"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
Quinton felt conflicted as he turned to look at Renee, but ultimately decided not to hide anything. He nodded slowly and admitted, "You really do know me best. You can always tell what's on my mind." "Before this, nobody could even say Joanne's name in front of you, and you were very fierce to me the first time I did. But now... that's no longer the case. You're obsessed with her, and it seems like she has full control of your feelings." Renee didn't know why he had changed so much, especially when it came to his feelings for Joanne. She didn't know if she should tell him the truth or not. Things would be better if Quinton stopped hating Joanne, but Joanne would be in danger if the news of her survival was exposed."Maybe my mind changed after I nearly got killed twice," Quinton remarked casually. "Why?""I was filled with hatred the first time I almost got killed. I told myself that I must survive to take revenge, but this time… I was full of love for all of you. I told myself t
Renee repeated herself, rendering Quinton speechless. Quinton swallowed and clenched his fists, trying to calm himself down as excitement surged in his veins."Quinton, are you... alright?" Renee whispered anxiously when he remained silent."I'm great!" Quinton took a deep breath, then asked eagerly, "Where is she now? What happened to her?""Ah, that's a long story..." Renee explained everything to him, then sighed regretfully. "Back then, it was Liam who calmed the fort master down, giving Joanne and I the chance to escape. If he hadn't done that, they would have taken out Joanne's organs and sold them. However, even when things were tough, she never gave up."The dark zone of The Triangle in Southeast Aeos was a dangerous spot, and a pretty woman like Joanne would've been easy prey for all the merciless sadists there."Stop, I don't want to hear anymore." Quinton's face turned pale, and his body trembled. He was well aware of the kinds of torture in The Triangle, since the Wate
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,