When Stefan and Renee 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.Timothy’s old eyes were filled with complicated 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.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 relationship 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 wrap
“Hint?” Renee listened in confusion. She gave Timothy the black pearl in the hopes that it might bring him health and peace. What did she hint at him? How could she not know?“As soon as I saw the pearl, I thought of how it symbolized fertility and childbirth…”Timothy’s face turned grim. He sternly questioned Stefan, who was kneeling on the ground. “You bastard. 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 Hunts. It needs a legitimate identity and a competent father.”“You!” Timothy held his chest and almost skipped a breath. Then, he slammed his cane on Stefan’s back with no mercy. “You fool!“That child needs a legitimate status and respect. What about Ren
The chaos in the room instantly came to a halt. Everyone was staring straight at the little red book.“Shit!”Renee quickly crouched down and tried to hide the book. However, it was too late. The divorce certificate was clearly printed on the cover.The message was blaring loudly despite the silence in the room. Stefan and Renee were divorced!“You… You two…” Timothy held his chest, looking in pain.“Grandpa!”Stefan and Renee both ran to help Timothy at the same time.Timothy, however, shook Stefan’s hand away and chided coldly, “Don’t call me that. I can’t accept 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…” Timothy 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!”Afte
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!” Timothy told Lurch sternly.Lurch was worried about Stefan’s bloody back. “Master Timothy, he is seriously injured from the whipping,” he boldly pleaded. “He won’t get through three days kneeling without food and water!”Timothy was relentless in his pursuit. “He agreed that he should receive punishment for this mistake,” he ruthlessly spat without looking at Stefan.“B-but 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!” Timothy’s stony demeanor remained, th
“How can I help?”Renee looked helpless. She 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.”Renee 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 glad to see Renee softening up and hurriedly said, “You don’t have to ask Master Timothy for mercy. You just have to help Master Stefan cheat.”“Cheat?”“Simply put, you just have to secretly take care of Master Stefan. Only you can help with this. Master Timothy 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 placed the medicine and dinner in a box and handed it to Renee.“Mrs. Hunt. Whether Master Stefan can get through this will depends on y
“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 Renee coming out of the memorial chamber, he hurriedly greeted her. “Ms. Everheart? Why did you exit the place so quickly?”Trying to keep on her good side for helping him out, Lurch made sure to address her differently.“That ungrateful man is accusing and upsetting me. Why should I stay?”“How is that possible?”Lurch continued begging shamelessly, “You know Master Stefan’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 deat
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 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 their company’s equity as compensation, in accordance with the contract.The terms quickly drew Liam’s ire.“Jerome is one cunning fox. After all that help from him, I thought he would have shown a modicum of sincerity for the sake of his late daughter. Instead, this contract is full of traps. I can see what he’s up to!”Liam looked at Renee in confusion. If he could, he wanted to tear this contract to pieces. “Boss, this is s
“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 explained. “She was obedient at home and had always upheld a good public image. She’s a great example of a good wife and lady. 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 playboy like Liam? She wouldn’t have established Azure Group with him to fight Hunt Enterprise…“I’ve always known about Mrs. Hunt’s extraordinary strength. After all, she’s a top student who skipped grade
Jovan slowly got up from the ground, looking incredibly weak. He whispered, "She lost too much blood. The doctor claimed she's out of danger, but…she hasn't woken up.""What did you say?" Stefan and Justin were bewildered. They couldn't process his words."So, she was the female college student who tried to kill herself?" Stefan said. He staggered after linking the information he had heard from a nurse with the things that Jovan had said."Stop acting dumb! You're so smart, how could you have missed that?" Jovan glared coldly stared at Stefan, scrutinizing him in disdain. "You were just too scared to face the truth and your woman! You're such a coward! You're an embarrassment to your family!""Agreed!" Justin added; he suddenly found Jovan useful, especially when the latter started insulting Stefan. It felt just right."Although I'm a fallback guy, I'm braver than you. I accept that she doesn't love me, and I'm willing to give it a try with her. And although this guy's a vill
Stefan frowned, doubtful. He looked vigilantly at Jovan, who had collapsed on the ground. "What do you mean by this?"Jovan kept coughing and said nothing. His lips grew pale as he sneered.Justin's eyes were cold, and he held back his urge to beat up Jovan. "Hmph! Obviously, this is a scam!"He demanded condescendingly, "How dare you barge into my territory and take away my woman! Don't you fear my family and me at all?"Jovan, filled with disdain, looked at Justin as if he was a fool. "Stop talking. You don't even have the right to join this battle."To Jovan, only Stefan was qualified and powerful enough to be his enemy."How dare you say that!" Justin was infuriated. He got down on one knee and grabbed Jovan. "Your family always says nasty things! You two are the same. If we start fighting, I'll make sure to cut your tongue first!""Did I say something wrong?" Jovan sized Justin up, ridiculing Justin with mock compassion. "Don't you have any self-awareness? You're just a fal
Stefan frowned and asked solemnly, "Aren't you a top hacker? Hack into this hospital's inpatient system. Then, we'll know where she is.""Yes, you're right." Still, Justin wanted to challenge Stefan. He said indifferently, "But you're Jovan's cousin. It's more convenient for you to make a call instead of me hacking into their system."Yes, Justin could hack into their system, but calling Jovan would be quicker. And what they needed the most was time."He and I…" Stefan sneered, flexing his fingers. "The fact we didn't kill each other is considered peaceful. He's not as obedient as you think.""You'll know by calling him."Justin had heard about the complicated internal fights of the Hunt family, but he felt that Stefan was exaggerating."Jovan is a Hunt no matter what. Plus, he's still working at Hunt Enterprise. Just call him," Justin said. "Fine." Stefan found Justin logical. His private grudges with Jovan were not important because finding Renee immediately was the most impo
Both Stefan and Justin arrived at Grace Hospital quickly. However, Stefan suddenly stopped before he entered the hospital. He looked at Justin curiously."Let's go! It's urgent. Stop standing here!"Justin hurriedly ran. When he turned around, he found that Stefan had not caught up with him. Confused, he asked Stefan, "Something is puzzling me. Don't you want me to stop seeing her? Why did you let me come with you?" Stefan narrowed his eyes and interrogated Justin suspiciously, "Did you lie to me? Or are you plotting something?" "That's nonsense! Don't take me as you. I'm not full of schemes like you!" Justin sounded disdainful. In comparison to Stefan, Justin was not full of schemes. He also looked down upon Stefan since the latter was always vigilant.Justin answered honestly, "Yeah, I don't want you to meet her ever, but I'm sure she wants to see you if she's in danger. Yes, I hate you—but I want her to be happy." He guessed that Renee must be in a serious state since Jov
"Uh…" After some contemplation, Elijah nodded. "I know what to do, Mr. Hunt. It looks like you can see far beyond the current situation. Just leave this to me.""Of course, the most important thing is to have fun."Stefan remained calm; he didn't feel like he had stepped over the line. He merely wanted Justin to learn about the cruelty of the world since Justin was always being protected so well. Whenever he did something wrong, he had to pay a price for it.Besides, Stefan merely did it for his aunt, who had taken the gunshot for nothing. When they reached a consensus, Justin came to meet Stefan. "Hey…" After a pause, he said with dissatisfaction and helplessness, "Would you like to go with me?"Stefan raised his brows in confusion."I mean, do you want to visit Phoenix with me?" Justin sighed. He looked naive, like a college student, as he confessed, "I found Jovan. I don't know why he's so good at countersurveillance. After exiting the emergency room, he transferred her to
"So, what do you want to do?" Stefan asked emotionlessly. He kept watching Nora, who was lying unconscious in the ward."At the very least, we have to teach the Baldwin family a lesson and make the public aware of your family's power as the head of The Great Eight of Beach City. It's not just about venting anger, but more about which side the various great families will take. It concerns the future of your family, too. We can't take it lightly!"Elijah could not hide his indignation. As Stefan's assistant, he was no longer merely an ordinary employee. He was loyal to Stefan and the Hunt family. He couldn't bear to see Stefan suffer any injustice or watch the Hunt family get humiliated. If Stefan hadn't stopped him, he would have gathered all the manpower to fight the Baldwins. Although he had fought Cadmus and Tiger, he had yet to defeat them. He tried to figure out a way to make a counterattack, his face shadowed in gloom.Stefan turned and calmly looked at Elijah. "How shoul
When Justin was willing to send them on an errand again, Cadmus was eager to express his loyalty."No, you don't have to risk your lives for me. That's bloody and horrible. All you need to do is find someone for me." After a pause, Justin added, "Jovan Hunt, Stefan's younger cousin." Cadmus clenched his fists and said fiercely, "It's another Hunt! Old Master Baldwin is right. The Hunt family is full of bad people. If we knew, we shouldn't have dismantled the bombs in Hunt Enterprise. The Hunt family has strengthened their security system now. It's hard to set up bombs there if we want to." Justin felt a headache when he heard Cadmus babbling. He rubbed his temples, and said tiredly, "Stop. We don't have to blow up Hunt Enterprise. I just want to find him. Do you get me? Find him. That's enough!"He stressed his intention of locating Jovan as if he were giving a simple and clear order to robots. Most of the time, Cadmus and Tiger were like AI. Real robots were probably more obedie
"Uh…" The nurse felt like she was put in a difficult position. She hesitated and could not speak for a long time.Justin found something wrong and demanded coldly, "Is it that hard to answer this question?""It's related to the patient's privacy. I can't tell you about it casually."Helpless, the nurse tried to excuse herself by using the same excuse she had used on Stefan a while back."Privacy?" Justin sneered. "I even barged into the surgery room. Stop using that excuse on me. If I can't get the answer I want, I'll make this hospital the headlights of the news soon.""I don't know. Please stop forcing me." The nurse found her work too difficult. She always ran into tycoons whom she couldn't afford to offend. She had no way to do things right."It looks like there's something wrong here."Justin began to feel that the nurse must have been warned by someone to remain secretive. His eyes flashed fiercely, and he glanced at Cadmus and Tiger.They walked over just as fiercely, an
People stayed away from Justin. The door of the emergency room was still closed, and it was unknown if there was anyone in it. Someone secretly informed the front desk, no longer able to take such a scene. Shortly after, an attending doctor rushed there."What are you doing, sir? We can talk things out. Stop affecting other patients here!"The nurse on duty was frightened by Justin, but she had to brace herself to stop him."What am I doing?" Justin cracked a crazy and twisted smile. He looked at the attending nurse coldly. "Of course, I'm going to knock this door down!""No, you can't do that!" the nurse said nervously. "The doctor is still trying to save the patient in there. You'll disturb them!" "The lamp is turned off. I'm sure the rescue is over. Stop lying to me!" Justin was fine with being shameless. He urged again, "If you don't open the door for me, I'll use a rougher way to do it! We'll see about that."He had yet to say what he would do before Cadmus and Tiger st