"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 person you would never meet again..." Clenching her fists, Renee yearned to ask Quinton if it was Joanne, but didn't, knowing it was a sensitive topic."Let's talk about you instead, shall we?" Quinton said suddenly and flashed a smile at Renee. "I heard that the neurosurgeon operated on me because of Stefan. Do you owe him a favor now, or is it me?" While peeling the apple, Renee's hand shook, and she cut her finger. It started bleeding.Quinton's eyes grew wide, and he said anxiously, "Renee, are you alright? Let me have a look." He tried to get out of bed, but Renee held him down. She sighed and casually wrapped her finger with tissue. "It's no big deal. I'm not that delicate."After that, she continued peeling the apple and cut it into small pieces. She picked up a piece with a toothpick and handed it to Quinton. "Eat this." Quinton obeyed her and bit into the apple. After that, he said, "Don't avoid the subject. How should we return Stefan's favor?""It's unnecess
"Umm, that..." Renee knew what Quinton meant—he wanted her to get back together with Stefan. She might have considered that in the past, but now, she knew that they had no future together. She couldn't accept a sinister and cunning man who tried to kill her brother, and anyway, Stefan and his family would never accept a person who had nearly killed him several times. Even if she tried to ignore him, she still saw news related to Stefan.[The president of Hunt Group was attacked! His life is in danger, and he's in a coma!]Those headlines were a constant reminder that she'd nearly killed Stefan. A vast chasm separated Stefan and Renee, and even their past together couldn't bridge the gap. Besides, he had forgotten all about her, so their past together was practically nonexistent now."Renee, don't stress. If you guys love each other, don't hold back. Don't be like me, and sacrifice your dignity for a lifetime's worth of regret." Quinton looked crestfallen again. "She hated me even be
Liam felt that his situation at the fort was almost the same as Renee's current situation. He had thought that the marriage was just for show. If he was unhappy, he could get a divorce. Even then, things were not that easy when he wanted to get out of that mess. If Amber had not protected him, Benjamin would have long gotten him killed. He knew better than anyone else how unfair it was for the other party when one tolerated and went through with the marriage.Amber was naive and was willing to be treated unfairly, but Justin was no fool. He would not be able to take it if it lasted for a long time. It was easy to imagine what Renee would face when Justin stopped taking her side."Let's go! I'm not afraid. You don't have to be afraid, either." Liam made up his mind to support Renee, who was standing behind him.Renee bit her lips and started to waver; not because she did not want to be with Justin, but simply because she was not confident in herself. She was afraid she would neve
"Liam, what are you doing?" Leia looked at Liam, unable to understand his sudden excitement."I'm going to meet Austin or Justin. I want them to cancel this engagement ceremony." Liam held Renee's wrist and tried to drag her out of the suite.He was certain Renee didn't want to marry Justin, so it was very likely that she would regret it in the future. It would be hard to settle if she regretted it after the engagement party. Liam felt that he had to try his best to put everything under control while he still could. Feeling helpless, Leia complained, "Stop making a scene… This is Ren's marriage. You can't make all this fuss!""You don't know. I'm doing this for her. I want the best for her." Liam knew the consequences of resisting Austin, given the man's position. He was also ready to be punished by them. Even though he would be beaten up vigorously, he would not hesitate as long as he could stop the ceremony and help Renee avoid such risks. "If you want the best for her, just
Leia felt so awkward that she wanted to run away. "Hey, can you stop flattering yourself? You haven't settled your messy romance, so please don't get Ren involved. You shouldn't joke like that!"Similarly, Liam found his joke impudent and admitted to his mistake. "Yeah, I was wrong. Don't take my joke seriously."Both Renee and Leia were amused. It helped relieve their tension. "But have you thought it through? After this ceremony, you'll be a part of the Baldwin family. You can't regret it by then," Liam said; he was worried about Renee. Everyone knew the Baldwin family's style. They had such a grand ceremony today. If anything went wrong, the Everheart family might be ruined for the second time. Although nobody knew who would win the battle, the trouble could be avoided. Liam was clueless as to why Renee wanted to take such a risk."Yes, I have." Renee nodded and added firmly, "I'd thought it through the moment I boarded the plane with Justin to fly here."It was the last c
Renee was done getting ready. As her closest friend, Leia came to North City with Liam immediately.The engagement ceremony was held in a magnificent hall of a top hotel. The guests arrived one by one and chatted among themselves. It was a luxurious and grand scene. "Ren, I'm sorry I'm late!" Leia arrived at the hotel suite where Renee was waiting. She put her hands together to express her apology. "It's Liam's fault! He was out of his mind and insisted on not coming here, but I forced him to and took some time. Please don't be mad at me!""Silly, I won't be mad at you. Plus, this ceremony doesn't carry much meaning. The Baldwin family just needs this as an assurance. It doesn't matter even if you're absent."Renee looked indifferent and was not at all happy and eager like a bride-to-be. The engagement ceremony was held to announce to the world about the relationship between her and Renee. In all honesty, Renee was resistant to it. She did not want her family or friends to at
Margaret decided to be frank since Renee had said so. "I can tell that you don't sincerely love Mr. Baldwin. Your marriage is just a way to avoid reality. Why are you so harsh on yourself if that's the case? Now, you're making such a big fuss about moving here. If you fail to get along with him and have to return to Beach City in the future, many people will gossip about you. They'll say nasty things about you. Why do you have to put yourself in such a condition?""Margaret, you don't understand…" Renee looked at herself in the mirror. She looked very charming, like a bride in ancient paintings. Everyone would be charmed by her—including herself. She knew very well that she was the one taking the lead in her romance with Justin. They could go on forever as long as she didn't end it. She was just afraid she could not hold on and wanted to stop, and the only reason that she wanted to stop was probably because of Stefan. "If I stay in Beach City, I'll come across Stefan. I know t
Time passed by. It was soon the day for the engagement ceremony between Justin and Renee.The Baldwin family held a grand ceremony while adhering to tradition. It was both traditional and romantic.Renee put on a red slim-fit silk gown with intricate black and gold embroidery. Her long hair was delicately pinned up, showing off her fair and slender neck. She looked elegant."How pretty!" Margaret stood in front of the vanity table and looked at Renee, whose face was dolled with exquisite makeup. She looked gratified, as though she were looking at her daughter."If your parents saw how pretty and elegant you were, they would be very happy." Margaret gently placed her hands on Renee's shoulders and commented, "You married Mr. Hunt when I wasn't around. You must have suffered a lot. But things will get better now… I'll stay with you and protect you forever. I'll be your strongest support."Back then, Renee was left alone when her family was ruined. She married Stefan without anyo
Alexander and Francine were already old. It was fine even if others criticized them or took violent revenge on them. But they were worried that the younger generation, especially Adie and Abby, would have a hard time handling it."You're right. I wasn't thinking straight…" Francine became teary and sobbed. "I just wanted to relieve my guilt and failed to consider the kids. We brought this upon ourselves. I'll probably have to suffer this pain for the rest of my life.""Stop thinking about that. It's all over. It's useless to regret or dwell on it." Alexander walked over and hugged her shoulders. He whispered some consoling words, "No one can tell who was right or wrong about that affair. We're already punished. Just act like everything is gone…"Is it? You're just trying to make yourself feel better." Francine leaned against Alexander's shoulders, full of melancholy. "Don't you think the kids are suffering the consequences of our actions? They love and understand each other bu
"No, I'm not going to snatch away the bride." Stefan put his fork down and stood up. He added calmly, "Plus, I'm going to give them a huge wedding gift."Flabbergasted and shocked, Francine's face stiffened. "I'm full. Just enjoy your meal." Stefan went past Francine and headed upstairs to his room. Francine and Alexander watched Stefan's upright but desolate back for a long time, unable to snap back to reality."Alexander, is there something wrong with him? Should we get an exorcist? He's acting weird!"Francine could not accept to see Stefan that generous all of a sudden. His woman was snatched away, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he wanted to buy the couple a big wedding gift. She couldn't come up with any other possibility except that Stefan was crazy or possessed. "I can understand him." Suddenly, Alexander became sad as if he recalled his past. He looked gloomy as he added, "Sometimes, letting go is a kind of happiness. Helping the others to be together is true l
"How could you!" For a moment, Timothy was rendered speechless. After all, his anxiety was useless since Stefan was calm. "Forget it. I'm not eating. It's annoying! I'm going upstairs." Timothy did not want to argue with Stefan since Stefan was already an adult. He could not force Stefan to do anything. Instead, he chose to get away from such annoyance to not ruin the harmony of the New Year. After he got up and left, Francine braced herself to mediate the situation."Your grandpa isn't very healthy. He should rest early. Let's eat. We should enjoy our meal happily no matter how unhappy things are." Alexander soon gave his cooperation as well when he heard that. He put some food on Stefan's plate and smiled. "Yes, we can't force things in life. Let's enjoy our meal first." "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry you guys are worried about me. Happy New Year."Stefan quietly ate and raised his wine glass, toasting to his parents. He looked normal and calm, and was warmer toward them.However,