In the past, Stefan never used to cry—they used to call him an iceberg. Even if Renee had died in front of him, he wouldn't even have flinched. But now, he couldn't stop his tears. Seeing men cry was so rare that people always said men's tears were the best stimulant for women.At first, Renee wanted Stefan to leave the room because she needed some time alone, but when she realized he was crying, her heart softened. She imagined his handsome face streaked with tears, painting a charmingly pitiful image, and suddenly felt the urge to grab him and kiss him. Hmm... She needed to calm down."Hey, aren't you the toughest CEO in Beach City? You cry more easily than Adie and Abby, I think I'd better change your nickname to 'crybaby'," Renee held his arm and said cheekily, trying to stifle her laughter."I'll say it again: I didn't cry. I just got dust in my eyes." Stefan scowled in embarrassment as he tried to defend himself. In his opinion, only feminine men would cry, and those were t
After Stefan left, Shirley quickly knocked on Renee's room door."What do you want?" Leia scoffed, narrowing her eyes at Shirley suspiciously like she was a ticking time bomb. When everyone had gone to Owen, Leia had followed Shirley upstairs, and blocked her way when she knocked on Renee's door."It's none of your business; this is between Ms. Everheart and me. She promised to speak to me alone just now." Shirley's expression was hostile and unfriendly, very much different from her innocent look when she was in front of Xavier. "It's my business since you're looking for my bestie. She just had surgery and is blind, so she needs to be protected from wicked people like you," Leia said firmly."Ms. Osborne, I don't owe you anything, and I'm not your prisoner. Why do you always object to everything I do? Do you really have that much time on your hands?" Shirley smoothed her hair, her tone sarcastic. "If I were you, I would have spent more time dressing up. There are plenty of women
Leia's expression stiffened, and she immediately asked, "What do you mean?" "If I have the chance to give up my eyes to her, I need to ask for a favor. I'm not a saint who doesn't ask for anything in return when I do something good," Shirley said casually."So, you're saying you're willing to give up your eyes to Ren?" Leia frowned suspiciously. She didn't think that Shirley was such a generous woman."That depends on my negotiation with Ms. Everheart..." Shirley flipped her hair and smirked. "I don't like non-profitable deals, and I'll only negotiate with people who can afford my price… I believe that Ms. Everheart is one of those people.""I know you won't agree so easily.. What are you up to? You'd better tell me now. I won't go easy on you if you dare harm my bestie!" Leia pointed at Shirley and threatened her."You'll know if I agreed or not after I'm done negotiating with her. If you refuse to let me talk to her, then it'll be hopeless. If you make me desperate, I'm not afraid o
Shirley walked into the room and took a closer look at Renee. To her surprise, they did look very much alike, especially their eyes. Suddenly, she understood why Stefan and Leia were so stubborn about her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat at the thought of losing her eyes forever. "Ms. Everheart, I've heard so much about you. I always wanted to talk to you, but I never had the chance..." Shirley walked over to Renee's bed and was shocked to see Renee's ruined eyes. She frowned. "I didn't expect to speak to you under such… unfortunate circumstances." As far as she remembered, Renee had beautiful eyes that seemed like they could see through people's hearts… but now, they were gone. Shirley's guilt made her avert her gaze timidly. When Renee felt Shirley getting closer, she smiled. "Do you think I look pitiful?""No, I don't!" Shirley protested earnestly. "Honestly, I'm jealous of you because there are so many people who are concerned about you. You're blessed, Ms. Everheart. You've
"I guess you can see it that way," Shirley admitted, then said bluntly, "I know that you and Ms. Osborne are best friends, and both of you are willing to risk your lives for each other. If I harm Ms. Osborne, you definitely won't let me off the hook.""If you know it, then you shouldn't harbor such thoughts." Renee's voice grew cold and menacing, and it was hard to tell if she was warning Shirley or advising her. "If you want to win over a man, you shouldn't rely on wicked schemes. If you know about my past with Stefan, you should know that schemes will only push men away. I hope you won't try anything, or you might lose what you want and get into unnecessary trouble." "But what else can I do to win Xavier back other than this?" For some reason, grief and jealousy overwhelmed Shirley the moment she saw Renee, and all her inner thoughts came pouring out. "I'm jealous that Ms. Osborne has a nice friend like you. You can guide her when she's in difficulty, but I don't have that. I've a
"How can that be?" Shirley demanded, her eyes wild. "You lost your sight, but got more love in return! If you could see, you'll know how much Mr. Hunt loves you. I also want to be like you… I want Xavier to love me more.""Stefan and Xavier are different people." Renee tried her best to dissuade Shirley. After all, once it was done, she couldn't regret it. She didn't want Shirley to be forced into this, or she wouldn't be at peace using her eyes. She might as well give up the idea. "How is it different..." Shirley sounded agitated. "Xavier isn't worse than Mr. Hunt. His love wasn't any less than Mr. Hunt's back then, but I got so anxious that I lost him. Now I want to win him back, and I think it's worth exchanging my heart for his love.""You're out of your mind!" Renee massaged her temples exhaustedly. Her body was already weak after the abortion, and now her mind had to suffer too. "I'm tired. Please go home if there's nothing else you want to say. I want to rest." She leaned ag
Stefan smacked away Xavier's hand coldly and glared at Xavier and Owen fiercely. "Is this all an act so Shirley doesn't have to give up her eyes?" "Are you kidding me?" Xavier huffed exasperatedly. He had always admired Stefan, but now he found him shameless and insensible, attacking everyone without reason. "I know I can be a jerk sometimes, but even I won't go that far. Why would I ask Shirley to come here to take the test then? You're not thinking straight!"Owen quickly chimed in, "And I'm just a doctor. I don't want to meddle in anyone's relationship. If it's a match, I would have told you. There's no need for me to pretend."Stefan closed his eyes and covered his face, looking troubled. He felt like he had lost the courage to face the world… and Renee. "What should I do? What about… Ren?" Stefan asked hoarsely. When things were dire, he was optimistic because he felt things would definitely get better. However, having his hope snatched away was too painful. He had thought tha
Stefan watched Owen leave the study with a frown, then glanced at the stack of thick medical reports on the floor. Anxiety gripped him, and after a brief hesitation, he bent over to pick them up. He scanned through the documents. Although there were many medical terms, he could understand some of them. It was reported that the fetus had stopped developing, and Renee had a painless miscarriage. She was also suffering from heavy metal poisoning and nerve damage. Stefan's face became deathly pale and his mouth went dry."What… How?" Stefan couldn't believe his eyes. His hands were trembling, and his eyes turned bloodshot.Xavier was upset by Stefan's accusations, and had secretly decided he wouldn't be his friend anymore, but when he saw Stefan's reaction, he felt worried. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and barked, "Hey, what's going on? Is it good news or bad news?"However, Stefan looked like he hadn't even heard Xavier. The reports fell from his hands, and he kept muttering, "N