After Stefan ended his conversation with Elijah, he was in a very irritable mood. He switched his laptop off and prepared to go for a walk nearby to relax.For the past few days, he had been getting increasingly frustrated with company matters. It was to the point he even thought of stepping down. However, it was impossible to abdicate the position at this very moment.At present, looking at the entire Hunt family, the only people who were capable of taking up the responsibility of managing the entire company were he and Jovan.Jovan was now traveling around the world, enjoying life with that 'liar.' Hence, if Stefan were to give up as well, both the company and the family would be ruined.Reality was indeed rather cruel, as this was a dog-eat-dog world.As the head of the eight families in Beach City, the Hunt family was able to enjoy power and glory, with just as much risk and responsibility to bear. Thus, he wouldn't dare to stop for a single moment, no matter how tired he felt
The beautiful figure didn't even raise her head. She skillfully undid the baby's clothes and pumped his chest, then went to mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration in one swift motion.After several cycles of compression and respiration, the child finally coughed out some water and slowly regained consciousness."He should be fine now, but it's better if you take him to a doctor for a checkup." The figure finally sighed in relief and said to the young mother."Thank you, thank you, you saved me and my baby's life!" The young mother hugged her baby and thanked them, then rushed off to the hospital.Stefan was simply drenched, and his hair was still dripping wet as the water trickled down his perfectly defined features. His long fingers brushed through his thick hair. Despite the exhaustion, he was rather happy with doing a good deed. 'It's true that good deeds breed good feelings!'"Hey, wait a minute!" Seeing that the figure was about to leave, Stefan called out to the woman."
"Ahem!" Renee took a few steps backward, letting out a few dry coughs as well. "Sir, you don't have to be so awkward, you know? Did you get water in your brain when you dived into the lake?""Don't change the subject. Just say yes or no." The man spoke as if he were an experienced hunter, not giving her the slightest chance to back out, as if he were trying to peer through the depths of her heart."Yeah, yeah…" Renee took a deep breath and averted the man's deep gaze. She started spewing a bunch of nonsense instead. "Oh, Sir, my admiration for you is like a tsunami, whose waves fill my heart with love as they crash on the shore! I simply cannot wait to appear before you with a bouquet of flowers, where I can finally worship you for the beauty that you are! You have truly seduced me, oh my Prince Charming!"Stefan was silent.Renee continued. "Are you happy now? You don't have to act out the dominant CEO trope anymore. It's just so awkward!"The man was even more confused now.R
Since Jovan couldn't see, she behaved more comfortable around him."Then why change clothes?" Jovan's expression seemed uneasy as he pursued the question. "Well… Because my clothes were dirty." Renee told a white lie, not revealing her encounter with Stefan. Otherwise, being the jealous prick he was, Jovan would certainly overthink. "You're lying." Jovan frowned, obviously aggravated. "You said that you would never lie to me, but now you're treating me like a fool!"Renee realized that the man must know something. After all, many people came and went from the hospital. Being an old acquaintance there, it was inevitable that someone would end up telling him some kind of information."You say I lied to you, then tell me, what did I lie to you about?" the woman asked carefully."Dr. David told me about the drowning incident around the lake. You jumped to save a life, so you're changing because your clothes are wet, not that they're dirty!" Jovan replied seriously.Renee felt reli
When Renee held the documents and went through the formalities to help Jovan transfer to another hospital, Jovan's attending doctor, David, was very surprised. "Joan, why do you suddenly want to transfer Van to another hospital? He's now in the critical period of his recovery, and he can't endure the stress of moving to another hospital." David was one of the doctors with the most medical experience in the surrounding cities. Besides, he was amiable, humble, and responsible. When they first arrived at that town, they came because of David's medical skills, not to mention he was also the one treating Jovan's illness. Hence, they established a very good friendship."There's a special condition, so we need to leave for a while for the time being. When the time is right, we'll come back again."Renee gave David a rough explanation because she could not go into the details. "If you want to transfer to another hospital, you'll have to change his attending doctor. You're aware that
Based on his understanding of her, she would never leave if it was not an extremely urgent affair. She upheld a carefree and laid-back lifestyle. It might be a very dangerous affair if she were to become so restless with anxiety out of the blue."It's because… If we don't go home now, my sunflowers will wither. Can't you see why I'm in such a hurry?""Hmph! What a good reason! Do you think I believe that?"Jovan did not even bother to complain about that. He stated solemnly, "You even promised me just now that you'll tell me right away if anything happens to you. You won't lie to me. Are you trying to break your promise now?" "Ah. Life is already hard enough. Please don't expose my lie. It's hard to talk about this now. I'll explain to you in detail when we're home."While comforting Jovan, Renee waited for the elevator.Ding! The door of the elevator opened. Coincidentally, the person she was trying to avoid stood right in the middle of the elevator. It was Stefan.They lo
"It's late now. I want to rest. If you want to know, come to me early tomorrow morning. I'll tell you everything."I'm sleepy. Push me back," Jovan asked Renee."Okay." Renee nodded very obediently. Watching their backs disappear from his sight; displeasure crept up Stefan's heart.They were so harmonious and warm together, as an old married couple would. In comparison, he looked like an unreasonable maniac. 'What happened? Who can tell me? What the hell happened?'I think I'm going mad!' Without turning around, Renee pushed Jovan back to his original ward. She tucked him in after quietly making the bed and helping him back on it. She was quiet the entire time, with her chest stuffed with complicated feelings.Finally, she still failed to avoid him. It might be their fates. It was destined that the simple incident would become complicated. The calm surface of the lake would be attacked by billowing waves. Jovan leaned against the head of the bed. His handsome face was
Unexpectedly, she saw Stefan leaning against the wall outside the ward as soon as she opened the door. The incandescent lamp in the corridor hit him, casting a long shadow on the floor.Wearing a cold face, she kept quiet and was about to close the door when…"Let's have a chat."He looked up and suggested with a hoarse voice."We have nothing more to talk about.""If you thought so, you won't open the door at this hour." Renee was struck speechless.For a moment, she found it hard to give a reply.'Yeah, I tossed and turned in bed because there are too many things in my heart. I couldn't fall asleep. If I don't sort these things out, I'll be restless for a very long time.""Fine. Let's talk."After agreeing, they took the elevator to the rooftop.The rooftop had a great atmosphere. It was a cafe with an outdoor dome, where one could see the brightest stars. Renee casually sat down and looked up at the twinkling stars. She did not speak for a long time.Stefan stayed wit
"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