Adam looked stunned, and immediately tried to persuade Leia, "Oh no, please don't. We'll stop pairing you guys up. After all, Santi doesn't like it either. We're just joking. Don't leave." He was trying to imply that the others were responsible for trying to put Santiago and Leia together, hoping that Xavier would stop glaring at him."It's not because of that..." Leia looked at Adam apologetically. "It's my personal reason that I must return to Beach City. I'm still very interested in this show, and I'll be honored if people see me and Santiago as a couple. It's more than I can wish for. Of course, I'm not scared.""Hmph, how superficial!" Xavier said suddenly, gulping down his wine.Adam averted his gaze when he saw that Leia had made up her mind. He added, "How about this? If you're busy, you may leave. But I happen to have a dating variety show coming up soon. Can I invite you and Santiago to be on it as guests?""Sure!" Leia agreed to it immediately for the sake of shooting
Xavier lifted his chin and said arrogantly, "I'm her boyfriend." When he made that statement, everyone was in an uproar. It was shocking to see a big shot of the entertainment circle admit to a relationship so openly.Leia was confused. She didn't expect that he would reveal this, and snarled at him angrily, "Xavier, are you out of your mind?" Why did he announce their relationship to others at that moment? He even did it before her idol. He merely wanted to stop her from dating her idol. Damn it, how could he do such a cruel thing? She could not accept it at all!"Did I say something wrong? We're indeed a couple. If not, why would we sleep in the same bed in the same room the first day we got here? I think anyone with a brain would get the idea." Xavier smirked, happy that Leia was so affected by him. At least she wasn't fawning over Santiago, and was focusing on him. "I..." Naturally, Leia was at a loss for words. She knew that people would scold her regardless of what she sa
"Umm… Is the person you're talking about... that scumbag Stefan?" Leia asked carefully.Renee smiled bitterly and answered, "Who else could it be?"Leia frowned contemplatively, wondering if she should tell Renee the truth. Stefan was the most suspicious person in this accident because of his history with Quinton, Shirley's statement, and connections. However, Leia didn't have concrete evidence, so she couldn't accuse Stefan of it. Besides, it would only make matters worse by hinting at it; if both parties involved got into a fight again, they would all suffer great losses.But… What if he did something bad again?"Ren, you know how shrewd Stefan is. I think you'd better not trust him too much…" Leia said finally, hoping Renee would pick up on the hint."Yeah, I know. There are too many obstacles between us. Quinton's accident is enough for us to be enemies forever, so I don't want to have anything to do with him. I just want to thank him for helping with this surgery." Renee glan
Leia's words were harsh, but she wasn't trying to be rude. She just felt that this doctor was probably as bad as Stefan since he was recommended by him."Lei, be nice to Dr. Wagner—he's been operating on Quinton for days. If Quinton wakes up, Dr. Wagner will be my family's great benefactor." Renee bowed to Owen. "I'm sorry, Dr. Wagner, my bestie can be hot-headed at times. She only says these things because she cares about me, so please don't take it to heart.""It's fine. We doctors are used to meeting difficult family members, so this is nothing." Owen shrugged indifferently and said meaningfully, "You should be thanking Master Hunt. I didn't intend to take this job, but he was so insistent that I couldn't say no. He even went fishing with me and defeated me, so I was forced to accept the job."Renee averted her gaze. "I know you're here because of him, so I'll be sure to thank him properly.""That's right..." Owen patted Renee's shoulders and comforted her, "Be happy and stop ov
It was none other than Seraphina.She had bribed the nurses working on the floor Quinton was on, and had found out that Renee and the others had gone to the cafeteria to eat. Once they had left, Seraphina had opened the door and entered Quinton's ward. Quinton was now lying in bed after the surgery. He was wearing an oxygen mask and looked very weak.Seraphina walked to Quinton's bed. She stared at him for a while, then put something beside his pillow and took off his oxygen mask. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be cruel, but I just need you to be in a coma so Renee can learn her lesson. I didn't expect you to be so tough. Stefan even helped hire Owen for you..." Her eyes flashed in anger. "You should blame your shameless sister for this. She's been pestering Stefan relentlessly even though he's engaged to me, so unfortunately, you have to suffer the consequences!"After that, she avoided the surveillance cameras and left the hospital quietly.Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, Renee was s
Justin stiffened, his eyes widening. "What… What did you say?" "I'm saying that you're a spy! You probably ordered someone to harm my brother. If not, why did this happen right after we left to eat at the cafeteria?" Renee demanded hoarsely, her eyes watery. She and Justin were the only ones aware of Quinton's condition. On the surface, Justin appeared to be taking good care of her. Maybe he was doing it on purpose to divert her attention so someone could harm Quinton. After all, he was a Baldwin. Everyone knew how ambitious the Baldwins were. They might want to take Quinton's place after getting rid of him.Leia tugged on Renee's sleeve and urged her softly, "Ren, that's too harsh. There's no way he could be a spy. If he was, he wouldn't have spent so much time on you, and would have gotten rid of Quinton long ago. The real spy is someone else..."Renee turned to look at Leia immediately. "Do you know something about this?" "I..." Leia clenched and unclenched her fists hesitantl
"Renee..." Quinton moved his fingers as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I've let you down. You must have suffered a lot worrying about me.""Don't say that. I should take care of you since you're my brother. I'm… I'm just glad you're awake!" Renee sobbed as she laid beside him. "I know that I was in a coma. It felt like my soul was locked away in some small part of my body, and I wanted to stay there forever, but I couldn't forget about you. So, I tried my best to escape, and I'm so grateful I did," Quinton said softly, his voice raw with emotion. He seemed gentler somehow, as if he had lost his sharp edges and ferocity."Ah, don't say such things. You'll live long, and you'll see Adie and Abby grow up and get married and have kids of their own. You've just been asleep for a long time, you weren't dying!" Renee wiped away her tears and smiled at Quinton tenderly. "Alright, I won't give up so easily, for your sake and the kids'. I have to live a long life, and we can stay together
After Leia and Renee walked out of the ward, Leia pulled Renee to a corner near the stairs. "That ring... It's Stefan's, right?""Yes." Renee nodded tiredly, unable to run from the truth any longer. "I'm sure you've gained some information, right?" Leia knew that she could no longer hide it since things had turned out this way. She could only tell Renee everything she knew. "I'd been wondering if someone had done this on purpose after something went wrong with Quinton's accident. So, I went to the medical staff and interrogated them.""What did they say?" Renee asked cautiously."That nurse claimed that the main surgeon received a call before Quinton's surgery telling him to do the surgery well or something like that. The caller was Shirley, so I went to find her and confront her. She claimed that it was Stefan's order..." Leia told Renee everything. "I thought Shirley was just trying to create problems, so I wanted to get more evidence first, but… it seems that the evidence came
Renee's heart was well guarded. No one else could win her over except Stefan. Justin had tried hard and was once hopeful. But in the end, it was still futile. He ended up with endless humiliation. Hence, he learned from Renee and was on guard against others. He merely did not want to get hurt or feel disappointed."That's it. You can be the bold hero yourself."Justin swung off Jovan's hand and left."Damn! He's quite heartless too, just like Stefan!" Jovan was angry for no reason. He found it a pity since Justin had given Renee up, just like what Stefan had done. Those men claimed to love her but did not choose her firmly, and left at the most critical moment. After Justin was gone, the atmosphere in the room became more dangerous and stressful.Austin coldly stared at Renee and asked contemptuously, "My grandson is gone. Can you stop pretending?"It was hard to imagine such a scene. Austin once doted on Renee as if she were his granddaughter. But now, he regarded her as
"Oh, you're quite serious about it." Austin faked a smile, then addressed a subordinate standing beside him. "Since you insisted, I'll grant your wish." In a while, his subordinate came with a tray with dozens of needles in various shapes. Most of the needles were used for treatment. The needle would cause quite a lot of pain with only a slight jab. "Okay, let's stop joking. We're considered famous people. Stop using such a childish trick! It's embarrassing…" Jovan realized how serious the situation was. While teasing, he rebuked Austin's subordinate so the latter would remove the needles. However, the subordinate did not heed Jovan. He did not take Jovan seriously at all. Austin's subordinate politely extended his hand and coldly urged Renee, "Please go ahead, Ms. Everheart." "Okay." Renee flexed her fingers and took a deep breath. She swallowed and adjusted her mouth, ready herself to take a needle."Hey, moron! Are you going to sit there and watch?" Helpless, Jovan tried
Jovan cleared his throat and assumed his usual casual demeanor. "I lost my mind on the day of the engagement ceremony. I knocked Renee out and took her away. This incident has nothing to do with her. You guys can blame me. I should be the one to hang myself, too.""Jovan!" Renee glared at Jovan. "Don't take the blame for me. I won't thank you, either."Jovan turned and started arguing with Renee. "No, I'm not taking the blame for you. I was just telling the truth. I did knock you out and take you away that day. You didn't leave on your own!"He felt guilty toward Renee, especially when he saw her lying in bed and using an iron wire to cut her wrist so she could run away. It was a great shock to him.He realized he had nearly ruined her, body and soul. At that moment, he no longer wanted to compete for her. He felt that he might as well let her go and grant her wish. He just wanted her to be safe and happy, regardless of who she chose to be with.His greatest wish was to see her
Both Renee and Jovan finally arrived at the Baldwin residence under Sabre's escort.Austin was waiting in the tea room since he knew Renee was coming."I'm sorry, Grandpa Baldwin. I'm here to apologize to you." Sabre pushed them into the room.After entering the room, Renee realized that Justin was there too, sitting on Austin's left and pouring tea for Austin. Justin was no longer enthusiastic and close to Renee. Instead, he kept his head low and was busy. He did not even look at her, as if they did not know each other. "You want to apologize to me?" Austin sneered. He raised a cup of tea and sipped it. "Stop flattering me. Plus… You shouldn't be apologizing to me."Justin stopped what he was doing, but he was still unresponsive. He stared absent-mindedly ahead as if he were away from reality. He seemed like a different man. Renee had never seen this side of him, which filled her with sadness and guilt. She blamed herself for turning a carefree and bright youth into a gloo
"Cut the crap!" Sabre was a man who had undergone a lot of things and problems all year round. He abruptly gripped Jovan's chin and said coldly, "You can't keep your head for long. You'd better not waste your energy, and you should watch your tongue.""Well, there's something I should say." Jovan didn't resist as he grabbed the chance to touch Sabre's face. "What's your name, dude? Why are you doing this job at such a young age? How much did Austin pay you every month? I'll give you ten times your salary. Just betray him and work for me.""I'm going to kill you!" Sabre was always a serious man, and got furious because of Jovan's words. He was about to slap Jovan before Renee immediately stopped him."Don't do this, Sabre. Let's talk it out. He's the vice president of Hunt Enterprise, but you wanted to slap him. We should keep peace. Plus, he generally never watches his tongue, and he scolds his family more fiercely. Don't take him seriously." Renee tried her best to calm Sabre dow
"I'll come even if you don't welcome me. Bye." Renee hung up. She knew that Justin resented her and feared that Austin might punish her. Regardless, he could not stop her from going to North City. She understood that no one could be at ease if the issue was unresolved. She was the cause of the conflict—the key factor. Thus, she must go there.Finally, the plane took off. Renee fell into thoughts while watching the dense clouds. Jovan sat beside her and noticed her worry. He wanted to hold her hand to comfort her and give her strength. However, his hand stopped in midair. He decided against holding her hand. He knew that she did not need his consolation or reassurance. Instead, she would only resent him."Don't worry. It's going to be okay." Jovan sounded casual. "I'm the culprit and will be blamed. You don't have to be scared."Renee turned and frowned at him. "I don't want to see you in danger, either."Jovan looked serious before he beamed. "Well, I'll risk my life for
Hence, Renee did not beat around the bush or refuse to answer Jovan's question on purpose. She had no idea what her heart wanted and could only see how things went."What?" Jovan narrowed his eyes, wearing a complex expression. The current situation gave him a great sense of danger. He teased, "It looks like I've underestimated that guy. He can end up your man though he's your fallback guy.""Can't you watch your tongue?" Renee became angry as she stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth. "Eat something and stop talking."At that time, her phone rang. Justin did call her back—just like what Jovan had said. Renee quickly picked it up, sounding anxious. "Justin, why didn't you answer my calls? I called you several times!""What's the matter?" Justin sounded extremely icy. Renee had never seen him act that way—it felt unreal. She said carefully, "I want to ask where you are now.""What's the matter?" Justin kept his cold demeanor and repeated the same question without saying anythi
A minute passed by. Renee was holding the phone but had yet to get a call back from Justin. She was not that very confident."Why isn't he calling me back? Should I call him again?" Although she did not want to be embarrassed, she already did after making six calls. She was fine with it already."Calm down. Let's wait a little longer." Jovan sipped some coffee and sounded at ease."Will he call me back?" Renee held her chin, uncertain. For the first time, she knew how aggrieved a kiss-ass felt. In a way, she was considered one as she tried to please Jovan.Jovan placed the cup of coffee down and looked at Renee with leisure and surprise. "Are you that eager to get in touch with him?"After all, based on his observation as an outsider, he knew Renee did not love Justin. Renee only cared about Stefan and regarded Justin as merely a friend. Logically, she shouldn't be that upset."Of course." Renee was open about her feelings and added honestly, "I did want to spend the rest of
Jovan was not mad. Instead, he smirked with satisfaction. "Yeah, that's right. Never let me get that. We need to keep owing something to each other and always get tangled up with each other!"Renee could not take it, and acted like she was about to vomit. "I can't keep on eating. It's disgusting." Although she had made such a claim, she sat down and was engrossed in enjoying the food. She was not as tense as before and started to relax.Similarly, Jovan started eating with satisfaction. The current situation was what he wanted the most. She hated him, but it was her true self.When they were full, it was almost time for them to board the plane. Before boarding, Renee hesitated for a long time before calling Justin. She gave him three calls, but he picked up neither of them.On the other hand, Jovan was sitting in the exclusive lounge for the passengers of first-class cabins. He was flipping through magazines to kill his boredom when he noticed Renee's phone. Jovan smiled and