"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 mind completely drawing blanks 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 see
"This…" 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."Ms. 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."Ms. Ren, you're putting me in
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."Ms. 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 Ms. Everheart loved Stefan to death.After some time, Renee laid her head on the edge of the bed and fell asleep.Later, Stefan came around. He wiggled his fingers, only to find that the
Renee felt like she understood Jovan even more now."Ms. 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 ou
"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 playfully as usual.Even though his wrist had been slit open earlier, he was genuinely happy.'My muse has finally started showing me concern and compassion. 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 explained 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 wa
"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."Son, you must have suffered so much lately! 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 glance, not certain if they should reveal the truth.Seraphina held his hand and kissed him gently. "Oh silly, Uncle Alexander, Aunt Francine, and
Half a year later, 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 the large 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 blanket."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.
"You’re like a child." Renee couldn’t help but make fun of him.The cousins had very different tastes. Stefan loved pure bitter lattes, and yet Jovan loved caramel macchiatos 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 nonchalant tone, "I heard that he’s coming 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
The Lotso bear was a villain in the movie, but it was a pitiful villain because it was abandoned by its owner. It used various means and encountered a lot of hardships to return to Daisy, its owner. In the end, it found that its owner had long gained new toys.After getting hurt, it no longer wanted to be kind. It was used to act cunningly as a form of disguise. But honestly, it was a dear baby who needed love. Of course, it was not a villain at all. Renee liked it because she saw herself as well as others in it. Everyone was gloomy in some way. People got hurt and slowly became gloomy. Instead of criticizing such a thing, Renee felt more compassion and sorry for such a situation. "But you still don't want it and want to throw it away." Stefan was gripped with complicated feelings after listening to Renee's explanation. He sounded sad."Yes, I like it. But I still want to throw it away. It's better to stop in time." Renee laughed and stopped shaking her legs. She was her usual
A week later, Renee recovered because she listened to the doctor and underwent treatment. She could be discharged from the hospital.In the meantime, Stefan stayed outside the ward and did not enter the ward.On the contrary, Jovan kept entering the ward from time to time. Renee would either scold or drive him away. Stefan entered the ward on the day Renee was leaving the hospital. He quietly helped Renee pack up her things. Generally, a caretaker could do that. However, Stefan acted like he wanted to repent and felt better when he took it upon himself. "Do you still need this?" Stefan pointed at a Lotso bear toy at the head of the bed and asked Renee calmly.During the one-week hospitalization, Renee got bored. Stefan would give her some blind boxes as entertainment. Renee found Rubik's cubes, stickers, and keychains when she opened the boxes. She would always throw them away because she was not interested in them. When she unpacked a rather large Lotso bear toy, she became
Jovan had kidnapped Renee, but he risked his life for her though he appeared like a cunning and selfish man. Renee felt that she did not deserve his love. She had wronged both Jovan and Justin, but she could not love them back. On the other hand, the one she wanted to love kept pushing her away cruelly…She slapped herself fiercely. Her action frightened the nurse. "Ms. Everheart, we can talk things out! Why did you hurt yourself? You can't…" "Don't worry. I'll get better and won't harm myself again." Renee was teary and laughed at herself. "I slapped myself because I recalled the things I'd done. I was very stupid, and I wanted to knock some sense into myself." "Okay, I'm glad to hear that." The nurse heaved a sigh of relief, but she was afraid to see Renee keep acting crazily. After she was done bandaging Renee's wound, she left hurriedly.When Stefan saw the nurse exit the ward, he walked in nervously and inquired about Renee. "How she's doing?" "She's already feeling be
Having said that, Justin turned to leave. He knew that if he stayed, he would only look more of a fool. "Tsk! What a pity!" Jovan watched him leave, shrugging and sighing. "He's sincere and loyal. Too bad he pales in comparison to the scumbag!""Get out!" Renee was overcome with sadness and pushed Jovan away fiercely. "Get out! I don't want to see anyone!" Knowing that she had harmed Justin again, she was filled with guilt. She just wanted to be left alone."Rest well. I'll be with you until you're recovered and discharged from the hospital," Stefan said calmly before exiting the ward.In a while, a nurse came to tend to the bandages that Renee had removed. She advised Renee, "Ms. Everheart, you have to be careful. You're weak now. You can't get angry, or it might be life-threatening.""I don't care. My life is so messy, I'd rather die."Thinking of the recent events and the men around her, a severe headache hit her. She wanted to keep being unconscious."Please don't say tha
"Do you still want to marry me?" Justin asked Renee."I…" Renee could talk nonsense with Jovan, but she couldn't joke with Justin. She had harmed him many times and couldn't keep hurting him. Honestly, she didn't want to marry him or anyone else. She did not want to rely on anyone. She knew she could rely on a man and lead a steady life if there was love. But without love, it would be very hard to rely on a man.However, she knew that Justin liked her and wanted to marry her. If she promised to marry him, the impulsive Jovan would get the staff of the City Hall here. If she turned Justin down at that time, she would harm him again."Fine. You don't have to feel stressed. I know the answer." Justin was no fool. Renee's hesitation told him what she wanted. "When I begged you to marry me, you forced yourself to say yes. You just wanted to repay me for saving your life.""No, you're wrong!" Seeing Justin hurt pained her more than when she was hurt. She hurriedly explained, "I reall
"What is it?" Renee looked at Justin curiously.Renee, Stefan, and Jovan were curious about what was on Justin's mind."If my family starts fighting the Hunt family, which side will you take?" Justin went straight to the point. He had been curious about that as he made wild guesses about Renee's mind. Since Renee was right before him, he wanted to get the answer from her before he could give up."Hmph! I thought it was something serious. Why did you make it sound that serious…" Jovan burst into laughter, finding Justin a loyal man. "Isn't that obvious? If she wants to take your side, you guys would be married by now. There wouldn't be so many shitty things either!""Shut up, Jovan!" Renee glared at Jovan. If she was stronger, she would beat him up. She said coldly, "Did you forget how you took me away?""Yes, I used some cunning means to take you away, but let's be frank. If I didn't come that day, would you marry him?"Jovan had long gotten used to Renee's fierceness. On the c
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