"Do your parents know? You can't make this decision impulsively. If your parents say no, the internal fight of the company might cause conflict in the family. Have you considered the consequences?" Elijah patiently tried to persuade Stefan to rethink his decision. He didn't object to Stefan's retreat, but he didn't want to see him do it impulsively."I haven't told my parents yet, but they'll try to talk it out with me if they know. Besides, I'm confident that I can persuade them." Stefan patted Elijah's shoulder. "I know it's tough for you right now, but although Jovan isn't a good guy, he appreciates talented people. If he offers you a job, just take it. You don't have to worry.""What are you talking about, Mr. Hunt? I'm your subordinate. If you leave Hunt Enterprise, I won't stay, and I definitely won't work for your enemy. You underestimate my loyalty," Elijah said firmly, upset by Stefan's words."I believe that both Jovan and I want to make Hunt Enterprise better, so it's the
Owen had said that people who resembled Renee had a high possibility of a perfect match, especially those whose eyes looked like Renee's. Hence, they had to choose people who looked like Renee."Thank you so much." Stefan took off his coat and handed it to Margaret, then sat with the others and started screening for suitable candidates.Owen was reading the news when an article caught his attention. It was an exclusive interview with the best actress, Shirley. Shirley looked charming, sweet, and vulnerable in the interview, and openly expressed her regrets about her relationship with Xavier. The interview had caused an uproar, and it was obvious that Xavier's change of heart was because of Leia's involvement. Shirley's fans condemned Leia on the Internet, and photoshopped ugly photos and videos of Leia. They even investigated her and spread rumors about her, making Leia a social outcast. She now had to be cautious when going out. "Guys, stop..." Owen clicked on the interview and wa
Anyone who paid attention to the entertainment circle would know that the so-called rich young lady was Leia. In short, Shirley made herself out to be a pitiful and innocent woman in the whole tragedy, and Leia was just a homewrecker who had snatched away Shirley's lover."What?" Xavier had been watching Shirley's interview, and tried to say something to infuriate Leia. Calmly, he commented, "She's telling the truth—her first encounter with me was rather sentimental. If I didn't help her in time, she would be sold to those men. I even helped with her medical bills and saved her family, then helped her get a role in a movie with my connections . She even got a grand prize and became the best actress..." He purposely tried to make Leia jealous, because he wanted some sign that she still cared about him."Wow, what a touching love affair! But how did it end up like this? Is it because of that rich young lady? Was she a homewrecker?" Leia sneered sarcastically."It's not the only reason
Stefan shrugged, glad that someone else was here to suffer through this too.Xavier and Leia were both dramatic people, and because they hadn't gone through many difficulties like Stefan and Renee, they hadn't realized how meaningful and precious a relationship could be. However, even though they could be childish sometimes and quarrelled often, it was obvious that they still cared deeply for each other.Owen sighed in exasperation, unable to tolerate such drama. He waved and said, "That's enough, you two, we don't have much time. Let's stay focused, okay?" Xavier and Leia immediately turned to glare at Owen. "You were the one who brought it up!" Owen had brought up Shirley for no reason, unknowingly adding fuel to the fire."No, I think this woman might be the answer to our problem," Owen said seriously.Stefan turned to Owen and asked sternly, "What do you mean?" He had initially assumed that Owen had wanted to gossip about Shirley, but Owen wasn't the type to create drama, so
It was clear that Stefan didn't want to bring it up.He fell out with Xavier because of Renee back then, but he couldn't blame Xavier for fancying such a thought because Stefan was different back then. He refused to admit that he cared about Renee. Xavier had felt sorry for Renee for having to suffer so much by being with Stefan, so he had challenged Stefan to a fair competition. The incident had been put aside and forgotten ages ago, and neither Stefan nor Xavier ever mentioned it. It was almost as if it had never happened."But it's not the time to talk about love affairs now..."Owen continued seriously, "Even after all this searching, there's no one who resembles Ms. Everheart more than Shirley, so... maybe her eyes will suit Ms. Everheart best.""What?" Xavier yelped, looking at Owen as if he was crazy. "Shouldn't we look at the compatibility first? Aren't the requirements very strict? How can you come to such a conclusion just because they look alike? Isn't that too rash?" "N
"Me?" Xavier looked at Leia and snorted. "I'm not that powerful. How can I decide what others do with their body parts? Even if I could, I wouldn't do such a cruel thing." "I'll do it even if you don't," Stefan said coldly from behind Xavier, his gaze steely. "If her eyes are a match, I don't mind being the villain and taking them." He was never an upright man, but at least he wasn't wicked. However, he was willing to do anything to help Renee regain her eyesight. "No, Stefan!" Xavier was shocked. Agitated, Xavier said to Stefan, "The whole point of this is to find a willing donor. If Shirley doesn't want to give up her eyes, you can't force her.""Why not?" Stefan's eyes were wild. "I'll give her whatever she wants to make her say yes. If she still refuses… then I'll have to use force." "You're breaking the law! It's illegal to sell organs. Do you have any idea what the consequences would be?" Xavier had always treated Stefan with respect, but right now, he was on the verge of
Xavier ran out of the manor when he realized something was wrong.Meanwhile, Leia had used her connections to find Shirley's location. Shirley had booked the top private room of a club and invited some of her loyal fans to a small gathering. Many celebrities held such meetings with their fans privately to ensure their fans' loyalty and to get closer to their fans, and Shirley was the most active in holding such gatherings because she didn't have a lot of fans. However, despite their small numbers, Shirley's fans were very loyal to her. They tried their best to make her look good, spent a lot of money on her, and condemned her competitors online. Many celebrities tried their best to not fall out with Shirley, because if her fans found out, they would go all out to slander and criticize them. Although Leia was not a celebrity and had only joined a few episodes of a variety show, because of her relationship with Xavier, Shirley's fans condemned her terribly. Leia didn't even dare to go
Shirley's fans were amazed by the lady's story. "Homewreckers are immoral and shameless, so we don't have to be polite to them. If I see her again, I'm going to shave all her hair off!" The fan declared angrily.It was a pitiful thing to be cheated on, and Shirley's story gained her a lot of support from her fans. "Yeah, Shirley is too gentle. If that woman didn't meddle in her relationship, Shirley might be married to Mr. Stuart now. She'd be more successful too! Leia wouldn't even have anything..." The fans swiftly blamed Leia for Shirley's misfortune. "Yeah, Shirley was the one who was betrayed, but that homewrecker bullied her instead. I can't take this. I won't let her go if I have the chance!" One fan declared, and the others quickly agreed. They were one step away from going to Leia and teaching her a lesson.Shirley smiled in satisfaction when she saw that. She turned to her assistant nearby and said smugly, "See that? All my fans are waiting to see her. Let her in." Her
A long sigh escaped Renee. Rather than contempt, she sympathized with Quinton deeply. "I'm his sister. I can't treat him like a stranger. All I can do is gradually help him lead a normal life and guide him to atone for his sins. I feel sad for his past."Silence filled the air. No one said anything, at a loss for words. They couldn't be callous and say as they liked. Now that Austin had learned of this, no one could be sure if his righteous and stubborn personality would make him stop Renee and Justin's marriage.After all, Austin was a very strict person. He had been honorable his whole life. He couldn't allow a wicked man's sister to be a part of his family. Justin, anxious, hurriedly echoed Renee's words. "Yes, her brother has changed a lot. Now, he's doing decent work. His pawnshop only deals with rare items instead of indecent ones. I've spent some time with him. He's a reasonable guy, not at all as wicked as the rumors make out. At most… He's just got a bad temper."Ju
When she heard such aggressive words from Justin, Sophia immediately cleared her throat to stop him from talking. However, Austin had no idea about the relationship between Renee and Water Dock. Instead of stopping, he sounded more indignant."That place is full of inhumane people, but I'm not from Beach City. If that place were here in North City, I would have gotten rid of it! It has harmed so many people…""Oh, Grandpa! Please stop talking!" Justin turned livid. He anxiously got up and tried to remedy the situation. "There are always good and bad people. You can't criticize them like they're the same." "Nonsense!" Austin had been a soldier his whole life and was deeply self-righteous. He added angrily, "I'm not joking! People related to that place better don't come to North City. If they do, I'll kill them and make them repent their sins!" Renee remained calm and indifferent. When Austin got tired from criticizing, she slowly looked up at him."Grandpa Baldwin, you're right
His words instantly made everyone upset—or at least, Renee was. Her face darkened as she recalled unpleasant memories. Sophia immediately glared at Jack and snapped, "Why did you bring that up? They're about to get married. It's a happy event for our families! Why must you talk about revenge? It's bad luck!"Everyone knew someone had deliberately targeted and framed the Everheart family back then. Even outsiders couldn't bear to recall that. As the only one who bore all the misery after her family was ruined, Renee must have been very desperate and heartbroken at that time. Ordinary people would never mention that. Unfortunately, Sophia's straightforward husband was a born comedian. He had mentioned that on purpose, infuriating her. "It's okay." Renee flexed her fingers and tried her best to appear at ease. "My heartbreaking past is gone, but I need to help my family make a comeback and avenge my parents. My brother and I have always worked hard for it, so of course I'll be glad
Since Renee and Justin had reached a consensus, their wedding date must be set. The Baldwin family sat at the dining table and kept staring at Renee, who had taken her seat. They couldn't hide their joy."You two are considered married now, so we should hold a wedding soon. It'll be bad for your reputation otherwise. It'll be a great loss for you, too," Austin said; he didn't beat around the bush as he didn't want Renee to make an excuse and turn his suggestion down.Besides, the Baldwin family assumed that she and Justin had enjoyed a great romance that afternoon. They were eager for a baby.Thus, the wedding was an urgent matter. If Renee got pregnant before she married Justin, it would shame the family. Austin didn't want to see that. "Uh…" Renee cautiously sipped some tea while everyone stared eagerly at her. She was gripped with the same anxiety she felt when interrogated. Helpless, she glanced at Justin for help.Justin immediately stood up and complained, "Grandpa, w
"You can't regret it if I go on." Justin confirmed with Renee again. He knew she was forcing herself, but he needed an answer from her. People might change their minds. For example, Renee knocked him out just now because he was rude. She even tied him up and wouldn't let him touch her at all. But it had only been a few hours. She wasn't on guard against him as she lay in bed and was letting him do whatever he wanted with her. Who knows, she might regret it later if they did sleep with each other. Then, she might hate and leave him… Justin had to get to the bottom of it and get rid of all the risks. He didn't want to be manipulative."Go on. I won't regret it!" Renee gnashed her teeth, insisting on making that breakthrough—as if she could only embrace a new life by overcoming that big obstacle.In a way, Justin was her savior, the one who helped her bid her past goodbye. "I'll keep that in mind regardless if you mean it or not. I'll assume that you're willing," Justin said.
"Have you thought it through?" Justin looked at her as she lay in bed. Though she was still wearing clothes, her curvy figure sparked endless imagination in him.Undeniably, Renee was an attractive and smart woman. Her amazing skills were merely one of her charms. Her devastatingly beautiful face and seductive figure were the reasons why so many men fell for her. People generally loved wonderful things, regardless if they were elite men or the average Joe. No one could resist Renee's charm and figure. In short, it was a physical attraction."Yes, I've thought it through." Renee looked up at Justin. He seemed like a familiar stranger to her—familiar because he had always been her soulmate and best friend who shared many interests and the same views. They dreamed of the same thing too: world peace.Justin mirrored her character. She would see herself every time she looked at him. They were a perfect match. Hence, he was a familiar stranger to her. For the first time, she realized
Renee understood Justin and frowned. She tore off the tape on his mouth and pinched his cheek. "You have five minutes to repent since you're awake. If you do a good job, I'll let you go. If not, I'll keep you tied up here."The scene just now was awkward for the two of them. Renee had to come up with a way to get rid of that. If not, she didn't know how to face him, let alone spend the rest of her life with him."Repent?" Justin took deep breaths and cleared his throat. Then, he looked into her eyes. "What do you want me to repent for?""You…"Justin's bold gaze rendered Renee helpless. She bit her lip awkwardly. "What do you think?" "Are you referring to me kissing you, or…me trying to make you mine?" Although Renee knocked him out, he remembered everything that happened before he fainted, including what he had seen."Yeah, you were rude. Shouldn't you repent?" Renee tried to make herself bolder. If not… She would seem unreasonable, especially when her dignity was violated.
"Inside story?" Confused, Renee looked at Sophia. "What is it?" "I can't tell you that. All I can say is the Hunt family isn't as good as you see them. Even if they've helped you, it's because they're trying to make up for their sins. You don't have to be grateful to them. Getting away from them is the best choice you made."Sophia, being from the last generation, had heard of the complicated relationships among the three families even though she had not seen them. However, she couldn't expose those affairs to the younger generation lest the worst happen. The most she could do was to remind Renee. Renee could tell that Sophia wouldn't tell her too much and stopped asking. However, she kept it in mind and decided to find the truth."Okay, Ren. Stop overthinking. Since you're here, just spend your days with peace of mind. My family is strong and can protect you for the rest of your life. Just enjoy your life with Justin.""Got it." Renee nodded, pretending to have seen it through.
Sophia hurriedly asked Renee."Uh…" Renee flexed her fingers; she couldn't bring herself to lie. She wondered if she loved Justin. She couldn't tell.A large part of her reason for choosing Justin was because she didn't hate him. Sometimes, she felt that he was her soulmate. If she had to start a new romance, she hoped it would be with him. At least, she could be intimate with him and could imagine sleeping in the same bed with him. "I got it. You don't love him." Sophia saw through Renee at a glance. A long sigh escaped her. "We're all sports of fate. If we insisted on him marrying you when your family was ruined, the ending might be different.""Did you guys know me at that time?" Renee asked curiously.She had heard Justin mention that before, but she assumed that he had purposely talked nonsense to set up a good image. Since Sophia had admitted, it seemed to be the truth."Of course!" Sophia smiled and added, "Your family was prosperous at that time and was famous at North