"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
Renee wiped away her tears and threw herself at Quinton, hugging his neck tightly. "Uncle, you're so handsome. We want a hug, too!" Adie and Abby were amazed by Quinton's looks too, and tried to reach up to hug him. Children generally loved charming people. When Adie and Abby saw Quinton for the first time, they were frightened by his face and burst into tears, but now, they hugged and kissed him adoringly.It was a beautiful and touching scene. A week later, Quinton recovered and was discharged from the hospital. He instinctively wanted to wear his mask, but was stopped by Renee. "Quinton, you no longer need it..." Renee took his mask and put it in a box, then held his hand and smiled. "Be brave, you're going to be fine." Quinton nodded hesitantly. "I'll try my best." Putting on a mask was like wearing a disguise—behind a mask, you could be somebody else, but without it, everything was out in the open. It wasn't easy for Quinton to adjust to the sudden change. Quinton was n
The slim figure standing beside the pond was none other than Joanne. "Jo… Joanne?" Quinton whispered in disbelief, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Past memories engulfed him, and the image of her wild eyes as she held a knife over him flashed in his mind."Quinton, we'll go to hell together!" Joanne whispered viciously as she held his neck tightly. Quinton had somehow survived, and had managed to swim to a small island nearby. He had been badly injured, and had been nursed back to health by the locals. After that, he had lost contact with Joanne, and eventually received news that she had passed away. His resentment and bitterness grew, making him more paranoid and twisted after years of despair. However, this recent near-death experience had changed him. The second he saw Joanne, it was not hatred that overwhelmed him, but love. Unfortunately, the woman just stared at the pond as if she had not heard Quinton."Jo..." Quinton approached her and tried to
"Hey, what's the matter? You're scaring me. Are you really my brother?" Renee asked teasingly as she held Quinton's face and scrutinized him. After that, she nodded solemnly. "Hmm... You're handsome, so you must be my brother." "Heh. You know I can't get mad at you." Quinton rubbed Renee's head dotingly and left the hospital together with her. Joanne was standing in a corner out of sight, and she watched them until they left. She dug her nails into her skin as her heart throbbed painfully. "Quinton..." Past memories of Quinton doting on her the way he did with Renee flashed in her mind.How had things ended up like this?...The car sped along and finally stopped in front of Everheart Manor. It was once a burned-down manor that frightened people, but after Quinton's meticulous repairs, its liveliness and warmth had returned. Adie and Abby loved the place very much, especially Abby. She needed a good environment because of her asthma, and it wasn't until they moved here that Abby
"Umm... I'll try my best," Quinton replied reluctantly. In the past, he had always dreamed of making a comeback and avenging the parents he had never met before. However, after surviving this disaster, he was no longer as vengeful as he used to be.Chase's disappearance had dealt a great blow to Carmine Pawnshop, and Quinton's position in Beach City wasn't as strong as it was before. Plus, if he wanted to take revenge, there would be collateral damage, and Quinton didn't want to harm his family and friends. He preferred spending peaceful days with his family than fighting; more than anything, he didn't want to lose his family. "What? You're a man, so you should act like one! Your grandfather and father were famous and mighty in Beach City, but how is it that you're such a wimp? You should act like the grandson of a general you are!" Levi was very close to Theodore Everheart, Renee's father, and had been planning to avenge his cousin. He always felt that Renee shouldn't get involved
Quinton reminded Yulia of Eleanor Cruz, Quinton's mother, and it broke Yulia's heart. Yulia felt that the accident might not have happened if she had spent more time with Eleanor back then."Everyone, today's a reunion, and it's a happy event. Let's not make it so tense. Before we plan anything, we should feast first!" Renee exclaimed cheerfully, quickly leading everyone to their seats. She felt that even if they wanted to take revenge, they should be rational about it. Eventually, everyone stopped bringing up the past and started enjoying the food. "Well, I think we should make an announcement to all the people in Beach City that the eldest son of the Everheart family has returned. We can make it a grand ceremony, and I'll even invite all the noble families to it!" Renee declared as she raised her wine glass. She felt that Quinton had suffered a lot in the past and had never been supported by his family, so by doing this, she would give him a sense of belonging and show people how
"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