"What do you think I'll do?" Stefan crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, smiling wickedly."How would I know..." Renee tried to get her phone and warned him coldly, "Get out now or I'll call somebody." "Give up. You can't reach anybody at this time because I've stopped them all." Stefan laughed at Renee's naivety. Of course, he would have ways to stop others from coming since he had come to Renee's ward at this hour. "Yeah, you're right." Renee put her phone down and laid back on the bed with a sigh, then closed her eyes. "Go ahead if you want to take revenge. You can break my neck, and I won't even be able to stop you." Stefan frowned unhappily and scoffed, "Do you really think I'm that wicked?""No, I didn't say you're wicked..." Realizing he meant her no harm, Renee opened her eyes and glanced at him. "But we all know how vindictive you are, and you'll never allow yourself to suffer any losses. It's only fair for you to want to break my neck.""Oh, so being fair i
Renee held the bedsheet tightly and purposely criticized him to make him regain his wits because she was afraid that he would take liberties with her.Unfortunately, Stefan's wits helped him see through her trick. He murmured teasingly, "You've got me all wrong. I'm not a gentleman, and I am petty enough to use any means necessary to get what I want. I'd be a fool if I didn't enjoy the grand feast laid out before me." After that, he purposely slid his fingers across her collarbone and unbuttoned the first button of her hospital gown. More of her skin was exposed, and Stefan's gaze darkened with desire. "Stefan, I'll never forgive you if you don't stop this right now!" Renee exclaimed, her voice high-pitched with panic. "Weren't we a couple in the past? Although I seem to have forgotten everything about you, we must have been intimate given our relationship. Don't you think you're overreacting?" Stefan said casually, offering her a lazy smirk."So what if we were once a couple? Do
The atmosphere in the silent ward became tense, and after a while, Stefan finally bit out, "I've got to hand it to you—you had two kids secretly. I'm definitely a failure compared to you." "Thank you for your praise. You should hurry up and marry Miss Murphy so you can have lots of kids and catch up with me." Renee didn't care if he misunderstood her because she wanted to cut him out of her life. "I don't want kids," Stefan said icily."Why? Haven't you had enough fun already? Are you worried that you'll be bound by the kids?" Renee glanced at him while sighing. "Don't have kids if you don't want to—they're a big responsibility. You need to love them wholeheartedly and give up a lot for them, which might be tough for a self-centered person like you who likes their freedom. Your kids will suffer if that happens."As an experienced person, she was well aware of what a child meant to an adult. An adult had to sacrifice a lot to raise a child, and they had to shower the child with se
Stefan's reply was blunt: "If I was Justin, I would try my best to take the children, but I wouldn't force their mother.""Really?" Renee was filled with disappointment. Stefan was different from Justin—even if Justin didn't have children with her, he would still prioritize her. However, Stefan wouldn't think about her at all even if he had two children with her. Maybe it was a good thing that he had lost his memory, or else it would be a fierce battle with the Hunts competing for the children's custody."It's late. Can you go now since you've enjoyed witnessing my misery, Mr. Hunt?" Suddenly, Renee's mood turned foul, and she wanted to be left alone.Stefan got up and said indifferently, "Yeah, I should go now..." He took two steps, but stopped and said softly, "I would definitely try to force her to be with me… if it was you." "What?" Confused, Renee wanted to ask him what he meant, but Stefan had already left. Stefan clenched his fists in frustration as he walked away. His me
The phone rang for a long while but nobody picked up her call."Damn it! What's he doing? Why isn't he picking up my calls?" Seraphina snarled furiously. Before Ethan entered her room, she had tried to call him, but there had been no answer either. Had he blocked her number? Was he using another number?"Don't tell me he's dead!" Frustrated, Seraphina continued breaking things. Finally, right when she had lost all hope, that person called back. "What's the matter?" He sounded exasperated and annoyed, as if he wanted to end the call right away."Where the heck did you go, Jovan? I called you so many times!" Seraphina snapped. If this hadn't been an emergency, she wouldn't have wanted anything to do with him. "I asked you what's wrong." Jovan's voice was icy. Seraphina stopped behaving arrogantly and whispered, "Stefan has gotten suspicious and has hired a very capable neurosurgeon to have another brain surgery. Won't it expose what we did?""It doesn't matter to me. After all
Seraphina took a deep breath and decided to take a risk for the sake of her happiness. Right before Jovan could hang up on her, she quickly asked, "Out of curiosity, where have you been hiding recently? Didn't you promise to take Renee away from Beach City? Why is she still strutting around here? I'm afraid she'll get involved with Stefan again if you don't step in; you would've given up your eyes and blood to Stefan for nothing then!"Seraphina couldn't understand Jovan's willingness to give up his eyes and blood to save the man Renee loved, which had ultimately turned him into a useless man. People would certainly call him a naive and lovestruck fool. Even Seraphina felt that she had to hand it to him because she would never make such sacrifices for Stefan. Unfortunately, Jovan's sacrifices had only gotten him half a year with Renee. After that, she did whatever she wanted, and his sacrifices became futile. It was really pitiful!"It's none of your business. Plus, I'm not you—I lov
"No, it's fine." Jovan sounded gloomy and pathetic. An existence like this made him wonder if he was still alive, and he had no courage to meet Renee again. He sighed and said lightly, "I decided to leave her to set her free, and I don't regret it."Knowing Renee's character, she would not say no if he wanted to use her guilt to make her take care of him for the rest of his life. She would've readily abandoned her brother she had just been reunited with, her children, and her career half a year ago to lead a secluded life with him in Varangia, if Jovan had asked. During those six months, she took care of him as if he was a baby and never complained. Jovan felt it was enough; in his opinion, it had been more than worth it giving up his eyes and body in exchange for having her by his side for that time. Those memories were something he looked back on fondly, and he couldn't ask for more. However, Eloise couldn't figure out why the smart, sensitive, and competitive Jovan had become s
Eloise's tone was filled with trepidation. "She fell..." Jovan's heart pounded in his chest, and he didn't dare think about it. He took a deep breath and ordered, "Go to her hospital now and ask around. I want accurate information on this.""I can do that, but I'm the only one taking care of you now. Is it alright if I leave you alone?" Worried, Eloise watched his desolate form. She regretted telling him about it, seeing how troubled he was."Don't bother. I won't be okay if she's not. Go now," Jovan urged her anxiously."Alright." Eloise was about to leave but Jovan quickly added, "Wait, the sunflowers seem to have bloomed in the backyard. Do pick a bouquet for her; I'm sure it'll smell nice.""Okay, I will." Seeing the tenderness in his eyes made tears roll down Eloise's cheeks. She felt that people shouldn't fall in love so easily. In the past, Jovan was a very rational person, but now, he was merely a lovestruck fool who had sacrificed everything for his unrequited love. He h
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,