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 market was quite small, spanning only a few hundred meters. A variety of products were on display, ranging from fresh produce to clothing and handmade accessories.Renee approached a pottery stall that featured mugs and plates in all shapes and sizes. The earthenware seemed to be made of ceramic, and on each were detailed and beautiful vintage patterns. She instantly had eyes on a white mug. There wasn't any complicated design on it, save for a faint black ombre design that covered the bottom half. When looked at on the whole, the mug looked like the Yin and Yang symbol."Mister, this mug looks interesting!" Renee pointed towards it and exclaimed."You have great taste, young lady!" Although the vendor was a foreign man, he was a heritage enthusiast. Seeing how Renee had a good eye on his products, he started explaining away."This cup's design is actually quite intricate. There's this thing called Taichi in the great Aeos far, far away from us… a rather mystical concept. It
Stefan pondered deeply as he watched the slender woman run off. 'Why does this stranger… feel so familiar to me?'"Do you know each other?" The vendor wrapped the mug up nicely and handed it to Stefan, seemingly curious. "No." Stefan shook his head with absolute certainty."Why do I feel like you two have known each other for quite a long time? It's like you've had an interesting past with each other." The vendor smiled mysteriously."Why do you say this? Do you know her?" Stefan turned around and stared at the vendor curiously."Everyone in this town knows Joan. She's a very strong woman…" The vendor looked heartbroken as he was reminded of the first time he met Renee.That day, Banrea was struck by a heavy downpour. On the bumpy roads of the town, she was pushing a man in a wheelchair, desperately asking for help as she was drenched in the rain. It seemed that their car had broken down, and she desperately needed someone to give them a ride.It was simply unforgettable to see
"You're trying to take revenge on Stefan, aren't you? What did he do? Why do you hate him so much?" Renee demanded.She was particularly clueless.At the very least, she felt that Stefan and Jovan didn't have a grudge even if they couldn't get along. Besides—back then, Stefan survived because of Jovan's blood.In a sense, they should be close to each other. Stefan was able to live on because of Jovan.Yet now, Jovan wanted to ruin the one he had once risked his life to rescue."No, I don't hate him," Jovan answered honestly. "I even admire him, and I'm jealous of him. He's my role model, the pride of my family.""Then, you're envious of him!" Renee went straight to the point. "You can't defeat him, so you tried to make him disappear. When that happens, you'll feel better. No one will block you, and you'll get a chance to shine."Jovan, speechless, slowly stopped smiling. Renee had accurately guessed his innermost thoughts. Since he couldn't defeat Stefan, he would let Stefan b
The thing Renee feared the most was that Jovan's action would infuriate the Baldwins.Quinton, Adie, Abby, and Margaret were still there. If the Baldwin family wanted to do something bad, Renee's family would be in danger. Her happiness was secondary. She just wanted to ensure that her family was safe and sound.It seemed Austin was full of schemes. Though he seemed to have brought her family to live with her, he in truth just wanted hostages to control her…Unfortunately, she couldn't go back in time even though she had seen through his tricks."What's the rush?" Jovan watched Renee with a meaningful smile. "Someone will handle it even if it's a big mess. Your family will be fine. My foolish cousin won't let them be in danger. At most, the two families will fight fiercely."Renee was shocked. She glared at him, and suddenly understood something. "So you did it on purpose! You wanted to watch them fight and get something from it.""That's not my concern. Once, I was more powerf
After all, Jovan was a human being. Such direct physical pain made him shake and groan. Normally, he should get angry and try all means to make her stop biting him.However, he was not an ordinary man. Although he trembled in pain, he maintained his posture and let her bite him as if he wanted to see who would give up first.Renee kept biting him fiercely, as if her teeth would gnaw through his palm. Blood oozed out of the wound. She was full of hatred, wishing to vent her anger. "Just bite me hard as long as you're happy. I'm enjoying myself too!"Jovan looked at her, whose head was lowered as she kept biting his palm fiercely. It was a bloody scene, but his words made everything sound ambiguous. Renee noticed his underlying meaning and was disgusted. She immediately let go of his palm. "Bah! Disgusting! You're sick!"Her lips were still stained with blood. From afar, it looked like a blooming rose from afar. It looked attractive on her. Aroused, Jovan held the back of her
The bed was around seventy inches large. Renee's eyes were closed as she moved anxiously.She thought she was still sleeping in the West Chamber, but the mattress didn't feel the same. Then, she abruptly opened her eyes. She saw a luxurious bedroom in the Paris La Nuit Club style. Above her hung a brilliant chandelier akin to the ones in medieval castles. A fragrant scent permeated the air. "You're finally awake…" A man's bewitching voice came from an inconspicuous corner. "Renee."Jovan was sitting in a luxurious chair, his legs crossed, swaying a glass of red wine. He appeared like a stereotypical vampire as he stared wickedly at Renee. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? What did you do to me?" Renee yelled.Recalling what had happened, she abruptly sat up. Once she realized her situation, she started snarling at him. "Do you or your family hold a grudge against me? Why did you kidnap me from my engagement party?! Have you thought about the consequences? I'm sure you know h
"I… I don't know! I really don't know!" The makeup artist's face was flushed, her eyes rolling back. She felt like she was about to faint again."Are you still trying to hide the truth?" Justin continued flexing his fingers. He was certain that the makeup artist who suddenly wanted to modify the size of the gown must be aware of the truth.With her eyes rolled back, the makeup artist begged him, "I'll tell you…! Please let me go! I'll tell you everything!" Hearing that, Justin slowly released his grasp.The makeup artist finally got a chance to breathe. She kept taking deep breaths and almost cried because of her terror. "What should I tell you?" She truly knew nothing."What?" Justin's gaze grew fierce."Oh, I remember it now…" She drew in a cold breath and hurriedly said, "A handsome guy came not long after you were gone. I think he's Mr. Hunt. When Ms. Everheart saw him, she was very…"She paused, trying to find her words. "She was very…?" Justin urged her. This was the
Meanwhile, Liam and Leia became vigilant when they saw that scene."What are they doing?" Liam walked past the guests enjoying the fun and stood between Alexander and the two guards. He faked a smile and said, "We're the guests you invited sincerely. Is this how the Baldwin family treats their guests?""Guests?" Austin got off the stage and strode toward them. Although he was smiling, coldness gleamed in his eyes. "Have you ever seen any guest steal the hostess?""You can't say that, Sir Baldwin..." Liam smiled and added, "How could you be sure that it must be the Hunt family?""Who else could it be?" "This is just your guess. They've always been here. Even if they wanted to do that, they couldn't. So… You should act fair and square, given your noble identity. Shouldn't you find fault with the culprit instead? Isn't that more reasonable?" Liam looked at Austin. Although he was younger and came from a family weaker than the Baldwin family, he was still domineering.Besides, his
Alexander took a deep breath and analyzed logically, "This wasn't Stef's style. If he wanted to snatch her away, he would have done it openly in front of everyone. But this trick was cunning and dishonest!""Yes, you're right, but this is a special case. If he didn't use a trick, his woman would marry someone else. It's normal for him to be restless." Although Francine agreed with Alexander's analysis, she felt that Stefan could do anything if it concerned Renee. Naturally, he would stoop this far. "Regardless, we have to leave," Alexander whispered to Francine, sensing danger. "Austin has always been decisive and cruel. Since Stef humiliated him, I'm sure he wouldn't let Stef off easily. We're in danger too.""Is it that serious?" Francine looked at Austin, who was standing on the stage. He coldly ordered his assistant about something. It seemed like he wasn't that crazy. "I don't care what he'll do. We have to get out of North City right away because this city is controlled b
"What?! She's gone?" Justin's face fell immediately. He grabbed the collar of the person who came to inform them and demanded coldly, "What do you mean?! Why is she gone for no reason?""We… We don't know!" That person looked at Justin while trembling and reported everything. "When we got there, we found no one else in the makeup room except the makeup artist lying on the ground. We didn't see Ms. Everheart, either. We don't know what happened!""Something must have gone wrong with her!" Justin pushed that person away without hesitation and rushed toward the makeup room."Hey, Justin! What are you doing?" Sophia watched Justin disappear in front of everyone. She wanted to pursue him but failed.Everyone below the stage fell into an uproar and discussed among themselves endlessly. "The bride went missing all of a sudden! Did her ex-husband come for her?""It's possible. They were once madly in love with each other. Plus, the Hunt and Baldwin families were in conflict for many yea
On the surface, everyone felt that Justin was passionate and respected the bride well. However, only he knew that he was just terrified. He was afraid that the reality might exceed his anticipation. He was terrified to find that he was betrayed in the end when he had trusted Renee that much and treated her so sincerely."Justin, what's going on with you? How could you talk about that at such a time like this? The most important thing now is to make her come out and have this engagement ceremony. We should do the guests justice. If not, everyone will laugh at us after we've kept our dignity well for so many years!"Sophia couldn't understand his hesitation. They were just going to urge Renee to appear. It had nothing to do with their patience or ability to take good care of Renee.Both Alexander and Francine looked at each other in confusion."Dear, did you do anything?" Alexander asked Francine softly.If Renee suddenly failed to attend the ceremony, it might have been Francin