“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
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 Renee enter. Some were charismatic or pure, while some looked melancholic and domineering.“What the… What’s going on?”Renee gulped nervously. It felt like she had entered right into a trap.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 Galaxy 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.
Similarly, Renee used an iron wire to cut her wrist just to meet Stefan."Am I right? You did so many things just to see him. Now you finally met him. Are you happy and satisfied now? But you look worse than before." Jovan teased Renee. He found her pitiful, but at the same time, he felt that it served her right. It seemed everybody was a joke in their romance with others. Only those who never loved could be at the top of the food chain. They would laugh at those who gave up their hearts to others and could not understand those people's bizarre actions."Stop gloating. It's none of your business! Let go of me, or I'll make you feel sorry for yourself."Renee had just escaped death and was weak. Had it not been for that, Jovan wouldn't be able to stop her or watch her make a fool of herself. Still, she would be fine with losing blood again just to torment him if he kept on talking nonsense. Then, he would watch his tongue."Tell me, Phoenix. Is he telling the truth?" Justin
The loud noises in the ward naturally alerted Justin and Jovan."What's going on?" Justin became very nervous and kicked the door of the ward open. He saw that Renee had woken up and was crazily tearing at the bandages."Uh…" Justin was struck dumb. He had thought of the possibility of Stefan waking Renee up, but he did not expect it to be that effective. Renee ended up becoming a maniac who had lost control of herself. "You're awake?" Jovan was stunned too. He instantly understood the whole incident and gave Renee a thumbs-up. "You're great!"Renee looked coldly at them and ordered them, "Get out, you two! I haven't settled things with him!" Although she was fine with the way they regarded her, she did not want them to see her as a maniac. Besides, their presence would affect her and stop her from being crazy."I won't get out."Jovan turned Renee down. He rushed over and hugged her, stopping her from hurting herself."What are you doing? Let go of me!"Renee was still ha
After a long pause, Stefan finally admitted honestly, "That wasn't a lie." He turned to look at Renee. He knew what he had to do, and heaved a long sigh."But life isn't just about love.""Why not?" Renee became teary as she stared at him like a child who failed to get what she wanted. "To me, that's already enough. As long as we love each other, we can conquer everything. Without love, it'll be hopeless.""If loving each other is already enough, there wouldn't be the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Didn't they love each other deeply? They loved each other a lot, but they ended up dead!" Stefan shot back.He could not stop himself from getting impulsive. Heartbroken, he turned around to look into Renee's eyes. "Compared to love, I'd rather you lead a steady and happy life. But I'm not the one who can give you that. I'll only bring you pain and death!""Romeo and Juliet?" Renee found that preposterous and bizarre. "What a lousy excuse! Did I kill your parents, or did you kill my p
"How could you…" Stefan looked at Renee in disbelief. For a moment, he was struck dumb. Renee quietly removed the oxygen mask and the needle. She calmly sat up in bed. "I thought you'd never be honest with me.""When did you wake up?" Stefan finally regained his wits. Because of his guilt, he was too scared to look into Renee's eyes. "I had long woken up." Renee was very calm. She looked weak because she had lost too much blood, but at the same time, she still looked firm like a rose blooming in winter. "So, you purposely lured me here, didn't you?"When Stefan learned that she had long woken up, he realized with shock that he might have stepped into the trap she and Jovan set up.Naturally, he was uneasy, given the proud man he was. He could plot against others but could not tolerate others doing the same to him, let alone the fact that it was his beloved woman."Hmph! Did I lure you here?" Renee laughed sarcastically and disappointedly. She looked at Stefan as he tried
"Can I wake her up?" Stefan seemed to be asking them and himself. He shook his head in self-hatred. "I'm afraid I'm the reason why she wants to escape this world. She must hate me to the core and refuse to see me. She might know that I'm here, so she's avoiding me and refuses to wake up."He recalled how much he had harmed her. He was not confident to wake her up, let alone face her."Yes, you're sinful, ut you must be held accountable for it!" Justin could not bother to waste his time talking to Stefan. He pushed Stefan into the ward instead. "You made her so angry, she's in a coma now. So, you have to wake her up. If she doesn't, you can't leave the ward!""Agreed!"Jovan was standing on the other side. He and Justin seemed to have formed a barrier and refused to let Stefan back down.After some contemplation, Stefan decided to face the music. He closed the ward door and quietly went to Renee's bed. It was the first time he was alone with her after a long time."You're tr
Unsurprisingly, Renee remained irresponsive. Justin gradually grew depressed. Before, he was confident. Seeing that he was getting no response from her, his confidence waned. Undeniably, he was probably not that important to her. If not, she wouldn't remain indifferent. She would have sensed that he was around. "I got it. You don't need me." Justin smiled helplessly. He felt pathetic too. He took a deep breath and finally stood up to exit the ward."How's it going?" Stefan asked.He kept waiting outside the ward, paying close attention to it in hopes that Renee could wake up. He also felt that Justin could bring Renee wonderful things and hope. She would wake up when she sensed that Justin was calling for her. "Hmph! Isn't it obvious? Of course, he couldn't wake her up!" Jovan casually leaned against the bench in the corridor, not even looking up. He sounded vicious. "He's just a backup guy. Of course she doesn't care about him! She's not in love with him." Justin glared at J
Stefan remained quiet as he calmly watched Renee. He extended his hand to touch her face but retrieved it before he could.She used to be the woman he was familiar with and the one he had hugged and kissed countless times, but now, he didn't even dare to touch her. "I think she doesn't even want you here. She must hate you so much and is disappointed in you. She'll be even more pressured if you stay here, and it'll push her further from this world. So please, get the hell out of here if you want the best for her!"Justin could not hold himself back from scolding Stefan. If Jovan was telling the truth, Stefan must be aware of the fact that Jovan was holding Renee hostage. Yet, he remained indifferent and feigned ignorance. He didn't even care if Renee was fine. What a cruel bastard! Justin was disappointed in Stefan. He wanted nothing more than to see what was really on Stefan's mind."Take good care of her." Stefan did not want to defend himself. He glanced at Renee, relucta
"What did you do to her?!" Stefan interrogated Jovan coldly, his eyes teary. "She isn't the kind to kill herself! What the hell did you do to her?" "Try to wake her up if you want to know." Jovan was pale. His previous sickness, coupled with his recent blood donation to Renee, made him very weak. Despite that, he refused to stop infuriating others. "Do you think I can't do anything to you? Do you really think that?" Stefan could no longer hold himself back and strangled Jovan. "I'm going to kill you! Repent for the terrible things you've done!"He couldn't imagine the kind of thing that could force the strong and stubborn Renee to resist by using such a desperate means. "You obviously won't go easy on me! I'm sure of that!" Jovan sneered. His pale face turned flushed as he suffocated from Stefan's powerful grip. "But you'd better kill yourself first if you want to avenge her! She ended up like this because of you." "What?" Stefan's face was frosty. He strengthened his grip a
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