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
"Umm..." The dean looked conflicted. "We do know an expert in this field, but Mr. Baldwin set up this team, so it might upset him if we suddenly change it.""You're worried about upsetting him? What about upsetting me?" Stefan's gaze turned icy, and his aura became menacing.The dean went pale, and swallowed nervously. "I understand, Mr. Hunt. Please let us handle this." "Make sure the effectiveness of your doctor surpasses Justin's," Stefan added casually as he walked away. "Don't worry, Mr. Hunt. We'll do our best." The dean gritted his teeth and decided to use all his resources and connections for this task.The Hunt family ruled Beach City; they'd rather take their chances with an angry Justin than an angry Stefan.Stefan was silent, but he was no longer upset. 'Wait for me, Renee… You'll be crying tears of gratitude once this is done.'Renee returned to Quinton's ICU ward. Haze was waiting there, and he peered at her intently as if he were appraising a piece of art.Feelin
"You're overthinking. We were never that close, and so many things have happened between us that things can't go back to the way they were," Renee said softly as she gazed into the distance. In the past, she might have had feelings for him, but after all these events, they had started to fade.The only thing she wanted now was for her family to be safe and healthy—that was all that mattered.After a while, they heard footsteps, and saw Robert walking towards them dressed in casual clothes and carrying a surgery kit."Doctor Cromwell, aren't you going to treat my brother today? Why do you…"Renee looked at Robert's attire in confusion. He didn't look like someone who was about to perform surgery. "Miss Everheart, Mr. Baldwin… I'm so sorry, I can't treat him. The dean has arranged for someone else to take over, so you both can talk to the new attending doctor… I have something to do at home, so I'll leave now.""What?" Renee's eyes grew wide in shock. "Didn't you do a good job with
"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