Stefan stared at the drawing in shock, instantly recognizing the woman in the sketch. It was none other than Francine, his mother. It was a younger version of Francine, just like how he remembered her when he was three or four years old. But why was his mother's sketch in Renee's father's workroom?"I'm done making the bed for you, Mr. Hunt." After cleaning up the room, Margaret went to Stefan. She saw the sketch just as Stefan wanted to put it away, and asked curiously, "Do you know the woman in the drawing, Mr. Hunt?""I..." Stefan swallowed, then asked carefully, "Was there any kind of relationship between this woman and Renee's father?""I'm not sure about that, but I know that the late Mr. Everheart cherished this sketch very much. It might be a person he had imagined. Whenever I came to clean this room, I often saw him staring at the sketch in a trance..." Margaret said softly, "The late Mr. and Mrs. Everheart had a very deep relationship and were a match made in heaven. T
After a brief silence, Renee said coldly, "Okay." She wasn't an unreasonable person, and she knew Stefan. He might keep quiet, but he would never lie.Seeing how good the weather was, Stefan suggested to Renee, "What would you like to eat today? We can go to the nearby market to get some fresh ingredients, and I'll cook for you.""You want to cook for me?" Renee asked doubtfully, "Are you sure you won't burn down my kitchen?""Trust me, I've been studying recipes lately, so I'm good at cooking now," Stefan said confidently. While recuperating at the hospital, he had put his work aside to figure out what he could do for Renee after meeting her. He wanted to sit with her in the sun and enjoy the breeze. He also wanted to cook a lot of nice food for her, which was why he had ordered Elijah to buy him a lot of cookbooks. He had studied many delicious dishes to cook for Renee after getting back together with her because he didn't want to see her so slim. "You're too thin; it might be rel
Both Renee and Stefan arrived at the nearby mall. After Stefan had parked the car, he opened the door for Renee and helped her out of the car. They had changed into casual clothes with caps, making them look like a normal couple who went there to buy ingredients after work. They gave off the same elegant aura, making them look like a perfect match. Renee unconsciously depended on Stefan to get around because the place was unfamiliar to her, and held his arm tightly, not daring to let go."What would you like to eat?" Stefan kept his head low and whispered in Renee's ear tenderly."Adie loves eating fish, and Abby loves eating beef. And I'm not a picky eater," Renee said after a while. She was willing to go out with him because she wanted to tell him about the children's preferences. If anything happened to her one day, at least she knew he would take good care of the children. "But we're going to buy the kids' favorites as well as yours," Stefan insisted, again asking Renee what sh
"Okay, come back as soon as you can." Renee bit her lip and sat down again. She didn't want to be in that bloody and smelly place, so she decided to wait alone for Stefan for a while. It was something she had to learn to get used to because Stefan would leave one day, and Renee would only get hurt if she clung to him too much. Renee's other senses were heightened after she went blind, and she could feel many people walk past her. They were probably staring at her like she was a monster. After a while, something soft suddenly touched her hand."What is that?" Startled, she quickly pushed the thing away.She then heard a boy cry loudly. "Waah! Mommy, that woman pushed me! Beat her up!" It was actually a boy who was trying to see if Renee was truly blind, and he started crying when he got pushed to the ground. The boy's mother was snatching discounted products at the discount section, but she immediately ran over when she heard the noise. She was quite plump and overbearing. "What h
At first, Renee was calm and confident, but she panicked the moment she lost her sunglasses. It was as if her most hideous scar had been exposed, and feeling self-conscious, she couldn't fight back and just wanted to hide. She squatted on the floor and searched for her sunglasses anxiously. "Where are my sunglasses? Can anyone... help me find my sunglasses?" She felt around the floor frantically, trembling and sobbing pitifully. Feeling bold, the crowd immediately started criticizing Renee. "Hmph, now you're panicking! Weren't you being rude earlier? People like you are asking for a beating!""What's the big deal if you're blind? That doesn't mean you can bully people! Plus, no one knows how you became blind. We shouldn't show you any pity!"Not only did they not help Renee pick up her sunglasses, but they even purposely kicked it further away from her.When that fat woman realized that Renee was blind and the onlookers were supporting her, she became cocky. She grabbed Renee's
Renee buried her head in Stefan's chest and clung to his shirt, refusing to let go. Stefan's embrace had become her sanctuary, and she wasn't afraid as long as she was in his arms. Stefan looked around for Renee's sunglasses but failed to locate them.At last, it was a girl who found the sunglasses in a far corner and obediently handed them to Stefan. "Here... The lady's sunglasses," the girl said politely. "Thank you." Stefan took the sunglasses from her and gently put them on for Renee.Renee remained silent. Now that she had her sunglasses on, her fear and despair slowly faded away. However, she still didn't move or let go of Stefan's shirt. She thought that she was strong and mentally prepared for the hardships to come, but she didn't realize people could be so wicked. The way those people bullied and humiliated her felt like a nightmare that would never go away. "There, there, it's okay now. I'm here. No one can hurt you," Stefan murmured softly, talking to her as if she w
Plop! That plump woman got down on her knees in front of Renee and hit her head against the floor, begging for mercy. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn't have vented my anger on you both. Please forgive and punish me." When she saw how domineering and unafraid Stefan was, she figured that Stefan and Renee probably came from strong backgrounds. If she didn't bow down now, she might face more serious consequences later. "Let's go." Renee tugged at Stefan's clothes and whispered, "I don't like it here… I want to leave." The previous incident was a blow to her pride, and she disliked the crowd that had gathered to watch. "But that woman..." Stefan was furious, and wanted to teach that impolite woman a lesson for bullying Renee."She's not important," Renee said coolly. "It's just human nature to bully the weak, so there's no point even if you kill her." There was only one thought in her mind, and that was to leave. She was tired of being stared at like an animal in a zoo."Okay, let
"You don't know, do you? Vases are the rarest things in the world. They make a place more beautiful just by being there, and it's very easy for people to like them. People will even sacrifice for them and cherish them like any treasure in the museum, so be a good vase and stop overthinking. Just enjoy how we care for you." Stefan said everything he could to console Renee, and all his words were sincere. He had always wanted to take care of Renee, but she was fiercely independent and a perfectionist. She never let him have the chance to take care of her, and would protect him instead. However, now that this had happened, Stefan had finally found his long-lost sense of existence and self-worth."But I don't want to..." Renee exhaled sadly. "No one wants to be a vase and let others decide their fate. Plus, no one will take care of someone for the rest of their lives. Everyone in this world has something they need to do, and they won't stop for someone else.""Are you doubting my sinceri
Mateo swallowed. "Yes, I'm aware of that. The Stuart family has been investing in a lot of entertainment properties in Southeast Aeos in the recent few years. They're controlling more than half of the TV stations. Their power and influence are incomparable.""Looks like you keep up with the current events. Are you involved in the entertainment field too?" Liam asked.He had easily gained the result he wanted with just a few words. He faked a smile and looked at Mateo, who was panicking.Mateo glanced at him and said grumpily, "All that Master ever asks us to do is indecent. If we don't have any people in the media, we're doomed."The Triangle was never governed by the law, but public opinion was a dangerous weapon. If they went over the line and got reported by the media, international law would get involved. Naturally, it would affect their business.The Stuarts did decent business like the Osbornes and might appear easy to control. However, they couldn't be offended casually—a
Because of Liam's declaration, he and Mateo failed to reach a consensus.Mateo's gaze grew colder and more sinister, and he glared fiercely at Liam. "Fine. There's nothing to talk about between us.""No, you're wrong." Liam calmly swayed the wine glass. "You can get down on your knees and say sorry. Maybe I'll let you off by then!""How dare you!" Mateo could no longer take it—he pushed all the cutleries on the table to the floor and pointed angrily at Liam. "You refused my kindness. I won't go easy on you!""Just come at me. I'll wait," Liam shot back provocatively. He knew Mateo well—the man was wicked and cautious, but also cowardly. Under these circumstances, he wouldn't act recklessly. Hence, Liam wasn't afraid to infuriate him. Renee was right. Mateo had done so many things to control Liam. As long as Liam remained calm, Mateo couldn't do anything to Renee and Leia. "You think I won't do that?" Mateo clenched his fists and snarled fiercely, "I'll break one of their fing
Liam casually twirled the wine glass in his hand and asked Mateo coldly, "So, you won't stop until you marry Gem?""Not just that." Mateo tore off a drumstick and bit into it, then cracked a cunning sneer. "Marrying Amber is always in my plans. I'll marry her even if you're not involved. Tonight, I want to talk to you about the few territories in your hands.""The territories in my hands?" Liam frowned. Initially, he was confused—then, he understood it and chuckled. "What territories? I just work for Mr. Jenkins. The territories we took in belong to him. You'd better ask them from him instead of me. That's more straightforward."When Liam and Amber decided to fake their marriage, Benjamin focused on training Liam. In the process, he gave Liam a lot of power and authority.Liam didn't fail Benjamin. He did a great job even with his limited power. In half a year, he took three territories, namely the East River, West River, and South River. The three territories came with an importan
"Just forget about it?" Luneth fell into a daze when she heard Amber's words. She glanced at Amber darkly before letting out a twisted laugh. Then, she shook her head."No, I can't let it go just like that! Grady was hurt. How can I call myself a mother if I let it go like that? I must make the two people who hurt Grady pay dearly!"Luneth's expression shocked Amber. She subconsciously swallowed and asked, "Well, how will you handle it?" "I told Mateo to lock them up. When Grady's condition stabilizes, I'll make them pay!" Luneth's eyes shone with fury and vengeance, and she gnashed her teeth. "They hurt Grady, so I'll give them a taste of their medicine! I won't break their limbs or cut off their tongues. I'll just cut their foreheads and tear off their scalps! What do you think?""You want to…tear off their scalps?" Terror gripped Amber when she heard Luneth's plan. An awkward laughter escaped her. "Isn't that too ruthless? If they didn't do it on purpose, I don't think you sh
Amber grabbed some tissues beside her and carefully covered the scratch between her brows. She kept calm in hopes that she could make Luneth let down her guard. She knew very well that Liam, Renee, and Leia would be doomed if she didn't stop Luneth from telling Benjamin and Macsen about this incident. Although her face hurt badly from the teacup, it was nothing compared to their safety. "I'm sorry, Gem… I didn't do it on purpose. I was too angry and scared!" Luneth realized how aggressive she had been, and apologized to Amber in sobs. At the same time, she complained piteously, "You know how hard it was for me to get a child. Grady is very dear to Macsen and me. We don't even speak loudly to him or beat him up. But today, someone pressed him to the ground and beat him up. There's such a large hole in his head! The doctors told me that we needed to take good care of his wound. If it gets infected or he gets tetanus, the bacteria or virus might invade his brain and turn him mentall
Luneth was staying in the southeast of the fort. Her house was a uniquely styled traditional cottage. Upon arriving, Amber could hear a woman crying from afar. Many servants, doctors, and women were standing in front of Luneth's room. Amber walked toward Luneth's servant Jayna Bowie, and asked carefully, "Hello, is Aunt Luneth around?" "Ms. Jenkins, come another day. Mrs. Klein is crying sadly now. She's furious. I'm afraid you might be harmed if you go in," Jayna advised kindly.Those standing in a row at the door were trying to comfort Luneth. However, they were quickly rebuked and became too timid to approach her."It's fine." Amber was aware of her aunt's temper. Smiling, she kept moving forward. "I heard Grady got hurt. As his cousin, I need to see him. Plus, Aunt Luneth always treats me nicely. She won't be angry at me.""Ms. Jenkins, you don't know how serious this is. There's a big hole in the boy's head. The doctor said it might affect his intelligence. Mrs. Klein beca
After that, Amber looked at Liam, who kept silent the whole time. She tried to make Liam say something nice. "See, Liam? I told you, Matt's a great guy. He was just joking with us in the orchard to scare us. I'm sure he'll take our sides and protect us. Don't worry.""Is that so?" Liam glanced at Mateo and faked a smile. "Well, I should thank him properly."The air between them grew awkward, but Liam didn't care. He wanted to make Mateo uneasy and force the latter to expose his true self.Amber was simple, but Liam was no fool. Mateo's acting was smooth, but he couldn't trick Liam.Moreover, Mateo was the one who came up with that scheme. He wouldn't let anyone expose it—he wanted to be the one to do it."Okay, aren't we going to get a drink? Let's go. I'll make the chef cook us something nice." Mateo enthusiastically held Liam's shoulders and dragged him forward. At that moment, he turned icy. "If you're a man, stop involving Gem if you want to fight against me. Stop showing of
Liam was no fool. He immediately understood the profound meaning behind Renee's words and stopped saying too much. "Fine, be good. You guys are just taking a rest. I'll handle this well. Wait for my news."He knew very well that the conclusion would be the same regardless if Renee and Leia had offended Luneth's son or the child of an ordinary villager. Mateo simply wanted to use that method to control him. The only way to solve this was to defeat Mateo. However, based on the current situation, Mateo had a lot of followers in the fort. It would be difficult for Liam to defeat him.Luckily, Liam wasn't an easy target either. He had been winning people over these days. That, and he was close with Benjamin's other foster sons. If both parties were to get into a fight, he still had a chance to win.After confirming that Renee and Leia were fine, Liam left the cell. Mateo was waiting outside, grinning triumphantly. He sneered sarcastically, "What do you think? I was telling the trut
"No, I'm not!" Liam raised his hand to swear. "Trust me. They're just best friends. They're not in that kind of messy relationship. Both of them have a guy they're madly in love with.""I see." Amber watched how Renee and Leia fooled around intimately with each other in the cell. They looked like they were about to kiss! She shook her head and said, "What a pity! They look so lovey-dovey, better than many novels I read about where the women love each other.""You're hopeless!" It was rare for Liam to see such a straightforward and cute side of Amber. Amused, he poked her forehead and sighed. "Stop reading those messy novels! It's harmful."Their actions were loud and finally attracted Renee's attention in the cell."Liam!" Renee, pressed to the chair by Leia, couldn't escape. Finally, she grabbed a chance to leap up and walk to the door.Well… It wasn't a door. Rather, they were iron bars preventing them from escaping.The decoration and facilities in the room weren't bad. Be