"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, I laid 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 mutilated, 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 fami
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 beca
"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 flavour. Even though he was an extremely picky person, this cup of coffee was indeed impeccable. It was so perfect that he was sure he had become 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 flashed 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 thin layer of sweat had appeared on hi
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—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 enemy comes after me now, I'll be doomed.' Renee tried to calm
Before anyone could say anything, the trouble Margaret mentioned burst onto the scene.It was none other than Jovan. "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 accident, 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 glared 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
Jovan held his hands out, looking remorseful. "Well, you know the rules of Hunt Enterprise..."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 Hunt Enterprise stating that whoever takes over the company 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 replace him as the legal heir of Hunt Enterprise?" Renee sneered."No need to paint me as a villain, Renee. I'm just worried about my dear cousin's health. As for whether I have to replace him as the head of Hunt Enterprise, 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
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 glanced 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 flashed her a sinister smile. "You claim 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 st
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 carry out the evaluation. "Mr. Hunt, we will begin now. We'll 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 Hunt Enterprise did have such a rule, Jovan would succeed 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
Then, Stefan calmly placed the crab leg on the plate in front of Leia. Leia was flabbergasted. She did not dare to move. She wondered what he was doing, and if he wanted to sacrifice her."Why aren't you eating it?" Stefan looked at Leia, sounding composed. Yet, he was full of the dominance that could burn anyone.Leia swallowed and gnashed her teeth, asking Stefan, "How could you peel the crab for me? Isn't it inappropriate?" She was the most cowardly person. Usually, she looked fierce and indignant as if she wanted to punish Stefan severely. But when he came to her and looked at her, she would be very frightened. She would not dare to do anything."Why not? Someone said women shouldn't peel the prawns or crabs themselves. I'm just being a gentleman. It's nothing serious. It's just peeling the crab!" Stefan said. It was rare to see him speak so much. It was incompatible with his contradictory identity. However, it was clear that he was mocking Justin and saying how ridiculo
Both Stefan and Justin mocked each other, which made the atmosphere more awkward. Although Liam and Leia were simply watching the fun, they felt awkward, too. It made them restless.Renee was having a hard time, too. She smacked the table and said to Stefan and Justin, "You'd better stop eating. Go out and fight. The food got cold because of your endless fight."When she spoke, she sounded like a class teacher with absolute authority. Although both Stefan and Justin were dissatisfied, they fell silent and did not dare to say more. Everyone started enjoying the great food, but said nothing. It seemed a little gloomy.Renee was about to get a prawn, but Justin had already peeled it nicely for her. He dipped it in some sauce and put it in Renee's bowl. "I know you love prawns the best. I've peeled it for you. Of course, women can't peel the prawns themselves.""Oh, Mr. Baldwin. You're considerate. You're a role model among the men. Anyone who marries you will be very happy!" Le
Justin smiled and described the children's experiences, acting like a stepfather. When he talked about the children, he made it sound like they were his biological children. Stefan didn't look so good. He felt that the glass of wine was getting bitter."Well, I'm sure kids will find everything new and exciting when they go to a new place. But they'll get bored with it when time passes. They'll love their real home better." Stefan had wanted to act relaxed and casual, but he could not stop himself from refuting when he heard Justin's provocative words. "Mm?" Leia sat beside Liam and leaned against his arm, and whispered, "What are they doing? This is weird. Are they going to fight?""It's just a competition between men. They won't get into a fight." Liam kept eating and watching the fun. He merely found it amusing. As expected, Renee was greatly admired. Although she remained silent, she would always be in the limelight. Liam was amused to see people like Stefan or Justin
"How dare you!"Stefan's words instantly made Leia speechless. She had wanted to rebuke him, but he snatched the chance from her and struck her dumb.In short, he was an utter scumbag.After a moment, Leia finally managed to comment, "How shameless!" Justin had kept silent all the while. He looked at Stefan with a scrutinizing and mocking gaze. "Mr. Hunt, I admire your honesty and self-awareness. If that's the case, let's stop being reserved and have fun together!""Yes, let's have fun together. I'm shameless, too!" Liam joined in the effort to mock Stefan. He swayed his glass of wine and faked a smile. "I've known her a long time, so of course I know what shameless things Mr. Hunt has done. I think I'd better grab this chance to tell you all of them since everyone is here today."Standing at the door, Renee was worried that Liam might say more indecent things. She hurriedly stopped him. "Pipe down, Liam!" "Got it." Liam shrugged helplessly but obeyed her.Although he yea
"Do you want to leave?" Stefan saw Renee. He was calm, indifferent, and distant. His behavior stung Renee. Renee could easily recall their lovey-dovey memories. They had both risked their lives for each other and vowed to be together forever. They had two children, too. Yet, they ended up as strangers.Although Renee was heartbroken, she became competitive. She smoothed her hair and said in a similarly cold manner, "I'm going to the washroom." "Okay." Stefan did not have anything to say. He nodded and walked past Renee before heading to the dining table. "Hmph! I didn't expect you to come so boldly," Quinton sneered.At the sight of Stefan, Quinton subconsciously clenched his fists, acting like he was about to fight Stefan. On the surface, he wouldn't act aggressively because he knew Renee would stop him. "It's not easy for the few great families to get together. It's good and meaningful for us. If I refused to come, it would make me seem heartless."Stefan kept his co
Having said that, Renee lowered her head, about to leave. She didn't even have the time to bother about Adie and Abby, and told Quinton to take them home later. Her strange behavior filled Quinton with displeasure. He blocked Renee and said solemnly, "Are you afraid? Do you want to run away? People might think that you're guilty and have cheated on your husband!""No, I'm not!" Renee refuted him loudly, then explained seriously, "I'm busy. I need to handle something right away. Plus, I'm not guilty. I did nothing wrong. There's no reason for me to feel guilty." Quinton went straight to the point. "What are you afraid of since you know you're not guilty? Why do you want to run away? He should be afraid instead!""I told you. I'm not afraid of him. I'm just…" "What?" Quinton crossed his arms and looked at Renee coldly. He wanted to get to the bottom of it.Renee came up with a ridiculous yet normal excuse. "I… I recalled that the dessert shop that I want to head to is about to
Jovan called Stefan to sound the latter out. Anyway, it would be convenient for Stefan to rush over since they were both at the same spot. "I'll be right there," Stefan said. Then, he hung up.For a moment, silence washed over everyone, as if something terrible was about to happen.After taking in the new information, Leia said indignantly, "What's going on? Why does he want to come? Isn't he too shameless? How dare he come?" Although everything wasn't discussed openly, everyone knew why Stefan and Renee broke up all of a sudden, despite how lovey-dovey they were. The reason was that Stefan had cheated on Renee.Even if the adultery was faked, it was still the cause of their breakup. If Stefan were shameful or guilty, he wouldn't have agreed to come. He was going to face Renee there with their friends and family around. Certainly, it was embarrassing. "Hmph! Why not? He impersonated me, seized my business, and snatched away my woman. Plus, he led a steady life, got married
Jovan's words made the atmosphere quiet and bizarre. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? It's already very annoying to have someone like you here. Do you have to get another annoying guy?" Leia frowned, crossing her arms. She kept scolding him.Initially, the atmosphere was considered harmonious. It was still considered fine even if there was an annoying person like Jovan. Unexpectedly, he wanted to call another, more terrible person to come here. Things would certainly go wrong. "Ms. Osborne, you're famous for talking harshly, too. You're just like me. I love it." However, Jovan was not mad at all. He grinned while waiting for Stefan to answer the call. Generally, Stefan would not answer Jovan's call. Surprisingly, he picked it up that time."What's the matter?" Jovan purposely put it on speaker mode. Stefan sounded aloof and emotionless.Jovan sounded wicked as he calmly asked Stefan, "Do you want to join a gathering, Stefan?""I'm going to hang up if you don't say anythi
In the past, Jovan had always regarded Stefan as a coward. Stefan couldn't forget about Renee, but he kept pushing Renee to another man. It seemed like Justin was more responsible, considerate, and gentle. Of course, Renee would lead a very happy, steady, and comfortable life with such a man. At the very least, Jovan felt that he could not be that meticulous and considerate. He would only drive Renee mad just to get her attention. "Hmph! Are you trying to humiliate me or yourself?" Justin didn't find that a compliment. Instead, it sounded like smockery. Jovan made it sound like Justin was a nice guy, but would not be picked by Renee. Usually, people like that had to suffer and would not end up well."I'm praising you." Jovan was helpless because of his reputation as the villain. Although he had said a lot of annoying things, he did want to compliment Justin. His love was probably as deep as Justin's, but his and Stefan's ways of loving Renee were much inferior to Justin's.