"Have you got a minute? I want to ask you something." Renee sounded very cold on the phone."Come to Tipsy Grove." Stefan ordered the driver to stop the car at the door of Tipsy Grove and waited for Renee. Renee arrived not long after. When she saw his car, she knocked on the car window.Joel Montana, Stefan's driver, opened the door and said to Renee, "Miss Everheart, there you are. Mr. Hunt, uhh… had a bit too much to drink tonight. Should I drive you guys to a hotel or..." It was late, and Joel felt a hotel was suitable given Renee's relationship with his boss.Renee glanced at Stefan, who was clearly drunk. She then sighed heavily. "Drive us to Hunt Villa.""Okay. Please get in the car, Miss Everheart. I'll get you guys there." Joel asked nothing more. All he needed to do was to drive his boss to his destination. Renee took the shotgun seat. She did not converse much with Stefan, who just kept his eyes closed. Nobody knew if he was actually sleeping or if he was just drunk.
"Fine, you promised." Renee immediately took out the silver ring from her bag and asked, "Is this yours?" Stefan stared at that diamond ring with his eyes narrowed, then said softly, "Yes, I always keep it with me.""Really..." Renee's heart ached with the realization, but she still refused to accept the truth. "Why did I find it beside my brother's pillow in the ward if you always keep it with you?""Beside your brother's pillow in the ward?" Stefan frowned, suddenly looking alert. However, his expression was complicated and unfathomable. Renee caught his surprise, and a sliver of hope appeared in her heart. She quickly asked, "Why? You don't know why this ring appeared beside my brother's pillow, do you? Did you lose it? Or did you give it to someone else?"She was trying to give him a reason to deny it. Whatever he said, she would believe it.Unfortunately, he whispered after a long pause, "I didn't give it to anyone else or lose it. I was the one who placed this ring beside
"You don't think I will?" Renee's eyes turned fierce as she gripped his throat tightly. She could easily break his neck if she wanted to."No, I don't think you can." Stefan laughed coldly, his gaze challenging."Fine, I'll grant your wish if you want to die that badly." Renee gritted her teeth and dug her fingers into his skin, gripping his throat hard."Ugh!" Stefan's face instantly turned red, and veins bulged on his forehead and neck. After a while, his eyes started to roll back into his head. "Hard—Harder. I'll have no regrets... if I die in your hands." Using his last bit of consciousness, he whispered to Renee. Blood started oozing out of Stefan's mouth, and if Renee used a bit more force, he would be dead.But at the last moment, she could not bear to do it. She let go of him and sneered, "Killing you would be too generous. I'll ruin you one day, just you wait and see." After that, she got up and left."Ren..." Her figure gradually turned blurry, and Stefan fainte
Seraphina stopped pretending after hearing what Stefan said. In fact, she was waiting for this after leaving the ring there."Yes, I left the ring beside Quinton's pillow on purpose to distance you and Renee. Go ahead if you want to punish me, but I don't regret what I did." She then lifted her head and closed her eyes, waiting for his decision."You…" Stefan did not expect her to admit to it, and he was fuming. He didn't know what to do with her. He couldn't bear to punish her given their past and all her sacrifices for him, but he couldn't pretend it had never happened. "I have nothing to do with that woman; you should know that all I care about is you. However, what you've done will only make me hate you more." Stefan swallowed, and the pain in his throat brought a frown to his face. He was still very weak, but his dangerous aura filled people with trepidation. "Hmph, all you care about is me?" Seraphina scoffed, acting like she had heard the most preposterous joke. "Stop fool
After all, Seraphina had done something dishonorable with Stefan's brain surgery. She had replaced Renee in his mind with her so she could win all his love. However, he was being so cruel to her now that she wondered if the surgery had lost its effect."That was the past. Now I know for sure that you're not the one I like." Stefan's answer was blunt and honest, filling her with despair.Stefan's words might be cruel, but he could no longer lie to himself. He knew that she was not the type that could bewitch him, and he couldn't figure out how they fell so madly in love with each other in the past."If I'm not the one you like, then who is?" Seraphina choked on her tears, her eyes wild. "It's Renee, isn't it? She charmed you the moment you saw her, and you changed your mind. Didn't you even consider that I only did it because I love you? You forced me to do it!""Yes." Stefan nodded. "So I'll bear the consequences. You were the one who pulled off Quinton's oxygen mask, but it was be
"I'm just reaping what I sowed. I wronged her first, and she was being generous by letting me live," Stefan explained hoarsely. He could not tell Francine the truth."You're out of your mind! Clearly, she's stolen your heart again." Francine sighed exasperatedly and said firmly, "Anyway, you can't cancel your marriage with Seraphina. It has to be carried out accordingly. A fortune teller told me that you and Seraphina are a great match, and that our families will prosper if you both marry. In short..."At the beginning of last year, Renee left Beach City and Stefan had woken up. After that, Francine went to Ninth Mountain to meet a legendary fortune teller to ask about her son. Francine had actually asked the fortune teller about the compatibility between Stefan and Renee before she looked into the compatibility between Stefan and Seraphina. She had to admit that she liked Renee more because she was decisive, capable, responsible, and straightforward. Unfortunately, Renee had suffere
Francine glared at Stefan. "I'll beat him up if he cancels the marriage!"...Meanwhile, Quinton was recovering in another hospital. It was now time to remove the gauze on his face.Renee waited in the ward with her two children and Margaret. Adie and Abby were extremely excited, and couldn't stop asking questions."Did they remove the scar on Uncle's face?" "Did he become a handsome man?""Is he as handsome as Daddy?" "Will we get a beautiful aunt soon?"Renee's head was starting to ache, and she shushed them exasperatedly. "Stop it, you two. He needs rest, so don't disturb him."Quinton leaned back against the bed and smiled at the kids tenderly. "It's fine, I feel better after listening to them. It's more effective than any medicine." Abby walked to Quinton and held his hand, asking gently, "Uncle, have you ever been in love?""Ahem!" Renee quickly stopped Abby. "Abby, don't be rude. He's your uncle." 'Of all the things she could ask him, why that?!'Abby was baffled.
"I don't have a girlfriend but... there's a woman I can't forget," Quinton replied honestly. It was difficult for the children to understand the significance of an unforgettable woman to a man. Renee was the only one who knew who Quinton was referring to. "Quinton, you..." Renee looked at Quinton hesitantly. "Hey, it's a happy day. Let's not think about unhappy things..." Margaret said quickly when she noticed the tense atmosphere. "Mr. Everheart, I'm sure you'll be blessed after surviving this disaster. If you do have someone you can't forget, you should try your best to be with her. If you can't, you can get to know other women; I'm sure many women will fancy you.""That's wishful thinking," Quinton replied calmly, looking distant and melancholic. "Margaret, please take the kids out for a walk. I need to speak to Quinton alone," Renee said to Margaret finally."Okay." Margaret nodded and patted Renee's shoulders, whispering, "Miss Ren, I think Mr. Everheart has changed a lot
The guard stood behind them and urged fiercely, "Get in the car!" Leia felt weak; she looked at Renee and whispered, "Ren, are we going to get in the car? Should we run away? If we leave the fort, we might get killed since we're no longer under Liam's protection.""Calm down." Renee lifted her chin at Leia, calm. "Let's see who wants to meet us. I know what to do." Her curiosity was greater than her fear. She wanted to know who else dared to be this reckless other than Mateo. "Okay, fine." Although Leia was scared, she felt that they could be safe and sound since Renee was around. She stopped overthinking and boldly got into the car.After they got into the car, its engine started and it disappeared in the dark…Meanwhile, Liam and Amber were still talking about Renee and Stefan, whose romance was full of twists and turns.While talking, Liam kept pouring wine for himself. He began to get drunk. "Listen! Renee and I were a great match back then. She trusted no one else but
Leia turned and looked at Renee, who was sitting in bed looking solemn and vigilant. She found it strange."I think this is weird," Renee said solemnly, frowning as she looked at the door of the jail."What's so weird about it?" Leia became confused again. Unlike Renee, she was eager to leave. "Don't you want to go out? The world outside is great! If it weren't for Liam, I would have run away. I think it's normal for them to let us go now.""They might not want to let us go," Renee said coldly, flexing her fingers. "Logically, Mateo wouldn't admit to defeat so soon. I think there might be someone else who wants us to leave.""Someone else?" Leia found herself unable to accept such a thing and grew even more confused. "Who else wants to make things difficult for us in this fort except for Mateo? Is it Amber…? That doesn't seem like it. Who dares to target us by risking the possibility of offending Liam?"Leia knew Liam was considered powerful and influential in the fort. Besides, A
"Really?" Leia instantly breathed a sigh of relief. "I can wait if it's only for two to three days. If it's one day longer, I'll go insane!""Fine, I know you're bored. Read the comic with me. The comics here are pretty interesting. Check this out…" Renee got closer to Leia, sharing the comic book to distract her.They lay in bed together and read the comic to kill time. In half an hour, Leia started feeling sleepy and soon dozed off. Renee was sleepy too, and looked around vigilantly before deciding to take a brief rest. However, she hadn't laid down for long when she heard footsteps getting closer to the room.She wondered who it was. Although she was lying and her eyes were closed, she could sense someone hiding in the dark and observing them closely with a gaze of fierceness and hatred. After a while, the footsteps grew fainter. It seemed the person had gone away. Renee abruptly opened her eyes and looked out of the room. There was nothing strange except for a few guards.
In the silent night, Renee suddenly kept sneezing hard while sleeping."What's wrong with you, Ren? Did you catch a cold?" Leia noticed something wrong with Renee and immediately wrapped a blanket around Renee. At the same time, she glared around the room. "This is so annoying! Why couldn't they let us go? Do they take us as criminals? And this lousy heater isn't working well! It didn't warm you at all! I'll get them!" she hissed. "Come back!" Renee hurriedly pulled Leia back and shook her head. "I'm not cold. I just suddenly sneezed for no reason.""Well, I think someone's gossiping about you," Leia joked. "I think it's Liam. He's telling these people how powerful your background is. Or… It's that scumbag, Stefan. He missed you and regretted it. I bet he's getting emotional now!""Oh, please. You're so imaginative." Renee was amused; she admired Leia for the latter's positivity. Leia was truly warm and optimistic. Leia paced to and fro in the room while looking outside in f
Amber's eyes lit up, showing admiration for Renee. "Ms. Everheart has kids? And they're fraternal twins? She established a company, too? She's awesome! I never expected a woman could be so amazing! She's a great role model for women!"To Amber, the most amazing woman was Luneth, who managed her family well and was lovey-dovey with her husband.Once she heard about Renee from Liam, however, her worldview expanded. She realized that women could still lead incredible lives even after leaving men and romances behind. She could do the same—she could focus on her career instead of her marriage or a man. "Of course! If not, I wouldn't have called her my boss!" Liam couldn't stop talking about Renee, feeling proud. He began reminiscing about Renee's amazing past. "To be honest, she's a great scholar and is talented in the sciences. Plus, she was the top hacker in the world…""Wow, she's amazing!" Amber kept gushing; she had never heard about such things. The two of them spent almost a
"I find their relationship wonderful. Their love is so deep! I envy it—imagine having such a passionate and intense romance!" Amber gushed like a lovestruck fool, her eyes bright.Movies were popular in the fort. Hunt My Everheart gained high popularity there that year. After that movie, Shirley won multiple film awards and Best Actress. Stefan, who acted in it as well, gained a lot of female fans.Fans soon dug up the story behind the movie. Since Amber could use the internet, she could talk about the movie with great familiarity. She had always assumed that Stefan and Renee belonged together. They were the perfect match for each other! She had never considered the possibility that there were other unknown things between them."The movie's nothing but a sham. It's all an act! It's not the same as reality, and you can't believe it at all." Liam had never watched that movie because he held it with disdain. Grumpily, he continued, "Plus, Stefan invested in that movie. Of course
At that time, Amber suddenly realized that there was nothing happier than marrying someone who she loved and who loved her back. The key to an everlasting marriage, which was long and complicated, was not to force herself or her lover."It's great you think that way, but the world might not be as wonderful as you've imagined…" Liam said, melancholic.Amber seemed to have grown up and was no longer the silly young woman who was infatuated with him. She had her thoughts about love and was no longer stubborn about marrying him. She yearned to explore the world and find a new guy. Liam felt that the girl who had always longed for him would finally leave. "The men out there are more wicked than the ones in this fort. There are many cunning and disloyal men. You can't fall in love with just any guy. Someone pure like you will be lied to and bullied. Do you understand?" Liam advised her eagerly, as though he were her senior. He patted her head gently, making her want to rely on him an
Mateo was gone, leaving Liam and Amber alone in the restaurant. Suddenly, awkwardness and silence overcame them. An amorous feeling hovered in the air.Liam finally stopped acting. He chuckled awkwardly and sat up straight, then said to Amber, "Thank you for what you did just now. I wasn't that serious. I was just acting.""I saw that." Amber grinned, teasing him. "I've got to say, you acted well. I thought Matt almost strangled and killed you.""I'm not that weak. Plus, he's not that brave either." A sudden competitiveness gripped Liam; he purposely flexed his arms and acted strong. "Did you think Mateo could fight me? With his physique, I can defeat him with one hand!" "Mm, I think so too. You must be stronger than Matt." Amber nodded, giving Liam her full support. She started to feel that Renee was right to claim that he was just a child."By the way, did you talk to Luneth? What did she say?" Liam asked; he knew that Luneth's attitude was the key to quickly resolving that iss
Amber took a deep breath, her eyes teary. She had long pondered over those words, but was too timid to say them aloud.She wanted to thank Liam for repeatedly insisting that she try to understand herself and reminding her not to take her marriage so callously. After some contemplation, Amber decided to not marry anyone."I won't marry you or Liam. I just want to marry someone I love and who loves me back. Only people who love each other can get married," she said firmly, looking dead serious. Both Mateo and Liam were stunned. Liam stopped acting weak; he held Amber's shoulders and stared at her carefully. "Is that what you truly think?""Yes!" Amber was shocked by the sudden change in Liam and subconsciously leaned backward."That's great! I didn't say those things for nothing. You're finally enlightened!" Liam nodded with gratification. "All I want is for you to understand yourself. There are many messy things and troubles in a marriage. If it isn't supported by love, you'll