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
"A dream?" Abby blinked and asked Stefan innocently, "Was it a nightmare? Were you scared? Did people try to bully you?" "Umm..." Stefan didn't expect Abby to believe him, and smiled helplessly as he said, "I don't know if it's considered a nightmare, but I felt muddle-headed like a zombie. I always felt like I had lost something important, and only after I woke up did I realize that it was all of you.""Mm, I won't blame you for it then… but I feel sad that I wasn't with you when you had that nightmare. Are you angry at me?" Abby asked Stefan seriously as she held his face. Her mother and brother would always stay with her patiently whenever she had a nightmare, and they would hug and comfort her so she wouldn't be scared. However, Stefan had to face that horrible nightmare alone, and Abby, Adie, and Renee even scolded him when he didn't remember them. It made Abby feel like she had wronged Stefan. "Haha! There's no way I'd be mad at all of you, silly… I dote on you all too much
"I know I didn't keep my word in the past and I hurt you all, Adie… but I guarantee that I'll always be with you and protect you as you grow up," Stefan said to Adie sincerely. Stefan noticed Renee's expression grow colder, and quickly said to the children, "Why don't you both go and play? Your mommy is very tired from shopping at the mall today, so I'll take her upstairs to rest. I'll cook your favorite fish and beef later, okay?""Yeah!" Abby jumped around excitedly when she heard that.Adie looked at his parents and said knowingly, "You both want some time alone with each other, don't you? Don't worry, Abby and I won't disturb you. Abby, let's go!"After that, the children ran to the garden to play.Stefan helped Renee up the second floor and into the bedroom, then led her to sit down on the bed. "You've been through a lot today, so why not get some rest? I'll come and wake you up when the food's ready." Stefan was acting like Renee's personal caretaker. Renee couldn't find an
Stefan's words were reassuring, and Renee felt that maybe she was worrying too much about the future. She didn't want to regret wasting this precious time together, so it was probably best for her to take things one step at a time and live in the moment.After speaking to Renee, Stefan went to the kitchen to cook. He was a bit worried because this was the first time he would be cooking for them, and he had to satisfy Renee, Adie, and Abby's tastes. He worked hard in the kitchen, determined to impress them. The children were enjoying themselves in the garden, and they could smell the aroma of Stefan's cooking from time to time.Meanwhile, Renee was lying in bed. She wasn't sleepy, but the incident at the shopping mall had left her mentally exhausted. After a while, she dozed off."Dear? Dear, the food's ready." As she drifted in and out of sleep, Renee heard a low and magnetic male voice. She pulled the blanket around her tightly and muttered something before going back to sleep.
Sparks flew in the room while Adie and Abby waited in the dining room downstairs, but after a while of their parents not appearing, they soon became anxious. Abby frowned and asked, "What's going on, Adie? Why aren't they coming downstairs? The food's getting cold."Baffled, Adie held his chin and racked his brain. "They're not that far from the dining room, so Mommy should be out by now. Is Daddy bullying Mommy?" "No way! We've just forgiven him, but he's bullying Mommy. We have to go and stop him now!"The children were just about to rush upstairs when Margaret exited the kitchen, carrying a soup that smelled delicious. She hurriedly stopped the children when she saw them. "Adie, Abby, you should eat first. I'm sure your parents are just sleeping, so why don't you let them rest?""Sleeping?" Adie found it illogical. "Didn't Mommy nap in the afternoon? Why would she want to sleep again? She hasn't had dinner yet, and I'm afraid she'll be hungry." "Umm, well... She was sleepin
Renee stretched as if she had just woken up, and she said innocently, "Stefan? Why are you in my room? Who let you in, you rogue? What are you talking about? I don't understand at all!"Stefan knew Renee was pretending, and smiled helplessly. He ran his hand through his hair and said in amusement, "Fine, I'm a shameless rogue that snuck into a decent woman's bedroom to be her plaything. But, master, you're awake now, aren't you? Let me take you downstairs for dinner then, okay?" "Fine, I've rested enough anyway. I'll give you the honor of helping me put on my clothes." Renee reached out, waiting for Stefan to help her put on clothes. Stefan got to his feet and turned on the light in the room, then carefully helped her into a pair of comfortable pajamas. As he helped her with her clothes, Stefan was so close to her he could feel her warm breath on his skin, and his heart pounded in his chest. Once Renee was dressed, he held Renee's waist and murmured in her ear, "You're wicked, mas