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
"Me?" Timothy frowned and hurriedly asked, "How is she now? How can I help? I'll try my best to help her." "Umm, she... There's a problem with her eyes, and she's in urgent need of an eye transplant from a suitable donor. Unfortunately, the condition is that you need to let a woman you hate join the board of directors of Hunt Enterprise," Jovan admitted, revealing the deal he had with Briar. Simply put, Briar had told Jovan that she had found a suitable pair of eyes for Renee, but the condition was that she be allowed to join the board of directors of Hunt Enterprise and be a part of the company's decision-making processes and dividends. It was a greedy, tricky offer, but it was because she wanted to make a grand comeback as Briar. Jovan was immediately moved when he heard that Briar could help cure Renee's eyes, and he was even willing to transfer more than half of the shares of the company to Briar. Unfortunately, he could not decide on the addition of a new member to the board of
The lights in Renee's room were not lit. To her, it didn't matter—it was always dark and stressful.Jovan sighed softly and gently turned on the lights.Renee was not asleep. When she heard someone switch on the lights and approach, she could tell by the heavy footsteps that it was Jovan. She remained lying on her side and said grumpily, "Jovan, I'm your sister-in-law, and besides, men and women should keep a polite distance. Isn't it inappropriate for you to come into my room late at night?""I've already done so many inappropriate things, so it doesn't matter anyway," Jovan joked as he placed the tray on the nightstand and pulled a chair over to sit near Renee's bed. He tried to persuade her patiently, "I heard from Lisa that you neither ate nor drank today. It's very silly of you to punish me like this since you'll be the one suffering in the end. Be good and eat, then you can beat me up or scold me. That way, you can vent your anger and feel better. Wouldn't it be killing two bi
Jovan's expression twisted in frustration. "You're a good woman too, so why can't I start something with you? Why do you want to let me down?" "Umm..." Renee was at a loss for words, and pursed her lips awkwardly. "I'm your sister-in-law, and I don't like you. Why do you have to be so stubborn?" "People have to love each other before becoming a couple, so there's no point in you trying to match me with some other woman. Many women sincerely love me, but do I have to keep them all?" Jovan sounded upset. Renee had been trying to push Lisa and Jovan together for the past few days, and it disgusted Jovan. Lisa was not bad, but Jovan was upset by the way Renee was trying to get rid of him."Don't be mad, it's just a suggestion. Just forget it if you don't want to." Renee did not expect Jovan's sudden anger, and felt that maybe she had gone too far this time. She sighed and said sincerely, "I'm sorry for not taking your feelings into account. I'll stop trying to match you with another w
Briar successfully appeared in public as herself three days later, and grandly joined Hunt Enterprise as a member of the board of directors.Leia had been trying her best to search for Renee for the past few days, but she couldn't get in touch with Stefan, Xavier, or the others. She was feeling frustrated and hopeless. One day, she saw a live broadcast of Briar joining the board of directors of Hunt Enterprise, and was stunned. "What the hell? The troublemaker is alive? And she became a core member of Hunt Enterprise?" For a moment, endless theories popped up in Leia's mind. She figured that Briar might have something to do with Renee's disappearance, which might be why she had appeared after Renee had gone missing. It was just too much of a coincidence.Hence, Leia hurriedly drove to Hunt Enterprise, and tried to barge in. Naturally, the security guards stopped her, and she screamed, "Get out of my way! I want to see the person in charge here and that hag Briar!""I don't care who
Leia's eyes widened and she shrieked, "Oh, I knew it was you! You're a kidnapper and a pervert! Where are you keeping Ren? Let her go!" She had suspected Jovan from the beginning because it was a well-known fact that he had ulterior motives toward Renee. Renee had even lived abroad with Jovan for half a year away from others. He probably couldn't bear being separated from Renee so he kidnapped her again."Yes, I did take her, but I don't plan to let her go. What I can tell you is that she's doing fine, and I'll try my best to make her better. Please leave if that's all you have to say." Jovan's expression was menacing. If not for the fact that Leia was Renee's best friend, he would have made her suffer."How can you be so arrogant after kidnapping someone?! Listen—I'm not leaving until I get what I came here for. I'll even set this place on fire if that's the only way I'll get Renee back!" Leia snarled, gripping Jovan's arm tightly and refusing to let him go. "Let go!" Jovan had me
After that, Amber looked at Liam, who kept silent the whole time. She tried to make Liam say something nice. "See, Liam? I told you, Matt's a great guy. He was just joking with us in the orchard to scare us. I'm sure he'll take our sides and protect us. Don't worry.""Is that so?" Liam glanced at Mateo and faked a smile. "Well, I should thank him properly."The air between them grew awkward, but Liam didn't care. He wanted to make Mateo uneasy and force the latter to expose his true self.Amber was simple, but Liam was no fool. Mateo's acting was smooth, but he couldn't trick Liam.Moreover, Mateo was the one who came up with that scheme. He wouldn't let anyone expose it—he wanted to be the one to do it."Okay, aren't we going to get a drink? Let's go. I'll make the chef cook us something nice." Mateo enthusiastically held Liam's shoulders and dragged him forward. At that moment, he turned icy. "If you're a man, stop involving Gem if you want to fight against me. Stop showing of
Liam was no fool. He immediately understood the profound meaning behind Renee's words and stopped saying too much. "Fine, be good. You guys are just taking a rest. I'll handle this well. Wait for my news."He knew very well that the conclusion would be the same regardless if Renee and Leia had offended Luneth's son or the child of an ordinary villager. Mateo simply wanted to use that method to control him. The only way to solve this was to defeat Mateo. However, based on the current situation, Mateo had a lot of followers in the fort. It would be difficult for Liam to defeat him.Luckily, Liam wasn't an easy target either. He had been winning people over these days. That, and he was close with Benjamin's other foster sons. If both parties were to get into a fight, he still had a chance to win.After confirming that Renee and Leia were fine, Liam left the cell. Mateo was waiting outside, grinning triumphantly. He sneered sarcastically, "What do you think? I was telling the trut
"No, I'm not!" Liam raised his hand to swear. "Trust me. They're just best friends. They're not in that kind of messy relationship. Both of them have a guy they're madly in love with.""I see." Amber watched how Renee and Leia fooled around intimately with each other in the cell. They looked like they were about to kiss! She shook her head and said, "What a pity! They look so lovey-dovey, better than many novels I read about where the women love each other.""You're hopeless!" It was rare for Liam to see such a straightforward and cute side of Amber. Amused, he poked her forehead and sighed. "Stop reading those messy novels! It's harmful."Their actions were loud and finally attracted Renee's attention in the cell."Liam!" Renee, pressed to the chair by Leia, couldn't escape. Finally, she grabbed a chance to leap up and walk to the door.Well… It wasn't a door. Rather, they were iron bars preventing them from escaping.The decoration and facilities in the room weren't bad. Be
Liam tensed up when he heard that voice. He quickened his pace and rushed through the corridor, toward the cell where Renee and Leia were locked up. Suddenly, he became flabbergasted and his face stiffened. For a long time, he couldn't regain his wits."Hey… What are you guys doing?"On a table lay barbecue, jerky, beer, and fruit platters. Meanwhile, both Renee and Leia were playing cards. Leia ran after Renee, then pressed her on the chair and said seriously, "Hey, gorgeous. You can't run away! You got the card for kissing me, so you have to let me kiss you. If not, you're trying to disobey the rules of the game!""Help! Help me…!" Renee kept resisting, amused and befuddled. "Get away from me! I'm a desperate woman who likes men! I can't kiss you! If I kiss you, I'm going to have nightmares… Oh, just kill me! Is there anyone who can save me?" Liam wasn't the only one standing at the door. Amber was also with him since she was following him. Watching Renee and Leia's antics,
"Hurry up and explain to her, then!" Amber said hurriedly. "Matt, you're close to her. You know Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne would never do that on purpose. Try to persuade her to let this go, and then you can immediately set them free.""I don't have a say in this." Mateo shook his head, pretending to be helpless. "You know how much Luneth dotes on her son. Ms. Everheart pinned him to the ground and beat him up. His head got injured and started bleeding. I heard it's a large cut with a lot of stitches. We can't let it go just like that.""But you can't—" Amber wanted to say more, but Liam interrupted her. He looked at Mateo, his eyes cold and fierce. "I know you set them up. Just be frank. Why did you do that?" "See?" Mateo sighed. He pretended to be aggrieved as he looked at Amber. "The guy you like is sinister. I kindly helped him, but he didn't thank me. He even accused me of setting this up… He always sees the worst in people. He criticized me in front of you and sowed di
Liam immediately noticed something wrong. He asked Mateo fiercely, "What do you mean?""Calm down." Mateo put away his gun and placed it back around his waist. "They broke the rules and barged into the orchard. Plus, they hurt Luneth's child. So, I locked them up for the time being."He appeared calm, as if he was discussing what he had eaten for dinner. He didn't feel that he had been over the line. "Go to hell!" Liam finally failed to hold himself back. He rushed over and grabbed Mateo's neck fiercely. "You can harm me, but how dare you harm them!"At the same time, Mateo's subordinates raised their guns and aimed them at Liam. The recently eased atmosphere immediately became tense again."Hey, don't!" Amber, all tensed up, braced herself to try and stop them. Even so, she was mentally exhausted."What? You want to strangle me?" Mateo was fearless. He grinned deviously and teased, "Cool it. I just locked them up, but they didn't suffer. They're fine. If you harm me, though, I
Livid, Mateo pulled the trigger without hesitation. However, he moved the gun less than an inch. The bullet passed by Liam's ear and hit an orange behind him.The fruit immediately blew up, its juices splashing on Liam's face."Aaaah!" Amber, terrified, trembled. Her eyes turned red, and she hurriedly tried to plead with Mateo. "Matt, cool it! Aren't you and Liam friends? You guys drank and chatted together in the past. You were so close to each other. How could you do this to him? Hurry up and put the gun away! If it goes off accidentally, it'll be over!"However, Mateo ignored her. His eyes were red as he glared at Liam. "Did you see the orange behind you? Let go of her now! If not, I'll blow up your head just like I did to that orange!""Is that all you got?" Liam taunted. He refused to let Amber go. He whispered to Amber, "Watch well. If he shoots me today, promise me not to marry such a man. I can use my life to knock some sense into you.""No!" Amber shook her head. Liam
"What bad timing!" Mateo's indifferent voice came from behind Amber.Amber turned around and saw Mateo with a team of armed soldiers. Terrified, she quickly put some distance between her and Liam. She stammered an explanation. "Matt… It's not what you think. Liam and I came here to look for people. Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne are gone. Liam couldn't find them and guessed they might be in the orchard. He wasn't familiar with the orchard and asked me to guide him."Mateo looked livid, but still cracked a gentle smile. "Silly, you don't have to be scared. I know you're prudent. He must have forced you to come here. I don't blame you."He extended his hand and beckoned Amber toward him. "Come here. You're my fiancee. You should stand with me.""I…" Amber bit her lip—Mateo was right. She kept her head low, about to walk to him.But in the next second, Liam firmly grabbed her wrist. "You can't go!" Liam held Amber's wrist tightly and shot Mateo a challenging look."When did Amb
Liam could only see through Amber's true thoughts if she showed her true self to him. "No, I do like you. I love you the most, and I want to marry you. But you neither like me nor want to marry me. You love freedom and Ms. Everheart. You love and yearn for the kind of life ordinary people like. So, I could only choose to give you up and let you get what you want. What else do you want me to do?" Amber was generally shy and reserved, but when Liam drove her anxious, she rambled a lot."Whatever I want is my business. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to grant my wish!" Liam held Amber's shoulders, acting like a kind senior. He tried to persuade her in earnest. "Marriage isn't a joke. Think it through. Do you like and know Mateo well? You won't be happy after marrying him, given the savage culture around here. And can you divorce him easily?""Matt will be nice to me. Even if he changes his mind, he'll still be nice to me because…my father is Benjamin," Amber replied.She chose