"Fine." Renee nodded. "I'll go with you after this infusion," Haze said."It's fine. I can go on my own." "No, you have to listen to me this time. If you don't finish this infusion, I won't tell you which ward he's in," Haze insisted."Haze, you..." Renee was helpless, so she just lay in bed again and waited for the infusion to be over.Leia was relieved to see that Renee was fine. She gritted her teeth and seemed to have made a decision. "Ren, you and Quinton should rest. Don't worry too much. Quinton will be fine... I've got something to deal with, so I'll go now."Renee frowned, sensing that something was off. Leia was usually casual and optimistic, but now it seemed like something was weighing on her mind. "Lei, is there something troubling you? Don't feel guilty because of what happened, I know you suggested the surgery with only the best intentions. Don't stress yourself out." "No, that's not it." Leia shook her head. "It's a personal matter. Take care of yourself, and
Renee shook her head, her eyes teary. "That doesn't matter anymore… I just want him to wake up safely." After this incident, Renee had realized that one's appearance didn't mean anything. Being beautiful or ugly made no difference, as long as they were healthy. "Don't be so pessimistic. If the doctors say that he'll recover, then he will," Haze comforted her. Others always flattered him given his identity and status, so it was rare to see him console others. Doing this much had already exhausted him, and if she continued mulling over it, he would become depressed. Renee took a deep breath and wiped away her tears before she forced a smile onto her face. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm stronger than you think, so you don't have to rack your brain to figure out how to console me. I know it doesn't come naturally to you, so I'll try to be more optimistic.""Well, I guess you found me out..." Haze scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. "I'm not good at consoling people. I'm afra
Renee raised an eyebrow. "What kind of reward?" "I... I want to hug you. Just a simple hug. Although you're strong on your own, I want you to know that there's someone you can rely on too," Haze explained sincerely.Also, he wanted to see if she would hit him when he got close to her like last time, or if things would be different now."Okay." Renee nodded and spread her arms. "Come on then. Let me hug you." She felt that Haze did deserve a hug given what he did for her. She had been quite violent towards him in the past, so maybe she could make up for it through this hug. "Umm..." Haze frowned when he saw her extend her arms wide as if she was about to hug her son. "If you hug me like this, people may think that you're going to provide for me instead... Can we change our posture?" "Why? Isn't this nice? I hold Adie this way too, and he loves it very much."Haze was speechless. "So, you're going to hug me as if I'm your son?""Stop blabbering. Do you want a hug or not? My han
Stefan could never say nice things. When Renee heard his words, she felt annoyed. "Mr. Hunt, you're from a noble family, so why would you say such vulgar things? I'm not having an affair."Renee took a step towards him and sneered, full of ridicule. "Even if I did, it has nothing to do with you. What right do you have to criticize me?" "What right do I have?" Stefan said lightly, "I'm your cousin-in-law, if you think about it. I saw my cousin-in-law hugging another man, so don't I have the right to criticize you?"Cousin-in-law?" Renee's lips twitched. How could he be so shameless and arrogant?"Is there a problem?" Stefan raised his brows and asked snidely. "Aren't you madly in love with my missing cousin? He only just went missing, but you're already getting into a passionate relationship with another man. Shouldn't you give me an explanation?" "How ridiculous! Stefan, shouldn't you explain yourself given how you took liberties with me, your so-called cousin-in-law?" Renee f
Haze's gaze was resentful and provoking. "Did you forget that the Hunt family suffered a terrible loss these past two years, which your family only managed to resolve by having an alliance marriage with the Murphy family? Now you're facing so many enemies, and yet you still claim that Beach City is ruled by the Hunt family.""Yes, the Hunt family has a lot of enemies, and it's fine if your family is one of them too. Come at me then, if you really think I'm so powerless."The two men glared at each other icily, and the atmosphere became tense and dangerous.Stuck in the middle, Renee was forced to mediate the situation. "Okay, there's no need to argue like children. Take a step back and it'll be a win-win situation. Isn't that nice? There are so many resources for you guys to share, so one will be left out. You guys don't have to fight against each other, both of you will suffer losses this way."The Hunt and the Baldwin families had been sworn enemies for the past few decades, but
Stefan finally let go of her hand and explained solemnly, "Yeah, I did take liberties with you previously because you were too charming. I felt that your gaze, behavior, and soul were trying to seduce me. I failed to hold myself back, and gave in to your seduction. It was my fault, so let me apologize to you.""Umm… what exactly are you talking about?" Renee did not expect that he would say such an outrageous thing. He was an arrogant man, but he had bluntly admitted to falling for her charms."Didn't I make myself clear? You're a very charming woman. You can move me even if you do nothing. Well, I could be wrong, but you need to be held responsible too," Stefan repeated sincerely.Renee blushed as she smoothed her hair and grinned. "Well, look at you! It's a known fact that I'm charming. I can't help it, I'm sorry. I'll hold myself back next time, so you won't be tempted...""That's more like it." Stefan then grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, his gaze intense. "So, c
Stefan sounded so practical that she had no way to argue."Cousin-in-law..." Helplessness overcame her. "You're so noble. You flirt with your cousin-in-law while claiming that you can't let her cheat on Jovan… How hypocritical.""That's different." Stefan loosened his tie, and his gaze was sharp as he said casually, "Jovan and I share the same surname, so my family won't be humiliated if anything happens between us. However, Justin is a Baldwin and my family's enemy, so there's no way you can get into a relationship with him.""Why should I listen to you? Do I look like your slave? You have no right to meddle in my business." Renee was disgusted by his words, so she tried her best to push him away. "Let me make it clear to you—Justin is trying to win my heart. I didn't feel anything for him before this, but a guy like him is so much nicer than an overbearing and arrogant man like you. Maybe he's the right man for me… so I want to give him a chance!"Stefan's eyes widened in rage. "
"Mr. Hunt, don't worry. Miss Garcia is doing just fine. She'll recover and be discharged from the hospital in a week if nothing goes wrong." Joanne's attending doctor explained carefully. "But her body is weak. It seems like something's troubling her, so she's not trying to stay alive. She doesn't eat much either, and just relies on the IV drip to survive. It's all a bit complex… it'd be good if you could give her some moral support."Stefan nodded. "Thank you, I'll do that then."The hospital dean and Joanne's doctor walked with Stefan for a while until they arrived at Joanne's ward. Stefan was about to send them off, but suddenly thought of something. "By the way, why did Renee come to this hospital?""Miss Everheart?" The hospital dean remembered Renee, but mostly because of Justin. "She came with Mr. Baldwin. It seems like something went wrong with her brother's surgery, so they rushed him here as an emergency case. His attending doctor was hired by Mr. Baldwin though. He made a