"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
After such a lovely dinner, Renee suddenly felt like calling Quinton. Usually, she'd come up with an excuse to end calls with Quinton because of her condition, but after tonight, she felt much more relaxed. She had calmly accepted her condition, and bravely called Quinton.After a while, Quinton picked up her call. "Renee, why are you calling? Are you in trouble?" At that moment, Quinton was south of the sea, gathering manpower and materials to go diving for the treasure that had suddenly capsized. He'd been feeling rather defeated because he hadn't gotten anything, and he'd also been worrying that Renee might bump into crooks at Beach City. Unfortunately, he couldn't go home just yet, so he was happy to see that Renee called. However, he couldn't help but feel worried as well because Renee wouldn't call without a reason."You're so pessimistic, Quinton. Can't I call because I want to share something happy with you?" Renee asked teasingly as she sat on the bean bag on the top floor a
"What's the matter, master?" Stefan asked teasingly."Stop messing around. It's serious," Renee grumbled, "I was on the phone with my brother, and I told him that I found a good helper, but he thinks you have ulterior motives and wants to interrogate you. So, you've got to talk to him nicely when you call him later. Don't expose yourself, okay?"Stefan frowned. "Why do you want to keep me a secret?""It's just better to avoid trouble. I told him long ago that I would cut myself off from you, and I've already broken my promise. Forget about my brother being disappointed in me, I'm disappointed in myself!" Renee complained. She thought that she was someone who always kept her word and stuck to her principles, but it seemed like she broke all her rules when it came to Stefan."I'm sure he can recognize my voice. How can I not expose myself?" "Well, you can try to talk in a feminine voice, I'm sure he won't be able to tell... It's perfect since you're a helper too," Renee suggested m
Leia couldn't understand it. Both Renee and Stefan once loved each other passionately. They had soldiered through a lot of difficulties. But when everything became better, they stopped seeing each other. Such separation brought a fatal blow to her views on love. Suddenly, she found herself too timid to give up her heart. After all, it was nothing. People could break up with each other easily."No wonder Xavier refused to come. If he was here, I would have hated him because of Stefan. I'd beat the crap out of him!" Leia was furious, but she couldn't find someone to vent her anger on.The Stuart family was invited to the party too, but Xavier refused to come. He claimed that he would have betrayed Stefan if he had come to the party.However, Stefan was the greatest betrayal of his romance since he remained silent and indifferent. While Leia was still angry, everyone in the hall suddenly fell silent. They stretched their heads to look at the entrance of the hall."The Hunt famil
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Liam muttered guiltily, avoiding Leia's scrutinizing gaze. "You must know what I'm talking about!" Leia refused to let Liam go and went straight to the point. "Look! Because of such a bind, you probably fell in love with Amber, who isn't related to you. Why can't Ren fall in love with Justin after spending a long time with him?""So, what's your point?" Liam didn't refute Leia. He was curious about what she was trying to say. Leia reasonably explained her opinion, "I'm trying to tell you that things might not be as bad as you imagine. Even if you take Ren away and stop this ceremony, things might not be better either."She was too timid to tell Liam that she regarded Renee and Justin's marriage in a favorable light because she found them similar. Similar people could at least lead a stable life though it might not be very passionate and exciting.After leading a wandering life for such a long time, Renee needed steady happiness. It
Liam was impressed while looking at Justin's calm expression. He had always thought that Justin was cunning and full of schemes. He was even worried that Justin might plot against Renee in the future.However, Justin was quite open and generous. He was considering things from Renee's angle. He could be Renee's haven, but if he stepped down, he could willingly grant Renee's wish to be with the one she loved. It seemed that Justin was selfless, and Liam felt that he was worse than Justin. No wonder Renee would choose to spend the rest of her life with Justin. It seemed like he was a reliable man.Justin pocketed his hands and asked casually, "Is there any other problem now?""Not at the moment." Liam frowned in defeat. Since Justin had made such a big compromise, he would seem like a fool if he was too arrogant and refused to give up. A long sigh escaped him as he let go of Renee's hand, but he was still hopeful. He boasted to Justin, "Wait and see! I'll make Stefan appear.""Go
"Let go of her!" Justin turned cold and grabbed Renee's other hand. He said darkly to Liam, "You don't have the right to take her with you!""Hmph! I don't have the right to take her with me? Well, you don't have the right to marry her. I must take her with me today. Worst comes to worst, I'll fight your family!"Though he was too weak to fight the powerful Baldwin family, Liam was never a coward. He would fight the whole world alone for the sake of Renee's happy and stable life."Calm down…"In comparison, Justin was calmer. He was probably more confident since it was his territory and he could affirm Renee would not leave with Liam. He started mocking Liam. "I'm not the kind of person who will force others to do things they refuse to do. If Ren wants to leave, I'll let her go even if my family disowns me. But I know that she won't leave. At the very least, she won't leave with you.""What do you mean?" Liam could tell that Justin was mocking him, and it annoyed him. "Why are
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