At last, Leia let Xavier go. If he stayed any longer, he and Liam might get into a fight, and then she would be forced to break up with him. "You heartless man! You travelled the world for such a long time. Did you have any unforgettable experiences? And the most important thing is... Did you come home with a gift for me?" Leia asked eagerly as she helped Liam carry his luggage into the house."The only gift I have for you is a slap! Do you want that? I need to knock some sense into a lovestruck fool like you!" Feeling sad that she had failed to live up to his expectations, he patted her cheeks and asked slowly, "Didn't you suffer another heartbreak recently? Why did you jump into another abyss after you just crawled out of one?" Liam's carelessness had led to the failed relationship between Leia and William in the past. If he had been more strict, his foolish sister wouldn't have been tricked. On the other hand, Xavier was an experienced and slick man—he was much more horrible t
Leia ran upstairs swiftly, all while joking around with him. "Say, Liam, you went on a little pity party trip and left for almost a whole year. But look at you; you still haven't moved on from her. Your little trip was such a waste; your heart, destined to stay with Ren all along…""Nonsense, I've moved on long ago.""Sure… and yet you still get nervous hearing her name."Suddenly, Leia remembered something and quickly became serious. "Though you did come back just in time. Azure Group is in shambles; they're being targeted, and Hunt Enterprise is leading this attack. Besides, Ren and that Stefan guy aren't even talking to each other, either. It's your time to win her back."Liam frowns as well. "That's exactly why I came back. Boss has two kids and a business to run. She can't juggle all of that all the time.""Right? I had to step up and help too. But I was too inexperienced and offended some people, I almost ended up in jail after being framed too!" Leia exclaimed. She was remi
Renee was also overjoyed to learn that Liam had returned to Beach City.She even went out of her way to prepare a grand banquet at a five-star hotel in the next city so that they could welcome him back. Her brother, Chase, and some of the founding members and leaders of the Azure Group were invited too.The luxurious banquet hall was decorated to specifically incorporate many of Liam's favorite elements, such as superheroes, sports cars, beautiful women, and so on.Quinton was wearing a black suit, holding a glass of wine in his hand, and leaning against the piano, watching as people walked by with a bored expression.However, he was the one who stood out the most. With the unique black feather mask on his face, it was quite hard to not get people to turn their heads.He wasn't exactly interested in this banquet. If not for his sister's pestering, along with the mention that the main character of this party was very important to her, he would not have attended.As the organizer o
Having wandered around for so long, he had experienced many odd adventures that he simply couldn't ever finish talking about. He always thought that he would be able to face this woman with a calm heart since he had endured quite a bit of training. However, at this very moment, his heart couldn't help but flutter uncontrollably."Hey, I showed you how much I missed you! And all I get is a ‘long time no see’? Come on, dude!" Renee was still quite overwhelmed, with tears in her eyes. She had so many things she wanted to say to Liam, but the man's indifference made it feel as if he didn't want to talk to her at all, which made her rather disappointed.After all, Liam was one of the few people who truly understood her. He was practically her soulmate, someone she could speak to day and night."Sorry, Boss. Leia told me everything that happened. I'm sorry I came so late. You must've suffered so much…" Liam's eyes reddened as he responded. In actuality, he was very excited to see he
She didn't expect Liam, whom she used to make fun of for his lack of martial skill, would become so agile after a mere year. He managed to dodge three attacks from Quinton, who nearly struck his vitals at one point.As Quinton tried to punch him straight in the chin, Liam turned and dodged it with ease. He got down and did a sweep kick in a fraction of a second.Quinton had great reflexes and immediately leaped into the air, attempting to grab Liam by the shoulder with his big hands.Even so, Liam's core strength was strong, and the attack didn't move him in the slightest. He then unleashed his next attack right after.The entire fight was tense and intriguing through and through, as the two were at a stalemate. This attracted a lot of attention from the guests."Great fight! Great fight!" The guests applauded and cheered loudly as if watching a professional match.Renee, too, was in absolute shock during the entire process. Her eyes widened. "I can't believe it. I really can't…
Liam held onto his chest after being kicked. With his face twisted in pain, he seemed to show remorse. "I'm sorry… I… I didn't know you…"He really didn't know that the 'Midnight Demon' would have looked this terrifying under his mask.Seeing this showed just how ruthless Stefan used to be. This grudge between the two families would never heal unless Renee somehow wished… to give up on her twin brother."Good skills, kid." Quinton soon regained composure, ignoring the strange looks from the crowd as if nothing had happened. He then spoke to Liam arrogantly. "Few people can counter this many of my attacks, so it turns out you aren't a weakling after all. But… if you really want to be my sister's brother, you'll need more than just courage, but also strategy."Liam seemed relieved and confidently replied. "That's my strength, for sure.""Don't celebrate just yet, I have a task for you…" Quinton glanced at Renee mysteriously as he spoke, signaling toward Lia. "Come here. I'll tell
As Renee scrolled through the trending news, fury swelled in her chest. "Damn it! Which uncivilized swine leaked this?! Once I find out, I swear I'll strip them nude and leak it onto the internet for three whole days!"Below those articles were Quinton's terrifying appearance, in which the videos and photos were captured in high definition. The way her brother scrambled to pick up the mask in those videos really made her heart ache.The netizens' comments on the entire situation were hard to hear as well, especially with the use of phrases like 'hideous,' 'troll,' and 'deformed.'Renee held onto her phone, her voice panicked, and her eyebrows furrowed. "No, no, these articles have to be taken down! Quinton can't see any of these!"Leia was sitting next to her at the time, reading through all the hate comments. She sympathized with Quinton's situation, especially since she had long treated him as her brother as well. Hence, it was only natural that she was infuriated."These people
Renee followed Leia's finger; her eyes fixated on the man as she frowned. "Mr. Winston? No way… He's one of the first people who partnered with Azure Group, and he's considered an old friend of ours. I wouldn't ."When Azure Group was first founded, it was just a small company with no name and nothing to offer, so there were very few business partners who were willing to work with them. Each partnership they had managed to get back then was the fruit of their hard labor.Mr. Winston was actually great, being a down-to-earth man. Although he wasn't exactly the most powerful person to work with, he was certainly the most reliable one.This was why Renee refused to believe he would ever betray them like this. "I think there's more to the eye…""But… the angle! It's definitely taken from this angle! Even if he hadn't uploaded the video, he was the one who recorded it! It's obvious that he had ulterior motives for doing so!""Ah, let's just forget about it for now. We have to think of
Renee said seriously, "I would like a plate of pasta with more vegetables and is not spicy. I'm afraid this is my last meal."Jovan was rendered speechless. Although Renee was being sarcastic, he still went to the kitchen to make her a delicious plate of pasta. He added some vegetables and a nice fried egg for a balanced diet. "It's done." Jovan had sent off all the servants of the mansion, leaving Renee with him. Hence, he was the one who cooked the pasta and served it to her. "Wow, you're fast." Renee wanted to get a chance to run away since she had sent him away to cook for her, but she couldn't come up with any trick.In the end, she got hungry when she saw the pasta. It was mouth-watering. She was starving!Jovan was good at cooking pasta, even though he didn't seem reliable. The pasta he made tasted like home-cooked food."Give it a try." Jovan didn't say much. He meticulously blew on the pasta and handed her a fork and spoon. Renee accepted it, eager to start eatin
Jovan watched Renee fall into a deep thought. His gaze deepened, filled with renewed ferocity.Jovan turned his wrist and said slowly, "Okay, stop overthinking. I can tell you the truth if you want to know it." Renee abruptly looked up. Her eyes were teary as she begged him, "What's the truth?" "Listen to me and stay with me." Jovan frowned. After a short contemplation, he grinned and continued, "Stay with me for ten days or half a month. Then, I'll tell you.""That's not possible!"Renee immediately refused him, growing cold. "I have to leave right away. I can't watch the two families get into a fight."If she didn't return to North City immediately to explain things, the Baldwin and Hunt families would get into a big fight. Regardless of her circumstances, she didn't want them to fight. They were good people, and she refused to see them hurt. "Just let them fight. It's just a fight among bad people. Your family can grab this chance to get back to the top. Don't you want tha
Jovan felt that he wasn't as passionate and loving as Stefan."Stop beating around the bush. Why is he trying to hold himself back? You made a scumbag sound like he'd suffered a lot!" Renee snarled.She gnashed her teeth. If her foot was not chained, she would have long beaten Jovan up for being evasive and mysterious."I think he was forced to give up his beloved woman because of his identity. He has suffered a lot." Jovan frowned, his tone laced with sympathy."What about his identity? I've already known about that. Our grandfathers decided on our marriage. What are we, Romeo and Juliet?" Renee had wondered if their families were sworn enemies. It might be the reason why Stefan was in a dilemma.However, her grandfather made the Hunts take care of her when her family was doomed. Her grandfather always wanted the best for her. He held her hand and told her that only Stefan could make her happy, and only the Hunt family could protect her. It seemed unreasonable that Stefan was
Jovan was stunned to hear Renee's words. He was so furious, he laughed."Maybe!" He agreed with her and looked at her wickedly. "Since I can't win him over, I want his beloved woman.""You're out of your mind!" Renee was disgusted as goosebumps gripped her. "I'm not his most beloved woman. He loves Briar the most. You got the wrong person. You should kidnap Briar instead. Then, you can get to him."She was acting out of spite, but she meant what she had said.In the past, she was confident that Stefan loved her the most. After so many things had happened, she was no longer as confident. Stefan eventually broke up with her because of Briar. It was enough to prove her position in his heart."Haha! Do you really think so?" Jovan shook his head, his lips a complicated smile. He seemed to be muttering to himself or hinting at something. "Unfortunately, he can't always do a good job. His romance is a mess. His most beloved woman doesn't understand him. How pathetic!""Stop mumbling!
"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