Jovan was getting more and more agitated. He had gotten what he wanted, but somehow, it felt like a loss.However, Stefan just ignored Jovan. While packing up his things, he fished his phone out and called Renee. His expression softened the moment the call was answered. "Hello, dear. How are you feeling today? What would you like to eat? I'll cook for you after I get home from work." Renee said something, making Stefan smile very sweetly. Before he hung up, he blew her a kiss, and he looked like a young boy in love.Jovan stared at Stefan in shock, watching his aloof cousin acting like a lovestruck fool. As Stefan was about to leave, Jovan blocked his way. "I heard that you've made up with Renee. Didn't you forget about her? Why are you back with her so quickly? Are you going to hurt her again?"Stefan and Renee had fallen out with each other, but in only one or two months, they had gotten back together and were more lovey-dovey than ever. Jovan found it unacceptable. He had tried
Stefan returned to Everheart Manor right after the minute the meeting was over. He used to be a workaholic who always worked overtime until midnight, but now he was a good family man who didn't want to work overtime for even a minute. Since the president behaved that way, all his staff stopped working overtime too, creating a very good working environment for the company.On his way home, Stefan bought a bouquet and a good steak because he wanted to have a candlelight dinner with Renee that night. Although he was away for only half a day, it felt like half a year to him, and he missed Renee dearly. Coincidentally, Abby and Adie were away for two days because of a school trip, so Renee was alone at home with a female caretaker called Tess Perez, who was responsible for taking care of Renee. "Mr. Hunt, you're home." Tess was only a part-timer, so once Stefan got back, she packed up to leave.Stefan looked around the living room and the manor, but there was no sight of Renee. He turne
Renee picked up the bouquet from the table and hugged it, smiling happily. "Are these roses? They smell so good. I'm sure they're very pretty." "I saw them on the way here. Roses suit you well because you're as pretty and passionate as them," Stefan said charmingly to Renee."You're so different now—everything you say is romantic! You never said anything like this in the past," Renee complained shyly. In the past, Stefan was serious and reserved, and never even spoke much to her. Things had not been easy for them all these years, so Renee cherished these moments greatly. Stefan helped Renee cut the steak up, knowing she might have a bit of difficulty with it.Renee lowered her head to eat, and pretended to ask nonchalantly, "Was it difficult for you during today's meeting?"Stefan paused and replied calmly, "Being president has never been easy. I'm used to it.""They must have made things difficult for you. After all, the internal conflicts in your company are now on the news."
Stefan's reaction frightened Renee, and she realized she had gone too far. "I'm sorry. I just... didn't want you to regret it in the future," Renee mumbled. She knew he was a privileged man who was used to power and respect. If he one day became an outcast because of family and love, she would be heartbroken. She didn't want to see him sad."It's up to me if I'll regret it or not. I'm an adult, and I can tell what's important to me." Stefan held Renee's hand and said tenderly, "Our love is like a crystal—it's beautiful and pure but very fragile. We need to take care of it together; I don't want to see the love we finally found disappear. Can you have a little confidence in me?" "Okay, I'll stop trying to persuade you. We'll face the storm together." Renee took a deep breath, wondering if she was convincing him or herself. Honestly, she was the one with the most doubts and fears. Back then, she was brave because she still had her sight, and she knew she could help Stefan face any cha
As a man, he hated saying sentimental things and crying, but he had done both countless times because of Renee. Stefan felt that he would be at her mercy for the rest of his life..."Hmph! It's good that you know it. Listen—I'm the best wife in the world, so you have to love me forever." After that, Renee held his neck and kissed him. The alcohol made her feel relaxed, and exposed her true desires. She had been wanting to kiss Stefan for ages, but was always too shy to. However, thanks to the wine, she could freely kiss him to make up for their long separation."Mm, you... you're drunk, right?" Stefan knew that this enthusiasm only appeared when she was dreaming or drunk. Stefan was flattered, but didn't dare to respond to her kisses for fear of scaring her."That's not important. I just want to kiss you today." Renee held Stefan's face and kissed him so intensely that they both tumbled off the chair."Should we... go upstairs?" Stefan asked hoarsely, breathing hard. "Sure." Grip
"Tess?" Renee asked hesitantly. It could only be Tess, but Renee became cautious when there was no answer. She asked coldly, "You're not Tess?""It's me, Ms. Everheart." Finally, Tess spoke, but she didn't sound like her usual lively self.Frowning, Renee asked, "Is something wrong?""Nothing. I... Something happened with my family." Tess tried to sound more cheerful as she asked, "What can I do for you, Ms. Everheart?""Oh, get the loose-knit sweater on the left side of the wardrobe for me.""Okay." Tess nodded and walked over to the wardrobe and got the sweater, then handed it to Renee. Renee took the sweater and put it on skillfully. Although she was blind, she could take care of herself just fine. In Tess' opinion, it was easier to work for Renee than other healthy employers. She also genuinely liked Renee, but… Tess sighed as she stared at her beautiful and kind employer. It was time to go downstairs for breakfast. She usually prepared a glass of milk, whole-wheat toast, an
However, Renee knew that something must be troubling Tess, so she didn't want to ask her anything further.In the afternoon, Margaret came home with the two children, and Tess clocked out of work. Tess carried her bag and walked on the empty street with a troubled mind. Every step she took felt heavy. When she reached the door of her house, someone blocked her way."Did you do what I asked you to?" The woman wore black clothes and a large hat that hid more than half of her scarred face."I did what you asked. When are you going to let my mother go?" Tess sobbed as she begged the woman."Keep doing it. I'll let your mother go in ten days." The woman grabbed Tess' collar and threatened her, "Don't you dare play any tricks, you hear? Your mother is doomed if you miss a day or add a lower dosage. Do you understand?" "Y-Yes." Tess swallowed and dared not disobey her. Only then did the woman let her go, and turned to leave."Wait!" Tess stopped her."What do you want?" "I want to a
After falling into the pond and being bitten by a sea snake, Leia suffered from temporary shock and was hospitalized. She was lucky that she survived, but the show had to be paused. The netizens had many discussions about her love triangle with Xavier and Santiago—some liked her, some hated her, and some kept a neutral stand. Some liked Xavier, some liked Santiago, and some liked Leia, and those three groups had endless fights on the Internet, making the three people very famous. Leia was practically a superstar. After being rescued, Leia suffered from a temporary sequela—she lost her voice and couldn't speak. During her hospitalization, both Xavier and Santiago took turns taking care of her, creating a strange battlefield in her ward. That day, Xavier went to Leia's ward early after settling his company's affairs, but Santiago was earlier than him. The generally quiet and handsome superstar behaved like a comedian, telling jokes while peeling fruits for Leia and making her laugh. "L
Renee covered her lips, her tone filled with disbelief. "I…cut myself." Justin leaned against the corner and frowned deeply. He was in deep pain."Why did you cut yourself?" Renee was scared out of her wits and grew more sober. In her panic, she threw herself at him and tried to stop his bleeding.Justin reacted aggressively as he waved his dagger and warned fiercely, "Get away from me! Don't touch me!" "I…" Renee paused, too afraid to act recklessly. She pointed at his wound and said, "I'm just worried about you. You're bleeding. It must hurt a lot. Why did you hurt yourself?" "It's better to be in pain!" Justin gnashed his teeth and said in agony, "The pain will knock some sense into me, so I won't act like an animal and lose control of myself.""I see…" Stunned, Renee was moved to tears. She understood why he cut himself. Surprisingly, he wanted to stay sober and not be controlled by the drug in the wine.He could have used her to satisfy his desire, and she would never b
"You're playing with fire!" Justin leaned close to Renee's ears and said fiercely, "What do you think there is in the wine? Maybe I'm not someone who will take liberty on women, but I can't promise that the wine won't make me so." "So, you're saying that the wine…" Suddenly, Renee realized the wine was not as simple as she thought. She also understood why Rose had behaved in such a mysterious manner. "Stay…away from me!" Suddenly, she became frightened and wanted to keep some distance from Justin. She knew that people could not be trusted completely, especially under the effects of chemical reactions. Things would certainly get out of control. Justin probably did not want to do anything to her, but both of them would lose their minds under the effect of the wine and do something that would fill them with regret. The only way to prevent such an incident was to avoid each other."You want to stay away from me, but it's too late now. I'm no saint. I'm just a normal guy!"Just
"I'm so thirsty!" The burning sensation of the wine made Renee thirsty. She wanted to drink some water.In the dark, she heard some rustling. The next second, something was on her lips. It seemed to be someone else's lips. She wondered if someone had secretly kissed her."Who are you?" Renee grabbed the person in front of her and interrogated angrily, "How dare you kiss me without my permission! Do you know who I am? I'll cut off your lips!""Let's see if you can do that or not." The man sounded dull and drunk, but he was also overbearing.Although Renee was drunk, she could discern who it was. She called out in the dark and tried to confirm her doubt. "Haze…?" "Yeah, it's me," Justin admitted, but he did not plan to let her go. He used a more overbearing manner and trapped her between him and the door."What do you want?" Renee panicked. She wanted to kick him away, but she did not resist when she learned that it was Justin. After she had done so many things to hurt him, s
The servant walked forward with trepidation and helped Justin back to his room. Austin's eyes were dark. He whispered to his assistant, who nodded and immediately carried out his order.After two glasses of strong wine, Renee felt dizzy and could not stand steadily. "It's weird. Is this wine this strong? I just had two glasses of it, but I feel quite dizzy." It was hard for her to exit the hall. She could not stand properly, so she supported herself against the wall."Ms. Everheart, you didn't seem well. Let me help you to get some rest." Austin's assistant caught up to her and stood behind her. He even sounded respectful. "It's… fine. I can go back to my room." Renee waved; she didn't want to trouble others. Besides, she did not want others to see how miserable she was. She had assumed that she was good at drinking and would not get drunk, but it seemed like she had overestimated herself. After two glasses of wine, she became quite drowsy. She would not easily leave if s
Renee blinked and smiled brightly at Justin, asking him, "Are you worried about me?" "No, I'm not worried about you!" Justin said angrily. "I don't want you to get killed here. I can't explain it to your brother and kids. It's hard to handle the three of them."He was not lying. Although he had befriended Quinton, Adie and Abby might make a scene there if they realized that Renee had drunk so much wine at the party. They were witty, always full of ideas.Hence, it was better not to cause trouble. Before they could make a scene and things get out of control, Justin must stop Renee. He wasn't worried about her at all. "So, you're not worried about me?" Renee's gaze turned dull as she sighed. "It looks like you didn't forgive me. So, I must drink this glass of wine." Something was wrong with Renee, or perhaps she just wanted to torture herself. It seemed like she insisted on drinking the wine. She swung off Justin's hand and gulped down the wine."You're out of your mind!" Justi
The aged white wine was strong. Ordinary people would find it hard to drink a glass of it. Yet, Renee had drunk two glasses of it consecutively. It was a little dangerous. Everyone at the dining table was initially watching the fun, but they showed Renee some pity after she drank two glasses of wine consecutively. After wiping her lips clean, Renee staggered and said to Justin, "Let me toast to you now. I've wronged you the most." Justin, sitting there, said with a poker face, "You don't have to say sorry to me. We don't hold each other any grudge. After all, we can't make others fall in love with us.""No, I must apologize to you. It's for my sake." After that, Renee used a bigger glass and filled it with wine."Whatever!" Justin frowned and ignored Renee. He had no idea what was wrong with her. He had yielded and let her off, but she stubbornly wanted to keep drinking the wine.He wondered if she had forgotten the fact that she had just recovered from a serious illness. She
Suddenly, Justin became mature and stopped making jokes. He talked steadily and was no longer emotional. It filled Austin with worry because it made him feel like Justin was an emotionless robot.In comparison, he liked Justin's previous self better. At that time, Justin was simple and sentimental. He was the grandson Austin doted on the most.Sophia grinned and commented, "Dad, you don't have to worry about Justin. Men will change. Previously, he was just a childish kid even though he was in his twenties. He didn't know how to see through people's pretense. But he's all grown up now. He knows what's right or wrong. That's a great thing!" As a mother, she naturally did not want her son to get hurt. Although she favored Renee and wanted the latter to be her daughter-in-law, she would give up since Renee had let her son down and harmed him. All she wanted was to see Renee get away from her son."Yes, you're right. People need to grow up. He has grown up a lot lately, but the price
After a while, a servant quickly came back with a bottle of wine tied with a piece of red cloth. "Sir, Madam, this bottle of white wine was brewed more than ten years ago. It comes with a rich taste and is strong. I'm sure it's suitable for Ms. Everheart to toast to everyone as a form of apology.""That's good. That's what I want." Rose accepted the heavy bottle of wine. Although it was yet to be unscrewed, she could smell its pungent scent. "I won't easily let anyone drink this. Plus… Believe it or not, a glass of this wine can knock out anyone here." Rose carried the bottle of wine and walked around the table. Finally, she stopped in front of Renee. "I'm letting a sinner like you enjoy such a great thing today. You must drink all of it. You can't waste it.""Huh? Does she have to drink it all? I'm afraid she'll vomit from drinking.""People will lose themselves with only three to five glasses of this wine. If they drink half of it, they might get alcohol poisoning no matter
If any Baldwin demanded an explanation from Renee, she would not resent them."Fine, I won't go easy on you since you said so." Rose laughed recklessly, looking malicious. Everyone knew Rose was fierce and malicious. But none of them said anything, including Justin. They behaved like onlookers and wanted to see how Rose would punish Renee. "Please go ahead." Renee nodded and sounded very calm. "Don't worry. Regardless, you were the only woman my dear grandnephew had loved and wanted to marry. So, I won't be harsh on you. If not, he won't forgive me." At that point, Rose purposely paused and wanted to see how Justin would react.However, Justin merely sat there indifferently and had no intention to get Renee out of the predicament. Hence, Rose became bolder. "Well, let's do this. You've wronged not only Justin but everyone in my family. Since you're here to apologize, you should toast to all of us. Then, we can forget about this."After that, Rose turned to Austin and asked