surgery?¡± ¡°Brain surgery!!!¡± Renee balled up her fists, her palms mmy with sweat. The man¡¯s words made her heart sink to her stomach. Chapter 1034 Chapter 1034 She had no idea Stefan¡¯s condition was so critical. ¡®So¡­ he really did forget about me? And he¡¯s not putting up an act just because he resented me?¡¯ ¡°Yeah, brain surgery. I did tell you about this the moment you woke up, that the surgery might induce partial memory loss. If you keep forcing him to remember things, it would increase the pressure on his mind. So I¡¯m guessing¡­ that¡¯s why his condition suddenly worsened.¡± Renee was stunned, unable to say anything as she stood there frozen. Jovan¡¯s statements were enough to prove her doubts right. ¡®Stefan really forgot about me.¡¯ ¡®Like every cliche drama out there, he remembered everyone else but me.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, yeah! That¡¯s the reason! I told you not to trigger him, but you wouldn¡¯t listen! Are you happy now, you vicious witch?!¡± Seraphina finally found a proper reason to scream at Renee. However, she immediately stopped when she noticed Jovan¡¯s indifferent nce. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry. I really didn¡¯t know that my appearance would bring him such harm. I was being too rash,¡± Renee said with a deep bow. As a stubborn woman, she never would have apologized so easily. Yet this time, not only had she apologized, she was asking for forgiveness from someone she looked down upon. Hence, it was obvious as to how much she faulted herself over this. ¡°There¡¯s no use saying sorry to her. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s the one in danger¡­¡± Jovan then paused, seemingly conflicted. ¡°If you really feel bad about this, you should stay away from Stefan. He won¡¯t be in danger as long as you don¡¯t trigger him. Besides, he¡¯s fallen for Miss Murphy, and they¡¯re clearly in love. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have a happy life together.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but¡­ I won¡¯t leave him.¡± Renee was oddly determined. ¡°What did you say?¡± Jovan was slightly shocked. This was not within his expectations at all. ¡®ording to logic, she should be feeling extremely guilty by now. And she would silently keep her distance for Stefan¡¯s sake.¡¯ ¡°I said I won¡¯t leave Stefan, at least not now,¡± Renee stressed seriously as her expression remained sharp. She looked at the two. ¡°I know both of you well enough to see that you are sh*tty people. If I go now, Stefan will fall into your hands, and who knows what will happen to him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why¡­ I won¡¯t leave until he gets better.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that, you b*tch?! My love for Stefan runs deeper than the Mariana Trench! I only wish for his happiness, so how could I possibly bring him any harm?!¡± Seraphina huffed. ¡°I admit you love him a lot, so I won¡¯t destroy what you have now. Instead¡­ I might even help improve your rtionship with him. But first, I need him to get better, and I believe you truly wish that, too, right?¡± Renee asked Seraphina intently. Her observation skills were quite sharp. She was certain that Seraphina and Jovan were keeping some kind of hidden secret, especially their frequent nces at each other¡­ Chapter 1035 Chapter 1035 ¡°You? Help me and Stef?¡± Seraphina froze in disbelief as if she had just heard the most ridiculous myth. She then scoffed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m dumb, Everheart? Do you think I¡¯d really believe your fake empathy?¡± Renee¡¯s gaze was cold and retorted. ¡°Do you really think that I¡¯d waste my energy to lie to you?¡± ¡°W¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°Meaning, even if I really wanted topete with you, you wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to go against me. I don¡¯t need to y these mind games with you.¡± ¡°You!¡± Seraphina was speechless. Despite her rage, she knew that Renee was right and was unable to mount a reasonableeback. Jovan stared at Renee with a conflicted gaze and asked coldly. ¡°What do you mean by ¡¯till he gets better?¡¯ How much better does he have to be?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡± Renee turned to Jovan. As if the two were ying a tug of war, she continued. ¡°At the very least, I have to make sure he won¡¯t get taken advantage of.¡± Seraphina took a deep breath and reached her hand out. ¡°We may be rivals, but if you really want Stef to get better, I¡¯m willing to put our past grudges behind us.¡± Renee stared at the woman¡¯s hand, not intending to shake it at all. Her eyes were frosty. ¡°No need. Just keep your emotions in check. That¡¯s the most support you can provide me with.¡± Seraphina¡¯s cheeks turned red. She nearly cussed out loud but suppressed the urge to do so. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t mind doing anything as long as Stef gets better.¡± While the two finally came to a mutual understanding, good news came from the ward. The chief doctor walked out. The team had a relieved smile on their faces. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Mr. Hunt should be fine now. Please make sure he gets as much rest as he can, and keep him in a positive mood. Do not trigger him in any way.¡± ¡°Thank you, doctor, thank you for all your work.¡± Seraphina ced her hand on her chest, letting out a long sigh of relief. It was obvious that she truly did care for Stefan. Even though the man was disabled, her unconditional love for him continued shining through. Renee, on the other hand, walked straight into the ward without saying a word. ¡°Hey Everheart, what are you trying to do now, you witch? You¡­¡± Seraphina called out arrogantly, trying to stop the woman. ¡°Follow me. We need to talk.¡± Jovan blocked Seraphina¡¯s way and demanded under his breath. ¡°Okay.¡± Seraphina nced at the man, deting in an instant like a balloon, lowering her head timidly. Jovan brought her to the quiet stairwell. There were no surveince cameras around either. ¡°Are you insane, Murphy? How could you agree to that?!¡± The man questioned angrily, not showing her any mercy. ¡°Agree to what?¡± Seraphina pressed her lips together, acting a fool. ¡°You actually agreed to make up with her? You¡¯re not that stupid to think she¡¯s going to help improve your rtionship with Stefan, right?¡± ¡°I never expected any of that. I made myself clear, didn¡¯t I? I¡¯m just like her, I just want Stefan to get better.¡± ¡°Hah, get better?¡± Chapter 1036 Chapter 1036 With eyes darkened, he grabbed her by the chin and mocked her. ¡°Now you¡¯re pretending to love him unconditionally, huh? Why weren¡¯t you considerate of his condition when you decided to make him go through brain surgery to wipe his memories about Renee? Why didn¡¯t you think of that when you substituted his memory of her saving him with yourself?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Both you and I know that the surgery was just a facade. Your main goal was just to rece Renee in Stefan¡¯s memories! Now that you¡¯ve be the person he loves and trusts most, what else do you want?! Why do you have to get her involved?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was wrong. I¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± Seraphina admitted to her faults anxiously. The woman used to be a prideful richdy. She was so arrogant that she looked down on everyone but Stefan, as she was in love with him. However, now, when faced with Jovan, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a natural fear arising within her heart. The man knew too many of her secrets, and she was afraid that he would seek revenge on her someday. Moreover, he was truly an absolute madman. After all, he was able toe up with such insanely absurd ideas, such as brain surgery and memory substitution. She knew that she would be doomed if she ever offended him in any way. Seraphina exined her stance. ¡°You saw what happened just now, didn¡¯t you? If I didn¡¯t agree to it, she wouldn¡¯t give it a rest. And she¡¯s smart! If she found out about what we did, we¡¯re done for! I was just thinking I could¡­ pretend to befriend her, then make her back off.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen how much Stef loves me now. Any person wouldn¡¯t be able to handle seeing their lover in love with another. Isn¡¯t it safer to break her heartpletely so she¡¯d leave us alone?¡± This exnation made Jovan¡¯s expression rx a little. He let go of the woman harshly, his eyes filled with sadistic excitement. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than I thought. Wait till she¡¯s heartbroken, huh? I like this idea.¡± Seraphina sighed in relief, knowing that she finally escaped danger. She then mustered up the courage to ask, ¡°You¡¯re not just helping me because you want to use me as a means to control Stefan and take over H Group, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Jovan raised a brow slyly. ¡°H Group is just a bonus. My life goal is to have her for myself.¡± Seraphina gulped in fear, thinking to herself. ¡®This man¡¯s love is so suffocating¡­ and horribly demented!¡¯ In the ward, Stefan was still unconscious at the time. Renee stood next to his bed. Her eyes fixated on his face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Stefan. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯ve been through so much pain. Maybe forgetting about me is a good thing for you.¡± Tearing up, her vision blurred as her eyes reddened. She sobbed. ¡°I swear I will find a way to cure your illness,e what may. Once you get better, I¡¯ll leave you alone for good.¡± Silence soon returned to the room. However, Renee had no idea that Stefan had already woken up a while ago. Her words were confusing to him, but he didn¡¯t speak up about it, nor did he open his eyes. He just pretended as if he knew nothing about this. *** For the next few days, Renee and Seraphina somehow managed to keep the peace between the both of them.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina allowed Renee to continue staying by Stefan¡¯s side as his ¡®attendant,¡¯ as she took care of his basic necessities. However, she had also made sure to request that Renee limit any verbal contact with him. ¡°Now that you know Stef has been through brain surgery and that he can¡¯t be exposed to any triggers. Since you¡¯re special to him, a single sentence, or even a single move, would be enough to drive him mad.¡± ¡°For his safety, you should act like you¡¯re invisible, don¡¯t let him notice you much.¡± Seraphina thought Renee would have exploded after receiving her cruel demands, especially knowing how hot-tempered she could be. Despite this, the woman was quick to agree to her terms. ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll just pretend to be mute.¡± With this, Renee would sometimes encounter quite a few ¡®heart-wrenching¡¯ scenes¡­ Chapter 1037 Chapter 1037 That day, Renee had just finished brewing some medicinal tea. She pushed open the door to Stefan¡¯s ward. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Inside were Seraphina and Stefan, cuddling each other lovingly. The two looked glued to the hip, unwilling to separate at all. ¡°Seraphina, I thought about it. Let¡¯s get married once I get discharged!¡± Stefan said, his arms wrapped around her and his chin ced on top of her head. His expression seemed longing. ¡°I hope we can have our wedding in Tahato, I hear they have the bluest seas and the softest sand. Since you love the sea so much, that will be the most suitable ce for our wedding.¡± Seraphina¡¯s blissful expression was instantly reced with fear. ¡°Marrying right after you¡¯ve recovered?! Isn¡¯t that¡­ too soon?¡± ¡®Besides, when have I ever said I liked the sea?¡¯ ¡®I hate it! It¡¯s too sunny out, it¡¯s boring as heck, and it¡¯s the worst when it gets too windy!¡¯ ¡°How is that too soon?¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°I love you so much that I want to put a ring on you right away. I don¡¯t want to waste any more time.¡± ¡°You love me a lot, too, right? We jumped into theke and experienced life and death together. Why wouldn¡¯t we marry each other after all that? What are we waiting for?¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re right.¡± Seraphina nodded with guilt, her gaze slightly conflicted as she turned to look at Renee. Supposedly, she had won this war of love, but she couldn¡¯t help but find her methods unworthy of this rtionship. She was terrified that Stefan might regain his memories one day, and everything she had now¡­ would be nothing more than a shattered dream. ¡°Well, no matter what, you¡¯re mine! So don¡¯t you dare try to run away!¡± Stefan said as he lifted her chin, kissing her lips passionately. The atmosphere within the room quickly turned bashful and steamy. Renee was speechless. She always thought that she had great resilience, but seeing the man she loved kiss another woman so deeply was unbearable. Her heart was crushed, causing her fingers to tremble uncontrobly. Crash! The cup of medicinal tea fell to the ground once she lost her grip. It was soon shattered into pieces, with the tea sttering all over the floor. ¡°Who goes there?¡± Stefan let go of Seraphina unwillingly, speaking in the direction of the noise in a cold voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s rude to pry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m here to give you your medicine. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb.¡± Renee had no choice but to exin herself. Seraphina was furious, shooting her a dirty re. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to knock before entering?¡± She was afraid that Stefan would notice Renee¡¯s existence. Even just a single cough from Renee made her feel as if she was threatened with grave danger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be more careful next time. Uhm¡­ Please continue. I¡¯ll brew a new cup of tea.¡± Renee knelt down, trying her best to keep the lump in her throat down. She then cleaned the shards up, feeling quite bad after seeing the pool of tea around her. Margaret had specificallye up with this recipe for them. Moreover, it took around five hours for her to brew such a small cup of tea too. Now that it was spilled, it was a shame that she had to take another few couple of hours to brew another. ¡°No need!¡± Seraphina scowled in disdain. What kind of medicine even is this? It stinks, and it¡¯s not prescribed by the doctor. I can¡¯t say for sure that it¡¯s proper medication, so I wouldn¡¯t dare to let Stef try it.¡± ¡°This medicine was prescribed by a famous doctor who specializes in major injuries! Look, I got injured on the same day he did, but mine are almost healed! All there¡¯s left are scabs!¡± Renee was worried that Seraphina might stop her from giving Stefan the medicine and quickly lifted her sleeves, showing her the wounds. ¡°Is it that good?¡± Although Seraphina didn¡¯t like Renee, she was still quite interested, hearing that the medicine was so effective that it could heal Stefan rapidly. ¡°Mhm! Touch it if you must!¡± Renee enthusiastically brought her injured arm to Seraphina, allowing her to inspect it thoroughly as if she were trying her best to sell a product. ¡°Okay, okay, I get it. If it¡¯s so good, then go make another cup then.¡± Chapter 1038 Chapter 1038 Seraphina immediately tried chasing Renee away. Stefan, who was silent the entire time, furrowed his brows as he spoke frostily. ¡°You got injured the same day I did?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Renee froze, her expression stiff. ¡®Sh*t, I misspoke.¡¯ ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± The man continued questioning. ¡°I¡­ I tripped and fell by ident.¡± Renee came up with a simple excuse and rushed out of the room. She actually didn¡¯t intend for him to notice her. She wanted to do as promised. She acted like she was mute and only took care of him quietly. She only wanted to see him recover fully and leave with no regrets. However, she knew that it would now be difficult for her to hide away, especially with her previous mess up¡­ ¡°She left?¡± Stefan seemed rather disappointed. ¡°What? Did you not want to leave? And you just said you love me so much you wanted to marry me right away!¡± Seraphina huffed out of jealousy, feeling quite anxious. She then wrapped her arms around the man¡¯s neck and voluntarily kissed him on the lips. ¡°She¡¯s gone anyway, so stop thinking about her. Focus on me instead.¡± Stefan responded to her advances, seemingly unfocused, as he no longer returned her passion. His mind lingered on that ¡®attendant.¡¯ Renee proceeded to stand guard at the kettle for four whole hours, only to have made yet another small cup of tea. While the tea was still steaming hot, she quickly dashed back to Stefan¡¯s ward. Once again, Seraphina seemed threatened and signaled her to leave after cing the cup of tea down. Renee shrugged and walked in without making a sound, cing the medicine gently, and intended to leave right away. Stefan noticed the smell of medicinal tea and knew someone hade in. He immediately asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± Renee halted, not knowing if she should respond. ¡°Oh she¡¯s just an attendant, why would you need to know her name?¡± Seraphina intertwined her fingers with him as if trying to assert dominance. She spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone as well. ¡°I want you to only have eyes for me.¡± She soon came to regret saying that, as she noticed Stefan¡¯s expression turning extremely cold, as if someone had poured salt on his wounds. ¡°Hah, you¡¯re overthinking things. I¡¯m blind. How could I have eyes for anyone?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t mean it like that. Please don¡¯t misunderstand Stef, I¡­¡± Seraphina exined. ¡°I just care about you too much. I don¡¯t want anyone stealing you from me.¡± These days, Stefan had shown her nothing but pure love and affection. He never yelled at her, let alone showed her such hostility. She couldn¡¯t bear seeing all his attention shift towards Renee when all she did was bring him medicine. It was as if the man was under her spell. ¡°Who in their right mind would want to steal a blind man? Unless this person has other intentions from the start¡­¡± Stefan said, obviously trying to test Renee¡¯s reaction. He then ¡®looked¡¯ in her direction as if he could sense her there. Chapter 1039 Chapter 1039 Renee stayed quiet, not uttering a word the whole time. However, this only piqued the man¡¯s interest further. ¡°Is your identity ssified? Why won¡¯t you even tell me your name?¡± Stefan continued questioning, persistent to get an answer. Renee bit down on her lips. After a few moments of hesitation, she replied clearly, ¡°No, not ssified. My name is Renee Everheart, do you know me, Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°How could you go back on your word, Everheart!¡± Seraphina shoved Renee aside, visibly agitated. She felt as if Renee was about to snatch her precious toy, which gave her the urge to fight the woman right there and then. ¡°Renee Everheart¡­¡± Stefan repeated the name over and over again, trying his best to look through his memory but to no avail. His expression was cold and solemn. Renee was disappointed, but let out a sigh of relief. She responded lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy, Mr. Hunt. You definitely won¡¯t remember anything, we don¡¯t know each other at all. I only know of you because I was also admitted to the hospital a few days ago.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We really don¡¯t know each other?¡± Stefan¡¯s cold face was filled with doubt. Although he had received surgery, his brain was stillpletely intact. In fact, he was more sharp and intelligent than before, he refused to believe that they did not know each other. ¡°Yeah, I was sent to the emergency room the same time you did. And I heard from my nurse that your condition was super bad, and you might die! I nearly died too, so I was thinking if we could meet up in the afterlife, it¡¯d be less boring to have apanion after death¡­¡± Renee spouted a bunch of nonsense with a serious expression. Seraphina folded her arms, clearly annoyed. She thought to herself, ¡®This woman sure knows how to come up with nonsensical sh*t. How did she even manage to think of that?!¡¯ On the other hand, Stefan was absolutely focused. His eyebrows pulled together as he asked, ¡°Then what happened? Continue on.¡± ¡°So my surgery was sessful, and I heard that yours was too. Seeing how we were almost afterlife buddies, I wanted to go see you. Well, you know the rest already. I¡¯m just a good person who wishes you a speedy recovery. That¡¯s why I brew this medicinal tea for you, it helps a lot.¡± After saying that, Renee handed the man the cup. ¡°Have some while it¡¯s still warm. I can even guarantee you¡¯ll start walking after three days!¡± Stefan took the cup, his mind still thinking about the woman¡¯s words. He then shed her a smile. ¡°Afterlife buddies¡­ I like that.¡± He no longer felt defensive against Renee, and downed the entire cup in one go. Seraphina was silent as she observed the two¡¯s interactions, a sense of uneasiness creeping up her spine. She took the cup from the man and gave him a considerate massage. ¡°Now you got your answer. You have no rtion to her, and she¡¯s just a stranger to you. You don¡¯t have to mind her that much.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was indeed overthinking. I thought we had some kind of special rtionship.¡± Stefan held Seraphina¡¯s hand as he chuckled at himself, finding himself quite ridiculous for thinking otherwise. Seeing that the man drank the medicine, Renee¡¯s mood improved as well, so much so that she made a joke. ¡°Awh, is being afterlife buddies not special enough? I¡¯m going to be sad if that¡¯s the case, Mr. Hunt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, friends and lovers can be found easily during our mortal lifetimes, but it¡¯s hard to meet an afterlife buddy. So I guess, it is fate, in a way.¡± ¡°Then get some rest now, buddy. I¡¯ll serve you some more medicine tomorrow.¡± Chapter 1040 Chapter 1040 Since Renee was able to keep a safe distance from him, she left the room nonchntly. They had to admit that Margaret¡¯s recipe was almost miraculous. Despite merely having had one cup of the tea, he noticed that his wounds were much less painful the next morning. The effects were quite obvious, as he seemed more energetic as well. ¡°Stef, have some water.¡± Seraphina poured Stefan some warm water carefully. As she stared at the steaming from the ss, she looked for a reaction when she asked, ¡°Do you remember you said the other day that we could get married once you are discharged? Is that offer still avable?¡± Feeling the warmth of the water around the ss, Stefan raised an eyebrow at her question. ¡°Of course. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been so distracted for the past few days! I just feel kind of insecure!¡± Seraphina whined softly, then started picturing their future. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a while, and I think it¡¯s best we change our wedding venue.¡± ¡°Why? I remember you said your dream wedding would be in Tahato, though?¡± The reason why Stefan had such fondness towards Tahato was that he remembered the woman mentioning multiple times that she wanted a romantic beach wedding in that area, despite his fragmented memories. In reality, his memories weren¡¯t false at all. It really did happen, but the woman within this memory was actually Renee and not Seraphina. For the longest time, Stefan had kept this romantic idea within his heart and wished to make it into a reality for her. ¡°Oh,e on, people change. I used to like Tahato, but now I like Paris! I¡¯d like to have a wedding in an old castle-like building. So why don¡¯t we get married in thergest cathedral in Paris?¡± Seraphina knew that she had never mentioned a beach wedding in the past. However, the man¡¯s persistence in organizing one was more than enough evidence that his memories were starting to distort. If that were the case, she had to ¡®right the wrongs¡¯ and erase any memories that were rted to a certain someone and rece them with herself instead. ¡°Hey,e on, say something? Don¡¯t you think a castle wedding is more romantic? I¡¯d like to be a princess marrying my prince charming, who I loved for so many years¡­¡± Seraphina bashfully confessed, only to find the man staring into space, paying no attention at all. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She frowned in an instant. ¡°Stef, what¡¯s on your mind? Are you listening to me?¡± Stefan snapped back to reality and pressed his lips, then told the truth. ¡°I was thinking if I should be taking my medicine now.¡± ¡°M¡­ Medicine?¡± ¡°My afterlife buddy said I have to drink it twice per day. It should be time to drink some, so why isn¡¯t she here yet?¡± ¡°So¡­ You¡­ You were waiting for her?¡± Seraphina said, her face stiff as her lips twitched in annoyance. She had never felt so humiliated before. Despite being right next to him, despite her excitement regarding their wedding ns, his heart and soul were longing for another instead. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting for her. I was waiting for the medicine,¡± Stefan said as he moved his arms around, smiling with intrigue. ¡°You have to admit that it works pretty well.¡± Seraphina clenched her fists, trying her best to suppress her rage. She then spoke softly, ¡°I think so too. Let me rush her for you.¡± She then angrily ran towards the end of the hallway, where Renee¡¯s ward was. However, there was someone else in the ward this time, and the nurse mentioned that the woman was discharged¡­ Chapter 1041 Chapter 1041 ¡°What? She¡¯s been discharged?¡± Seraphina felt a bit suspicious, torn between feeling happy and angry at her actions. ¡°How can she just leave without saying anything?!¡± She should¡¯ve known that this woman couldn¡¯t be trusted. They had promised to wait for Stefan to get better before leaving, but now, he was still bedridden and she had already left. She just couldn¡¯t keep her promises! ¡°Are you Miss Murphy?¡± The nurse asked cautiously. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Seraphina snapped at the nurse in irritation. She didn¡¯t know why, but Renee¡¯s abrupt departure made her feel uneasy. Renee wasn¡¯t the type who would give up easily, so she had to be hiding an ace up her sleeve! ¡°I was told by Miss Everheart to give this medicine to you. She said it works wonders, and hopes that you brew it carefully,¡± the nurse exined, then handed over a cube of the medicine to Seraphina. ¡°For me?¡± Seraphina stared at the medicine in confusion, wondering what Renee was up to. She opened up the medicine, and saw that there was tiny text on the packaging that waspletely indiscernible to her eyes. ¡®Is Renee giving me this miraculous medicine so she can be the heroine who saves Stefan? No, there¡¯s no way! This medicine could be poison meant to cause my downfall. I will never use it!¡¯ Seraphina thought with a sneer. With a heavy heart, she returned to Stefan¡¯s room. Stefan¡¯s gaze was dull, but his hearing was sharp. When he heard footsteps outside his door, his face lit up. ¡°Is my medicine here?¡± He asked hopefully. Seraphina felt even more agitated, and answered tly, ¡°No, she¡¯s been discharged.¡± She wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew that though Stefan was asking about the medicine, he actually wanted to know about Renee. It hurt her pride. ¡°She was discharged¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s expression visibly dimmed. It was like being seated at an exclusive restaurant, about to take a bite of your delicious food, but before you could, it was taken away without warning. It was terribly disappointing. ¡°Since she¡¯s recovered, of course she has to be discharged. She has no connection to you, so she can¡¯t be like me and take care of you throughout the day.¡± Seraphina¡¯s voice was filled with jealousy. She then crumpled up the medicine instructions into a ball before throwing it into the trash can. She thought, ¡®Hmph, regardless of whether this medicine is a miracle or not, I will never use something that woman gave me!¡¯ N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Stefan¡¯s face fell, and he raised an eyebrow at Seraphina¡¯s tone, feeling like he had crossed a line. ¡®Someone who has no connection to me doesn¡¯t deserve my attention. I haven¡¯t even seen her face! Only the person in front of me is worthy of my love and devotion!¡¯ ¡°Seraphina, you¡¯re being petty. I was only dismayed at the loss of an attendant¡­ Come here and give me a hug, don¡¯t be mad,¡± Stefan cajoled her warmly, his arms wide open. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Seraphina snuggled into his embrace, her heart flooding with happiness. ¡®Looks like Everheart had some sense of self-awareness. She knew it would be beneficial for our rtionship if she disappeared!¡¯ Chapter 1042 Chapter 1042 ¡°Ahem!¡± Francine had entered the room and witnessed the scene before her, and her face was ck as thunder. Behind her was the caretaker that she had personally picked out for Stefan. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina was mad that the happy atmosphere had been interrupted, so she was about to give the intruder a piece of her mind. However, when she angrily turned around, she was pinned by Francine¡¯s sharp gaze. She jerked away from Stefan immediately and stammered, ¡°A-Aunt Francine, why are you here?¡± She had been feeling guilty ever since she and Jovan had secretly bribed the neurosurgeon to give Stefan that brain surgery. She¡¯d also been feeling paranoid and suspicious of everyone. ¡°My son is in a hospital bed, and you ask me, his mother, why I¡¯m here?¡± Francine demanded, her voice tight with anger. She didn¡¯t like how Seraphina had been going about this, so she started lecturing her. ¡°You certainly have your ways, don¡¯t you? You hid the fact that my son was injured for a whole week. Do you know that I was going crazy looking for him?¡± Even though Stefan looked alright, Francine was still worried about him. Seeing her son in bandages made her heart ache. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Francine, I was so shaken up that I didn¡¯t think about that. I was afraid that you¡¯d worry, so I-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t give me excuses, unless¡­ Is this guilt? Were you the reason why Stef ended up like this?¡± Francine asked suddenly, staring at Seraphina suspiciously. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I¡­¡± Seraphina had no idea how to exin, and it made her look even more suspicious. Stefan furrowed his brows then said seriously, ¡°Mom, if you¡¯re here to visit me, then just visit me. Why are you getting mad at Seraphina?¡± Francine was stunned. She nced at Stefan, then at Seraphina, looking confused. ¡°Son, what happened to you? Why does it feel like you¡¯ve be a different person? When did you be so protective over your friend?¡± Not only was he being oddly protective, seeing them embracing earlier just made the worried mother even more bewildered. ¡°Seraphina is the woman I love, and I will also be making her my wife soon. Who else will I protect, if not her?¡± Stefan replied bluntly. ¡°What did you say? Seraphina Murphy, is the woman you love?¡± Francine¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± Stefan asked coldly. The love he felt for Seraphina was set in stone, and everyone knew it, so he didn¡¯t understand why his mother would find it strange. ¡°There¡¯s no problem, it¡¯s just that hell seems to have frozen over.¡± Francine eyed Seraphina skeptically, and turned to the caretaker. ¡°La, take Stefan¡¯s pulse and see what condition his body is in.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± La nodded and walked over to Stefan, then said calmly, ¡°Master Hunt, please hold out your left hand, I will take your pulse.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Stefan was in a somewhat cooperative mood, and held out his left hand. Seraphina stood nearby, sweating bullets. She sneaked a nce at Francine, ¡°Aunt Francine, is this girl really trustworthy? Everyone says that Chinese doctors are a scam, and she¡¯s so young, so what would she know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you look down on La ¨C her father is the famous miracle doctor, Karter Bridges. She learned everything she knows from him, and will be able to tell what is wrong with Stefan just from his pulse,¡± Francine replied smugly, seemingly proud of who she had chosen. ¡°Re¡­really?¡± Seraphina¡¯s breath hitched. ¡®Does that mean that the little ¡®tweaks¡¯ we¡¯ve done will be blown right out into the open?¡¯ Chapter 1043 Chapter 1043 La expertly ced her slender fingers on Stefan¡¯s wrist, checking his pulse. After a few seconds, her delicate features wrinkled in concentration. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is my son¡¯s condition serious?¡± Francine stood beside her, feeling worried seeing La¡¯s expression. After around a minute, La finally moved her hand away, and gave a long sigh. ¡°Master Hunt¡¯s pulse is very chaotic, it was weak yet as fast as a rushing river. It seems like a typical case of cerebral hemorrhage. It¡¯s like it has recently been damaged or been through trauma. The situation is dire.¡± ¡°Th¡­ The brain has been damaged?¡± Francine looked at Stefan with a heavy heart, unable to process what her darling son had gone through. Overwhelmed with guilt, Seraphina snarled at La, ¡°You immature child! How dare you say such things when medical experts just reported that Stefan¡¯s body was in stable condition? Why are you scaring us with all this talk of cerebral hemorrhage? Are you cursing him?¡± Despite looking young, La was calm andposed. ¡°Well, this is what I diagnosed from the perspective of a traditional doctor. If you believe that it is incorrect, Miss Murphy, please feel free to switch hospitals and have another doctor do a full body checkup on Master Hunt. I believe that the results will be fair then.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say! Stefan¡¯s body hasn¡¯t healed yet, and he¡¯s only just gotten better! If he switches hospitals now, he¡¯ll get even worse!¡± Seraphina could not allow Stefan to switch hospitals, at least not until the damage in his brain had healed. Otherwise, the things Jovan and her had done would be exposed, and they would be doomed. ¡°Miss Murphy, please believe in my skills. Master Hunt¡¯s pulse really is very unusual. Even if we don¡¯t switch hospitals, surely you would ept a traditional doctor¡¯s methods?¡± La¡¯s words made Seraphina¡¯s mind raced to find a way out of this. ¡°Oh, I remember something. Last night, Stefan drank a cup of medicinal tea! Could it be that the tea had some issues that caused his stable condition to change?¡± ¡°That could be the case.¡± La nodded. ¡°If I could see the recipe for the tea, it would help.¡± ¡°The recipe¡­ Oh yes, there was a recipe!¡± Seraphina walked over to the trash can, and bent down to retrieve the paper she had crumpled up earlier. She then handed it to La. ¡°If you really are so renowned, then see if there¡¯s anything wrong with this medicinal tea¡­ but I have no doubt that it must be the tea that caused it. How else could a perfectly healthy person suddenly get worse after merely drinking medicinal tea?¡± La took the paper and started to read through it carefully before her expression turned into one of shock. ¡°Wh¡­Who gave you this recipe?¡± ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I? It was all the tea¡¯s fault!¡± Seraphina cried out in triumph. She thought to herself, ¡®Hmph, I should have known that Everheart would not have left anything useful in the recipe for that medicinal tea. Good, now I can manipte them with ease.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the instructions?¡± Stefan, who had been quiet the entire time, asked in a frosty tone, his expression dark. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°To answer your question, Master Hunt, there is something wrong with this recipe¡­ It¡¯s simply too good to be true! Each medicinal ingredient in it is nothing special individually, but whenbined, they have miraculous effects. It must be the work of a genius doctor!¡± Chapter 1044 Chapter 1044 La¡¯s eyes were bright with excitement, and she was beaming as if she had just found treasure. ¡°Whoever this is, they really are extremely skilled in their craft, even more so than my father. Where is this person? Could you please introduce me to them, Miss Murphy?¡± ¡°T-This can¡¯t be¡­¡± Seraphina gulped nervously, not expecting the situation to turn out like this. ¡®Everheart, you sneaky witch¡­ She said she wanted to help improve our rtionship, and then left us with a miraculous recipe! She just left without taking any credit!¡¯ ¡°How could it be impossible? It must be because of the kindness that Master Hunt has shown people throughout his life, which means that he must have met someone who was fated to help him now. Truly, as long as Master Hunt drinks this medicinal tea three times, he will recover and be as healthy as a horse.¡± La¡¯s eyes sparkled, as if the instructions were out of this world. Francine¡¯s expression softened, and she shed Seraphina an appreciative smile. ¡°Looks like you were kind enough to find an expert to cure my son.¡± Seraphina awkwardly rubbed her own cheeks, mumbling. ¡°It was¡­ just a coincidence. Stef is a lucky guy.¡± La stared at the crumpled paper, and frowned briefly. She then asked in an innocent tone, ¡°But I really don¡¯t understand why you would crumple and throw away such a good recipe, Miss Murphy. Don¡¯t you want Master Hunt to get better?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Seraphina felt the color drain from her face, and she was speechless. She red at La bitterly, cursing the caretaker in her mind. ¡®You little witch, you sure know how to find faults!¡¯ Noticing her ufortable reaction, Francine let out a dry cough and helped smooth things over. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I think Seraphina was just trying to be safe rather than sorry. Medicine isn¡¯t something one should consume casually.¡± ¡°Mhm, you know me so well, Aunt Francine. It¡¯s not safe to let him consume random medicines. I didn¡¯t know that person was an expert either.¡± ¡°Now that we have La here, we don¡¯t have to worry about meeting any quacks. How about this¡­ Why don¡¯t you ask the expert to meet us? Maybe they can think of a way to help my son regain his sight with La¡¯s help?¡± Francine had always hoped that Stefan¡¯s eyes could be cured, and didn¡¯t want to give up the slightest chance to do so. ¡°Umm¡­ Ah¡­¡± Seraphina stuttered, not knowing if she should agree to this or not. She had no reason to refuse, but doing so would only allow that woman to get close to Stefan again. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you not able to?¡± Francine narrowed her eyes, her expression solemn. ¡°Not exactly, I just don¡¯t have her contact. She left the hospital earlier today, so I don¡¯t know how to find her either.¡± Seraphina shrugged regretfully. ¡°Since they came to the hospital, they shouldn¡¯t be just anyone, right? Wouldn¡¯t it be quite easy to find them? Unless¡­ you don¡¯t want to.¡± Francine stared at Seraphina sharply, seemingly in deep thought. ¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been pretty close to Jovantely. You¡¯re not his spy, right? Are you trying to stall on purpose? Do you not want my son to see again?¡± Chapter 1045 Chapter 1045 Francine¡¯s words nearly scared Seraphina to death. She gulped, trying to exin herself right away. ¡°I- It¡¯s not like that, Aunt Francine! It¡¯s just that the person who gave me this recipe has a¡­ special identity. I don¡¯t think she should be near Stef at all¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Francine asked doubtfully. She wondered, ¡®The person wants to save Stef, but can¡¯t go near him. Isn¡¯t that just a contradictory statement?¡¯ Seraphina sighed deeply and nced at Stefan. She then leaned closer to Francine and whispered the truth to her. The mother instantly understood, balling her fists as a conflicted expression appeared on her face. Finally, she said, ¡°Whatever, this recipe came from unknown origins, so we shouldn¡¯t put too much effort into looking for that person. If that expert was just trying to reel us in with something good, then betrays uster, we¡¯d be in trouble.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Aunt Francine. I am worried that this person might plot against us, so I didn¡¯t dare to use the medicinal tea. Nothinges for free after all ¨C who knows what their intentions are?¡± Seraphina nodded eagerly. ¡°Mhm, let¡¯s not look for them,¡± Francine said absently. The two started cooperating with each other, trying their best to make their decision sound reasonable. La instantly realized that this expert was indeed quite ¡®special¡¯, and chimed into their conversation as well, ¡°This medicine isn¡¯t all that great, actually. If the ingredients aren¡¯t measured properly, it could be harmful to the body instead. Who knows if this person is trying to do good? We shouldn¡¯t trust them so easily.¡± Stefan was silent the entire time, his expression dark and unreadable. He wasn¡¯t stupid, especially when the three women had such bad acting skills. This only made him certain that Renee was special to him in some way. They were not merely ¡®afterlife buddies¡¯. ¡°Alright, alright, you guys are being too noisy. I¡¯m getting tired, so please give me some space.¡± The man chased them out coldly and shut his eyes. ¡°Stef, you¡­¡± Even though Francine wanted to talk to him, his sudden hostility made her keep her distance. ¡°Okay, son, get some rest. I¡¯ll find a way to cure your eyes.¡± Francine and La then left the room rather unwillingly. Seraphina let out a sigh of relief, her expression content. ¡®Phew, that was close, we almost got exposed. At least we¡¯re done talking about that now. Stefan is quite the trump card, as long as he protects me unconditionally, no one in the Hunt family can every a finger on me! Conflict with inws is just a myth ¨C conflict is only caused by the husband¡¯s ipetence. As long as a husband is willing to defend his wife, no inw would be able to give her a difficult time.¡¯ ¡°Stef¡­¡± Seraphina felt happy as she thought about it, and leaned her head against the man¡¯s shoulder. She intended to continue showing him love. Unexpectedly, Stefan became rather distant. ¡°You too, give me some space.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Stef? Are you mad at me for throwing that recipe away?¡± Seraphina asked quickly. ¡°No.¡± Stefanforted her. ¡°My head is just a little fuzzy, so I¡¯d like to be alone with my thoughts for a while.¡± ¡°Your head¡­ is a little fuzzy? Is it because you remembered something?¡± Seraphina felt her heart jump once again. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Should I have?¡± Chapter 1046 Chapter 1046 Stefan frowned deeply. He was slowly feeling more and more certain that he had lost some of his memories, especially those rted to his ¡®afterlife buddy¡¯. Seraphina turned pale, a wave of fear consuming her. ¡°N-No. You just need to remember who I am.¡± Outside the ward, Francine paced about, looking extremely upset. La nervously asked, ¡°Madam, are you worried about something?¡± ¡°What do you think? Just look at what my son suddenly became! How could I not be worried?¡± Francine seemed to be rather disturbed, snapping at anyone she encountered. She rambled on as she stared at La. ¡°Did you not notice how weird my son¡¯s condition was?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, especially his brain. It seems as though it had taken quite a serious injury. If it¡¯s possible, I¡¯d really rmend getting a second opinion and a full body checkup.¡± ¡°Yeah, you think something¡¯s wrong with his brain too, huh? I suspect¡­¡± Francine paused, scanning her surroundings nervously. ¡°What do you suspect?¡± La started feeling anxious as well. Francine whispered seriously, ¡°I think my son has been bewitched, and Seraphina is the one who cast the spell! She¡¯s intent on taking control of my son. Didn¡¯t you see how obedient and protective he was towards her? It makes no sense!¡± ¡°Umm, bewitched, you say?¡± La was quite taken aback. ¡®Why is this theory sounding like a fairytale?!¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t care what it is, but I know my son cannot continue staying with Seraphina. If she really is Jovan¡¯s spy, we¡¯re done for. That¡¯s why we need to find a way to transfer him to another hospital. If we do this ording to normal procedures, my son would never agree to it. So¡­ you have to think of something for me.¡± Francine was a cautious person, and could predict risks that might urter on. However, she was sure that something felt off between Stefan and Seraphina, which was why she had to take further action to prevent any more catastrophes. ¡°Simple ¨C I just need to give Master Hunt a sedative tea. He¡¯ll sleep through the entire night, and every worry you currently have would disappear the next morning,¡± La eximed confidently. ¡°Good! I knew I was right to have chosen you, you¡¯re a smart child.¡± Francine praised La and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Keep up the good work and help me find the leader of the Albus Order. As long as Stefan regains his sight, you will be the future matriarch of the Hunt family.¡± As night fell, Stefan didn¡¯t hold any doubts towards La and drank all the medicinal tea she made for him. As his eyelids slowly grew heavy, he fell into a deep sleep. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Seraphina intended to keep himpany the entire night as usual, but was intercepted by Francine. With that, Stefan was the only one left in therge ward, sound asleep. ¡°Thanks for the help, and be gentle. Master Hunt is injured.¡± La informed the two burly men outside, as they were the ones responsible for transporting Stefan. However, when the two opened the doors to the ward, they found that the bed was empty. Stefan was nowhere to be found. ¡°What?! Miss Bridges, Mr. Hunt is not in the room. Did you get his ward number wrong?¡± ¡°What? He¡¯s not?¡± La rushed in as well, realizing that they were telling the truth. Her mind went nk, and she was filled with disbelief. ¡®How on Earth did he disappear into thin air? Oh no, I¡¯m done for¡­ I failed the first ever mission Miss Francine gave me!¡¯ Chapter 1047 Chapter 1047 In the middle of the night, a ck luxury car drove fast across the winding mountain roads, as if it were a phantom. It seemed to be heading towards the deepest corners of the forest. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Renee was holding the steering wheel with one hand, drifting through a 90 degree curve perfectly with ease. She then looked at the rear view mirror, staring at the manying in the back of her car. He seemed to be heavily affected by the sedative, remaining fast asleep despite the speed and bumps throughout their ride. ¡®Tsk tsk, Francine sure is cruel. How could she give her son such heavy drugs? Isn¡¯t she afraid that it might affect his brain?¡¯ Renee thought to herself, then called the dean of Greenwood Sanatorium, Sebastian Walker. ¡°Mr. Walker, I¡¯m almost there. Sorry for the trouble, we might upy the sanatorium for quite a while.¡± Sebastian, who was on the other end of the line, was warm and friendly. ¡°Hey Ren, why are you being so polite with your old Uncle Walker? I was best friends with your father, you know? And he used to be one of our sanatorium¡¯s shareholders! I¡¯d happily let you stay forever, let alone just a while!¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Uncle Walker.¡± Renee felt reassured by his words. The Greenwood Sanatorium was a hidden, high-end sanatorium within the mountains. It catered exclusively to the privileged, and was not open to the public, which was why many didn¡¯t know of its existence. The ce was abundant with vegetation. It was tranquil and elegant at the same time, with various precious herbs and a high concentration of negative ions. Not only that, it was equipped with the most advanced medical facilities. More importantly, the dean, Sebastian, was a trustworthy person. He supported Renee¡¯s decision unconditionally, risking bankruptcy as he cleared the entire sanatorium to serve Stefan alone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Stefan, we have everything here. I will make sure you get better, no matter what!¡± She stared at the man lovingly, making a promise to him. The car soon arrived at the entrance of the sanatorium, and several vintage buildings appeared before their eyes. Sebastian and his staff had been waiting for their arrival for a while, and with them was Margaret, who quickly rushed over to wee Renee. ¡°Miss Ren, you¡¯re finally here! You have no idea how worried I was the entire time, I didn¡¯t even dare to blink!¡± Margaret said, gasping as soon as she noticed Stefan in the backseat. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, you actually did it! You brought him over all on your own!¡± ¡°Oh, I was just lucky. They were having some internal conflict, and I lucked out with him being unconscious.¡± Renee shrugged, smiling as if she had just won the lottery. ¡°I was initially thinking that it¡¯d be hard to force him out since he¡¯s pretty tall and agile, so I was going to knock him out before taking him away. But coincidentally, Francine ordered a young girl to drug his tea, and I just took the chance¡­¡± ¡°Maybe this is indeed fate. Miss Ren, please follow your heart, I won¡¯t stop you anymore.¡± Margaret sighed deeply, choosing topromise. At first, she didn¡¯t support Renee in saving Stefan at all. After all, the man was a ticking time bomb. Not only would saving him not bring her any good, she might put herself in danger by doing so as well. Hence, she had been persuading Renee to just hand the recipe over to them and to leave them alone. Despite her efforts, seeing how heartbroken and dejected Renee clearly seemed, Margaret¡¯s stance softened, which was how the current situation came to be¡­ Chapter 1048 Chapter 1048 However, Margaret never would have expected everything to turn out so smoothly, with so many coincidences on their side. ¡®I guess it¡¯s their destiny. The gods knew that they still had unresolved fate with each other, and forced the two together in their own mysterious ways.¡¯ Sebastian chimed in warmly. ¡°Ren, I heard about your situation from Margaret, and rest assured that the sanatorium will provide everything you need to help Mr. Hunt recover as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± Renee was so touched that she teared up, and bowed to everyone deeply. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so why don¡¯t you and Mr. Hunt go get some rest for now? We have arranged the west wing suite for you ¨C it has the coziest environment we can provide. Not only can you cook, rest, read freely, you can even take a hot bath under the beautiful night sky while listening to streams of water gushing gently. It is truly a ce for rxation.¡± The vice dean, also known as Sebastian¡¯s wife, Yulia Norris, introduced the ce warmly. ¡°Alright, thanks Mrs. Walker, and sorry for the trouble.¡± Renee looked at the woman gratefully. She used to be her mother¡¯s best friend after all. ¡®If Mom was still alive, she probably would look as peaceful and content as her.¡¯ Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh child, there¡¯s no need to be so polite with me. Go get some rest. We still have a lot of time, so we¡¯ll talk some other day,¡± Yulia replied as she stared at the woman sympathetically. She seemed as if she had a lot to say, but it could only be expressed through a silent hug in the end. Led by the sanatorium staff, Renee passed the exquisite courtyard and arrived at their designated suite. Since the sedative hadn¡¯t worn off, Stefan was naturally still unconscious. Hence, they just gently ced him on therge bed within the suite. Renee scanned her surroundings and noticed the rustic furnishings, along with the abundant greenery. It was indeed as Yulia had described, this was quite afortable environment, one that felt like home. She then opened up the windows, allowing the gentle night breeze to brush through the white curtains. The fresh air felt as if it had been tinted by rain, gently arousing her senses and cleansing her fatigued body and soul. ¡°Phew, that feels great!¡± As she faced the lovely scenery, Renee spread her arms, embracing the nice breeze and rxingpletely. It had been quite a long time since she was able to rest like this. She seldom was able to stop and take in the scenery and the breeze, or merely enjoy a cup of coffee. Time felt as if it had slowed down, as everything around her became slower. After a while, Renee approached the bed. Seeing the man still sleeping soundly made her feel somewhat amused. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too weak, Stefan? It¡¯s just some sedatives, but you¡¯re still sleeping! Hey, don¡¯t tell me you died in your sleep when you survived that fall.¡± Sheid next to him, greedily gazing at his handsome face like an addict. ¡®His face was always so intimidating when he¡¯s awake, so no one ever dares toe near him because of that. But¡­ when he¡¯s asleep, he¡¯s just like a little child. He¡¯s so cute that I can¡¯t help but get close to him. Ugh, what a contradictory existence!¡¯ ¡°You could have just admitted that you¡¯re a weakling, you know? Why did you have to act tough and jump down such a deep river? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re some reckless teenager, but you surely do act like one!¡± The woman continued rambling on while Stefan remained asleep, making one joke after another. ¡°Tsk tsk, it¡¯s a good thing you only hurt your head and limbs. If something happened to your face, I wouldn¡¯t like you anymore. Oh, just look at those perfect features¡­¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but get lost in her own desires, cing her hand on the man¡¯s cheek and caressing him softly. Chapter 1049 Chapter 1049 ¡°Dang, your face is smooth as usual. How can you have better skin than most women? I¡¯m honestly impressed!¡± Renee murmured appreciatively as she touched the man¡¯s face. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Stefan normally would act like a ferocious beast, refusing to allow anyone into his heart. Yet now, he just seemed like a tame little kitten, and wouldn¡¯t fight back no matter how she caressed him. Just as she was getting addicted to it, Stefan suddenly opened his eyes and jumped up, pinning Renee under him in the blink of an eye. His long, slender fingers wrapped around the woman¡¯s neck harshly. As he continued tightening his grip, he growled, ¡°I¡¯m a weakling to you, huh? And you could just shove me into a bag after knocking me out, huh?! You damned woman, how dare you?!¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Renee coughed and choked. Her lovely neck looked rather fragile, as if one could snap it if they used just a little force. The man was using so much of his strength that it was starting to suffocate her. Her face was flushing dark red, and she was unable to utter a single word. Truthfully, her martial skills were more than enough to deal with Stefan, who was heavily injured at the time. However, she did not resist, and was instead quite happy to see the man¡¯s aggressive state since it showed that he was still willing to fight for himself. ¡®As long as he refuses to admit defeat, there is a possibility that he¡¯ll get better!¡¯ ¡°Tell me¡­ What is your purpose?!¡± Stefan demanded an answer coldly as he let go of her, just as she was about to take herst breath. It seemed that he had given up on the idea of murdering the woman. Renee immediately gasped for air, and the redness in her cheeks faded. She then burst into genuine laughter. ¡°See? That¡¯s more like it! Stefan Hunt, the CEO of H Group, the ruler of Beach City, is back!¡± ¡°Are you mad? I almost killed you. Were you not afraid at all?¡± Stefan pulled his brows together, his bright orbs staring at her nkly. His appearance was hauntingly beautiful. He had initially been confused, and the woman¡¯sughing only made him feel more suspicious. ¡°Of course not! Because I know you wouldn¡¯t kill me, and I would never do the same to you. I don¡¯t have any agenda against you.¡± Renee took a deep breath and stared at the man lovingly, hoping she could freeze this moment forever. The warm lighting made his perfectly sculpted face appear much more softer, the few strands of hair hanging in front of his forehead only enhancing his elegance further. Renee slowly reached out and patted his shadow on the wall, pretending it was him. She even tried to ¡®help¡¯ brush his hair back. ¡°That¡¯s why you should tell me what your purpose is.¡± Stefan frowned deeply, still questioning her. He didn¡¯tckmon sense or empathy, so he was able to feel the silent kindness this woman was showing him. If she had truly wanted to kill him, she had many chances to do so throughout the night. Instead, she brought him to a high-end sanatorium, and insisted on curing him. Such ¡®kindness¡¯ was making him feel even more uneasy than the possibility of her wanting to kill him right then and there. After all, people normally wouldn¡¯t do such grand favors for free, and he doubted that she didn¡¯t want anything from him. ¡°Simple, I just want to help you regain your sight, and give you a second chance at a normal life,¡± Renee replied clearly. Chapter 1050 Chapter 1050 This made Stefan feel even more doubtful. ¡°What is our rtionship? Why would you put in so much effort just to treat me? Don¡¯t you know the consequences of transferring me to another ce in secret?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as you can get better.¡± Renee said, determined. She knew that if Seraphina or Francine found out about her actions, she would have to take quite a heavy fall. However, Margaret mentioned that they needed him to be in apletely secluded area if he were to receive proper treatment. With no other choice, she merely decided to improvise. ¡°Hmph, and yet you still refuse to reveal our rtion to each other. No matter how generous and kind you¡¯re being, all of this is just too odd for me to trust you.¡± The only person Stefan could trust right now, was Seraphina. Hence, his tone was frigid when he spoke to Renee. ¡°As long as you send me back to Seraphina¡¯s side, I can consider letting you off.¡± ¡°Sorry, I won¡¯t agree to that.¡± Renee stood up and patted his shoulder with a light smile. ¡°You¡¯re mine now. Now that you¡¯re my prisoner baby, whatever I say, goes. Don¡¯t try to escape or contact anyone. I won¡¯t forgive you if you do that, and you wouldn¡¯t want any punishments, now would you?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan exploded, as no one dared to speak to him in such a cocky manner. ¡®To think¡­ To think she called me a prisoner baby?! I¡¯d rather she end my life than humiliate me like this!¡¯ ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let us perish together!¡± The man snarled and lunged at her. Despite this, he failed tond even a single punch. With no vision and injured limbs, he ended up falling into Renee¡¯s embrace instead. ¡°Pfft, it¡¯s gettingte, baby. It¡¯s not time for you to give yourself to me. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯lle show you some love some other day, okay?¡± Renee tried her best to hold in herughter, patting the man¡¯s head as if he were a small puppy. She then ced a nket over him and continued, ¡°Be good and get some sleep. I¡¯m just in the next room, so if you need anything, just call me!¡± ¡°Renee Everheart! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Stefan shouted hysterically, uncaring of his usual cold and elegant image. He finally realized that he was the epitome of one who had fallen from grace. ¡®What have I ever done to deserve this?!¡¯ The next day, as warm rays of sunlight shone through therge windows, the air was filled with the light fragrance of nature. Renee did some stretching after a good night¡¯s rest, which drastically relieved some stress and exhaustion. ¡®Greenwood Sanatorium sure is one of the top ten best sanatoriums in the world. It really is a great ce to rejuvenate! It¡¯s like all my negative emotions cease to exist just by staying here! Man, it¡¯s not even a stretch to say that my lifespan would increase by ten years if I stayed here for another month!¡¯ The woman then changed into some casual clothes and washed up, preparing to check up on Stefan right after. Technically speaking, she was living in the same suite as Stefan, and their rooms were merely separated by a hollow wall. It was designed specifically for the convenience of caring for the patient, as the caretaker would be able to keep their distance while being close enough to hear the patient¡¯s immediate condition.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Are you up, my little prisoner baby?¡± She teased as she entered Stefan¡¯s room, only to be absolutely stunned. Therge room was empty, and the man was nowhere to be found! Chapter 1051 Chapter 1051 Anxiousness creeped into Renee¡¯s heart instantly. ¡®This is weird, it¡¯s so early in the morning, and that guy is in an unfamiliar ce! Besides, he¡¯s blind, so where could he have run off to?!¡¯ She swung the door open as she intended to look for the man, bumping right into the vice dean. ¡°Good morning, Ren. You¡¯re up early. Did you have a good rest?¡± Yulia asked with a gentle smile. She then pointed towards the employee behind her, who was pushing a white cart. ¡°I had the dietary department make some nutritious breakfast ording to both of your physical conditions. Quick, have a taste.¡± Renee, unfortunately, was in no mood for this, her expression sorrowful. ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Walker, but I have a bigger issue to deal with now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic. What is the problem? Can I help?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee seemed conlifted, uncertain if she should tell the truth. After all, it was embarrassing to admit that she couldn¡¯t keep an eye on a seriously injured, blind man. It was no different from admitting to her sheer ipetence. Yulia could tell that Renee was in a tough spot,forting her. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t tell me, but¡­ just remember to treat this ce like your home. The sanatorium is willing to be at yourmand, we will do everything we can to help.¡± The old woman¡¯s sincerity helped ease Renee¡¯s doubts. She let out a dry cough and whispered, ¡°Umm¡­ Have any of you seen Stefan?¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t Mr. Hunt been with you the entire time?¡± ¡°When I woke up this morning, I saw that he wasn¡¯t in his room. I don¡¯t even know when he ran out!¡± Renee pouted as she huffed. ¡°Can you believe that guy? He¡¯s injured and blind for crying out loud, but he¡¯s still trying to escape! Does he have a death wish or something?!¡± ¡°Calm down, Ren. Public areas within our sanatorium have surveince cameras, so we¡¯ll be able to find out where he¡¯s gone after checking the footage. He should still be nearby,¡± Yulia consoled and quickly found security to dig out their surveince history fromst night. The cameras had captured Stefan making his way out of his room at around 3 AM. He stumbled into many things, but was somehow still able to find an exit out of the west wing. ¡°Mr. Hunt sure is determined. He fell so many times, but refused to give up. If this were anyone else, they¡¯d be bawling their eyes out and asking for help.¡± Yulia couldn¡¯t help but gasp in awe as she continued watching. ¡°I¡¯d say he lost his will to live, he¡¯s not driven by determination at all!¡± Renee red at the stubborn man, wishing she could punch him through the screen. ¡®Damn it! Does he miss Seraphina so much that he has to get back to her right away? He¡¯s still going on even though he¡¯s risking falling to his death!¡¯ They continued watching the footage, and noticed that Stefan walked around for a while after exiting the suite. He was able to find his way out of the sanatorium, and chose to go down a narrow winding path, heading straight towards the deepest ends of the forest. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Soon enough, he was out of the camera¡¯s field of vision. ¡°No! Mr. Hunt is heading straight towards Dragonmount!¡± One of the security guards shrieked all of a sudden. ¡°Dragonmount?¡± Renee seemed confused. ¡°Dragonmount is the most dangerous area within the forest, as it is infested with venomous snakes and savage beasts! We normally wouldn¡¯t even allow the average person to enter, and Mr. Hunt is an injured blind man¡­ If he¡¯s been gone for so long, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± The guard gulped, not daring to say anything further. Chapter 1052 Chapter 1052 Yulia shot the guard a dirty re andforted Renee once more. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our sanatorium hires professional forest rangers to clear out Dragonmount regrly. There shouldn¡¯t be that big of an issue, so I¡¯m sure we can find him.¡± ¡°I know, and he¡¯s not an average person either. He¡¯s going to be safe.¡± Renee took a deep breath, her gorgeous facecking emotion. ¡°Mrs. Walker, you can head back for now, I¡¯ll go look for him.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Yulia refused immediately. ¡°Dragonmount is aplicated area, there are just too many dangers out there, with dark pits and ponds, and asional sightings of wild boars and wolves too! You have no experience in dealing with that, so let¡¯s just have a forest ranger look for him instead.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say there shouldn¡¯t be that big of an issue, and that you¡¯re sure we can find him?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yulia seemed awkward. She wasn¡¯t exactly lying when she said finding him wouldn¡¯t be an issue, it¡¯s just that they would likely find him¡­ dead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Walker, I¡¯m a tough girl, I¡¯ve been through worse. You have nothing to worry about.¡± Renee said, ignoring Yulia¡¯s protests and left for Dragonmount alone. Passing through the crooked muddy roads into the narrow mountain valleys, the only sounds she heard were the rivers flowing lightly, asionally partnered with the calls of wild animals. It was indeed rather frightening. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®That guard really wasn¡¯t exaggerating things, Dragonmount is way too dangerous. No normal person would be able to handle it at all. And Stefan is blind¡­ He would have died long ago¡­ Heck, some tiger might be chewing on his bones right this minute!¡¯ ¡°No, no way, Stefan isn¡¯t just an average guy, he¡¯ll be fine!¡± Renee held her breath anxiously, forcing herself to stop overthinking. ¡®As long as I don¡¯t see any blood trails or bones, that means the situation isn¡¯t as bad as I think. He must still be alive!¡¯ With her sharp observation skills, the woman had been searching far and wide for any trace of the man. Throughout the entire journey, she could see footprints within the wet mud, and they were no doubt left by Stefan. Hence, she figured that she could find him as long as she just followed those footprints. However, after about a few miles deep into the forest, the footprints disappeared out of nowhere. Moreover, there was a clear sign that something heavy had been dragged away, apanied by a faint trail of blood. Seeing this, Renee¡¯s heart sank from the shock. Clenching her fists tightly, she followed the bloody trail, only to be met with the worst scenario possible, leaving herpletely frozen. There was arge ck bear chomping down on something. It was just a pile of gory flesh at this point, with its bones and organs exposed. ¡®I-Is that Stefan?!¡¯ Stumbling backwards slightly, Renee lunged at the bear without thinking. She yelled hysterically, ¡°Get lost, you damn bear! How dare you attack my man?! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± If this were a movie scene, many within the audience would judge Renee¡¯s rash decision behind the screen. That was because she was currently up against a 7-foot bear that could kill her with just one p from its paw, especially when she wasn¡¯t armed. It was no different from a death wish, but it was true that Renee no longer felt the will to go on living after seeing it¡­ Chapter 1053 Chapter 1053 Therge bear was enjoying its meal at the time. However, hearing some noiseing from behind it, it paused and turned to look at the woman. Its mouth and fur were drenched in blood, and it was holding onto a piece of bone, with a few smaller pieces of flesh still attached to it. ¡°Ah!¡± Renee broke down right there and then. ¡®That¡­ That¡¯s Stefan¡¯s bone¡­ Stefan¡¯s flesh¡­ And it¡¯s right in front of me!¡¯ Roar! The bear howled at Renee, and the woman was unsure if it was excited, or trying to provoke her. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you! I¡¯ll shred you to pieces!¡± Renee shrieked as she attacked the bear¡¯s head with a spin kick. Despite her petite figure, she was a very agile and strong person, and immediately sent the ck bear stumbling backwards. The bear had never met such a bold person and was frozen in ce. The bone in its hands was no longer as appealing now. It just stared at Renee nkly, as if it was trying to ask: ¡°What the hell is wrong with this woman?!¡± ¡°What are you looking at?! You ate my husband, so why are you ying the victim here? How would you feel if I made your wife into stew?!¡± The wife of the bear would certainly find this ordeal ridiculous as well, if it were here. Renee was so sad that she sobbed while punching the bear maniacally. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, puke him out right now! I¡¯ll cut your stomach open if I have to! Don¡¯t you know how important he is to me?! How could you eat him? Are the deers and boars not enough for you here?! Their meat is clearly more tender, so why did you have to eat him?! It was such a cruel way too ¨C you didn¡¯t even leave his bones alone!¡± If any deer or boar were here to witness this, they would be speechless. Roar! Roar! The bear could no longer endure Renee¡¯s ramblings and started growling at her, revealing its sharp teeth. It swung itsrge paw towards her head. Renee wasn¡¯t powerless either. As the number one bounty hunter, she was able to dodge the bear and retaliate once more. Shended several harsh punches and kicks to its face, as if they werepeting against each other in a fighting ring. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. However, humans and beasts were still rather anatomically different. After a few moments, Renee was starting to feel tired. Her face was flushed bright red, and her hair was covered in sweat. Even so, she didn¡¯t want to admit defeat just yet. She had to seek revenge for Stefan. Roar! The bear angrily bared its teeth, digging its ws into the ground and lunging towards Renee with malicious intent. Unable to counter in time, the woman ended up falling to the ground with the bear standing on her shoulders. It roared once more, causing its disgusting saliva to drip onto her face. Just as it was about to bite down on her neck¡­ Renee was silent. She closed her eyes and thought, ¡®Well, this is it, I guess. At least I get to meet Stefan in this bear¡¯s stomachter.¡¯ After that, she heard a few loud gunshots, and the expected bite never came. Moreover, the weight on her shoulders disappeared instead. ¡°What¡­ happened?¡± Renee carefully opened her eyes, noticing that the ferocious ck bear was now laying next to her, unmoving. Its head and back were filled with gunshot wounds, with warm blood forming a pool around its corpse. ¡°I think¡­ you¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± A familiar voice came from above her, clearly teasing. Chapter 1054 Chapter 1054 Renee looked towards the direction of the voice. Even though she just caught her breath, she leaped up and hugged the man tightly. ¡°Stefan! But¡­ weren¡¯t you torn to shreds?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you wish me some good?¡± Although Stefan seemed disdainful, he allowed the woman to hug him. Renee shook her head, still in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ Were you the one who shot the bear?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Stefan was indeed holding a hunting rifle, with wisps of white smoke still coming out of the muzzle. It was clear that he was, in fact, the one who opened fire. His aim had always been quite urate. Even though he hadn¡¯t been training for a long time, he was still able to hit a bullseye with a blindfold on. All he needed was sound to dictate which direction he had to shoot in. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, and almost as amazing as me! If the bounty hunter organization knew about you, they¡¯d definitely spend millions just to hire you!¡± Renee rejoiced excitedly, looking at the man with more admiration than before. She thought the man would have turned into a harmless infant after losing his sight, but he was still able to shoot a bear regardless. ¡®He¡¯s still quite cruel and capable!¡¯ While the woman was still immersed in the joy of finding what she lost, she was still rather confused. ¡°But¡­ you walked around for an entire night. What happened? Where did you get a gun? And who died under that bear?¡± ¡°I just so happened to find this gun. And as for the person who was attacked by the ck bear, that night be the owner of this gun,¡± Stefan replied calmly. ¡°You managed your way through all that? Damn, you really are a lucky one! You¡¯re no ordinary person at all!¡± Renee eximed again. ¡®Stefan truly is a toughie! He¡¯s tougher than cement! Besides, he¡¯s so calm and collected. Escaping through a dangerous ce with no vision, surrounded by wild animals, and he¡¯s not fazed at all! It¡¯s like a walk in the park for him. I¡¯m absolutely impressed!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re not that bad either. A woman,ing to such a dangerous zone and beating up a bear with her bare hands? Looks like I got to know you a little more.¡± Stefan smiled softly. ¡°Umm, well¡­¡± Renee felt extremely embarrassed, and asked, ¡°When did you notice me? You¡­ You probably didn¡¯t hear anything, right?¡± Thinking back to how she lost her cool earlier, she just wanted to dig a hole and hide herself like an ostrich. ¡°From when you were crying over my death.¡± Stefan answered truthfully without any hesitation. Renee gasped and thought. ¡®Oh god, that means he heard everything I said! Someone please just end me now, I can¡¯t live on knowing I embarrassed myself this much!¡¯ Stefan seemed to be in quite a good mood. He turned to Renee curiously, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to love me that much. You were willing to eat that bear¡¯s wife just to take revenge for me. You¡¯re pretty extreme.¡± Renee scowled. ¡°You ungrateful twat! You think it¡¯s funny that I went mad, don¡¯t you? Were you hoping that I would die?¡± ¡°At first, I really didn¡¯t care if you survived or not. If anything, I did wish you¡¯d be devoured alive by that bear, then I¡¯d be free¡­¡± Stefan didn¡¯t hide his cruel ideas. ¡°Really now? Then you sure are a free spirit, Mr. Hunt!¡± Renee bit down on her lip, trying her best to act nonchnt. She knew she shouldn¡¯t be upset. After all, Stefan currently viewed her as some madwoman who kidnapped him from the love of his life. Hence, it was only natural that he wanted her dead. However, she just couldn¡¯t help feeling sad regardless.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1055 Chapter 1055 ¡°But¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s cold voice echoed through the silent woods, striking her heart. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Renee looked back at the man, her lonely gaze glinting with anticipation. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to stay,¡± Stefan replied. ¡°Really?¡± The woman beamed, her eyes sparkling with joy. ¡°You¡¯ve finally decided not to run away? You¡¯ve finally realized that you can¡¯t, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was stered with natural confidence. ¡°I can leave as long as I want to, none of you will be able to find me.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee burst intoughter. ¡®Just look at him! Even with his current state, he¡¯s still the stubborn man I know.¡¯ ¡°Yeah yeah, you¡¯re the strongest guy out there. You even chose the most dangerous path in these woods because you wanted a difficult challenge, I¡¯m sure. If you¡¯re so great, let¡¯s make a bet then. If you can find your way out of Dragonmount, I¡¯ll send you back to Seraphina. You¡¯ll be free.¡± Stefan raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, but if you don¡¯t dare to, don¡¯t push yourself either. Just be good and stay here as my prisoner baby. I won¡¯t mistreat you.¡± The woman teased, pinching the man¡¯s cheeks boldly as if she was talking to a child. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start.¡± Stefan lifted his head and took a deep breath, as if he was trying to picture his surroundings. After that, he slung the rifle over his shoulder and walked in the opposite direction. ¡°Hey, hey! No, wait¡­ You were serious about that?¡± Renee asked, thinking he would have admitted defeat right then. She never would¡¯ve expected him to ept the challenge. ¡®This man is just sopetitive!¡¯ Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you know where this is? This is Dragonmount, the most dangerous area within this forest! Even if there weren¡¯t any wild animals around, theplicated terrain is enough to put your life at risk! If you¡¯re not careful, you might end up falling into a deep pit! That¡¯s quite enough, okay? Why are you trying to act tough?¡± Stefan was rather determined, having walked quite some distance already. He ¡°Sorry, I never y games, I always mean what I say.¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯d better not regret this!¡± Renee was infuriated by the man¡¯s obstinate attitude. ¡®Why is he putting in so much effort just to escape me and see Seraphina? I¡¯d like to see how long this egotistical man canst!¡¯ With that, the two walked silently, one in front of the other, leaving around 30 feet between themselves. Renee¡¯s entire body was tense the entire journey. She was furious, and afraid for his safety at the same time. However, she noticed how clever the man was, as he walked along the cliffs, effectively avoiding any dangerous pits. Moreover, his sense of direction was incredibly strong. Every step he took was indeed the way back to the sanatorium. ¡®This man¡­ Why do I feel like I¡¯m going to lose? He¡¯s blind and in such a dangerous ce! How can he navigate around so well, as if he were walking on tnd? Could it be that¡­ his vision was restored long ago? Has he been toying with me the entire time?!¡¯ Deep in her thoughts, Renee felt even more suspicious of the man¡¯s behavior. She immediately sped up and caught up to him, spreading her arms to block his way. Stefan felt something appearing before him and halted. ¡°What is it? Are you going to admit defeat?¡± ¡°You¡¯re toying with me, aren¡¯t you Stefan Hunt? You¡¯ve been able to see all this time, right?¡± Renee questioned with a sharp gaze. Chapter 1056 Chapter 1056 The man¡¯s expression stiffened. His gorgeous eyes still remained unfocused as he replied, ¡°I wish.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Renee felt rather helpless after noticing his pitiful appearance. She waved her hand slowly in front of his face. ¡°Can you really not see?¡± ¡°I have no reason nor interest in pretending to be a blind man,¡± Stefan responded coldly, his elegant face stered with visible pain. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, you¡¯re just way too smart. I couldn¡¯t help but doubt you. I¡­ I¡¯m such an idiot!¡± Renee gave herself a couple of light ps out of guilt. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Stefan was quite a prideful man. He was already feeling quite depressed because of his disability, and yet he was being doubted for it regardless¡­ ¡®This was no different than trampling all over his insecurities. I¡¯m such a disgusting person!¡¯ Stefan maintained an expressionless face, still facing forward as he spoke dismissively, ¡°So are we continuing the bet?¡± Renee bit on her lip, feeling rather uneasy. ¡°Only if you want to.¡± ¡°Then please step aside.¡± Stefan signaled, as if he had his heart set on leaving the gorge all on his own. Renee was silent as she lowered her head helplessly, walking behind him once again. Since the two were unbelievably headstrong, neither of them wanted to call it quits. In the end, Stefan was able to safely exit Dragonmount relying on only his senses and strength. At the same time, they bumped into arge rescue team, who all wore disbelief all over their faces. ¡°Mr. Hunt, Miss Everheart, you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°Oh my god, how is this possible? Even professional forest rangers like us need to work in pairs, and we¡¯re always armed on every trip down the gorge too! How did you two do it?¡± ¡°Umm, well¡­ It¡¯s a littleplicated.¡± Renee felt quite awkward when faced with the barrage of questions. She had no idea how Stefan did it either, and she was waiting for him to exin himself too. ¡°You lost.¡± However, Stefan ignored everyone else and halted, turning around to face Renee. ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± Renee smiled sadly. ¡°I admit defeat, and I¡¯ll keep my end of the deal.¡± She knew that if he was determined to return to Seraphina¡¯s side, this wouldn¡¯t be thest time he tried to run away. He might have been lucky enough to havee out alive this time, but there was no guarantee that it¡¯d be the same on his next attempt. She didn¡¯t wish to put his life at risk anymore. She only ever wanted to help him after all. ¡°Sir, please have someone take him back to Seraphina Murphy.¡± Renee made a simple request to the head of security after thinking things through. ¡°Huh¡­ Wasn¡¯t Mr. Hunt admitted here just yesterday? Why is he leaving now? Greenwood Sanatorium is one of the best sanatoriums in the world! There¡¯s no better ce for him to rejuvenate.¡± The guard expressed confusion. ¡°Maybe to him, being with his beloved is much more helpful than any sanatorium out there. So¡­ I¡¯ll fulfill his wish,¡± Renee replied, her words stinging her heart with a deep pain only she knew. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll arrange the vehicle then.¡± The guard noticed her sadness, looking at her with a sympathetic gaze. At that moment, Stefan scowled after having been silent the whole time. ¡°Who told you I was leaving?¡± Chapter 1057 Chapter 1057 Renee turned to the man, clearly confused. ¡°Weren¡¯t you risking your life just to leave? Why the sudden change of heart?¡± ¡°I just wanted to show you that none of you could stop me if I tried to leave. So, if I do stay, it would be of my own volition,¡± Stefan replied arrogantly. ¡°But¡­ why?¡± Renee still couldn¡¯t understand. However, she now believed that Stefan was telling the truth, he did in fact have the ability to escape this ce. ¡®But wasn¡¯t he missing Seraphina? Why is he so willing to stay now? This makes no sense!¡¯ ¡°You mentioned that I risked my life to leave, but you risked your life to save me as well. That shows that we aren¡¯t just hospital buddies as you said¡­¡± Stefan paused, then continued. ¡°I want to know what kind of past rtionship we had to have warranted your desperate efforts.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had lost parts of memories, but he could tell that this ¡®Renee Everheart¡¯ had yed an important role in his life. Otherwise, her existence alone wouldn¡¯t have been such an ufortable topic to Seraphina, and even his mother. Since everyone else wasn¡¯t willing to tell him the truth, he had no choice but to look for answers himself. Renee froze. After a moment of silence, she spoke up softly. ¡°If you¡¯d really like to know, then cooperate with us on your recovery. Once you regain your sight, you¡¯ll be able to see my face. Maybe then you¡¯d remember who I am.¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± Stefan said, disying a genuine smile he hadn¡¯t shown since losing his sight. ¡°I look forward to that day.¡± Renee didn¡¯t reply, mixed emotions stirred with her chest as she thought, ¡®Maybe¡­ when you do see me, you¡¯ll realize how unworthy I am of being in your life!¡¯ When Stefan returned to the sanatorium, he no longer disobeyed orders. Hence, Margaret conducted a full body check up on him, only to leave her shaking her head and sighing repeatedly. Renee felt rather anxious as she stood nearby. She was worried that this might give Stefan unnecessary pressure, and requested Margaret to step outside for a moment. ¡°Margaret, how is he now? Is it possible for him to ever see again?¡± Margaret seemed troubled. She wanted to say something, but stopped herself. After some struggling, she finally exined, ¡°Miss Ren, I¡¯ll be honest with you. His sight isn¡¯t the biggest issue here. His pulse indicates that his condition is worsening, especially his brain. He might have suffered severe trauma, which led to the blood clot in his brain. We should first think of ways to nurse him back to health, or else he¡­¡± Margaret couldn¡¯t bring herself to exin further. Her diagnosis was simr to La¡¯s, in that Stefan was in quite a bad condition. She even made sure to spare Renee the horrific details. ¡°Severe trauma? Blood clot? Then¡­ Can we still save him?¡± Renee turned pale, panicking since she merely thought Stefan sustained external wounds. She had always believed that his constitution was fine, and didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be so severe. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s a good thing you brought him here in time. We¡¯re not toote yet. My father, who I severed ties with, was an expert in curing blood stasis. I learned some skills from him back then, so we should let him try some medicinal tea for now.¡± ¡°Once his brain has healed, his eyes might even recover along with it.¡± Margaret patted her on the shoulder, consoling the woman gently. ¡°That¡¯d be great!¡± Renee sighed in relief. She was secretly happy that she was shameless enough to have kidnapped him in time. Otherwise, healing him would have be mere wishful thinking. ¡°But¡­ There is still a small issue¡­¡± Margaret seemed reluctant to speak again. Chapter 1058 Chapter 1058 ¡°Ohe on, Margaret, spill everything out at once! You¡¯re giving me a heart attack here!¡± Renee felt her chest tightening as she nervously turned to the old woman once more. ¡°My father may have been a great doctor, but he has rather odd ways. The recipes he concurred up on his own aren¡¯t epted within us traditional doctors. That¡¯s why I was hesitant in using his methods¡­¡± Margaret furrowed her eyebrows, visibly perturbed. ¡°What is it? What do you mean odd? Tell me.¡± ¡°All my father¡¯s recipes require a special ingredient¡­¡± Margaret then whispered into Renee¡¯s ear, revealing the ingredient to her. Renee remained silent for a short while, then responded, ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you need any, then go ahead. I can provide you with it.¡± ¡°But it¡¯d be harmful to you. Is that heartless man really worth it?¡± ¡°He became this way because of me. I¡¯m even willing to sacrifice my life for him, let alone this special ingredient.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand, you don¡¯t want to owe him anything.¡± As the two came to an agreement, they turned all their focus onto nursing Stefan¡¯s body. Stefan was oddly ¡®obedient¡¯ as well, as he consumed every single dish Renee gave. After about a week, the injuries on his body had healed rather quickly. Moreover, when Margaret checked his pulse the second time, she no longer looked as solemn as she did before, and grinned happily. ¡°Mr. Hunt¡¯s pulse has finally stabilized, and his blood cirction has improved drastically. Just two more treatments and we¡¯ll be able to focus on curing his eyes.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes lit up, rejoicing. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! Our efforts didn¡¯t go to waste!¡± Her voice was soft, as she was obviously quite frail. Her face was as white as a sheet, and there were dark circles around her eyes. Despite all that, her genuine smile was still quite a beautiful sight to behold. Seeing her state, Margaret felt heartbroken. ¡°Miss Ren, let¡¯s stop using the special ingredient for the next few doses of medicine. Your life might be in danger.¡± She was starting to regret using her father¡¯s methods. It did help cure the patient at a rapid pace, but¡­ the person providing the special ingredient had to suffer instead. ¡°If the medicine is working great, then keep using it, or else we¡¯re just going to lose all the progress we made!¡± Renee smiled as she turned to the man¡¯s room. ¡°Like you said, I didn¡¯t want to owe him anything. This is my karma, so the more I have to give, the better I can forgive myself.¡± ¡°Oh and¡­ you must keep this secret ingredient thing just between us. Don¡¯t let him find out, okay?¡± ¡°Miss Ren, you may excel in everything, but you¡¯re too much of a hopeless romantic. He doesn¡¯t even remember you now. Even if you do cure him, you¡¯ll just have to watch him marry Miss Murphyter on. It¡¯s simply foolish¡­¡± ¡°Well, you know what they say, ignorance is bliss!¡± Renee smiled optimistically. Stefan¡¯s health started improving day by day, and he was slowly growing morefortable with Renee as well. At the time, the two were enjoying the fresh air in the garden behind the sanatorium. The pavilions and terraces surrounding them made the atmosphere seem quite picturesque. However, it was a shame that Stefan couldn¡¯t see anything, no matter how beautiful the scenery was. On the other hand, Renee was lost in her thoughts as she silently gazed at the blooming azaleas. She even found breathing rather exhausting at this point. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting a little strangetely.¡± Stefan, who wasn¡¯t usually all that talkative, suddenly spoke up. Renee snapped back to reality and took a deep breath, trying her best to sound energetic. ¡°How so?¡± Chapter 1059 Chapter 1059 ¡°You¡¯ve been rather quiettely, like you¡¯ve be a properdy,¡± Stefan teased lightly. Although he had not spent much time with the woman, her incessant chattering had long made an impression on him. However, for the past few days, she had been unusually quiet. Most times, they merely sat together in silence, not saying a word to each other. Her voice was starting to sound quite weak as well, as if she were a willow in the breeze. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®This is odd. Almost too odd!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s because I am a properdy,¡± Renee replied, her voice exceedingly soft. ¡°Mmm, a properdy who knows how to fight a bear. Now I¡¯m really curious as to what you look like.¡± Stefan smirked, his expression stered with a hint of affection that he himself didn¡¯t realize just yet. For some reason, despite having no memories of her, the days he spent with her became rather natural, as if they had known each other for a long time. Suchfort and ease made him feel happier than when he was with Seraphina. If he had stayed initially to find answers, he was now staying with her for absolutely no reason. He simply wanted to follow his heart now. ¡°Soon, you¡¯ll be able to see what I look like.¡± Renee stared at the man, who looked much more lively now, and her heart filled with hope. ¡®This is nice, that confident and dignified man is back.¡¯ She was especially happy to see the loneliness and despair fade from his eyes. As the warm sunlight enveloped the two, and as the clouds drifted by lightly, they had already spent half their day away. Suddenly, the woman¡¯s eyelids grew heavy. She didn¡¯t think much of it, and figured she just hadn¡¯t slept wellst night. ¡°I¡¯m going to make some coffee, would you like some?¡± Renee stood up from her chair and asked. ¡°If you¡¯re brewing some yourself, I¡¯d like to have a taste.¡± The man seemed more than willing to try, acting as if they were rather close to each other. In fact, he even listed a bunch of requests. ¡°I¡¯m actually quite picky. It¡¯s best if the coffee isn¡¯t hotter than 58 degrees celsius, and I only want two teaspoons of sugar. It should be hand-ground as well, so that it maintains its original vor¡­¡± ¡°Sure, hold on.¡± Renee responded, somehow listening to the man¡¯s words with a level of patience she had never shown in the past. She thought to herself with a smile. ¡®Oh Stefan, you¡¯re still as difficult as ever!¡¯ However, despite not having many culinary talents, after being his wife for so many years, her coffee brewing skills were absolutely unmatched. Besides that, she had always made coffee with the same type of coffee beans, the same temperature, amount of sugar and coarseness in the way he liked. Hence, she was confident that he would be impressed by her coffee once again. As she arrived at the kitchen in the west wing, Renee took out a small jar of coffee beans from the drawer. After that, she opened the lid to the coffee grinder and ced some beans inside, grinding them thoroughly. Unlike an automated machine, this was a manual wooden coffee grinder. Grinding even a single bean would require a lot of strength, but the powder it produced would best preserve the ¡®original vor¡¯ that Stefan was especially fond of. Bzz bzz bzz¡­ Chapter 1060 Chapter 1060 As she continued grinding the coffee bit by bit, Renee felt satisfied, but also frowned deeply due to the pain in her wrist. Just then, footsteps could be heard behind her. It was Yulia, and she screamed as soon as she noticed the wounds on Renee¡¯s wrist. ¡°Ren, what are you doing? Just look at your hands! Let the staff do this for you!¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright, Mrs. Walker, I¡¯m not that fragile.¡± Renee smiled weakly and proceeded. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. You¡¯re already bleeding through the gauze! Do you not cherish your own life?¡± Despite her usual gentleness, Yulia couldn¡¯t help but feel angered by Renee¡¯s recklessness. She then snatched the grinder out of her hands and sighed. ¡°Oh child, you¡¯re just so foolish. How could you use your own blood for his medicine? If your mother knew that you hurt yourself over a man, she would be devastated!¡± ¡°She won¡¯t,¡± Renee replied softly. ¡°I believe Mom would use her own blood if she knew Dad needed it to survive. And you would too, if Mr. Walker needed it, right?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Yulia couldn¡¯t retort, but still shed her a concerned frown. ¡°If you really need human blood as an ingredient, our sanatorium¡¯s blood bank has more than enough. You could have told me sooner! Why did you have to use your own? Now that you risked your own health, how could we possibly face your parents in the afterlife?¡± ¡°Mrs. Walker, I understand your concerns. But the medicine requires blood from a person who genuinely loves the patient to take effect, not just anyone¡¯s blood. And as you can see, it does work very well, so I don¡¯t regret my decision at all. In fact, I¡¯m very happy about this.¡± Renee had always felt like she wronged Stefan in many ways. Hence, being able to use her blood in his cure, was quite an achievement for her. In a way, it had also proved that she still loved him deeply within her soul, or else the medicine wouldn¡¯t have been so effective. Yuia, however, scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t try to trick me, Ren, I graduated from the world¡¯s most prestigious medical school as well. And I have never heard of such an odd cure. If you ask me, this is nothing but superstition that specifically targets innocent girls like you.¡± ¡°Well, whatever it is, it works.¡± Renee didn¡¯t want to argue, so she tried to take the grinder back from Yulia so that she could continue. For the medicine, they had to collect blood from her wrist. Every single time they needed more, they had to cut the wounds back open, then bandage them back up. Having done this many times, she felt like she was about to lose the motor skills in her hands soon enough. Making coffee usually wasn¡¯t so difficult, as she was in a lot of pain. ¡°You¡¯re still going at it? Can¡¯t you see your wounds have torn open!?¡± Yulia was adamant in stopping her. ¡°I¡¯ll help you do it. Grinding coffee beans isn¡¯t a task required from someone who genuinely loves him now, is it?¡± Renee gently rubbed her aching wrists and nodded. ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Walker.¡± Even though she was the vice dean of the sanatorium, Yulia was patient enough to grind up these rough beans, so much so that she was starting to sweat. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. The two women soon engaged in idle chit chat. Renee abruptly remembered something and asked, ¡°Mrs. Walker, you were my mother¡¯s best friend, so¡­ you should know about my brother, right?¡± Yulia froze upon hearing this, and visibly panicked. ¡°Oh child, why are you asking this all of a sudden? You¡­ You did have a brother, but he was a stillborn. That¡¯s why your parents hid it from the public, including you as well. How did you find out about this?¡± ¡°So that means you knew about my mother having twins, and that I have a brother, right?¡± Renee seemed excited and continued questioning her. ¡°Then do you know what happened back then? Who was the damned culprit who wouldn¡¯t even show mercy to a newborn?¡± Chapter 1061 Chapter 1061 ¡°That year¡­¡± Yulia hesitated, looking reluctant to bring up the incident. ¡°It happened ages ago, so let¡¯s not talk about it. The most important thing is that we should live in the moment.¡± ¡°No!¡± Renee shook her head and clenched her fists tightly. Looking pained, she said determinedly, ¡°The Everheart family used to be the head of The Great Eight of Beach City, but we were nearly taken out. Our family went through such pain, and I always wanted to take revenge for my parents, but Grandpa made me vow not to take revenge before he passed away. So, Iid low and didn¡¯t do anything about it, but it didn¡¯t change anything. I always had nightmares of my parents falling down the stairs, bloody and mutted, for years. When I think about how my enemies are still living freely while my parents died so cruelly, I get so upset that I can¡¯t sleep all night. To make it worse, my brother went through hell after being kidnapped. That¡¯s why I have to uncover the truth and take revenge for my family. I¡¯m sure that the people who kidnapped my brother are the same ones who killed our parents!¡± These incidents had weighed on Renee¡¯s mind for many years. Though she looked carefree and happy, that pain haunted her everyday like a shadow that never left. After she reunited with Quinton and learned about his painful past, her desire to take revenge only intensified. ¡°At first, I nned to find the murderer with my brother and take revenge for the Everheart family so my parents could rest in peace. However, it was dyed after Stefan¡¯s incident. Now that he¡¯s getting better, I should get back to business too¡­¡± Renee said softly, then grabbed Yulia¡¯s hand and said solemnly, ¡°Mrs. Walker, I know what I¡¯m doing, so there¡¯s no use trying to persuade me. I¡¯ve made up my mind. I just hope you can tell me whatever you know so I can avenge my parents.¡± ¡°Ah, you certainly take after your mother. You¡¯re just as stubborn as she was.¡± Yulia sighed deeply, knowing that she could no longer keep everything a secret. ¡°Back then, the Everheart family was outstanding and headed The Great Eight of Beach City. Naturally, your families had countless enemies, so your mother¡¯s pregnancy was kept a secret, and only a trusted few like us knew about it. When your mother gave birth to a pair of twins of mixed genders, we announced to the public that she only gaveContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org. birth to a daughter, but unfortunately, the truth was exposed and your brother was kidnapped. To be honest, we initially thought that it had been done by an acquaintance.¡± ¡°An acquaintance?¡± Renee looked surprised. ¡°Yes. After all, who else would have known which hospital your mother was giving birth at, and that you had a brother?¡± ¡°What happened in the end? Did they find out who kidnapped my brother?¡± Renee asked impatiently. Yulia shook her head. ¡°Everyone thought that your brother was dead. Back then, the Everheart family had countless enemies but was on good terms with the Hunts. Both the Everhearts and Hunts used a lot of manpower and resources to find the kidnapper, and eventually, it was the Hunt family who found your brother¡¯s body and gained some clues¡­¡± ¡°What kind of clues?¡± ¡°The Hunt family caught the kidnapper, and after interrogating him, they found that he belonged to the Baldwin family. So, the Everheart family went to the Baldwin family to demand an exnation, but the Baldwin family refused to admit that they did it. They imed that the person who was caught was a traitor and had betrayed them for the Hunts. The Everhearts and the Hunts held a deep grudge against the Baldwin family after that, and the incident became an unsolvable case. No one knew the truth, so it ended with the traitor being killed.¡± ¡°So, both the Hunts and Baldwins were involved¡­¡± Renee looked like she was deep in thought. ¡°The only person who knew the truth was a traitor, but he was killed. So, now there¡¯s no evidence to prove otherwise.¡± ¡°Yes, so you¡¯d better not investigate this affair. If you dig any deeper, it may affect your rtionship with Mr. Hunt,¡± Yulia said helplessly. ¡°The Everhearts and the Hunts became distant after that incident, and after many years, the Everheart family grew deste. On the contrary, the Hunt family grew stronger, and soon reced the Everheart family as the new head of The Great Eight of Beach City during Tristan and Stefan¡¯s time. On the other hand, the Everheart family went bankrupt. It was such a terrible ending!¡± Renee frowned contemtively. ¡°Now, it seems like the Hunt family is the most suspicious.¡± Chapter 1062 Chapter 1062 There was a shrewd gleam in Renee¡¯s eyes, and it was obvious her mind was racing to make sense of all the information Yulia had given her. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. Both the Hunt and Everheart families were developing in Beach City and both families always helped each other. There weren¡¯t any big conflicts of interest. Even if they became distant because of your brother¡¯s incident, they never meddled in each other¡¯s business. I think that the Hunt family¡¯s rapid development was mainly caused by their own efforts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Renee¡¯s gaze softened. ¡°After all, the Hunt family were the only ones who helped my family when they went bankrupt that year. Besides, Grandpa arranged a marriage between Stefan and I because he believed that the Hunt family were the only ones who could truly take care of me. If they really were my parents¡¯ murderers, Grandpa would have never let me marry into the family.¡± Renee did suspect the Hunt family that year, but she quickly eliminated that option because of Stefan¡¯s grandfather. She chose to trust the Hunt family unconditionally. ¡°So, forget about it. Stop dwelling on it. You¡¯re having a very good life now, so there¡¯s no need to keep bringing up the past. We should look ahead instead¡­¡± Yulia knew that she couldn¡¯t change Renee¡¯s mind, but it didn¡¯t stop her from trying. Sometimes the truth was a double-edged sword ¨C though it could provide rity, it could also bring one grief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Renee forced a smile onto her face. She had to prepare herself to ept the truth, regardless of the consequences. The coffee beans were almost ground. Renee meticulously brewed a cup of coffee for Stefan based on the temperature, richness, and sweetness that Stefan was used to. Stefan was sitting in the garden. He was tapping his foot on the ground, seemingly impatient. When he heard footsteps behind him, he heaved a sigh of relief as if he was a child waiting for school to end. ¡°What took you so long?¡± He tried to sound casual, but the displeasure in his voice was clear. He had been waiting for her instead of that cup of coffee. He didn¡¯t know when he had started to rely on her, but now, she made him feel safe. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that good thingse to those who wait? Of course, a good cup of coffee needs some time to brew.¡± She handed the steaming cup of coffee to him and said confidently, ¡°I know you¡¯ll love it.¡± ¡°Are you that confident?¡± Stefan was an extremely picky person, and did not think that the coffee she made would suit his taste. However, the second he took a sip, his eyes widened in shock. The familiar taste coated his tongue, and the fog in his head seemed to disappear. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Incredulity dawned on him. ¡°This coffee¡­¡± Chapter 1063 Chapter 1063 ¡°What do you think?¡± Renee looked at the man eagerly. ¡°This is the most delicious coffee I¡¯ve ever had. It reminds me of¡­ an old friend.¡± Stefan said softly, then closed his eyes and took another sip, savouring the smooth and rich vour. Even though he was an extremely picky person, this cup of coffee was indeed impable. It was so perfect that he was sure he had be addicted to it. ¡°That¡¯s for sure. This is my masterpiece.¡± Renee grinned, lifting her chin proudly. She learned how to brew coffee for Stefan¡¯s sake. She became more motivated when she saw how much he enjoyed it, and it made her feel that all her efforts were worthwhile. Stefan drank more coffee, and his muddled mind felt clearer. Scenes of a familiar woman shed in his mind, but he could never see who she was. Whenever he tried, his head started to ache. ¡°Damn it!¡± Stefan groaned, his eyebrows knit tightly as he rested his head in his hands. He looked pained, and a thinyer of sweat had appeared on his forehead. . ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Renee immediately stepped forward and held his shoulders, asking in concern. ¡°I seem to have had this coffee before. It evoked some memories, but they were all so blurry¡­ My head hurts so much. It¡¯s so painful!¡± Stefan¡¯s head was spinning and his breathing was ragged. He felt so nauseous he almost threw up. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Stop thinking about it. Rx, and take deep breaths.¡± Renee panicked when she remembered what the doctor had said. She stroked his back gently, trying to make him rx. Stefan¡¯s condition was veryplicated. His brain had undergone major surgery, so he could not overwork it. If he forced himself to recall things, it could injure his brain, and could even lead to death. Renee had always been careful when she took care of him, and tried her best not to talk too much. He had been fine so far, but to her surprise, it had been that small cup of coffee that carried the biggest impact. ¡°Where did I have this kind of coffee?¡± Stefan¡¯s thin lips became pale and his low voice was slightly shaky. Even though he was in deep pain, he held on and forced himself to recall those memories. ¡°There¡¯s always a blurry figure in my mind ¨C a graceful and charming figure in the garden of Hunt Vi¡­ D*mn it! My head hurts!¡± Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with rage. He clenched his fists and hit his head repeatedly, breathing heavily. ¡°I¡¯m a worthless piece of trash that can¡¯t even use his own brain. What¡¯s the point in living like this?!¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, stop that!¡± Renee quickly pulled him into her embrace and shielded his head with her slender arms. Her heart ached for him, and she sobbed, ¡°You¡¯re hurt. It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t remember things. As you recover, you¡¯ll recall those memories, I promise. Don¡¯t hurt yourself this way, or you might not be able to remember anything at all.¡± Stefan finally became quiet. Renee¡¯s warm and sweet embrace was like a tranquilliser for him, and Stefan gradually calmed down. He was now nestled quietly in her arms like an injured kitten. ¡°Everyone will encounter setbacks no matter how strong they are. You¡¯ve always led an easy life, so maybe these are some difficulties you¡¯ll have to face. Don¡¯t lose your cool, I promise you¡¯ll get through this.¡± Renee patted his back gently as if she was coaxing Adie or Abby. Her gentle voice and sweet scent enveloped him like a soft breeze. No man could escape from such tenderness, including Stefan. He was entranced by this woman, and it confused him. He grabbed her hand and demanded, ¡°What did you do to me? Why do I always feel calm when you¡¯re near me?¡± Renee¡¯s wrist was injured, and his grip reopened her wound. She gasped in pain, and stammered, ¡°I¡­ I was just trying to talk some sense into you, I didn¡¯t do anything to you!¡± Chapter 1064 Chapter 1064 Renee gritted her teeth, trying to drown out the pain. Stefan tightened his grip on her hand and growled menacingly, ¡°I can¡¯t wait until I can see again. Tell me now ¨C what kind of past did we have? The person I love the most is Seraphina, so what kind of witchcraft are you using to confuse me?¡± He wanted to know the truth because he couldn¡¯t stand the pain of trying to remember. Everytime he tried to recall something, it felt like someone was taking a scalpel to his brain, and the pain was enough to drive anyone mad. ¡°I¡­ Ah!¡± Renee whimpered in pain, unable to hold it back any longer. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Stefan immediately released her hand. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that your grip was too strong and it hurt me.¡± Renee inhaled deeply as she adjusted the bandage on her wrist. Blood was oozing out of the wound, staining the bandages red. Renee thought bitterly, ¡®How pathetic. Just a bit of force and I bleed this much. If an enemyes after me now, I¡¯ll be doomed.¡¯ Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Renee tried to calm herself down, but before she could, Margaret¡¯s nervous voice called out, ¡°Miss Ren, er¡­ Something¡¯s wrong!¡± Margaret rushed into the back garden. She was about to say something but became hesitant when she noticed that Stefan was around. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Margret. Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± Renee nced at Stefan and said to Margaret calmly. ¡°Someone came to create trouble, and Mr. Walker and the others couldn¡¯t stop them. I think you and Mr. Hunt should hide for a while,¡± Margaret said anxiously. It was obvious that the troublemaker was someone who was hard to deal with, but Renee was not born a coward. She always faced trouble head on, and would try her best to resolve the matter. ¡°Since they came all this way, I doubt they¡¯re going to leave that easily. Let me see what they¡¯re going to do,¡± Renee said coldly, bracing herself to face the intruder. Margaret noticed the blood oozing out of Renee¡¯s wrist, and gasped softly. ¡°Miss Ren, your hand¡­¡± Stefan said coldly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her hand?¡± ¡°Her hand¡­¡± Margaret started to say worriedly, but was interrupted by Renee. ¡°My hand is fine. I identally cut myself.¡± Renee quickly said, not wanting Stefan to know the truth about her hand injury. If he found out what she was doing, he would refuse to use her blood as a medicine, and all her efforts would be futile. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m so easily fooled?¡± Stefan¡¯s instincts told him that was not the case, and his handsome features turned cold. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on!¡± Chapter 1065 Chapter 1065 Before anyone could say anything, the trouble Margaret mentioned burst onto the scene. It was none other than Jovan. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°My dear cousin, that¡¯s not very cool of you¡­¡± Jovan was dressed smartly in a suit with his hair slicked back, and he walked towards them gracefully. His lips curved upwards into a smirk, and he said teasingly, ¡°I heard you had a little ident, cousin of mine. The Hunts and the Murphys are doing all they can to look for you, but here you are, clinging to a woman you can¡¯t seem to leave. You certainly know how to enjoy life.¡± ¡°Jovan, what are you doing here?¡± Renee stood in front of Stefan protectively, and red at Jovan like he was a monster. ¡°Trying to be the knight in shining armour, Renee? I don¡¯t think your ¡®damsel in distress¡¯ would appreciate it.¡± Jovan scoffed, staring at Renee and Stefan shrewdly. ¡°Woman, do you have any idea how much trouble you¡¯ve caused?¡± However, Renee ignored Jovan and turned to Margaret. ¡°Margaret, get Stefan out of here. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Margaret nodded and held Stefan¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. Hunt, pleasee with me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Stefan scowled and shoved Margaret¡¯s hand away coldly, then snarled, ¡°Who do you think I am? Do I look like a coward that hides behind women? I¡¯m not as useless as that!¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Margaret stood there awkwardly, ncing at Renee for help. Renee turned around and said to Stefan, ¡°No one thinks you¡¯re a coward, but this person isn¡¯t a kind man. You¡¯re in a disadvantageous situation right now, and if you keep this up, you¡¯ll only fall into his trap.¡± ¡°So what? This is a matter of the Hunt family, and you¡¯re just an outsider. What do you know?¡± Stefan was too proud to admit defeat in this battle between men. Like Renee, he usually faced trouble head- on, and would keep fighting no matter what it cost him. ¡°Jovan, what is it you want?¡± He turned towards Jovan and asked sharply. Stefan knew this day would havee sooner orter. Jovan hadpromised for so many years, waiting for the day Stefan would admit defeat. Stefan had not expected him to make his move now, and was somewhat curious as to what he was nning. ¡°Good, Stefan. I knew you were a man of integrity, and that¡¯s why you¡¯ve always been my role model since we were kids¡­¡± Jovan cracked a fake smile. ¡°I didn¡¯te here alone. The eight members of the board of directors will be here soon. They¡¯re very worried about your safety, so they hired a professional medical investigation team to evaluate your health.¡± ¡°A professional medical investigation team?¡± Stefan scoffed coldly. ¡°It¡¯s all just a pretence, isn¡¯t it? Everything¡¯s already been decided.¡± ¡°Stefan, why would you say that? The directors sincerely care about your health because the future of H Group lies in your hands. Nothing will go wrong¡­¡± Chapter 1066 Chapter 1066 Jovan held his hands out, looking remorseful. ¡°Well, you know the rules of H Group¡­¡± Renee frowned and asked quickly, ¡°What rules?¡± ¡°You¡¯re close to Stefan, so I¡¯m surprised you don¡¯t know this. There¡¯s a rule in H Group stating that whoever takes over thepany must be physically healthy and have full civil power. If not, a new leader will be selected from the legal heirs.¡± ¡°So, you did all this to prove that he doesn¡¯t have full civil power so you can rece him as the legal heir of H Group?¡± Renee sneered. ¡°No need to paint me as a viin, Renee, I¡¯m just worried about my dear cousin¡¯s health. As for whether I have to rece him as the head of H Group, it depends on the board of directors. I am just a pawn in their hands.¡± Jovan shrugged casually, his eyes glinting. ¡°Yes, clearly you¡¯re innocent in all this,¡± Renee scoffed sarcastically, infuriated by Jovan¡¯s words. On the contrary, Stefan was very calm. He said expressionlessly, ¡°That is indeed the rule of H Group. As the current leader of H Group, I have to set an example. If the board of directors makes a decision, I cannot say anything about it.¡±\ ¡°How very open-minded of you.¡± Jovan revealed a smug smile, delighted that his n was falling into ce. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. At that moment, the eight members of the board of directors of H Group arrived with the medical investigation team. Some of the directors were Stefan¡¯s supporters, while some maintained a neutral stand. However, all of them had only one goal in mind right now, and that was to confirm that Stefan was blind and had brain damage like the rumours said. If it was true, they would have to vote him out for the sake of H Group¡¯s future regardless of whether they were Stefan¡¯s supporters or not. Undeniably, Jovan¡¯s n was working. ¡°Mr. Hunt, thank goodness we finally found you.¡± One of the directors, Leo Sanders, had always been loyal to Stefan. When he saw that Stefan was safe and healthy, he burst into tears and said to the other directors, ¡°I told you that the rumours were rubbish! Mr. Hunt is just tired so he came toGreenwood Sanatorium to rx for a while. He¡¯s not blind or has brain damage. They¡¯re just rumours!¡± ¡°How absurd! The people who spread rumours have gone too far. How could they curse Mr. Hunt like that? He¡¯s clearly fine and healthy. What is the PR department of H Group doing? They should have issuedwyer letters to those who spread the rumours!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s great that we found him. We can exin it to the shareholders at noon.¡± All the directors sighed in relief. They had all been hoping that the rumours were fake, because H Group could not survive without Stefan. If something happened to him, H Group would be ruined. ¡°Gentlemen, please be quiet. Since you¡¯re so worried about Mr. Hunt¡¯s condition, I think the professional medical investigation team should evaluate his health.¡± Jovan waved his hand and said seriously. ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s ask the medical team to do an evaluation. ¡± Some of the other directors echoed Jovan¡¯s words, and right away, medical staff inb coats approached Stefan with their equipment. As soon as she saw them, Renee said fiercely, ¡°Stop right there! Who dares to touch my man?!¡± Chapter 1067 Chapter 1067 Renee¡¯s aura was so strong that the medical team immediately froze. They didn¡¯t dare to approach this woman who looked like a ferocious tigress protecting her cub. ¡°Er¡­¡± The members of the medical investigation team nced at Stefan, then turned to the directors helplessly. ¡°Hmph! What a pathetic woman!¡± Jovan looked at Renee coldly. She had risked her life for Stefan, and Jovan was so jealous that it almost drove him mad. He shed her a sinister smile. ¡°You im that he¡¯s your man, but why don¡¯t you ask him if he is?¡± He walked over to Renee and leaned down to whisper in her ear, ¡°You care so much about him, but he doesn¡¯t even remember you. Clearly, you¡¯re not that important to him. Don¡¯t you find yourself pitiful?¡± Renee was at a loss for words. She pursed her lips, unable to deny it. Jovan knew her weakness, and was cruelly using it against her. ¡®He¡¯s not wrong¡­ Stefan, you jerk! How can you remember everyone but me?¡¯ When Jovan saw the pain in Renee¡¯s eyes, he stood tall in satisfaction. Finally, he said, ¡°This is a matter of the Hunt family and H Group, so please don¡¯t meddle in this. Currently, H Group doesn¡¯t have a leader, so the board of directors needs to give the shareholders an exnation. I hope that you can cooperate, or else, things might turn nasty. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you need to exin it to; none of you willy a hand on him as long as I¡¯m here! Try it if you dare!¡± Renee clenched her fists and straightened her spine, ring at the people around her defiantly. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Stefan had worked so hard for so many years for H Group. He had put all his pride and energy into it, but now, he was being forced to give it to someone else. Renee couldn¡¯t bear to let Jovan seed! ¡°You stubborn woman!¡± Jovan hissed impatiently, then turned to the medical team. ¡°Mr. Hunt¡¯s health is the priority here, go and check on him. After that, give us a report on his health. Just¡­ leave this woman to me.¡± Before she could protest, Jovan walked up to Renee and grabbed her slim waist. He smirked wickedly and murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to fight you, but it seems like it¡¯s inevitable. My men have full control of this sanatorium, and I¡¯ve taught the dean and deputy dean a lesson because they didn¡¯t give me their cooperation. You¡¯re smart, so I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to suffer like them, do you?¡± ¡°You scumbag! What did you do to Mr. and Mrs. Walker?¡± Renee¡¯s mind went nk and she could no longer think straight. She instinctively grabbed his arm to throw him over her shoulder, but she couldn¡¯t because of her wrist injury. Jovan immediately took this opportunity to tighten his hold on her. ¡°I told you¡­ You shouldn¡¯t attempt the impossible.¡± Jovan held Renee in his arms and whispered cruelly. ¡°Let go of me!¡± Chapter 1068 Chapter 1068 Renee¡¯s body was so weak that she couldn¡¯t even struggle to free herself. She had used too much of her blood as medicine for Stefan, and now, she couldn¡¯t even fight against a worthless piece of trash like Jovan. She felt so useless. After a long silence, Stefan finally spoke up, ¡°Let them evaluate my health, since everyone¡¯s so curious about my condition.¡± The medical staff heaved a sigh of relief and approached Stefan to carryout the evaluation. ¡°Mr. Hunt, we will begin now. Well inspect your brain first. Please bear with us.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Renee screamed, exhausting herself as she struggled in Jovan¡¯s grasp. ¡°Don¡¯t let them touch you! You¡¯re Stefan Hunt! Didn¡¯t you say that you weren¡¯t a coward? How can you admit defeat so easily?!¡± Renee knew that if H Group did have such a rule, Jovan would seed as soon as the medical report was produced. She didn¡¯t understand why Stefan would admit defeat at such a critical moment. However, Stefan ignored Renee¡¯s advice and appeared composed. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy here. Please leave after the inspection is over.¡± The medical staff carried out the full body check-up and soon produced a report on Stefan¡¯s condition. ¡°Mr. Hunt, Mr. Jovan, gentlemen, we have concluded our report for Mr. Hunt, which has already been uploaded to the internal tform of H Group. Currently, Mr. Hunt is blind with a fourth-level brain injury and a fractured bone on his right calf. His mental health is unstable, and his physical health is worrisome. After our investigation, we havee to the conclusion that he doesn¡¯t have full civil power. He cannot use his brain intensively for work, and needs to rest and recuperate for a long time.¡± The staff reported emotionlessly. ¡°Shut up! How can you call yourselves doctors? Cut the crap! It¡¯s just a brain injury. You imed that he doesn¡¯t have full civil power, but is this approved byw? Also, he¡¯s only temporarily blind, and will recover soon. Your lousy report isn¡¯t fair and objective!¡± Renee roared furiously. ¡°Miss Everheart, calm down. We didn¡¯t know that Mr. Hunt was suffering from such serious injuries. Although H Group can¡¯t survive without Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hunt¡¯s health is the most important thing here¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We hope that he can recover soon. Well leave H Group in someone else¡¯s care. Nothing is more important than one¡¯s health!¡± ¡°When he¡¯s healed, he can return to H Group. It¡¯s no issue.¡± After the board of directors learned that Stefan was blind and had a brain injury, they quickly withdrew their support. Even Leo, who had always been loyal to Stefan, chose to give up. He said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Hunt, you need to recuperate. I believe that there¡¯ll be a more suitable person to take over H Group temporarily.¡± A victorious smile bloomed on Jovan¡¯s face. He immediately cleared his throat and stated, ¡°Gentlemen, don¡¯t worry. As the only suitable heir of the Hunt family¡¯s third generation, I¡¯ll follow Mr. Hunt¡¯s excellent example and bring H Group to higher levels.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Well, thank you, Mr. Jovan. Well leave H Group in your care from now on.¡± The directors pped enthusiastically to express their loyalty. After all, Stefan¡¯s blindness and brain injury were irreversible. He was no longer the mighty and outstanding man from before, and could no longer turn the situation around. The situation in the H Group, as well as the Hunt family, had now changed. A new leader had emerged and was now in power Chapter 1069 Chapter 1069 The members of the board of directors produced a document and handed it to Stefan respectfully. ¡°Mr. Hunt, this is the document to give up the right to manage H Group. We need your signature, but we don¡¯t know if you can sign it on your own given your current condition.¡± Stefan raised his head slightly, and said calmly, ¡°Give me the pen.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t sign that!¡± Renee tried her best to break free of Jovan¡¯s grasp, but she was too weak to. ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯ll kill you, I swear!¡± She struggled in Jovan¡¯s arms desperately. Out of options, she grabbed his arm and bit it savagely. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hush, be good. This is Stefan¡¯s choice. Even if I let you go, he¡¯ll still sign it. You don¡¯t have to meddle in this.¡± ¡°Jovan, you¡¯re despicable! Do you think you can defeat him using such underhanded methods? I won¡¯t let you seed. You¡¯ll always be inferior to him!¡± Renee bit into Jovan¡¯s arm fiercely, trembling all over. The coppery scent of blood filled the air as it seeped into her mouth. When Jovan saw the deep and bloody teeth marks on his arm, he felt heart-wrenching pain, but at the same time, he was overwhelmed with delight. ¡°So what if I¡¯m inferior to him? At least, you¡¯ll finally notice me.¡± Jovan was a true masochist. He was pathologically sick, and felt that even if she scolded him, beat him up, or ruined him, at least she was taking notice of him. ¡°Er¡­ Please don¡¯t do this, Miss Everheart. Show him some mercy.¡± The directors were shocked, and looked at each other in helpless dismay. Stefan was blind, but he was not dumb. After listening to Renee and Jovan¡¯s conversation, he firmly believed that Renee was someone special to him. His grip on the pen subconsciously tightened. ¡°I¡¯ve signed it. You all can leave now.¡± His bold signature stood out on the document, and Renee was speechless. When she realised that everything had been finalised, she stopped struggling and stared at Stefan in shock. She felt extremely sorry for him. She knew more than anyone how painful it was to give up something one had worked hard to build, and for a proud and noble man like Stefan, it must be heartbreaking. Jovan let go of Renee. Blood was dripping from his arm as he pped his hands and smiled widely. ¡°Stefan, your sense of responsibility is something I admire very much. This is your choice, so if Grandpa and Uncle Alexander ask about it, I won¡¯t be held responsible.¡± ¡°Agh! You¡¯re all just hypocritical and vulgar men. Get lost!¡± Renee pushed Jovan away and rushed towards Stefan. She hugged him tightly andforted him in a soft voice, ¡°Calm down. What¡¯s important now is for you to recover. I¡¯lle up with something to resolve this issue. I won¡¯t let that cunning fox get away with this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to resolve it for me.¡± Stefan sounded extremely aloof. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who manages H Group. It¡¯s not something I care about.¡± ¡°You¡­ What are you saying? This is the business you work hard to build. What do you care about if you don¡¯t care about this? Seraphina?¡± It was beyond Renee¡¯s expectation that Stefan would be so pessimistic and depressed. He was an ambitious man who cared deeply about his business, so she couldn¡¯t believe he was saying these things. ¡°What I care about is none of your business, so there¡¯s no need for you to get so riled up about this,¡± Stefan answered emotionlessly. He might have cared about his career, family, and personal sess in the past, but after cheating death so many times, those worldly affairs had long be insignificant to him. The only thing he cared about now was searching for the memories he had lost. He knew things would go back to normal once he got his memories back. Of course, he did not have to exin these thoughts of his to anyone Chapter 1070 Chapter 1070 ¡°It¡¯s¡­ none of my business?¡± Renee felt humiliated. She had tried her best to protect Stefan, but it seemed like it meant nothing to him. She¡­ meant nothing to him. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s your business, so it has nothing to do with me. I must be bored, that¡¯s why I¡¯m doing all this.¡± Overwhelmed with sadness, Renee staggered back a few steps. Jovan caught her shaky body before she fell, and sneered mockingly, ¡°If you¡¯re so bored, go do charity. Help the kids in Zambawi, save the elephants, or go to teach in rural areas; there¡¯s no need to meddle in others¡¯ business. He doesn¡¯t even appreciate your efforts.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business what I do. I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion.¡± Renee shot him a disdainful re and pushed him away violently. Renee was stubborn, but her body failed her. She fell to the floor hard after taking a few shaky steps. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Miss Ren! Miss Ren!¡± Margaret shouted in panic. Renee didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when she woke up. When she opened her eyes, her body felt light, like she was floating. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡± A man said tedly, hisrge hands steadying her. ¡°Stefan¡­¡± She mumbled, her vision still blurry. She saw a handsome man before her, so she assumed it was Stefan. The man was speechless, and his grip on her stiffened. Renee instantly realised that the man was Jovan, not Stefan. ring at him coldly, she pulled back her hand and said scornfully, ¡°You¡¯ve finally got what you wanted. Why aren¡¯t you out celebrating?¡± ¡°I told you a long time ago that my target was never H Group, ¡± Jovan said wearily. ¡°Yes, your goal was to defeat Stefan. He¡¯s suffered defeat now, so what else do you want?¡± ¡°Defeat Stefan?¡± Jovan echoed cryptically. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. For a very long time in my life, my only goal was to surpass Stefan, but now¡­ he¡¯s just a useless person. I should be satisfied, but for some reason, I¡¯m not. I don¡¯t seem to be enjoying this victory very much.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t be ridiculous! How much must you take from him before you¡¯re satisfied?¡± Renee snarled furiously, worried that this crazy man would plot against Stefan again. ¡°That, my dear Renee, depends on you.¡± Jovan held her shoulders and stared at her with a strange smile Chapter 1071 Chapter 1071 Renee¡¯s body stiffened as she red at him coldly. ¡°You said before that I would beg you one day, so is that what you¡¯re waiting for?¡± ¡°You can say that.¡± Jovan frowned slightly. Like a warlord that was one step away from conquering an enemy, he was feeling quite calm and sure of himself. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel sorry for him? You even risked your life for him. However, if you beg me, I¡¯ll announce to the public that I¡¯ll give up my right of inheritance¡­ H Group will still be his. What do you think?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Renee stared at him hopefully. She knew H Group was very significant to Stefan; he had worked so hard for it for so many years. If it was snatched away by a despicable man like Jovan, Stefan¡¯s heart would break. Renee couldn¡¯t bear to see that. ¡°Of course. If not, why would I still be here? I would have gone to celebrate with a bottle of champagne ages ago.¡± Jovan leaned towards her, feeling bold when he saw uncertainty sh in her eyes. He lifted her chin so her lips almost brushed his, and his eyes darkened in desire as he murmured, ¡°Beg for it.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Renee rolled her eyes, and pretended to throw up.¡± Jovan, stop being a weirdo ¨C the ¡®domineering CEO¡¯ role doesn¡¯t suit you. Just tell me the price so I can calcte the cost-performance.¡± ¡°Cost¡­ Cost-performance?¡± Jovan¡¯s face fell instantly. He had been practising the whole ¡®aloof president¡¯ act, but it had no effect at all on Renee. ¡®Why did she have to ruin it? Can¡¯t she at least be a little helpless like the heroines in those melodramatic romance novels?¡¯ But he forgot that this was Renee ¨C she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use violence to beat people up if she found it necessary. Pigs would fly before she became feeble and helpless. Renee continued seriously, ¡°If the price is low, I¡¯ll do it. So what if I have to get down on my knees? I¡¯m not a man. However, if the price is too great, I won¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll just use a simple but violent method to resolve this issue.¡± Despite his weariness, he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Oh, and what kind of method would that be?¡± Renee smirked, and her charming face turned cold as she ran her finger across her neck. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± She wasn¡¯t joking. If it came down to that, she would do so without any hesitation. It was simply the easiest way. After all, she had killed Briar; she didn¡¯t mind killing another person. Jovan¡¯s mischievous expression turned gloomy. He was silent for a while before he asked her quietly, ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± Renee scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re overthinking. I don¡¯t hate you, I just want to kill whoever blocks my path.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re willing to be a ruthless murderer for that fickle and cruel man?¡± Jovan sneered. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the same?¡± Renee retorted. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be willing to kill someone if I asked you to?¡± Silence swept over Jovan. He assumed that he was a clearheaded and wise man who dealt with all kinds of rtionships with ease, but he always acted like a child in front of Renee. She saw through him, and he was always at her mercy. He had no way to fight back. Renee noted the pain and panic in his eyes, and smiled contentedly. She then lifted his chin and sneered condescendingly, ¡°So, name your price. After all, killing you isn¡¯t exactly part of my n.¡± ¡°Is¡­ Is that so?¡± Chapter 1072 Chapter 1072 His gloomy eyes lit up like a lighthouse at night, as if her words had sparked a me of hope in his soul. ted, he asked her eagerly, ¡°Does that mean that you can¡¯t bear to see me dead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant.¡± Renee huffed impatiently. ¡°I just want to know what you want in return if I beg you to let Stefan go.¡± ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t a price, but rather, a choice you have to make.¡± Jovan took a deep breath. It was rare to see such calmness and rationality on his handsome face. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to live an isted life with me, I¡¯ll give H Group up. I¡¯ll even stop meddling in all those disputes and fights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? I just have to go with you?¡± Renee asked in bewilderment. She thought that he would make an outrageous request such as serving him or something like that, and had been prepared to p and scold him for being a pervert. Surprisingly¡­ all he wanted was that. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s all I want.¡± Jovan closed his eyes, longing clear on his face. ¡°We¡¯ll find a secluded ce away from everyone and live a peaceful life.¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Renee was slightly stunned. Jovan wasn¡¯t a stupid man, and he was considered pretty crafty to have been able to scheme and snatch H Group in the end. However, in the end, he was just a lovestruck fool. He had done so much to get here, but all he wanted was to lead a quiet life with her. He was clearly an antagonist, but why wasn¡¯t he ruthless and cruel like one? Jovan continued humbly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just want you to live a quiet life with me. I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re unwilling to do other stuff.¡± Renee retorted, ¡°Do you think you can?¡± Jovan said softly, ¡°You won¡¯t know unless you give me a chance.¡± When Renee saw his gaze growing hungry, she quickly changed the topic. ¡°It sounds like the price is pretty reasonable. I¡¯ll think about it.¡± After all, she nned to disappear from Stefan¡¯s life the day he recovered, and let him be with Seraphina. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you three minutes to consider. I want a definite answer by then.¡± Jovan suppressed his joy and pretended to be calm. Three minutester, Jovan inquired eagerly, ¡°Have you thought it through? Are you willing to leave with me?¡± Renee bit her lip. Although it had only been three minutes, it was enough for her to think it over carefully. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, but¡­ I have one small request.¡± Chapter 1073 Chapter 1073 ¡°What¡¯s your request?¡± Jovan was in a good mood as he stared at Renee with bright eyes. He thought excitedly, ¡®Yes! She promised me! She agreed to it!¡¯ He felt like he had finally gained victory after eighteen years of fighting; it was an indescribable feeling. He was more than willing to grant her wish ¨C he would give her the moon if she asked him to. ¡°I can go with you, but I have to be with Stefan until he¡¯s fully recovered and can see again,¡± she exined firmly. That was her original n ¨C it would not change because of anything. Jovan¡¯s gaze instantly dulled, and he scoffed, ¡°Hmph! How are you going to do that? Do you want to use your blood to heal him again? You¡¯re so weak that you can¡¯t even stand, how much blood do you even have to give?¡± ¡°How¡­ How do you know?¡± Surprise shed in her eyes. She had never told him anything about the medicine. ¡°Your body is weak, and there are bloody wounds on both of your wrists. Other than my dear blind cousin, any sensible person would know.¡± Jovan grabbed her arms and looked at the wounds on her wrists, anger and grief overwhelming him. ¡°Renee, are you out of your mind? He doesn¡¯t even remember you, but you risk your life to save him. What do you want?¡± ¡°I just want peace of mind.¡± She looked down and said softly. If she and Stefan were not destined to be together, the least she could do was ensure his happiness for the rest of his life. Hence, she wanted to stay with him until he recovered. She also wanted to protect his business for him and find him a woman who truly loved him¡­ Once she had aplished this, she could leave him without any worries. ¡°Well, you might get your peace of mind, but I certainly won¡¯t. ¡± Jovan¡¯s features became tense as he said solemnly, ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that. I want you to leave with me right away and not sacrifice yourself for him again.¡± ¡°Well, then we can¡¯t reach a deal. You can leave now.¡± Renee said stubbornly, and tried to get out of bed to ask Margaret about Stefan¡¯s condition. Stefan¡¯s body had just recovered. She could not stop the medicine, and she did not know how long she had been in aa. She didn¡¯t know if the blood she provided earlier was sufficient. Jovan blocked her way, agitated. ¡°Be clear. What do you mean? Do you regret it? You don¡¯t want to go with me now? ¡°I was clear enough. I can¡¯t leave him be, and I¡¯ll have to kill everyone who tries to stop me.¡± Her eyes turned cold as she spoke. ¡°You¡­ You!¡± Jovan frowned deeply, feeling defeated. He would have no way out regardless of how meticulous andprehensive his n was, as long as he bumped into a stubborn person like her. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t stop you. If you must stay with him, I¡¯ll stay with you. However, you must go with me the moment he recovers!¡± He gritted his teeth as he spoke. It was the biggestpromise he could make. His initial arrogance was gone, and now, he seemed rather pitiful. He wanted to kick himself for agreeing to it. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Renee stared at his flushed face, and after a few seconds, she nodded. ¡°Deal!¡± She could not understand his stubbornness just the way he failed to understand hers, but the one thing they had inmon was¡­ they did not want to have any regrets. Chapter 1074 Chapter 1074 Meanwhile, Margaret was brewing medicine for Renee in the room. She was frowning deeply as she murmured, ¡°Sir, Madam, please watch over Miss Renee so she¡¯ll be safe and sound. It¡¯s my fault that I made such a useless prescription¡­ I made her suffer a lot!¡± As she watched the fire for the medicine, she was engulfed with deep remorse. The prescription that her old father, whom she had cut off all ties with, created was indeed miraculously effective. However, its side effects were pretty strong. During the three days that Miss Ren was unconscious, the ingredient that she prepared for Stefan had been used up. Consequently, his condition grew worse, and he could not even get out of bed now. Margaret came up with a lot of methods, but they were all futile. She could not pinpoint the reason either. However, she did not dare to inform Renee about this. If not, she would make a big scene. ¡°Margaret!¡± Renee snuck up behind Margaret and tried to spook her. When Margaret turned around, Renee grinned at her. ¡°Were you scared?¡± Something was weighing on Margaret, so of course, she was frightened. ¡°Miss Ren, you scared me! Thank goodness you¡¯re finally awake. Come and take this medicine.¡± She poured the medicine she had just brewed into a palm-sized bowl, then blew on it to cool it down. She then handed it to Renee. However, Renee was in no mood to consume the medicine. She asked immediately, ¡°How is Stefan doing? Is his medicine done? Is the ingredient enough? If not, you can take more from me.¡± As she spoke, she rolled her sleeves up. ¡°No, we can¡¯t do that. Do you think your blood is tap water? You can¡¯t keep giving it away,¡± Jovan entered the room and pushed Renee¡¯s arms down sternly. He then urged, ¡°Take the medicine first. He¡¯s fine at the moment, so you don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Renee was doubtful so she looked at Margaret for confirmation. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Margaret was at a loss for words. She was an honest person by nature, so she could not lie easily like Jovan. However, she could not bear to tell Renee the truth either. Renee immediately sensed that something was wrong.¡± Margaret, tell me the truth. What¡¯s wrong with Stefan?¡± She felt that something was amiss the moment she woke up just now. Jovan and the other employees in the sanatorium had said nothing about Stefan, and even Margaret was hesitant now. ¡°He, he¡­¡± Margaret looked at Jovan helplessly as if asking for his opinion. She felt that the only person who could persuade Renee was him. ¡°He¡¯s blind, what could possibly happen to him? He just needs to eat and rest. People will serve him. You should worry about yourself first, so hurry up and take the medicine. ¡± Jovan exined calmly. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. Where is he? I want to go and see him!¡± Renee demanded. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Margaret was left with no choice but to expose the truth since Renee refused to take the medicine. ¡°He¡¯s resting in bed in the west wing. His condition wasn¡¯t very good during the few days that you were in aa. We didn¡¯t want you to worry, so we didn¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he recover well? Why did his condition worsen?¡± Without thinking, Renee stumbled her way towards the west wing. Jovan smacked his forehead and shot Margaret an annoyed nce. ¡°I asked you to hide it from her.¡± After that, he ran after Renee. Chapter 1075 Chapter 1075 When Renee arrived at the west wing, she heard the sound of ss breaking from a room nearby. ¡°Get lost! I don¡¯t need your pity!¡± Someone roared, and soon, two nurses came running out of the room, sobbing pitifully. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Renee asked them. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯re awake? That¡¯s wonderful¡­¡± The nurses looked at her like she was their saviour, and immediately begged her, ¡°Please go and advise Mr. Hunt. His current condition isn¡¯t very good, but he¡¯s refusing to eat or drink. He even prohibited us from taking care of him and drove us out. If this continues, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll die of thirst or hunger.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t eat or drink?¡± Renee frowned, and thought wearily, ¡®Why is he throwing a tantrum like a child?¡± She told the two nurses, ¡°Okay, you can go now. Leave this to me.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Miss Everheart. Please be careful. Mr. Hunt has been in a bad moodtely.¡± The young women told Renee gratefully. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Renee walked past a spacious andfortable garden before arriving at the door of Stefan¡¯s room. As she pushed it open gently, an ornament flew past her head. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I asked you to get lost. Stop bothering me!¡± Stefan screamed as he leaned against the bed, his pale face looking furious. Renee had never seen Stefan lose control of himself like this. Others might be scared, but her heart ached for him. Clearly, this man was filled with despair. ¡°You broke such a lovely ornament¡­ What a waste!¡± Renee bent down slowly and picked up the broken pieces of the ornament, then threw them into the dustbin. After that, she walked over to Stefan and ced her hand on his gently. Her touch immediately calmed him down. ¡°Er¡­ Are you okay?¡± Stefan asked awkwardly. He swallowed slightly, his heart skipping a beat. Renee had fainted that day, and he couldn¡¯t do anything to help her. Every day without her seemed like a year, and though he was concerned about her, he could not bring himself to inquire after her or visit her. It was because he heard someone say, ¡°Renee will be fine since Jovan is taking care of her.¡± Hmph! She would be fine since Jovan was taking care of her. On the other hand¡­ Stefan needed someone to take care of him, even if he wanted to take a step. If he went to her, he only would have caused her trouble. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. I was just staying upte every day to y games, so I had low blood sugar. I¡¯ve got my energy back after resting for a few days.¡± She was afraid that he would worry, so she pretended to be cheerful. Stefan looked relieved, and said emotionlessly, ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. You had Jovan to take care of you, so of course, you would be fine.¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Renee found the situation amusing. ¡°Didn¡¯t he forget about me? Why did he say something so weird? He¡¯s indeed quite prone to jealousy.¡± ¡°Yeah, he took great care of me. My face is clean, and I ate a lot unlike you¡­ You neither ate nor drank. I can even see your stubble now. Well, the great president has now be unrecognisable. I¡¯m sure your fangirls will feel quite sad when they see you,¡± she murmured indulgently as she touched the stubble around his lips. At that moment, she saw Stefan as a baby weaker than Adie and Abby. Hence, she was willing to spoil and tter him no matter how unreasonable he was. ¡°I don¡¯t like people touching me,¡± he announced aloofly. Chapter 1076 Chapter 1076 Stefan had always had a great sense of propriety. Even if it was Seraphina, the person he trusted the most, he would feel ufortable when she touched his face or hair. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Naturally, he disliked those female nurses who took care of him. ¡°Is that so? Why do I feel you like my touch? Be good¡­ There, there.¡± Her lips curved into a cheeky smile as she rubbed his hair and pinched his cheeks as if trying to provoke a sleeping beast. She thought he would be outraged, but he just said calmly,¡± It¡¯s very strange, but you¡¯re the only exception.¡± Renee was speechless. ¡°So¡­ the person who takes care of me has to be you,¡± Stefan dered arrogantly. Amazement dawned on her, and she couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you unwilling?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious. Did you recall something?¡± Renee could feel him getting closer and closer to her, and she wondered if he remembered her. If not, why was she special to him? ¡°Should I recall anything?¡± Stefan asked in return. After a brief silence, Renee chuckled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯d rather you don¡¯t remember me¡­ I¡¯m not a good person.¡± Stefan did not ask further because he knew that she would not tell him the truth even if he did. He had to look for the answers on his own, regardless of whether he wanted to know them or not. ¡°Help me shave my beard.¡± He said suddenly. He was someone who took good care of his appearance, and always wanted to look smart and tidy ¨C he rarely allowed himself to be this unkempt. However, he had neither washed his face nor shaved his beard for the past few days, as if he was an artist who had lost his passion. When he heard Renee¡¯s voice, suddenly his world had colour again. ¡°You¡­ You want me to shave your beard for you?¡± Renee scratched her head awkwardly. ¡®Well, it¡¯s rather shameful for me to admit it, but I did a lot of bad things and even challenged a martial arts studio. I also carried an AK-47 once. Some might call me manly, but I¡¯ve never shaved a beard before.¡¯ ¡°Is it inconvenient for you?¡± Stefan turned towards her. Although he could not see her, he could feel that she was in a dilemma. ¡°No, it¡¯s not, but¡­ I¡¯ve never shaved a beard. I¡¯m afraid I might not do a good job.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t care how it turns out.¡± ¡°Hah, is that so? You said it yourself.¡± Renee rubbed her hands eagerly and chuckled wickedly like a viin. She went to the washroom and found a razor, which was the most basic type with only a de. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m ready.¡± Renee raised the razor eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m ready too.¡± He closed his eyes and waited for her, looking like he was about to give his life for a heroic cause. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As Renee got closer to him, she was mesmerised by his handsome face again. In her opinion, it deserved endless praise. Chapter 1077 Chapter 1077 Stefan¡¯s masculine features were almost perfect, with deepset eyes and thick eyshes. The morning sunlight shone in through the window, producing mottled shadows on his baster cheeks. Further down were Stefan¡¯s lips. They were always set in a frown, but she found them very kissable and tempting. His neck was slender, and gave way to an Adam¡¯s apple that seemed to move slightly as she approached. It was extremely sexy. He was indeed very handsome. Still holding the razor, Renee stared at him as if she was a starving dog who had found a bone. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Stefan frowned slightly and asked her in confusion. He had sharp hearing, so he had noticed her rapid breathing. When he noticed she hadn¡¯t started yet, he thought something was wrong. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. For example, maybe he did not have his shirt or¡­ pants on. He immediately reached out to pat his body, and found that he was indeed wearing clothes. So, why was she nervous? As he moved his hands back, he identally touched her body. ¡®Hmm¡­ It feels slightly different. It¡¯s pretty soft.¡¯ He could not tell which part it was, so he started feeling around curiously. ¡°Hey¡­ What are you doing?¡± Renee instantly blushed. Stefan had unknowingly put his hands on her waist and had moved them around as if he was trying to seduce her. However, his expression was quite sincere, so she found it hard to p him. After groping around, he finally realised what part he had been touching, and immediately pulled away like he had been burned. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± At first, he wanted to see why she stopped, but he did not expect that the soft and perky area on her body had been an intimate body part. It made him look like a pervert now. Hence, he held his hands up high, not daring to touch her again. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know you didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Renee took a deep breath and said generously. They had many intimate moments in the past since they had been married for a long time, so she didn¡¯t feel too awkward about it. ¡°You may start now. Ask me if you don¡¯t understand anything.¡± Stefan coughed and said politely. ¡°Really? Okay, I¡¯ll start now.¡± Renee swallowed again, sounding a bit flustered. At that moment, they were like a young couple as they blushed nervously. Their breathing was fast, and the air was thick with tension. She looked at the handsome man who was leaning against the bed. With his eyes closed and his thin lips parted slightly, he looked very tempting. Renee wanted to give in to her desires, but decided to take it slow since he was still weak. ¡®Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll start with taking off his clothes and seeing his abs.¡¯ She put down the razor, and using her slender fingers, she began unbuttoning his silk pyjamas. One button, two buttons, three buttons¡­ Chapter 1078 Chapter 1078 His defined chest was soon revealed. There was no fat on it at all, and it was broad and muscr. Renee inhaled deeply, and eagerly continued unbuttoning his shirt. His abs were about to be exposed. However, before she could see them, Stefan grabbed her hands. His face was flushed as he demanded, ¡°What are you doing?¡± He felt like she was taking advantage of him. Damn it, this woman wanted to vite him! Shocked, Renee said with a stupefied expression, ¡°Ah! I¡­ Didn¡¯t you ask me to start? Are you shy?¡± She knew for a fact that the more handsome a man was, the more likely that he would be shy. After all, many women yearned to take advantage of such men. ¡°I asked you to shave my beard, not take off my clothes¡­¡± He said amusedly, then leaned closer to her. ¡°I¡¯m curious though¡­ What were you going to do after taking off my clothes?¡± ¡°Ah? So, you want me to do that?¡± Renee felt so awkward that she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. She cursed inwardly, ¡®Renee, oh, Renee! So many years have passed, so why do you always expose your immoral behaviour when you¡¯re faced with this man? How humiliating!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I wanted to shave your body hair first. Since you don¡¯t need that, I¡¯ll shave your beard now.¡± Renee smoothed her hair and tried to retrieve her dignity shamelessly. Although Stefan was blind, he could imagine how awkward and embarrassed she was. He suppressed hisughter and said solemnly, ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t need you to shave my body hair.¡± Renee picked up the razor again and started shaving his beard seriously. She applied shaving cream around his chin before she carefully shaved the stubble around his face. The whole process went on rather smoothly. They were extremely close to each other, and Renee¡¯s faint scent and warm breaths lingered on Stefan¡¯s face, distracting him. ¡°Wait a moment. It¡¯ll soon be over.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes gleamed in mischief. After shaving his beard, she covered her mouth andughed secretly. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m a genius. I did such a great job of shaving your beard. I have to take photos of this!¡± She took out her phone and took several photographs of his face. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. In the photographs, he was no longer dispirited and haggard. His face was clean without stubble, but a small part of his beard was left on his philtrum. Despite his noble bearing, he looked quite silly. It was all Renee¡¯s doing. She burst intoughter, and could not even stop taking photographs. ¡®Oh gosh, it¡¯s too funny. I¡¯ll take more photographs, so when I leave him in the future, I can look at these and reminisce about the past. I¡¯ll be very happy!¡¯ ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Stefan frowned and asked. ¡°Oh, gosh¡­ It just gets funnier!¡± She took photos of his frowning expression. It was indeed hrious when he appeared fierce with that kind of beard. ¡°Stopughing!¡± Stefan reached out and grabbed her slender waist, pulling her body close to his. He looked at her intently and murmured, ¡°Tell me. Were we¡­ in love?¡± Chapter 1079 Chapter 1079 Renee couldn¡¯t say a word, and didn¡¯t dare to move as she stared at Stefan in shock. The thing they had was more than that. They had been deeply and passionately in love with each other. However, she could not bring herself to tell him the truth. What a dilemma! She was afraid of him forgetting her, but at the same time, she was worried that he might recall who she was. At that moment, the door opened, and a man¡¯s voice said sarcastically, ¡°Yes, she¡¯s in love with a member of the Hunt family, but that person is me¡­ not you.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Jovan walked into the room, an irritated expression on his face. Renee felt awkward, and quickly pushed away Stefan¡¯s hands, putting some distance between them. Stefan immediately saw that behaviour as guilt at being caught. It also proved that Jovan was not lying. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you guys are a couple?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes turned cold as he asked gloomily. ¡°Stefan, you¡¯re so smart. You guessed right¡­¡± Jovan slowly walked to Renee and hugged her shoulders intimately. ¡°My girlfriend and I are quarrelling, so she turned to you to annoy me. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± ¡°Jovan, that¡¯s enough. Cut the crap!¡± Renee was irritated by the pesky man, so she red at him fiercely and elbowed him hard. Jovan winced in pain, but was secretly happy. Though he didn¡¯t understand why, he felt that she noticed him more when she was fierce with him. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be mad at me. I know I was wrong. Please don¡¯t use Stefan as a tool. He¡¯s blind and disabled now. If you y with his feelings, he¡¯ll go mad.¡± Jovan smirked as he stared at Stefan. He knew how humiliating this was for the arrogant Stefan. ¡°Jovan, shut up!¡± Renee could neither argue nor speak frankly, so she was very frustrated. If Stefan wasn¡¯t around, she would have taught Jovan a lesson! Jovan didn¡¯t take her seriously, and continued mockingly,¡± Stefan, my girlfriend is a kind-hearted person. She thinks you¡¯re pitiful because you¡¯re blind, so she stays to take care of you. Well, you¡¯re my cousin, so I decided to stay and take care of you too. With me and my wife taking care of you together, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll serve you well and let you have a great time.¡± He was waiting for Stefan to be angry and drive Renee away. After all, the greatest humiliation for a man was pity from a woman, especially when the man was as arrogant as Stefan. Of course, Renee knew Stefan well, and she knew how painful Jovan¡¯s words were to him. Hence, she hurriedly exined, ¡°Stefan, don¡¯t believe a word he said. That¡¯s not the reason I want to stay and take care of you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Surprisingly, Stefan was extremelyposed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with having additional help.¡± He smirked before he calmly said in Jovan¡¯s direction, ¡°The socks I just changed out of are yet to be washed. I¡¯ll have to trouble you forthat.¡± Jovan was bbergasted. Stefan continued, ¡°Wash them with your hands. You know that I only wear clothes that are hand- washed.¡± Jovan¡¯s jaw dropped, and he gaped at Stefan like a goldfish. After that, Stefan said to Renee, ¡°The sunshine seems good today. Help me change my clothes then go out for some fresh air with me.¡± Renee was speechless. Stefan¡­ had not lost his temper? Chapter 1080 Chapter 1080 Not only did he not go berserk, but he was so calm, enthusiastic, and positive that it felt like Jovan¡¯s words did not affect him at all. It was unbelievable. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, I¡­ I¡¯ll go and get your clothes,¡± Renee said, unable to hold back her tears. Even though he had gone through much, he was still so strong! Jovan¡¯s expression turned livid as he observed Stefan coldly. ¡®That¡¯s impossible! This is Stefan we¡¯re talking about. He¡¯s always so arrogant, but now, he¡¯s calm even after being humiliated.¡¯ Jovan felt the most humiliated now. ¡®No, Stefan must have hidden his true emotions. I have to make him lose his temper somehow!¡¯ ¡°Why aren¡¯t you washing the socks?¡± Renee took out a suit of clean clothes from the wardrobe to help Stefan change into them. Her expression turned scornful when she saw Jovan standing there without any intention to move. However, Jovan stood between Renee and Stefan as he said, ¡°Stefan, I told you she¡¯s my girlfriend. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate to ask your cousin¡¯s girlfriend to change your clothes for you?¡± ¡°How outrageous!¡± Renee could no longer take it, and rolled up her sleeves to beat up Jovan. Stefan chimed in, ¡°You said it yourself ¨C I¡¯m a blind guy. I can neither see nor touch. I¡¯m left with no desires, so what¡¯s inappropriate about it?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± For a moment, Jovan had no way to argue. ¡°Step aside. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to take care of him? All you do is talk ceaselessly. Hurry up and wash his socks.¡± Renee picked up the socks Stefan had just taken off and rudely threw them on Jovan¡¯s face. Jovan¡¯s face turned red in outrage, but he picked up the socks so he could stay with Renee and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wash them. I¡¯m good at washing socks.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee was amused by Jovan¡¯s annoyed expression. Frankly, Jovan was indeed crazy, but he could adapt well. He could even act humbly when he needed to. ¡°By the way, Stefan, your beard is ruining your image. I advise you to shave it!¡± Jovan turned around and said sweetly before walking away. He wondered why Stefan was calm regardless of how much he provoked him. After dwelling on it, Jovan felt that it must be because of Stefan¡¯s funny beard. Renee burst intoughter, unable to hold it in any longer. She also found it weird that Stefan was so calm today given his usually bad temper. Now, it turned out to be because of his funny beard. The overbearing president had be an amusing character, so of course, people would be dumbfounded. Stefan¡¯s expression grew gloomier, and his voice was icy as he asked, ¡°Is it very funny?¡± Chapter 1081 Chapter 1081 ¡°Oof, n¡­ nope!¡± Renee immediately stopped grinning and stood up obediently. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loud. She had to admit, despite his sickness, his innate aura was still rather imposing. Thus, while he expressed anger, the atmosphere became rather cold, and she was smart enough to know when to stop. ¡°Uhm, I didn¡¯t mean to make fun of you. I¡­ I just haven¡¯t finished shaving you.¡± Renee looked for an excuse carefully, aware of the tense atmosphere. Hehehe, I saved the photos anyway. I can just look back on them in the future.¡¯ ¡°No need.¡± Stefan reached his arm over to the table and looked for the razor. He then shaved his stubbles clean by going around his entire neck with the razor. Hepleted the entire process with practiced ease, as though it came as second nature to him. Renee was stunned, pointing at him. ¡°So you could do it yourself! That looks way better than what I did! Then¡­ Why did you ask me to shave for you?¡± From her point of view, helping a man shave was an extremely personal task, just as much as helping someone blow dry their hair. Only those in romantic rtionships would do this for each other. He could¡¯ve done it himself, but why did he ask me to help? Isn¡¯t that just in flirting?¡¯ ¡®Could it be that¡­ he remembered something and¡­ felt something again?¡¯ ¡°Because I wanted you to, that¡¯s why,¡± Stefan replied nonchntly, a smile appearing on his handsome face. ¡®Ugh¡­ What utter nonsense!¡¯ Renee took a deep breath andposed herself. She tried to sound rational, saying, ¡°You heard about it earlier, right? I¡¯m Jovan¡¯s girlfriend, so don¡¯t ask me for such favors anymore. I don¡¯t want my boyfriend to misunderstand.¡± ¡°Really now?¡± Stefan smiled coldly. Although blind, he was rather sharp and managed to see through Renee¡¯s heart.¡± Why are you lying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. Jovan really is my boyfriend. Didn¡¯t you hear how much he let me punch him just now? If we weren¡¯t dating, he would¡¯ve defended himself.¡± Renee pursed her lips and spouted the bunch of nonsense in a serious tone. She actually didn¡¯t intend to trick Stefan either, but she had no other choice; it was to prevent him from ever catching any feelings for her. Otherwise, her departure would only result in an absolute heartbreak. She didn¡¯t want him to feel any more miserable than he already did. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Sure, if you say so,¡± Stefan responded sarcastically. His expression seemed conflicted. Although he was blind, he wasn¡¯t dumb. He could sense how much Renee rejected Jovan, and the two didn¡¯t have any chemistry at all. There was simply no way that they were a couple. ¡°But I can tell that Jovan¡¯s feelings towards you are true. You two could certainly try being together, to be honest.¡± The man said softly, expressionless. ¡°You want me to¡­ try dating him?¡± Renee froze. It was obvious that she never expected him to think this way. Not only was he not falling for her, but he was even pushing her to date someone else as well. This made her realize she was merely overthinking, giving herself unnecessary worries. Chapter 1082 Chapter 1082 ¡°Whether you two were dating or not has nothing to do with me. I even wish that you two could be more loving with each other, lest he wouldn¡¯t be so bored as to give me trouble all the time. I¡¯d get some peace and quiet, too,¡± Stefan said, still rather emotionless. He then changed into some freshly washed clothes. ¡°Come on, get some sun with me.¡± It had been quite some time since they had gone outside for some sunlight after all. Other than that, he couldn¡¯t help feeling warm and positive on the inside with Renee by his side for some odd reason. Renee soon brought Stefan to their favorite part of the back garden. It was spring, and the entire garden was in full bloom. The air was filled with a faint scent of rain and mud, partnered with the fresh smell of grass. The warm sunlight washed over their hair and faces. Nature painted the world in the purest peace and beauty for the first time in a long while. Despite this, Renee was weirdly silent, unable to enjoy a single moment of the picturesque environment. She was annoyed at how Stefan generously wished her and Jovan a happy rtionship and his intentions to matchmake them. However, she knew it was quite unreasonable for her to feel such frustration. This was what she had wanted all along, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling ufortable with the current situation. Stefan, on the other hand, was holding onto the railing around the pavilion. Eyes closed, he took a few deep breaths, with the radiant sunlightyered on his beautiful features. He looked as if he were God¡¯s masterpiece. ¡®Tsk, he¡¯s so damn handsome!¡¯ Renee screamed in her heart. She felt better after merely taking a nce at the man¡¯s gorgeous face. ¡®This is why you have to find a handsome man! No matter how much he annoys you, just one look at his face, and you¡¯d forgive himpletely. Getting mad at a face like that is an absolute crime!¡¯ Just as the woman was lost in her thoughts, Stefan turned slightly and asked Renee in a calm tone. ¡°How long have you and Jovan been dating?¡± Renee froze. She was seriously wondering if the man was trying to make her upset on purpose. ¡®Why else would he be mentioning that bastard? If this keeps up, his face won¡¯t be enough for me to forgive him!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be shy. Jovan may be a little sh*t, but it¡¯s not that embarrassing to date him.¡± Stefan said politely. He seemed to be trying his hardest to be broad-minded and collected. Renee gritted her teeth, suppressing her fury. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m not one to be easily embarrassed either.¡± ¡°One year? Two?¡± Stefan continued questioning, seemingly unable to detect the woman¡¯s negativity. ¡°Why are you so curious about this? I never knew you were such a fan of gossip, Mr. Hunt! What are you trying to pry into?¡± Renee retorted furiously, balling up her fists quietly. ¡°I am pretty curious, yeah. That¡¯s why I¡¯m interested in your answer.¡± Stefan unknowingly crossed her bottom line once more. In actuality, he didn¡¯t quite care for gossiping. He was merely intrigued by this woman before him. Renee scratched her head in confusion. After two minutes of silence, she responded in a monotonous voice. ¡°If you¡¯re really that curious, well¡­ we were married for four years, then we separated for another four years. We got back together again for a while but unfortunately broke up again.¡± ¡°You even¡­ got married?¡± Stefan was unable to contain his amazement, especially after hearing such shocking news. ¡°Yeah, we even have kids!¡± Renee smirked and approached him. ¡°But he¡¯s such a jerk! And I don¡¯t intend to forgive him¡­ Are you curious as to how he was a jerk?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Hah! You want to y, huh, Stefan Hunt? Let¡¯s y then!¡¯ Chapter 1083 Chapter 1083 ¡°You even had¡­ children together?¡± Stefan¡¯s heart was filled with mixed emotions. His expression turned darker with time. It wouldn¡¯t be reasonable for him to be upset. After all, they were just a married couple with children, which meant this was none of his business. Even so, he felt inexplicably bitter after hearing about ¡®their love story¡¯ regardless. Oh god, Stefan Hunt, can¡¯t you be a little normal for once? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous that you¡¯re paying so much attention to a woman you haven¡¯t even seen? This is an insult to Seraphina and an insult to yourself!¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡°Hmm, I mean, the guy might be a jerk, but our kids are adorable. So I don¡¯t regret falling in love with him.¡± Renee told the truth this time, despite her previous attempt at making something up. She could obviously tell that Stefan looked as upset as someone who just found out they had been cheated on. However, he was still suppressing the negative emotions, replying coldly, ¡°That means you¡¯re lucky. You should bring the kids over to y sometime.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ That reminds me, you¡¯re their uncle! Doesn¡¯t that mean you need to give them gifts?¡± Renee held in herughter, challenging the man¡¯s patience even further. Td really like to see how long he can keep this act up!¡¯ Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®He¡¯s clearly mad, but he¡¯s still pretending to be calm and elegant! Is he not tired?!¡¯ ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Stefan repeated the word slowly, somewhat feeling like he wanted to punch someone out of anger as he spoke. Hah, even a lunatic like Jovan gets to have kids?!!¡¯ ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t be too envious. Once your eyes are healed, you¡¯ll just need to focus on spending the rest of your life with Seraphina Murphy. I believe you should have kids within a year or so,¡± Renee rationally advised Stefan, bearing the heartache all on her own. ¡®Once his eyes get better, he will return to his position, once again bing that almighty figure that he used to be. And who else would be his best support but the Murphys? ¡®He will marry Seraphina and have his own kids, all while reaching the peak of his career. As he enjoys life to the fullest, I will leave his life for good and write my own story somece else.¡¯ ¡®Then we¡¯ll finally be able to get out of each other¡¯s hair, never crossing paths ever again. This is the best ending that I can ever hope for.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right, Seraphina and I are rather in love. I¡¯m sure our children will be perfect as well,¡± Stefan replied proudly, following her blessings. Renee fell silent. Enduring the pain, she could only bite down on her lip and lower her head. ¡®I¡¯m not sad¡­ what¡¯s there to be sad about? This is what I¡¯ve wanted from the start!¡¯ Suddenly, the two stopped talking to each other, turning the atmosphere rather awkward. Renee¡¯s mouth remained shut, thinking. ¡®Fine then, don¡¯t say anything. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to give in any time sooner. If there¡¯s nothing good to say, we might as well just shut up. We won¡¯t be able to hurt each other then.¡± ¡°Hey, those apricots look ripe! Let me go get some.¡± The woman looked for an excuse to escape the awkwardness and ran toward the middle of the garden. The vast sanatorium garden was exquisitely littered with various flora and fauna. A while ago, the mangoes had ripened, and the apricots were now starting to yellow as well. The apricots looked rather juicy, and they were about the size of an egg. As hundreds hung from the tree branches, there were just so many that it almost seemed impossible to harvest them all in one day. Renee used a branch to stick her hair into a bun, then rolled her sleeves up before getting to ¡®work.¡¯ A few minutester, her pockets were filled with several apricots. Under the shades of trees, Renee¡¯s lovely face was painted in a softyer of red, making her look exceedingly adorable at that moment. She chose thergest one she could find and wiped it on the edge of her shirt. Excited, she bit down on the fruit¡­ ¡°Holy sh*t, this is way too sour! It¡¯s like my teeth are going to fall out!¡± The woman¡¯s expression twisted deeply. She took a nce at her pockets full of apricots. Her frown was soon reced with a sly smile. Hehe, I can¡¯t possibly enjoy such ¡®great stuff¡¯ alone! Sharing is caring. After all, Stefan should totally get a taste of it!¡¯ she thought. Chapter 1084 Chapter 1084 ¡°Stefan!¡± Renee jogged over to the dashing man, who was still enjoying the sun under the pavilion. She chirped gleefully and said, ¡°I picked a lot of apricots. Would you like some?¡± Hearing the woman¡¯s cheery voice, he couldn¡¯t help but feel reassured. His heart grew warm, just as the gentle sunlight, as he asked softly, ¡°Are they sweet?¡± ¡°Of course! Tastes just like first love!¡± Renee eximed, choosing another big one and cleaning it with her shirt again. She handed it to the man enthusiastically. ¡°Take a bite!¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. At the same time, she took out her phone and turned on the camera, hoping to capture the man¡¯s expression while smoldering from the taste. In actuality, she had been saving quite a lot of photos and videos that could potentially destroy Stefan¡¯s image. As if she were dying from a terminal illness, she knew she had not much time left with him. Hence, she instinctively recorded every moment with the man, hoping to reminisce about these memories in the future. In some way, her rtionship with Stefan was somewhat simr to ¡¯cancer,¡¯ as it was practically irreparable. If they were destined to never work out, she wished to create as many good memories as possible. She might have to rely on these fond memories to live on, after all. ¡°Thank you.¡± Stefan took the apricot and bit down elegantly, chewing slowly. ¡°How is it?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened from excitement, and her hands started to feel numb from holding her phone up. She couldn¡¯t wait to see Stefan¡¯s strong reaction. ¡°Pretty good.¡± Stefan nodded as if he was enjoying it, calmly taking another bite. ¡°Pretty good?¡± Renee narrowed her eyes in confusion. ¡®Could it be that his fruit was exceptionally sweet? Just how lucky is this man?¡¯ ¡°Want some?¡± Stefan then handed the rest of the apricot to Renee. ¡°Mmh!¡± Before she could refuse, he shoved the apricot right into her mouth¡­ Yet another wave of sourness burst through her taste buds. ¡°Hey, Stefan! You did this on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± The woman huffed as she covered her mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was as sweet as first love?¡± Stefan¡¯s usual cold expression was finally reced with a soft smile. ¡°I genuinely wanted you to have a taste of first love.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so annoying. You know I hate sour stuff the most, yet you still prank me like this!¡± Renee found him ridiculous and couldn¡¯t help the urge to punch the man yfully. ¡®This guy¡­ is exactly like how he was before! He¡¯s such a sadist!¡¯ ¡®What is this called again? Like lifting a giant rock and identally crushing my own feet?¡¯ Just then, despite not using a lot of strength, Stefan instantly fell to the ground as soon as she delivered her punch. ¡°Huh?¡± Renee was dumbfounded as she stared at the fallen man. Her first assumption was that the man was still messing with her. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re being so dramatic. Are you really that fragile? You fainted from such a light punch? Come on, get up¡­ people are going tough at you.¡± However, no matter how much she spoke, the many still as if he had¡­ died. Chapter 1085 Chapter 1085 ¡°Hey, Stefan. Stop messing around, don¡¯t scare me!¡± Renee felt that something was rather off. Her slender face instantly turned pale as she checked the man¡¯s breathing. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing that he was still breathing¡­ albeit weakly.¡¯ This indicated that the man wasn¡¯t pranking her this time. He was truly feeling quite weak. ¡°Someone, please help!¡± she shouted in panic. Soon, the sanatorium staff rushed over, taking Stefan into the infirmary. Renee, on the other hand, followed closely behind. She was out of breath, her mindpletely drawing nks as she didn¡¯t know what to do. Having just recovered not long ago, Renee was in rather bad shape as well. She didn¡¯t understand how Stefan, who had been making great progress a while ago, would have fallen so ill in just the span of three days. ¡°Peggy, what¡¯s happening? Wasn¡¯t Stefan close to recovering? Why¡­¡± Renee grabbed hold of a nurse who had been taking care of Stefan¡¯s basic necessities and asked desperately. ¡°Well¡­¡± Peggy seemed rather uneasy, avoiding the woman¡¯s gaze. Margaret had specifically requested her to not tell Renee that they were out of the ¡°special ingredient.¡¯ Thus, she didn¡¯t dare to say anything, either. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, just tell me everything! I have your back! If this worsens Stefan¡¯s condition, the only thing you¡¯ll face is harsher consequences!¡± Renee warned her coldly after noticing Peggy¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Uhm, Miss Everheart, if you just have to know, I¡¯ll tell you. The special ingredient for Mr. Hunt¡¯s medicine had long run out while you were unconscious.¡± ¡°Margaret didn¡¯t continue collecting your blood since she didn¡¯t want you to suffer any further. So¡­ that¡¯s why Mr. Hunt¡¯s condition deteriorated.¡± Peggy then shook her head.¡± But these really are just our assumptions. It might not exactly be the actual reason. So please don¡¯t take it to heart. r? ¡°I knew it! I knew the special ingredient ran out long ago!¡± Renee nced at the infirmary door, then turned back to the nurse. ¡°Stand guard here, and report back to me as soon as anything happens.¡± After that, she rushed towards the medicine department, coincidentally bumping straight into Jovan, who had just finished doing theundry. ¡°Hey girl, you don¡¯t have to be so eager as to show me how touched you feel. You don¡¯t have to rush things!¡± Jovan held her shoulders gently and smiled lightly. ¡°Get out of the way, I don¡¯t have time for you!¡± Renee pushed him off and continued running toward the medicine department, not wanting to talk at all. Jovan furrowed his brows, not pestering her any further, and followed silently. Within the medicine department, Margaret was racking her brain to find a new medicinal recipe ording to Stefan¡¯s condition. Her father had only written to use the blood of loved ones as a special ingredient, with no other substitutes. This is from N?velDrama.Org. However, with the situation at hand, there was no way she would use Renee¡¯s blood anymore, even if it meant that they would potentially fall out. That was why she had been trying out different herbs in hopes that one could rece the original ¡®special ingredient.¡¯ ¡°Margaret!¡± Renee flung the door open, clearly upset. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Ren, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Margaret hid the herbs behind her, seemingly guilty as she shed her an unnatural smile. Renee immediately rolled her sleeves up, wasting no time to rush Margaret. ¡°Stefan has fainted. His condition is critical. No more nonsense, just¡­ blood! My blood!¡± Chapter 1086 Chapter 1086 ¡°This¡­¡± Aunt Margaret hesitated. Renee knew almost everything anyway, so she sighed and said firmly, ¡°We cannot take more of your blood, not unless you wish to die.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My body regenerates blood quickly. As long as I eat more red meat, I¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s no time¡­ Hurry up!¡± As Renee said this, her head still felt fuzzy, and she felt increasingly weaker. Her body was never this weak before, but ever since she had her two children, her body condition could not go back to what it once was. Just as she was about to rejuvenate, her condition worsened as soon as she was required to provide more blood for Stefan¡¯s medicine. ¡°Miss Ren, this isn¡¯t something we can afford to risk. We can¡¯t extract any more blood from you¡­¡± ¡°Margaret, stop stalling. He can¡¯t hold on any longer. As the eldest daughter of the Everheart family, I command you to extract my blood!¡± Renee had no choice but to use her position to force Margaret¡¯s hand and follow her orders. ¡°Miss Ren, you¡¯re putting me in a difficult position. How am I to face yourte parents¡­¡± Margaret was not allowed to disobey direct orders. Thus, she had no choice but to turn around and get the tools needed to extract blood from Renee once again. ¡°Extract mine instead!¡± Jovan showed up out of nowhere and snapped coldly at Margaret. He then pulled Renee behind him then rolled up his sleeves. ¡°You¡­¡± Renee was somewhat touched by Jovan¡¯s action but maintained a cool front and pushed him away, ¡°Don¡¯t fool around. How can your blood be simr to mine? They said that it had to be the blood of someone who loves him!¡± ¡°From a rtion standpoint, my blood might be even more effective than yours, considering I am his rtive,¡± Jovan said clearly in a grim tone that was normally unheard of from him. As Renee was about to retort, Margaret¡¯s anxious voice spoke up, ¡°Yes, yes, how could I have forgotten? Apart from blood given by someone who loves him deeply, a rtive¡¯s blood should also work. Maybe we could try it.¡± ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t, it won¡¯t cause death, will it?¡± Jovan asked seriously. ¡°No, even if it fails, it just means that the medicine will be weaker, and there won¡¯t be any side effects.¡± ¡°Then stop wasting time. Start extracting!¡± Jovan had long before made up his mind and ordered in a frosty tone. ¡°Alright, please hold on. I will start to take your blood.¡± Margaret approached the task at hand with hopefulness. She slit open a part of his wrist and held a palm-sized bowl to collect the blood in. This process was harsh, and from an outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked extremely excruciating. ¡°Jovan, you bastard, don¡¯t you despise Stefan? Wh¡­what are you doing?¡± ¡°Of course, I hate Stefan, but I¡¯m more afraid of you hurting.¡± Jovan¡¯s brows drew together from the pain as he gritted his teeth and replied. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Y¡­ You¡¯re really crazy!¡¯ Renee knew better than anyone how much it hurt to extract blood. It was impossible to not feel the least bit moved by his actions, especially when Jovan was willing to do something like this. When enough blood had been extracted, Margaret followed the new instructions on brewing the medicine and quickly produced a bowl of medicinal tea. ¡°Miss Ren, hurry and bring this to Mr. Hunt. If it works well, then countless problems will be solved.¡± This meant that they could potentially cure Stefan¡¯s eyesight as well. In fact, Margaret had a daring idea in mind for a while, but she had always been too scared to try it out. However, Jovan¡¯s actions had given her a shove of courage and hope, hope that it might just seed. Chapter 1087 Chapter 1087 Renee arrived at the infirmary. While supporting an unconscious Stefan, she tipped up the bowl of medicinal tea and poured it all into his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve almost got this, you punk. Just hold on!¡± She held onto his hand tightly as she said those words with red- rimmed eyes. Night fell quickly. Renee had stayed by the bed the whole day, hopelessly staring at Stefan until he woke up. ¡°Miss Everheart, Mr. Hunt¡¯s condition has stabilized. You should go rest,¡± the nurse told Renee in an encouraging tone. ¡°I¡¯m alright, I am also resting while I¡¯m here, and I feel more reassured watching him.¡± ¡°Then please take care of yourself. If there¡¯s anything you need, feel free to call me anytime.¡± The nurse gave a long sigh before walking out of the infirmary. After all, everyone in Greenwood Sanatorium knew that Miss Everheart loved Stefan to death. After some time, Reneeid her head on the edge of the bed and fell asleep. Later, Stefan came around. He wiggled his fingers, only to find that they were touching Renee¡¯s hair. The feeling of such smooth hair tangled in his fingertips made his heart do flips. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Renee was sleeping lightly, and upon feeling that something was amiss, she woke up with a jolt. She looked at Stefan worriedly, ¡°How do you feel, still ufortable or feeling weak?¡± Stefan jerked his hand back as if he had been caught red- handed. He coldly replied, ¡°Who told you I was weak? I feel better than ever.¡± Seeing that he had the energy to snap back, Renee released a breath of relief with a smile. ¡°Right, right, you¡¯re not weak. I was wrong.¡± ¡°Honestly, I do feel more energized. I¡¯m no longer dizzy.¡± Stefan moved his arms around. His body felt lighter and more at ease than he has ever been. ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s very good.¡± Renee was overjoyed. It seems that the medicine made from Jovan¡¯s blood was working well. Margaret heard the news and rushed over. After helping Stefan measure his pulse, she was over the moon. ¡°Mr. Hunt¡¯s pulse is steady and strong. His condition is even better than before. We really did discover the most effective special ingredient this time!¡± ¡°What special ingredient?¡± Stefan frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice. ¡°J¡­ Just some random herbs. They are special ingredients that helped a lot in improving your condition!¡± Renee listed out a few different types of ingredients on a whim and told him, ¡°As long as you take care of yourself, you will be all better in no time!¡± As the sky turned dark, Stefan ate some porridge and fell asleep again. Renee and Margaret walked out of the infirmary and went to a dark corner. ¡°Aunt Margaret, you weren¡¯t lying to me, right? Stefan¡¯s condition, is it really better than before?¡± She could not imagine that things would be so sessful and believed that Aunt Margaret was only lying to her to make her feel better. ¡°Oh, Miss Ren, it couldn¡¯t be more true. Mr. Hunt¡¯s condition has improved so much! Jovan¡¯s blood works even better than I thought it would!¡± Margaret¡¯s tone was full of certainty, and was as excited as Columbus finding the ¡®New World.¡¯ ¡°But that¡¯s Jovan. He hates Stefan¡¯s guts. How could his blood be effective?¡± ¡°Blood rtives are considered loved ones too, so their blood should be effective as well. Who knows? Jovan may very well have the deepest respect for Mr. Hunt in his heart.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Love and hate are separated by a thin line anyway.¡± Renee stroked her chin thoughtfully when understanding hit her. Jovan had always looked up to Stefan while growing up. Even though he made it clear it was jealousy, it could really just be that he loved him to death, perhaps even more than her. Moreover, he is also a rtive; thus, his blood would naturally be more effective than hers. He said that he was scared of her hurting, but what if, in reality, he was just worried about Stefan?!¡¯ Heh, he sure doesn¡¯t like admitting to his feelings!¡¯Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 1088 Chapter 1088 Renee felt like she understood Jovan even more now. ¡°Miss Ren, since we have reached a breakthrough, I¡¯m thinking¡­ We can try healing Mr Hunt¡¯s eyes.¡± Margaret said thoughtfully. Recently, she had been researching and experimenting with different ingredients that would work with her father¡¯s recipe to help Stefan gain his sight back. ¡°Really? What¡¯re the conditions?¡± Renee asked in an emotional tone. ¡®This is great. After so much waiting, the day is finally here!¡¯ she thought. ¡°Regarding this, we require Mr. Hunt¡¯s as well as Jovan¡¯s full cooperation, I suspect that it will still be quite difficult to do. ¡± Margaret stopped at this, sighed with worry, and said, ¡°This method is created by my father, called the ¡®Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation Therapy.¡¯ Since Mr. Hunt¡¯s body didn¡¯t reject Jovan¡¯s blood, I reckon we could try it out.¡± ¡°¡®Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation Therapy¡¯?¡± Confusion was written all over Renee¡¯s face. ¡°What kind of treatment is this? Just the name creeps me out.¡± ¡°It is quite scary. That¡¯s why modern doctors would not use this type of treatment. They see it as a form of voodoo. If you really wish for Mr. Hunt to get well soon, this is still an Original content from N?velDrama.Org. option, albeit the most extreme one.¡± ¡°Of course, I wish for that, but¡­ You say you would require the cooperation of both Jovan and Stefan. Do you mean¡­¡± A flurry of images shed through Renee¡¯s mind, and she tensed, unable to continue speaking about it. ¡°You¡¯re smart, so you can probably figure it out.¡± Margaret didn¡¯t go into further details and patted Renee¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Miss Ren, please consider it, and if you think it¡¯s possible, we can start Mr Hunt¡¯s treatment.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll think about it carefully.¡± Renee chewed on her lower lip as she stared at the dark, gloomy sky, her heart feeling equally as dark and gloomy. Wide awake in the quiet of the night, she leaned against the cold pir of the pavilion and stared up at the moon hanging high up in the sky. A soft breeze blew past her face. Its cool and refreshing sensation caused her to feel more awake than ever. ¡®Sometimes, I really wish that all that had happened was a dream!¡¯ ¡°The moon is beautiful tonight, isn¡¯t it?¡± A yful male voice sounded from behind her. Without a doubt, it had to be Jovan who was obsessed with her. However, since he had given a lot of blood earlier, his voice sounded a lot more frail than before. Renee looked at his thin clothing and the bandage around his wrist. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit guilty. ¡°It¡¯s chilly at night! Would it kill you to wear some warmer clothes?¡± Jovan¡¯s gloomy gaze suddenly brightened, like the shimmering stars in the sky, ¡°Oho, did the sun rise from the west today? Are you finally starting to care for me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the moon, not the sun, you idiot!¡± Renee rolled her eyes at him as she huffed. Staring at his wrist, she gently asked, ¡°How do you feel? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°See, there you go caring about me again. Why don¡¯t you just admit it?¡± Jovan¡¯s face showed extreme contentment as if he were a dog being rewarded with a treat. ¡°Are you really that grateful for what I did? Would you like to be mine now? I swear I will make sure that you are happy!¡± Renee thought to herself, ¡®Ugh, I can¡¯t believe I nearly feltpassion for this blockhead of a man! Why would I think that it¡¯d affect him?¡¯ Jovan finally put off the yful act and asked Renee, ¡°So¡­ Has Stefan kicked the bucket yet?¡± ¡°No, on the contrary¡­ Your blood is extremely effective, even more so than mine.¡± ¡°See, what did I say? My blood is precious!¡± Jovan beamed like a fool. After all, if Stefan were better, Renee would be happy, and if Renee was happy, he would be too. ¡°But he¡¯s alright now, so why do I feel like something¡¯s still making you unhappy?¡± Chapter 1089 Chapter 1089 ¡°Because I¡¯m feeling very conflicted.¡± Renee said quietly as she stared at Jovan. ¡°Conflicted about what? Humor me. Tell me about it.¡± Jovan smirked yfully as usual. Even though his wrist had been slit open earlier, he was genuinely happy. My muse has finally started showing me concern andpassion. She is finally willing to talk to him. She is even stargazing with me¡­ Giving that blood away was totally worth it!¡¯ ¡°Margaret said since Stefan¡¯s body doesn¡¯t reject your blood, she found a way to cure him.¡± Renee looked rather serious. Jovan¡¯s smile immediately dropped, asking coldly, ¡°How?¡± Renee exined everything Margaret mentioned to the man. Upon hearing this, Jovan fell silent for a long while. He then scoffed frostily and replied, ¡°It just sounds like they¡¯re going to use my blood, my bones to extend Stefan¡¯s life, and they¡¯re going to use my eyes to cure his.¡± ¡°In theory, yes.¡± Renee nodded. Jovan was a smart man, after all. Just hearing the name of the therapy was enough for him to understand what it meant. ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Jovan looked extremely upset and cold, along with slight disappointment. ¡°Renee, why are you telling me this? I don¡¯t suppose you think I¡¯m that great of a man? Stefan is the one person I have always wanted to defeat. This is the day I have been waiting for! Why do you think I would ever let him live, let alone sacrifice myself for him?!¡± ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t. That¡¯s why I told you,¡± Renee said calmly. She had never hoped for Jovan to agree, but she had no clue why she told the truth to him. Maybe¡­ ever since Jovan gave his blood for Stefan¡¯s medicine, I started thinking of him in a better light.¡¯ At that moment, they were allies on the same boat instead of being enemies. She figured he had a right to know about this. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Renee, I advise you to stop this wishful thinking. I may fancy you, but not enough to do this. Don¡¯t test my patience, and submit to me. Else¡­ Don¡¯t me me for forcing myself on you!¡± Jovan spoke cruelly, intentionally trying to show Renee just how heartless he could be. ¡°Good, don¡¯t be soft-hearted. If you do, I can¡¯t possibly repay you then.¡± Renee teared up and smiled at him, contrary to her usual annoyance towards him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t, even if it means I have to cut ties with you!¡± Jovan swore to the skies, devoid of a single sliver of mercy. Half a monthter, Stefan opened his eyes slowly and met with a white ceiling above his head. ¡°I¡­ Am I dreaming?¡± His voice was weak, his lips pale. It was as if he had a long, long nightmare, one that included all his veins and bones beingpletely rearranged. It was a pain that he would absolutely never forget, especially with how close he felt he was to death. ¡°S¡­ Stef, you¡¯re awake! How¡­ do you feel?¡± Next to his bed were Seraphina, Francine, and many others from the Hunt family, looking at him expectantly. ¡°Mom, when did youe here?¡± Stefan asked softly, looking towards the tearful Francine. ¡°Stef, you¡­ you can see now, right?¡± Seraphina waved her hand in front of him, asking carefully and excitedly. Stefan turned to look at the woman, shing a gentle smile as a single stream of tears trickled down his face. ¡°I think so, yes.¡± Chapter 1090 Chapter 1090 ¡°This is great! Do you know how long we¡¯ve waited for this day? Thank you, God, for showing us this miracle!¡± Francine wailed as she hugged Stefan. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Son, you must have suffered so muchtely! It¡¯s all my fault for letting those bad people bring you harm! Let¡¯s focus on living our best lives now, okay?!¡± Alexander sobbed as he wiped his tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for worrying all of you.¡± Stefan coughed gently, his handsome face expressing solemnity. He scanned his surroundings as if he was hoping to meet the person he longed to see all this while. However, only his family and friends were there, and he spotted no unfamiliar face. ¡°What are you looking for, son?¡± Francine quickly asked, noticing that he was spacing out. ¡°I¡­¡± Stefan groaned and asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t I in Greenwood Sanatorium? Who sent me here?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Francine and Alexander shared a nce, not certain if they should reveal the truth. Seraphina held his hand and kissed him gently. ¡°Oh silly, Uncle Alexander, Aunt Francine, and I did! We even thanked Mr. Walker and the rest of the staff. They¡¯d all been through hell just to take care of you, after all.¡± ¡°Just Mr. Walker and the staff?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± Seraphina lied without batting an eye. ¡°We discussed with Mr. Walker and found a great doctor to help you regain your sight! I still can¡¯t believe it really worked!¡± ¡°But I remember¡­¡± Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, feeling inexplicably disappointed. ¡°I remember someone else taking care of me. She was also the one who¡¯s been frantically looking for a cure for my eyes too.¡± ¡°Oh, I know. You must be talking about Miss Everheart, right? ¡± Seraphina knew that she couldn¡¯t hide this from him no matter how much she wanted to, so she mentioned the woman voluntarily. ¡°Where is she?¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, asking enthusiastically. ¡®If I remember correctly, we made a promise to each other that day. I had to get a good look at her once I regained my sight.¡¯ Such anticipation was exactly why he was finally motivated to cooperate with their treatment methods. He had held this newfound hope deep within his heart, hoping to see her once he opened his eyes. And yet¡­ She wasn¡¯t here. ¡°She went on a round-the-world trip with Jovan. They got into a big fight, but they made up not long ago. Now their love for each other is as sweet as honey!¡± Seraphina eximed nonchntly ¡°A round-the-world trip?¡± The man¡¯s expression darkened.¡± Were they in such a hurry?¡± ¡®We made a promise that I¡¯d get to finally meet her once my eyes get better! But now she just left without even saying goodbye!¡¯ Renee Everheart, you liar!¡¯ Francine and Alexander¡¯s expressions stiffened. They seemed to have something to say but stopped themselves in the end. ¡°Son, it¡¯s an amazing thing that you regained your vision, so stop thinking about such negativity. You just need to know that everyone who loves you is here. Just act like you slept for a very long time, and now you¡¯re awake. Everything¡¯s fine now!¡± Francineforted him, her heart aching. ¡°Yeah, you merely woke up from slumber. You¡¯re okay now. Stop thinking about those insignificant people. We¡¯ll be here for you, supporting you, always.¡± Seraphina hugged the man, speaking as if she was trying to brainwash him. ¡°Alright.¡± Stefan nodded, not allowing himself to think any further. Chapter 1091 Chapter 1091 Half a yearter, in a small town of West Varangia were several small wooden houses with pointed roofs. Like a fairytale, these beautiful structures were built along the tall mountain ranges. The loveliest house among the rest was at the foot of the mountain. There were rows and rows of sunflowers swaying in the wind, basking in the sunlight within therge front yard. In the very middle of the garden was a handsome man in a wheelchair. As the sunlight brushed against his skin, he lifted his face to take in the wonderful scent of flowers. His expression was filled with bliss. ¡°Are you thirsty? Would you like some water?¡± Renee asked gently, caressing Jovan¡¯s knee over the soft nket. ¡°I¡¯d like to have some of your coffee.¡± ¡°Okay, get some more sun for now. I¡¯ll go make you some coffee.¡± Before leaving, the woman bent down and kissed him softly on the forehead as reassurance. ¡°Thank you, my love.¡± Jovan squeezed her hand. His voice filled with happiness as sweet as honey. It had been six months since Jovan cooperated with the Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation Therapy. Although he lost his ability to see and walk, he had never once regretted his decision, even when breathing started to feel exhausting. To him, sacrificing himself to receive love and affection from the woman of his dreams was certainly a worthy trade. Renee, on the other hand, was grinding coffee in the kitchen. She was focused, as much as how she used to make coffee for Stefan. Despite having been so long ago, she still med herself for everything that happened and was consumed by regret every single day. She knew that it was simply selfish to have Jovan risk his life to save Stefan. Since she had ruined the man¡¯s life, she was willing to do anything for him, and even that wasn¡¯t enough as atonement. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. At the time, international news happened to be ying on the television in their living room. ¡°ording to reports, the current CEO of H Group, Stefan Hunt, will be taking his fiance, Seraphina Murphy, on a three-month-long honeymoon. Their first stop will be Banrea, a beautiful town in West Varangia known for its fairytale-likendscape¡­¡± With a loud crash, the coffee mug shattered upon falling to the ground. Renee¡¯s heart thumped in her ribcage as if she had been injected with adrenaline. Before this, she had been rather depressed and couldn¡¯t feel much. It had been quite a long time since she felt her heart pound as hard as it just did. ¡°Darling, are you okay?¡± Jovan asked nervously as soon as he heard themotion from the front yard. He wanted to get up, but as a crippled person, he wasn¡¯t able to walk properly, nor could he see what had happened. He couldn¡¯t do anything at all. ¡°I¡¯m fine! The mug just slipped out of my hands!¡± Renee then took a deep breath to calm herself as much as possible. After making a new cup of coffee, she switched the television off, expressionless. She didn¡¯t even spare the dashing man on the television a single nce. Half a year ago, when she decided to leave with Jovan, she knew that they were destined to part ways forever. Coincidentally, he was madly in love with Seraphina. Coincidentally¡­ He had long forgotten about her too. ¡°Sorry for making you wait. How does this taste?¡± Renee handed Jovan the freshly made coffee. ¡°I don¡¯t have to even taste it to even know it¡¯s my favorite!¡± Jovan took the mug and took a sip. ¡°Super sweet!¡± Chapter 1092 Chapter 1092 ¡°You¡¯re like a child.¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but make fun of him. The cousins had very different tastes. Stefan loved pure bitterttes, and yet Jovan loved caramel mhiatos with extra milk and sugar. Under the sunlight, Renee and Jovan continued sitting in the garden quietly, enjoying the rare silence between them. Jovan touched the brim of the coffee mug, the warmth creeping up his fingers. After that, he asked in a nonchnt tone, ¡°I heard that he¡¯sing to Banrea with Seraphina for their honeymoon soon¡­¡± Renee was stunned. It took her a few moments before nodding. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°You should go see him if you¡¯d like. I know it must¡¯ve been hard taking care of a useless man like me. If seeing him could make you happier, I support it.¡± Jovan looked rather guilty, He had willingly allowed them to perform the ¡®Bloodletting and Bone Fumigation Therapy¡¯ after all, but he knew that he wasn¡¯t the only one getting punished during this process. His pain was physical, and he could at least find medication for relief. Renee¡¯s pain, however, was emotional. Being depressed for an extended amount of time could cause irreparable damage to the heart and mind. ¡°No need.¡± Renee quickly refused. ¡°And what if I do see him? We¡¯re not fated to be together. I¡¯m just going to bring myself more pain.¡± ¡°What¡­ What if I¡¯m willing to let you go?¡± Jovan said as his chest tightened from the heartache. He was never one to be generous. Some might even say he¡¯s a phony and selfish person. Yet, after meeting Renee, his ¡®curse,¡¯ he was more than willing to risk his life for her, ¡°You might be willing to let me go, but I¡¯m not.¡± Renee hugged him from behind,forting him as if he were a child. ¡°I went to a fortune teller earlier, and they said that we¡¯re soulmates, and we¡¯ll spend the rest of our lives together. So stop acting like you¡¯re trying to push me away. You might just bawl your eyes out if I actually leave.¡± Jovan¡¯s eyes started reddening as he choked on his tears. ¡°I know you¡¯re just saying that to make me feel better, but that was really good!¡± Before, he had never even dreamed that Renee would care for him this much. This was once again indefinite proof that his sacrifice was absolutely worth it. ¡°Actually, I feel like I¡¯ve got everything I wanted and more after receiving such love and care from you. If you really want to leave, I won¡¯t resent you. You don¡¯t have to feel pressured to stay,¡± Jovan said truthfully. ¡°I don¡¯t, I¡­¡± Renee¡¯s eyes were nk, her heart as calm as still water. ¡°Six months ago, I handed Stefan to Murphy and Francine after the surgery. I had them tell him a white lie, saying that I went on a world round trip with you. I never intended to go back to him.¡± ¡°Maybe I am just an insignificant stranger to him now or a liar who broke her promise. He forgot about me anyway, and he found a woman he truly loves. So what can a short visit even change at this point?¡± Jovan clenched his fists silently, filled with guilt towards Renee. He could never bring himself to tell her that he was the reason Stefan even forgot about her. He didn¡¯t choose to forget her at all. ¡®If Renee found out about this one day, she probably won¡¯t ever forgive me¡­¡¯ A few dayster, the refrigerator was about to run out of food. ¡°I¡¯ll go buy some groceries downtown. Our neighbor will apany you for now, okay?¡± After giving Jovan a few reminders, Renee grabbed a tote bag and went out, cycling through the morning. The small town of Banrea was rtively deste, so the farmer¡¯s market was small as well. However, its residents were still rather sessful at keeping it clean and tidy. Many creative stalls were set up around the area as well. After buying some fruits and vegetables, Renee ordered a cup of hot tea and intended to walk around the market for a while.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1093 Chapter 1093 The market was quite small, spanning only a few hundred meters. A variety of products were on disy, ranging from fresh produce to clothing and handmade essories. Renee approached a pottery stall that featured mugs and tes in all shapes and sizes. The earthenware seemed to be made of ceramic, and on each were detailed and beautiful vintage patterns. She instantly had eyes on a white mug. There wasn¡¯t anyplicated design on it, save for a faint ck ombre design that covered the bottom half. When looked at on the whole, the mug looked like the Yin and Yang symbol. ¡°Mister, this mug looks interesting!¡± Renee pointed towards it and eximed. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°You have great taste, youngdy!¡± Although the vendor was a foreign man, he was a heritage enthusiast. Seeing how Renee had a good eye on his products, he started exining away. ¡°This cup¡¯s design is actually quite intricate. There¡¯s this thing called Taichi in the great Aeos far, far away from us¡­ a rather mystical concept. It exins everything that exists in our world. Seeing how there¡¯s both white and ck on this mug, it looks as if the colors are separated, but in reality, they are mixed together. They contrast greatly but attract each other regardless.¡± ¡°Neither color can overpower the other, nor can they leave each other.¡± ¡°Taichi¡­¡± Renee fell into deep thought as she stared at the mug. She somehow thought of her past rtionship with Stefan. Despite beingplete opposites, they still couldn¡¯t suppress the mutual attraction they felt. Just as she was about to have the vendor hand her the mug, a cold voice came from above her head. ¡°I¡¯m buying this mug.¡± Renee narrowed her eyes, turning around with a scowl. ¡°What gives? I had eyes on it first!¡± With a swift turn, her eyes were met with the man¡¯s intimidating gaze. It was then that she felt her soul leave her body, and she froze up on the spot. Her mind drew nks, her body stiffened, and she was simply unable to utter a single word. Stefan was a whole foot taller than Renee. Like arge mountain, he radiated a suffocating aura. Behind him was the warm sunlight,plementing his brilliance and ethereal looks. ¡°But I was the one who paid first.¡± Stefan ced a stack of cash on the counter as he stared at Renee with his usual arrogant eyes. Renee was still in disbelief. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she must be hallucinating. The man before her was, in fact, Stefan, the one who she hadn¡¯t seen in six months. The man¡­ who reincarnated. He seemed much more dashing from when they parted. Moreover, it was likely because he had received a cornea transnt from Jovan; his eyes looked cold yet nonchnt at the same time. Although Banrea wasn¡¯t arge town, she had never expected that they¡¯d bump into each other in such a quiet marketce. Stefan, on the other hand, had long forgotten Renee¡¯s appearance. He had even forced himself to forget how her voice sounded. Hence, in his perspective, the petite woman in front of him was merely a stranger of the same race. Since Renee wasn¡¯t reacting much, he didn¡¯t want to pay any more attention to her either. He turned to the vendor and said, ¡°Please hand me the cup now. My fiance is still waiting for me.¡± ¡®Seraphina is a woman of great taste, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love this mug as a gift.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry, thisdy had her eyes on it first. I can¡¯t sell it to you.¡± The vendor returned Stefan his thick stack of cash and brought the mug to Renee with a smile. ¡°I hope this mug can brighten your day, youngdy.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t need it! You can just give it to him!¡± Renee backed away like a coward and quickly rushed out of the marketce. She had never expected to see Stefan again. Thinking back to their past and the deal she made with the skies, she viewed herself as a monster. She would only be safe as long as she stayed away from him. ¡®Just look at his current life now that I¡¯ve left. It¡¯s amazing. Not only has he brought H Group to new heights, but he also got his happy ending as well. I could never give him the bliss that his expression so clearly shows¡­¡¯ Chapter 1094 Chapter 1094 Stefan pondered deeply as he watched the slender woman run off. ¡®Why does this stranger¡­ feel so familiar to me?¡¯ ¡°Do you know each other?¡± The vendor wrapped the mug up nicely and handed it to Stefan, seemingly curious. ¡°No.¡± Stefan shook his head with absolute certainty. ¡°Why do I feel like you two have known each other for quite a long time? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve had an interesting past with each other.¡± The vendor smiled mysteriously. ¡°Why do you say this? Do you know her?¡± Stefan turned around and stared at the vendor curiously. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Everyone in this town knows Joan. She¡¯s a very strong woman¡­¡± The vendor looked heartbroken as he was reminded of the first time he met Renee. That day, Banrea was struck by a heavy downpour. On the bumpy roads of the town, she was pushing a man in a wheelchair, desperately asking for help as she was drenched in the rain. It seemed that their car had broken down, and she desperately needed someone to give them a ride. It was simply unforgettable to see a woman like her taking care of a crippled, blind man. ¡°What then?¡± Stefan was intrigued, hoping that the vendor could continue exining. Just then, Seraphina ran over to him from the other side of the marketce. ¡°Oh darling, where did you run off to? I¡¯ve been looking all over for you?¡± She leaped into the man¡¯s embrace like a spoiled little princess, interlocking her arms with his. ¡°There¡¯s this famous cafe up ahead. Let¡¯s go! Come try it out with me!¡± ¡°I bought you a mug.¡± Stefan handed the ck and white mug to her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were a clean freak? You can use this mug for coffee.¡± ¡°Oh my god! It¡¯s so pretty! I love it so much. You¡¯re the best!¡± Seraphina hugged and kissed him repeatedly. She appeared as though she was about to melt from all this sweetness. The past six months were pure bliss, so much so that it almost seemed unreal. The man no longer mentioned Renee, not even once, and focused his attention entirely on her. It was as if that woman never existed to him. Seraphina prayed day and night that that was it, that their story ended there. At the very least, she really hoped that the woman had vanished from the face of Earth. ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Stefan caressed her hair with a loving smile, heading towards the cafe she previously mentioned. He was no longer interested in listening to the vendor¡¯s story. After all¡­ that woman was just a stranger to him, and there was little need to put that much focus on her. In a hidden corner of the marketce, Renee hid herself behind a wall, watching the man leave with a longing gaze, her eyes filled with tears as she sobbed quietly. ¡®This is great, Stefan. You finally returned as that great man again. It¡¯s like you rose up as the perfect phoenix after experiencing hell¡­¡¯ ¡®I really hope you¡¯re happy, Stefan Hunt! Always!¡¯ Chapter 1095 Chapter 1095 Renee took the bus back to her little wooden house at the foot of the mountain. Her neighbor, Mr. Jones, came running out with a panicked expression. ¡°Joan, you¡¯re finally back! Please check on Van right now. Something¡¯s happened to him!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Renee narrowed her eyes and quickly got out of the bus, rushing into her home. As she hastily picked up her pace, she identally tripped and fell, scraping her knee and throwing the groceries in the bag all over the ground. ¡°I was just going to get some juice, but Van just climbed up a cherry tree for some reason! He ended up falling, and now he¡¯s unconscious!¡± Jones exined the situation as he ran with Renee. Apart from the rows and rows of sunflowers, there was a tall cherry tree in their garden as well. Since it was summer and cherries were in season, the tree was brimming withrge, juicy fruits. Renee had been eyeing the cherries for quite a while, but the tree was just far too tall to climb, which made harvesting quite a difficult task. Hence, she had prepared to borrow adder from Jones. However¡­ Jovan seemed to have overheard her and tried to fulfill her wish on his own. ¡°Jovan!¡± The woman noticed the man right under the tree, his hands still clutching onto a fewrge, bright red cherries. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s broken any bones, so I didn¡¯t dare to move him. Don¡¯t worry, Joan, I¡¯ve already called an ambnce.¡± Jones patted Renee on her shoulder andforted her. The townspeople had paid extra attention to the couple ever since they moved in six months ago. That was was simply unimaginable for the fragile-looking woman to take care of the disabled man all on her own. Thus, everyone was more than happy to lend them a hand whenever they needed it. ¡°Jovan¡­¡± Renee¡¯s eyes widened as she held his hand, ming herself. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should¡¯ve brought you to the market with me. I was too careless.¡± The ambnce arrived a short whileter. After treating Jovan¡¯s wounds, they immediately ced him on a stretcher and drove towards the town hospital. Naturally, Renee followed along as well. As the check-up concluded, the doctor diagnosed Jovan with a lower back injury, and he was required to stay in bed for two weeks. Moreover, he had fainted due to anemia, which made his body exceedingly weak. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Renee stared at the thick report on Jovan¡¯s condition, only to find her legs going weak from regret. The weight of this guilt was slowly consuming her soul. She had never expected the price for Stefan¡¯splete recovery to be this high, as it had basically ravaged Jovan¡¯s life. ¡®If I knew the consequences would be so severe, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to that surgery at all!¡¯ Just then, a loudmotion could be heard from the main hall. ¡°Doctors, please! Someone save my fiance!¡± Renee found the voice rather familiar and turned around. As expected, it was Stefan, and in his arms was Seraphina, who was drenched in blood. She felt her heart sink to the bottom of the ocean. ¡®What happened?! They were just happily having coffee in that cafe a while ago! How did things take such a horrible turn?!¡¯ ¡°Make way! Make way!¡± The medics looked panicked as well, yelling loudly as they pushed Seraphina into the emergency room. With that, the entire group of people disappeared from Renee¡¯s field of vision as if they had never shown up before. ¡®This is such a coincidence¡­¡¯ Renee took a long while to snap back to reality, wondering if she was hallucinating earlier. She didn¡¯t intend to get to the bottom of this either, so she headed to a nearby store to buy some stuff for Jovan during his hospitalization. This included two new sets of fresh clothes, some cutlery, a mug, a small cake, and a bouquet of flowers. As Jovan had received a full bag of fluid, he had regained consciousness as well. He seemed to be rather anxious, begging to be let go. However, his entire body was constricted to the bed, and he could only lie still. ¡°Where is this?! Who are you people?! Let me go! Let me out of here!¡± Jovan screamed as he punched the edge of the bed, his voice filled with despair as veins popped on his forehead. Chapter 1096 Chapter 1096 As a blind person, the scariest thing that could happen was a change in environment, not the fact that he couldn¡¯t see. The little wooden house had always been his shell for the past six months, and hiding within this shell brought him a sense of safety andfort. ¡°Please calm down, sir. You have injured your back. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll have to be hospitalized for a short period of time. Don¡¯t worry. We will make sure to take good care of you,¡± The nurse consoled him patiently. Despite this, Jovan flung his arms like he was in a manic episode and yelled, ¡°Get lost! I don¡¯t need your care! Get lost right now!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s my guardian!? Where is she?! I only want her!¡± The man¡¯s voice was filled with anger and desperation as if he was a child, worried that he had just been abandoned. The nurse frowned sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I don¡¯t know where your guardian is, either. You were alone in this ward when I came.¡± Jovan¡¯s face turned pale as a sheet, and he begged the nurse, ¡°I¡¯ll pay you to send me home! I¡¯ll pay you however much you want! She¡¯d be worried if I wasn¡¯t home! Please!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ We can¡¯t do that, sir. Do you perhaps have her number? Why don¡¯t I give her a call instead?¡± ¡°Alright, her number is¡­¡± Just as Jovan was about to say Renee¡¯s number, he suddenly realized something and fell silent. ¡°Sir? Her number is¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to call her,¡± Jovan said as his frustrations suddenly died down. If she had really wanted to ditch him, there was no use in asking for her toe back. He would certainly not me her for leaving, as he was content that they got to spend those past six months together, along with all the love and care she provided him. Suddenly, Renee pushed open the door to the ward, letting out a sigh of relief as soon as she saw him. ¡°Thank the gods. You¡¯re finally awake! You scared me to death!¡± Jovan¡¯s handsome face brightened immediately after he heard her voice. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°You¡­ You didn¡¯t leave? You weren¡¯t thinking of abandoning me?¡± Renee froze, then chuckled. ¡°Silly, do you really think I¡¯m that type of person? If I really wanted to abandon you, I would¡¯ve done so long ago!¡± She then held his hand and teased him. ¡°I haven¡¯t even given you a lecture! How could you climb that tree when you¡¯re blind? If I came home anyter, would you have wanted to climb the roof instead?!¡± ¡°I just wanted to pick some cherries for you because I heard you wanted some. You could eat them once youe home from the marketce.¡± ¡°I can pick them if I want to eat them that badly. Your main mission here is to take care of yourself.¡± Renee was touched, but she wasn¡¯t used to saying melodramatic words. ¡°Yeah, a burden like me should just stay put and not give you trouble¡­¡± Joavn said weakly. Although he had always been wasting his life away and cared for nothing in his life in the past, the man had never felt so useless before. ¡°Atta boy!¡± Renee patted him on the head and stood up, bringing over the small piece of cake she bought. ¡°Are you in a bad mood? I bought something good for you, okay? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel much better once you¡¯ve had some!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Renee scooped up some cake and fed it to Jovan. ¡°It¡¯s yummy.¡± Jovan was thoroughlyforted as if he really was a child. Desserts were truly the key to happiness. Next to them was the nurse from earlier. She was simply touched and envious of their rtionship as she thought, ¡®This really is¡­ true love!¡¯ Chapter 1097 Chapter 1097 Jovan finally fell asleep shortly after, with a faint and sweet smile stered on his face. Like an actual child, he treated Renee as the center of his life. When Renee was around, everything was sunshine and rainbows. Even the air tasted sweet to him. However, on the contrary, it felt as if the world was ending once she left his side. He wouldn¡¯t even have the will to live on without her. He knew that it was absolutely insane to feel this way, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Her presence was far too addictive. Renee silently watched the man sleep and sighed. She would be lying if she said she wasn¡¯t tired. In fact, she was both physically and mentally exhausted. Jovan had always been a madman, and his methods were rather extreme. Back then, he had always been an ¡®all-or-nothing¡¯ guy and loved creating chaos in any situation. Yet now, he was as tame as a little kitten. He was no longer reckless or arrogant and had ced her on a pedestal. It was as if he hadpletely turned into a different person. However, this shift only made Renee feel more guilty. She found him far too pitiful, as he couldn¡¯t act as freely as he used to. It was painful to watch him being so careful with life. All of this was her fault. She was then reminded that she had bumped into Stefan earlier that morning, which made her oddly frustrated and annoyed. ¡®Why is this man walking straight into my peaceful life again? We¡¯re not even supposed to see each other again! Why is he messing with my heart!¡¯ ¡®But¡­ It¡¯s my fault for not moving onpletely¡­ I¡¯m such a despicable person!¡¯ The woman soon left the ward and arrived at a dark stairway before lighting a cigarette. The sparks of mes flickered in the pitch darkness, along with the thinyer of smoke painting the air. The smell of nicotine helped her rx. For the past six months, she started smoking as she struggled with her mental health. She knew it was a bad habit and would harm her health, but she simply couldn¡¯t help herself. Just as with her feelings, she just couldn¡¯t stop these disastrous emotions from arising, despite knowing that she shouldn¡¯t. Just then, two nurses appeared in the same stairway, making idle chit-chat as they lit their own cigarettes as well. ¡°Hey, have you heard? That woman we just admitted is Seraphina Murphy, the eldest daughter of the Murphys! And that man who brought her here is the famous CEO of H Group, Stefan Hunt!¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh my god, you mean the legendary Stefan Hunt? He looks so cool! And he¡¯s such a great boyfriend!¡± ¡°Right? I heard Miss Murphy got into a car crash because she was trying to get a mug¡­¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, just how precious is that mug? Why would the richdy risk her life just to get it?¡± ¡°Who knows? Maybe it has some sort of special meaning¡­ like a gift out of love?¡± At the bottom of the staircase, Renee could hear their entire conversation. Her chest tightened as curiosity attacked her mind, so she asked, ¡°How is that patient? Is she alright?¡± The nurses jumped in surprise as soon as they heard someone suddenly speak. They couldn¡¯t see the woman properly, but one of them responded truthfully, ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re not sure yet. Do you know Miss Murphy too?¡± ¡°No, I¡­ I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just curious.¡± Renee quickly denied. ¡°Are you blind? It¡¯s Joan. Everyone in our hospital knows that she¡¯s been closely taking care of Van for the longest time. How would she ever know who Miss Murphy is?¡± The other nurse chimed in. Chapter 1098 Chapter 1098 ¡°Oh, yeah, it¡¯s you, Joan! I can finally see properly. Hey old friend!¡± The two were especially friendly with her. Nearly everyone in the hospital knew who Renee was, as she had been frequenting the ce with Jovan for his medical treatments and checkups. Hence, all of them were familiar with each other by now. The woman then continued to talk to them for a bit. With that, not only did she find out where Seraphina¡¯s surgery was ongoing, she even found out which hotel they were currently staying at in the town. ¡°I¡¯m going to check up on Van now. Bye, guys!¡± Renee nodded softly at the nurses and left the stairway once she was done smoking. Initially, she was going to head back to Jovan¡¯s ward, but her body walked toward the operating rooms unconsciously. She hid around the corner, peeking out of the wall carefully. She quickly noticed Stefan, who was standing by the doors. He was still wearing the casual white dress shirt she had seen in the morning. However, it was now drenched in blood, as were his hands. It was obvious that he had been standing guard the entire time, sparing no time to clean himself up. She could tell that he was quite concerned about Seraphina, seeing how he was pacing back and forth with a tense expression. It had likely been six hours since he brought Seraphina to the hospital. This meant he hadn¡¯t rested or consumed anything for the past few hours¡­ ¡®This guy! He only recovered six months ago, and now he¡¯s endangering his health again! Damn it, I¡¯m worried for him!¡¯ Renee pondered as she bit down on her lip and headed downstairs to a nearby restaurant she frequented. She then decided to buy a serving of seafood dumplings. From what she remembered, despite not liking Aeos cuisine, Stefan was rather fond of dumplings, especially seafood ones. She believed he would gain an appetite as soon as he smelt those. Stefan was still panicking in front of the operating rooms. Time crawled by, and until midnight, there was still no news on Seraphina¡¯s condition. ¡°Damn it! This is all my fault! This is my fault!¡± If he hadn¡¯t bought that mug for Seraphina, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up in a car crash. This was supposed to be a lovely honeymoon, as they had already chosen the most romantic city for their grand wedding. Unexpectedly, they were met with an ident at their very first stop. He couldn¡¯t possibly imagine what he would do if something bad were to happen to Seraphina. He wouldn¡¯t know what to tell her parents at all. ¡®Seraphina had been through so many hard times with me. I can¡¯t lose her!¡¯ Just then, a nurse came over and gently patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Hunt, the surgery is going to take a while. I noticed you have been waiting a long time, and you must be hungry. Here are some dumplings.¡± Stefan turned around and stared at the bowl of dumplings, his heart warming up at the sight. Receiving traditional food in a foreign country during such a dark time was rather meaningful.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Thank you. Did you make this?¡± Despite Stefan¡¯s cold nature, he couldn¡¯t possibly maintain his hostility when faced with such kindness. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± The nurse looked rather uneasy, replying. ¡°Our hospital provides these for¡­ our Aeos patients, and it¡¯s our hope that you can taste something from home and rx a little.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Stefan took the dumplings and opened the lid without hesitation. He then quickly scarfed them down, as he was indeed feeling rather famished at the time. ¡°It tastes great.¡± The man nodded, a lump forming in his throat. This bowl of dumplings had truly hit him right where he was weak. As he remembered, he had never told anyone that the only Aeos dish he liked were dumplings, specifically seafood dumplings. Yet the hospital here was providing him with his very favorite. ¡®I guess¡­ This world is very kind¡­¡¯ Chapter 1099 Chapter 1099 Watching as Stefan happily finished the dumplings, Renee started smiling behind the wall around the corner as well. ¡®That¡¯s right! Good food always helps to melt your worries away!¡¯ A couple of hourster, the doors to the operating room finally swung open. As the doctors exited, Stefan immediately approached them nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s still alive, but her back and legs are severely injured. The patient will be required to stay in bed for a while,¡± the doctor spoke up. ¡°As her guardian, you¡¯ll have to take care of her during this period of time.¡± ¡°Thank goodness she¡¯s okay.¡± Stefan let out a sigh of relief as a weight instantly got lifted off his chest. Renee, who was still standing in the corner, gulped. ¡®What? Murphy hurt her back too?! This is such a coincidence!¡¯ Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Moreover, she had no clue that all the orthopedic wards were on the same floor, which meant that¡­ Jovan and Seraphina¡¯s rooms would be near. ¡®That means we¡¯re going to bump into each other no matter what?!¡¯ Renee didn¡¯t wish for any awkward situations to happen, so she tried her best to arrive early and leave late, staying by Jovan¡¯s side as much as possible. If she had anything she absolutely needed, she would ask the nurses for help instead. With that, three days passed. Though she¡¯d put in all that effort to avoid him, the two never bumped into each other. Being the considerate fiance he was, Stefan was peeling an apple for Seraphina. Despite the pain inflicted by the injuries, the woman found his actions very sweet. A nurse happened toe by to change her IV drip, and when she saw the affectionate sight, she sighed in envy. ¡°Mr. Hunt sure does treat Miss Murphy well. Are you people from Aeos always that sweet when ites to love?¡± Seraphina smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t love supposed to be sweet? What does it have to do with race?¡± The nurse exined. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right, but that¡¯s because we¡¯ve seen another loving couple from Aeos as well. That¡¯s why it made such an impression on us¡­¡± ¡°In our town, this couple had always been known as the standard. Their names are Joan and Van. Their story is quite touching, actually. Van is handsome but disabled and blind. And Joan had always taken great care of him, swearing to never leave his side. It always brings tears to our eyes when we mention them. ¡°Coincidentally, Van got injured and was admitted to our hospital. Joan even bought him some cake and fed it to him just to make him feel better. Our male staff was green with envy. They all wished they could have a girlfriend like Joan too.¡± The nurse continued speaking, her expression filled with loving hope. ¡°They¡¯re the standard?¡± Seraphina was intrigued. ¡°If they¡¯re from Aeos too, we might just be friends!¡± ¡°Joan?¡± The man¡¯s memory had always been strong, and was able to remember that this was the name that belonged to the woman he met in the marketce. He couldn¡¯t help but feel as though his heart was longing for something. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know her?¡± Seraphina was sharp enough to notice the man¡¯s attitude change, asking carefully. ¡°No.¡± Stefan shook his head. ¡°I just think the name is interesting.¡± ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t go running around to other girls while I¡¯m bedridden! You¡¯re stuck with me forever now!¡± Seraphina whined to the man with a sweet voice. ¡°Say, if I end up disabled and blind one day, would you take care of me or abandon me?¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t abandon you, you silly thing. I¡¯d take care of everything for you like a little baby. After all, you didn¡¯t abandon me during my darkest times.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yeah!¡± Seraphina replied with a guilty expression. She knew that their rtionship was based on mere lies, rendering her rather insecure the entire time. As noon approached, the nurse brought a warm bowl of delicious seafood dumplings. These days, the dumplings had always arrived either in the afternoon or evening, as if they were specifically scheduled to be delivered to him. Chapter 1100 Chapter 1100 ¡°Mr. Hunt, here are your dumplings. Have some while they¡¯re still warm!¡± The nurse then ced the bowl down on the table. ¡°Thanks.¡± Stefan nodded, feeling as if he was about to drool at any moment. Habits were indeed quite an odd tendency, as the man soon got used to eating them, despite only having them for four days. Sensing a threat, Seraphina shot the nurse a dirty re. She asked coldly, ¡°Where did these dumplings come from? Isn¡¯t it Aeos cuisine? Can I have some too?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ No!¡± The nurse refused without any hesitation. After all, Joan had specially bought these dumplings for Stefan. She couldn¡¯t possibly make another bowl. ¡°Why not? Could it be that you¡¯ve been personally making these for my fiance? Aren¡¯t you being a little too considerate then?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡­¡± The nurse felt awkward and failed to exin herself. Stefan quickly came to the nurse¡¯s defense. ¡°You¡¯re still recovering, and seafood is prohibited.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Eating seafood may affect wound recovery, which might leave scars on your skin.¡± The nurse let out a sigh of relief, amazed by Stefan¡¯s quick thinking. ¡°Sure, I won¡¯t eat it, but can you tell me where these dumplings came from?¡± Seraphina insisted, adamant about getting to the bottom of this. Nowadays, any woman in Stefan¡¯s life could potentially pose a threat to their rtionship, so she had to be careful to not let them get their way with him. ¡°Our food court provides these for our Aeos patients.¡± The nurse said stiffly, not ustomed to lying. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yeah!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d like a portion of these seafood dumplings now. I can at least smell it if I can¡¯t eat it, right?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­ uhm¡­¡± Seeing how Seraphina was clearly giving the nurse a hard time, Stefan spoke up with his deep voice. ¡°Alright, alright, stop messing with the girl. She¡¯s been putting a lot of effort into caring for you too.¡± He then turned to the nurse and said, ¡°You are dismissed. I can handle her.¡± After the nurse left, Seraphina was so furious that she turned her head away from him. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Stefanforted her patiently. ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me over some dumplings, are you? I can always stop if you don¡¯t like me eating them.¡± ¡°Not that! I just think¡­ that nurse is trying to seduce you!¡± Seraphina pouted and huffed. Stefan found this rather ridiculous. ¡°How is she trying to seduce me?¡± ¡°These dumplings smell traditional, so there¡¯s no way it came from a hospital food court, let alone one in a foreign country! There are barely any Aeos people here; how could they possibly make something like this for you?¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So it¡¯s very possible that she¡¯s trying to seduce you and made this for you personally. As many people have said, the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach! Just look at how much you¡¯re enjoying them!¡± ¡°Haha, Seraphina, you¡¯re overthinking. They¡¯re just dumplings. How could they possibly rece you?¡± Despiteforting her, Stefan couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡®Are these dumplings really from unknown sources?¡¯ Chapter 1101 Chapter 1101 Still doubtful, Stefan intentionally headed to the hospital food court during dinner. ¡°I¡¯d like some seafood dumplings,¡± he said to the staff through the window. The staff was immediately confused upon hearing his order. ¡°Do you guys not have seafood dumplings?¡± Stefan asked again, emphasizing his words this time. ¡°No.¡± The staff red at him as if he were a fool, pointing to the menu. ¡°Everything¡¯s on the menu. Order anything you want.¡± Scanning through the piece ofminated paper, Stefan realized that it was, in fact, filled with foreign cuisine. There wasn¡¯t a single dish originating from Aeos, let alone seafood dumplings. ¡®So that nurse was lying?¡¯ Stefan returned to the main hospital building and found the nurse who delivered those dumplings to him every day. ¡°I think we need to talk.¡± The nurse¡¯s expression stiffened anxiously. ¡°Mr. Hunt, what¡­ what would you like to talk about?¡± ¡°You know why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything at all.¡± The nurse shook her head, pretending to not understand. She knew exactly what Stefan wanted to talk about; he clearly wanted to know who had been giving him those dumplings. However, she had promised Joan that she would take this secret to the grave. She took a divine vow, and ¡­ she couldn¡¯t possibly tell him the truth.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°C¡¯mon, be straight with me. Where did those dumplingse from? I¡¯ll give you a handsome reward.¡± Stefan ced his hands in his pockets, speaking nonchntly as if negotiating a deal. ¡°No way!¡± The nurse shook her head. ¡°I swore to God that I won¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! Just donate some money to Him. I¡¯m sure He¡¯ll forgive you.¡± ¡°Oh! What sphemy! Please stop asking! I can¡¯t tell you.¡± The nurse quickly ran off after saying a prayer. She then found Renee, who was smoking underneath the stairwell. The nurse panicked as she said, ¡°Hey, I finally found you! I¡¯m so sorry, but I can¡¯t help you anymore!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Renee calmly breathes out a beautiful swirl of smoke. ¡°Mr. Hunt and Miss Murphy are starting to feel suspicious about your dumplings, especially Miss Murphy! She thinks I made them for Mr. Hunt to seduce him! So you have to either tell them the truth or stop sending him those dumplings,¡± the nurse sincerely advised. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s stop.¡± Renee epted this nonchntly. Since Seraphina was out of danger, the man shouldn¡¯t be so anxious that he wouldn¡¯t eat or sleep. Hence, the dumplings weren¡¯t required in his current situation anymore. ¡°By the way, Joan¡­ Do you know them? What¡¯s your rtionship with them? Don¡¯t tell me you have a crush on Mr. Hunt?¡± The nurse couldn¡¯t help but pry. ¡°No way!¡± Renee quickly denied. ¡°I just thought he looked very pitiful when he couldn¡¯t eat or sleep because his fiance got into an ident. Since we¡¯re from Aeos, I intended to give him a taste of home, to increase his appetite, you know?¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The nurse nodded gently. ¡°Right, what would Van do if you had a crush on him? Mr. Hunt has everything, but Van only has you. He¡¯d be devastated if you leave.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t be leaving him.¡± Renee smiled softly as if trying to convince both the nurse and herself. ¡°I have to go see Van now, or he might throw another tantrum.¡± Chapter 1102 Chapter 1102 Renee then stood up and stubbed out her cigarette, her slender figure disappearing into the dark¡­ Stefan, on the other hand, waited for an entire day but never received the bowl of dumplings he longed for. He was still able to endure the wait when he realized that the dumplings hadn¡¯t arrived in the afternoon. However, as supper time arrived, he just couldn¡¯t believe that none had been delivered to him. The man was losing patience. ¡°What happened? Why are there no dumplings today?¡± Stefan stopped and questioned the patrolling nurse while Seraphina was resting. ¡°W¡­ Well¡­¡± The nurse rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. ¡°They stopped serving it. Why don¡¯t you check out our other offerings, Mr. Hunt? We have steak, hamburgers, spaghetti¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want any of that. I just want dumplings, seafood dumplings.¡± Stefanpletely shed his image as a CEO and started demanding for his food like a child. The nurse was speechless. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t eaten for the whole day.¡± ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve been waiting for the entire day! I¡¯m starving!¡± Stefan confessed. After all, if he couldn¡¯t have his favorite dish, other foods could never be substitutes¡­ And he was not a man who would settle for second. ¡°Then, hold on, I¡¯ll go ask the food court for you.¡± The nurse agreed for now, worried that the stubborn man might put his health at risk. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting. Remember, my life is in your hands,¡± Stefan said with a serious face. As he had finally headed back into Seraphina¡¯s ward, the nurse sighed in relief and rushed to Jovan¡¯s ward, which was on the same floor. ¡°Joan, can youe out for a bit? I have something I need to discuss.¡± The nurse stood at the doorway and gestured towards her. Renee had just finished massaging Jovan at the time, so she turned to him and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. You should get some rest.¡± ¡°Mhm, good night, my dear,¡± Jovan replied sweetly and happily went to bed. Renee walked out and closed the door behind her, looking towards the nurse in confusion. ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°What else? It¡¯s the seafood dumplings again!¡± The nurse made a diss at how childish Stefan seemed, then shrugged. ¡°What do we do now? Mr. Hunt is a grown man, but he¡¯s threatening me with starvation! Should we give it to him?¡± ¡°Has he really not eaten the whole day?¡± ¡°Yeah! Not just that, he hasn¡¯t even had a single drop of water!¡± ¡°Ugh! He¡¯s so childish!¡± Renee couldn¡¯t help but wish she could scream curses at the man¡¯s face. ¡®If I knew that he would be so ungrateful about it, I would¡¯ve just left him to starve in the first ce!¡¯ Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. After a few moments of pondering, she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to ignore him. ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll get some for him. And tell him this is thest time. He¡¯s not getting any more even if he starves himself!¡± She huffed in anger. After that, Renee ran through the dark streets and arrived at the restaurant nearby. Normally, restaurants didn¡¯t operate during that hour, especially not sote at night. Hence, she wasn¡¯t quite sure if the Aeos restaurant was still open. After ten minutes or so, she reached the restaurant and noticed the storekeeper cleaning up and was about to close the store. ¡°Miss! Please wait!¡± Renee panted. ¡°I want a bowl of seafood dumplings.¡± ¡°Joan, why are you sote? We¡¯re just about to close up,¡± The storekeeper said regretfully as she greeted her regr customer. Chapter 1103 Chapter 1103 ¡°You can still make one more, right? Please, Miss, just this once!¡± Renee begged with sincerity. ¡°You cane back tomorrow. It¡¯s just some dumplings. People won¡¯t die just from not having one, right?¡± ¡°No, no, someone might really die without those dumplings¡­ Basically, it¡¯s super important, so please make one more! I¡¯m a regr, aren¡¯t I? You wouldn¡¯t let me go back empty-handed, would you?¡± ¡°Oh, you, alright, alright! Come on!¡± The storekeeper shook her head helplessly and opened up her kitchen again just to fulfill Renee¡¯s request. In actuality, the storekeeper wasn¡¯t the only one who cared for Renee. The entire town loved her and would do anything to help her out. Naturally, they sympathized with her because she had to take care of a disabled man, despite her fragile figure. However, she managed to win them over with her sincere and adorable nature, along with her diligence. She had always helped many elderly who lived alone with technology, so everyone thought of her as a lovelypanion. This is from N?velDrama.Org. As the storekeeper started wrapping the dumplings, she made some small talk with Renee. ¡°Who¡¯s this person dying over dumplings? It¡¯s not Van, is it? I remember he doesn¡¯t like carbs, though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not him.¡± Renee helped out with wrapping the dumplings as well, swiftly cing the filling into a dumpling skin and pressing the edges together. ¡°Not him?!¡± The storekeeper froze, and her tendency to gossip was piqued. ¡°My my, did I find out some kind of big secret? These dumplings aren¡¯t for Van, but someone else?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ for an old friend I knew back in my hometown,¡± Renee said mysteriously. ¡°Then this old friend must be quite important to you. You bought so many dumplings every day without fail. And now you¡¯re begging me to make another despite it being sote! Why do I feel like¡­ they¡¯re more important to you than Van?¡± ¡°Haha, why would you ever think that, Miss? You know me and Van are the model couple in the town. Are you doubting our rtionship?¡± Renee jokingly quipped. To the public, they would always present themselves as lovers, which was why many thought they were deeply in love and were quite envious of their rtionship. However, behind closed doors, they seemed more like lonelypanions, merely living on for their purest desires. ¡°That¡¯s because Van only seems like a responsibility to you. I can tell you¡¯re tired. However, your feelings towards this person¡­ feels more like genuine love, as you¡¯re very passionate about their well- being.¡± The storekeeper replied straightforwardly. Renee was stunned to hear this. After a moment of silence, she tried to justify herself by speaking philosophically. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t the purest form of love¡­ responsibility?¡± Soon, the dumplings were done cooking, with their amazing fragrance permeating through the air. This time, most of them were wrapped by Renee herself as well. Although they didn¡¯t look as good, she found it rather meaningful. The storekeeper put the dumplings in a small container and handed it to Renee. Just as she was about to pay, the storekeeper refused. ¡°Joan, you made these dumplings yourself, so I¡¯m not taking any of your money. I just hope these dumplings will bring you a smile, a genuine smile.¡± The storekeeper patted Renee on the shoulder, her words strangely cryptic. ¡®That child is so young, and yet she has been carrying so much responsibility on her shoulders¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve only started seeing a blissful expression on her facetely; perhaps that¡¯s what these dumplings truly mean to her.¡¯ Chapter 1104 Chapter 1104 Renee walked out of the restaurant with the dumplings. On the way back to the hospital, she took a small whiff, which brought a faint smile to her face. Just as she lifted her gaze, she noticed the man before her, who seemed to have been waiting for quite some time. ¡°You¡­¡± The woman felt as if she waspletely stunned, freezing on the spot. ¡°So you¡¯ve been the one sending those dumplings all along?¡± Stefan stood a few feet away, staring at her with surprise and confusion. ¡°I¡­ I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Renee stuttered, trying her best to deny everything. ¡°Stop denying. The nurse told me everything¡­¡± Stefan walked towards the woman, looming over her as he questioned. ¡°So, what¡¯s your purpose for doing all this?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Seeing how she couldn¡¯t talk out of this, Renee spoke truthfully. ¡°What else could it be? I was just worried that you¡¯d starve! ¡°Why would that matter to you? Do we know each other?¡± Huffing coldly, Stefan seemed alerted. ¡°Or is it because you know I have power and status, and you¡¯re doing all this to get closer to me?¡± Renee rolled her eyes. ¡®When did this guy be so narcissistic and thick-skinned? Is it really because he received transnts from Jovan?¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s say I did it to seduce you. Have I seeded then?¡± Renee raised an eyebrow, and asked with a charming smirk. ¡®If he wants to treat me as the kind of woman with impure intentions, then so be it. This is the only way he will lose interest in mepletely. Then, he won¡¯t question me anymore.¡¯ ¡°Really now? Then try again, seduce me,¡± Stefan said expressionlessly. Renee continued smirking, cing her slender fingers on his chin. She then spoke in a slow and seductive manner, ¡°Well, I know you¡¯re a CEO, and you¡¯re rich. I never found a way to get close to you, but I heard from the nurse that your girlfriend ended up in the hospital after an ident. So I figured it was my chance¡­ ¡°People say that the way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach, so I sent you dumplings every day. Once you got used to eating them, you won¡¯t leave me, right?¡± She replied as if she were telling the truth. This was so that Stefan would hate her, and she was rather sessful in achieving this oue. ¡°Get lost!¡± Stefan pushed her away, seemingly disgusted. ¡°I hate maniptive women. You¡¯re nothing compared to my fianc¨¦e, and yet you are still trying to rece her? Why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself?!¡± Renee bit her lips as this was too much pain to bear, but still managed to sh a smile. ¡°You say you hate it, but you look almost intoxicated when eating my dumplings. If I¡¯m a despicable woman, then you¡¯re just a man lying to himself.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Stefan became irritated and snatched the dumplings out of her hands, smashing them to the ground. ¡°I¡¯d rather starve to death than eat a single bite of your stuff!¡± He then left without any hesitation. And with that, their brief encounter after such a long time ended with nothing but heartache and annoyance. Renee was frozen in ce, looking at the scattered dumplings. With a bitter smile, she thought to herself, ¡®Hate me all you want, Stefan, it¡¯s better this way.¡¯ Chapter 1105 Chapter 1105 Since that day, Renee and Stefan never bumped into each other again. It was as if they were two parallel lines that headed in the wrong direction, yet realigned back to their own tracks after briefly intersecting. Stefan stayed by Seraphina¡¯s side, all while dealing with the group¡¯s affairs at the same time. Under Stefan¡¯s efforts, H Group finally survived its crisis over the past six months. They found a new chip partner, with the sales of listed electronic products increasing as well. Thepany¡¯s achievements were unbelievably astounding, to say the least. At the same time, the strongest rival of H Group, Azure Group, which was founded by Renee, had also expanded greatly with the help of KCL Group. Its efficiency was soon ranked among the top three in the industry, nearly surpassing that of H Group. Although the two families were rivals, the twopanies remained out of each other¡¯s hair, directly avoiding any conflict with each other, as if they had been separated by a river for the past six months. In fact, it was also precisely during that time that the families reached an agreement. After all, Renee did not want to bring too much trouble to Stefan or the Hunt family. That day, Stefan was working on some documents on hisputer when suddenly, his assistant, Elijah, requested a video call. ¡°What is it?¡± The man said as he tapped on theputer keyboard, speaking indifferently. ¡°Boss, something happened!¡± Elijah seemed anxious, frowning deeply. ¡°It¡¯s not like the world is ending. Rx.¡± Stefan joked unhurriedly. Having experienced so many challenges, his unchanging personality became more casual and rxed. ¡°Oh, Boss, you¡¯ve be so much funnier after getting better!¡± Elijah pouted. He really couldn¡¯t bring himself tough at the moment. This is from N?velDrama.Org. He had to admit, after the man¡¯s ¡®rebirth,¡¯ he did indeed undergo quite a drastic change. He used to be rather cold and dismissive, but now he seemed more yful, greatly reminding many of Jovan¡¯s initial personality. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Stefan stared at the screen with a cold expression, stopping his work to focus on the worried assistant. ¡°There was a fire in our factory in Namvi. All our uing products were burned to the ground. If we can¡¯t distribute our products by the agreed date, who knows what those suppliers would do?!¡± Elijah couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Initially, he didn¡¯t even want to report this matter to Stefan. After all, the boss had recovered only recently, not to mention he was on his honeymoon. He should naturally be able to rx during these times. Unfortunately, he could no longer handle it all by himself, given how severe the situation had be. He could onlye clean at this point. ¡°The factory burned down?¡± Stefan pulled his eyebrows together, his expression serious. ¡°Looks like this is indeed a tricky matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Boss, it was my negligence that caused this. We¡¯ve been focusing on research and development so much that I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the production line. I thought our production was going fine. Surely nothing would happen, but¡­¡± ¡°Have you sent someone to see the scene? Was it an ident or otherwise?¡± ¡°The board of directors has sent a professional team to investigate for the first time. Their initial findings have apparently found that it wasn¡¯t an ident but rather a deliberate act!¡± Chapter 1106 Chapter 1106 Elijah clenched his fist in anger. ¡°What kind of person would do such a horrible thing?¡± Stefan asked. ¡°From the multiple pieces of evidence, such despicable means could onlye from our old enemy, Carmine Pawnshop. Boss, you must not let them get away this time!¡± ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s them again!¡± Stefan mmed his hand on the table heavily, clearly pissed. ¡°If they like tethering on death¡¯s door so much, then don¡¯t me us for not showing mercy!¡± Stefan was so mad that he nearly exploded, but Renee was feeling theplete opposite. The woman was sitting by the hospital¡¯s artificialke at the time, holding her phone and video calling with her brother, Quinton, along with her two children. ¡°Brother, be honest with me. You may be managing a pawn business, but do you raise pigs as a side job? Why do I feel that Abby and Adie have gained weight?¡± Renee was not exaggerating at all. Many videos of the kids showed that they had indeed grown fat. The siblings were once a dashing prince and a beautiful princess, but now they were rather chubby, which only enhanced their cuteness. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk!¡± Quinton¡¯s face showed no good emotions. ¡°Are you working as a nanny on the side? How long has it been since you started taking care of that Jovan guy? You aren¡¯t even caring for Abby and Adie anymore! What did he ever do to earn your sworn loyalty?¡± The man had been unhappy that she left her business and children behind just to take care of a member of the Hunt family. However, Renee was just too good at coaxing him, so he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything harsh, either. Regardless, he was still rather upset. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Quinton. I know how hard it must¡¯ve been for you to take care of mypany and the kids, but I promise to be back the moment I¡¯m done. How about I start singing you guys some songs to make up for this? One of each?¡± Renee said as she cleared her throat. This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alright, alright, quit messing around!¡± Quinton quickly stopped her. ¡°You know I can¡¯t bear to get mad at you. Is that why you keep messing with me? But I have to say. It¡¯s my job to take care of Azure Group. The more thepany develops, the higher our family will rise. It¡¯s just that¡­ the little ones have been missing you so much that they couldn¡¯t even get a wink of sleep!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Renee seemed very guilty. She then turned towards the children. ¡°Adie, Abby, have you been having fun with Uncle Quinton? Do you me me for not being there with you?¡± ¡°Mommy, you don¡¯t want Abby and Adie anyway! I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore.¡± Aiden had always been quite sensitive as a child, so he had always held a grudge against Renee for not saying goodbye. After saying that, the headstrong little boy ran off and refused toe back, no matter how much Quinton called out to him. Abby was rtively more understanding than Adie, but it was exactly because of her well-behaved nature that Renee found it more difficult to bear. ¡°Abby, are you also very angry with Mommy?¡± Abby shook her head. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m not mad at you. I know you love us a lot, so you must have a good reason. Abby knows you¡¯re sadder than any of us, so please don¡¯t be sad. We¡¯ll be waiting for you to come home.¡± Renee¡¯s eyes reddened as she responded, ¡°Abby, do you remember what Mommy taught you, that we have to repay the kindness that we receive? Let¡¯s just say¡­ Someone sacrificed themselves to save Mommy, and now Mommy has to take care of them because they¡¯re in need of assistance. Do you think I should help them?¡± ¡°Mhm!¡± Abby nodded without hesitation. ¡°Mommy, I understand, don¡¯t worry, and keep repaying that kindness you received. I¡¯ll talk to Adieter, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°Thank you, my baby.¡± Renee was moved to tears. Despite the misfortunes in her life, she was sure that she could ovee it all as long as she had her children with her. Chapter 1107 Chapter 1107 After Stefan ended his conversation with Elijah, he was in a very irritable mood. He switched hisptop off and prepared to go for a walk nearby to rx. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. For the past few days, he had been getting increasingly frustrated withpany matters. It was to the point he even thought of stepping down. However, it was impossible to abdicate the position at this very moment. At present, looking at the entire Hunt family, the only people who were capable of taking up the responsibility of managing the entirepany were he and Jovan. Jovan was now traveling around the world, enjoying life with that ¡®liar.¡¯ Hence, if Stefan were to give up as well, both thepany and the family would be ruined. Reality was indeed rather cruel, as this was a dog-eat-dog world. As the head of the eight families in Beach City, the Hunt family was able to enjoy power and glory, with just as much risk and responsibility to bear. Thus, he wouldn¡¯t dare to stop for a single moment, no matter how tired he felt. Moreover, before he could even stop, the Carmine Pawnshop started to attack once again. He just couldn¡¯t imagine what would happen if the day he decided to give up arrived¡­ ¡°The Carmine Pawnshop¡­¡± The man stood at the edge of the wideke, his thin lips spitting out cold and cruel words. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who started this first, so you deserve any punishment thates with it!¡± From a distance, he looked elegant and handsome, especially since it was sunset. As the warm sunlight fell on theke, the glistening water made his beauty seem all the more enchanting. Little did one know that this gorgeous man was plotting bloody revenge in his head. Thiske in Banrea was crystal clear, with birds stopping on the surface for a small dip. The breeze was gentle, and the air was fresh. One cannot help but feel rxed in this environment. On the other side, a young mother was ying around theke with her child, who was about three or four years old. Just then, the mother¡¯s phone rang, and she began to talk to the person on the other end of the line. The child was ying on the stone steps of theke at the time. He probably saw some birds flying on theke and intended to catch one for fun, so he started waving his little hands while pouncing on the birds. Careless, the child ended up falling straight into theke. At first, the mother had no idea about this until someone warned her that her baby had fallen into the water. He seemed to have drifted to the middle of theke. ¡°Ah, my baby, my baby!¡± The young mother was so anxious that she shouted from the shore, ¡°Help, can someone please save my child? I can¡¯t swim!¡± No one was around at that point in time. Moreover, with the ce being a hospital, many who surrounded the area were sick and frail. They clearly had little or no strength to save a drowning child. ¡°Someone, save my child, please!¡± The young mother squatted on the ground in despair, crying profusely. In desperation, she could only hold her breath and jump into the water herself. As expected, someone who couldn¡¯t swim could only inch forward a few feet before sinking into the lake herself. Stefan was on the other side of theke, far away from the noise, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. After getting a good look, he did not say a word and took off his jacket, ready toe to their rescue. At the same time, there was a beautiful figure who was just one step ahead of him, jumping straight into theke and swimming toward the drowning child. The man was slightly stunned, but did not think twice before jumping into theke as well. Not long after, the baby was picked up by the beautiful figure, while the young mother was picked up by Stefan. Despite having almost drowned, the mother frantically jumped onto her baby without a care in the world. ¡°Darling, oh darling, are you okay?!¡± Unfortunately, the infant had already passed out because he had been in the water for too long. ¡°He¡¯s unconscious. We must perform CPR immediately!¡± Chapter 1108 Chapter 1108 The beautiful figure didn¡¯t even raise her head. She skillfully undid the baby¡¯s clothes and pumped his chest, then went to mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration in one swift motion. After several cycles ofpression and respiration, the child finally coughed out some water and slowly regained consciousness. ¡°He should be fine now, but it¡¯s better if you take him to a doctor for a checkup.¡± The figure finally sighed in relief and said to the young mother. ¡°Thank you, thank you, you saved me and my baby¡¯s life!¡± The young mother hugged her baby and thanked them, then rushed off to the hospital. Stefan was simply drenched, and his hair was still dripping wet as the water trickled down his perfectly defined features. His long fingers brushed through his thick hair. Despite the exhaustion, he was rather happy with doing a good deed. ¡®It¡¯s true that good deeds breed good feelings!¡¯ ¡°Hey, wait a minute!¡± Seeing that the figure was about to leave, Stefan called out to the woman. ¡°Who? Me?¡± The figure turned around. As the two got a good look at each other, they both looked rather upset, their expressions twisting. ¡°It¡¯s actually you!¡± Stefan looked the woman up and down with disdainful yet conflicted eyes. ¡°The gold digger who tried to seduce me. I thought you were useless, didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be a righteous soul. Color me impressed.¡± ¡°Oh, you arrogant sod! I suggest you get your eyes checked. If you aren¡¯t going to use them, donate them to someone who needs them more than you.¡± Renee red at him and huffed. As the old saying goes, habits die hard. The man was able to infuriate her in a million ways she could never have thought of, then and now. ¡®I just saved someone! Why did I have to bump into him too?!¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve failed to seduce me, and now you¡¯re getting irritated?¡± Stefan¡¯s impression of the woman in front of him was obviously much better after the incident, so his tone was also more rxed than before. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I am seducing you. Every fiber of my being is trying to seduce you. If you¡¯d to keep your chastity, hurry up and stay away from me,¡± Renee said while squeezing the water out of her clothes and hair. She had shoulder-length hair, which was usually used to tie it up. However, it was now let down on her back,plementing her fair face. Even the water droplets on her skin seemed to be enhancing her beauty even further. Stefan then gazed at the woman, slightly in a trance, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°What is it now?¡± Renee¡¯s nose was tall, and her cherry lips seemed naturally tinted with a sweet red. If one were to look at her for an extended period of time, they would soon sumb to her temptation as well. The man couldn¡¯t help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth, letting out a few dry coughs. ¡°You look familiar, I think I¡¯ve seen you somewhere.¡± Renee was speechless as she put up a fake smile. ¡°What an old-fashioned line. I didn¡¯t think you, of all people, would say that. Are you also trying to seduce me?¡± Stefan wasn¡¯t quite lying. He did sense a familiar feeling when looking at her. He just couldn¡¯t recall who she was, no matter how much he thought about it. Even then, he didn¡¯t exin himself but instead took a step closer to her. ¡°Then tell me, did I seduce you?¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 1109 Chapter 1109 ¡°Ahem!¡± Renee took a few steps backward, letting out a few dry coughs as well. ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t have to be so awkward, you know? Did you get water in your brain when you dived into theke?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. Just say yes or no.¡± The man spoke as if he were an experienced hunter, not giving her the slightest chance to back out, as if he were trying to peer through the depths of her heart. ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Renee took a deep breath and averted the man¡¯s deep gaze. She started spewing a bunch of nonsense instead. ¡°Oh, Sir, my admiration for you is like a tsunami, whose waves fill my heart with love as they crash on the shore! I simply cannot wait to appear before you with a bouquet of flowers, where I can finally worship you for the beauty that you are! You have truly seduced me, oh my Prince Charming!¡± Stefan was silent. Renee continued. ¡°Are you happy now? You don¡¯t have to act out the dominant CEO trope anymore. It¡¯s just so awkward!¡± The man was even more confused now. This is from N?velDrama.Org. Renee didn¡¯t even allow him to speak. ¡°Still not satisfied? I¡¯m a professional *ss kisser kissing, you know? I can go on for three whole days if you¡¯d like.¡± Stefan¡¯s face darkened as he gritted his teeth. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡®This woman¡­ ispletely abnormal!¡¯ ¡®I just wanted to probe the truth out of her, but I realized¡­ she simply has no limits!¡¯ ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I¡¯m really busy, my Prince Charming!¡± Renee just couldn¡¯t wait to get away from the man, as she was a person with almost no self-control. The longer she stayed with him, the more her heart would long for something more. Thus, she absolutely didn¡¯t want anything else to happen. Besides that, she was also soaked to the skin during such ate night, and she was freezing. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can go.¡± Stefan didn¡¯t seem like he was interested in looking into her anymore. In his opinion, the woman was just far too ¡®crazy¡¯ to read. Renee had merely gone a few feet away from him when the man¡¯s voice came from behind her again. ¡°Hold on!¡± ¡°What is it again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little cold. Put this on.¡± Stefan gently draped his dry jacket on the woman, half-joking. ¡°Take good care of your body, you righteous gold-digger, or you won¡¯t have the strength to seduce anyone!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, thank you, I¡¯ll even thank your whole family, Sir.¡± Renee silently balled up her fists and deliberately said in an impatient voice. ¡°Why are you at the hospital? Are you a staff member here, or is your family sick?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Go away!¡± Although Renee walked away indifferently, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to give up his jacket in the end. In all honesty, she was stillpletely addicted to her love for this man. She simply couldn¡¯t convince herself to push him away, especially after loving him for most of her life. Thus, she decided that this jacket would be herst act of caprice. After returning to the ward, Renee went to the lounge next door to change her clothes. After about a week of treatment, Jovan was able to sit up. As he heard the woman panicking, he felt a little worried and quickly asked, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, I was just changing,¡± Renee said while walking out of the lounge. She had already changed into some loose casual clothes, then draped Stefan¡¯s jacket over the chair. Chapter 1110 Chapter 1110 Since Jovan couldn¡¯t see, she behaved morefortable around him. ¡°Then why change clothes?¡± Jovan¡¯s expression seemed uneasy as he pursued the question. ¡°Well¡­ Because my clothes were dirty.¡± Renee told a white lie, not revealing her encounter with Stefan. Otherwise, being the jealous prick he was, Jovan would certainly overthink. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Jovan frowned, obviously aggravated. ¡°You said that you would never lie to me, but now you¡¯re treating me like a fool!¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Renee realized that the man must know something. After all, many people came and went from the hospital. Being an old acquaintance there, it was inevitable that someone would end up telling him some kind of information. ¡°You say I lied to you, then tell me, what did I lie to you about?¡± the woman asked carefully. ¡°Dr. David told me about the drowning incident around theke. You jumped to save a life, so you¡¯re changing because your clothes are wet, not that they¡¯re dirty!¡± Jovan replied seriously. Renee felt relieved and responded. ¡°That¡¯s right, I lied, but I just didn¡¯t want you worrying. That Dr. David sure has a loud mouth. Looks like we have to change hospitals, or I¡¯d have no privacy at all.¡± She did intend to transfer Jovan to another hospital before this conversation. Now that Seraphina and Stefan were staying on the same floor, she was bound to bump into them again. Jovan was quite a sensitive person, after all, and he might end up causing amotion if he were to find out. ¡°This matter can¡¯t be solved just by transferring hospitals. You haven¡¯t even realized the main problem here!¡± Jovan seemed so oddly serious that Renee found him unfamiliar. ¡°What is the main problem then?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not treating me as your closest, most trusted person!¡± ¡°How¡­ did youe to that conclusion? We are dependent on each other now, is that not considered close and trustworthy enough?¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious here!¡± Jovan was truly mad this time, emphasizing his words to Renee with a frown. ¡°If you treated me as your closest, most trusted person, you would have shared this matter with me first! You hid the truth from me just because you didn¡¯t want me to worry. But be honest. You just think I¡¯m too weak to face the outside world! That I need to be taken care of¡­ I may be useless, but I am still a man with pride! Do you think I¡¯d be happy about this?¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t think this through.¡± Renee sincerely apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know that you would care so much about these little details. I promise you that in the future if there is anything, I will share it with you first, and I¡¯ll never hide anything from you.¡± ¡°If you really feel sorry, then tell me, is there anything else you¡¯re hiding from me?¡± Jovan asked the woman intently. ¡°I¡­¡± Renee paused and carefully observed the man¡¯s expression. She was not sure if the man was deliberately testing her reaction. ¡®Does he already know about me meeting Stefan?¡¯ She wondered. ¡°Is it so hard to answer?¡± Jovan chuckled coldly. ¡°It looks like you really are hiding something from me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, I¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you wanted to transfer me to a hospital? I agree.¡± Jovan sighed deeply. ¡°We have too many acquaintances here. There¡¯s too much gossip spreading about. I prefer to go to a ce where no one knows us so that we can live with ease.¡± ¡°Right, I think so too. Then I¡¯ll go through with the transfer procedure now.¡± Chapter 1111 Chapter 1111 When Renee held the documents and went through the formalities to help Jovan transfer to another hospital, Jovan¡¯s attending doctor, David, was very surprised. ¡°Joan, why do you suddenly want to transfer Van to another hospital? He¡¯s now in the critical period of his recovery, and he can¡¯t endure the stress of moving to another hospital.¡± David was one of the doctors with the most medical experience in the surrounding cities. Besides, he was amiable, humble, and responsible. When they first arrived at that town, they came because of David¡¯s medical skills, not to mention he was also the one treating Jovan¡¯s illness. Hence, they established a very good friendship. ¡°There¡¯s a special condition, so we need to leave for a while for the time being. When the time is right, we¡¯lle back again.¡± Renee gave David a rough exnation because she could not go into the details. ¡°If you want to transfer to another hospital, you¡¯ll have to change his attending doctor. You¡¯re aware that every doctor¡¯s concept of medicine is different. I think Van¡¯s case isn¡¯t too serious. As long as he recuperates patiently and keeps in a good mood, he¡¯ll slowly get better. At least, I can guarantee that he can walk again.¡± David adjusted his sses and reminded Renee seriously, ¡°If you transfer him to another hospital and get another doctor, I can¡¯t guarantee that they won¡¯t use extreme treatment on Van after the check-up results are out. The consequences will be a bit serious by then.¡± ¡°What is the extreme treatment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like using muscle regeneration hormones or transnting new limbs on his body.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t possibly do that!!!¡± Renee could tell they were unreliable methods, and she expressed her deepest objection. Injecting muscle regeneration hormones or a limb transnt didn¡¯t seem very much like what an ordinary doctor would do. ¡°So, I suggest you not transfer him to another hospital. After all, we have such good cooperation now. Both you and Van ept my treatment methods. You can¡¯t give up at such a critical time. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± David twirled a pen with his fingers and slowly established his point, trying to persuade Renee with reason. ¡°Doctor Wilson, you¡¯re right, so I won¡¯t apply for a transfer then. I¡¯ll help to discharge him from the hospital first. We¡¯ll thene back and let him stay here again after a period. Is that possible? After pondering over it, Reneepromised. Jovan¡¯s waist injury was almost cured, so he merely needed regr physiotherapy and some ointments for the wounds. They could do those kinds of things at home. In short, it was fine as long as they did not have to keep staying in this hospital. It would cut off all possibilities of meeting Stefan. ¡°Yes, you can do that. But I think Van needs to be hospitalized for another week before his waist injury is cured. Do you have any urgent affairs? Why do you want to leave in such a hurry?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Renee bit her lips and tried her best toe up with an excuse. ¡°Van and I have difficulties sleeping in beds that aren¡¯t ours. We can¡¯t sleep well here, so we¡¯re low in spirits and hard to hold on.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll approve it for the time being since you¡¯ve already made up your mind.¡± When David knew that he couldn¡¯t dissuade her, he had no choice but to sign the discharge application form. That day, Renee packed up her things and pushed Jovan out rapidly, ignoring that night had fallen. ¡°No, darling! Are we running away? Do we have to be in such a hurry?¡± Sitting in the wheelchair, Jovan became confused. He heard the hospital¡¯s clock just now. It was midnight¡­ at the moment. He could not figure out why they had to leave the hospital at this hour. Would they have to catch the last bus or ride something else? ¡°Yes, we¡¯re in a hurry.¡± Renee closed the door behind her and pushed Jovan to the elevator. She kept looking around in a sneaky manner as if she was a thief. Most of the people were asleep if they were leaving at this hour. So, the probability of meeting the people they should not meet was at its lowest. ¡°Can you tell me why you are in such a hurry?¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Jovan wanted to get to the bottom of it. Chapter 1112 Chapter 1112 Based on his understanding of her, she would never leave if it was not an extremely urgent affair. She upheld a carefree andid-back lifestyle. It might be a very dangerous affair if she were to be so restless with anxiety out of the blue. ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ If we don¡¯t go home now, my sunflowers will wither. Can¡¯t you see why I¡¯m in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Humph! What a good reason! Do you think I believe that?¡± Jovan did not even bother toin about that. He stated solemnly, ¡°You even promised me just now that you¡¯ll tell me right away if anything happens to you. You won¡¯t lie to me. Are you trying to break your promise now?¡± ¡°Ah. Life is already hard enough. Please don¡¯t expose my lie. It¡¯s hard to talk about this now. I¡¯ll exin to you in detail when we¡¯re home.¡± Whileforting Jovan, Renee waited for the elevator. Ding! The door of the elevator opened. Coincidentally, the person she was trying to avoid stood right in the middle of the elevator. It was Stefan. They looked at each other in shock. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. ¡°Why do you¡­¡± Stefan was about to say something to Renee when he looked at Jovan, who was sitting in a wheelchair. His handsome face was full of astonishment. ¡°Jovan? Why are you here?¡± He started to reorganize some details in his mind. Bit by bit, they began to connect. He heard from Seraphina that Jovan was traveling the world with Renee, his girlfriend. So, the woman before him was Renee. She was the one who had been taking care of him and encouraging him. She promised that he would see her first after he regained his eyesight. However, just when everything seemed so beautiful, she suddenly went missing. So, she was that liar. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. At the same time, Jovan was enlightened. He tilted his head slightly and faced Renee, who was behind him. ¡°It turns out that your recent weird behavior is because of him¡­ I should have guessed it. Who else can make you act so weird except him?¡± ¡°Ah, shoot.¡± Renee smacked her forehead, oblivious as to how she should handle this situation. She turned the wheelchair and sighed softly. She said in defeat, ¡°Okay, we¡¯re no longer in a hurry to leave. Let¡¯s go back and sleep.¡± ¡°In short, I¡¯m your man. I¡¯ll go wherever you go. So¡­ it¡¯s up to you.¡± Jovan lifted his chin slightly. Like a worthless man, he couldn¡¯t see or walk, yet he seemed to be having the upper hand in the situation. ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± When Stefan saw that they were leaving, he fell silent for a few seconds before he strode over and blocked them. Disbelief dawned on him when he saw how vastly different Jovan was now. Knitting his brows, he asked, ¡°Why¡­ did you turn out like this?¡± ¡°You should ask yourself.¡± Jovan sneered. His gaze was full of mockery. ¡°What do you mean? Speak clearly!¡± Stefan did not understand Jovan¡¯s baffling words. ¡®In the past, Jovan was extremely arrogant. How did he be so pitiful and weak¡­ he looks exactly like how I looked half a year ago.¡¯ His instinct told him that it must have something to do with him, given Jovan¡¯s current condition. So, he had to figure it out. Chapter 1113 Chapter 1113 ¡°It¡¯ste now. I want to rest. If you want to know,e to me early tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll tell you everything. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy. Push me back,¡± Jovan asked Renee. ¡°Okay.¡± Renee nodded very obediently. Watching their backs disappear from his sight; displeasure crept up Stefan¡¯s heart. They were so harmonious and warm together, as an old married couple would. Inparison, he looked like an unreasonable maniac. ¡®What happened? Who can tell me? What the hell happened? ¡®I think I¡¯m going mad!¡¯ Without turning around, Renee pushed Jovan back to his original ward. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. She tucked him in after quietly making the bed and helping him back on it. She was quiet the entire time, with her chest stuffed withplicated feelings. Finally, she still failed to avoid him. It might be their fates. It was destined that the simple incident would beplicated. The calm surface of theke would be attacked by billowing waves. Jovan leaned against the head of the bed. His handsome face was filled with a rare solemnity. He was also quiet all that while. Only the sound of their breathing could be heard in the quiet environment. It was an odd atmosphere. After sorting everything out, Renee whispered, ¡°I know you¡¯re outraged. Go ahead and scold me if you want. I handled things poorly this time.¡± She had just promised not to hide anything from him again, yet she went on to conceal such a big issue. Anyone else would¡¯ve been furious and disappointed, let alone a man like Jovan, who¡¯d haggle over everything. ¡°You must be joking. Why should I scold you? I¡¯m just a worthless piece of trash. I even have to rely on you to survive. What right do I have to scold you?¡± Jovan arrogantly spat as he kept hisposure. ¡°Jovan, please don¡¯t be so sarcastic. I didn¡¯t tell you because I didn¡¯t want to affect your mood. You know very well how petty you are. If I told you, you would re up in a rage.¡± Renee was dissatisfied with Jovan¡¯s strange tone andined about it without holding back. Jovan raised both his hands in defeat and appeared slightly pitiful. ¡°Look! I said only one thing, but you have so many excuses to retort to me. I don¡¯t have the guts to scold you.¡± ¡°Err¡­¡± Renee was rendered speechless. It seemed that she had indeed overreacted, and it had caused Jovan to appear slightly aggrieved and pitiful. She immediately apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You can scold me now. I won¡¯t talk back to you.¡± Hearing that, Jovan became helpless. ¡°All right, I meant it. I don¡¯t have to scold you. It¡¯s because you¡¯re still destined to be with him. It¡¯s an answer God provided you. Of course, you can¡¯t be med.¡± ¡°To hell with that! It was just an interlude. We¡¯ll go now so he won¡¯t find us again.¡± Renee was about to pack things up when Jovan stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m exhausted. I don¡¯t want to move now.¡± ¡°Well, what should we do now?¡± ¡°What else can we do? Since you bumped into him, let nature takes its course. Go ahead if you want to get back together with him. I¡¯m satisfied enough to have you take care of me for half a year. I have no regrets now.¡± Jovan raised that remark with an undertone of grief. ¡°I told you that I won¡¯t leave you. Don¡¯t worry. Go to sleep. Nothing¡¯s going to change even if I meet him again.¡± Renee held his hand and promised firmly. She knew what it meant to be grateful. Jovan agreed to save Stefan because of her. Given how Jovan turned out in the end, she felt she should be responsible. It was not her style to throw something away casually after manipting it. Jovan finally fell asleep. Perhaps it was because he had gotten her promise. Renee, on the other hand, tossed and turned in bed. She could not fall asleep no matter how she tried. She got up from the bed and casually put on a coat, wanting to go out for some fresh air to calm herself down. Chapter 1114 Chapter 1114 Unexpectedly, she saw Stefan leaning against the wall outside the ward as soon as she opened the door. The incandescentmp in the corridor hit him, casting a long shadow on the floor. Wearing a cold face, she kept quiet and was about to close the door when¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± He looked up and suggested with a hoarse voice. ¡°We have nothing more to talk about.¡± ¡°If you thought so, you won¡¯t open the door at this hour.¡± Renee was struck speechless. For a moment, she found it hard to give a reply. ¡®Yeah, I tossed and turned in bed because there are too many things in my heart. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep. If I don¡¯t sort these things out, I¡¯ll be restless for a very long time.¡± ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s talk.¡± After agreeing, they took the elevator to the rooftop. The rooftop had a great atmosphere. It was a cafe with an outdoor dome, where one could see the brightest stars. Renee casually sat down and looked up at the twinkling stars. She did not speak for a long time. Stefan stayed with her and did the same, looking up at the twinkling stars. Simrly, he kept quiet for a long time too. That feeling was very strange. They were not the closest people, yet they seemed like lovers that had reunited after a long stint of separation. They could feel each other¡¯s rhythms. Even if they didn¡¯t speak a single word, they could feel each other in their hearts. Their minds were at ease. Stefan liked that kind of feeling very much. Technically speaking, he loved the feeling of being with her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to speak to me? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± After a long while, Renee averted her gaze from the starry sky and happened to see his passionate eyes. Stefan felt quite awkward since she caught him stealing nces at her. He cleared his throat unnaturally, ¡°Err¡­ You¡­ Are you Renee?¡± He asked the obvious, which was quite low-level. ¡°If not? Whom should I be?¡± Renee raised her brows slightly. She found him slightly different from the past. He should be Mr. Iceberg, but he was just being rather silly at the moment. ¡°Do you know how mad I was at you during this period? I told myself that I¡¯ll scold the hell out of you if I saw you again one day.¡± ¡°Do you want to scold me?¡± ¡°Are you very surprised? Shouldn¡¯t I scold you?¡± Stefan then recalled the past. He unconsciously clenched his fists. ¡°What I hate the most is people who fail to keep their word. You promised to let me see you immediately after my eyes were cured. But you¡­ went missing without leaving me a message. You¡¯re so cruel and heartless. Of course, you should be given a hard scolding.¡± ¡°It was indeed my fault. I¡¯ll apologize to you now. It¡¯s not toote to scold me now.¡± Renee lowered her eyes and humbly admitted to her mistake. It seemed like she was destined to be scolded today, either by Jovan or Stefan. Well, she was mentally prepared. ¡°I can¡¯t do that now.¡± Stefan confessed honestly, ¡°What I can think of now is how nice you were to me. Of course, I want to thank you. How can I bear to scold you?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. The way I treated you was¡­ so-so.¡± Renee became slightly dumbfounded. The drastic change in his attitude filled her with trepidation. ¡°Is that so? But you stayed close to me to take care of me. You even risked your life to save me. And I know that you used your blood as a kind of ingredient for my medicine. Is that what you called so-so?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Stefan¡¯s gaze was simple, straightforward, and overbearing, coercing her little by little. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything else to say, but I¡¯m very curious. Why did you treat me in such a special manner?¡± Chapter 1115 Chapter 1115 Renee inevitably became nervous under his powerful and intense gaze. With a tinge of anticipation, she tried to sound him out and said, ¡°Why do you think I treat you in a so-so manner?¡± She did not know if he had regained his memories or purposely ying dumb here. If that was true, his acting skills could have won him an Oscar. How perfect and exceptional! ¡°The only reason why a woman is willing to sacrifice unconditionally for a man is because she loves him too much. So, can I guess that you treat me in a special manner because you love him very much?¡± Instead of beating around the bush, Stefan raised the question that had been troubling him for nearly half a year. It was because the experience he had at Greenwood Sanatorium was indeed very unique. Even if he was slow, he could feel how deeply Renee cared about him. Holding that kind of doubt, he returned to the sanatorium again afterward. It was also at that time he learned that she used her blood as an ingredient for his medicine. He became aware of her deep love for him. However, he could not figure out the reason why she left without saying anything since she cared so much about him. ¡°Do I love you too much?¡± Renee shook her head and teased, ¡°Is there a possibility that I am the modern Florence Nightingale? I like to help people. What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t want to make it public even if I do anything good. It¡¯s simply because I¡¯m a good person, huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be all smiles here. There are many ways to be nice to people. What other reason could it be if you risk your life for someone else if it isn¡¯t under the name of love?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha! Mr. Hunt, do you feel very lonely? Is that why you make a fuss and im that others love you? Have you ever thought of another possibility? If a woman sacrifices unconditionally for a man, perhaps it¡¯s because she¡¯s trying to atone for her sins.¡± At first, Renee attempted to avoid his gaze, but now, her eyes turned fierce. If he had to get to the bottom of it, she could only show him the disgusting past. She would make him see how wicked humans were and how cruel the reality was. Stefan¡¯s gaze changed a bit before he asked coldly, ¡°Which of your sins do you want to atone for?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how you turned blind? How did you fall and hurt all over that you needed brain surgery?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Stefan frowned deeply. Various scenes emerged in his mind and shed by quickly, but he could not make up aplete picture. Quietly, he said, ¡°I heard from my mother that I turned blind because I was plotted against by my enemies. I did lose a part of my memory. Could it be that this part of memory is rted to you?¡± He hugged his head with both hands and tried his best to recall something. But there seemed to be a thin thread in his brain, tying down that part of memory that he had lost. Whenever he tried to recall it, intense pain would shock his brain. ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself if you can¡¯t recall. That¡¯s not a beautiful memory, and I¡¯m not a good person. Groundless hatred doesn¡¯t exist, let alone groundless love.¡± Renee¡¯sment carried an air of unmistakable haughtiness. She would rather he forget all about her or hated her instead of loving her while being unable to be with her. It was because she knew more than anyone else how painful it was if one¡¯s love was unrequited. She would be the only one to suffer through that pain. It was unnecessary to implicate him. However, Stefan shook his head vigorously and tried his best to keep calm. He then grabbed her wrist and scoffed coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a fool. Since there¡¯s no groundless love or hatred in this world, I wonder if I am fated to receive such treatment from you. What other reason could you have?¡± ¡°So, what if I tell you? If I said that you became blind because of me, will you take your revenge? If you want to, you can do it now. My eyes are here. You can take them away.¡± Renee closed her eyes with a bitter expression. Like an inmate on death row, she waited for his final adjudication. Stefan observed her wless face that was filled with stories. He did not believe a single word she said. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. If you wanted to harm me, why risk your life to save me? It¡¯s contradictory!¡± ¡°It was because I regretted it. I was afraid that your family would take revenge on me. Do you believe me now?¡± ¡°Why did you want to harm me then? What happened between us? Why risk getting avenged? Are you doing this to hurt me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anything. Let me go!¡± Renee almost gave up in front of him. Chapter 1116 Chapter 1116 He was indeed very talkative and hard to fool. If she knew that he would pester her, she would nevere out to chat with him, no matter what. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. For a moment, awkwardness engulfed them. ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯m going to rest and leave you to your thoughts.¡± Renee forcefully pushed his hand away and got up to leave. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go if you don¡¯t make it clear.¡± Stefan held her wrist. His voice was full of pain. ¡°To be honest, these doubts have been troubling me for half a year. I¡¯m going to marry my fiancee soon. If I don¡¯t make it clear, I¡¯ll feel that I¡¯ve wronged her.¡± ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°I want to know why I hold special feelings for you. What kind of¡­ past did we share?¡± Stefan was such a smart person. Of course, his sensitivity and perception were exceptional. After his brain surgery and having his first contact with her when he woke up, he could feel a magical connection between them. Besides, a lot of people were hesitant and unwilling to talk about her. It showed simply how extraordinary she actually was. If he did not get to the bottom of it and impulsively married Seraphina, it would be unfair to everyone. ¡°So, you must get to the bottom of it before you can marry Seraphina with peace of mind?¡± Renee stopped struggling and asked Stefan very seriously. ¡°Yes, you can put it that way,¡± Stefan nodded and confessed. As the date of the marriage was approaching, this feeling grew stronger. However, he hid these feelings as best he could, hoping he wouldn¡¯t sadden Seraphina. ¡°What if you find that¡­ I¡¯m the woman you love the most? Do you have to give Seraphina up by then?¡± Renee tried to sound him out carefully. Stefan was rendered speechless. He lowered his eyes and fell silent. He truly had no idea about that. Undeniably, Seraphina was the woman he loved the most now. He never thought of giving her up. If there was a person whom he loved deeply in the past but identally lost, he did not know how he should choose between his past and present lovers. ¡°Look! You don¡¯t even know what your next step is. Why are you looking for trouble andplicating the situation?¡± Renee went straight to the point. ¡°Or, I naturally will know what my next step is after learning the truth. So¡­ I still hope that you¡¯ll tell me the truth.¡± Stefan insisted on learning the truth. He would rather suffer with a clear picture instead of enjoying happiness with ignorance. When Renee saw how persistent he was, she wavered slightly. ¡°I can tell you the truth¡­¡± Chapter 1117 Chapter 1117 Just when Renee was about to speak, a soft but weak voice interrupted them. ¡°Stefan, here you are. I¡¯ve been looking for you for a very long time. I even thought that something had happened to you.¡± Seraphina was wearing a hospital gown. Her face appeared frail, and there was an IV tube injected into her body. She appeared at the entrance of the rooftop. ¡°Seraphina, why did youe here?¡± Stefan furrowed his brows deeply before he hurried forward to support her. His handsome face was full of worry. ¡°You just recovered a little. Why are you so wilful?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. If you¡¯re gone, it¡¯ll no longer be important if my body is healthy or not.¡± Seraphina coughed twice before she leaned into his arms feebly. She even acted coquettishly. ¡°I had a nightmare just now that you were snatched by someone else. I was startled before I woke up. As expected, I didn¡¯t see you around. So, I acted instinctively and ran to the rooftop to look for you. I got so tired from walking, and I feel that my injury has worsened. It¡¯s so painful. ¡°Stop fancying wild thoughts. It¡¯s just a dream. I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± Stefan hugged her and felt very sorry for her. Seraphina had always been with him. When he was at his lowest, she never despised him. Besides, his enemy took revenge on her because of him. So, she was his responsibility that he could never shake off. He would suffer if she was in pain. If she frowned ever so slightly, he would ruin the whole world for her. ¡°Is it just my wild thought?¡± Seraphina looked at him with watery eyes before she pointed at Renee and said, ¡°If it is just my wild thought, why are you here in the rooftop cafe with herte at night? You guys are in such an ambiguous atmosphere. Of course, I fancy wild thoughts.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Stefan nced at Renee before he exined lightly, ¡°I just have a lot of doubts, so I asked her about it.¡± ¡°You can ask me if you have any doubts. I can answer them for you. You don¡¯t have to have a secret midnight chat with her without my knowledge.¡± Seraphina was always filled with insecurities. At that moment, she was full of sarcasm. She shot Renee a cold re and interrogated superiorly, ¡°Miss Everheart, aren¡¯t you traveling the world? Why did you come here out of all the ces? Did youe here purposely to bump into us?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± Sitting there, Renee felt like a homewrecker who was caught off guard. She was in extreme distress. Her long fingers were unconsciously sped together just like her mind, which was in a mess. ¡®D*mn it! I have a clear conscience. Why do I feel so ashamed? I¡¯m such a coward!¡¯ ¡°Humph! No?¡± Seraphina sounded unkind before she continued putting up an aggressive front. ¡°But Miss Everheart, you have TV and phone, right? You can go online, can¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m about to marry Stefan? If it was a coincidence to bump into each other, you must have done it purposely since you came here for a tryst with a married man. Miss Everheart, I don¡¯t know what your motives are.¡± Renee took a deep breath. She could no longer take it, so she stood up and retorted rudely, ¡°Seraphina, that¡¯s enough. If I had any ulterior motives, he would long be mine. You wouldn¡¯t have the chance to strut around here.¡± ¡°You¡­ How arrogant you are! You openly seduce my fiance, and you even prohibit me from interrogating you. You must have waited for this day for a long time, right?¡± When Seraphina reached that point, she started to sob pitifully. She then said to Stefan, ¡°Did you see that? This is her true self. She has longe up with a scheme to snatch you away from me. If you care about me, you shouldn¡¯t have met her alone. Or¡­ you must have long wanted to give me up. You despise me and feel that I¡¯m filthy. You think my body isn¡¯t healthy, so I have no right to be your wife. Isn¡¯t that true?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not so. Calm down. Stop crying.¡± Stefan became perplexed. He tried his best to calm her down since she had lost control of her emotions. When he saw how upset she was, he was filled with a tinge of self-reproach. He indeed should not have been engaged in such an ambiguous atmosphere with another woman alone since he was about to get married. He was indeed impudent. ¡°Okay, I promise you I won¡¯t see her alone again.¡± Chapter 1118 Chapter 1118 He realized that he had gone a bit out of control tonight. It was like ying with fire. He would certainly ruin himself if he was not being careful regardless of how good his reason. ¡°Really? You gave me your word. If you see her alone again, I¡­ I¡¯ll jump off the building here and kill myself, and you¡¯ll regret it for the rest of your life.¡± Seraphina pointed at the dark stairs and made a joke. She sounded slightly serious. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t be mad. Let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s too cold here. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± After Stefan said that, he carried Seraphina in a very macho manner. They left just like that without saying another word to Renee again. They did not even uphold basic civility and bid her goodbye. Renee was at a loss for words. Looking in the direction they left, Renee was struck dumb. She did not react for a long time. ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!¡± After that, as if she had gonepletely insane, she burst into uncontroble peals ofughter. ¡®How ridiculous! Stefan is ridiculous, and so does Seraphina. But I¡¯m the most ridiculous one here. ¡®I was his lover, but I¡¯ve now be a shameful homewrecker. The woman who upied my spot humiliated me recklessly. I watched my beloved man be lovey-dovey with another woman. ¡®Renee, you¡¯re so great and affectionate. You¡¯re willing to put yourself at such a humble level to help grant his wish of leading a perfect life. You suffer in silence¡­ You¡¯re indeed the best slut ever.¡¯ A weekter, Renee helped Jovan to be discharged from the hospital based on the original n of his attending doctor. That week was neither long nor short. She and Stefan never met each other again. They had a tacit understanding and avoided any ces where they might bump into each other. Everything happened normally. If one did not dwell on it, the previous meeting appeared more like a dream. It was as if it had never happened. Jovan also had the same kind of tacit understanding. He was very smart. He would not inquire about it when Renee did not mention it. He was still happy and optimistic. Renee called a cab. It stopped downstairs in the inpatient department. She carried a bag and pushed Jovan forward before they took an elevator downstairs. ¡°Darling, it¡¯s been hard for you this time around. I¡¯ll give you a surprise to thank you.¡± ¡°What kind of surprise?¡± This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have to keep it a secret since it¡¯s a surprise. It won¡¯t be a surprise anymore if it¡¯s revealed.¡± Jovan kept her in suspense and said mysteriously. They got into the car. Renee¡¯s sharp senses told her that someone had been watching her all the while. Inevitably, she looked up and nced at Seraphina¡¯s ward. However, there was no one beside the window. She did not see the person she thought she would see. ¡®Humph! I must be overthinking.¡¯ She shook her head and closed the car door. She then said to the driver, ¡°Mister, we can go now.¡± Chapter 1119 Chapter 1119 Stefan¡¯s tall and sturdy body was hidden behind the window. He watched the car for a very long time until it dropped out of his sight. ¡°Stefan, what are you looking at? You¡¯re so absorbed.¡± Seraphina flipped through the magazine in boredom. When she saw Stefan look out the window all that while quietly, she became rmed. ¡°A bird.¡± Stefan replied lightly. ¡°A bird?¡± Seraphina found it weird. She stretched her neck out to look out of the window. ¡°There¡¯s nothing outside. What bird?¡± ¡°A bird that flew away, but I think its wings aren¡¯t that strong. It won¡¯t fly far.¡± Stefan averted his gaze before he sipped his coffee and said with profound meaning. The bad premonition in Seraphina¡¯s heart grew stronger. It seemed that the bird he mentioned was not a simple bird. After pondering it, she pretended to ask casually, ¡°Stefan, did you see Miss Everheart again these few days?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I won¡¯t see her alone again?¡± Stefan¡¯s expression was slightly serious. ¡°I rarely left your side these days. It looks like you don¡¯t trust me at all, given the question you raised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just love you too much. It is why I¡¯m overly fearful. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll lose you if I¡¯m not being careful.¡± ¡°We¡¯re so deeply in love with each other. Why do you always have such little confidence? Or¡­ does it mean that our love isn¡¯t as unbreakable as I imagined?¡± Stefan¡¯s imploring gaze was sharp and fierce. ¡°Er¡­ Of course not!¡± Seraphina lowered her head in a slightly guilty manner. She did not dare to look into his eyes. Technically speaking, she was just a thief, stealing Stefan¡¯s love for Renee. Stefan¡¯s deep love for her was equivalent to how deeply he loved Renee. If he suddenly regained his memories one day, she would rapidly fall into hell again, given that she was merely a despicable thief¡­ ¡°You said that I can ask you if I have any doubts. So, I¡¯ll do just that¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s countenance was gloomy before he heaved a long sigh. ¡°I¡¯m indeed troubled by many things. If I don¡¯t make them clear, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t marry you without any distractions. This is also the reason why I went to see her alone.¡± ¡°You finally said that. I¡¯ve been waiting all this while.¡± Seraphina knew that this day woulde sooner orter from the moment he met Renee again. It was destined that she would be a wicked woman. After all, no one could remain righteous and kind once Pandora¡¯s box was opened. ¡°Go ahead and ask me. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She looked at him calmly. She was now prepared to repay Renee¡¯s kindness with evil and push her all the way to utter ruin. ¡°What kind of past do I have with Renee? I don¡¯t believe that she¡¯s just a simple helper who changed my bandages for me or my cousin¡¯s wife. I have never heard of her.¡± Stefan stared straight into Seraphina¡¯s eyes and asked straightforwardly. ¡°It looks like I can¡¯t hide it from you any longer. You guys did have some kind of rtionship with each other, but it only resembles the origin of pain. Youpletely forgot about it. Perhaps it¡¯s because God pities you, and He doesn¡¯t want you to suffer.¡± ¡°But now I don¡¯t want to forget it. I¡¯d rather suffer in silence than be numb to all this.¡± Stefan appeared very persistent. He had to get to the bottom of it no matter what. ¡°Both of you were once lovers, but you guys are enemies now. She is Quinton¡¯s younger sister. He¡¯s the boss of Carmine Pawnshop. She plotted against you to avenge her brother. She made you blind and pushed you into a river that was full of rocks. You hurt your head afterward. I was the one who risked my life to save you. After that, she hypocritically imed that she wanted to make it up to you. Maybe it was because of her guilt, or she was afraid that the Hunt family might take revenge on her. But atst, she cruelly abandoned you for Jovan¡¯s sake¡­¡± Chapter 1120 Chapter 1120 Seraphina maintained her calm andbined bits and pieces of some incidents before she debated right and wrong with Stefan. ¡°Is¡­ Is that so?¡± Stefan¡¯s deep-set eyes flickered with a mix of wrath, unwillingness, hatred, and doubt. This truth vastly differed from the truth he had imagined. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°If you trust me, this is the truth. If you don¡¯t, you can ask her about it.¡± Seraphina stated with absolute certainty. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Her statement was wless. Even she was almost convinced of its truth, let alone Stefan. Besides, she had Francine as a witness who confirmed those things. ¡°That¡¯ll be unnecessary¡­¡± Stefan slowly clenched his fingers and said coldly, ¡°She had long admitted to it, but I was just unwilling to believe her.¡± He stubbornly thought that there must be some secrets in it. Why would such a wicked woman take her blood to use as an ingredient for his medicine? Now it seemed the truth was just that simple. She simply tried to atone for her sins after she harmed him. She was just troubled by a guilty conscience. ¡®No, Renee, you can¡¯t fool me that easily. Since you dared to offend me, you can¡¯t leave just like that.¡¯ Renee leaned against the window and looked at the street that was rich with the scent of spring. She fell into silence. Jovan had long noticed her gloominess. As for the reason, it was indeed very obvious. ¡°If you can¡¯t bear to part with him, we can postpone it and leave the hospital after a period. I¡¯m fine with it.¡± With his eyes closed, he cracked a faint smile and pretended to say casually. Renee turned to look at the calm man. She did not understand his meaning. ¡°What nonsense! I¡­ What am I reluctant to part with?¡± Even she felt guilty when she made that remark. She could rely on her reason to suppress how much she missed him, but she could never eliminate it. It was a feeling that had been ground into her bones. She admitted that she did care about Stefan. Not even once did she manage to forget about him. If she did not see him, she could stop missing him. But now that she met him, the dormant feelings were ignited and, before long, burned fervently in her heart. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it. Of course, I¡¯m aware of your thoughts. Well¡­ I never truly yearn to gain your heart. To me, getting you is already a grand victory. So, you don¡¯t have to lie to me. You can just be yourself,¡± Jovan said freely. He was not stubborn. He was not so overbearing that he would shamelessly upy her heart after he¡¯d gotten the better of her. ¡°Okay, I gave up. I¡­ I¡¯m a bit reluctant to part with him. But don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a big problem. I can hold it back.¡± Renee stopped hiding it and generously admitted to it. At the same time, she held Jovan¡¯s hand. It gave him a great sense of security. Jovan did notment much on that before he said to the driver, ¡°We should be near the antique shop on South Street soon. Stop there for a while. I want to get something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s a surprise for you. It¡¯ll be meaningless if I tell you in advance.¡± Jovan kept up his mysterious demeanor, keeping her in suspense. Chapter 1121 Chapter 1121 The car stopped before an antique shop. Renee wanted to push Jovan into the shop, but she was turned down. ¡°Wait for me in the car. The driver can push me into the shop.¡± He did not want to expose the surprise he prepared for her in advance, or all his efforts would be futile. ¡°Okay, I would like to see what kind of trick you will pull.¡± With deep curiosity, Renee watched the driver push Jovan into the antique shop. She leaned against the back seat in slight boredom. When she checked the time, it was coincidentally afternoon at Beach City. The two children might have gone home from school by now, so she gave her brother a video call. His brother always answered her calls within seconds. But strangely, today, he did not answer her calls at all. She tried repeatedly, but it yielded the same result. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± A crease soon formed between her brows as a bad premonition overwhelmed her. She immediately called Margaret, and thetter picked it up just as quickly. ¡°Miss Ren, what a coincidence! I was about to call you.¡± Simrly, Margaret had a deep frown on the other end of the phone. Anxiety was her friend now. ¡°Margaret, you sound so anxious. Did¡­ something happen?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Ren. I don¡¯t know whether I should report this to you or not. Both Chase and Miss Lei asked me not to tell you first for fear that you¡¯ll be worried¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Tell me now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. Mr. Everheart went to the south for a business trip a week ago. He should be back two days ago, but he¡¯s not back yet at the moment. The two kids miss their uncle very much, so they asked me to give him a video call. However, I couldn¡¯t get in touch with him. Chase imed it was very normal, given their kind of business. Sometimes they need to go to ces where they can¡¯t get in touch with the outside world. Hence, Chase asked me to patiently wait for a few days. But I feel quite worried.¡± While describing the incident, Margaret heaved a long sigh. Quinton was the descendant of the Everheart family, so he was the same as Renee. They were the masters that Margaret vowed to devote her life. If anything happened to them, she would not be able to answer. ¡°So, you couldn¡¯t get in touch with him for two days?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard from Chase that Mr. Everheart went to the south to collect a batch of treasures. The other party is rather violent and rough. So, I¡¯m afraid that something may happen¡­¡± When Margaret reached that point, she said carefully, ¡°Miss Ren, when will you settle your issues over there? When are you going to return to Beach City? Both you and Mr. Everheart are not around. So, Miss Lei is the only one managing Azure Group. It¡¯s already a mess. A few days ago, some people came to make a scene. Miss Lei fought against them head-on. Now both parties involved were taken away by the police officers. Miss Lei is injured too¡­¡± ¡°What? Lei is injured and locked up?¡± Renee felt her temples throbbing. She was soon filled with deep guilt. Both Renee and Liam worked hard and endured hardships for four years to establish Azure Group, developing it into what it was now. During the half year that she was away, it was always her brother and Leia who helped to manage it. Both of them were not good at doing business. Besides, they knew little about anything to do with electronic technology. Hence, it must be very difficult for them to manage thepany. ¡°That¡¯s right. They were too strong. They came to thepany to provoke Miss Lei. She was so angry that a fight broke out, and she and hurt one of them. They quickly grabbed onto this incident and sued her for a criminal offense. Now¡­ she¡¯s still in prison. I don¡¯t even know how much she has suffered.¡± Margaret had long wanted to tell Renee about those affairs, but she held herself back all that while, fearing she might affect Renee¡¯s mood. But now, they needed Renee badly. If Margaret kept it a secret any longer, they might get into bigger trouble. ¡°Oh, okay, I got it. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯lle up with ways to deal with it.¡± Clutching her phone, Renee felt great frustration and annoyance washing over her. She knew that she should have gone home long ago. She should not have asked Quinton, Lei, and Margaret to bear those things. But¡­ Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She inevitably looked toward the antique shop. Jovan was still in there, waiting to present the surprise he had meticulously prepared for her. What would happen to Jovan if she left? Chapter 1122 Chapter 1122 This man had ended up in this state solely because of her. If she left after manipting him, she could not live with herself. ¡°Oh, gosh! What should I do?¡± She closed her eyes in a dilemma. She was in deep pain. At that time, she heard a bang. A giant noise came from the antique shop before the whole shop copsed abruptly. There was fire everywhere. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s on fire. Hurry up. Save them!¡± South Street was considered the liveliest street in that whole town. Besides, this antique shop generally had a lot of guests. When the explosion urred, a good number of people were in it. Endless screams of shock and horror could be heard from everywhere. People held their heads as they ran helter-skelter in a panic, fearing they might get burned by the raging mes. Renee was rendered speechless by the horrific sight. With a wide-eyed gaze, she stared at the antique shop that was on fire. She was struck dumb. She only managed to regain her wits after a long while. Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jovan¡­ Jovan!¡± She quickly got out of the car and rushed into the fire frantically. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s too dangerous in there! For the love of God, please don¡¯t go in!¡± The firefighters who had just arrived blocked Renee outside the door. ¡°Let go of me. My friend is in the shop. He can neither see nor walk. I have to save him. Let go of me.¡± ¡°Madam, we¡¯ll save them. Please just wait here patiently!¡± The firefighters persisted in stopping Renee, prohibiting her from getting close to the fire. The fire was soon put out. As the casualties were individually carried out, Jovan was nowhere to be seen. The final person who was carried out was the driver who pushed Jovan into the shop. His head was wrapped in wads of bandages, and he had a broken leg from the explosion. It looked particrly hideous and dismal. Renee tried her best to struggle out of the firefighters¡¯ grasp before she ran to the stretcher of the driver. She stammered, ¡°Jo¡­ Where¡¯s Jovan? Where is he? How is he?¡± ¡°He¡­ He¡¯s been kidnapped. Go and save him now!¡± After he uttered that, he cked out. ¡°Did someone take him away?¡± Renee was dumbfounded as she pondered over the words carefully. The firefighters searched the scene again. As expected, they did not find Jovan. Renee was unsure of other things. The only thing that she was certain of was that Jovan was alive. It also proved that this sudden explosion was not an ident but deliberately perpetrated by someone. ¡°Who could it be?¡± Renee¡¯s mind was a mess. She found it impossible to get her head around these incidents that happened almost simultaneously. They twirled and intertwined, mixing into a putrid mess of trepidation. Now it seemed like the driver was the only witness. Thus, she could only wait for him to wake up before she could learn about what happened at that time. Filled with anxiety, she waited at the hospital where the driver was. He finally woke up the next morning. ¡°Van was asking the shop owner to take out the gift he had long ordered. A man came in before he patted Van¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡®Mr. Hunt sends his regards.¡¯ After that, he took Van away and threw a grenade into the shop¡­¡± The driver described the incident weakly. Chapter 1123 Chapter 1123 ¡°Mr. Hunt sends his regards?!¡± Renee furrowed her brows tightly. She could not believe what she had heard. With a solemn expression, she sought confirmation from the driver. ¡°Are you sure that was what that man said? Are you mistaken?¡± ¡°Joan, I did get hurt, but I¡¯m not dumb. I remember what happened at that time. I don¡¯t have to lie to you.¡± The driver coughed twice. He sounded very firm. Hailing from the same hometown as them, he spoke very good English. She could not have heard him wrongly. However, he did not expect that everything would change so fast. He had no time to ask for help and could only watch Van getting dragged away by another man. ¡°Okay, I got it. Thank you. Take care. I¡¯lle to see you again if I have time.¡± Renee was stupefied on the spot for a long time. Countless possibilities coursed through her mind before she gave the driver a firm bow and left the hospital. She walked on the street alone. The weather in the morning was very low, and the air was wet. It was as cold, stuffy, and gloomy as her current mood. If the driver¡¯s words were true, the mastermind behind this sinister kidnapping was self-evident. ¡°Damn it!¡± she cursed herself.This is from N?velDrama.Org. She should have thought of the possibility that Stefan wouldn¡¯t give up when she bumped into him at the elevator that day, especially since he saw Jovan as the person who snatched his post. In the past, Jovan was the one who forced Stefan into such a sorry state. Now that Jovan fell, Stefan would never let him off the hook. Thus, Stefan was the only one who knew Jovan¡¯s whereabouts now. After taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to go to him and get to the bottom of it. Even if she was full of reluctance, she still could not escape his meticulous scheme to catch her. He didn¡¯t even have to see her. She was forced to go and see him¡­ Stefan was indeed an apex predator. Without much dy, Renee immediately went to the hospital where he was. She learned from the nurse that Seraphina still needed treatment for a week before she could be discharged from the hospital. Stefan should be in Seraphina¡¯s ward now, acting as her perfect fiance, devoid of the slightest worry. With a heavy mind, Renee went to Seraphina¡¯s ward. However, instead of going in, she waited outside the door for a long while. Frankly, if she weren¡¯t left with no options, she would¡¯ve never wanted anything to do with them again. She didn¡¯t possess a docile temper and could not be the enthusiastic spectator of their sappy little romance drama. She was afraid that she might feel like hitting them if they showed off their love in front of her again. ¡°Huh?! Calm down. Hold yourself back.¡± Renee stood at the door of the ward and repeatedly got herself mentally prepared before she knocked on the door. ¡°You are?¡± The person who opened the door was a fair strange woman. ¡°Er, you are?¡± Renee was slightly stupefied before she looked around the ward. Both Stefan and Seraphina were no longer in the ward. It was now upied by apletely different patient. Renee retreated a bit and nced at the ward number. It was the right ward. At that time, the nurse happened to walk over. When the nurse saw Renee, she was very happy and slightly surprised. ¡°Wow, Joan. As expected, you came back. Mr. Hunt said that you¡¯de back.¡± ¡°Mr. Hunt?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Murphy was discharged in advance. Before Mr. Hunt left, he gave me a letter and asked me to pass it to you. He told me you¡¯d be back soon.¡± While talking, the nurse took out a letter from her bag and handed it to Renee. ¡°I¡¯ll be relieved after giving you the letter.¡± Renee was at a loss for words. She slowly epted the letter and tore it open quickly. There was only a row of simple words in it. [You reap what they have sown. Come to me if you want him back.] ¡°Damn it!¡± Chapter 1124 Chapter 1124 At that moment, despair almost engulfed her son. She felt like a puppet whose every speech and behavior was being controlled by that f*cking person from afar. As a result, she was full of indignation and helplessness. It seemed like she could not escape from that battle. She could only hope that she would not suffer an utter defeat. Renee simply packed up her things and boarded the earliest flight back to Beach City. After being away for half a year, everything was still the same, but the people had changed. When both Chase and Margaret heard that she wanted toe home, they were soon relieved before they heaved a sigh, one after another. Renee was worried about her brother, so she returned to Carmine Pawnshop first. The two children missed her too much. They had been waiting at the door early and looking for her. ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± Abby saw the car Renee¡¯s car from afar. She jumped happily. On the other hand, Adie was also standing at the side eagerly. But his emotions were much more complicated. ¡°Adie, Abby, you¡¯ve grown taller. I miss you so much.¡± Original content from N?velDrama.Org. When Renee got out of the car, tears inevitably welled up in her eyes. After that, she pulled them both into her arms. ¡°Miss Ren, you¡¯ve suffered a lot.¡± Simrly, Margaret¡¯s eyes turned red with tears. She took the luggage from Renee. Half a year was neither long nor short. Besides, Renee had to stay abroad to take care of a person who could not live on his own. It was obvious how hard and exhaustive it would be. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t suffer much. You guys were the ones who suffered a lot. I put the two kids in your care. I haven¡¯t been a good mother.¡± Renee greedily kissed the two children, a testament to how much she missed them. She spent half a year in that town. The most torturing thing was not that she had to stay abroad to take care of Jovan but she could not see her children¡­ She missed them too much. ¡°Mommy, stop crying. Adie and I have grown up much. We can take care of ourselves now. Look at how much weight we¡¯ve put on.¡± Abby did not want to see Renee me herself, so she immediately patted her tummy to tell Renee that both she and Adie were fine. Her face had indeed be chubbier. She was as chubby as a panda, and she was adorable. Inparison, Adie was much more mature and handsome. He behaved like an adult-like child. With his lips shut, he kept silent. It seemed that he was full of dissatisfaction. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Adie? Are you still mad at me?¡± Renee pinched Adie¡¯s face and asked, smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Adie turned away and pouted exaggeratedly. He was just like an adult-like child. ¡°Adie, didn¡¯t I tell you not to be mad at Mommy? She suffered a lot. We should be her considerate and sensible children. Hurry up and say sorry to Mommy!¡± Abby put both hands on her waist and pouted her pink and tender lips. She made a request at Adie solemnly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say sorry. She didn¡¯t want us. Why does she have to be a hypocrite ande back?¡± When Adie reached that point, he struggled out of Renee¡¯s arms and ran away instantly. ¡°Adie¡­¡± His repulsiveness brought a pang of grief to Renee. However, it was true indeed. During that period, she abandoned her children and went to a faraway land to take care of another man. Of course, no child could forgive that. Adie was smarter and more sensitive than ordinary children. He should have noticed something, so he found Renee quite repulsive. ¡°Miss Ren, I¡¯m sorry. We tried our best to hide it from him, but you do know how smart he is. He¡¯s technology savvy. We can¡¯t hide anything from him, so¡­¡± Completely helpless, Margaret sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please leave us alone. I¡¯ll talk it out with him properly.¡± After that, Renee walked toward where Adie had run away alone. Chapter 1125 Chapter 1125 Adie was fuming. With his hands behind him, he ran to a river. Facing the billowing waves of the river, he pretentiously put up a dull look. Renee walked over to him quietly. When she saw his back, helplessness was the only thing left in her. She inevitably became mesmerized by how awesome one¡¯s genes could be. They were indeed strong. Adie appeared gloomy and dull before her, just like a mini-Stefan. When he grew up, he might even be colder and more aloof than Stefan. Carmine Pawnshop was located at the border of three countries, so its surrounding environment was rough and chaotic. It was awless ce, a refuge for bad hats and ne¡¯er-do-wells. However, this area alone was serene and calm, as if it was a utopia in the midst of the chaos. No one dared to scheme against Adie, regardless of how bad andplicated the people out there were. Here, Adie was regarded as the emperor¡¯s sessor, heir to the Night Demon. This meant he would be safe even if he stood by the bridge to enjoy the scenery or even if he decided to walk the curb with his eyes closed. Renee stood behind Adie with her arms across her chest. Silence engulfed her as she took in the scenery with him. ¡°Humph!¡± As Adie was immersed in the view, his fury intensified. He picked up a few stones and threw them across the surface of the river, making a few beautiful instances of stone skipping. ¡°Wow, Adie, you¡¯re very awesome. When did you learn how to do stone skipping?¡± Praises inevitably escaped Renee. She learned stone skipping for a very long time, but she had yet to master it. So, she admired the people who could do beautiful stone skipping vehemently. Adie turned around and nced at her before he pouted and stated, ¡°Mommy, I thought you didn¡¯t want Abby and me. Go ahead and take care of that bad guy. Why did youe back?¡± ¡°s, my good son. Are you still mad? I told you that I didn¡¯t abandon you and Abby deliberately. I had a secret trouble I needed to settle.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your secret trouble? Didn¡¯t you have a change of heart and betray Daddy? Then you eloped with Daddy¡¯s brother, didn¡¯t you? What a big secret trouble!¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± Renee struggled to handle the situation. Adie had matured a lot more after being separated from his mother for half a year. Consequently, Renee was forced to give in because of how good he was at his sarcastic remarks. ¡°Where did you hear that from? It¡¯s all nonsense. Don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°I looked it up on the Inte. Daddy was too sad because of your betrayal, so he chose another woman. He¡¯s going to marry another woman. Abby and I will lose our Daddy by then.¡± When he reached that point, his bright eyes soon became somber. Clutching the stones in his hands, he said, ¡°No one will ever teach me stone skipping again from now on.¡± In the past, he never enjoyed fatherly love, so he felt that it was not a big deal and was unnecessary. However, he and his family of three led a worry-free life on Sun Ind after their reunion with Stefan. He found that he still loved Stefan very much, and he yearned deeply for fatherly love. He missed how Stefan ced him on his shoulders. He also missed having Stefan teach him how to fish in the sea and y volleyball with him on the beach¡­ His mother could not rece his father in a lot of things. ¡°So, is that why you are angry at me? Is that the reason you¡¯re ignoring me?¡± Renee asked him softly. Deep guilt was buried in her eyes. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Her heart was filled with deep gloom. She could not imagine what great disappointment was burdening Adie¡¯s young soul. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± He heaved a long sigh and turned to walk to Renee, holding her hand and apologizing obediently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I know that I shouldn¡¯t me you. You and Daddy have the right to be with someone else and the right to pursue your happiness. I¡¯m just¡­ afraid that you and Daddy will give us up one day.¡± ¡°Silly boy. It¡¯s impossible. It will never happen!¡± ¡°Why not? Didn¡¯t you and Daddy leave us? You went missing without saying anything. And Daddy¡­ I went to him that day, and it seemed like he didn¡¯t see me. He held another woman¡¯s hand and walked past me.¡± Chapter 1126 Chapter 1126 ¡°You¡­ you even went to him?¡± ¡°Yeah, I sneaked out to Daddy¡¯spany to see him when Uncle was busy the other day, but he seemed to not know me.¡± When Adie reached the point, he appeared veryposed. It was because the most difficult time was over. He was no longer sad but a little regretful now. ¡°Oh, my dear Adie. You¡¯ve suffered so much!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes became scarlet before she pulled Adie into her arms, sobbing. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I thought you and Abby were very strong and sensible, and I ignored your feelings. Let me say sorry to you. I promise that I¡¯ll never leave you guys again. Never!¡± When she thought of how Adie went to Stefan pitifully, yet Stefan ignored him, a pang of grief grabbed her heart. Adie would feel that he was abandoned by the whole world when his mother went missing, and his father ignored him. ¡°But what about Daddy¡¯s brother? Margaret told me that you need to take care of that person. So, you¡¯ll leave one day, won¡¯t you?¡± Holding Renee¡¯s hand, Adie tried to sound her out carefully. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something. I¡¯ll bring you guys with me no matter where I go. I¡¯ll never leave you guys again.¡± Renee held Adie tightly and promised him while sobbing. ¡°Mommy, I trust you. You love Abby and me the most. You won¡¯t leave us, but Daddy¡­ I think he¡¯s forgotten about Abby and me.¡± Adie sounded a little sad. ¡°If you can be with Daddy and if we can go back to live on Sun Ind again, it¡¯ll be wonderful.¡± ¡°Just forget about him as if¡­ you¡¯d never had him by your side.¡± Renee closed her eyes and let her tears fall. It seemed that she was trying to console herself and Adie. ¡°Okay.¡± Adie nodded obediently. Finally, his rancor was resolved. Renee¡¯s words gave him a great sense of security. This sense of security could help eliminate his remorse for not having his father by his side. They then returned to Carmine Pawnshop hand in hand. After having a simple dinner, Renee started to get busy. She had lost touch with her brother, and Lei was imprisoned. At the same time, Jovan was missing¡­ There were so many issues that she could not rest even for a while. Based on the difficulty levels of the issues, she decided to help get Lei out of the police station first. ¡°Miss Ren, you¡¯re just back. Why don¡¯t you rest for a night first before you go there?¡± When Margaret noticed that Renee was about to go out, she felt very sorry for Renee. ¡°How can I restfortably when Lei is suffering in the cold prison?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Margaret heaved a long sigh. ¡°Miss Lei fell out with her family just to help you. So, you¡¯re the only one who can help her now.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a small affair. I own the most awesome legal team in Beach City.¡± While smiling, she consoled Margaret. After that, she went straight to the prison where Leia was without any dy even though night had fallen. Chapter 1127 Chapter 1127 Renee went to the prison where Leia was and went straight to the point in front of the person in charge. ¡°I want to bail Leia out. How much is it? Just name the price.¡± The person in charge was an old leader of nearly fifty years old. He had plenty of experience in handling cases, so he had had contact with all kinds of people. Of course, it was not the first time that he had met someone rich and imposing like Renee. He buried his head to handle the cases without even ncing at Renee. He said calmly, ¡°This suspect¡¯s case is a bit special, so she doesn¡¯t have the right to be bailed to wait for the trial. You may go back now.¡± ¡°Did she murder someone or set a ce on fire? Why isn¡¯t she qualified for bail? If my information is right, she did it as a form of self-defense. She resisted the person who caused trouble. Of course, it should be considered proper self-defense. Why is it regarded as a criminal offense?¡± Agitated, Renee argued with the old leader. ¡°Self-defense?¡± Finally, the old leader looked up and shot her a sharp re. He then suddenly said, ¡°Your information is outdated. The victim died at nine this morning since they failed to save him. Based on the surveince video, the suspect carelessly killed a person. It wasn¡¯t in self-defense, and shemitted manughter. You won¡¯t be able to take her away, no matter how ridiculous a sum you offer.¡± ¡°Man¡­ Manughter?¡± Renee was struck dumb on the spot. She never expected that it was so serious. If someone was killed and if it wasbeled a criminal case, there was no way Leia would be granted bail. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯ll be locked up for three to five years for manughter unless she manages to gain the forgiveness of the victim¡¯s family. What a pity!¡± The old leader shook his head and sighed with feelings. ¡°I think people the likes of you should stop wasting your effort. Their only son has been killed. Of course, she will never be forgiven.¡± ¡°People the likes of you?¡± Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Renee immediately asked, ¡°So, did anyone elsee to bail my friend out?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s also rich and more relentless than you. He tried to intimidate and bribe me. So, I drove him away.¡± The old leader recalled that person because he had a deep impression of that person. ¡°He¡¯s indeed a loyal and passionate man.¡± Renee could not be bothered to dwell on that. She inquired, ¡°Can I see my friend?¡± The leader nced at the clock on the wall before he raised his brows. ¡°Well, it¡¯s usually prohibited, but I¡¯ll make an exception since you¡¯re so anxious. Thirty minutes will be all you have.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Renee gave him a firm bow before she went to Leia¡¯s cell under the supervision of the guard. It was a cell for six, where six women of all ages slept in bunks and did all their business in the same ce. The atmosphere in the cramped cell was nothing less than deplorable, where concepts of privacy and decency were virtually non-existent. Leia¡¯s hair was let loose as she sat in a corner alone with a numb expression. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you hear me? Come and massage my legs!¡± A sturdy woman shouted at Renee. She was the leader in that cell. Being the leader of a female gang, she was tied to a few murders and had only been apprehended recently. The female inmates in the cell were all utterly terrified of her, and they obeyed her blindly. However, the neer, Leia, refused to submit to her. Hence, Leia was always being picked on. When the tenacious woman found Leia ignoring her, she got up and walked to her. The thug then grabbed Leia¡¯s hair and roared, ¡°You¡¯re ying dumb, aren¡¯t you?! I fucking asked you toe and massage my legs!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Leia was not someone to be trifled with. She turned her hand and pped the tough woman. ¡°Motherf*cker! You¡¯re courting death!¡± Blinded by fury, the valiant woman summoned the rest of the female criminals. ¡°Give that insufferable b*tch a proper lesson!¡± They rushed to Leia and hit her. Leia, unable to resist them alone, got her eyes and lips smashed in. ¡°What are you doing? Behave yourself!¡± When the prison guard heard themotion, he quickly rebuked them, and the group dispersed. ¡°Twenty-nine, are you okay?¡± Chapter 1128 Chapter 1128 The prison guard asked Leia. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Leia answered coldly as she wiped the blood from the corner of her lips with her sleeve. ¡°Get ready. Someone¡¯s here to see you.¡± Leia¡¯s numb gaze flickered slightly. Her eyes lit up a little but turned dull very quickly. She knew that she was entrapped now and no one could save her. Leia got ready before she went to the visiting room with the prison guard. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re back?¡± She saw Renee at a nce, so she ran to the iron door agitatedly. ¡°Lei, I came back toote. You¡¯ve suffered a lot.¡± Renee also rushed to the iron door and looked at Leia, sobbing. They were only separated by an iron door. However, they could only see each other through the narrow window. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with your eyes? Why are your lips chafed?¡± Renee sensitively noticed that Leia¡¯s eyes and lips were injured. So, she became anxious and shouted, ¡°Hey, my friend is hurt. Where is the doctor? Get the doctor toe see her!¡± ¡°Shush, Ren. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s normal to get bashed up in here. We finally meet. Let¡¯s chat a bit.¡± Leia¡¯s hands were handcuffed. She spoke with a tone of urgency as she held the iron railing with her slender fingers. She knew that the visiting hours were merely thirty minutes. If the doctor came to inspect her, she would not have much time to talk to Renee. ¡°Lei, tell me. What happened? Why did it turn out this way?¡± Renee raced against time and questioned Leia. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She had to learn what had happened before she could find the breakthrough point and help release Lei. ¡°I can¡¯t me anyone in this. I was too impatient. When they threatened me, I reacted with agitation. Besides, that ce is a construction zone, so his head was impaled by nails¡­¡± Leia wiped away her tears and said with despair, ¡°I think he won¡¯t be able to live since the back of his head has been nailed and I¡¯ve be a murderer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You didn¡¯t do it on purpose. It won¡¯t be that serious. I have the bestwyers. They have ways to save you. They can do it.¡± Although this would make Renee seem unprofessional in the legal industry, she knew that she had to save Lei, no matter how high of a cost it might incur. This was simply too harsh a ce to stay. ¡°Ren, don¡¯t me yourself. You saved me and my brother. So, I don¡¯t regret what I did. Even if I traveled back in time, I would do the same thing.¡± ¡°Lei, stop. Regardless, I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. I¡¯ll save you even if I have to blow this prison up¡­¡± The women cried profusely from both sides of the iron door. They were overwhelmed with their deep grief. The anguish and pain in their voice would immediately be felt by whoever heard them. ¡°Ahem, twenty-nine, get ready. You¡¯re freed of all charges and are free to go.¡± Suddenly, the prison guard knocked on the iron door and said to Leia expressionlessly. ¡°What? Did I hear it right? I can go now?¡± Leia¡¯s eyes were still full of tears. She could not believe what she had just heard. It was because she had just learned the news that the person she identally pushed over died this morning after they failed to save him. Logically speaking¡­ she would be imprisoned for three to five years. Why was she freed of all charges of the blue? Chapter 1129 Chapter 1129 Renee found it strange. She hadn¡¯t even gotten into action when the problem had already been resolved. An unrealistic feeling overwhelmed her, as if something had fallen onto herp without her even trying. ¡°Just leave. What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re unwilling to go? Go back to that tiny corner of yours, then.¡± The prison guard frowned and said in an extremely impatient manner. He was never nice to the rich youngdies who managed to escape the punishment ofw because of their backers. ¡°No, I¡¯m willing. I¡­ I¡¯ll go now.¡± Leia was very excited, so she eagerly stated. Like a tornado, happiness immediately reced her glum. She didn¡¯t even bother to ponder over it. After simply changing into her clothes on the day when she was caught, she walked out of the cell. ¡°Ren, I¡¯m finally free!¡± When she walked out of the prison, she enjoyed the fresh air outside as she looked up at the bright moon. Inevitably, she cried vigorously. She hugged Renee tightly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re okay now. You didn¡¯t do it on purpose, and you¡¯re a victim too. Of course, you should be released.¡± ¡°Hmm, Ren, that ce is more horrible than hell. That¡¯s no ce for a human being to stay in. We must abide by thew and never get involved in such a ce¡­¡± ¡°Erm¡­ Sure.¡± Renee¡¯s heart inevitably skipped a beat as a chill was sent down her spine. She knew that she had murdered someone too. It was even more wicked than Leia¡¯s case. In addition, she could be sued as a murderer, and she would not only be sentenced to three or five years of prison. She might even be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty. ¡°But who helped me if it wasn¡¯t you?¡± Leia wiped away her tears in great confusion. ¡°I¡¯m not popr. I don¡¯t know who else is so capable to get me out of prison except you. Could it have been my daddy or brother?¡± But this incident was kept a secret. Her brother was having an adventure in Antia, and logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t have received the news so fast. Her father was still angry. After falling out with him the other day, he imed he hadn¡¯t meddled in her business. Hence, he would not have acted so fast, either. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a secret crush?¡± Renee was full of curiosity. She sighed. ¡°This person is indeed capable regardless of his identity. After all, this isn¡¯t an issue that can be solved entirely with money.¡± While they spoke, a silver sports car parked by the road honked at them. Both Renee and Leia looked at the car. After that, they saw Xavier opening the door and getting out of the car, full of his usual charm. ¡°Beautifuldies, I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. Please get in the car.¡± He leaned against the car door and revealed a charming smile in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s him?¡± Both Renee and Leia looked at each other. Feeling surprised, they felt that it was reasonable too. Well, why didn¡¯t they think of Xavier? His feelings toward Leia were not simple. He must have been the first to act when something like this happened. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so.¡± Leia swallowed slightly in fear. Though they had remained friends with each other, they contacted little. They were just ordinary friends. He did not have to go to so much trouble for that affair. ¡°You can just ask him about it.¡± After Renee said that, she pulled Leia to Xavier and went straight to the point. ¡°Xavier, did you use one of your connections to get Lei out of prison?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Chapter 1130 Chapter 1130 Xavier raised his brows slightly and answered calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t use any connection but spent a bit of money.¡± ¡°Well, this affair couldn¡¯t be resolved with money alone.¡± ¡°No, I just transferred 50 million to the bank ount of the victim¡¯s family before I asked several men in ck to meet them with fruits and knives. After that¡­ they learned that it was their son who had made a scene and harmed himself instead. They then went to the police to settle the issue.¡± Xavier sounded casual andposed. It seemed as simple as buying an ingredient, but that ingredient came at an eye-watering price. Renee patted his shoulders and could not helpmenting on their deep rtionship. ¡°Well, you¡¯re pretty good. You spent 50 million just like that. If this isn¡¯t considered love¡­¡± Consequently, Leia blushed and tugged at Renee¡¯s clothes. ¡°Ren, stop the nonsense.¡± After that, she looked up and said to him stiffly, ¡°Xavier, thank you. I¡¯ll try my best to return 50 million to you.¡± ¡°Just 50 million?¡± Xavier uttered casually, ¡°Do you know how much interest one can gain each day for a bank deposit of 50 million?¡± Soon Leia¡¯s face sank. Tsk! She was used to his annoying behavior. But she was slightly moved just now. ¡°Well, tell me the total based on the bank interest. I¡¯ll return it to you in a year.¡± Leia gnashed her teeth and stated. ¡°That won¡¯t do either.¡± Xavier continued his mischief. ¡°You should know that my family is involved in the high-interest business, too, so the interest can¡¯t be calcted based on what banks usually offer. I should ask for a four percent of interest.¡± ¡°Four percent? It¡¯s three percent at most, even if it¡¯s a high-interest business. You¡¯re getting way over your head here!¡± Leia felt that she had been ckmailed so she turned away and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ll better go back in there. Getting locked up is better than getting ckmailed like this.¡± ¡°Ha! Ha! Ha! Don¡¯t worry. You can afford the interest. I just want you to be with me.¡± Xavier held Leia¡¯s arm and quickly gave in. Standing at the side, Renee watched them quibble with each other. They were quarreling flirtatiously, and she inevitably smiled happily. Hmm¡­ Xavier learned from his mistake. He was finally in his character. ¡°Er¡­ I remember that I have something else to do. I¡¯ll go now.¡± After that, Renee left rapidly. ¡°Hey, Ren. I¡¯ll go with you. I¡­¡± Leia tried to pursue Renee, but Xavier refused to let her go. As a result, Leia could only watch her bestie get into a cab and leave. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? Did you two n this?¡± Leia turned away and shoved off Xavier¡¯s hand. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No, it¡¯s my action alone.¡± With both hands in his pockets, he jokingly quipped, ¡°You don¡¯t know how hard it was to pacify that couple. I was almost driven mad. I pestered them for almost a week before they agreed to write a letter of forgiveness.¡± Leia could not help but be moved. She bit her lips and stated, ¡°Regardless, thank you. I¡¯ll keep your kindness in mind.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± After that, Xavier invited her for a meal. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let me take you out for something nice to get rid of your bad luck.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Leia smoothed her hair, revealing the wound on her eye ¡°What¡¯s the matter with your eye?¡± Xavier found that Leia¡¯s face was hurt. He appeared submissive and silly just now, but now he immediately turned solemn. His body exuded a chilly and frightening aura. Chapter 1131 Chapter 1131 ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Leia snapped, quickly turning away and hiding her face with her hair, reluctant to let others see her vulnerability. ¡°Nothing? Your face is already swollen!¡± Xavier eximed as he gently lifted her chin and brushed her hair off, studying her face with a pained look. Who could have imagined that in just a matter of days, the woman who strutted like she owned the ce would end up looking so pitiful? ¡°Who did this to you?¡± He demanded, his brow tightly furrowed as if his favorite toy was broken, and he looked bent on cutting the culprit into pieces. ¡°No one. I fell,¡± Leia said, moving away from his touch and turning her back on him. She was just like Renee¡ªshe held herself with great pride and would act nonchnt even if she was bruised and battered. Xavier was not easily fooled, however, and took her hand as he growled. ¡°We¡¯re going back.¡± ¡°Back? Back where?¡± ¡°The detention center.¡± ¡°No! It took me so much to get out¡ªI¡¯m not going back! That ce is hell. It¡¯s not for humans!¡± Leia struggled violently, her obstinate carapace peeling off and revealing her fear. She had not been in the detention center for that long, but she was tormented by her cellmates everyday¡ªhaving her hair pulled, being spat in the face and pped.? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She tried to fight back, but that would only get her a worse beating¡ªjust like today, where she was given the worst beating that left her face bruised! There was no way she would return to that nightmarish ce! ¡°No, you must go back!¡± Xavier grabbed Leia¡¯s shoulders and said somberly, ¡°Pull yourself together! Just tell me who hit you, and I will return the favor¡ªwhat are you worried about? I have your back.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Leia¡¯s eyes were welling with tears as she stared at him in surprise. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®what¡¯?¡± Xavier eximed angrily. ¡°Am I wrong? You¡¯re the heiress of the Osborne family. Who do they think they are, doing you dirty like this?!¡± To him, Leia was no different from his daughter. He was allowed to ¡®bully¡¯ her asionally for her mischief, but he would never allow anyone else to even touch a strand of her hair! Leia, in turn, gained confidence from that serious look in Xavier¡¯s eyes and clenched her knuckles. ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t let myself be bullied.¡± They returned to the detention center, with Xavier pulling some strings with a warden, who brought him to Leia¡¯s cell. ¡°You may go in. By the way, the cameras are out¡ªI would need around half an hour to fix it,¡± the warden told Xavier and Leia. ¡°Thanks, beautiful,¡± Xavier shed his trademark smile at her, even making a heart gesture with his fingers. ¡°Y-You¡¯re wee¡­¡± The warden blushed, lowered her head, and turned to leave. ¡°You¡¯re a real embarrassment everywhere you go,¡± Leia snorted, rolling her eyes at him. Xavier ignored her and quietly entered the cell while Leia followed him closely. ¡°Who is that?!¡± Leia¡¯s five sleeping cellmates were immediately alerted when they heard the door open. However, the lights were off, and they could only make out their silhouettes. Leia folded her arms and sneered as she strode towards them, ¡°Hello, cellmates. Did you sleep well?¡± Chapter 1132 Chapter 1132 ¡°Isn¡¯t that No.29, that heiress?¡± The tough woman was immediately excited, smacking her thighs as she chuckled, ¡°Wee back. And here I heard someone bailed you out¡­ My shoulder just happened to be feeling sore, soe here and give me a massage.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sore everywhere, everyday anyway. Here¡ªlet me give you some proper treatment,¡± Leia retorted and pped the tough woman across the face. ¡°H-How dare you hit me?!¡± The woman was left dumbstruck by the p and stared at Leia in disbelief while clutching her swelling cheek. ¡°That¡¯s not all¡ªI¡¯ll kick you like you kicked me! What are you going to do about it?¡± Leia snapped and kicked the woman squarely in the stomach. She stumbled but quickly snapped at the other intimates, ¡°What are you spacing out for?! Get her!¡± However, the other women were all huddled together and shuddering in fear, staring at the burly man standing behind Leia.¡± ¡°Go on if you dare,¡± Xavier said as he slowly lit himself a cigarette, illuminating his handsome face and quietly intimidating presence. He was not saying much or doing anything, but that was enough to intimidate those women. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± The tough woman demanded, clearly hostile and uncowed despite noticing Xavier. After all, she was a mob boss before her incarceration and had taken the lives of people. ¡°Who, me?¡± Xavier took a long drag and shed a vague smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to back up my kid, so you should take her beating lying down if you¡¯re smart.¡± ¡°Your kid?!¡± The tough woman did not have the patience to listen¡ªher bby cheeks were stiffened as she balled up her fists, ready to retaliate. However, when she finally had a good look at Xavier¡¯s face from the glow of his cigarette, she dropped to the floor while her face paled as if she just saw a ghost. ¡°Y-You¡¯re Xavier Stuart?!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Xavier, whose family was involved in legally-gray businesses, nodded. Moreover, the tough woman had the fortune to meet him once, with those good looks of his particrly memorable. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. And she was immediately on her knees, pleading with Xavier, ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry, Mr. Stuart. I didn¡¯t know No.29 was with you. I would have definitely been giving her my best hospitality if I knew¡­ Please, don¡¯t hold it against me, Mr. Stuart. Forgive me¡­¡± She did not fear being in jail, but she feared the Stuarts. She would be in for a world of pain when she got out, and her family would suffer with her. The consequences were certainly unimaginable. Nheless, Xavier simply smiled haughtily as he took a puff, though there was icy cruelty in his eyes that would leave anyone shuddering. ¡°You never hurt me,¡± he said. ¡°Why are you apologizing to me?¡± The tough woman was certainly smart enough to turn to Leia and kowtow to her. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, No. 29. I must be blind to make things so unpleasant for you¡­ I¡¯m so sorry! Please forgive me!¡± Their other cellmates did the same, but Leia remained impassive as she said coolly, ¡°None of you have to apologize because I¡¯d never forgive any of you. I will, however, return the favor for everything you put me through.¡± With those words, she pped the tough woman across the face with the back of her hand. She¡¯d return what she¡¯d been given, in full, one painful bit after the other. ¡°No!!! Please, stop!!! We won¡¯t do it ever again!¡± They kept begging for mercy¡ªtheir desperate cries eerily resounding across the hollow detention center. Eventually, Leia was exhausted and done with her revenge. Turning towards Xavier, she said, ¡°I¡¯m done. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Xavier snapped his fingers and gently opened the door for Leia. The women in the cell were left watching, stunned¡­ They would never have upset someone that important if they had known! Chapter 1133 Chapter 1133 Having vented all her grievances, Leia stopped assaulting the women and warned them even as they shook in their boots. ¡°I will spare your lives today, but remember-bully another innocent, and you will suffer a worse fate!¡¯ They promptly kowtowed to Leia. ¡°Thank you, thank you! We will always remember that!¡± Having endured such a terrible experience, they were made to understand that there was always a bigger fish and that they should never be so quick to bully. With that, Leia and Xavier left the detention center without leaving any evidence behind¡ªas if they had never been there before. ¡°Hand,¡± Xavier suddenly told her. ¡°Hand?¡± Leia had no idea what he intended, but she was in a good mood and generously held out her dainty hand. Hisrge palm wrapped around hers right then, gently caressing it as he said seriously, ¡°You must be tired. Let me give you a massage.¡± Under the bright moonlight, the affection he had for her was so obvious in his wless, handsome face. Leia spaced out a little but quickly withdrew her hand as her heart was racing because of him. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. Keeping her hand behind herself, she appeared exasperated as she told him off, ¡°Don¡¯t be so naughty¡­ You¡¯ve done enough for one night; any more, and I¡¯d misunderstand.¡± Everything about him was perfect, not least of all the sense of security andfort he could give a lady, not unlike the feeling of seeing a knight in shining armor. And Leia herself was not heartless¡ªso how could she not be drawn to him? However, past experiences told her that she would suffer if she fell for Xavier again. That was why she had to restrain herself as much as she could! ¡°Misunderstand what?¡± Xavier asked innocently, looking at her with doleful puppy eyes despite her sudden coldness. ¡°What do you think?!¡¯ Leia snapped, frowning. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how charming you are, bewitching me all the time, only to tell me ¡®we¡¯re just friends¡¯ afterward and abandoning me? Is teasing me like that fun for you?!¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re falling for me again?¡± Xavier shed his unrepentant yboy smile, slipping his hands in both pockets. He was certainly pleased to have elicited such a response from Leia, like a cat catching a mouse. They had been brought back together after drifting apart for so long, and past sentiments remained without fading-in fact, it was burning even more passionately than before. In other words, he was special, even irreceable to her, and that was enough for him! ¡°So what if I am?¡± Leia retorted. ¡°Do you feel a sense of aplishment from this? Don¡¯t you feel bored, an old-timer like you, manipting a virgin like me?¡± In reality, Leia never avoided confronting her feelings for Xavier, but she just could not understand how his mind worked-what was the point of his repeated advances? ¡°Nope. I won¡¯t get bored as long as it¡¯s you,¡± Xavier grinned, baring his squeaky-clean teethhe had the charm to bewitch all living beings, but he obviously needed a good punch just then. Leia was left huffing, a sign that she had truly lost to him. ¡°I get bored even if you don¡¯t. Do whatever you like-l don¡¯t care!¡± She was not about to y along to the yboy¡¯s flirtatious routines like some blockhead once more. Either way, the only way to escape his maniption was to stay away from him. Chapter 1134 Chapter 1134 Leia decided to do what she had been doing for a while and focus on her career. Men are nothing! There¡¯s no reason to let them affect her emotions! ¡°Anyway, thank you for today. I¡¯ll make it up to you somehow. Goodbye!¡± Leia told Xavier and walked up to the side of the road to stop a cab. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. She wanted to stay away from Xavier-not because she hated him, but because she was just too vulnerable and fell in love too easily. Therefore, she would quarantine herself and forceherself to get away from him. Nheless, Xavier stepped in front of her, stubbornly stopping her from leaving. ¡¯Be more direct with your gratitude. Itcks sincerity if you put it off.¡± Leia red at him, but she was also curious. ¡®In that case, what do you want? I don¡¯t have any money with me.¡± ¡°You have time, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m hungry and was thinking about supper. You can keep mepany,¡± Xavier said directly. ¡°A yboy like you could summon a truckload ofdies with a single phone call. And you¡¯d still rather have me?¡± ¡°Of course. You, and only you. So? Are you game?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Leia agreed to it right away, resigning herself to her fate. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that I have to owe you.¡± ¡°Then get in the car,¡± Xavier beamed, skipping towards his car to open the door for her. He would rather relish in this delight than enjoy thepany of a dozendies. They drove steadily through the night sky illuminated by myriad lights-on streetspletely devoid of traffic and pedestrians. Neither spoke as a rxing tune yed on the radio, leaving the air charged with a touch of yful flirting. It was not until Xavier drove into a luxurious apartment¡¯s basement that Leia realized something was wrong. Leaning tightly against her seat, she stared nervously at him as she demanded, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going for supper? Where are we?!¡± ¡°My ce!¡± Xavier said, focusing on his parking at his reserved lot just then, twirling the steering wheel handily. ¡°Your ce? W-What do you want?!¡¯ ¡°What could I want? To cheer you up,¡± Xavier replied, reclining against his seat as he stared at her, his flirtatious gaze seemingly drawing her in. Leia folded her arms before her chest and red at him warily. ¡°You¡¯re a monster! I just got out of prison, and that¡¯s all you can think of?¡± ¡°What did I think of?¡± ¡°You know damn well what,¡± Leia snapped, her face flushed as she tried to exit the car. ¡°To think that I actually felt touched by what you did for me. But you turned out to be a pig! Just like every other man in the world! Now open the door, or I¡¯m calling the cops!¡± Xavier finally understood what she meant. He couldn¡¯t stop himself fromughing while clutching his stomach. ¡°Haha! You¡¯re really wary, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re just adorable!¡± Even so, there was no hiding the tenderness in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯reughing?! I¡¯ll beat you up, believe it! You saw I can dish out a beating!¡± She cried, raising her fist to hit him. Nheless, Xavier handily caught her wrists and held her against her seat, and said with a tone brimming with desire, ¡°Weren¡¯t you always dissatisfied that we¡¯re just friends? We could breach that gap tonight and properly enjoy¡­¡± Chapter 1135 Chapter 1135 Leia was left flushing all the way to her ears by Xavier¡¯s obvious innuendos. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Y-You¡¯re such a pig!¡± She snapped, and pped him across his chiseled cheek before shoving him as far as she could. ¡°I must have been crazy to think that you were nice, but you¡¯re nothing but a pig!¡± Seeing that she really was upset, Xavier finally stopped smiling and exined, ¡°Okay, okay ¡ªI was just messing with you. Also, I don¡¯t mean ¡¯ enjoy¡¯ in the way you think. It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡¯ ¡°Then how do you mean it?!¡± ¡°I heard from someone that you like crayfish, and I bought ten pounds so that you¡¯d have enough for a while. In some cultures, it¡¯s a food that wards off bad luck too. How is that for your enjoyment?¡± ¡°Crayfish?!¡± Leia¡¯s eyes lit up at those words-she had to admit that crayfish was her favorite food, bar none. She would devour them whenever they were in season, or she could not stand it. And while she was incarcerated, it was what she missed most of the world outside. In that case, Xavier did understand her-and at that moment, even reaching into her very soul! And the man was resting his chin under his hands with a vague smile.¡± Yeah. It¡¯s your favorite, and I just happen to know how to cook them to perfection. Coincidence, huh?¡± ¡°Wait, you know how to cook crayfish?¡± ¡°Soup, stew, sd, with potatoes. It goes with everything.¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± Leia eximed impatiently, gulping her drool that was threatening to leak. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s ¡®enjoy¡¯ already!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Xavier replied with a smug smile and got out of the car, thinking to himself that she had to be such a glutton to get swindled just by waving crayfish in her face. However, would he really spare her so easily? They both alighted and headed to the basement elevator, which took them up to Xavier¡¯s apartment. It was a nice, homely ce, with the interior covered with raw wood, as was the trend these days. There were plush toys at every corner, helping to create an atmosphere of calm and soothing frayed nerves. ¡®Take a break or a shower. Maybe y a game or something while I cook,¡± Xavier told her as he put up an apron. When he did, he suddenly appeared to be a domestic husband, and there was hardly a hint of the yboy that he really was. ¡°Okay,¡± Leia replied tamely. Though she was suddenly a little wary, she gulped, finding herself staring stupidly at him. She had to give it to him-a man in an apron was awfully seductive, and her appetite for the man was whetted more than her appetite for crayfish. While he cooked in the kitchen, she could not help surveying his house gingerly out of curiosity. Tut, tut. 3,000 square feet apartments really were luxurious, and all five rooms were so wide one could jog in it. The interior of Xavier¡¯s room was actually kept prim and clean, and nothing special about it. The others were the same-clean and homely, not unlike that from a sample house, and showing little individuality. However, thest room was closed, which somehow made it stand out. Leia¡¯s hand was already on the doorknob, and she was hesitant if she should go in for a look. It would be impolite if she did, but she could not resist the curiosity in her either. After all, you could not stop yourself from finding out more about a person when you loved them-it was just like opening stacking dolls-you would always hope to see something you¡¯ve never seen¡­ In the end, she gritted her teeth and opened it! Chapter 1136 Chapter 1136 The instant Leia opened the door and saw the interior, her expression of anticipation stiffened on her face. Within the 300 square feet room, all the walls were covered in huge posters of Shirley White, the recently crowned best actress. It was not just posters-everything from magazine covers, figurines, and photo albums of Shirley was there! It was as if the huge room was a realm that Shirley ruled, the shrine of a zealous devotee! Just as Leia thought, Xavier loved Shirley-to him, Shirley would always be the one who got away. Even as her heart seemed to clench, Leia stopped at the doorway and turned away, closing the door firmly behind her. At the same time, sizzling could be heard from the kitchen-the crayfish was soon cooked, and Xavier carried two tes full of crayfish. Five pounds were seasoned with pepper, while the other five were seasoned with lemon, all served with tworge cans of beer. ¡°Come on, eat up!¡± He eximed cheerfully. Leia took a deep breath,posing herself despite her disappointment, and walked up with a smile, her eyes glowing as she stared at the red crayfish filling the tes to the brim, steaming and sizzling. ¡°Goodness, it smells so good,¡± she gushed. ¡°Be honest-your real profession is a chef, isn¡¯t it? Showbiz tycoon is just a side job.¡± ¡°You tter me. I actually just learned it,¡± Xavier smiled, passing her a pair of gloves before remembering something and quickly saying, ¡°Wait, weren¡¯t you allergic to shrimp? Are you sure you can eat this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just allergic to shrimp. Crayfish live in freshwater, so they¡¯re not seafood. There are no problems there,¡± Leia replied as she picked up a steaming crayfish still dripping with sauce, peeling it and chomping down.¡± Mmmhmm. I can already tell this is fantastic from just one bite!¡± It would not lose out to crayfish cooked by Michelin chefs. ¡°Take your time. There¡¯s plenty,¡¯ Xavier said, watching her with a tender smile and quietly peeling off the crayfish one after another, even skewering them for her. Leia stared at the skewers he passed her, her eyes suddenly red, perhaps from the spiciness of the pepper. ¡°Be honest. Why are you being so nice to me?¡± Xavier paused for a moment, a look of half-amusement showing in his eyes just then. ¡°Is that so wrong?¡¯ ¡°Yes, it¡¯s absolutely wrong,¡± Leia shook her head, her eyes turning redder. ¡°I will get serious, even addicted. What would happen to me if you stopped being nice to me?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± Xavier said, taking a sip of beer while watching her with tender affection. ¡°I will always be nice to you.¡± ¡°But your heart is like your room. You don¡¯t clean it up¡­¡± Leia finally gave in, turning to look at that very special room, and asked him, ¡°Why would you abandon her when you love her so much?¡± If she remembered correctly, back at Quartz Ind, Shirley threatened him with suicide just to make him stay with her. Even as she teetered over the sea, he rejected her resolutely. Owned by N?velDrama.Org. And that was something Leia struggled to understand. Xavier¡¯s gaze turned cool in turn, and he chugged the beer he was holding before he said coolly, ¡°Did no one tell you that it¡¯s basic manners to not barge into someone¡¯s room when you visit their house?¡± Leia¡¯s heart was stung right then, and she took off her gloves as she rose to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was out of line, though I¡¯m used to pulling out before I get hurt. So this is it!¡± She could not help giving the crayfish onest look as she did, resisting the urge to ask if he could box it up for her. And he would never know how hard he tried to stop himself from looking behind that door! Seeing that she was determined to leave, Xavier took off his gloves as well and caught her by the wrist. ¡°What if I told you that I was hoping that you can clear my ¡®room¡¯?¡± Chapter 1137 Chapter 1137 Leia froze, feeling as if every fiber of her being was jolted while her heart raced. She turned towards Xavier and feigned nonchnce as she scoffed. ¡°I have to give it to you-you really know your way around a girl¡¯s heart. But I¡¯m immune now, so just spare me.¡¯ In fact, it was almost a habit for him to flirt-to speak ambiguously, then make a clean break from her when she was lost in love. When that happened, she would not even cry¡­ Hah! That was why no matter how much her heart raced for him-no matter how much she loved him, she was not about to fall for the same trap. All those ambiguous words, stirring emotions, and enigmatic affection? She would rather live without those! ¡°Really? What a shame¡­¡± Xavier trailed off. However, a hunter as experienced as he understood that Leia was just being obstinate and not actually eager to leave. As such, he walked up to her, staring at her dainty, fresh face as he wiped the pepper sauce staining the corner of her lips, and said slowly, ¡°Ruthless, aren¡¯t you? Leaving just as I finally found my resolve to get in the game.¡± Leia¡¯s heart pounded, a little deted as she gulped, ¡°What do you mean, ¡¯ get in the game¡¯?¡± ¡°I, Xavier Stuart, sincerely invite you, Miss Leia Osborn, to clean this messy room of mine and be my new guest.¡± ¡°W-What are you talking about, cleaning my room? What do you take me for If Before she could finish, Xavier had leaned in to kiss her in the next instant- gently, briefly, and innocently. His eyes were closed as he locked his lips against hers with focus and tenderness, his long, thick eyshes brushing against her cheek like how a butterfly¡¯s wings would flutter. It was a strange coincidence of metaphors since Leia did feel butterflies in her stomach, and she felt like she could take flight-her toes and fingers stiffened as she stood there, her mind going nk as if she had been sealed within a bottle. Nheless, she could not help closing her eyes and answering his kiss. As he pulled away reluctantly after a long while, he asked with a raspy voice and a light tone, ¡°Is this definitive enough for you?¡± Fiery passions seemed to linger in the air, leaving it steaming and charged with excitement. Leia pursed her lips and shyly lowered her head, not unlike a virgin that just had a taste of the forbidden fruit, as she murmured meekly, ¡°l-l think so..¡± ¡°Good. Then don¡¯t let your mind wander anymore, and feel with your heart,¡± Xavier told her solemnly. Though he was certainly unreliable and almost too used to charminghaving decks of premeditated conversation at the ready to bewitch thedies, he was somehow clumsy now that he got serious, and his charm seemed to fly out of the window. Still, Leia found everything so hard to believe and looked up at him with seriousness in her eyes. ¡°You kissed me¡­ Does that mean you love me?¡± Xavier nodded. ¡°Yes. I kissed you, and I love you¡ªI want to start a meaningful rtionship with you.¡± He did not run away this time and gave her a definitive answer. ¡°Oh, you finally came around! My faith is really rewarded!¡± Leia eximed in joy, not holding back at all just then as he eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡¯So? Was kissing me beautiful? Is your heart racing?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xavier frowned in thought for a while before saying seriously, ¡°It¡¯s a little spicy.¡± ¡°Haha! That¡¯s spicy? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m feeling embarrassed about this?¡± ¡°Well, it really was spicy¡­ Just like pepper crayfish.¡± The man held back augh as he confessed his true feelings. Her lips were soft, but the taste of spiciness lingered since she had so much pepper crayfish. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. It was memorable, just like she was to him. ¡°Oh, you mean that?! I¡¯m so embarrassed I could die!¡± Leia buried her face behind her palms, feeling so embarrassed she needed to hide right then. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Xavier chuckled. ¡°That sort of spiciness applies too. I have faith in your potential.¡± Chapter 1138 Chapter 1138 With those words, Xavier scooped Leia up in his arms, brimming with a boyfriend¡¯s energy. They headed to the bedroom-the night was still young, and there was still much to be done. *** The next day, Leia woke up feeling reinvigorated in heart and spirit, finding it a little unreal to see the handsome face asleep beside her. In reality, they did not do anything at all-Xavier¡¯s heart bled for her after she was bullied thoroughly in prison, and he tended to her wounds, then held her in his arms as they slept. She was the one who was getting restless with her dainty hands, caressing him all over as if challenging his resolve. Still, he did not give in to her flirting at all and held her in his arms with his eyes closed. ¡°Calm down,¡± he said with some detachment. ¡°There¡¯s no need to jump into action-we have years ahead of us.¡± And now, she stared at him as hey sound asleep,ining inwardly about how he was usually a Casanova that bedded every woman he met, but he turned out to be so¡­ chaste when it came to her. She could not help lowering her gaze at her loose pajamas, wondering if she was too in to whet his appetite. The thought rmed her, and she mustered her courage to lean in and kiss Xavier¡¯s lips, waking him right then. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Xavier was still in a daze when he found the cutie throwing herself into his arms. And who could resist such temptation? He turned and moved on top of her. ¡°You¡¯re a little inexperienced, Leia. Let me give you a few pointers.¡± It was azy weekend, fit for rxing. Even the sun seemednguid. However, just as they were about to go right down to business, Leia sharply said something. ¡®Wait!¡± ¡°Wait? Why? Don¡¯t you know that men get particrly hungry in the mornings-¡± ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re the one who told me to calm downst night!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Last night wasst night. It¡¯s morning now,¡± Xavier retorted, clearly eager to get going. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! I think someone just opened the door!¡± Leia snapped. She gathered all her ability for restraint and reluctantly pushed him away. Her hearing was sharp as ever, and she definitely heard the front door open. ¡°Is that your mother?¡± She suggested and promptly sat upto straighten her hair and clothesshe did not want her future mother-inw to think her unseemly. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll check,¡± Xavier¡¯s head cleared up just then, and put on a pair of trousers while his hair remained disheveled-a fact that did little to curb his charm. Having calmed down, that aloof demeanor that returned to him became so bewitching once again. His towering figure soon stepped out of the bedroom, though his rxed expression soon turned cool and contorted when he saw the woman sitting in the living room. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He demanded, his hands in his pocket while his gaze was as cool as ice. ¡°I missed you,¡± the woman¡¯s eyes were red as she threw herself into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know how much?¡± Chapter 1139 Chapter 1139 Xavier stood stiffly in ce as she told her coolly, ¡®You should have known better. What¡¯s the point of saying all that now?!¡± ¡°I made a mistake, Xavier. Can¡¯t you forgive me? I¡¯ve already made it clear to the old man that I would be with you¡­ even if he¡¯s going to cancel me!¡± The woman grabbed his waist like her life depended on it and cried a river¡ª she was none other than Shirley White, the star actress whom Xavier brought to stardom and the one who upied a part of his heart-and the reason he had a chip on his shoulder! Their story was one you would find in romance novels-the rich showbiz tycoon falling in love at first sight with the young actress with modest roots. He then broke the bank to push her towards stardom, even keeping himself chaste for her, as if Casanova himself decided to reform¡­ In fact, anyone searching for Xavier¡¯s name online would always yield results for Shirley as well. Countlessizens fawned over them, wrote fanfiction, and shipped them to kingdom And yet, this heartwarming ship suddenly capsized as they drifted apart. They were never seen together sincest year, and they now seemed to beplete strangers. Xavier once again regained his reputation as a Casanova. Even so, Shirley¡¯s career was unaffected-in fact, it even rose to new heights. It was, therefore, inevitable that rumors of Shirley finding herself a new backer started circtingshe betrayed Xavier after all he did for her, who in turn reverted to his old ways¡­ ¡°Ahem!¡± Leia cleared her throat awkwardly even as she stayed in bed, having seen them hugging at the door. ¡®There¡¯s¡­ someone else?¡± Shirley did not seem to panic as she looked up from Xavier¡¯s arms, looking past his shoulder to the woman on the bed. She was no idiot¡ªshe knew there was another woman in Xavier¡¯s bed the instant she stepped through that door. ¡°Xavier, if this is how you wanted to get back at me, congrattions. You¡¯ve seeded. It hurts so much I could die, but I won¡¯t me you¡­¡± Shirley wept uncontrobly, her fair face that looked like something out of a poster now looking utterly miserable. ¡°You¡¯ve now hurt me just like how I¡¯ve hurt you, so we¡¯re even. Can we stop this now?¡± She stood on her toes, her rosy lips pressing against his as she let her tears roll. ¡°Let¡¯s not hurt each other anymore, alright? Or involve an innocent person¡­¡± Xavier scowled as he pushed her away, hispletely devoid of warmth. ¡°I believe I¡¯ve made it clear I¡¯ve no intention for revenge. Leia and I are in a normal rtionship.¡± ¡°Hah! A normal rtionship?¡± Shirley snorted and strode upto Leia, snapping haughtily, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my boyfriend has been rather inconsiderate, using you to upset me. We have some personal issues to sort out right now, so do you mind leaving?¡± ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you just hear that we¡¯re in a rtionship? You¡¯re the one who should be leaving.¡± Leia got out of bed in Xavier¡¯s t-shirt, which stretched all the way to her thighs and made her appear indescribably rxed. Shirley felt like she was cut to the quick. ¡°Y-You¡¯re letting her wear your clothes?¡± Her voice choked with tears. ¡°Weren¡¯t you a clean freak who wouldn¡¯t let women touch your clothes?¡± Leia was delighted to hear that, and did not hold back. ¡°Yes. As you can see, I¡¯m special to him. So I suggest you show some tact, leave, and perhaps you might just not humiliate Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. yourself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just wearing his clothes, and you think you¡¯re special? Don¡¯t be so full of yourselfyou may be special to him, but there are plenty of special people around him. They all came and left, but I¡¯ve remained his one-and- only. I¡¯m irreceable.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Chapter 1140 Chapter 1140 Shirley remainedposed and confident as she argued, and that left Leia shaken. She knew that Xavier was infamous for being a flirt, marred with scandals involving numerousdies. Still, they were willing to throw themselves at him. Only Shirley was different-because Xavier was the one enving himself to her. And that alone was why Leia paled inparison. ¡°If my hunch is right, you must be the thick-skinned type who chased Xavier around for a long time before he finally got interested, right?¡¯ Shirley studied Leia from head to toe, shaking her head with disdain. ¡°If you¡¯ve been around Xavier long enough, you¡¯d know that you¡¯re not his type at all. He just happened to need someone to help him through this painful time-or, if I had to put it inly, beggars can¡¯t be choosers. Anything is fine, and even if it wasn¡¯t you, it would be someone else. ¡°And now that I¡¯m back, you¡¯re pointless as a recement.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Xavier snapped, unable to restrain himself any longer. ¡¯How unreasonable can you get? You¡¯re the one who gave up, and now you¡¯re being clingy? How did I hurt you when you were the one who refused to let me be happy?! N His bloodshot eyes were reddened in pain. Shirley was the first woman he was willing to be serious with, the one he¡¯d given up his womanizing for. He gave her his heart and then some, and he was hell-bent on making her the happiest woman in the world. And yet, that heart of passion was trampled all over, leaving a bloody mask. So what if he loved her? So what if she was his one and only? He was tired of it all and refused to y this game. All he wanted was someone he was ¡°I was just confused and made a mistake, Xavier. Give me a chance to make things right, alright?¡± Shirley held his gaze, demolishing the fort he had built around his heart with every step. ¡°You know you love me, and you just needed someone to rebound. But that won¡¯t work, and you¡¯d only hurt others in return. Don¡¯t you think this is very selfish of you?¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes sh, his fingers clenching. He had to admit that Shirley¡¯s words more or less brought him to his senses. Despite thest night¡¯s vow, and now that his head was clear, he began to wonder if he actually even loved Leia at all. Even he could not tell! And Leia could see all of Xavier¡¯s pain and confusion, her heart aching with every passing second. Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Do you love me, Xavier?¡± She looked at him, waiting for his answer. ¡°I¡­¡± Xavier¡¯s eyes quivered, and he could not answer. ¡°Fine, I get it.¡± Leia said nonchntly, ¡°I know that you¡¯re just confused. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bother you, so, do have a proper talk with the star actress-it¡¯s not easy finding true love these days, so learn to cherish what you have.¡± She patted him on the shoulder and shrugged, unconcerned. ¡°I won¡¯t lie. I was ying too. Chapter 1141 Chapter 1141 Leia¡¯s tone was firm because she didn¡¯t want either of them to have any regrets. She left the apartment and took the elevator downstairs, and wasn¡¯t surprised to find that Xavier didn¡¯t men are pigs! There¡¯s no end to their greed!¡± At that moment, she felt as if she had been sinking into an abyss she couldn¡¯t pull herself out of. Come to think of it, she was probably cursed to only have one-sided loves- first with William Jones, now with Xavier Stuart. All she ever amounted to was the ¡®rebound¡¯¡­ fated to return to the sidelines once the actual love interest returned. It was tragic. Was this fate? If it was, maybe she should just do away with love for the rest of her life! Leia soon returned to Carmine Pawnshop, cutting a miserable figure. However, when she stepped through the front door, there was a loud ¡®pop¡¯ overhead as confetti rained down on her. ¡°Wee back, Miss Osborne!¡± Chase had a saucer of olive oil, anointing her to do away with bad luck, while Renee unleashed party poppers all around in celebration. They had been waiting for her for some time now, and happily celebrated her return. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you, Leia!¡± Renee had puffy eyes as she gave Leia a bear hug. Her eyes ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. gleamed as she whispered excitedly, ¡°So? How did it gost night? Did you manage to seal the deal?¡± The chemistry between them had been all too obviousst night, and Renee was convinced that it was just a matter of time. Luck had not been on their side for a while now, so Renee would be happy if Leia managed to find love. ¡°Renee, don¡¯t mention that name around me ever again if you consider me your friend¡­ or it¡¯s over between us,¡± Leia told Renee and everyone else, her tone uncharacteristically grim. She had been hurt terribly, so it was only natural that she wanted to distance herself from everything rted to that man. ¡°Well¡­ Alright, as long as you¡¯re home.¡± Renee could not bring herself to ask Leia what happened, despite her overwhelming curiosity. Inwardly, she was cursing Xavier¡ªwhat on earth did he do to hurt Leia so badly? Nheless, after half a watermelon, two mangoes, three packs of cherries, dozens of grilled skewers, and a pot of stewed mutton, Leia felt slightly better. She burped in satisfaction and mmed her hand on the table as she dered, ¡°Men are all just condiments. They¡¯re nowhere as delightful as a good meal, so getting sad over them would just be bringing myself unnecessary grief.¡± ¡°Exactly! They are just condiments-they¡¯re just nice sometimes, but they¡¯re not a necessity,¡± Renee echoed. ¡°Cheers!¡± Both women eximed as they clinked sses. Renee was supposed to only be Leia¡¯s chaperone, but somehow her sadness also arose as she drank, and she began toin through tears and snot, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Leia, Xavier isn¡¯t that bad¡­ When ites to people like Stefan Hunt, you¡¯ll be left wondering why you¡¯re even alive¡­ Did you know hepletely forgot about me? He¡¯d even be lovey-dovey with Seraphina right in front of me! I¡¯m supposed to be his wife, but I feel like the other woman now. Do you know how much that hurts?¡± Chapter 1142 Chapter 1142 Leia¡¯s heart ached for Renee as she listened to herints. ¡°I get it, Renee, I really do¡­ As for me, I¡¯m Seraphina to Xavier Stuart. He just wants me as his rebound, and uses me like a tool to make him feel better about his unrequited love. His ex just needed to shed a tear¡­ and I lost.¡± Leia looked contemtive, then suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you cry to Stefan? Maybe he¡¯ll remember you then.¡± Renee was a little tipsy after all the liquor, and actually thought Leia¡¯s suggestion made sense. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m his real love interest, so why should I suffer?! I should just go to him and start crying¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know unless I try, right? Make yourself at home, Leia. I have something to deal with right now.¡± Stefan had clearly abducted Jovan to get back at her! Spurred on by that thought and liquid courage, and havinge up with a n to demand Jovan¡¯s release, she chugged her drink and got up, ready to leave. Leia was drawing a nk, and quickly chased after her. ¡°Where are you going, Renee?¡± ¡°To find Stefan, and cry him a river!¡± Renee said cheerfully. Stefan was spiteful, but she was sure his grudge would disappear when he saw her cry. ¡°I-I¡¯m going too!¡± Leia eximed, wobbling to her feet. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s cry together and hysterically¡ªas many times as we want until we annoy him. Let¡¯s see if he will still harass me after.¡± Renee took Leia¡¯s hand, and they left menacingly. Beside them Chase and Plum, Leia¡¯s maid, were left exchanging nces. ¡°Are those two really going to be alright?¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Probably. Individually, they¡¯re scary when they lose it, so they¡¯ll probably be invincible if they lose it at the same time.¡± They held faith in Renee and Leia¡¯s abilities, and allowed them to do as they liked. Renee whipped out her phone and smoothly keyed in Stefan¡¯s number-she may have blocked him across the years, but she always saved his number. She called the number and waited. Stefan just happened to be chugging ss after ss with Xavier at the most expensive booth seats in Bar of Fame, and had left his phone with Elijah. Elijah answered Renee¡¯s call, and the woman immediately snapped,¡± Where are you, Stefan Hunt?!¡¯ ¡°Who is this?¡± Elijah asked warily, finding the voice somewhat familiar. ¡°It¡¯s Renee. You left me a note asking me to find you, didn¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°R-Renee¡­¡± Elijah was overjoyed-it was the missus! The ancient ship he swore fealty to was sailing again! ¡°We¡¯re at the VIP Zone of the Bar of Fame. Hurry over to the second floor¡ª your seat is waiting!¡± Elijah said quickly, happy to help. Hence, Renee and Leia took a taxi despite being absolutely drunk, and headed straight towards the Bar of Fame! Chapter 1143 Chapter 1143 Stefan and Xavier were lounging at the VIP booth seats on the second floor of Bar of Fame, watching as people iled around on the dance floor. They were drinking tequ from Massimo-the texture was smooth, and it was highly intoxicating. Specifically, Xavier was doing the drinking, while Stefan was just offering On the other hand, Xavier was chugging ss after ss relentlessly, as if he was in mourning. ¡°Stefan, I¡¯m telling you¡­ You really shouldn¡¯t fall in love. It¡¯s sweet at first, but after that, it¡¯s just pain and bitterness. I¡¯m done!¡± Xavier dered emotionally as he twirled the blue liquor in his ss, staring at the myriad colors overhead. ¡°Who did you fall in love with this time?¡± Stefan asked casually, looking noble and aloof as he leaned against the red cushioned seat, one leg crossed over the other. He was used to having his friends ask him out to drink their sorrows away every other day. Still, he was curious which woman it would be this time¡­ Who had reduced Beach City¡¯s famous Casanova to this? ¡°I¡¯m not in love-she was, and I let her down. I just feel bad for her¡­ I¡¯m a terrible human being!¡± With that, Xavier chugged another ss. Life was certainly hard-he could no longer love, but he had thoughtlessly messed with a woman who really loved him. Now, he ached from guilt, but he could not do a thing about it. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°You¡¯re not in love? With that wretched state you¡¯re in? Just admit it, there¡¯s no need to be stubborn. Falling in love is not something to be embarrassed about.¡± Stefan knew the truth-if a man was drowning his sorrows, feelings were definitely involved. Stefan had no idea why Xavier was trying to hide it. ¡°You¡¯re a coward. You can¡¯t even confront your true feelings,¡± Stefan said neutrally, snatching Xavier¡¯s ss from him. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking, Stefan. Are you really that brave? You¡¯re more pathetic in love than I am-at least I never had an actual rtionship, and there were regrets at worst. Don¡¯t you think having a rtionship and then losing it is much more pathetic?¡± Xavier shook his head, staring at Stefan sympathetically. Compared to Stefan¡¯s tormented marriage, his rtionship with Leia was insignificant-children ying house, at best. ¡°My rtionship is perfectly fine. Seraphina and I respect each other very much,¡± Stefan retorted nonchntly. ¡°Oh, just shut up. Is it even a marriage when respect is the first thing you mention? That¡¯s a tonic partnership at best, and ask yourself¡­ does your heart race when you¡¯re with her?¡± Xavier rolled his eyes and scoffed. Stefan became quiet because he knew the answer. If anything, his rtionship with Seraphina was one of duty and gratitudein fact, they were going to marry, but he had never felt any lust for her, even when they shared a bed. He had even consulted a specialist about it, convinced that he was ill, only for the specialist to tell him that everything was fine-that it was all in his head. Apparently, his heart was sealed with a lock, which only the right person would unlock. If this issue persisted, he would surely be ill eventually! Chapter 1144 Chapter 1144 That was why Stefan urgently needed to find the one who could ¡®unlock¡¯ him, so that he could be normal again! ¡°Your silence only proves me right. See? You agree with me that you don¡¯t love Seraphina at all, and you¡¯d be hurting her and yourself if you kept bumbling on and marrying her, y¡¯know?¡± Xavier naturally saw everything clearly because he was close to Stefan, and Stefan saw Xavier clearly too. Stefan did not love Seraphina, just like Xavier did not love Leia¡­ therefore, as a scumbag with a conscience, he would never allow himself to hurt Leia, or his good friend to hurt Seraphina. ¡°I really don¡¯t love Seraphina, do I?¡± Stefan narrowed his eyes, working hard to ponder on the fact before asking a soul-searching question. ¡°But who is the one I love if not her?¡± After all, he was constantly aware that he loved a certain person with every fiber of his being, and it was a love ingrained to his very bones. Judging from his memories, it had to be Seraphina, who braved hell and high water to stay with him, never abandoning him even in Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. his darkest moment¡­ But if that was true, why did he feel like something wasn¡¯t right? ¡°Why are you asking me? You should be asking yourself-whoever¡¯s facees to mind the instant you mention ¡®love¡¯ is most likely the person you love,¡± Xavier suggested, being a veteran in rtionships. In Xavier¡¯s case, nothing came to mind when he thought of the word¡­ he probably didn¡¯t love anyone other than himself! ¡°Love¡­¡± Stefan¡¯s face turned troubled as he racked his brain-after all, the person that first came to mind was his sworn enemy! Meanwhile, said enemy had appeared, striding upstairs towards him and stomping angrily with each step. Xavier noticed that Leia was with Renee, who was walking as loudly as she could. As if feeling guilty, he slid close to Stefan while rubbing his eyes and asking nervously, ¡°S-Stefan, am I seeing things or do you see it too?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Stefan growled, his handsome face scowling as he watched Renee and Leia stride past their bodyguards and walk up to them. He could clearly feel his heart racing. It was an unfamiliar feeling-his adrenaline was kicking in, spiking his senses for danger and excitement! ¡°You¡¯re morepetent than I thought,¡± Stefan said haughtily as he stared at her. After all, he was the hunter here, setting a trap and waiting for Renee to bite. He just didn¡¯t expect that she was bold enough to leap into that trap! Anyone could fall in love with that! ¡°Shut up and give him back to me, and I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones,* Renee demanded viciously-she was dazed at first, but sobered up when she saw him. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Stefan rested his chin on his hand, his gaze cool and imposing. Everyone around them gave them a wide berth out of fear. After all, Stefan Hunt was basically the king of Beach City-his every step could quake it, and the further they were from him, the better. Chapter 1145 Chapter 1145 Renee stood before Stefan, angrily ring at him as the atmosphere grew tense. Even Stefan¡¯s bodyguards were holding their breaths, ready to jump into action at any moment. However, the standoffsted little over ten seconds as Renee¡¯s eyes suddenly turned watery. ¡°If you don¡¯t¡­ I-I¡¯ll cry!¡± She stammered, and started bawling. ¡°Boo-hoo¡­ Please, Stefan Hunt¡­ CEO of H Group and the god of Beach City¡­ Please, give him back to me¡­¡± She was crying so loudly that the whole bar seemed to quake, causing everyone in the bar to turn towards the VIP area curiously.Stefan was utterly mystified¡ªthis woman never seemed to behave like a normal person, and he waspletely caught off guard! To make things worse, Renee had be so experienced in crying that her tears and snot were flowing freely while her eyes and nose had turned red. She looked so miserable that she could give professional actresses a run for their money! ¡°No¡­ Please¡­ If you¡¯re upset with someone, go mess with them¡­ Please don¡¯t involve innocents¡­ Boo-hoo¡­ If you hate me, you can hit me, you can curse me or even kill me if it satisfies you¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter how you torment me or punish me¡­ I won¡¯tin at all as long as you¡¯re satisfied¡­¡± The woman sobbed, wiping her tears away. ¡°Here,¡± she gasped, picking Stefan¡¯s hand up and aiming it at her face. ¡°You can hit me! Just do whatever you want, don¡¯t hold back¡­ or you¡¯ll get stressed!¡± That was not all¡ªLeia, spurred on by liquid courage, was spouting all sorts of nonsense to back up her friend! Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re such a scumbag! Where¡¯s your conscience?! Just because you have money, you resort to vile crimes like abduction and ckmail? Renee¡¯s just a student, but she¡¯s already had children with you, and you refuse to acknowledge her because of your post-nut rity?! Aren¡¯t you afraid of karma?!¡± Immediately, everyone was in an uproar, and all of them were condemning Stefan. ¡°He¡¯s such a piece of crap¡­ Bullying women, really?!¡± ¡°Poor girl¡­ She¡¯s crying so miserably¡­ Who¡¯s going to help her?!¡± ¡°To think I used to worship Stefan¡­ But that¡¯s a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing for you. Let¡¯s call the cops, or there¡¯ll definitely be trouble!¡± Stefan was silent, clenching his fists and feeling extremely ufortable. Renee was crying to pressure Stefan, while Leia had her hands on her hips as she rambled on with ridiculous nder to incite public outrage. ¡°Boo-hoo¡­ Please, Mr. Hunt, please spare us¡­ Please give him back to us¡­ We won¡¯t ever upset you anymore¡­ We will hide our faces forever¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, you better give him back or we¡¯re calling the cops! Threatening a student to have sexual liaisons with you and even making her pregnant?! Let¡¯s see how you¡¯d exin that to the po-po!¡± ¡°You must want to die, both of you!¡± Stefan bellowed at the two crazed women suddenly. ¡°Argh! Help! He¡¯s threatening to kill us!¡± Leia screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Everyone, look-the CEO of H Group was exposed for ckmailing and is now threatening us with violence!¡± Though Renee was not that brave, Leia had no such misgivings-she would not rest until she destroyed every ounce of dignity Stefan had! Nearby, Xavier was a little drunk, but became sober the instant he saw that it was none other than Leia Osborne who was causing a fuss! Chapter 1146 Chapter 1146 Xavier strode up to Leia, grabbed her wrist, and said quietly, ¡°What are you doing? There¡¯s a limit to making jokes, and don¡¯t you know what will happen if you make Stefan angry?¡± Leia¡¯s gaze was muddled even as she turned to Xavier, but she only got more upset. ¡°Everyone, see? This man is no angel too, forcing himself on students just like his best friend. In fact, he¡¯s worse-the student had ten babies with him. Pigs like him should be given the electric chair!¡± With that, everyone¡¯s attention turned to Xavier in record time. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Exactly how much did you drink, woman?! Get a grip!¡± Xavier could smell the pungent scent of alcohol from Leia¡¯s mouth, and had to sp his hand over her mouth to stop her from saying anything else. ¡°Look! Mmph-the scumbag is trying to kill me! Oof!¡± Leia struggled violently, but Xavier simply scooped her up in his arms.¡± Come with me. I can¡¯t let you run around like this.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you doing?! Let me go! I need to expose him! I¡ª¡¯ Leia protested but Xavier ignored her. Xavier knew Stefan-Leia would suffer horribly if she kept this up, so this was the only way to save her. He carried Leia out of the bar, even as she kept iling like a fish in his arms. However, she could not free herself, and was helplessly taken away¡­ With that, the rowdy mob screaming for Stefan¡¯s blood was leaderless, and no one made a sound. Stefan stared at a teary-eyed Renee with a smile that did not reach his eyes. ¡°Go on, cry. Weren¡¯t you being so emotional just a moment ago?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Renene felt a little awkward as she wiped her tears. At this point, crying wasn¡¯t an option without Leia¡¯s support, because doing it alone was a little¡­ weak. Naturally, she had cried herself weary and used up all her patience, so she glowered as she cut to the chase, ¡°Our time is valuable, so tell me-what do I have to do for you to let him go?¡± Jovan was blind and hardly athletic-Stefan could kill him easily as if he was crushing an ant with his boot. She certainly could not afford to upset him¡­ ¡°Why should I spare him? He sabotaged my business and harassed me all the time.¡± Stefan remained seated, haughty as ever. ¡°So you¡¯re admitting to abducting him! How much bad blood could there be between brothers?! But word of advice-don¡¯t kill him, or you¡¯ll have youreuppance for being an ingrate!¡± Renee warned, pointing at his face. She wanted to stop Stefan from hurting Jovan for both their sakes-Jovan was basically his parent reincarnated, and how was it different from patricide if Stefan killed him?! Stefan, however, was left frowning in confusion. ¡°What are you talking about? What bad blood with what brother?¡± ¡°I know you never considered Jovan a brother, but you are his biological brother. I¡¯m telling you not to hurt him if you want to avoid divine retribution!¡± Renee dered righteously. ¡°Jovan?¡± Stefan came to a realization and chuckled coolly. ¡°So, you¡¯re actually talking about Jovan after all that?¡± Chapter 1147 Chapter 1147 Renee did a double take as she wondered what Stefan was talking about. Who else would Ie for?¡± Stefan stayed silent, and simply stared at her with a meaningful look in her eyes. Renee lost her patience, and nced at her surroundings before quietly saying, ¡°I¡¯ve cried and begged-l¡¯ve prostrated myself as much as I can, so please, haven¡¯t you had enough? Let him go, or you¡¯ll suffer too if I expose you.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re done with crying and begging¡­ and now you¡¯re threatening me?¡± Stefan folded his legs and smiled meaningfully, twirling his ss of tequ and taking a sip of it. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what the price for threatening me is?¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Renee rolled her eyes at the man¡¯s love of being dramatic-what else could it be other than another round of bickering? ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause a scene, and no one wants word of this to get out,¡± she retorted staunchly. ¡°But if you insist, I don¡¯t mind knocking your teeth out!¡± Stefan was surprisingly not upset, and actually teased her, ¡°That actually rhymes. Maybe you¡¯re working part-time as a rapper?¡± Renene was speechless-when did he be so cringeworthy?! That was the worst joke she¡¯d ever heard! ¡°Since you came for Jovan, I¡¯m curious to ask-how far would you go for him?¡± There was a gleam in Stefan¡¯s eyes as he looked at her. Truthfully, he had no idea where Jovan was, but he was still curious about how far she would go for Jovan. Renee was no fool, however, and sneered, ¡°Judging from that question, I guess you¡¯re not letting him go unless you get to mess with me?¡± Stefan raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it, yes.¡± Renee suppressed her rage and asked calmly, ¡°Then, tell me-what form of harassment would it take for you to be satisfied?¡± She would stick to what she said before-she did not want to cause a scene, and would resolve the issue as subtly as possible. After all, beneath the appearance of their current enmity was theirplicated past¡ªit hit too close to home, and she would rather keep everything buried in the past where no one would find it. ¡°You love Jovan, don¡¯t you?¡± Stefan asked Renee, resting his chin on his hands. Renee stayed silent and scowling. Anyone else would not hurt her if they asked that question. But it had to be Stefan, and it made her throat tighten. After all, she could never tell the man before her that it was he whom she would love for all eternity! However, Stefan took Renee¡¯s silence for admission, and his sharp gaze turned cold. Even if he did not want to admit it, he knew very well that he was very upset at that moment. He did not know what he was upset about, but it was clear that he was! And like an obstinate child who refused to lose, he was bent on interrogating the woman for the truth. ¡°I can see that you love him very much. Is that why you eloped with him, and betrayed me?¡± The memories he lost had been an inner demon that hounded him relentlessly. He knew he should let sleeping dogs lie, but he simply could not resist! It would be best if he could remember everything! Chapter 1148 Chapter 1148 Renee was so tired that she decided to just give up and im responsibility for everything. ¡°If you say it¡¯s true, then it must be true. You don¡¯t have to hold out hope for me because I¡¯m obviously blindsiding you so that I can be with Jovan. I only cared for you to silence my conscience, soe at me if you still bear a grudge-don¡¯t hurt Jovan, he¡¯s just an innocent victim I manipted!¡± ¡°Come at you?!¡± Stefan snorted in disdain, slowly rising to his feet and walking up to Renne. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the worst torment for a woman?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m inexperienced when ites to being a sicko,¡± Renee replied with an impassive look. She knew that he probably hated her to the bone, and must have thought of hundreds of ways to torment her. But it was fine-was she not fortunate if her sacrifice could be traded for everyone¡¯s happiness? ¡°I guess I can tell you¡­¡± Stefan said with a vague smile, putting a hand around her waist and pulling her towards him. He leaned down and murmured in her ear viciously, ¡°It¡¯s by having her spread her legs for another man even though her heart belongs to another¡­ to put it inly, sleep with me.¡± Renen did a double take, and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re sick.¡± If she remembered correctly, Jovan said that before too-there were times when she wondered if Jovan possessed Stefan after the transfusion and passed on his deviant tendencies. Why else would he seem to mimic Jovan so often? ¡°Is that a yes?¡± Stefan was trying to probe Renee to see how far she would go for Jovan, only to have her react nonchntly. For some reason, that left him feeling mysteriously dejected. It was certainly weird-he was the one in control here, so why did the woman before him remain inscrutable? ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯re affording me the chance to say no, Mr. Hunt?¡± Renee suddenly smiled, remaining calm even as she provoked Stefan. ¡°No!¡± Stefan snapped, his stern re making him look as if he wanted to devour her. ¡°You don¡¯t get to say no!¡± And with that, he led Renee out of the Bar of Fame as everyone looked on, holding her slender wrist as he pulled her to his sports car and jammed his foot on the pedal. He never said a word as he drove. Renee had no idea where he was going to take her or what he was going to do to her, so Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. she did not ask. There was no escape now that she had fallen into his hands-she could only hope that he would not hurt more innocents after he had enough fun and cooled off, so that everything coulde to a stop. Meanwhile, Stefan drove out of the bustling city center to a quiet beach. Renee had been ufortable at first, but that feeling slowly faded since it was a very long journey. All she felt was weariness, and her eyelids grew heavy¡­ Stefan simply kept steering the car through the coastal roads. To be honest, he did not have a destination. He just wanted to keep driving forward with her in his car, ideally for all eternity. Ocean waves could be heard on both ends of the road, and the stars were exceedingly bright. Anyone would be happy to feel the sea breeze brushing against their face. Why the romance, damn it?! He was supposed to be tormenting her! And yet, said romance soon disappeared due to a certain sound¡­ Chapter 1149 Chapter 1149 Hearing the rhythmic snoring, Stefan turned around to find that Renee was fast asleep without a care. Furious, he spun the steering wheel and jammed his food on the brakes. As the car came to a screeching halt at the turn on a coastal zone, Renee immediately jolted awake and reached for the car door handle, looking around in panic, ¡°Argh! What happened?! Was there an earthquake?!¡± She saw that the car had stopped by the beach, enveloped in darkness and silence¡ª danger seemed to lurk everywhere. Meanwhile, Stefan opened the window to let the fresh breeze in, looking up at the starry sky above. ¡°Carefree, aren¡¯t you?¡± He scoffed tly as he lit himself a cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke. ¡°Someone who knew better would know you¡¯re due for punishment, but those who ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. don¡¯t would think that you¡¯re here to sightsee.¡± Embarrassed, Renee hastily tidied her appearance and cleared her throat.¡± Sorry I wasn¡¯t taking this seriously. Should I be more worried about not meeting your expectations? If that won¡¯t do, I could cry for you again¡­¡± As soon as she said it, she started bawling, ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you, Mr. Bigshot CEO. Let me go, I won¡¯t do it again¡­ Please don¡¯t torture me anymore¡­¡± Stefan breathed another puff of smoke in frustrated silence-she really would be the death of him! ¡°See? That reaction was fantastic but you refused to y along. How am I supposed to do this?¡± Renee kept flirting with him, but the fact that the man refused to y along made things awkward. One could never cook without ingredients-how was she going to achieve anything if she was forced to match this stoic guy? ¡°You can shut up now,¡± Stefan growled through the smoke-this woman was brazenly messing around even though her doom was at hand! ¡°Fine, you¡¯re the boss. You said to shut up, so I¡¯ll shut up.¡± Renee reclined against her seat and kept her mouth shut-she had no choice but to be fullypliant. Maybe if she managed to cajole Stefan, he would not keep harassing her and Jovan, or even take her to the beach in the middle of the night, just to make her watch him smoke. The sight of cigarettes certainly tickled her nicotine addiction. Hence, braving the risk of being kicked out of the car, she asked gingerly,¡± Hey, do you have more? Can I have one?¡± Stefan was dumbfounded, but Renee pressed, ¡°It¡¯s not like we have anything better to do.¡± Stefan snorted. ¡°You¡¯re outrageous.¡± He brought her out here to mess with her, and get his revenge for her duplicity¡­ only for her to treat this as a pleasure trip, even asking if she could have a cigarette! She shot him a look, andined, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to give me one. There¡¯s no need to be so petty.¡± And with that, neither spoke as Renee kept watching him smoke, while the atmosphere between them stayed awkward. Still, Stefan was certain proof that someone up there yed favorites. That chiseled, perfect face could give star actors a run for their money, and his aloofness made his very presence irresistible. Even as Renee stared at him, she could not help gulping as she restrained herself from leaning in to kiss him Chapter 1150 Chapter 1150 Stefan did not miss Renee¡¯s fidgeting, but misunderstood it as her craving a cigarette. Frowning, he lectured her like a father would, ¡°You¡¯re a woman, but you smoke?¡± His judgy tone pissed Renee off, and she straightened herself menacingly as she snapped, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with women smoking? Why are men allowed to do it, but not women?¡± ¡°Men are different from women,¡¯ Stefan said stubbornly. ¡°In what way?¡± Renee demanded sharply. ¡°From my perspective, women can do anything men can, but men can¡¯t do everything women can. In that respect, women are nobler than men!¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Women are more empathetic, sentimental, and kinder. Most importantly, they can bear children, and men can¡¯t. Think about it¡ªevery human being came from a woman, so why are men allowed to smoke but women aren¡¯t?¡± Stefan actually could note up with a retort against Renee¡¯s eloquent logic, and she snorted. ¡°See? Can¡¯t argue against that, can you? Give me a reason if you think of one that¡¯s reasonable.¡± Seizing the moment while Stefan was spaced out, she snatched a cigarette from his box and ignited hers with his. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. This time, Stefan did not stop her. He somewhat agreed with her perspective that women were nobler than men, as they were an amalgamation of that which was beautiful, while men embodied bloodlust, death, and violence. As Renee smoked, she leaned very close to Stefan. Their faces were so close that they could feel the other¡¯s breath on their skin. It was a delicate exchange, as addictive as nicotine-one could get lost in it without realizing. ¡°I smoke because I¡¯m frustrated. What reason do you have to smoke?¡± Steafan asked Renee, staring at her through the smoke with a prating gaze. Why did he feel like he had stared at her beautiful face countless times, and yetpletely forgot about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m frustrated too,¡± Renee rasped, closing her eyes after slowly calming herself. ¡°What¡¯s frustrating you?¡± Stefan asked, his eyes sharply studying her. ¡¯I don¡¯t think Jovan would leave you frustrated. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± He knew very well what Jovan was-in Janes would certainly go crazy for him, but it didn¡¯t make sense that a strong, independent, and smart woman like Renee would do the same. That was why he had a hunch that Jovan was just a diversion. She was probably carrying more secrets than she let on, and it was those secrets thatpelled her to walk into his trap. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not asplicated as you think¡ªJovan is my only concern, and all I want for him is to live his days in peace and bliss¡­¡± Renee spoke quietly as she stared at the cigarette between her fingers, and added quietly, ¡°I¡¯ve only taken a liking to the scent of nicotine over thest few years-it offers me brief respite.¡± Jovan was a burden, but she would only be fine if he was, because it was Stefan who had done this to her. However, those words left Stefan incensed. He snuffed his cigarette and leveled an icy re at her, then demanded through clenched teeth, ¡°You love him very much, is that it? Chapter 1151 Chapter 1151 ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how much I love him. So please set us free, Mr. Hunt!¡± Renee clearly felt Stefan¡¯s rage, but she felt no fear, and instead repeatedly challenged the limit of his patience. ¡°In that case, get ready for a world of pain!¡± Stefan snapped, his eyes aze with rage even as he snatched her cigarette and snuffed it out violently. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Renee eximed, shifting backwards and putting her hand on the door handle, ready to flee at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Weren¡¯t you acting all noble and ready to give up everything for him? Having second thoughts now, are we?¡± ¡°No, I just¡­ wanted to prepare mentally.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you,¡± Stefan said, his gaze dangerously possessive as he held her dainty chin with his long fingers. ¡°I¡¯m only interested in your body.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Renee¡¯s face flushed, and she turned to open the door to escape the awkward, suffocating space inside the car. She didn¡¯t expect Stefan to lock the door before she could. ¡°If you¡¯re not having second thoughts, why run?¡± Stefan growled, approaching her like a beast on the hunt, his handsome face nuzzling her neck, and his lips brushing against her fair skin as he rasped, ¡°If you love him so much, it¡¯s not too much if you sacrifice your body for his freedom, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°A-Are you sure about this?¡± Renee seemed paralyzed, her body so stiff it could not move, even though her blood was almost boiling. ¡°What, do I look like I¡¯m kidding?¡± Stefan¡¯s voice was quiet, and his hot breath fanned her skin¡ªthe very image of temptation. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Renee pursed her lips as her heart pounded¡ªthis was the closest they had been for half a year, and she would be lying if she said that she was not getting a little eager. There were ims that when you loved someone to bits, even your skin and muscles would remember them¡­ and it was because of those memories that you would inevitably react. It certainly applied to Stefan too. The first time he saw her in Northern Varangia, his desire for her surged like a tidal wave. He wanted her¡­ in the truest sense of the word! Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Even if he had forgotten her, his body still remembered hers from sheer instinct¡­ ¡°If you say no, I will kiss you until you say yes!¡± And with those words, Stefan pressed his lips to hers without waiting for her to respond. ¡°Mmph¡­¡± Renene did not expect him to be so direct, and was dumbstruck. He pinned her against the car door, his aura dominating as he imed her lips so fiercely that it was almost like he was trying to take her breath away. As the kiss stretched on, the interior of the car began to heat up¡­ Chapter 1152 Chapter 1152 Both of them knew very well that this was wrong, but neither of them wanted to stop. Perhaps it was that so-called muscle memory at work, and their brains could no longer control their bodies¡­ ¡°W-Wait!¡± When Stefan¡¯s hand caressed her body all the way up to her cor and easily undid her blouse¡¯s buttons, Renee jolted to her senses and pushed the man away. ¡°You dare resist me?!¡± Stefan¡¯s eyes shed dangerously as he red indignantly at the woman. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re the one who got in my car, and you knew what you were in for the moment you did. You¡¯re not naive enough to think that I¡¯m just taking you to the beach for a stroll, are you?!¡± ¡°I get it, you want to sleep with me!¡± Renee sneered even as she straightened her hair and tried to calm herself. ¡°I¡¯m just surprised-weren¡¯t you known for your loyalty, Mr. Hunt? You¡¯re marrying Miss Murphy soon, but you still can¡¯t keep it in your pants¡­ Isn¡¯t that a little hypocritical?¡± ¡°Everyone has a dark side, and you might be what¡¯s lurking in mine. It¡¯s like you opened the Pandora¡¯s box inside me the moment I saw you, and unleashed all the terrible things insidethat¡¯s why I demand that you take responsibility!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°What does your darkness have to do with me? Stop ying the me game. You¡¯re crossing the line-¡± ¡°So what if I¡¯m being a hypocrite? What can you do about it?¡± Stefan argued. ¡°Tut, tut. So you¡¯re bent on forcing yourself on me like a stereotypical evil big-shot?¡± Renee teased with a sarcastic smile, unafraid of the man¡¯s thuggish behavior. ¡°If you put it that way, yes,¡± Stefan leaned in towards her again, trying to resume the kiss he wanted more of. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away.¡± Renee, however, turned her head away slightly and ced her index finger on his lips with a coquettish smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re so insistent, Mr. Hunt, I can¡¯t be med for not holding back¡­ You have three seconds to take everything off.¡± Stefan was dumbfounded, and Renee hurried him impatiently. ¡°Why are you spacing out? Am I supposed to do it for you?¡± ¡°What are you up to this time?¡± Stefan demanded, shooting her an icy stare-she was just too unpredictable! ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said you¡¯d force yourself on me? Why are you dilly-dallying now? Do I need to whip you first?¡± Renee looked at him from head to toe, her patience clearly used up. She turned the tables, moving on top of him while she unbuttoned his shirt, asking mischievously, ¡°Don¡¯t y hard to get, Mr. Hunt. Who are you trying so hard to seduce with all these borate games?¡± While Stefan was stunned and speechless, she pinched him in the abs, ¡°Oh, you sure exercise a lot¡­ but what is it good for other than being touched by a woman? You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m here to spoil you-hurry up, or I¡¯ll punish you. Now, strip!¡± Stefan actually felt embarrassed being pinched like that, and they were so close that he became flustered, and his breathing turned ragged. ¡°D-Don¡¯t touch me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch you?¡± Renee smiled slyly, shaking her head.¡± Who would refuse meat that sent itself to their table? Now, be a good boy and do what you¡¯re told, and I will give you pleasure¡­ resist me, and you¡¯ll wish you were dead!¡± Stefan was silent again. Renee, meanwhile, was getting hooked on this power y, and almost stripped him. ¡°Still not saying anything? In that case, I¡¯ll take it as a yes. Don¡¯t worry, just take off your clothes¡­ I¡¯ll be gentle.¡± Stefan¡¯s wless body was beneath her-which woman could resist?! Chapter 1153 Chapter 1153 ¡°Let me go!¡± Stefan cried, refusing to suffer such humiliation. He started to il around under Renee¡¯s body, but waspletely vulnerable like meat on the butcher¡¯s table, as her hand was applying pressure to a vital part of his! Renee was very keen on teasing him, and caressed his handsome face fearlessly in her dangerous dance with a dangerous man. ¡°Stop struggling, stud. The more you do, the more excited I get¡­ and it¡¯d be toote if I did something you can¡¯t ever change¡­¡± Renee now understood why men got so domineering in rtionships-this feeling of lording over a partner was simply amazing! ¡°You¡¯re ying with fire! Last warning¡ªlet me go or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Stefan kept struggling against her touch, but he seemed to be denied his strength-his haughty face was flushed, and he felt an indescribable delight. He cursed under his breath-the woman was strong despite her slim build, and he almost felt as if he was being crushed under a mountain. ¡°Let you go? No way¡­ you came to me on your own!¡± Renee scoffed, handily undoing his necktie and using it to restrain his hands behind his back. He was now truly immobilized, andpletely at her mercy! ¡°I¡¯ll kill you once I free myself, Renee Everheart!¡± Stefan bellowed in rage, as his blood rushed to his brain and veins popped visibly in his forehead. After all, this was thoroughly humiliating-he was almost seven feet tall, but this tinydy had subdued him! It wouldn¡¯t be just him too¡ª if word of this got out, the Hunt family would be theughing stock of Beach City. ¡°If you free yourself,¡± Renee corrected him, her soft, dainty hands dancing over his body while she smiled sinisterly. ¡°At the very least, at this very moment, you¡¯re meat on my te. I can do whatever I want¡­¡± Stefan gulped, his breathing turning ragged as he growled,¡± You¡¯re really unpredictable, huh? To be honest, you don¡¯t have to go that far to mess with me-just free me, and you¡¯ll Owned by N?velDrama.Org. find me a willing ve.¡± ¡°Free you? So that you can kill me? What, do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Renee grinned, leaning down to whisper into his ear, ¡°It¡¯s your bad luck that you¡¯re at my mercy. Quit thinking about running away and be a good boy, and I just might free you¡­¡± ¡°Damn you, woman! What do you want?! Hurry up already! What¡¯s with all the talk?!¡± Stefan could not move or run away, and everything was up to Renee. Having no control was certainly killing him, especially when he was someone who was always in control! ¡°Didn¡¯t you want my body?¡± Renee giggled. ¡°Come on, enjoy yourself¡­ it¡¯ll all be over before you know it!¡± Stefan turned away and closed his eyes, prepared to sacrifice his body. Like she said, it would be over before he knew it-he just had to bear with it for now. Seeing that he was ready to ¡®sacrifice¡¯ himself, Renee could not help but chuckle. ¡°Actually, you¡¯ve misunderstood something. I have zero interest in your body, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me forcing myself on you.¡± ¡°Really? Then why did you tie me up? Why are you on top of me, and molesting me?¡± ¡°I mean, have you seen how nice your face looks? And those abs-not touching them would be a waste, don¡¯t you think?¡± Renee winked at him. ¡°What the hell do you want?!¡± Stefan snarled in exasperation. Chapter 1154 Chapter 1154 Stefan wondered how the hell things had turned out like this. Right now, Renee Everheart should have been beneath him andpletely at his mercy¡­ but it was the other way around! Paying her back for her antics?! He would thank the gods if he could just escape her clutches! ¡°What do I want? You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Renee asked, whipping out her phone and turning on the camera. ¡°Tell me where you¡¯re keeping Jovan or let him go, and I will release you. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise what?¡± ¡°Everyizen will watch as I take off your clothes,yer byyer¡­ and then eat you up!¡± Renee smirked, eager to get going. The Hunt family was a dynasty that treasured their reputation, so one could only imagine the sensational headlines that would ensue if their heir was filmed on livestream, tied up and stripped naked! Renee was naturally convinced that Stefan would obey her with the utmostpliance. ¡°So? Are you afraid yet? I¡¯m ready to give up when you are,¡± she told him. ¡°Whatever,¡± he scoffed. Seeing that he waspletely unfazed, Renee became a little worried. Whoosh! She pulled down his shirt, baring his muscr upper body while waving her phone at him and threatening, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m joking. I¡¯m really going to strip you bare.¡± ¡°Please do,¡± Stefan replied nonchntly, even challenging her, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly confident with my own body. If she really did broadcast him naked, he would only get more fangirls. ¡°You¡­¡± Renee was surprised, but doubled down and started to undo his belt. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Give up, or your pantse off!¡± ¡°I told you-l won¡¯t say a word, whether you skin me or strip me,¡± Stefan replied tly. ¡°Stefan Hunt!¡± Renee snarled as she grabbed his boxers with her dainty hands, but ultimately stopped herself from pulling them down. She had a sense of shame even if he did Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. not, and she couldn¡¯t go that far! ¡°Why are we stopping?¡± Stefan asked challengingly, narrowing his eyes. ¡°H Group¡¯s influence stretches across the globe, so it¡¯s high time we give something back to our customers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Stefan Hunt!¡± Renee screamed in exasperation, her eyes welling with tears. ¡°What do I have to do for you to free Jovan? How about I set you free, and let you strip me naked for the world to see?! You can torment me any way you want, and once you have your fun, you can let him go!¡± She was almost hysterical-nothing got through to him at all, and she was really at a loss! ¡°You just want payback, don¡¯t you?!¡± She cried maniacally.¡± Fine, I¡¯ll strip then!¡± Chapter 1155 Chapter 1155 Stefan stared at Renee, who was on the verge of a breakdown. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you where Jovan is even if you were naked,¡± he told her evenly. ¡°Because I have no idea where he is.¡± He finally admitted the truth since things were getting out of hand. With the ridiculous thought processes that Renee¡¯s mind appeared to be prone to, one of them would soon be driven insane! Renee was half-undressed and froze right then. ¡°What are you talking about? What do you mean you don¡¯t know where he is?¡± ¡°He never stays put like you, and I guess he¡¯s now actually missing. It only begs the question of why you came to me at all,¡± Stefan replied, leaning back against his seat with an impassive look, staring at her contemptuously as if she was an idiot. ¡°How could you not know?! When that explosion happened, the chauffeur clearly heard the person who abducted Jovan say, ¡®Mr. Hunt sends his regards¡¯! And there is no other Mr. Hunt except you!¡± ¡°Why me? There are plenty of Mr. Hunts across the globe,¡± Stefan sneered. ¡°Moreover, why are you so sure that the chauffeur was telling the truth? What if he was trying to frame me?¡± He had no idea why someone would pin the me on him, but this was not unprecedentedhe certainly was used to being scapegoated, especially with the multitude of rivals he had in Beach City! ¡°That makes sense,¡± Renee was calm enough to agree with Stefan¡¯s insight-she knew him well enough to tell that such a crude move was not his style at all¡­ In fact, it happened to fit Jovan¡¯s style. Was it possible that Jovan had arranged his own abduction? However, Renee quickly shook her head-that was impossible, since Jovan was not that nonsensical despite his crafty nature. And what could he have hoped to achieve-did he want to drive a wedge between her and Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Stefan? There was already no sentiment between them whatsoever, so Jovan did not have to go that far. It just doesn¡¯t make sense! ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then why¡¯d you leave this note for me?!¡± Renee cried out in agitation, and whipped out the piece of paper that she had been carrying around. ¡°This is obviously your handwriting! ¡®You reap what you sow. Come to me if you want him back.¡¯ Obviously it means I should meet you if I want him back. What do you have to say now?¡± Stefan nced at the note, and admitted, ¡°I did write the note, but I wasn¡¯t referring to Jovan.¡± ¡°Not Jovan? Then who?¡± ¡°Quinton. That¡¯s your biological brother, no?¡± ¡°My brother¡­ You mean you¡¯re the one behind what happened to him?!¡± Rene tensed up immediately-it was really one bombshell after another! She had just been worrying that there was no clue as to who her brother¡¯s assants were, only for this man to admit it! ¡°How dare you hurt my brother! I should skin you¡­ and it¡¯d still serve you right!¡± Renee was absolutely furious. She searched the whole car and finally found a swiss army knife. She picked it up and pressed the de to his neck. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?!¡± Chapter 1156 Chapter 1156 ¡°Are you going to kill me if I refuse to tell you?¡± Stefan asked with a vague smile, fearless even as she stared at the knife in Renee¡¯s hand. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you-but I¡¯ll skin you and watch you bleed! You¡¯d wish you were dead¡­ unless you return my brother!¡± Renee was not joking-Quinton was her flesh and blood, a progeny Owned by N?velDrama.Org. of their parents. She would never allow anyone to hurt him! ¡°You seem more agitated,¡± Stefan pointed out, still unfazed.¡± Does that mean your brother is more important to you than your own partner?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Renee readily admitted to it. ¡°Family is more important than anything. If youy a finger on him, I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you.¡± ¡°What if your brother hurts the love of your life?¡± Stefan pressed. Renee frowned, but said with a cool re, ¡°If that does happen, I will die with my beloved, and let my brother live!¡± She had no chance of knowing back then that it was an exchange that would be very relevant years down the line! Nheless, Stefan calmly said, ¡°Quinton is being punished for his own misdeeds. He challenged us by destroying our merchandise-our retaliation is just, if only to make him understand that some rules are not meant to be broken.¡± ¡°I can admit that his methods can be radical, and I willpensate you for any losses you¡¯ve sustained. We can talk about this, as long as you agree to release him¡­¡± Renee was convinced that problems solved by money were no problems at all. Moreover, Quinton had been impatient for results over thest couple of years, so he had repeatedly sabotaged H Group¡¯s business operations. It was no different from trying to steal food from a lion, and was basically suicidal. It was just a matter of time that Stefan¡¯s retaliation reached Quinton, and Renee felt humbled since Stefan had the moral high ground¡­ even though she had Stefan tied up, and a knife pressed to his neck. ¡°Really? We can talk about this?¡± Stefan sneered, gesturing at his hands restrained with his own necktie. ¡°Is this how we¡¯re going to do it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t want to tie you up, but you were getting frisky. Who knows what would happen if I didn¡¯t restrain you?¡± Renee retorted with righteous indignation. She took a moment to calm herself, and gingerly touched his hair, saying, ¡°Be good now-l¡¯ll free you, but the condition is that you have to release my brother. Okay?¡± ¡°Free me, and I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°No, you have to say yes!¡± ¡°You have to free me for me to make the call.¡± ¡°Is that a yes?¡± Renee¡¯s eyes lit up, surprised that Stefan gave in despite him being as stubborn as an ox. ¡°A gentleman¡¯s word is golden. Don¡¯t go back on it!¡± Renee warned him. ¡°I¡¯ve tied you up once, and I can certainly do it again.¡± ¡°Cut the crap and free me already!¡± Stefan snapped impatiently-he had never suffered so much in his life! Chapter 1157 Chapter 1157 Renee trusted promises, and quickly freed Stefan, seemingly unafraid of his retaliation. It was just like she put it¡ªshe had restrained him once, and that meant she could do it again. ¡°There¡¯s nothing womanly about you at all!¡± Stefan sighed emotionally, flexing his wrists that had almost been dislocated. He was actually skilled in martial arts, even winning the school championship for four years running- only to end uppletely restrained by a woman. If word of that ever got out, he would die of embarrassment. Renee said nothing, however, and suddenly leaned closer to him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Stefan tensed up, sliding backwards and pressing himself against Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. the car door. He tried to get out, only to realize that he had locked it himself. What had he done to deserve this?! ¡°I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t do anything stupid. We can talk about this¡­¡± He stared at Renee warily as if she were a beast -he did not want to be tied up again! Renee rolled her eyes, speechless. How much of a coward could he be? Was she even that scary? ¡°Call your people now!¡± She snapped coolly, shoving his phone in his hands. Stefan breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly searched for Elijah¡¯s number, once again the indomitable CEO as he called Elijah and told him, ¡°Release Quinton Everheart. The matter has been resolved.¡± ¡°What?! Just like that?!¡± On the other end, Elijah was dumbfounded by Stefan¡¯s orders. ¡°But he was out to get us at every turn, Mr. Hunt! The losses from our core nt being destroyed is still inestimable, and we¡¯re waiting for you toe here and personally end him! But¡­ you¡¯re telling us to let him go instead?¡± ¡°I know what I said, or are you questioning my orders?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, sir-but he¡¯s a clear threat against H group. We¡¯d have trouble exining ourselves to our board of directors¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them myself.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Elijah was reluctant, but there was no way he would disobey his boss¡¯s orders. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have him released.¡± Stefan hung up, and turned towards Renee, demanding coolly, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Renee nodded repeatedly with a fawning smile, actually surprised that Stefan was that cooperative. In contrast, she was quite viinous. ¡°You may be satisfied, but I¡¯m not!¡± Stefan suddenly snapped, his expression inscrutable as ever. ¡°I know my brother broke the rules, but I will apologize in his ce andpensate for any losses.¡± ¡°No!¡± Stefan shook his head. ¡°Compensation is far from enough.¡± Renee raised a brow. ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Chapter 1158 Chapter 1158 ¡°Have you considered a partnership between Azure Group and H group?¡± Stefan asked slowly. ¡°We¡¯ve beenpeting for years, but there was never a clear winner while losses continued to mount. Maybe we could reach new heights if we worked together.¡± ¡°A partnership?¡± Renee was surprised-the man took her for quite a ride, only to start discussing business? It didn¡¯t make sense. Azure Group was small fry to H Group at best, and they were at territory of its own in the stock market, they were far from the level needed to necessitate a partnership with H Group. So why would Stefan suddenlye up with something like that? Was he extending an olive branch? ¡°Take your time to consider. If possible, we can discuss the details with Quinton next Wednesday.¡± With those words, Stefan unlocked the car doors and said coolly, ¡°And if there¡¯s nothing else, you can get out of my car.¡± He appeared aloof and impassive-the stereotypical look of a businessman. Perhaps in his perspective, Renee was a ¡®deal¡¯, and everything he did tonight was to seal the deal! After getting out of Stefan¡¯s car, Renee strolled along the coastal road for a long time, until she finally got a taxi to return into the city. Suddenly, she got a phone call from Plum, who excitedly said, ¡°Miss Renee? Where are you right now? Good news! Master Quinton has returned¡± Already?! Renee¡¯s face lit up in delight. She did not expect Stefan toe good on his word so soon. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± She returned to Carmine Pawnshop as fast as she could, and immediately saw anky figure at the lobby when she did. That aloof stature, the familiar mask-it was none other than Quinton. ¡°Quinton! Are you alright?!¡± Renee rushed towards him excitedly, checking him from head to toe and relieved to see him unscathed. ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine, silly. Stefan¡¯s always been a coward, and he was afraid to harm me. I would have lodged with them if they didn¡¯t chase me off,¡± he scoffed. He stood with his hands in his pocket, lookingpletely unaffected by his abductionalmost as if he just returned from a vacation. After all, having fought Stefan for years, he was used to close shaves. Renee, however, sighed deeply and said worriedly, ¡°Stefan is no pushover, Quinton. You ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. might not be as lucky even if you escaped this time¡­ have you ever thought about not fighting him?¡± ¡°Not fighting him?!¡± Quinton¡¯s expression was immediately ice-cold, and his tone was one of disappointment. ¡°Have you lost your mind?! You dumped me, your children, and Azure Group just as thepany was on the rise-just to care for a crippled member of the Hunt family! Even if I allowed that, you¡¯re now telling me to stop fighting Stefan?! Do you want our whole family to be destroyed before you really understand how serious this is?!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Quinton? Our families have always been on good terms and supported each other. The Hunt family was never our enemy¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve really lost the plot¡­¡± Quinton sighed, and told her sincerely, ¡°No friendship or enmity Group, which means we are affecting their profits. Given how they usually immediately wipe out a potential threat, just as they did with this ce, I hope you can at least see the benefits of making the first move, and denying them the chance to attack us!¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t!¡± Renee shook her head, determined. ¡°The Hunts are not that despicable, and Stefan isn¡¯t that ruthless. Your abduction was proof-they had every chance to hurt you, but they released you, because they are hoping we can put the past behind us to work together!¡± ¡°Work together?¡± Quinton narrowed his eyes contemtively. Seeing that her brother was almost convinced, Renee struck while the iron was hot. ¡°Yes. Instead of losing together, why not put the past behind us and win together? Chapter 1159 Chapter 1159 In reality, Renee was hoping to get Stefan to make peace with Quinton-even if Stefan did not extend an olive branch. Their families had been allies for three generations, and their grandfathers were practically brothers who supported each other for years-they certainly would not want them to turn against each other. Quinton was too impulsive and radical-he would inevitably upset many, and they would certainlye seeking revenge. However, if Quinton allied himself with the Hunt family, those enemies would have to be wary of both families, which spared them a lot of unnecessary conflict. To put it roughly¡­ Renee was helping her brother get a sugar daddy. If the day came when she was not around or something bad happened, at least he would not be alone and helpless. ¡°Consider it, Quinton. If there are no issues, we can talk to him about the finer details next Wednesday,¡± Renee said earnestly, hoping that Quinton would say yes. Quinton, however, snorted coolly, the look behind his mask bing troubled. ¡°You¡¯re being naive, Renee. A grudge is not so easily forgotten-it¡¯s just like the scars on my face, lingering despite having healed, and a constant reminder of the humiliation I suffered. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Anyone who forgets to hate is quite simply¡­ spineless.¡± He took off his mask when he finished speaking, revealing the gruesome scars that stretched across his face like lightning under the bright white lights overhead. ¡°Quinton¡­¡± Renee frowned, her heart breaking. ¡°He reduced me to a dog¡¯s life, a shadow of the man that I was¡­ and now, you want me to shake hands and make peace just because you told me too? Aren¡¯t you getting conceited?¡± Quinton sneered. No one understood how he survived all those years¡ªhe was fundamentally unkind, so ¡® love and peace¡¯ was just too difficult for him to even pretend. Moreover, Quinton could tell that Renee still loved Stefan, but that would not stop him from being Stefan¡¯s enemy. ¡°I know you¡¯re still in love with him, so you have my word that I won¡¯t kill him no matter how bad our rivalry gets. But this is business-it¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world, so I¡¯m not going to hold back!¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ve been enemies with Stefan for a while, and asking for a partnership now is difficult for you, but you don¡¯t have to worry¡ªI will try to get him to make amends. As long as he is sincere enough, I¡¯m sure that you will be friends one day. It¡¯s what our parents and grandfather would have wanted to see.¡± With three generations of friendship, the best oue would be for it to continue. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. The grudge between me and Stefan is far from that.¡± Quinton¡¯s fists clenched, his gaze bing distant. There was so much he never told Renee- not murdering Stefan was already the limit of his mercy. Renee became curious then, and asked carefully, ¡°What else happened between you and him? What don¡¯t I know?¡± They should be even after Stefan disfigured Quinton, and Quinton blinded Stefan. She had no idea what could have fueled such hatred in Quinton. ¡°The less you know, the better.¡± Quinton sighed, and turned to stride into the inner house. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I need some rest after everything they put me through.¡± Renee stared at Quinton with mncholy as he left. It was clear that Quinton carried a terrible grudge, and she had to bring him around. Chapter 1160 Chapter 1160 Quinton returned to his bedroom with Chase following closely behind, at his beck and call as always. ¡°Wee back, sir. None of us had been sleeping soundly ever since we lost contact with you-we almost brought the cavalry down on the heads of the Hunt family!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost contact with me plenty of times before. Why so serious?¡± Quinton asked, impassive even as he took off his mask and suit. Chase quickly went to take both, and hung them up primly.¡± Yes, we did, but this is Stefan Hunt we¡¯re talking about. You two have history, so what if he decided to pull the trigger?¡¯ Quinton raised a brow, but said confidently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. He won¡¯t go for the kill like me, or it¡¯s over between him and my sister.¡± Having fought Stefan for years, he dared say he knew Stefan better than Renee. From a certain perspective, they were like eternal rivals-if either of them won, their dynasty won as well. And Quinton was convinced that if every Everheart could see him now, they would wish for his triumph! ¡°Indeed, Mr. Everheart. I must agree that Stefan Hunt is still interested in Miss Everheartwhy else would he release you just because she asked, even proposing a partnership?¡± ¡°Still interested?!¡±Quinton snorted in disdain. ¡°Him?!¡± That callous man was marrying another woman soon¡ªthere certainly were no lingering attachments there! ¡°I don¡¯t get it. If it¡¯s not because he still has feelings for Miss Everheart, why would they release you, even offering a partnership?¡± ¡°Hah! What other reason could he have?¡± Quinton scowled fiercely. ¡°He¡¯s a businessman, and self-gain is everything to him. He has no feelings for my sister¡ªhe just sees value, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s up to the same tricks he was up to back then.¡± Chase¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°That¡¯s probably true. He only won back then because of his ability to sweet-talk women. Poor Miss Garcia-¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Quinton¡¯s expression contorted with rage. ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you before never to mention that name?!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Chase promptly lowered his head and apologized gingerly. ¡°I just thought you were over it since you and Miss Everheart acknowledged each other. So¡­¡± ¡°I hate betrayals the most, especially when it¡¯s someone I gave my heart to. That is why I will never rest until she and that pig Stefan are dead!¡± Quinton¡¯s eyes zed with hatred. His suffering in the past was just like the scars on his face- it itched on rainy days even if he tried to forget. How could he let it go when it constantly tormented him? Chase lowered his head and stayed silent. He tucked Quinton in before leaving the room somberly. However, he had just turned into a corner when his vision turned ck-someone had Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. blinded him! Chapter 1161 Chapter 1161 ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Chase immediately started struggling in his attacker¡¯s grip, and elbowed the person hard. ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s just me.¡± Renee awkwardly removed her hand from the man¡¯s eyes and rubbed her aching stomach.¡± I was just messing with you! I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d be so skilled at martial arts-that elbow of yours nearly killed me!¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Miss Everheart! I¡¯m so sorry, please punish me as you see fit.¡± Chase lowered his head guiltily, about to kneel. He was wearing a white suit, which made him look gentle Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. and elegant. ¡°Please don¡¯t. You don¡¯t have to be so careful in front of me, I¡¯m not like my brother.¡± Renee nced at Quinton¡¯s bedroom, then quietly asked, ¡°Is my brother asleep?¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Everheart.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and grab a bite then.¡± ¡°Miss Everheart, we can¡¯t. You¡¯re my superior, so how-¡± ¡°Chase, I told you before that I¡¯m not my brother. Let¡¯s go.¡± Renee dragged him to a street nearby that was full of hawker stalls. ¡°Sir, we¡¯d like to order burgers, chips, and two dozen beers!¡± She casually shouted at the owner who was busy cooking. ¡°Sure, please wait a moment,¡± the man called back while tending to his stove. This was the messiest and most chaotic ce in Beach City. Many gangsters frequented the ce, and the ce was always crowded until dawn. People were ying drinking games, clinking their sses, and cursing endlessly. The atmosphere was wild, lively, and very inviting. Chase was rather rigid at first, being polite and respectful to Renee. However, after a few beers, he started to rx and open up. ¡°Miss Everheart, let me be frank with you¡­ I¡¯ve been wanting to eat here for many years, but as the main attendant of Carmine Pawnshop, I was hesitant to do so. You¡¯ve helped me fulfil my wish today, and I¡¯m very grateful forthat.¡± ¡°Heh, you tter me. Just tell me if you want to eat this kind of food next time. Ignore my brother; if he dares to scold you, I¡¯ll scold him back on your behalf!¡± Renee dered. ¡°Haha! Miss Everheart, you¡¯re so nice. Although you¡¯re my boss¡¯ sister, you¡¯re both so different. He leads a very conservative life, which is really quite pitiful.¡± Chase took a sip of his beer, staring off into the distance sadly. When Renee saw Chase let down his guard, she carefully asked, ¡°Chase, I heard from my brother that you were the one who founded his business with him. Both of you came out of that small fishing vige and established Carmine Pawnshop together, right? Chapter 1162 Chapter 1162 ¡°No, I was just ackey. It was all because of my boss¡¯ great wisdom that Carmine Pawnshop became sessful. You don¡¯t know how hard he worked back then. He was even dragged a few dozen metres from a car just to get an item his enemy had! He truly risked his life to establish Carmine Pawnshop bit by bit.¡± ¡°I know he¡¯s always been a hard worker. I feel like a worthless piece of trash who muddles through lifepared to him¡­¡± Renee admitted. ¡°You can¡¯t say that, Miss Everheart. Youe from a totally different background. You¡¯re a rich, youngdy that enjoyed luxury and led a worry-free life¡­ but my boss was different. He couldn¡¯t even afford to eat when he was younger, and his foster parents used to abuse him. Only his sister was a bit nice to him, but atst, she also¡­¡± Chase stopped, realising he had said too much, then quickly continued, ¡°In short, you can¡¯t me him for being extreme. He¡¯s had to suffer his whole life just to survive.¡± ¡°I know that he¡¯s suffered, we¡¯re all at the mercy of fate, after all. However, we¡¯ve found each other now, so as his sister, I just hope he can let go of that stress and live a happier life. You see it, don¡¯t you? His hatred has blinded him to everything but revenge, and I¡¯m afraid if he keeps challenging Stefan, something bad might happen one day¡­¡± Renee sighed and leaned her head back to gulp down some more beer. ¡°Stefan let my brother go this time, but he might not be as generous the next time. Honestly, I¡¯m just wondering if there¡¯s a way for them to let bygones be bygones. It¡¯ll be for the best if they end their rivalry and be friends instead.¡± ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Chase¡¯s eyes were practically bulging out of his head. ¡°My boss holds a deep grudge against Stefan. Not killing each other is already generous, but you want them to be¡­ friends? Even if there was an apocalypse and they were the only two people left on Earth, it wouldn¡¯t happen!¡± Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I don¡¯t know why Quinton hates Stefan so much, but I think it¡¯s more than just a conflict of interest. There has to be something that I¡¯m unaware of, right?¡± Renee asked Chase bluntly, not wanting to beat around the bush any longer. In her opinion, Chase probably knew most of Quinton¡¯s secrets since he knew him the longest. If Renee wanted to resolve the grudge between Quinton and Stefan, she had to find out what was troubling Quinton. ¡°Er¡­¡± Chase shook his head, then said helplessly, ¡°He won¡¯t let me say.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m his sister! We¡¯re bound by blood. I¡¯ll keep it a secret and pretend not to know, I promise.¡± Renee nodded eagerly. ¡°Hah¡­ Miss Everheart, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. This secret pains him more than the scar on his face, so we should just let it be. There¡¯s no point in reopening old wounds.¡± ¡°But this wound will only get worse. How long does he n to hide it?¡± Renee argued stubbornly. ¡°This¡­¡± Chase leaned back in his chair, looking around guiltily. ¡°If this really is the thorn in his side, I need to see his wound before I can treat it.¡± Renee looked at Chase imploringly.¡± You¡¯ve seen it too, haven¡¯t you? His actions are often extreme, impulsive, and even twisted. If he keeps fighting Stefan, one of them will be sacrificed one day, and that¡¯s not something I want to happen.¡± ¡°I agree with you, I don¡¯t want unnecessary death either. I want this rivalry to end too,¡± Chase said hesitantly. ¡°Then tell me, Chase. What¡¯s been troubling my brother?¡± Renee asked, gripping Chase¡¯s arms earnestly. Chapter 1163 Chapter 1163 Chase was silent for a while, then finally heaved a long sigh. ¡°Forget it. Miss Everheart, I can tell you if you really want to know. I believe that you¡¯re the only one in this world who truly cares about him and wants him to be happy. I won¡¯t regret it as long as he can resolve that hatred of his. Even if he wants to punish me for it, I¡¯m willing to take the risk¡­¡± The man abruptly gulped down his beer, then started to talk about their past. ¡°You know that he was abandoned when he was young, right? After that, he got adopted by a poor couple in that small fishing vige. The couple already had a son and a daughter, so they were very reluctant to adopt my boss. Because of that, they used to hit and scold him all the time, and they also didn¡¯t give him food and made him do heavybour every day.¡± Chase had also grown up poor in that small fishing vige, but because he was the only son in his family, he had lived a worry-free life. ¡°When we were young, the boss was very handsome, and everyone could easily tell that he was a rich, young heir. He was very popr among our group of youngsters, and we all had a lot of fun together. After a while, he and I became good friends. Sometimes, I would steal food from home for him to eat.¡± Chase smiled vaguely as he recalled those memories. Thank you, Chase. You must have been a ray of light in my brother¡¯s dark childhood. No wonder you both are so close.¡± Renee saw Chase as her brother¡¯s saviour, so she was very grateful towards him. ¡°No, the light in your brother¡¯s life back then was Miss Joanne Garcia. Unfortunately, that light was not only his redemption¡­ it was also his destruction. The thorn in his side for all those years was also brought on by Miss Garcia.¡± Many years had passed since then, but whenever Chase thought of Joanne,plicated emotions bubbled up in him. Love, but also hatred, were among them. ¡°Joanne Garcia,¡± Renee echoed slowly. Quinton had always talked about his past in the vige, describing his crazy foster father, violent foster mother, and arrogant elder brother¡­ But he had never mentioned Joanne. ¡°She was the young daughter of the boss¡¯ foster parents, and was also the only one who saw him as her family¡­¡± When Chase talked about Joanne, his gaze softened, like he was talking about something wondrous. ¡°Joanne was petite and delicate like a doll, and always smiled ever so sweetly. Like my boss, she looked like a child from a rich family, so the both of them were quite out of ce in that small fishing vige. Maybe that was the reason why Joanne and my boss were close. Joanne would use her small body to protect him whenever he was scolded or beaten, and wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to bully him¡­ One time, my boss had been shed by his crazy elder brother, and in the middle of the night, Joanne and him went to every house to beg for help. Some cruel fishermen drove them away as if they were jinxes, so she kneeled in front of their house to humbly ask for help. In the end, thanks to her, my boss was saved.¡± ¡°Looks like my brother had a guardian angel protecting him. As his sister, I can¡¯t help but feel ashamed.¡± After Renee heard about Joanne and Quinton¡¯s past, she became very ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. curious about Joanne. She yearned to meet the angelic woman to thank her properly Chapter 1164 Chapter 1164 ¡°Yes, Miss Garcia was wonderful. She was like a pure flower -simple and naive without any malice in her. She was my boss¡¯ motivation to survive. Eventually, he gained enough power to leave the small fishing vige, but he suppressed his talent and capabilities just so he could be with her. He stayed in that tiny vige and became a humble fisherman¡­¡± ¡°What happened afterwards? Where did she go? Why didn¡¯t my brother mention her?¡± Renee had so many questions. ¡°After that¡­¡± Chase frowned and murmured, ¡°That wicked brother of hers bullied her, so my boss beat him up and ran away with Miss Garcia. I was a rebel too back then, so I went with them. We were just broke kids at the time, so we decided to go to the chaotic Water Dock to survive. We then risked our lives to establish Carmine Pawnshop.¡± ¡°Quinton really is amazing¡­ All of you were.¡± Renee could not imagine how three penniless youths established Carmine Pawnshop in thatnd of chaos. It was the border of three countries, and was full of savage people. Only they knew the pain and hardships they had to endure. ¡°Miss Garcia and I were ordinary, but your brother was something else. He was handsome and charming, and even though we had nothing, he managed to secure a whole lot of orders, especially ones from female customers. Soon, Carmine Pawnshop grew by leaps and bounds, and his reputation as the Night Demon also grew¡­¡± Chase smiled sadly at the memory. ¡°At that time, Joanne was our princess, and as her knights, we protected her from the evil in the world. She enjoyed a pampered life without learning the ways of the world, and maybe that was what gave a viin the chance to use her.¡± ¡°Viin¡­ Who was that?¡± Renee had a name in mind, but she prayed and hoped that it wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Miss Everheart, you¡¯re not stupid. I¡¯m sure you can guess who it was¡­¡± Chase grimaced as he was forced to recall that unfortunate memory. ¡°That year, Carmine Pawnshop was at the peak of its glory, but at some point, it butted heads with the Hunt family¡¯s industrial chain. Stefan had just taken over some of his family¡¯s properties at that time, so he saw Carmine ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Pawnshop as a way to prove himself. Both parties fought each other for many years, but it was neck and neck¡­ ¡°The Hunt family did well in legitimate businesses, but they weren¡¯t used to underground dealings. They couldn¡¯t fight my boss since he was more experienced in that area, and he had been overtaking them the whole time, but the situation soon changed¡­ thanks to the cunning Stefan. He found my boss¡¯ weakness-Miss Garcia, an innocent and gullible young woman. He approached her and bewitched her until she betrayed my boss.¡± Chase clenched his fists tightly, his lip curling in anger.¡± Initially, my boss had the upper hand during the great battle at sea that year, but Miss Garcia stabbed my boss to protect Stefan before Stefan shed his face. Desperate and downcast, he jumped into the sea, and Miss Garcia went missing after that¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Renee was dumbfounded, and couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°Is Stefan¡­ really that cunning and wicked? Chapter 1165 Chapter 1165 ¡°Hmph! Of course.¡± Chase snorted in disdain. ¡°He¡¯s just a sanctimonious and disloyal man who¡¯ll do anything to get what he wants. He was so shameless that he even tricked and fooled a pure, naive girl! Even if he behaves differently and does a lot of charity now, he can¡¯t hide the fact that he¡¯s rotten to the core.¡± Chase¡¯s opinion of Stefan was simr to his opinion of Joanne-though he hated the man, he couldn¡¯t deny that he respected him very much too. After all, he had been Stefan¡¯s subordinate for four years at some point. During that time, the despicable man seemed¡­ not as despicable as Chase had thought. It was very conflicting. ¡°The light that saved him turned out to be a knife that stabbed him¡­ Joanne¡¯s betrayal was a fatal blow to Quinton. No wonder he hates Stefan so much!¡± After listening to Chase¡¯s Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. exnation, Renee finally understood Quinton¡¯s character. A betrayal by the person you loved the most was the worst ¨C it could turn even the most innocent person into a monster. Joanne and Stefan were the reason why Quinton was this way today. If it had happened to her, she might have be more extreme than Quinton if the light she cherished became a poisonous snake that bit her. She would have long hacked that person into pieces and gotten rid of them. ¡°I guess Joanne is the cause of my brother¡¯s bitterness and resentment. Maybe he can be saved if we find Joanne and resolve the hatred between them. We can also put an end to the grudge he holds for Stefan¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Chase shook his head. ¡°I also thought of that, but no one knows where Joanna is. Some people said that she jumped into the sea after my brother, and others said that Stefan had killed her. Some even imed that she had been sold to the ck market and was doing human shows. I hired a lot of people and used a lot of connections to look for her, but I couldn¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have a way to find her.¡± Renee sounded firm. She would pay any price as long as it could help her brother be free of his hatred. That night was destined to be a sleepless one. Xavier, who had carried Leia out of a bar, was having a difficult time too. ¡°Let go of me! You¡¯re nothing but a scumbag who tricks female college students and gets them pregnant! I¡¯m going to expose your crimes so all the women in Beach City can see your true colours¡­ If you don¡¯t let go of me, I¡¯m going to call the police. Help me! He¡¯s trying to kidnap me. Help me call the police!¡± Leia yelled, then pped Xavier¡¯s face and punched his stomach. It was unknown if Leia was truly drunk or if she was just pretending, but they attracted a lot of attention. ¡°Damn it! Woman, keep quiet. If you shout again, people will think I¡¯m a pervert and arrest me!¡± Xavier hissed in her ear and tried to cover her mouth, but she bit his hand hard. Xavier howled in pain and was forced to let go of her. After Leia regained her freedom, she ran onto the street haphazardly. ¡°Stop making a scene! It¡¯ste, how do you have so much energy?!¡± Xavier ran after her, gasping for breath. He quickly realised that this woman could be very energetic if she wanted, even though she was always dispirited andnguid. He was quickly bing exhausted. ¡°Don¡¯te near me, you scumbag! You always upset me¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you again! Get lost!¡± She turned around and yelled at him with tears running down her cheeks. She was sober now, and was well aware of the fact that Xavier was her drug. If she became addicted to it, it would definitely harm her. Hence, she tried her best to suppress her desire and give him up even though she yearned to throw herself into his arms and kiss him Chapter 1166 Chapter 1166 ¡°Hmph! Of course.¡± Chase snorted in disdain. ¡°He¡¯s just a sanctimonious and disloyal man who¡¯ll do anything to get what he wants. He was so shameless that he even tricked and fooled a pure, naive girl! Even if he behaves differently and does a lot of charity now, he can¡¯t hide the fact that he¡¯s rotten to the core.¡± Chase¡¯s opinion of Stefan was simr to his opinion of Joanne-though he hated the man, he couldn¡¯t deny that he respected him very much too. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. After all, he had been Stefan¡¯s subordinate for four years at some point. During that time, the despicable man seemed¡­ not as despicable as Chase had thought. It was very conflicting. ¡°The light that saved him turned out to be a knife that stabbed him¡­ Joanne¡¯s betrayal was a fatal blow to Quinton. No wonder he hates Stefan so much!¡± After listening to Chase¡¯s exnation, Renee finally understood Quinton¡¯s character. A betrayal by the person you loved the most was the worst ¨C it could turn even the most innocent person into a monster. Joanne and Stefan were the reason why Quinton was this way today. If it had happened to her, she might have be more extreme than Quinton if the light she cherished became a poisonous snake that bit her. She would have long hacked that person into pieces and gotten rid of them. ¡°I guess Joanne is the cause of my brother¡¯s bitterness and resentment. Maybe he can be saved if we find Joanne and resolve the hatred between them. We can also put an end to the grudge he holds for Stefan¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± Chase shook his head. ¡°I also thought of that, but no one knows where Joanna is. Some people said that she jumped into the sea after my brother, and others said that Stefan had killed her. Some even imed that she had been sold to the ck market and was doing human shows. I hired a lot of people and used a lot of connections to look for her, but I couldn¡¯t find her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have a way to find her.¡± Renee sounded firm. She would pay any price as long as it could help her brother be free of his hatred. That night was destined to be a sleepless one. Xavier, who had carried Leia out of a bar, was having a difficult time too. ¡°Let go of me! You¡¯re nothing but a scumbag who tricks female college students and gets them pregnant! I¡¯m going to expose your crimes so all the women in Beach City can see your true colours¡­ If you don¡¯t let go of me, I¡¯m going to call the police. Help me! He¡¯s trying to kidnap me. Help me call the police!¡± Leia yelled, then pped Xavier¡¯s face and punched his stomach. It was unknown if Leia was truly drunk or if she was just pretending, but they attracted a lot of attention. ¡°Damn it! Woman, keep quiet. If you shout again, people will think I¡¯m a pervert and arrest me!¡± Xavier hissed in her ear and tried to cover her mouth, but she bit his hand hard. Xavier howled in pain and was forced to let go of her. After Leia regained her freedom, she ran onto the street haphazardly. ¡°Stop making a scene! It¡¯ste, how do you have so much energy?!¡± Xavier ran after her, gasping for breath. He quickly realised that this woman could be very energetic if she wanted, even though she was always dispirited andnguid. He was quickly bing exhausted. ¡°Don¡¯te near me, you scumbag! You always upset me¡­ I don¡¯t want to see you again! Get lost!¡± She turned around and yelled at him with tears running down her cheeks. She was sober now, and was well aware of the fact that Xavier was her drug. If she became addicted to it, it would definitely harm her. Hence, she tried her best to suppress her desire and give him up even though she yearned to throw herself into his arms and kiss him Chapter 1167 Chapter 1167 ¡°Of course, I can prove it!¡± Xavier dered confidently. ¡°Well¡­ How do you n to do that?¡± The police officer sensed there was more to the story, so he was willing to give Xavier a chance to prove his innocence. Take my phone out of my bag. Unlock it with my face and go find a secret photo album. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. You¡¯ll know after you see that. ¡± Xavier decided to risk everything to regain his freedom. He even gave up thest bit of his dignity. ¡°A secret photo album?¡± The police officer was very curious, and so was Leia. She grabbed Xavier¡¯s phone before the police officer could. After she used his face to unlock his phone, she asked, ¡° Which secret photo album?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s called ¡®my bedtime dessert¡¯. Just show it to the police officer.1¡ä Xavier¡¯s handsome face was flushed as he said through gritted teeth. Leia found the hidden photo album and clicked on it. When she saw the photos in it, a blush rose on her cheeks, and she immediately sobered up. ¡°You¡­ Why did you¡­¡± She turned around with aplicated expression. She could no longer look at the photographs. ¡°What is it? Show me.¡± The police officer¡¯s curiosity was piqued, so he took the phone from Leia. He then used his thumb to swipe the photos in the album one by one. After a while, he cracked a happy smile. ¡°Well, kid. You look like a Casanova, but it turns out you¡¯re actually a loyal man. It¡¯s rare to find a man like you!¡± Xavier was generally a shameless person, but at that moment, he wished that the ground would open up and swallow him. He mumbled awkwardly, ¡°Thank you, sir. Can you let go of me now?¡± ¡°It was a misunderstanding. Sorry, kid.¡± The police officer unlocked Xavier¡¯s handcuffs and patted his shoulder.¡± Women don¡¯t always mean what they say. Just try to talk it out, I¡¯ll be rooting for you¡­ You can win her over with sincerity. If you love her, you have to say so.¡± He then turned around and said to Leia, who was blushing and keeping quiet, ¡°Girl, don¡¯t be pretentious. As another man, I can tell that he loves you very much!¡± Leia timidly nodded. ¡°Thank you for the advice. I realise that now.¡± Speechlessness overwhelmed Xavier. He gingerly touched his sore wrists, which had almost been dislocated just now.¡¯ This is so embarrassing! I¡¯m a Casanova who¡¯s been enjoying life all these years. I¡¯ve never been so embarrassed in my life¡­¡¯ ¡°Well, you guys should talk it out. I¡¯ll get on with my work.¡± The police officer smiled happily as he said goodbye to them. Soon, Xavier and Leia were the only ones left on the road. The light cast by the streemp made their shadows ovep with each other, and it looked like they were hugging. Suddenly, awkwardness engulfed them, and neither of them spoke. ¡°Be careful!¡± A car suddenly zoomed past, and Xavier quickly pulled Leia behind him. ¡°Umm, thank you¡­¡± Leia kept her head low, looking timid and bashful. ¡°Give me my phone.¡± Xavier was quite shy too as he took his phone from her. The secret photo album was full of Leia¡¯s photos that he had taken of her discreetly. For example, he took photos of her when she was eating,ughing, or sleeping. The most romantic one was snapped under a dim light. Leia was sleeping in his arms like a kitten. He had kissed her on the cheek before taking their first photo together. From that picture, one could see how tender and doting he was towards her. Anyone who saw these photographs would surely be charmed by his love for her. Chapter 1168 Chapter 1168 ¡°Are you sober now?¡± After Xavia locked his phone, he averted his gaze, acting like nothing had happened. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sober now.¡± Leia pushed her hair behind her ear and nodded shyly. ¡°It¡¯ste now. Let me give you a ride home?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded again, unusually docile. She always thought that Xavier never regarded her as a woman and that he didn¡¯t desire her, but when she saw those photos, she knew just how much he longed for her. He had liked her secretly for such a long time¡­ and considered her his bedtime dessert. Of course, she would feel shy. Xavier hailed a cab and told the driver to drive to Osborne Mansion. Although Leia had her house, she spent most of her time staying in Osborne Mansion. Geronimo had five daughters before Leia and Liam were born, so naturally, he cherished the twins greatly. Liam had been travelling around the world for a year now, so he wasn¡¯t around at the moment. Hence, Geronimo and his wife focused all their attention on Leia instead. If Leia did not go home at night, they would call her endlessly. Even that night, they had been calling her ceaselessly. It only ended when Leia turned off her phone. Both Xavier and Leia sat in the back seat as they leaned toward each other subconsciously. ¡°Are you feeling sick?¡± He touched her flushed cheeks, worried that she was drunk. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel a bit hot and dizzy.¡± Leia mumbled, shifting ufortably. Her tight white shirt showed off her perfect curves. ¡°Now you feel sick. Why didn¡¯t you stop yourself when you were drinking?¡± Xavier scolded Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. her gently, but he still let her lean her head on his shoulder. ¡°Close your eyes and rest for a while if you¡¯re sleepy.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Pursing her lips, Leia smiled and leaned into him. Obedience had be her best friend now. Xavier could see her curvy figure, and could not deny that she was indeed an attractive woman. Inevitably, his mouth felt dry. He swallowed slightly, then blurted out, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re always behaving like a tomboy, but now, you¡¯re being so polite. I¡¯m not used to it!¡± She didn¡¯t open her eyes, but gently pinched his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t take my photos secretly¡­ You can¡­ do it openly.¡± Xavier felt his face grow hot and he looked away in embarrassment. ¡°Just forget about that. Pretend that you saw nothing.¡± Leia murmured cheekily, ¡°Okay, my bedtime dessert.¡± Xavier was speechless. After ten minutes, the cab stopped at therge Osborne Mansion. Leia did not want this moment to end. After she got out of the car, she found it difficult to say goodbye. ¡°Umm¡­ Do you want toe in?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯ste. It won¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid either.¡± ¡°Er¡­¡± ¡°Just stop talking. Get out of the car.¡± Leia could not keep up herdylike front any longer, and dragged him out of the car. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want toe in, but you have to kiss me. Kiss me until I¡¯m satisfied, then I¡¯ll let you go.¡± She stood on tiptoe and grabbed the cor of his shirt, pulling him to her and kissing him deeply. Chapter 1169 Chapter 1169 ¡°Mmph-!¡± Xavier would never have guessed that the previously shy and timid woman would suddenly be so passionate now. His body immediately tensed, and he didn¡¯t dare to move. Hugging his neck, Leia closed her eyes tightly as she enthusiastically kissed the man before her, the alcohol in her body spurring her on. She had been unsure about Xavier¡¯s feelings for her in the past, but she was confident now after seeing those photographs today. ¡°Xavier, just admit it-you like me. You don¡¯t have to pretend.¡± She grasped the back of his head, demanding, ¡°Tell me the truth!¡± Even though Xavier had always been able to handle the countless women who threw themselves at him, Leia was the first person who was so brave and enthusiastic. It was hard for him not to be moved¡­ ¡°Woman, are you a woodpecker? Where did you learn how to kiss? You¡¯re terrible at it!¡± He said hoarsely as he broke off the kiss, and then gently held her face in his hands, and leaned down. His eyes darkened with longing as he murmured, ¡°This¡­ is what we call kissing.¡± With this, Leia, the novice, entered a new world under the guidance of the extremely experienced Xavier. For the first time, she learned that kissing was not merely about the collision of teeth and lips, and it was practically an art form. She felt as if she was floating, and exhration surged through her veins. They were kissing fervently and for so long, that soon, an endless stream of coughing erupted from someone standing nearby. ¡°Who is it? Who dares to rain on my parade? Can¡¯t you see that we¡¯re kissing?¡± Leia snarled furiously as she reluctantly let go of a dazed Xavier. She turned to see a dark figure under the shade of a tree, and instantly, her eyes lit up. She ran over to the figure happily. ¡°Ah! You¡­ You heartless man! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Her eyes became watery as she hugged the man and punched his broad back. ¡°What are you doing back? Don¡¯t you know how much I missed you and worried about you? You¡¯re so Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. heartless¡­¡± ¡°Did you miss me? I don¡¯t think so. You kissed that man until you forgot yourself just now.¡± He smiled gently and stroked her head affectionately. Xavier stood there with a tight frown, and red at the two people hugging each other. He looked like he was fighting the urge to go over and strangle the unknown man. ¡°Leia, I just taught you my special skill, but you threw yourself into another man¡¯s arms. You don¡¯t respect your teacher at all.¡± Xavier pretended to not care as he teased her, but he was actually very jealous. ¡°Xavier?¡± After the man saw Xavier, he scowled. ¡°Liam, did¡­ didn¡¯t you go traveling around the world? Why did youe back all of a sudden?¡± After Xavier saw the man¡¯s face, he immediately became dispirited. Both Liam and Xavier shared simr backgrounds and characters, but one of them was Stefan¡¯s buddy while the other was Renee¡¯s loyal friend. Of course, they had long fallen out with each other. Chapter 1170 Chapter 1170 If Xavier and Liam ever bumped into each other in public, they¡¯d usually be at each other¡¯s throats. Liam was wearing casual clothes at the moment, and his skin was tanned. He even had a brown cowboy hat on his head,plimenting his carefree look. He narrowed his eyes, sizing Xavier up before he stared at Leia solemnly. ¡°I think you should see an eye specialist, sister dearest. Do you realise that man over there is the infamous yboy of Beach City Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. who¡¯s fooled around with countless women? Even if you can¡¯t marry yourself off, you don¡¯t have to lower your standards this much.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand!¡± Leia stomped her feet and retorted angrily, ¡°Being a yboy is just a pretence, he¡¯s actually a loyal man! I know we were prejudiced against him earlier because of Ren, but you can¡¯t say that about him now! I* ¡°Tsk! Women are bound to side with their men. How long have you been dating him? Are you both nning to elope?¡± ¡°Ugh, you wouldn¡¯t understand. What we have is true love, so you can¡¯t make things difficult for him!¡± Leia stood before Xavier, fearing that her cunning brother would hurt her beloved man. ¡°True love?¡± Liam raised his brows with a scornful expression. He looked over Leia¡¯s head and said to Xavier,¡± And what do you have to say about this? Are you nning to hide behind my sister¡¯s skirts while she defends you?¡± Xavier stated coldly, ¡°I have nothing to say. You¡¯re right-l¡¯m just an infamous yboy in Beach City. What could I possibly know about true love?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± A dangerous gleam appeared in Liam¡¯s eyes. Although he loved to bully Leia, he adored her very much. He could never bear to see her suffer, and if anyone dared to bully her, he would dly teach that person a lesson. He would never let men approach Leia easily, which was the reason why Leia had been single for more than twenty years. Hence, he was furious when he heard someone his sister loved say such things. He was controlling his urge to punch Xavier. ¡°Didn¡¯t I make myself clear? I¡¯m just a yboy who lives in the moment. There¡¯s no true love between us. I¡¯m just fooling around with your sister.¡± Xavier remarked casually as he stuffed his hands inside his pockets. He smirked at Liam, giving off the aura of a yboy who never gave his heart up to anyone. ¡°You¡¯re asking for it!¡± Liam snarled as he lunged forward and punched Xavier¡¯s nose. ¡°Ah!¡± Leia screamed and pushed Liam away. ¡°Are you out of your mind?! Why did you punch his nose? Don¡¯t you know that¡¯s my favourite feature of his? What if you ruin it?¡± While feeling sorry for Xavier and checking if his nose was okay, she sobbed and apologised, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Liam has a bad temper like me. He never thinks before he acts, and only Ren can handle him. Please don¡¯t hold a grudge against him. After all, he¡¯s your future brother-inw.¡± Consequently, both Xavier and Liam were at a loss for words. Leia used a handkerchief to wipe away the blood on Xavier¡¯s face. When she saw that his nose was fine, she heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank God your nose is okay. Don¡¯t worry, I still love you.¡± Liam smacked his forehead with an exasperated groan.¡± Woman, can you have some dignity? I thought I was a kissass, but you¡¯re worse than me. What¡¯s wrong with this family? Chapter 1171 Chapter 1171 Atst, Leia let Xavier go. If he stayed any longer, he and Liam might get into a fight, and then she would be forced to break up with him. ¡°You heartless man! You travelled the world for such a long time. Did you have any unforgettable experiences? And the most important thing is¡­ Did youe home with a gift for me?¡± Leia asked eagerly as she helped Liam carry his luggage into the house. ¡°The only gift I have for you is a p! Do you want that? I need to knock some sense into a lovestruck fool like you!¡± Feeling sad that she had failed to live up to his expectations, he patted her cheeks and asked slowly, ¡° Didn¡¯t you suffer another heartbreak recently? Why did you jump into another abyss after you just crawled out of one?¡± Liam¡¯s carelessness had led to the failed rtionship between Leia and William in the past. If he had been more strict, his foolish sister wouldn¡¯t have been tricked. On the other hand, Xavier was an experienced and slick man-he was much more horrible than William. Even Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he could win against him, so how could a naive and pure woman like Lei? ¡°Liam, I told you. Xavier is different from those bad guys. He loves me very much, and he deserves my love. You don¡¯t like him because you think that he¡¯s on Stefan¡¯s side. You just assume that your enemy¡¯s friend is your enemy too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that petty¡­¡± Liam mumbled, embarrassed that she had got it right. Liam scratched his nose then scoffed, ¡°You imed that he loves you very much, but are you sure it¡¯s not just wishful thinking? He said he¡¯s a yboy and doesn¡¯t care about others, but you fawn over him like a fangirl. You drive me mad!¡± ¡°Hmph, you won¡¯t understand. It¡¯s because he¡¯s too proud and can¡¯t bring himself to admit that he loves me. Let me tell you a secret-his phone is full of photos he secretly took of me. He even told me that I am his bedtime dessert. Don¡¯t you see how much he loves me-¡± ¡°He took your photos secretly?¡± Liam¡¯s handsome face twisted in rage. ¡¯Oh, so he¡¯s not just a yboy, he¡¯s a pervert too. How can you date such garbage?¡± ¡® What? You¡¯re so mean! I don¡¯t want to talk to you.¡± Leia threw Liam¡¯s backpack on the floor and stormed away furiously. ¡® Well, luckily for me, I don¡¯t want to talk to you either!¡± Liam¡¯s legs were longer, so he walked faster than her. He purposely bumped into her, making her stumble. ¡® Liam, how old are you? Ugh, you¡¯re such a child!¡± Leia rolled her eyes and whacked his shoulder. This was how they behaved when they were kids, chasing and hitting each other. They made quite a scene, but it was alreadyte at night, so the people of the Osborne family were all asleep. The spacious Osborne Mansion was silent and calm. Leia grinned mischievously and pushed Liam onto the sofa to beat him up. However, she was too weak, so Liam defeated her easily. ¡°Are you going to apologise? You know I¡¯m right, you little witch!¡± He demanded as he tickled her, his eyes gleaming with mirth. ¡°Haha! Liam, you sly fox! Let me go!¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re sorry and that you won¡¯t be a kiss-ass first.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t. I¡­ Hahaha! Ah, Ren, what are you doing here?¡± The second Leia said that, Liam immediately sat down and leaned back in a casual posture, quickly smoothing down his hair. ¡°Pfft! Looks like you¡¯re a bigger kiss-ass than me, brother dearest!¡± Leia burst outughing. ¡°How dare you fool your brother! It¡¯s over for you!1 ¡°No!¡± Chapter 1172 Chapter 1172 Leia ran upstairs swiftly, all while joking around with him. ¡°Say, Liam, you went on a little pity party trip and left for almost a whole year. But look at you; you still haven¡¯t moved on from her. Your little trip was such a waste; your heart, destined to stay with Ren all along¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense, I¡¯ve moved on long ago.¡¯ ¡°Sure¡­ and yet you still get nervous hearing her name.¡± Suddenly, Leia remembered something and quickly became serious.¡± Though you dide Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. back just in time. Azure Group is in shambles, they¡¯re being targeted, and H Group is leading this attack. Besides, Ren and that Stefan guy aren¡¯t even talking to each other, either. It¡¯s your time to win her back.¡± Liam frowns as well. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I came back. Boss has two kids and a business to run. She can¡¯t juggle all of that all the time.¡± ¡°Right? I had to step up and help too. But I was too inexperienced and offended some people, I almost ended up in jail after being framed too!¡± Leia eximed. She was reminded of her time handling business for Renee during these past six months. It was truly a bitter memory. ¡®Tsk, I¡¯m really not cut out to be ady boss. I¡¯m more suited to beying around wasting air!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s good to have you back. Azure Group is saved! Let¡¯s fight back and make sure they eat their own sh*t!¡± ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help but find his sister amusing. However, it only made his heart more determined to stay by Renee and assist her as much as he could. The next day, Geronimo and his wife were so excited to learn that their precious son had finally returned that they burst into tears of joy. 1 ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t know you still knew your way back home, you punk! Don¡¯t you know how much we longed for you to return to us?¡± ¡°Exactly! I thought you would nevere back! I missed you so much!¡± Madame Osborne embraced Liam, wailing as if he had just died in her arms. ¡°Hey, is this what people call separation anxiety? I just went on a trip, I even called you guys from time to time! You don¡¯t have to act like this!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? You were all alone out there in this dangerous world! Don¡¯t you know your mother would worry about you, you naughty boy!¡± Madame Osborne pped Liam¡¯s back repeatedly, expressing both love and annoyance toward her son. Leia was leaning against the stair railing on the second floor, gloating at her brother¡¯s demise. He didn¡¯t even have to do anything to get beaten up like this. ¡°Alright, alright. It¡¯s good to see you back.¡± Geronimo let out a long sigh.¡± Now that you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll be retiring as well. I¡¯ll entrust you with the entire family business, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re more than capable of handling it.¡¯ The old man then patted on Liam¡¯s shoulder, showing recognition towards him. ¡°I don¡¯t expect anything else from you at this point. I just hope you keep a clear head and don¡¯t involve yourself in anything that might bring harm,¡± Geronimo said, then shot Leia a dirty re. ¡°And definitely don¡¯t be like your sister. She¡¯s out there doing freebor.¡± 1 The old man had always coddled the two siblings, granting them whatever they wished. However, whenever it came to Renee, he showed no leniency whatsoever. ¡°Sorry Dad, I only came back this time to help Miss Everheart.¡± Liam ced his hands in his pockets, speaking in a nonchnt tone. Leia weakly raised her hand as well. ¡°Same.¡± Geronimo, however, felt as if he was about to have a heart attack. ¡°Darling, get me my pills!¡± Chapter 1173 Chapter 1173 Renee was also overjoyed to learn that Liam had returned to Beach City. She even went out of her way to prepare a grand banquet at a five-star hotel in the next city so that they could wee him back. Her brother, Chase, and some of the founding members and leaders of the Azure Group were invited too. The luxurious banquet hall was decorated to specifically incorporate many of Liam¡¯s favorite elements, such as superheroes, sports cars, beautiful women, and so on. Quinton was wearing a ck suit, holding a ss of wine in his hand, and leaning against the piano, watching as people walked by with a bored expression. However, he was the one who stood out the most. With the unique ck feather mask on his face, it was quite hard to not get people to turn their heads. He wasn¡¯t exactly interested in this banquet. If not for his sister¡¯s pestering, along with the mention that the main character of this party was very important to her, he would not have attended. As the organizer of the banquet, Renee had her hands rather full doing the preparations. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. When she finally had a chance to rest, she noticed Quinton leaning against the piano, which made her giggle. ¡°Quinton, if you¡¯re really that bored, just y some games with Chase and the otherster!¡± She said as she walked towards the man, a small dessert in hand. Quinton turned back to Renee, his eyes under the mask revealing a look of praise, ¡°Tsk tsk tsk. As expected of my own sister. Just look at you; you¡¯re like a goddess.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s what I like to hear, Quinton. Keep going, keep praising me.¡± Renee smiled sweetly. The woman was wearing a gorgeous silver bodycon mermaid dress, which enunciated her beautiful and luscious figure. The thin straps made it look light, and the bareback design put her lovely fair on full disy. Quinton sipped on his wine, then spoke in a somewhat jealous tone. ¡°Who is this guy anyway? Is he that important to you? You even dressed up to wee him back! You didn¡¯t even do this for me when we reunited!¡± ¡°I told you, he¡¯s Leia¡¯s brother, and they¡¯re twins like us. He helped me during my darkest times, and he¡¯s like a good brother to me. So yes, he has an important ce in my heart. Please control your temper when you see him. I don¡¯t want you to scare him off.¡± ¡°Good brother?¡± Quinton became even more jealous and huffed. ¡°Could he even be better than me, your actual brother?¡± ¡°You¡¯re both great, and you¡¯re just as important. You¡¯re both my brothers after all.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ll just have to find out who¡¯s better today.¡± ¡°What¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means I need to see if that guy is qualified to be your brother.¡± Just as Quinton finished his sentence, Liam and Leia walked in through the entrance. ¡°Liam!¡± Renee immediately ran towards him and gave him a solid bear hug. She teared up, saying, ¡°You¡¯re finally back! Do you know how much has happened while you were gone?! I had no one toe up with ideas for me!¡± Although she had Quinton, Leia, Chase, and many others assisting her, Liam was still the smartest and mostposed person she had ever worked with. He was also the only person who understood her the most. To her, this man was no different from a right-hand man at this point; she couldn¡¯t possibly do anything big without his help. ¡°Renee, long¡­ long time no see!¡± Liam stammered, his entire body tensing. He didn¡¯t dare to return her hug and ced his hands on his side with clenched fists. Chapter 1174 Chapter 1174 Having wandered around for so long, he had experienced many odd adventures that he simply couldn¡¯t ever finish talking about. He always thought that he would be able to face this woman with a calm heart since he had endured quite a bit of training. However, at this very moment, his heart couldn¡¯t help but flutter uncontrobly. ¡°Hey, I showed you how much I missed you! And all I get is a long time no see? Come on, dude!¡± Renee was still quite overwhelmed, with tears in her eyes. She had so many things she wanted to say to Liam, but the man¡¯s indifference made it feel as if he didn¡¯t want to talk to her at all, which made her rather disappointed. After all, Liam was one of the few people who truly understood her. He was practically her soulmate, someone she could speak to day and night. ¡°Sorry, Boss. Leia told me everything that happened. I¡¯m sorry I came sote. You must¡¯ve suffered so much¡­¡± Liam¡¯s eyes reddened as he responded. In actuality, he was very excited to see her, and he had so many things to tell her too. He just¡­ felt rather guilty for not being there, especially about Renee¡¯s painful rtionship with Stefan. As if it were his own pain, his heart genuinely ached for the woman. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be able to get your happy ever after with him once I left. Looks like I was just being¡­ too idealistic.¡± Liam sighed deeply. ¡°I guess we just can¡¯t control everything that happens in life. Fate is as such.¡± His trip was able to broaden his horizon greatly, which helped shape his personality further. He was now much more mature than before, speaking as if he held great wisdom. ¡°Yeah, fate is as such. We are all prisoners to fate, and it is inevitable.¡± Renee hugged him tighter as she recounted her past experiences. ¡®I knew Liam would understand me!¡¯ On the other hand, Quinton¡¯s expression darkened as he continued watching on. He then approached them with a frown, cing his hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, this is my sister. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve hugged her enough?¡± Liam smiled brightly as soon as he saw the masked man. ¡°Ah, Mr. Quinton, the infamous Night Demon! The one and only man who nearly murdered the head of the Hunt family! What an honor to meet you!¡± ¡°Ha, looks like you know how to talk sweet. It¡¯s a shame I never liked people who kiss *ss. Why don¡¯t you show me your true strength instead?¡± Quinton taunted as he clenched onto the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Come, fight with me.¡± Renee pped her forehead out of embarrassment. ¡°Quinton, don¡¯t be like this. This is Liam¡¯s party, for crying out loud. Why did you ask for a fight out of nowhere?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since he¡¯s your brother, Boss, that means he¡¯s my brother too. It¡¯s only fair to show him my strength.¡± Liam seemed open-minded, agreeing to the fight right away. With that, the two started sparring in the middle of the hall. Worried, Leia grabbed Renee¡¯s arm anxiously. ¡°Ren, nothing bad¡¯s going to happen, right? Why are they fighting all of a sudden?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t,¡± Renee replied confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no way Liam can handle my brother. The fight will end within three moves.¡± Both Quinton and Renee were descendants of General Maurice Everheart, after all, hence were naturally gifted in martial arts and strength. Knowing Liam, who was all brain and no brawn, she had no doubt that this would be an Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. easy fight. However, as another few minutes passed, Renee was absolutely shocked¡­ Chapter 1175 Chapter 1175 She didn¡¯t expect Liam, whom she used to make fun of for hisck of martial skill, would be so agile after a mere year. He managed to dodge three attacks from Quinton, who nearly struck his vitals at one point. As Quinton tried to punch him straight in the chin, Liam turned and dodged it with ease. He got down and did a sweep kick in a fraction of a second. Quinton had great reflexes and immediately leaped into the air, attempting to grab Liam by the shoulder with his big hands. Even so, Liam¡¯s core strength was strong, and the attack didn¡¯t move him in the slightest. He then unleashed his next attack right after. The entire fight was tense and intriguing through and through, as the two were at a stalemate. This attracted a lot of attention from the guests. ¡°Great fight! Great fight!¡± The guests apuded and cheered loudly as if watching a professional match. Renee, too, was in absolute shock during the entire process. Her eyes widened. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. I really can¡¯t¡­ Did Liam secretly whale on his stats? How did he go from a noob to such a great fighter in such a short period of time?!¡±? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, looks like Liam wasn¡¯t bluffing at all. He did encounter a master. Good thing he didn¡¯t embarrass himself today!¡± Leia was calm the entire time, but this managed to make her raise her chin. For the first time, she found her brother rather cool and dashing. ¡°A master?¡± Renee turned to the woman, visibly curious. ¡°Yeah, he encountered these thugs in Cyndiago about eight months ago while traveling. They were an underground organization that intended to kidnap him as their prized possession. Maybe it was fate or luck, but Liam managed to destroy the organization and saved a bunch of young teens who had been kidnapped as well. So the leader of the thugs intended to kill him after that¡­¡± ¡°Really? Why did he never mention any of this to me?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t want you to worry, so he specifically told me not to tell you.¡± ¡°What then?¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s because good people get good karma. My brother saved that group of young teens, right? One of the young girl¡¯s godfathers is very powerful and has been looking for his missing goddaughter for a while.¡± ¡°After he learned that my brother was in a difficult situation, he protected him all the way to the borders and taught him many skills. That¡¯s why he¡¯s so strong now.¡± Hearing this, Renee couldn¡¯t help but fall silent, mixed emotions welling up in her chest. It seemed she realized that she wasn¡¯t the only one suffering in this world. Not long ago, while Liam was in a distant country, he wasn¡¯t quite living his best life either. The man had only ever given her good news instead of bad ones, which made her assume that he was still the immature little kid who had never suffered the cruelty of this world. ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, shouts could be hearding from the crowd. Renee turned around, only to find that her brothernded a kick on Liam while his mask was also removed. ¡°Why is this man¡¯s face¡­ so scary?¡± ¡°I heard that he¡¯s the Night Demon. He really does look scarier than the devil!¡± The guests seemed frightened, though their gossip and pointing toward Quinton did not cease. Some even instantly pulled their phones out to record this scene as well. ¡°Get lost! Get lost!¡± Quinton was basically crawling to get his mask back on, his fingers trembling from rage. He was once worshipped in the vige due to his good looks, yet everyone was disgusted by his terrifying appearance now. His tall ego took a hard dent from that. Every time he faced such scrutiny, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his resentment towards Stefan grow. Chapter 1176 Chapter 1176 Liam held onto his chest after being kicked. With his face twisted in pain, he seemed to show remorse. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­ I didn¡¯t know you¡­¡± He really didn¡¯t know that the ¡®Night Demon¡¯ would have looked this terrifying under his mask. Seeing this showed just how ruthless Stefan used to be. This grudge between the two families would never heal unless Renee somehow wished ¡­ to give up on her twin brother. ¡°Good skills, kid.¡± Quinton soon regainedposure, ignoring the strange looks from the crowd as if nothing had happened. He then spoke to Liam arrogantly. ¡°Few people can counter this many of my attacks, so it turns out you aren¡¯t a weakling after all. But¡­ if you really want to be my sister¡¯s brother, you¡¯ll need more than just courage, but also strategy.¡± Liam seemed relieved and confidently replied. ¡°That¡¯s my strength, for sure. ¡® Don¡¯t celebrate just yet, I have a task for you¡­¡± Quinton nced at Renee mysteriously as he spoke, signaling toward Lia. ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll tell you in detail.¡± Renee was rather awkward as she saw this. ¡°Quinton, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve done enough? He just came back, and this is his party! You just fought him, and now you want to assign him tasks? Aren¡¯t you being too much?¡± Before Quinton could respond, Liam quickly interrupted excitedly. He was just as nonchnt as he used to be. ¡°Boss, I¡¯d feel weird if you guys weren¡¯t being too much! If your brother wishes to test me, then so be it! I want to show you my growth.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Renee pped her forehead, not knowing what to say at that moment. Leia rubbed her chin and sighed deeply. ¡°Ah, my brother is such a simp. The king of simps, if you will.¡± Quinton then whispered something into Liam¡¯s ear. Liam raised an eyebrow and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bro, I actually nned to do that even before you asked me.¡± Renee, however, couldn¡¯t hear anything they said, which made her extremely anxious. She felt like she had to pester Liam, no matter where he went or what he did, just to get an answer out of him. ¡°Liam, so what task did my brother assign to you?¡± ¡°I cant tell you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t tell me? All the more reason you should! Tell me now.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh,e on! Why are you being so tight-lipped? Whose brother are you anyway?¡± ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t have to provoke me; this is a task from your brother, which means it¡¯s a personal matter to me. Just sit back¡­ and enjoy the show.¡± Liam smiled, still refusing to reveal anything to her. Upon hearing this, Renee had no choice but to let it go. Later on, the banquet was carried on smoothly, with everyone having a good time. Many of Azure Group¡¯s employees, along with their long-term business partners, were ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. delighted with Liam¡¯s return as well. Some, who were hesitant to work with Azure Group, were relieved to see Liam¡¯s strength as well. Hence, it led to them signing contracts with thepany right there and then. However, this loveliness onlysted till nighttime. It was soon reced by a trending topic that shattered their peace. The first three trending searches were all about Quinton¡¯s face. [Night Demon¡¯s real face!] [Night Demon, the horrifying ghost!] [Night Demon, the Everheart siblings!] Chapter 1177 Chapter 1177 As Renee scrolled through the trending news, fury swelled in her chest.¡± Damn it! Which uncivilized swine leaked this?! Once I find out, I swear I¡¯ll strip them nude and leak it onto the inte for three whole days!¡¯ Below those articles were Quinton¡¯s terrifying appearance, in which the videos and photos were captured in high definition. The way her brother scrambled to pick up the mask in those videos really made her heart ache. Theizens¡¯ments on the entire situation were hard to hear as well, especially with the use of phrases like ¡®hideous,¡¯ ¡®troll,¡¯ and ¡®deformed.¡¯ Renee held onto her phone, her voice panicked, and her eyebrows furrowed. ¡°No, no, these articles have to be taken down! Quinton can¡¯t see any of these!¡¯ Leia was sitting next to her at the time, reading through all the hatements. She sympathized with Quinton¡¯s situation, especially since she had long treated him as her brother as well. Hence, it was only natural that she was infuriated. ¡°These people are crossing the line! They should wash their mouths with soup! Their words are so horrendous that even the devil himself would be disgusted!¡± 1 She then looked through all the photos and videos, and that was when she noticed that they? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. were all taken from the same angle. This gave her an idea. ¡°Hey Ren, look at the angle of these photos. It looks like they¡¯ve all been captured by the same person. We just need to retrieve the CCTV footage in the banquet hall, then won¡¯t we be able to find out who leaked this?¡± ¡°Oh! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? You¡¯re so smart, Leia! Did both you and your brother get some kind of stat improvement? You¡¯re so amazing!¡± Mwah! Mwah! Renee felt much more relieved and kissed Leia a few times on the cheek. ¡®Uhm¡­ Stat improvement?¡¯ ¡®Why does that sound like Ren was insulting me in another way?¡¯ ¡®Ah, whatever, Ren praised me! I¡¯m the best in this world!¡¯ Renee got up from the sofa and headed to check the cameras right away. Just then, Quinton and Liam entered, arms wrapped around each other¡¯s shoulders after seemingly having one drink a little too many. ¡°What are you two doing here? Isn¡¯t it Liam¡¯s party? Everyone¡¯s out there dancing and drinking! Why don¡¯t you join in?¡¯ Quinton seemed rather tipsy, but it was obvious he was in a good mood. ¡°Well¡­¡± Renee quickly hid her phone away. ¡°You guys go ahead. Leia and I want to go for a walk outside.¡± At the same time, she gestured to Leia, who quickly caught her drift. Leia scratched the back of her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough hangovers, so I¡¯m cutting off alcoholtely.¡± After that, she quickly rushed to Renee, and they walked out of the room, hand in hand. Quinton didn¡¯t mind them and continued dragging Liam along by the shoulder for yet another round of drinks. ¡°I wish you well for tomorrow, Liam! Let¡¯s hope you pass the test! I believe in you!¡± Quinton was starting to find a fondness for this little loyal subordinate, treating him as one would treat their future brother-inw. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Quinton, making H Group¡¯s share prices drop by ten percent is an easy task! It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never done it before¡­¡¯ Liam said, then paused, staring back at the man with a meaningful gaze. ¡°And I think¡­ our n had just worked.¡± On the other side, Renee and Leia sessfully found an employee and retrieved the footage of Quinton and Liam¡¯s fight. Leia was more observant between the two and quickly clicked on one of the videos with the most views and shares. She thenpared it with the camera footage and pointed to a bald, chubby, middle-aged man. ¡°Look! Ren! Doesn¡¯t this look¡­ like the location this video could have been taken? This guy must¡¯ve spread the video!¡± Chapter 1178 Chapter 1178 Renee followed Leia¡¯s finger; her eyes fixated on the man as she frowned.¡± Mr. Winston? No way¡­ He¡¯s one of the first people who partnered with Azure Group, and he¡¯s considered an old friend of ours. I wouldn¡¯t When Azure Group was first founded, it was just a smallpany with no name and nothing to offer, so there were very few business partners who were willing to work with them. Each partnership they had managed to get back then was the fruit of their hardbor. Mr. Winston was actually great, being a down-to-earth man. Although he wasn¡¯t exactly the most powerful person to work with, he was certainly the most reliable one. This was why Renee refused to believe he would ever betray them like this. ¡°I think there¡¯s more to the eye¡­¡± ¡°But¡­ the angle! It¡¯s definitely taken from this angle! Even if he hadn¡¯t uploaded the video, he was the one who recorded it! It¡¯s obvious that he had ulterior motives for doing so!¡± ¡°Ah, let¡¯s just forget about it for now. We have to think of some way to take down all those photos and videos, along with all the hatements! We have to make sure it dies down before Quinton finds out!¡± Renee didn¡¯t care to overthink this any further, as she only wanted to get this over and done with. With that, the two women locked themselves up in another lounge within the hotel, doing Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. everything in their power to contact anyone to take down any posts and ban any users. At times, they even started retorting back at some of theizens. Netizen: [Bleurgh, that¡¯s disgusting! He¡¯s so ugly, whoever who dines with him would surely vomit, right?!] Renee: [If you vomit so easily, I suggest you go seek medical attention. Just look at all the bullsh*t you¡¯re spewing!] Netizen: [Just look at that scar on his face. He¡¯s definitely some kind of thug. He probably got what he deserved.] Renee: [If you like judging someone by their looks so much, why don¡¯t you take a good look at yourself in the mirror?] Netizen: [Why is someone still defending someone so ugly? Are they into ugly b*stards?!] Renee: [Thanks for noticing. I just simply hate stupidity, especially stupid people who judge books by their cover!] After Renee¡¯s many attempts, she managed to sway theizens¡¯ views on her brother¡¯s looks. Netizen 1: [Just here for the hype, it¡¯s such a shame that a man with such defined features ended up with a scar like that.] Netizen 2: [Same, I think he¡¯d be more good-looking than most idols out there if not for that scar!] Netizen 3: [If he really is Renee Everheart¡¯s brother, maybe his face was scarred by the very same people who took down the Everheart family! Oh my god, what evil!] Betizen 3: [Wait, that does sound like an interesting idea. Come on, guys! Let¡¯s look into this!] People were like sheep, blindly following the way in which the wind blew. At first, many were berating Quinton for his looks, but now most were defending him with all their might. Some even started looking into the truth of his scars. Seeing how the trending topics were dying, Renee felt much more relieved. She then put away herptop and took a sip of her orange juice. She turned to Leia, who was still frantically looking for people who could help take down the posts. ¡°Leia, take a break. I think we have it under control now.¡± ¡°Mhm, I think so too. Looks like most of theizens still have some decency.¡± Leia lets out a sigh of relief after hanging up as well. The women then proceeded to talk about everything and anything, only to find themselves feeling quite sleepy hourster. With that, they resigned to bed. The next day, as dawn was just approaching, Renee was bombarded with a barrage of calls from Leia. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re still sleeping!? Something¡¯s happened again! Quick¡­ check online!¡± Chapter 1179 Chapter 1179 Renee rubbed her eyes groggily. ¡°What is it? Are there people insulting my brother again? Ugh, back to the warzone!¡± ¡°No, no, not your brother, but your ex-husband! Just look¡­ Everyone¡¯s going for his throat! This is great!¡± Leia pridefully eximed on the other end of the line. ¡°What? Stefan Hunt?¡± Renee instantly sat up and looked through her phone. The first three trending searches were now all rted to Stefan, and each was as shocking as the other. The first three words in the search were all rted to Stefan, and every word was enough to be described as explosive. [Stefan Hunt¡¯s brutality!] [Stefan Hunt should be in jail!] [Stefan Hunt is an absolute scum!] The woman¡¯s entire body tensed up, her eyes glued to her phone screen. After that, she clicked on each of the articles and read through its contents. A user named ¡®l_Got_You_Good_Now¡¯ seemed to have written a long essay about how Quinton was once abandoned in a vige where he fell victim to horrifying abuse during his entire childhood. Then, it described how Stefan was responsible for scarring his face. The highlight of this post was an expose of Quinton¡¯s looks before he was irreversibly disfigured. He did, in fact, look like a noble, dashing young man. As soon as this post was published, many started sympathizing with Quinton and quickly came to his defense, especially after reading about his traumatic past. They turned on Stefan and pounced on his character instead. Netizen 1: [I knew I was right when I said that rich guys like him were evil! He¡¯s so used to power and wealth! It¡¯s not surprising that he¡¯d do something so wicked!] Netizen 2: [And this was the only leaked incident too! Who knows what else he does behind the public eye? His victims probably can¡¯t even rest in peace!] Netizen 3: (Stefan Hunt is such a hypocrite. To think I used to be a fan of Hunt my Everheart! Looks like their divorce was well deserved!] Netizen 4: [I have no words, but I will never buy any of H Group¡¯s products ever again! I¡¯ll y my part as a good citizen!] The inte was a rather terrifying ce, where the winds could shift in any direction at any time. Since mostizens could be easily manipted -with many simply jumping in on the bandwagon to join the hype-Stefan became no different than a street rat. ¡°How could this have happened? Who¡¯s the one leaking all this information? ¡± Renee was conflicted. She had special feelings for Stefan, after all. Even though they were in a nocontact phase now, she still couldn¡¯t bear seeing him in such deep water. She simply couldn¡¯t help worrying about him. After calming down, she decided to find the IP address of this user, hoping to learn about their purpose for doing all this. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Renee answered the door swiftly. ¡°Morning, Boss.¡± Outside the door was Liam, who was in what seemed like a causal outfit and holding a cupcake. He then shed her a bright smile. ¡°Your favorite ¡® Blueberry Nights¡¯ right? I went down a few blocks just to get it for you.¡± Renee was nearly moved to tears as her eyes lit up. She took it without hesitation and Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. replied, ¡°Oh, Liam, you know me so well! I¡¯ve been craving this for a while now!¡± ¡®Blueberry Nights¡¯ was a cupcake that Renee adored very much. Hence, every time Liam came to visit, he¡¯d personally bring her one, as if there were some hidden agreement between the two. Chapter 1180 Chapter 1180 However, since Liam left, no one sent her any of these cupcakes. She tried looking for it herself, but to no avail, which worsened her cravings. With thefort awarded by the cupcake, Renee felt much better. She silently chewed on the cupcake at the table as she looked for the user¡¯s IP address. Liam nced at her screen and smiled. ¡°Who¡¯s the big shot? Why are you personally looking for them?¡± Renee waved her hand dismissively, clearly not in the mood for banter.¡± Oh, you won¡¯t get it, kid. Go along and y somewhere else.¡± Liam folded his arms and cleared his throat. ¡°Boss, you can just stop. The person who wrote that article is right underneath your nose.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Renee finally turned her attention to Liam, looking the man up and down. Liam smirked pridefully. ¡°I mean it literally.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not saying you were the one who leaked that information, are you?¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡± The man nodded, patting Renee on the head as if he wasn¡¯t scared for his life. ¡°Our boss is really getting smarter.¡± Renee felt as if her mind had exploded, and she looked at him in disbelief.¡± You¡­ Why would you do something as pointless as that? And how do you know about my brother¡¯s past?¡± ¡°To finish the task he gave me. And, of course¡­ It¡¯s mainly because I don¡¯t like Stefan Hunt. ¡°I backed out of our rivalry out of my own will, and he squandered the chance to cherish you and stay by your side! He even intended to marry another woman! How could I possibly allow myself to not mess with him? How could I face my own heart then?¡± Liam replied with a justified expression, rendering Renee unable to refute his words. She couldn¡¯t help her curiosity either. ¡°So, what was the task my brother gave you?¡± ¡°He asked me to find a way to get H Group¡¯s share prices down by ten percent¡­¡± Liam then took out his phone to look at H Group¡¯s current status, which showed that the stock prices were on a rapid downfall. ¡® I think I¡¯m going toplete my task soon, and I¡¯ll officially be recognized as your brother.¡± ¡°You guys are so childish¡­¡± Renee was speechless, unable to even bring herself to lecture him. ¡°So that means you did all of this? Including the whole revealing-my-brother¡¯s-face thing?¡± ¡°Technically speaking, I ripped Quinton¡¯s mask off by ident. I just decided to take this opportunity and go with the flow.¡± ¡°Go with the flow?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a little insulting, but Quinton was all for it! He wrote most of the article anyway. He even sent me the picture of him before he was scarred.¡± ¡°God damn it!¡± Renee pinched her nose bridge, feeling rather conflicted.¡± Are you two mad? Why did you even do that? Don¡¯t you know H Group was about to partner with Azure Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Group? We¡¯ll only be in deeper conflict after this! They wont be able to reconcile, ever! ¡°Why do you want to reconcile?¡± Liam didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve always been a resolute person, and you¡¯re always more than fine with letting go. But whenever ites to that man, it¡¯s like you turned into some kind of saint! Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s hurt you enough?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m doing this for my brother, not Stefan.¡± Renee sighed heavily.¡± And there¡¯s a key figure in all of this, but I think Quinton deliberately hid this from you¡­¡± Chapter 1181 Chapter 1181 Renee¡¯s words piqued Liam¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Key figure?¡± Liam rubbed his chin and closer toward the woman with an intrigued expression. ¡°Keep going.¡± Renee rolled her eyes at him and mindlessly scrolled through the webpage, her expression nk. ¡°My brother doesn¡¯t only hate Stefan for destroying his face, but also for making his most trusted person betray him. She used to be the light of his life, but she betrayed him for Stefan and stabbed him in the gut.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when my brother lost all morality. And well¡­ How do I say this? He takes things to the extreme now.¡± ¡°Yeah, he is pretty extreme.¡± Liam nodded in agreement. ¡°No wonder I felt a sense of empathy when I first saw him. I knew he had hurt the same way I did, for love.¡± Renee rolled her eyes again. ¡¯For love? Since when? Oh, stop ying the victim?¡± ¡°Is it not miserable enough that I acted as a loyalpdog for almost a decade with no one to love me back?¡± The woman was speechless. ¡°You might not know this, Boss, but people who have suffered from love trauma have piercing eyes. And Quinton is exactly that.¡± Renee didn¡¯t want to pay him any more mind, as he was still as yful and as usual. However, she knew that there was some truth in his words. Quinton would always express love in a twisted and sinister way. It was as if his heart had been corroded by half at this point. She was worried that something bad would happen if she didn¡¯t take action sooner to help relieve this resentment¡­ As Renee looked through the trending topics, she suddenly noticed a photo of a beautiful girl sitting on the beach barefooted. She had silky ck hair, and her beauty was refreshing to the eye, as if she were truly a princess. The user who posted this photo also wrote the caption: [This is the love of the Night Demon¡¯s life!] ¡°Could she be Joanne Garcia?¡± Renee held her breath, excitedly zooming in on the picture over and over again. She could definitely understand her brother¡¯s anger if this really were her. Having depended on each other for so long, the betrayal of this pretty princess was definitely enough to break anyone, especially when she betrayed him for some¡­ man. ¡®If I were Quinton, I wouldn¡¯t just hold resentment against Stefan, I¡¯d be willing to kill off the entire world out of heartache!¡¯ she thought. ¡°Joanne?¡± Liam was holding a cup of coffee when the photo on Renee¡¯s screen caught his eye. ¡°Why? Do you recognize her?¡± ¡°Of course I do!¡± Liam continued staring at that photo, eximing in a high- pitched voice. ¡°When I was on a trip to Cyndiano, I was tricked into selling my body in some red light district! Since I didn¡¯t obey, they almost took my life! Joanne was the one who saved me!¡± ¡°What¡­ did you say?¡± Renee grabbed him by the shoulders and questioned further. ¡°Look carefully, is this really her? Are you sure she is Joanne?¡± ¡°Yeah, but we all call her Jo¡­ she looks very different now. It¡¯s like she¡¯s apletely different person from this photo.¡± ¡°Where is she now? Quick, let¡¯s head out right now. I have to get her back!¡± Renee jumped up, seemingly excited to set off. ¡°It¡¯s best if you forget it. My master is very powerful, and I mean, very- powerful¡­ At the ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. time, he practically forced me into bing his godson and taught me so many skills. So I was able to witness his terrifying power first-hand. That only made me more certain that I needed to escape. And now you¡¯re trying to take his princess away from him¡­¡± Liam couldn¡¯t help cowering in fear. ¡°At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t dare to go back anymore.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t, I¡¯ll go myself. Give me the address.¡± Renee didn¡¯t want to put Liam in a difficult position either, and she was confident that she could take one person back with her martial skills and agility. Chapter 1182 Chapter 1182 Renee would no longer have to worry once she¡¯s brought Joanne back to reconcile with her brother, after all. ¡°Hell no.¡± Liam refused, putting his index fingers into the shape of an ¡®X¡¯. ¡°I can¡¯t even handle being there, and I y around a lot! You¡¯re a girl and a beautiful one at that! Who Owned by N?velDrama.Org. knows what would happen when you¡¯re there! I wont let you risk your life!¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s a pretty hellish ce. Even a beast would be left with scars all over its body. But don¡¯t you know me? When have I, Renee Everheart, ever been scared of anyone?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re strong, but you need to know that there are stronger people out there. My master is no joke! I almost made him explode when I refused to be his godson and escaped! He might imprison you and make you his concubine if you went there!¡± ¡°Shut it with the nonsense. Hand me the address!¡± Renee was impatient, restricting the man¡¯s arms behind his back, increasing her force with every word she spoke until it was unbearable to him. ¡°So, are you going to tell me or not?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll break your arms if you don¡¯t.¡± Renee was quite skilled when it came to punishments, increasing force with every passing second. ¡°Ow ow ow!¡¯ Liam couldn¡¯t take it anymore and gave in. ¡°Fine, but I¡¯ll go with you. He¡¯s my master, after all. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t cross the line if I¡¯m there.¡± Renee hesitated for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Okay, you cane, no one cany a finger on you with me around.¡± However, before going through with this n, she had somewhere else she needed to be. As the hate was still trending on the inte, H Group¡¯s share prices were greatly affected. Moreover, there were paparazzi outside their headquarters every single day, which only made matters worse. Stefan was sitting at hisrge office at the time, massaging his temples out of exhaustion and frustration. He had not expected this grudge from five years ago to be dug up, cing him as the target of everyone¡¯s hate. Thinking back on his feud with Quinton, he knew that he was indeed too brutal back then. However, he did it out of circumstance, having just taken over thepany at the time. He had no choice but to be cruel to secure his position. His family was unhappy with the fact that he took over H Group, and so were his employees. The only person they trusted was his brother, Tristan. Hence, being young and reckless, he was eager to make a name for himself and decided he¡¯d like to talk business in Water Dock. At the time, Water Dock was overrun by the Carmine Pawnshop, which resulted in a neverending rivalry between the two, and they were at a stalemate. At the very least, it was until a key figure appeared¡­ ¡°Mr. Hunt, someone is requesting an audience of you.¡± The secretary knocked on the door, speaking in a respectful and careful tone. ¡°It¡¯s probably those annoying reporters again, isn¡¯t it? Tell them I¡¯m not seeing anyone!¡± Stefan was annoyed. He simply never expected any of this information to have been leaked, let alone in such a touching article. With that, he really didn¡¯t have a clue as to how to deal with this for now. ¡°Mr. Hunt, are you sure you don¡¯t want to see anyone?¡± The secretary asked carefully again. ¡°Cant you understand me? I won¡¯t be seeing anyone.¡± ¡°But¡­ the person requesting an audience is¡­ the ex-Mrs. Hunt.¡± Stefan¡¯s expression softened, and quickly spoke without hesitation. ¡°Let her in.¡± ¡°Alright, Mr. Hunt.¡± The secretary nodded and sighed to themselves, i ¡®Mr. Hunt sure has a double standard! How adorable!¡¯ Chapter 1183 Chapter 1183 Renee walked into Stefan¡¯s office, led by a secretary. It had been so long since shest came here, but everything was still the same¡­ except the man opposite her. Renee stared at him, and sadness filled her. He was standing in front of therge French windows like he used to, his back as straight as an arrow. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Stefan turned around and shot Renee a cold re, looking hostile and unweing. The secretary nced at Renee, and suggested hesitantly, ¡°Mr. Hunt, I can show Miss Everheart around if you¡¯re too busy. We cane back after you¡¯re done with your work.¡± Inwardly, the secretary was grumbling, ¡®Why is Mr. Hunt behaving like this? They¡¯ve been married for a long time, but he doesn¡¯t show his true feelings for her. He deserves it if Mrs. Hunt runs away!¡¯ Stefan¡¯s face turned livid as he turned to the secretary and growled, ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°I apologise for intruding,¡± Renee said and bowed her head slightly, about to turn around and leave. Stefan¡¯s eyes turned steely, and he said through gritted teeth, ¡°I asked her to leave. You stay.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t disturb you and Miss Everheart.¡¯ The secretary held back herughter as she walked out of the president¡¯s office and gently closed the door behind her. A group of nosy staff had been eagerly waiting for her in the corridor. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Are they going to get back together?¡± ¡°Although it¡¯s been ages, the former Mrs. Hunt is obviously still the most suitable for our president. Miss Seraphina isn¡¯tpatible with him at all¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. The president is so unpopr right now, especially since all the bad things he did in the past havee to light. The former Mrs. Hunt might be better off away from him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She can lead an independent life happily without him!¡± The onlookers in the corridor behaved like they used to, and argued endlessly about whether Stefan and Renee would get back together. Though so much time had passed, it was as if nothing had changed. Meanwhile, a deep silence had enveloped Stefan¡¯s office. The man in question was now seated at his desk with one leg crossed over the other as he twirled an expensive pen between his fingers nonchntly. He sized Renee up and asked arrogantly, ¡°Are you here today to make peace¡­ or to dere war?¡¯ Renee raised her brows, and scoffed, ¡°Since you¡¯re so clever, Mr. Hunt, why don¡¯t you guess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the thoughts of irrelevant people. However, since you¡¯re bold enough toe here alone, I¡¯m guessing that hostility isn¡¯t on the cards today.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re wrong,¡¯ Renee sneered and showed him her wrists. ¡°You know, I really want to beat you up right now, but my conscience is telling me not to act rashly.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Stefan smirked. ¡°You and your brother ruined my reputation overnight and I didn¡¯t say anything about it, but now, you¡¯re trying to shift the me to me?¡¯ ¡°The truth will always prevail.¡± Renee¡¯s gaze turned cold with hatred. ¡°You did something terrible to my brother, so you shouldn¡¯t be surprised if people find out about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not honourable.¡¯ Stefan kept twirling the pen as he smiled lightly. ¡°Have you ever wondered if what you heard is really the truth?¡± Renee narrowed her eyes at the man. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me if it is then?¡± Chapter 1184 Chapter 1184 Infuriated by his carefree attitude, Renee stormed over to him and grabbed his tie, jerking ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. his head down as she snarled, ¡°Can you swear that you didn¡¯t sh and ruin my brother¡¯s face? Can you honestly tell me that you didn¡¯t defeat my brother because of Joanne¡¯s betrayal?¡± ¡°Joanne just did what she felt was right. I don¡¯t think it was a betrayal.¡± Stefan looked up and met Renee¡¯s gaze intently. They were so close that they could feel each other¡¯s breath on their skin, and suddenly, the air became thick with tension. Renee swallowed briefly and put some distance between them. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°As a man, you should at least have the integrity to admit to what you did. You tricked Joanna and ruined my brother¡­ Don¡¯t you feel even the least bit guilty?¡± ¡°As opponents in a battle, it¡¯s only natural that there¡¯s a winner and a loser. If I didn¡¯t do what I did, it might have been my face ruined or my corpse in the sea.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Renee couldn¡¯t argue. ¡°Do you believe that Night Demon would have been as generous if he had the chance?¡± Stefan demanded as he stood up and approached Renee. ¡°I remember vividly how torturous it was in the water dungeon, and how helpless it felt to be blind. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s cruel too?¡± ¡°That¡­ was an ident¡­¡± Renee mumbled, reluctant to admit that Stefan had a point. Quinton¡¯s actions had been more ruthless than Stefan¡¯s, so Stefan wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°ident?¡± A mocking smile crept up on Stefan¡¯s face. ¡°Well, can I say that it was an ident that I ruined his face back then? If Joanna didn¡¯t stab him and drive him mad to the point that he started attacking everyone, I wouldn¡¯t have had to use such a method to calm him down.¡± Stefan frowned slightly, not wanting to recall those unpleasant memories.¡± After that, he grabbed Joanne and jumped into the sea, and after that, both of them went missing. I helped him manage Carmine Pawnshop for free for so many years to keep it from going out of business. It had been nearing ruin, but I made it sessful again. Haven¡¯t I done enough? In fact, I think I deserve a reward.¡± Renee¡¯s jaw dropped, and she gaped at Stefan like a goldfish. ¡°Unfortunately, that person is still as bullheaded as before. If he insists on provoking me, then don¡¯t me me if I fight back.¡± Stefan¡¯s gaze slowly turned fierce. It seemed like he wanted to make a counterattack because of the news, and that was exactly what Renee did not want. ¡°Both of you are blinded by your hatred, and it gets worse every time the both of you fight. In the end, both of you might get seriously hurt¡­¡± Renee tried to exin, but Stefan just shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no point in you telling me this, you¡¯d have better luck trying to persuade your stubborn brother. I¡¯m just a businessman, and I don¡¯t hold grudges. The only thing I want is profit.¡± ¡°Yes, I came to meet you today because I know that. I hope you can give me a bit of time to help you and Quinton resolve this,¡¯ Renee said earnestly. ¡°You?¡± Stefan scoffed, raising a brow doubtfully. ¡°Of course, I cant do that. But Joanne can.¡± Renee¡¯s gaze was determined as she spoke. Stefan went silent, his gaze turning icy. Although he was always aloof and distant, he did feel sorry for Joanne. ¡°Promise me not to take revenge on my brother during this period, and I guarantee that you both will cooperate well after this issue is resolved.¡± Renee was afraid that they might fight while she was gone, so she could only ask Stefan to stop for the time being. However, she didn¡¯t know if he would agree or not. After all, he had forgotten about her, which just made her his opponent¡¯s younger sister. He felt nothing for her. ¡°Can¡­ Can you do that?¡± Renee asked softly, hoping he would ept the olive branch. He stared at her coldly for a long time before he said, ¡°Ten days. That¡¯s all I can promise.¡± Chapter 1185 Chapter 1185 Renee felt relieved after getting Stefan¡¯s answer. Some part of her knew that the man wasn¡¯t as aloof and cruel as he made himself out to be. Although she did not have much time to carry out that difficult mission, at least Stefan would not do anything to Quinton during that period. She could leave Beach City with peace of mind. After she walked out of the president¡¯s office, she saw a lot of employees in the corridor. She only knew some of them, but all of them looked at her with sparkling eyes. ¡°Hi, Mrs. Hunt!¡± When some of the senior employees saw her, they waved at her frantically as if they were fans who were meeting their idol. ¡°Umm¡­ hi.¡± Renee nodded politely before she corrected them, ¡°Please don¡¯t address me as Mrs. Hunt anymore. I¡¯ve divorced your president.¡± She felt annoyed everytime she thought about it. She had divorced the same man twice, and the second time had been thanks to Quinton. It was just like when Stefan pretended to be Mr. Q and married her. She was dumbfounded throughout the process even though she was the one marrying him. At that time, Quinton had made Stefan sign a document since thetter was blind and held hostage in Carmine Pawnshop-that document had been a divorce agreement. After that, she divorced Stefan for the second time. It was quite a bit of a hassle. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯ll always be Mrs. Hunt to us. Pleasee and see us more often, think of us as family.¡± The senior employees¡¯ eyes turned watery as they said to Renee. Back then, they had witnessed Mr. and Mrs. Hunt¡¯s love story when they were in a love-hate rtionship. It had been so tumultuous that the senior employees felt like they were watching a drama. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re your family. Pleasee and see us more often¡­¡± The other senior employees echoed enthusiastically. The sound of heels cking on the ground filled the air, and instantly, the employees fell silent. They lowered their heads quickly, full of trepidation. ¡°Well, with all this fuss happening, I thought a VIP was visiting H Group. I didn¡¯t expect that it was you¡­ Miss Everheart,¡¯ Seraphina sneered as she came over, swinging an exclusive branded bag. The look she gave Renee was full of envy and hatred. ¡°Hi, Miss Murphy.¡± The employees greeted Seraphina softly. Seraphina smiled gracefully and waved at them. ¡°I bought coffee and snacks for all of you. Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Thank you, Miss Murphy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, it¡¯s what I should do. And you don¡¯t have to call me Miss Murphy either, it¡¯s too formal. Just call me Mrs. Hunt¡­¡± Seraphina said with a triumphant smirk. The employees either rolled their eyes or twitched their lips before they returned to their working spaces. ¡°Okay, Miss Murphy. We¡¯ll get back to work.¡± To them, Renee was the only one who deserved the title of Mrs. Hunt¡ªthe others were just wannabes. Seraphina clenched her fists furiously, but could not do anything to them because she had to maintain her image as an honourable youngdy. ¡°Miss Everheart, didn¡¯t we have a deal? You disappear from Stefan¡¯s world, and I¡¯ll be responsible for him for the rest of his life¡­ But here you are,ing all the way to his ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Renee shrugged, feeling helpless. ¡°Azure Group¡¯s business oveps with H Group¡¯s, so it¡¯s inevitable that I¡¯ll bump into him. Don¡¯t worry though, I¡¯m just a stranger to him. I won¡¯t affect your love affair.¡± ¡°Hmph! You won¡¯t affect my love affair?¡± Chapter 1186 Chapter 1186 Seraphina gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what the employees call you? If this goes on, Stefan will remember everything sooner orter, and it¡¯ll be bad for his brain if that happens. We both know what he experienced a year ago and how painful it was for him. He¡¯s better now, but seeing you will probably affect him. Don¡¯t you feel bad harming him again and again like this?¡± ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Renee lowered her head in shame after hearing that. Stefan nearly died by her hand a year ago, so she swore to God that she would never get back with him in exchange for his safety and happiness. However, even if she didn¡¯t do anything, sometimes things developed beyond her expectations. The grudge between Quinton and Stefan was the perfect example-she was caught in the middle of it, so she couldn¡¯t just stand aside and do nothing about it¡­ Seraphina sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°Miss Everheart, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not trying to insult you, but my rtionship with Stefan hasn¡¯t been easy. Our rtionship has just be a little stable, but now you¡¯ve appeared in his life again. You know how much I love Stefan, so I can¡¯t just pretend that I don¡¯t care.¡± Seraphina sounded very pitiful as she spoke, and finally bowed to Renee apologetically. ¡°I know it¡¯s because of your generosity that I can be with Stefan, so I do what you ask me to and be nice to him¡­ but when you appear, he bes uncontroble, and I can¡¯t get through to him at all. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Stefan, who had just opened the door and walked out, happened to witness that scene. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Immediately, he walked over and stood in front of Seraphina protectively as he red at Renee. ¡°What are you doing? Our negotiation is over, so why haven¡¯t you left? Are you trying to bully my fiancee again?¡± Renee¡¯s heart ached when she saw how concerned he was about Seraphina. Mr. Hunt, you worry too much. This is your territory, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯de here to bully your fiancee. Unfortunately, she doesn¡¯t feel secure in the rtionship, and thinks that I¡¯m trying to seduce you, so in short¡­ You¡¯re not treating her well enough, and are failing to show her how much you love her.¡± She reached out and patted his shoulder like an elder as she advised sincerely, ¡°Be more lovey-dovey with Sera, she loves you very much. Don¡¯t fancy wild thoughts and hurt her.¡± Renee¡¯s generosity made Seraphina feel inferior, so thetter kept her head bowed. However, Stefan¡¯s face turned very gloomy. He hated it when she appeared so openminded and unaffected. His lip curled, and he stated coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t need an outsider like you toment on my rtionship with my fiancee.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll leave you be. Goodbye.¡± Smiling, Renee waved at the two of them and left H Group. Seraphina held Stefan¡¯s arm and asked cautiously, ¡°Stefan, are you mad at me?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Stefan replied absent-mindedly, feeling frustrated. ¡°Many reporters are waiting outside, making a scene and asking for your exnation. The giving an answer, my family can help you resolve this,¡± Seraphina said earnestly, eager to please Stefan. ¡°Just leave it for now.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look good for you. Everyone can tell that it¡¯s because of the Night Demon. He¡¯s Renee¡¯s brother, so it might have been Renee who added fuel to the fire¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± At the moment, he did not n to make any counterattack since he had made a deal with Renee to not take action for ten days. Seraphina¡¯s insecurities immediately worsened. She could tell that he did not want to make a counterattack because of Renee, and thus, some wicked ideas started to form in her mind¡­ Chapter 1187 Chapter 1187 Renee returned to Carmine Pawnshop from H Group. Quinton had a great time chatting with Liam, so he invited both Liam and Leia to stay for dinner. Meanwhile, Renee booked a flight ticket to Goldshire, the capital of Cyndiago, at ten o¡¯clock that night. A sumptuous dinner was served. Everyone chatted and ate happily, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. ¡°Come, let¡¯s toast! I hope we can all gather here for a good meal and fine wine every year from now on.¡± Quinton raised his wine ss and proposed heartily. ¡°Cheers!¡± Everyone stood up and toasted. Even Adie and Abby raised their cups, not wanting to be left out. Since Quinton was in a good mood, Renee leaned over to him and said softly, ¡°Quinton, can you promise me something?¡± Quinton smiled warmly at her. ¡°Of course! You¡¯re my sister, you can have whatever you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to set off again¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Quinton¡¯s face immediately twisted with displeasure. ¡°You just came back, so why the hell do you want to leave again? Is this about a guy? ¡ö Both Adie and Abby became sad when they heard that too. They held Renee¡¯s hands and looked up at her pleadingly. Abby whimpered, ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t go. Adie and Abby can¡¯t bear to part with you.¡± Adie said, ¡°Mommy, where are you going? I want to go too¡­¡± Renee touched their heads and exined gently, ¡°Adie, Abby, be good. It¡¯s just a short business trip. At most, I¡¯ll only be gone a week. If I make it quick, I cane back in three to five days. You have to be good.¡± ¡°Okay, Mommy. Well be good and wait for you to hurry home.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Only then did they sit down obediently to eat. Renee was not worried about her children misbehaving, she was worried about her brother misbehaving. Quinton was reckless, irritable, stubborn, and extreme, and he always did what he wanted to. ¡°Quinton, I want you to promise me not to provoke Stefan again when I¡¯m gone. He also promised me that he won¡¯t take revenge on you for ten days. I hope the both of you can spend this time in peace.¡± Quinton¡¯s expression turned colder. He put down his fork and asked, ¡°Did you meet him?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Renee did not want to keep it a secret, so she nodded firmly. She hoped that he could understand her kind intentions. ¡°How naive!¡± Quinton smacked the table and sneered, ¡°Do you know how hypocritical and horrible people can be? Do you actually think he¡¯ll keep his word? A hypocrite like Stefan has no feelings; he can just fool young, naive women like you.¡± ¡°I believe that he wont lie to me,¡± Renee insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s long forgotten about you. To him, you¡¯re just hispetitor¡¯s sister, so why would he listen to you?¡± Quinton scoffed. ¡°We ruined his reputation, and the shares of H Group have dropped drastically. Of course, a revengeful person like him will make a counterattack. If I just sit by and do nothing, I¡¯ll be doomed!¡± ¡°No, he won¡¯t!¡± Renee held Quinton¡¯s hand and looked at him with a sincere and determined gaze. ¡°Quinton, trust me this time. Let me do what I need to. If he breaks his promise, I¡¯ll bear the consequences, and I¡¯ll take revenge on him for you!¡± Renee¡¯s eyes became watery, and Quinton found it hard to refuse her. Hence, he waved his hand dismissively and grumbled, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯m tired anyway, so at least I can get some rest during this time.¡± Chapter 1188 Chapter 1188 ¡°Great! Quinton, you¡¯re the best.¡± Renee heaved a sigh of relief and gave Quinton a bear hug. Leia chimed in curiously, ¡°Ren, where are you going with Liam? It sounds so mysterious. I want to go too!¡± Liam stuffed a drumstick into Leia¡¯s mouth and said irritatedly, ¡°You¡¯re just a kid. Stop meddling in the adults¡¯ business. Eat more and grow up.¡± Leia¡¯s eyes bulged in anger, and she removed the drumstick from her mouth angrily. She red at Liam and snapped, ¡°Liam, I¡¯m only a few minutes younger than you. Stop acting like a kid!¡± Liam could not helpughing and said cheekily, ¡°The only child I see here is you!¡± The others burst intoughter as Leia hurled the chicken drumstick at Liam, missing him Owned by N?velDrama.Org. entirely. Leia became angrier. ¡°Help me settle this, since we¡¯re three pairs of twins with mixed genders. Why are Ren and Abby¡¯s elder brothers so warm but my brother so mean? He always bullies me!¡± Liam exined, ¡°That just means you should reflect on yourself.¡± The othersughed again, and Leia narrowed her eyes at her smug brother. ¡°Oh, I got it!¡± Leia¡¯s eyes widened as something dawned on her, and she turned to Liam suspiciously. ¡°Did you get back together with Ren? Are you guys secretly going on a honeymoon?¡± Liam became a little awkward. ¡°Umm, this¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going on a honeymoon. Give us your blessing,¡± Renee said jokingly. ¡°Great! You have my full approval.¡± Quinton pped and gave them his full support. After the lively dinner, both Renee and Liam went to the airport in casual clothes. The destination was a rather strange ce, so there were not many people headed there. When they boarded the ne, they were the only ones in business ss. Renee felt rather rxed, and either read a magazine or drank coffee during the flight. However, Liam was behaving oddly. He was usually quite talkative, but after boarding the ne, he was strangely quiet. ¡°Liam, are you alright? I feel like something¡¯s weighing on your mind.¡± Renee waved her hand in front of him and asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I¡¯m making the right decision. By agreeing to do this, I might be harming you instead of helping you¡­¡± Liam admitted with a sigh. ¡°What are you talking about? Aren¡¯t you exaggerating?¡± Renee said amusedly. ¡°Boss, you don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve experienced, so you don¡¯t know what¡¯s toe.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that scary. Take it easy.¡± Renee patted his shoulders and raised her brows slightly, saying, ¡°You know where I came from. We¡¯ve seen a lot of the world, and I¡¯m sure I can handle it.¡± ¡°But you told me that you promised the old man never to be a part of this circle. If you get in touch with these people again, your identity may be exposed. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll bring a lot of trouble¡­¡± Liam said remorsefully. ¡®Finally, her life is peaceful. She¡¯d long left this chaotic circle, but somehow, she¡¯s back in this mess again.¡¯ Renee smiled helplessly. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s meant to be. I have to do this, for Quinton¡¯s sake. Chapter 1189 Chapter 1189 The ne touched down at Goldshire the next morning. A long row of cars waited at the exit ostentatiously, as if they were weing a diplomat. ¡°Liam!¡± A man in sunsses and a floral shirt waved at Liam from afar. He even held a toothpick between his teeth, which was visible with his wide grin. His skin was tanned, and he was thin and tall. There were two dragons tattooed on his arms, and it was clear that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. ¡°Matt!¡± Liam waved back heartily, and whispered to Renee, ¡°That¡¯s Mateo Harrison, the subordinate my master values the most. He¡¯s cruel and fierce, so everyone in this city is afraid of him. If you want to win my master¡¯s trust, you have to win Matt over first.¡± While he was talking, Mateo walked over to Liam. Mateo hugged Liam enthusiastically, smacking thetter¡¯s back yfully. ¡®Kiddo, you¡¯re back! Looks like you still have a heart, Owned by N?velDrama.Org. eh? Master always talks about you, so he¡¯s going to be so happy you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Of course! Master is like a father to me, after all, so I have toe back and see him.¡± Liam said to Mateo with a smile. ¡°Pfft!¡± Renee stifled herughter as she recalled how anxious Liam had been ten minutes earlier. Now, he looked like he was returning to a beloved hometown-he really was skilled at acting! Renee¡¯sughter caught Mateo¡¯s attention, and he frowned in displeasure. He red at her fiercely, sizing her up as if he wanted to teach her a lesson. ¡°Who is this woman? Was she ¡°This is the woman I always talked about. She¡¯s Renee Everheart, my beloved goddess. She¡¯s now my girlfriend. I brought her here for you, Master, and Joanne to see¡­¡± Liam said and held Renee¡¯s shoulders affectionately. ¡®Sheughed because she was happy, not because she wasughing at you.¡± Mateo was still unconvinced, and narrowed his eyes at Renee suspiciously. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ Yes.¡± Renee did not want to create trouble, so she just nodded. ¡°You know that Master doesn¡¯t like to meet irrelevant people. It¡¯s fine if she¡¯s your girlfriend, but if she¡¯s here with ulterior motives, there¡¯s gonna be trouble for her¡­ and for you,¡± Mateo warned menacingly. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. Master¡¯s ordered a huge feast to be served. He¡¯s eager to meet his disciple!¡± Both Renee and Liam arrived at a fort belonging to Benjamin Jenkins, Liam¡¯s master, under Mateo¡¯s lead. The fort was far from the city center, and was protected by armed guards and strict security procedures. Hence, a lot of people addressed Benjamin as Draco, symbolising that he was the king there that nobody dared to offend. The car stopped before the fort, and the armed guards frisked Renee and Liam before allowing them to enter the fort. A butterfly knife that Renee had brought with her had been confiscated. It meant that she would have no chance to fight back if she had a conflict with them. She was at their mercy. As they walked into the rainforest-like fort, the vigers there eyed them coldly. It made Renee feel like they had entered a cannibal vige. Renee anxiously swallowed. She finally understood why Liam had been so worried. Liam could sense her anxiety, and reassuringly nudged her shoulders.¡± Boss, there¡¯s no need to be so nervous. You have me!¡± Chapter 1190 Chapter 1190 ¡°I¡¯m not nervous. It¡¯s just that¡­ I think things are getting interesting now.¡± Renee had left that circle for many years, so she rarely experienced risky situations like this. She suddenly felt like she had entered an adventure game, and adrenaline was pumping in her veins. Benjamin lived in the center of the fort. Although therge reception hall was not as luxurious as a five-star hotel, it was still magnificent, with plenty of armed guards around. Benjamin sat at the main seat in the reception hall, looking like an amiable old man in a casual floral shirt. He even had a white beard. When he saw Liam, he smiled happily. There were five men of different ages sitting beside him, and all of them looked intimidating and dangerous. They were Benjamin¡¯s foster children, just like Mateo. There was only one woman in the hall, and she was wearing a white traditional suit, looking charming and delicate. Renee felt curious just looking at her, and tugged on Liam¡¯s sleeve as she asked, ¡°Liam, is that Joanne?¡± Although she did not look like the girl in the photograph, she was the only woman who seemed to have a considerably high status in the fort. ¡°No, that¡¯s not Joanne, but my master¡¯s only child, Amber Jenkins. He loves her very much, so don¡¯t offend her.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ No wonder she sits beside your master,¡± Renee murmured as she stared at her. Suddenly, Benjamin stood up andughed heartily as he stroked his beard.¡± Hah, you really are my good disciple! Gem was right-she told me that you¡¯lle back, and you did. Come and sit over here.¡± ¡°Master, it¡¯s been a while. Are you well?¡± Liam respectfully asked Benjamin. ¡°I wasn¡¯t at first because I was worried about Gem¡¯s marriage, but I don¡¯t have to be, now that you¡¯re back¡­¡± Benjamin said meaningfully. ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t say things like that. If not, you¡¯ll scare Liam away again.¡± Amber pulled on Benjamin¡¯s sleeve and lowered her head in embarrassment. It was obvious that she admired Liam. After all, she had managed to escape from that red-light district because of him. Mateo had liked Amber for many years, so when he saw Amber looking flustered, he became jealous and hurriedly said, ¡°Master, there¡¯s one thing you didn¡¯t know. Liam came back this time with his girlfriend, he said he wants you to meet her.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Benjamin¡¯s features immediately turned cold. ¡°You were in a hurry to leave the other day¡­ Was it because of your girlfriend too?¡± Previously, he did not n to let Liam go. But after his daughter pleaded with him, he reluctantly agreed to it. It had only been a short while, but Liam hade back with a girlfriend¡ªof course Benjamin and Amber would feel humiliated. ¡°That¡¯s right. Master, I told you before that I¡¯ve had a crush on her for many years. Now, at ¡± Liam grabbed the chance and held Renee as he spoke to Benjamin earnestly. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re indeed capable.¡± Benjamin sized Renee up. Although he was smiling, he could not hide the fierceness in his eyes. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Jenkins.¡¯ Renee nodded at Benjamin politely. Her intuition told her that things would not be that easy this time around Chapter 1191 Chapter 1191 Benjamin ignored Renee¡¯s greeting, a prime example of male chauvinism. Renee was told to sit at a neighboring table with a group of strangers. She did not even get to speak to Benjamin. On the other hand, Liam was treated very well, and was asked to sit at Benjamin¡¯s left. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. While eating, Benjamin and Liam had a very happy chat. It was clear that he liked Liam very much, and wished he had a son like him. Liam behaved obediently the whole time, making Benjamin very happy. When it was almost time for the feast to end, he nced at Renee, and pretended to ask Benjamin casually, ¡°By the way, Master, where is Joanne? Why didn¡¯t I see her?¡± Both Joanne and Liam escaped from the red-light district together. They had be Benjamin¡¯s disciples at the same time, but Joanne chose to stay while Liam wanted to leave. Back then, Benjamin valued Joanne just as much as he valued Liam. She should have been promoted to a very high position, but Liam hadn¡¯t seen her around, which was strange. To Liam¡¯s surprise, Benjamin smacked his fork down onto the table and went silent. Benjamin¡¯s eldest foster son, Danny Evans, immediately smiled and said reassuringly, ¡°Liam, let¡¯s not bring up unpleasant things at a time like this. Why did you ask about that jinx?¡± ¡°Danny, what do you mean? Joanne is our junior. What did she do to anger all of you like this?¡± Noah Gomez, Benjamin¡¯s third foster son, snorted and stated disdainfully,¡± She was the lead role in the red-light district previously, so of course, she isn¡¯t a nice woman. I knew that she had some ulterior motives as soon as I met her. As expected, she was soon exposed, and actually dared to betray Master. As a result, the police confiscated a batch of Master¡¯s goods, and we suffered a terrible loss. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a jinx?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Liam knitted his brows slightly. Suddenly, he did not know how to handle the situation. If Joanne betrayed the fort, she might be long dead by now given Benjamin¡¯s cruelty and ruthlessness. Renee was sitting far from the main table, so she could vaguely hear them mention Joanne¡¯s name. However, she could not hear the details, so she became quite anxious. After a brief pause, she poured a ss of wine for herself and walked to Benjamin¡¯s table. ¡°Mr. Jenkins, I¡¯m new here, but I didn¡¯t bring you any gift. Let me offer you a toast as an apology.¡± After that, she leaned her head backward and gulped down the wine in her ss. However, Benjamin did not even look at Renee as he said aloofly to the others at his table, ¡°You know that none of the women in this world are nice except my dear Gem. They don¡¯t even have the right to eat at the same table as me, let alone toast me. She thinks too highly of herself.¡± Renee was speechless. She was so angry that she had to stop herself from breaking the ss in her hand. Although she met patronising men before, this was the first time she had met a man like Benjamin who believed that men dominated everything. Hence, she could not hold herself back. ¡°Mr. Jenkins, I disagree. If all women are bad, then I must tell you that no men are nice either. The global crime rate proves this¡ªmen make up ny percent of it while women make up merely ten percent of it. What¡¯s more, the womenmitted those crimes to protect themselves. Your opinion is too biased.¡± As soon as she made that statement, the silent hall became quieter, and the atmosphere became tense. ¡°How dare you doubt me!¡± Benjamin¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief and rage. It was the first time Benjamin had met a person as reckless as Renee. The fact that she was a woman made him even more determined to teach her a lesson. ¡°Mateo, tell her the consequences of those who doubted me in this fort!¡± ¡°Okay, Master.¡± Chapter 1192 Chapter 1192 Benjamin ignored Renee¡¯s greeting, a prime example of male chauvinism. Renee was told to sit at a neighboring table with a group of strangers. She did not even get to speak to Benjamin. On the other hand, Liam was treated very well, and was asked to sit at Benjamin¡¯s left. While eating, Benjamin and Liam had a very happy chat. It was clear that he liked Liam very much, and wished he had a son like him. Liam behaved obediently the whole time, making Benjamin very happy. When it was almost time for the feast to end, he nced at Renee, and pretended to ask Benjamin casually, ¡°By the way, Master, where is Joanne? Why didn¡¯t I see her?¡± Both Joanne and Liam escaped from the red-light district together. They had be Benjamin¡¯s disciples at the same time, but Joanne chose to stay while Liam wanted to leave. Back then, Benjamin valued Joanne just as much as he valued Liam. She should have been promoted to a very high position, but Liam hadn¡¯t seen her around, which was strange. To Liam¡¯s surprise, Benjamin smacked his fork down onto the table and went silent. Benjamin¡¯s eldest foster son, Danny Evans, immediately smiled and said reassuringly, ¡°Liam, let¡¯s not bring up unpleasant things at a time like this. Why did you ask about that jinx?¡± ¡°Danny, what do you mean? Joanne is our junior. What did she do to anger all of you like this?¡± Noah Gomez, Benjamin¡¯s third foster son, snorted and stated disdainfully,¡± She was the lead role in the red-light district previously, so of course, she isn¡¯t a nice woman. I knew that she had some ulterior motives as soon as I met her. As expected, she was soon exposed, and actually dared to betray Master. As a result, the police confiscated a batch of Master¡¯s goods, and we suffered a terrible loss. Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a jinx?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Liam knitted his brows slightly. Suddenly, he did not know how to handle the situation. If Joanne betrayed the fort, she might be long dead by now given Benjamin¡¯s cruelty and ruthlessness. Renee was sitting far from the main table, so she could vaguely hear them mention Joanne¡¯s name. However, she could not hear the details, so she became quite anxious. After a brief pause, she poured a ss of wine for herself and walked to Benjamin¡¯s table. ¡°Mr. Jenkins, I¡¯m new here, but I didn¡¯t bring you any gift. Let me offer you a toast as an apology.¡± After that, she leaned her head backward and gulped down the wine in her ss. However, Benjamin did not even look at Renee as he said aloofly to the others at his table, ¡°You know that none of the women in this world are nice except my dear Gem. They don¡¯t even have the right to eat at the same table as me, let alone toast me. She thinks too highly of herself.¡± Renee was speechless. She was so angry that she had to stop herself from breaking the ss in her hand. Although she met patronising men before, this was the first time she had met a man like Benjamin who believed that men dominated everything. Hence, she could not hold herself back. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Mr. Jenkins, I disagree. If all women are bad, then I must tell you that no men are nice either. The global crime rate proves this¡ªmen make up ny percent of it while women make up merely ten percent of it. What¡¯s more, the womenmitted those crimes to protect themselves. Your opinion is too biased.¡± As soon as she made that statement, the silent hall became quieter, and the atmosphere became tense. ¡°How dare you doubt me!¡± Benjamin¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief and rage. It was the first time Benjamin had met a person as reckless as Renee. The fact that she was a woman made him even more determined to teach her a lesson. ¡°Mateo, tell her the consequences of those who doubted me in this fort!¡± ¡°Okay, Master.¡±Mateo nodded and nced at Renee before he exined, ¡°The people who dare to doubt Master will have their tongues cut off and lips sewn shut. After that, they will be locked up in dungeons until they die.¡¯ Renee unconsciously swallowed, in disbelief at how cruel this old man was. Such a ruthless punishment was almost as bad as the punishments Quinton used. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry up and execute her!¡± Benjamin barked, unable to stand the sight of Renee. ¡°Wait!¡± Liam immediately stood up and begged for mercy for Renee.¡± Master, it¡¯s my girlfriend¡¯s first time being here, so she doesn¡¯t know the rules. Please let her off the hook this time, I promise that she won¡¯t do it again. I spent quite a long time trying to win her heart. Besides, I respect you very much, so I brought her to you. Please do me the favour, okay?¡± ¡°Fine, just this once.¡± Benjamin sneered before he ordered, ¡°Lock her up in the dungeon first. I¡¯ll release her after negotiating with Liam.¡± Although Liam could not bear to see Renee suffer, he did not dare to disobey Benjamin under such a circumstance. There was no way they could go against so many armed opponents after all. ¡°Okay, Master, I¡¯ll listen to you. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll talk this out.¡¯ He decided to pacify Benjamin temporarily before he tried to get Renee out. Inwardly, he was regretting bringing Renee here. If he knew this would happen, he would have been firmer and refused to bring Renee here no matter what. However, he heard some good news during the meal. Joanne, who betrayed Benjamin, was still alive, and just happened to be locked up in the same dungeon as Renee. At the end of the meal, Benjamin¡¯s mood became much better. He held Amber¡¯s hand and put it on Liam¡¯s, then smiled happily and said, ¡°My little gem, Liam¡¯s name is always on your lips. He¡¯s back now, so why are you so shy? I¡¯m worried about you, you know? Why don¡¯t you show Liam around and deepen your rtionship with him?¡± ¡°Dad, don¡¯t do this. Liam has a girlfriend now, so stop trying to set me up with him,¡± Amber protested, and gently pulled her hand away. After a brief pause, Liam said casually, ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s my girlfriend, not my wife, and I¡¯m not that conservative either. It¡¯s been a long time since Ist met you, Gem. Let¡¯s take a walk.¡± ¡°Silly girl, he¡¯s already invited you! Why are you still shy?¡¯ ¡°Well, okay then.¡± Amber stood up but kept her head low in embarrassment. She then said to Liam, ¡°Liam, I¡­ I bought a few pets which are very adorable¡­ Umm, you can go and see them with me.¡± ¡°Sure, I like small animals a lot.¡± Liam agreed to it bluntly. Benjamin roared withughter. ¡°There¡¯s a good kid!¡± Mateo watched them leave enviously. He gritted his teeth and said,¡± Master, can¡¯t you tell? Liam¡¯s just trying to stall for time. All he cares about is his girlfriend. He¡¯s insincere toward Miss Jenkins!¡± ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s sincere or not, as long as he can pretend like this his whole life and make my dear daughter happy,¡± Benjamin sneered deviously. Chapter 1193 Chapter 1193 Renee was held by armed guards and pushed into a remote ce in the fort that was surrounded by a lot of guards. ¡°How dare you offend Mr. Jenkins¡¯ If not for Mr. Osborne, your tongue would have been cut off by now! Stay in there and reflect on yourself.¡± The guard fiercely pushed her into a small, dark room, which was the so-called dungeon. The door was closed again, and Renee felt her throat tighten in the tiny room, like she was being strangled. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± There was movement in the furthest corner, and Renee immediately realised there was someone else in the dungeon with her. ¡°You¡¯re new here?¡± The person leaned back against the wall and stared at Renee. Renee couldn¡¯t make her features out in the dark, but her voice was eerily toneless. Renee frowned and asked tentatively, ¡°Could you be¡­ Joanne?¡± She vaguely heard that Joanne was locked up in the dungeon too. Besides, there were practically no women around, so it was very likely that this person was Joanne. ¡°You¡¯re new here, but you know me. You don¡¯t seem like the average person.¡± There was a hint of teasing in Joanne¡¯s t voice. She figured Renee had to be special for her to be locked up in here too. ¡°You¡¯re Joanne?¡± Renee rushed to the woman and said happily, ¡°That¡¯s great! I didn¡¯t expect to see you so soon!¡± ¡°Hey, back off! I don¡¯t know you, so stop acting so pally,¡± Joanne snapped, immediately on guard. She had been hurt so many times before that she never let down her guard in front of anyone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know me. You should¡­ You should know the boss of Carmine Pawnshop, right? Quinton, who¡¯s called Night Demon?¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡± Joanne¡¯s aloof voice softened slightly, and she sounded like a lost little girl. ¡°Yes, he was once the brother you loved the most, but you betrayed him. I¡¯m d you still know who he is!¡± Renee clenched her fists to calm herself, and refrained from cursing this woman who repaid Quinton¡¯s kindness with betrayal. ¡°Brother¡­ I did do him wrong, but what would you know about that?¡± Joanne gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I would do it again if I had the chance! In fact, I would have killed him!¡¯ ¡°W-What did you say?¡± Renee was shocked, not expecting such a reaction from Joanne. She thought that Joanne must have been in a situation where she was forced to stab Quinton, but unexpectedly¡­ ¡°Can you tell me what Night Demon did to make you hate him so much? You guys were on good terms in the past, and you were always the angel who protected him and kept him Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.