"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 notice
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.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 spe
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…"Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, falling into deep thought. "Are you Cecilia? Or Charlotte? Or are you Shirley…""Oh, I know. You must be Layla, 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 Briar and Seraphina?''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 whe
The woman in his arms shifted around uncomfortably, carefully speaking up. "M… Mr. Hunt, you've misunderstood. I'm not Ms. Everheart."Stefan froze. His expression darkened. "Who are you?""I… I'm your personal caretaker, Layla Bridges. The madam sent me." Layla 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." Layla hid the fact that Renee had come 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 quiet company. So I didn't talk the entire time and just listened to you. I didn't think you would mistake me for Ms. Everheart. I'm really sorry.""I don't blame you
Layla showed humility in order to comfort the angry man, but he didn't want to listen. He even went as far as to push her to the ground."Ah!" Layla yelped in pain as her head collided with one of the rock pillars, 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 become 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 even complain if I end up dying in your hands!" Layla 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, Layla. I knew I was right to have chosen you. You're the best candidate t
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 Layla, 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'v
"Adie… Abby…" Stefan mumbled his precious children's names, the sadness in his eyes compounded. "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 the company. 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 beingHowever, 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, on
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 melancholy, 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 unrelated 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