The sun was setting, and sunlight shone on Renee's face as she tilted her head towards it. "You want to know?" "Of course." Jovan looked serious. "I want to know everything about you, including your sincere thoughts." He knew that Renee didn't like him, at least not yet, but they did get on well sometimes. The thought of it gave him hope. "It's because I want to buy time for Stefan," Renee answered honestly without any hesitation.Jovan abruptly stopped peeling the grape in his hand, his heart aching."If you're spending time with me, you won't have the time to go after him. Then, he'll have the chance to make a counterattack." Renee tried to be as cruel and hurtful as possible."Okay, I know." Jovan gave himself a second to be sad before he reverted to his shameless self. "I admit that I didn't have the time to manage the company or try to look into Stefan's affairs. It's like what they said in the ancient poems: "the king ignores his work because of his romance." Nothing else
Almost a week passed. Renee longed for Stefan day and night, but he still didn't come. Meanwhile, Jovan enjoyed her misfortune and teased her, "What should you do? Your hero hasn't come to your rescue... You'd better spend the rest of your life with me. I won't mistreat you!" He shamelessly tried to get close to Renee, but Renee kicked him away. "Do you have to be like this every day?""Wasn't I right though?" Jovan sneered. "It's fine if it's a day or two, but it's already been two weeks, and he's nowhere to be seen. He's either dead, or he doesn't care about you.""Shut up!" Renee tried to punch Jovan, but Jovan grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms instead. "I know you're sad. To be honest, I'm sad too—I didn't expect that Stefan would be such a worthless piece of trash. He's too timid, and I defeated him easily!" "Let go of me!" Renee struggled in his grip, a look of disgust on her face. Jovan's embrace was more fervent and suffocating than Stefan's. It was like h
Renee spoke calmly, perfectly aware that her words would hurt Jovan.Jovan's lips twitched slightly, and his fingernails dug into his skin in anger. It had only been two weeks, and Renee had spent every day of them hurting him. However, he wasn't tired of it… Maybe he was going crazy."I don't get it. I'm a useless person, and I treat you badly. Why do you keep pestering me?" Renee looked helpless as she tried to persuade him, "You're now the boss of Hunt Enterprise, which makes you very rich. You can have any woman you want, so why are you wasting your time with me and making everyone unhappy?""Yeah, I don't know why either." Jovan smiled bitterly and stared at Renee. "So, let me pester you for a little longer. Maybe I'll get bored one day and let you go, right?"Renee paused and sighed. "Good point. I can't argue with that." She knew that Jovan was a stubborn man, and she wouldn't be able to change his mind. Besides, he might only give up if he got bored or disgusted. Inspired b
"Mmph!" Renee tensed. She never thought Jovan would be this bold, and punched his shoulders, trying to push him away. However, instead of letting her go, he tried to deepen the kiss. Renee squeaked and bit his lip, making him pull away with a hiss of pain. Renee wiped her lips and cursed him fiercely. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? You said you wouldn't touch me without my permission. How could you break your word?" It was humiliating kissing a man she repulsed, but more than that… she felt guilty. Stefan had risked his life to save her, and his whereabouts were still unknown, but Renee had just kissed his enemy. She felt like killing herself.Slowly, Jovan wiped away the blood on his lips, a satisfied smile on his face. "It doesn't count since I was just kissing you as a friend. Besides, weren't you the one who asked for it?" "When did I do that?" "You said I wouldn't be able to bear the sight of your eyes when I kiss you, so… I just proved it to you. I can take it, and I enjo
Briar sneered. "Oh, I forgot. You're blind now, and I'm wearing a mask. You don't know who I am."Renee clenched her fists, her lips tightly pursed. She knew she had guessed right, and she had no choice but to face her, no matter how afraid she was to do it."You remember?" Briar saw Renee's expression, and her gaze slowly turned fierce and hateful. "You pushed me down the cliff, and I was crushed. I was in so much pain that I wanted to die, but I managed to crawl out of that hell because I told myself that I shouldn't be defeated that easily. No matter what, I had to take you down with me. Well, it certainly looks like I made the right choice." Briar sized Renee up, smirking when she saw Renee's empty and scarred eye sockets. "If I didn't hold on back then, I wouldn't have been able to see you turn this ugly and miserable! Not so smug now, are we?" "Ms. Desrosiers, watch your tongue." Jovan shot Briar a cold glance and warned her. "I didn't bring you here to hurt her." "It's oka
Renee's rare praise of Jovan made him feel uneasy, and he shrugged. "Don't say that. Briar and I are the same kind of people—we'll do whatever it takes to get what we want. So... she and I are now allies, and I'm happy we are.""You're stubborn, Jovan. I was wrong about you." Renee was angry at Jovan for deciding to work with Briar. She didn't want to talk to Briar either, so she stood up and clumsily made her way out.Jovan didn't go after her or explain—he just let her sulk, thinking badly of him. Briar crossed her arms and watched as Renee staggered and nearly fell several times as she walked away. Then, she turned and said to Jovan, "I thought you were a passionate person, but I guess you aren't that nice either since you didn't go comfort her or help her when she almost fell. I finally understand why she refuses to let Stefan go even though you've tried your best to win her over; if it were me, I would have chosen Stefan too."Jovan glared at Briar. "Don't talk about things
Briar wanted to become a member of the board of directors of Hunt Enterprise so she could decide the fate of the company and have the right to suppress Stefan."I..." It was rare to see Jovan look so defeated, and he kept his head bowed as he muttered, "I can't do it… at least not right now.""So, we can't reach a deal?" Briar snorted. "Why did you ask me to come here if you can't do it? You're wasting my time." Briar turned to leave, but Jovan stopped her. "I only said that I couldn't do it now. You have to give me time, or else my smart grandpa won't agree. If he gets upset, I might even lose my position, and then I won't be able to help you at all."Briar paused and contemplated it briefly. She knew she couldn't push him too hard, so she relented. "Fine, I'll give you one week. Is that enough?""I'll give it a shot." Jovan knew that getting what he wanted would just remain wishful thinking if his offer to Briar wasn't good enough.-Jovan decided to go to Hunt Manor to visit
Jovan smiled helplessly and shrugged. "I know that I'm just a mean little man to you. I can't hide anything from you.""No, you're not—you're just a boy who hasn't grown up yet. You're always so competitive. But… you're not a boy with any bad ideas," Timothy said honestly. Although he had stopped meddling in the affairs of Hunt Enterprise, he knew the issues between Stefan and Jovan as they competed for power. Jovan was talented and smart, but grew up in Stefan's shadow. As time went by, he found it more and more unacceptable, and would always find fault with Stefan. Even if they both gained a hundred marks in a test, Jovan would complain if his score was not written as nicely as Stefan's. Timothy didn't mind their fighting as long as Hunt Enterprise was still owned by their family, so as long as the person managing the company was capable, he would let them be."You flatter me." Jovan was moved as he added, "Everyone thinks I'm crafty and wicked, but you're the only other person who
"I don't know how to tell you. I'm sure you can understand." Renee could not bring herself to say more because it was a humiliating privacy. She might as well keep it to herself."Let me guess…" Justin's gaze grew sharp as he went straight to the point. "The man in your story is Stefan, isn't it?" Silence washed over Renee as she kept her head bowed. It was a silent approval.Justin burst into reckless laughter, which was scary. He looked down at his cut wound and laughed pathetically. "This is why he could make you fall in love with him, and I couldn't. I'm too cultured compared to him.""Don't say that, Haze!"Seeing how defeated Justin was, Renee became uneasy. "It isn't written in the stars for us. Plus, I've fallen in love with Stefan a long time ago before I even got to know you. I also rely on him physically and psychologically. I can't control my feelings. It's not something we can change. We…" "Stop!" Heartbroken, Justin pushed away everything in front of him and s
Time passed by. Gradually, the pain knocked some sense into Justin. He no longer wanted to take advantage of Renee."Let me get you some water." Renee had no idea what she could do for Justin. After some contemplation, she got to her feet and poured him a glass of water.Finally, she studied the room closely and found that it was a wedding room as Justin had mentioned. Everything was set up according to her preferences, which she had occasionally mentioned to Justin. For example, she loved keeping some ceramic ornaments on the bedside cabinet and hanging some seashell wind chimes at the windows. The entire room was painted in beige and green, which were her favorites, too. Beige gave a sense of warmth, while green gave a sense of gloominess. All of those details became the perfect wedding room for Renee.If everything went on smoothly, she would spend most of her time there, and he would be her life companion. Unfortunately, there were no ifs in the world.Renee handed the gla
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