LOGINAt such a close distance, it was as though they could feel each other's heartbeat through the thin fabric of their clothes. Their warm breaths mixed in the air, making the atmosphere not only intimate, but heated."Ahem! It's so hot in here!"Renee tugged at her shirt and tried to let in a bit of cool air. She had on a light blue dress that accentuated her figure so well it could easily make one's imagination run wild."I-I'll go turn on the AC."Stefan stood up. His voice was unnaturally hoarse.He wanted to slap himself twice. How could he let his thoughts wander at a time like this?"There's no need to. Finding the kids is more important. Let's figure out where they went first."Compared to him, Renee stayed much calmer. Aside from feeling a little awkward, all of her attention remained fixed on the surveillance footage.Eventually, she vaguely heard the kids discussing going to visit Margaret.In the video, Abby and Adie talked about how much they missed Margaret. Joanne i
The two of them entered the bedroom. The familiar environment made Stefan feel as though he had stepped into his own room, and his gaze instinctively wandered around.As expected, the first thing he noticed was the antique painting by Henry Somerset hanging on the wall.His heart clenched instantly.That's because he had seen that painting before. In fact, he was still very young at the time."This painting…"Stefan walked up to it and examined it carefully. There was a troubled expression on his face."What's wrong? Don't tell me you've seen this painting too?" While booting up the computer, Renee glanced back curiously at him."It's an original by Henry Somerset. It's not strange that I've seen it before," Stefan answered vaguely before adding in a probing tone, "Since when were you interested in things like this? I remember you used to look down on antiques and paintings like these. You said they were only valuable because of nostalgia and hype."He still remembered when the
"What? The kids are missing?"Stefan frowned. His expression instantly turned grim.Just like Renee, the children were his weak spot. He could stay calm about almost anything else, but the moment the kids were involved, all reason went out the window."I got tied up with something unexpected today. I naively thought maybe since Joanne was acting normal again, it'd be fine to let her pick up the kids. When I got home…"Renee crouched on the floor. She bit her lip as her body trembled uncontrollably with fear.The old Renee had feared nothing. She used to be the freest, boldest woman in the world. But ever since becoming a mother, she had become timid. Every decision was made cautiously. The slightest hint of trouble would make her panic. She had become an ordinary woman and an ordinary mother."You…"Stefan's first instinct was to blame her. Just like Quinton, he believed Joanne was far too unstable, and that the kids should never have been left in her care. However, seeing h
When Renee arrived at Everheart Manor, the entire house was dark. There was nobody inside."Joanne! Abby! Adie!"Renee instantly went on high alert. She quickly checked everywhere inside and out while calling out their names.The only thing that answered her was silence.That kind of silence had never existed before. Normally, before she even stepped through the door, her two kids would already be bouncing around waiting to greet her.That meant Joanne and the kids definitely weren't home. Where could they have gone?At this hour, they couldn't still be out playing.Renee took a deep breath to calm herself. With a trembling hand, she retrieved her phone and dialed Joanne's number.Unfortunately, it was the same silence in Everheart Manor that responded to her.At that moment, panic completely took over. She didn't dare call Quinton because he had repeatedly warned her not to let Joanne bring the kids out alone.Now, something had actually gone wrong. Quinton would kill her if
Chase looked confused. "I know the painting is valuable since it's Somerset's authentic artwork, but it's not valuable enough for both you and the boss to care this much. He even wants to dig into everyone who's ever owned it. It's way too unusual."As far as he remembered, Quinton had never cared about paintings or antiques. The only thing that interested him was how much profit they could bring. He never asked about their history or their previous owners."I can't really explain it, either. Maybe this painting just has some strange connection to the Everheart family. The first time I saw it, I was very young. My mother kept it hidden in a secret place. She would stare at it for long periods of time."Renee drifted into memory. She often caught her mother standing silently in front of the painting. She would trace every brushstroke as if holding a wordless conversation with someone.The moment she noticed Renee or anyone else approaching, she would immediately put the painting a
When Chase felt Renee's fingers brush against his skin, he visibly froze for a second. He then awkwardly pulled away and took a sip of coffee to hide his unease."Ms. Everheart, you're overthinking this. There's really no need to worry. I believe the boss has his own reasons."Chase knew where to draw the line. He was very careful with what he said.Hearing that only irritated Renee more. She frowned. "Chase, I know you're loyal to my brother, but your blind loyalty isn't doing him any good. You know better than anyone how extreme he can be, don't you?""You've misunderstood him. His temperament has improved a lot. When he makes decisions now, he considers things from multiple angles. He's not as hot-headed as he used to be!"Chase defended Quinton almost immediately.It came from his observation of Quinton over time.With Renee's companionship and guidance, Quinton had stopped being the impulsive, hot-tempered, and extreme man he used to be.He could even see that Quinton had
Adie was still a child, but he acted like a smart person and could see through a lot of things. He could guess why Austin took them to the Baldwin residence. He had also heard the servants of the Baldwin family rebuking Renee in secret. After combining various situations, he learned about what had
Cadmus was holding a detonator, and gave Nora a final warning. "On the count of three, we'll blow up Hunt Enterprise right away if you don't let Mr. Baldwin go!" "You have to dismantle the bombs first, or we won't let him go." Nora frowned, her tone cold. She refused to back down.Time passed by.
"How outrageous! I can't take this! I'm flying to Beach City now to kill him!" Sophia wasn't joking. She was trying to find a knife to kill Stefan because of this mess."Where's the Red Blade your grandpa gave you? That thing is sharp! We can chop off people's heads with it. Give it to me now!"
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 an







