"What's the rush? There's nothing urgent we have to do. Isn't it nice to relax, have some coffee, and get to know each other better?" Xavier crossed his legs, rested his chin on his hand and watched her, smirking lazily."Don't you have anything better to do, Xavier?" Leia said through gritted teeth. Her patience was running out, and she wasn't as shameless as the mean seated opposite her."Nope, the most important thing for me to do is to be with you," Xavier said flirtatiously as he sipped his coffee."You're crazy!" Leia pretended to vomit at his cheesy line.After a brief silence, Xavier asked casually, "I heard you're going to join a love reality show that's scripted to have you dating Santiago?""It's a rumor!" Leia declared. Xavier's joy lasted less than a second as Leia added proudly, "I'm going to date Mr. Dalton; it's not scripted at all!""Leia Osborne!" Xavier called her by her full name for the first time, his tone threatening."What's the matter, Mr. Stuart?" Lei
"Mr. Dalton!" Leia looked at Santiago with sparkling eyes and eagerly trotted over to him. Standing under the shade of a tree, Santiago was much more handsome and charming than any idol. Leia was completely focused on him, and failed to see the motorbike speeding towards her."Be careful!" Santiago called out anxiously as he grabbed her and they both tumbled away from the bike. They dropped to the ground, locked in each other's arms intimately. Time seemed to have stopped as Leia and Santiago gazed at each other for a few seconds, immersed in their own world. After a while, they pulled away from each other and stood up awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dalton. I wasn't being careful and made you fall." Leia blushed and smoothed her messy hair, not daring to look at him."No, it was my fault for not going to you immediately," Santiago said tenderly. His attire was simple, with a blue jeans shirt and a pair of khaki pants, but his mysterious and charming aura put him in the spotlight wherev
As soon as the news was released, it became the top search on the Internet for days. The media and fans were hungry for news on the show, and Star Entertainment was on guard because today was the signing ceremony for Santiago and Leia. Almost all the members of the company's management department were waiting eagerly for their arrival. Countless party poppers were fired the moment Leia and Santiago stepped into the company, as if the people gathered there were welcoming a newlywed couple. "I'm so glad to see you, Santi, Lei... Let's go to the conference room so you both can sign the contract." Tense, Adam led them to the conference room.There were two men and three women sitting in the conference room, all guests of the love reality show. Some were celebrities, while others were either elites or ordinary people. However, all of them had one thing in common: they were all breathtakingly attractive."Wow, you're so handsome, Mr. Dalton. I've heard so much about you!" Megan Flores
Adam's expression changed and he started wringing his hands nervously, looking conflicted. "What's wrong, Mr. Jiminez?" Leia asked hesitantly. The happy chatter died down and everyone turned to Adam curiously."There's going to be a small change to our show. Initially, we only had three men and four women, but we now have another male guest joining us, giving us a total of four men and four women," Adam announced solemnly as he placed his palms on the desk."Ah! Well, I think it's a good thing to have another male guest because now we'll have exactly four pairs. It's much more interesting this way!" Megan said eagerly."Yeah, she's right. No one will be left behind, and it won't be that awkward either," someone else chimed in. "Yeah, he said that too, but this guest is a bit special. I'm afraid we can't shoot the show normally if he's here," Adam mumbled and sighed deeply. "Which big shot is it? How popular is he that he can even affect the shooting?" Arrogantly, Skylar adde
"Haha! Skylar, you're too much!" Everyone burst out laughing.Adam could only sigh because this was exactly what he was afraid of. Only Santiago could compete with a big shot like Xavier, and the other guests would eventually just fade into the background. Additionally, the show's direction would have to change according to what Xavier wanted, and Adam had a feeling that he and the crew were in for a tough time. He would definitely face backlash from netizens if the show changed too much.Adam's head began to hurt at the thought of it. Xavier glanced at the silent Leia and smiled charmingly. "Can I call dibs on the woman I'm interested in then?" "Wow, it looks like Mr. Stuart came here to capture his target! I'm looking forward to it!" Megan giggled, trying to get on Xavier's good side. She was the most popular female star in the show for a reason, and she sensibly decided to befriend Xavier once she realized he was pursuing someone already. "I wouldn't join something I can't
Xavier's sudden participation in the show unsettled Leia, and she even felt like withdrawing from the show. Santiago noticed Leia's discomfort, and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Do you want to leave? I can run away with you if you want to.""Yes, I do… but Mr. Jiminez will kill us if we do. Plus..." Looking up at him, Leia said shyly, "I don't want to lose this chance to spend time together with you." Santiago smiled warmly at her. "Don't be afraid then. He's just another guest, and we can always ignore him." "Heh. I didn't expect you to be such an easygoing person, Mr. Dalton," Leia laughed, and she and Santiago continued chatting happily, turning the atmosphere lively again.Xavier was seated far away from them, but he could see everything that was going on. His indifferent expression morphed into a cold one, and his eyes narrowed menacingly. "You guys are already whispering to each other? Aren't things moving too fast? You'd better save all that for filming and sign t
"Yeah, what do you mean 'almost in our thirties'? Ren and I are forever eighteen, okay?" Leia declared, ready to start a fight with Quinton.Seeing the two girls gang up on him, Quinton immediately gave in and put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, I was wrong. Both of you will always be eighteen, at least to me... No, it's too much. At most, one of you is three and the other is five."Blinking, Leia asked, "Who is three and who is five?" Both Renee and Quinton smiled at each other, and Quinton chuckled. "Isn't it obvious?" Renee groaned, "Ah, now that I think about it… What if someone bullies you during filming?" "Bullies me?" Clenching her fists, Leia said confidently "Hah! They'll be lucky if I don't bully them!" "Good. Don't forget to practice the self-defense skills I taught you." Renee felt like a mother sending her sheltered daughter off to college. "Don't worry, bestie. I'm just going to shoot a show, I'm not going to war. I'll be fine." After chatting with Renee a w
The nurse looked at Renee and smiled. "No. Are you feeling a bit anxious, Miss Everheart?" Heaving a long sigh, Renee said glumly, "Maybe."Margaret came to the hospital with Adie and Abby in the evening. Adie held Renee's hand warmly and stroked her hair the moment he entered the ward. "Mommy, we're done with school for the day. Are you feeling better?" He asked gently."Yes, I'm much better. I'll be leaving the hospital in no time." Renee touched Adie's cheek. The sight of her children eased her pain much better than any medicine.Looking cute in pigtail braids and a pink denim jumper, Abby carefully handed a cherry tomato to Renee. "I grew a cherry tomato plant at the kindergarten, Mommy, and this is the only tomato that grew. I want you to have it; you'll get better after you eat it.""Don't you want to eat it since there's only one, Abby?" Renee stared at the cherry tomato in Abby's hand as if it was a treasure."No, Mommy, I want you to eat the best food there is. I watere
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,