Leia knew basic self-defense, but there were too many people attacking her. Amidst the chaos, Shirley's fans pulled her hair and scratched her face, and some of them even tried to tear her clothes off...Shirley watched everything from nearby with a victorious smile. Her agent became worried. "Shirley, will it be dangerous if this continues? She's the young lady of the Osborne family, after all..""Of course it's dangerous since so many people are beating her up… but it's none of my business. My fans did it, and they were so crazy that I couldn't do anything about it. Plus... didn't we leave long ago? We didn't see anything." Shirley smiled coyly, then raised her head and left the private room proudly."Ah!" Leia screamed pitifully and tried to struggle, but the fans had become more extreme after getting drunk.Meanwhile, Shirley bumped into Xavier the moment she exited the club. "Xavier..." She looked at him in surprise, then panic gripped her. If Xavier knew that she purposely
Shirley raised her head and locked eyes with Xavier, her gaze soft. "So... You've been worried about me all this time. You still care about me, don't you?""I just think it's better for you if you further your studies now." Xavier's expression was icy, with no emotion on his face whatsoever. In his mind, Shirley was a part of his past he couldn't get rid of. He has sacrificed a lot for her, and it might have been out of habit or pity that he didn't want his former girlfriend to have her eyes gouged out. Shirley was someone he used to love, and Stefan was his childhood friend—he would hate for either of those relationships to be ruined. It was best to make Shirley leave Beach City and lay low in a place where Stefan couldn't find her."I'll go if you think I should leave Beach City." Shirley was not as averse towards the option now, and for the first time, agreed with Xavier about it. She could foresee that Leia would do anything to get revenge on her after tonight, and Xavier might n
Xavier looked down at Shirley's hand and said icily, "I thought I made myself very clear. It's best not to have anything between us except business." "Why are you being so cruel? You came to me today, and it's proof that there's more between us. You care about me, so why do we have to go against our hearts and hurt each other?""That's you, not me.""Don't be stubborn. I know that you hooked up with Ms. Osborne lately out of spite, but you should know that I no longer have anything to do with your father. I—""Don't bring my father up!" Xavier instantly turned hostile and pushed Shirley away. "Are you mad? Do you think I'll let bygones be bygones and go back to you? Do you think I have no self-respect?""Xavier, don't... don't be mad!" Shirley bit her lip, regretting mentioning Xavier's father. It was his sore spot and biggest humiliation, and she could understand why. She figured he wouldn't be bothered by it if he didn't love her deeply, and his reaction only confirmed this. Em
The number of the onlookers grew, and some of them even used their phones to do live streams. In this way, Shirley's career was ruined.In a dilemma, Xavier took off his coat and draped it over Shirley. After that, he forcefully pulled her to her feet and hissed, "I don't care if you want to retire or not, just get up first.""Xavier, you like me. I can see that. You've always been in love with me..." Shirley hid under his coat, affection shining in her eyes and her voice trembling. It seemed like women had to be shameless when facing a soft-hearted man like Xavier. He could not bear to push her away, making this the most intimate moment between them after they had fallen out with each other. Many people took photos of him doting on her like what he used to do in the past, and the so-called homewrecker seemed like nothing now. "Stop making a scene. Let's get out of here." Xavier refused to talk much, and just hugged her shoulders and held her hand. He brushed past the crowd, wantin
Xavier refused to even look at the homewrecker, and went to the parking lot to get his car. Before he could open his car, he heard people talking."Hey, isn't that Ms. Leia Osborne?""Those people are too cruel. She's a rich young lady, but they stripped her bare. Are they courting death?""You're right. But they're smart. Since they're in a group, they won't be punished much.""But I don't think they're cruel. After all, nobody asked Ms. Osborne to be a homewrecker. I hate homewreckers the most!"Xavier' heart pounded in his chest and he grabbed a man nearby by the collar and demanded, "Who's the homewrecker who's being beaten up?"The man said agitatedly, "What does it have to do with you? Are you out of your mind?""I'm asking you—who is it?" Xavier was usually a calm person, but he couldn't stay calm right now. His grip on the man's collar tightened. "It's Ms. Leia Osborne! Why didn't you go and see it for yourself since you're so curious—" Xavier pushed him aside quickly,
Heart aching, Xavier carried Leia and quickly walked to his car. He opened the door to the back seat and gently laid her there."Are you feeling cold? Just hold on, alright… You'll be okay soon." Xavier got into the car and turned on the heater, and the car slowly grew warm. Xavier glanced at Leia hopefully but she remained silent as she curled up in the backseat. Xavier reached out and touched her cut hair, and his eyes blazed with anger. "They're inhuman! I'll never let them off the hook!""Don't touch me!" Leia snapped suddenly and pushed Xavier's hand away, covering her head protectively. Her eyes were wild and filled with tears as she spat, "You're just like them! Don't touch me.""I'm sorry I was late. You've suffered so much..." Xavier said hoarsely. He shouldn't have been so careless. Leia was probably being abused when he bumped into Shirley at the door of the club. No wonder Shirley had urged him to leave—she probably knew what was happening. How despicable! Xavier never w
Leia pushed Xavier away and tried to open the door. "Cut the crap! I'm not discussing this with you, I'm telling you what I'm going to do.""Lei, calm down. You're seriously injured. Let me take you to the hospital." Xavier didn't want to waste time. He immediately got into the driver's seat and locked the doors, then drove to a nearby hospital."I don't want to go to the hospital! Open the door and let me out. Open the door now!" Leia demanded as she smacked the window and door. Those people had beaten her up badly, so she wanted to go to the police station first. "Open the door!" Leia was so agitated that she almost leaped to the front seat and took control of the steering wheel. She glared at Xavier and sneered, "I know you're eager to take me to the hospital because you're worried that I'll report this to the cops, and you don't want to implicate your first love. Xavier, you're the most disgusting man I've ever met… I hate you!" Leia's heart twisted painfully in her chest when
Xavier's words calmed Leia down."You're willing to let her do a test?" Leia looked at Xavier in disbelief, then scoffed, "Well, powder me in sugar and call me a donut. Are you really Xavier? You agreed to let her do the test.""If I don't, you and Stefan will use other methods to make her do it. It's better that she do it willingly instead of making a scene," Xavier explained as he drove."Well, at least you're sensible." Leia leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, thinking about when Shirley's fans beat her up. Truthfully, she had her own selfish motives—she hadn't resisted at all so she would look worse, and she hoped that would give her the upper hand when bargaining with Shirley. Besides, if her injuries were bad, Xavier might side with her. Now, it seemed like her plan had worked. They arrived at the hospital very quickly. When Leia's attending doctor and nurse saw Leia's condition, they stared at Xavier suspiciously."Don't be scared, Miss. Tell me—how did you ge
After a long pause, Stefan finally admitted honestly, "That wasn't a lie." He turned to look at Renee. He knew what he had to do, and heaved a long sigh."But life isn't just about love.""Why not?" Renee became teary as she stared at him like a child who failed to get what she wanted. "To me, that's already enough. As long as we love each other, we can conquer everything. Without love, it'll be hopeless.""If loving each other is already enough, there wouldn't be the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Didn't they love each other deeply? They loved each other a lot, but they ended up dead!" Stefan shot back.He could not stop himself from getting impulsive. Heartbroken, he turned around to look into Renee's eyes. "Compared to love, I'd rather you lead a steady and happy life. But I'm not the one who can give you that. I'll only bring you pain and death!""Romeo and Juliet?" Renee found that preposterous and bizarre. "What a lousy excuse! Did I kill your parents, or did you kill my p
"How could you…" Stefan looked at Renee in disbelief. For a moment, he was struck dumb. Renee quietly removed the oxygen mask and the needle. She calmly sat up in bed. "I thought you'd never be honest with me.""When did you wake up?" Stefan finally regained his wits. Because of his guilt, he was too scared to look into Renee's eyes. "I had long woken up." Renee was very calm. She looked weak because she had lost too much blood, but at the same time, she still looked firm like a rose blooming in winter. "So, you purposely lured me here, didn't you?"When Stefan learned that she had long woken up, he realized with shock that he might have stepped into the trap she and Jovan set up.Naturally, he was uneasy, given the proud man he was. He could plot against others but could not tolerate others doing the same to him, let alone the fact that it was his beloved woman."Hmph! Did I lure you here?" Renee laughed sarcastically and disappointedly. She looked at Stefan as he tried
"Can I wake her up?" Stefan seemed to be asking them and himself. He shook his head in self-hatred. "I'm afraid I'm the reason why she wants to escape this world. She must hate me to the core and refuse to see me. She might know that I'm here, so she's avoiding me and refuses to wake up."He recalled how much he had harmed her. He was not confident to wake her up, let alone face her."Yes, you're sinful, ut you must be held accountable for it!" Justin could not bother to waste his time talking to Stefan. He pushed Stefan into the ward instead. "You made her so angry, she's in a coma now. So, you have to wake her up. If she doesn't, you can't leave the ward!""Agreed!"Jovan was standing on the other side. He and Justin seemed to have formed a barrier and refused to let Stefan back down.After some contemplation, Stefan decided to face the music. He closed the ward door and quietly went to Renee's bed. It was the first time he was alone with her after a long time."You're tr
Unsurprisingly, Renee remained irresponsive. Justin gradually grew depressed. Before, he was confident. Seeing that he was getting no response from her, his confidence waned. Undeniably, he was probably not that important to her. If not, she wouldn't remain indifferent. She would have sensed that he was around. "I got it. You don't need me." Justin smiled helplessly. He felt pathetic too. He took a deep breath and finally stood up to exit the ward."How's it going?" Stefan asked.He kept waiting outside the ward, paying close attention to it in hopes that Renee could wake up. He also felt that Justin could bring Renee wonderful things and hope. She would wake up when she sensed that Justin was calling for her. "Hmph! Isn't it obvious? Of course, he couldn't wake her up!" Jovan casually leaned against the bench in the corridor, not even looking up. He sounded vicious. "He's just a backup guy. Of course she doesn't care about him! She's not in love with him." Justin glared at J
Stefan remained quiet as he calmly watched Renee. He extended his hand to touch her face but retrieved it before he could.She used to be the woman he was familiar with and the one he had hugged and kissed countless times, but now, he didn't even dare to touch her. "I think she doesn't even want you here. She must hate you so much and is disappointed in you. She'll be even more pressured if you stay here, and it'll push her further from this world. So please, get the hell out of here if you want the best for her!"Justin could not hold himself back from scolding Stefan. If Jovan was telling the truth, Stefan must be aware of the fact that Jovan was holding Renee hostage. Yet, he remained indifferent and feigned ignorance. He didn't even care if Renee was fine. What a cruel bastard! Justin was disappointed in Stefan. He wanted nothing more than to see what was really on Stefan's mind."Take good care of her." Stefan did not want to defend himself. He glanced at Renee, relucta
"What did you do to her?!" Stefan interrogated Jovan coldly, his eyes teary. "She isn't the kind to kill herself! What the hell did you do to her?" "Try to wake her up if you want to know." Jovan was pale. His previous sickness, coupled with his recent blood donation to Renee, made him very weak. Despite that, he refused to stop infuriating others. "Do you think I can't do anything to you? Do you really think that?" Stefan could no longer hold himself back and strangled Jovan. "I'm going to kill you! Repent for the terrible things you've done!"He couldn't imagine the kind of thing that could force the strong and stubborn Renee to resist by using such a desperate means. "You obviously won't go easy on me! I'm sure of that!" Jovan sneered. His pale face turned flushed as he suffocated from Stefan's powerful grip. "But you'd better kill yourself first if you want to avenge her! She ended up like this because of you." "What?" Stefan's face was frosty. He strengthened his grip a
Jovan slowly got up from the ground, looking incredibly weak. He whispered, "She lost too much blood. The doctor claimed she's out of danger, but…she hasn't woken up.""What did you say?" Stefan and Justin were bewildered. They couldn't process his words."So, she was the female college student who tried to kill herself?" Stefan said. He staggered after linking the information he had heard from a nurse with the things that Jovan had said."Stop acting dumb! You're so smart, how could you have missed that?" Jovan glared coldly stared at Stefan, scrutinizing him in disdain. "You were just too scared to face the truth and your woman! You're such a coward! You're an embarrassment to your family!""Agreed!" Justin added; he suddenly found Jovan useful, especially when the latter started insulting Stefan. It felt just right."Although I'm a fallback guy, I'm braver than you. I accept that she doesn't love me, and I'm willing to give it a try with her. And although this guy's a vill
Stefan frowned, doubtful. He looked vigilantly at Jovan, who had collapsed on the ground. "What do you mean by this?"Jovan kept coughing and said nothing. His lips grew pale as he sneered.Justin's eyes were cold, and he held back his urge to beat up Jovan. "Hmph! Obviously, this is a scam!"He demanded condescendingly, "How dare you barge into my territory and take away my woman! Don't you fear my family and me at all?"Jovan, filled with disdain, looked at Justin as if he was a fool. "Stop talking. You don't even have the right to join this battle."To Jovan, only Stefan was qualified and powerful enough to be his enemy."How dare you say that!" Justin was infuriated. He got down on one knee and grabbed Jovan. "Your family always says nasty things! You two are the same. If we start fighting, I'll make sure to cut your tongue first!""Did I say something wrong?" Jovan sized Justin up, ridiculing Justin with mock compassion. "Don't you have any self-awareness? You're just a fal
Stefan frowned and asked solemnly, "Aren't you a top hacker? Hack into this hospital's inpatient system. Then, we'll know where she is.""Yes, you're right." Still, Justin wanted to challenge Stefan. He said indifferently, "But you're Jovan's cousin. It's more convenient for you to make a call instead of me hacking into their system."Yes, Justin could hack into their system, but calling Jovan would be quicker. And what they needed the most was time."He and I…" Stefan sneered, flexing his fingers. "The fact we didn't kill each other is considered peaceful. He's not as obedient as you think.""You'll know by calling him."Justin had heard about the complicated internal fights of the Hunt family, but he felt that Stefan was exaggerating."Jovan is a Hunt no matter what. Plus, he's still working at Hunt Enterprise. Just call him," Justin said. "Fine." Stefan found Justin logical. His private grudges with Jovan were not important because finding Renee immediately was the most impo