"Umm…" Renee couldn't get any words out, no matter how hard she tried.The man was a little too close for comfort. His handsome face, which reminded her of Stefan, seemed even more attractive up close. Renee's heart was beating fast, and she began to feel nervous.His eyes looked identical to Stefan's… It was almost as if he could see right through her.The only difference she could see was that Stefan's eyes held a steely dominance, whereas Julian's weary gaze suggested he had been through a lot in life.Renee sighed softly. Humans were indeed creatures of habit.Four years ago, it was love at first sight when she met Stefan. Four years later, she felt her heart skipped a beat for another man who looked just like Stefan.At this point, she couldn't even tell if she was attracted to this handsome man or Stefan."What are you thinking?" The man murmured. He moved even closer to Renee, and she felt his warm breath on her skin. His deep voice was intoxicating and smooth, like wine
Renee hailed a taxi, and she and Julian got in together. Renee then told the driver where they wanted to go, and within twenty minutes, they'd arrived at their destination."We're here. Let's go!" Renee led the man out of the car by his tie.Before them stood dome-shaped houses with bright exteriors. They glowed dimly under the pale moonlight, making them look like little stars. The atmosphere was rather romantic."It's a big place, and it's pretty. What do you think?" Renee turned around and looked at Julian proudly. "This is my secret base, and it's where I come when I feel stressed. Not many know about this place.""Secret base?" Julian looked at the houses and raised his brows in silent appreciation. "Interesting."An attendant greeted them warmly when they entered. "Ms. Everheart, will you be using Room No.3 as usual? We've already prepared everything you need.""Thank you." Renee smiled at the attendant. It looked as if she was a frequent customer here.Room No. 3 was the
Stefan heard a mechanical voice in his ear: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."‘Not in service?!’Stefan tried to control his rage. Maybe Renee had changed her phone number, and she wasn't trying to avoid him.He clicked on Renee's contact, opened up the messaging application, and sent her a question mark. The message didn't go through. Clearly, he had been blocked."Damn it!" Stefan cursed under his breath, his expression dark.That woman had cut him off completely. She really was merciless!They'd only been divorced for a week, but she'd already pried away Hunt Enterprise's major clients, and was now spending her evenings in nightclubs with different men. Her life seemed to be full of fun and excitement, didn't it?Her ex-husband's reputation was practically ruined!Stefan massaged his temples and gritted his teeth in frustration. After pondering for a moment, he dialed Elijah's number."I want information on all guests who checked into hotels in Beach Ci
Renee instantly stopped humming, and her smile died on her lips. She instinctively turned around to leave, as if she'd encountered something unfortunate.'Damn it.' She could only blame herself for procrastinating. Although she'd already decided to move, she hadn't found a suitable place to move into yet. She lived right across Stefan, so even if she intentionally avoided him outdoors, she would have to bump into him eventually when she came home.Renee didn't step out of the lift, and the elevator doors automatically started to close.Stefan reached out to stop the doors from closing, his expression unreadable. "What's the matter? Weren't you having a lot of fun earlier? What's the point in feeling guilty now?"'Guilty?!' Renee stepped out of the elevator with her chin raised defiantly. "You're hilarious, Mr. Hunt. So what if I was having a lot of fun? I didn't rob or kill anyone, did I? Why should I feel guilty? You, on the other hand, are the president of a large corporation. It
Stefan opened his eyes, and impatience flashed in them. "Woman, you can play hard to get, but don't push me. A little bit keeps things fun, but don't go overboard."After saying that, he started moving closer to Renee.He believed Renee was playing hard to get and trying to make him jealous. After all, she loved him so much in the past, so how could she have moved on so easily?Renee was completely speechless. She took her phone out and started taking pictures of Stefan's face. "Stefan, I think you need therapy. Is this your idea of revenge because I was in the news? I suggest you leave, or I'll take you to court tomorrow!"Stefan stopped moving and squinted at the phone in her hand. "What are you doing?"Renee didn't answer him. After taking the pictures, she immediately called the police. She pretended to cry while she spoke, "Officer, please help me! I'm at Sunup Residence. A stalker followed me home, and he's trying to harass me. I can't get him to leave. Please hurry!"Stefa
Stefan didn't take Renee's warning seriously. He figured that the most she could do was make him jealous by being with other men.The next day, Stefan arrived at Golden Tea House according to plan. He had a business meeting with Jeremy Sunder, the chairman of Sunder Corporation.Sunder Corporation was one of the four major distributors of electronic products in the country. South Group, which used to have a close business relationship with Hunt Enterprise, was on the same level as Sunder Corporation. However, now that South Group had been pried away by Renee, Stefan had to quickly find a new partner so that Hunt Enterprise's electronic products wouldn't experience a drop in sales.Jeremy had been waiting for a long time in the VIP room of the tea house. As soon as he saw Stefan, he stood up and shook Stefan's hand with a smile on his face. "Stefan, it's been a long time. Do you finally have time to sit down for a cup of tea with your uncle?""I'd be delighted, Jeremy." Stefan had a
When Jeremy heard this, he narrowed his eyes a little before smiling. "Stefan, it has to be a misunderstanding. Your grandfather is a great wartime hero, and I admire him. Why would there be any bad blood between us?""Is that so?" Stefan asked slowly. He took a sip of his tea, wondering whether Jeremy was telling the truth. In reality, he had already carried out a thorough investigation on Sunder Corporation before deciding to work with them, and the results hadn't given him any reason to think that there was any bad blood between the Sunder family and the Hunt family.However, Stefan also hadn't had the best relationship with his grandfather. The latter had refused to see him for a long time, so Stefan couldn't ask him about this in person."Of course, it's true," Jeremy said firmly. However, he seemed a little guilty. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to be frank. "Back then, I used to be a young and energetic man, so I might have had a bit of conflict with your deceased
Elijah's voice was loud and panicked. Stefan frowned and immediately ended the call.'What is that woman up to this time?' He thought wearily."What's the matter, Stefan? Did something happen to your wife?" Jeremy asked. He had stood up and was getting ready to leave, but after hearing Elijah's voice over the phone, he sat down once more.Naturally, the tea house had a television, which he asked a waiter to switch on.Renee appeared on the television screen. She was wearing plain clothes and had no makeup on, but she was surrounded by over a hundred media companies as she made an announcement sadly."I'm sorry for using up public resources, but today, I want to announce that the four years of marriage between Mr. Hunt and I have officially come to an end. We've chosen to go our separate ways in a peaceful manner. I'm thankful for having known him for the past four years, and I hope he can find his true happiness."Reporters below the stage frantically raised their hands and fough
"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
Stefan frowned, doubtful. He looked vigilantly at Jovan, who had collapsed on the ground. "What do you mean by this?"Jovan kept coughing and said nothing. His lips grew pale as he sneered.Justin's eyes were cold, and he held back his urge to beat up Jovan. "Hmph! Obviously, this is a scam!"He demanded condescendingly, "How dare you barge into my territory and take away my woman! Don't you fear my family and me at all?"Jovan, filled with disdain, looked at Justin as if he was a fool. "Stop talking. You don't even have the right to join this battle."To Jovan, only Stefan was qualified and powerful enough to be his enemy."How dare you say that!" Justin was infuriated. He got down on one knee and grabbed Jovan. "Your family always says nasty things! You two are the same. If we start fighting, I'll make sure to cut your tongue first!""Did I say something wrong?" Jovan sized Justin up, ridiculing Justin with mock compassion. "Don't you have any self-awareness? You're just a fal
Stefan frowned and asked solemnly, "Aren't you a top hacker? Hack into this hospital's inpatient system. Then, we'll know where she is.""Yes, you're right." Still, Justin wanted to challenge Stefan. He said indifferently, "But you're Jovan's cousin. It's more convenient for you to make a call instead of me hacking into their system."Yes, Justin could hack into their system, but calling Jovan would be quicker. And what they needed the most was time."He and I…" Stefan sneered, flexing his fingers. "The fact we didn't kill each other is considered peaceful. He's not as obedient as you think.""You'll know by calling him."Justin had heard about the complicated internal fights of the Hunt family, but he felt that Stefan was exaggerating."Jovan is a Hunt no matter what. Plus, he's still working at Hunt Enterprise. Just call him," Justin said. "Fine." Stefan found Justin logical. His private grudges with Jovan were not important because finding Renee immediately was the most impo
Both Stefan and Justin arrived at Grace Hospital quickly. However, Stefan suddenly stopped before he entered the hospital. He looked at Justin curiously."Let's go! It's urgent. Stop standing here!"Justin hurriedly ran. When he turned around, he found that Stefan had not caught up with him. Confused, he asked Stefan, "Something is puzzling me. Don't you want me to stop seeing her? Why did you let me come with you?" Stefan narrowed his eyes and interrogated Justin suspiciously, "Did you lie to me? Or are you plotting something?" "That's nonsense! Don't take me as you. I'm not full of schemes like you!" Justin sounded disdainful. In comparison to Stefan, Justin was not full of schemes. He also looked down upon Stefan since the latter was always vigilant.Justin answered honestly, "Yeah, I don't want you to meet her ever, but I'm sure she wants to see you if she's in danger. Yes, I hate you—but I want her to be happy." He guessed that Renee must be in a serious state since Jov
"Uh…" After some contemplation, Elijah nodded. "I know what to do, Mr. Hunt. It looks like you can see far beyond the current situation. Just leave this to me.""Of course, the most important thing is to have fun."Stefan remained calm; he didn't feel like he had stepped over the line. He merely wanted Justin to learn about the cruelty of the world since Justin was always being protected so well. Whenever he did something wrong, he had to pay a price for it.Besides, Stefan merely did it for his aunt, who had taken the gunshot for nothing. When they reached a consensus, Justin came to meet Stefan. "Hey…" After a pause, he said with dissatisfaction and helplessness, "Would you like to go with me?"Stefan raised his brows in confusion."I mean, do you want to visit Phoenix with me?" Justin sighed. He looked naive, like a college student, as he confessed, "I found Jovan. I don't know why he's so good at countersurveillance. After exiting the emergency room, he transferred her to