Renee rubbed her eyes groggily. "What is it? Are there people insulting my brother again? Ugh, back to the warzone!""No, no, not your brother, but your ex-husband! Just look… Everyone's going for his throat! This is great!" Leia pridefully exclaimed on the other end of the line."What? Stefan Hunt?" Renee instantly sat up and looked through her phone. The first three trending searches were now all related to Stefan, and each was as shocking as the other.The first three words in the search were all related to Stefan, and every word was enough to be described as explosive.[Stefan Hunt's brutality!][Stefan Hunt should be in jail!][Stefan Hunt is an absolute scum!]The woman's entire body tensed up, her eyes glued to her phone screen. After that, she clicked on each of the articles and read through its contents.A user named 'I_Got_You_Good_Now' seemed to have written a long essay about how Quinton was once abandoned in a village where he fell victim to horrifying abuse during
However, since Liam left, no one sent her any of these cupcakes. She tried looking for it herself, but to no avail, which worsened her cravings. With the comfort awarded by the cupcake, Renee felt much better. She silently chewed on the cupcake at the table as she looked for the user's IP address.Liam glanced at her screen and smiled. "Who's the big shot? Why are you personally looking for them?"Renee waved her hand dismissively, clearly not in the mood for banter. "Oh, you won't get it, kid. Go along and play somewhere else."Liam folded his arms and cleared his throat. "Boss, you can just stop. The person who wrote that article is right underneath your nose.""What do you mean?" Renee finally turned her attention to Liam, looking the man up and down.Liam smirked pridefully. "I mean it literally.""You're not saying you were the one who leaked that information, are you?""Pleasure to meet you." The man nodded, patting Renee on the head as if he wasn't scared for his life
Renee's words piqued Liam's curiosity."Key figure?" Liam rubbed his chin and closer toward the woman with an intrigued expression. "Keep going."Renee rolled her eyes at him and mindlessly scrolled through the webpage, her expression blank. "My brother doesn't only hate Stefan for destroying his face, but also for making his most trusted person betray him. She used to be the light of his life, but she betrayed him for Stefan and stabbed him in the gut.""That's when my brother lost all morality. And well… How do I say this? He takes things to the extreme now.""Yeah, he is pretty extreme." Liam nodded in agreement. "No wonder I felt a sense of empathy when I first saw him. I knew he had hurt the same way I did, for love."Renee rolled her eyes again. "For love? Since when? Oh, stop playing the victim?""Is it not miserable enough that I acted as a loyal lapdog for almost a decade with no one to love me back?"The woman was speechless. "You might not know this, Boss, but peopl
Renee would no longer have to worry once she's brought Joanne back to reconcile with her brother, after all."Hell no." Liam refused, putting his index fingers into the shape of an 'X'. "I can't even handle being there, and I play around a lot! You're a girl and a beautiful one at that! Who knows what would happen when you're there! I won't let you risk your life!""I heard it's a pretty hellish place. Even a beast would be left with scars all over its body. But don't you know me? When have I, Renee Everheart, ever been scared of anyone?""I know you're strong, but you need to know that there are stronger people out there. My master is no joke! I almost made him explode when I refused to be his godson and escaped! He might imprison you and make you his concubine if you went there!""Shut it with the nonsense. Hand me the address!" Renee was impatient, restricting the man's arms behind his back, increasing her force with every word she spoke until it was unbearable to him. "So, a
Renee walked into Stefan's office, led by a secretary. It had been so long since she last came here, but everything was still the same… except the man opposite her. Renee stared at him, and sadness filled her. He was standing in front of the large French windows like he used to, his back as straight as an arrow."What are you doing here?" Stefan turned around and shot Renee a cold glare, looking hostile and unwelcoming.The secretary glanced at Renee, and suggested hesitantly, "Mr. Hunt, I can show Ms. Everheart around if you're too busy. We can come back after you're done with your work." Inwardly, the secretary was grumbling, 'Why is Mr. Hunt behaving like this? They've been married for a long time, but he doesn't show his true feelings for her. He deserves it if Ms. Everheart runs away!'Stefan's face turned livid as he turned to the secretary and growled, "Get out." "I apologize for intruding," Renee said and bowed her head slightly, about to turn around and leave.Stefa
Infuriated by his carefree attitude, Renee stormed over to him and grabbed his tie, jerking his head down as she snarled, "Can you swear that you didn't slash and ruin my brother's face? Can you honestly tell me that you didn’t defeat my brother because of Joanne's betrayal?" "Joanne just did what she felt was right. I don't think it was a betrayal." Stefan looked up and met Renee's gaze intently. They were so close that they could feel each other's breath on their skin, and suddenly, the air became thick with tension. Renee swallowed briefly and put some distance between them. She gritted her teeth and said, "As a man, you should at least have the integrity to admit to what you did. You tricked Joanna and ruined my brother… Don't you feel even the least bit guilty?""As opponents in a battle, it's only natural that there's a winner and a loser. If I didn’t do what I did, it might have been my face ruined or my corpse in the sea.""You..." Renee couldn't argue."Do you believe t
Renee felt relieved after getting Stefan's answer. Some part of her knew that the man wasn't as aloof and cruel as he made himself out to be. Although she did not have much time to carry out that difficult mission, at least Stefan would not do anything to Quinton during that period. She could leave Beach City with peace of mind.After she walked out of the president's office, she saw a lot of employees in the corridor. She only knew some of them, but all of them looked at her with sparkling eyes. "Hi, Mrs. Hunt!"When some of the senior employees saw her, they waved at her frantically as if they were fans who were meeting their idols."Umm… hi." Renee nodded politely before she corrected them, "Please don't address me as Mrs. Hunt anymore. I've divorced your president." She felt annoyed every time she thought about it. She had divorced the same man twice, and the second time had been thanks to Quinton. It was just like when Stefan pretended to be Mr. Q and married her. She was
Seraphina gritted her teeth and said, "Didn't you hear what the employees call you? If this goes on, Stefan will remember everything sooner or later, and it'll be bad for his brain if that happens. We both know what he experienced a year ago and how painful it was for him. He's better now, but seeing you will probably affect him. Don't you feel bad harming him again and again like this?""I... I didn't think of that." Renee lowered her head in shame after hearing that. Stefan nearly died by her hand a year ago, so she swore to God that she would never get back with him in exchange for his safety and happiness.However, even if she didn't do anything, sometimes things developed beyond her expectations. The grudge between Quinton and Stefan was the perfect example—she was caught in the middle of it, so she couldn't just stand aside and do nothing about it...Seraphina sniffled, wiping tears from her eyes. "Ms. Everheart, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to insult you, but my relationship wit
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
"So, what do you want to do?" Stefan asked emotionlessly. He kept watching Nora, who was lying unconscious in the ward."At the very least, we have to teach the Baldwin family a lesson and make the public aware of your family's power as the head of The Great Eight of Beach City. It's not just about venting anger, but more about which side the various great families will take. It concerns the future of your family, too. We can't take it lightly!"Elijah could not hide his indignation. As Stefan's assistant, he was no longer merely an ordinary employee. He was loyal to Stefan and the Hunt family. He couldn't bear to see Stefan suffer any injustice or watch the Hunt family get humiliated. If Stefan hadn't stopped him, he would have gathered all the manpower to fight the Baldwins. Although he had fought Cadmus and Tiger, he had yet to defeat them. He tried to figure out a way to make a counterattack, his face shadowed in gloom.Stefan turned and calmly looked at Elijah. "How shoul
When Justin was willing to send them on an errand again, Cadmus was eager to express his loyalty."No, you don't have to risk your lives for me. That's bloody and horrible. All you need to do is find someone for me." After a pause, Justin added, "Jovan Hunt, Stefan's younger cousin." Cadmus clenched his fists and said fiercely, "It's another Hunt! Old Master Baldwin is right. The Hunt family is full of bad people. If we knew, we shouldn't have dismantled the bombs in Hunt Enterprise. The Hunt family has strengthened their security system now. It's hard to set up bombs there if we want to." Justin felt a headache when he heard Cadmus babbling. He rubbed his temples, and said tiredly, "Stop. We don't have to blow up Hunt Enterprise. I just want to find him. Do you get me? Find him. That's enough!"He stressed his intention of locating Jovan as if he were giving a simple and clear order to robots. Most of the time, Cadmus and Tiger were like AI. Real robots were probably more obedie