"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
Naturally, Jovan wanted to reciprocate, but Xavier instinctively rushed over to protect Leia. It was a mess as the three of them tussled. At that moment, Briar arrived at the lobby on the ground floor, surrounded by executives. Leia immediately turned to her and howled, "You're still alive, you troublemaker! I owe you a beating!" Leia let go of Jovan and rushed toward Briar."What-What do you want?" Briar didn't expect such a sudden attack, and couldn't dodge in time."What do I want..." Leia pulled Briar's hair and punched her. "I want to whack you up, of course! I already told you that if you ever appeared in front of me, I would beat you up!"Briar's self-defense skills and temper were less violent than Leia's, so she couldn't fight back. All she could do was scream. "Let go of me, you crazy woman! I'm going to call the cops to arrest you! Oh, you're going to ruin my hair. Let go, you harpy! Guards, do your job and get rid of her!" The security guards moved forward to help, b
In the past, Jovan manipulated Stefan's feigned death to snatch away the company, but it had been Stefan's trap. He had waited for Jovan to walk into it, and the ending had been delightful. However, this time...Xavier and Quinton had worked with the villagers living in the mountains to look for Stefan every day, but they failed to find any clues related to him. He was missing, and it broke Xavier's heart. Xavier knew that Stefan would not easily fall to death, but right now, it was the only plausible option. Stefan would not go missing and give them no news if he had not fallen to his death."I know even if you don't tell me. It must be bad... You haven't found him, right?" Jovan asked slowly. "You wouldn't look this worried if you had. I believe what the rumors say—my pitiful cousin might have fallen off a cliff and got eaten by beasts.""Shut up!" Enraged, Xavier threw another punch at Jovan.A sigh escaped Jovan. "You might not believe me, but I don't want him dead. I have yet
Then, Briar limped away. Leia watched Briar leave, looking troubled."Are you okay?" Xavier walked over and asked in concern."I'm fine." Leia shook her head absently and looked at Xavier. "Where's Stefan? Where did he go? Does he know that Ren's been waiting for him to come back? Ren needs him the most right now, so where is he hiding?""Let's go back. I need to talk to you about that in detail." Xavier glanced at Jovan pointedly. However, Leia couldn't just leave like that. She walked to Jovan. "What else do you want from me?" Jovan took a step back in fear, covering his bitten arm. "I'll make you suffer if you go crazy again." "I know now that Ren is at your place. I can't just ignore that, so make a choice—are you going to drive her home, or do you want me to barge into your house and take her?" Leia demanded aggressively.Jovan frowned and contemplated it for a while. "I can't decide for Renee, but I can guarantee one thing—if she wants to leave when you come to pick h
Margaret decided to be frank since Renee had said so. "I can tell that you don't sincerely love Mr. Baldwin. Your marriage is just a way to avoid reality. Why are you so harsh on yourself if that's the case? Now, you're making such a big fuss about moving here. If you fail to get along with him and have to return to Beach City in the future, many people will gossip about you. They'll say nasty things about you. Why do you have to put yourself in such a condition?""Margaret, you don't understand…" Renee looked at herself in the mirror. She looked very charming, like a bride in ancient paintings. Everyone would be charmed by her—including herself. She knew very well that she was the one taking the lead in her romance with Justin. They could go on forever as long as she didn't end it. She was just afraid she could not hold on and wanted to stop, and the only reason that she wanted to stop was probably because of Stefan. "If I stay in Beach City, I'll come across Stefan. I know t
Time passed by. It was soon the day for the engagement ceremony between Justin and Renee.The Baldwin family held a grand ceremony while adhering to tradition. It was both traditional and romantic.Renee put on a red slim-fit silk gown with intricate black and gold embroidery. Her long hair was delicately pinned up, showing off her fair and slender neck. She looked elegant."How pretty!" Margaret stood in front of the vanity table and looked at Renee, whose face was dolled with exquisite makeup. She looked gratified, as though she were looking at her daughter."If your parents saw how pretty and elegant you were, they would be very happy." Margaret gently placed her hands on Renee's shoulders and commented, "You married Mr. Hunt when I wasn't around. You must have suffered a lot. But things will get better now… I'll stay with you and protect you forever. I'll be your strongest support."Back then, Renee was left alone when her family was ruined. She married Stefan without anyo
Alexander and Francine were already old. It was fine even if others criticized them or took violent revenge on them. But they were worried that the younger generation, especially Adie and Abby, would have a hard time handling it."You're right. I wasn't thinking straight…" Francine became teary and sobbed. "I just wanted to relieve my guilt and failed to consider the kids. We brought this upon ourselves. I'll probably have to suffer this pain for the rest of my life.""Stop thinking about that. It's all over. It's useless to regret or dwell on it." Alexander walked over and hugged her shoulders. He whispered some consoling words, "No one can tell who was right or wrong about that affair. We're already punished. Just act like everything is gone…"Is it? You're just trying to make yourself feel better." Francine leaned against Alexander's shoulders, full of melancholy. "Don't you think the kids are suffering the consequences of our actions? They love and understand each other bu
"No, I'm not going to snatch away the bride." Stefan put his fork down and stood up. He added calmly, "Plus, I'm going to give them a huge wedding gift."Flabbergasted and shocked, Francine's face stiffened. "I'm full. Just enjoy your meal." Stefan went past Francine and headed upstairs to his room. Francine and Alexander watched Stefan's upright but desolate back for a long time, unable to snap back to reality."Alexander, is there something wrong with him? Should we get an exorcist? He's acting weird!"Francine could not accept to see Stefan that generous all of a sudden. His woman was snatched away, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he wanted to buy the couple a big wedding gift. She couldn't come up with any other possibility except that Stefan was crazy or possessed. "I can understand him." Suddenly, Alexander became sad as if he recalled his past. He looked gloomy as he added, "Sometimes, letting go is a kind of happiness. Helping the others to be together is true l
"How could you!" For a moment, Timothy was rendered speechless. After all, his anxiety was useless since Stefan was calm. "Forget it. I'm not eating. It's annoying! I'm going upstairs." Timothy did not want to argue with Stefan since Stefan was already an adult. He could not force Stefan to do anything. Instead, he chose to get away from such annoyance to not ruin the harmony of the New Year. After he got up and left, Francine braced herself to mediate the situation."Your grandpa isn't very healthy. He should rest early. Let's eat. We should enjoy our meal happily no matter how unhappy things are." Alexander soon gave his cooperation as well when he heard that. He put some food on Stefan's plate and smiled. "Yes, we can't force things in life. Let's enjoy our meal first." "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry you guys are worried about me. Happy New Year."Stefan quietly ate and raised his wine glass, toasting to his parents. He looked normal and calm, and was warmer toward them.However,
Coldness rapidly engulfed everyone. "It's said that Ms. Renee Everheart and Mr. Justin Baldwin have been best friends for many years and ended up as soulmates. They're going to hold a grand engagement ceremony three days later. They've also announced that the Baldwin family has finally made peace with the Everheart family. Many distinguished guests will attend the ceremony. It's still unknown if this event will bring any new changes to North City and Beach City. Let's wait and see!"The host was reporting the affair excitedly on the TV as if he was an eager onlooker."Tsk! What TV station is this? How lousy! I'm going to acquire it!" Francine criticized it before she told the servant to turn the TV off. She also looked at Stefan and Timothy carefully from time to time. She wondered what was on their mind since nobody spoke up.After the TV was turned off, a strange feeling overcame everyone."Let's enjoy our reunion dinner. Don't be angry." Alexander urged everyone to start eat
After a pause, a long sigh escaped Timothy. "Well, children are lacking."Both Alexander and Francine kept quiet. They knew he was going to start talking about that again.Timothy would always talk about the same thing whenever they sat down for a meal. He would make Stefan ask Renee to remarry him, and then demand he get his children home. The harmonious atmosphere would become particularly gloomy and tense every time Timothy brought that up. They knew the thing he yearned for was a prohibited topic for Stefan.It seemed Stefan had made up his mind to never have anything to do with Renee. His face would sink every time they talked about him making peace with Renee, remarrying her, or the children. He would put the fork down and leave. However, Timothy mentioned that topic straightaway during dinner. Awkwardness soon filled Alexander and Francine, and they didn't dare to speak at all. They were afraid that the reunion dinner would become a battlefield."Yes, you're right."
"Uh, well…" Suddenly, Francine found it hard to tell Stefan the truth. After all, she knew better than anyone how much he loved Renee. However, Renee was going to marry another man. It must be a big blow for Stefan."What's wrong?" Stefan narrowed his eyes and studied Francine, who was acting weird."Nothing! Let's eat. It's the New Year. Let's eat together." Alexander found it cruel to expose the news to Stefan since it was the family reunion day, so he changed the topic of the conversation. "Fine." Stefan stopped raising questions and walked straight toward the dining table.Francine watched his back and hesitated. She was about to speak up when Alexander held her wrist. "Calm down."Alexander whispered to her, "Let's eat first. Don't ruin the New Year for him.""Yes, you're right. I should calm down." After some contemplation, she felt that Alexander was considerate. She nodded and decided to wait until after the New Year.It was a grand feast.Usually, the Hunt Manor
Francine was confident in Renee. She felt that Renee and Stefan sincerely loved each other deeply, and their romance wouldn't be over that easily. Unfortunately, they cared too much about their reputation and were stubborn. Someone needed to resolve that stalemate. "You made it sound so easy. Ren is single. If she wants to marry, she can marry anyone. We're just her ex-in-laws. We can't meddle in her affairs." Alexander shook his head. He was full of remorse since he felt that the sail had shipped. He blamed his insensible son instead of Renee. Stefan didn't cherish such a good woman—served him right to lose her!"We can't do anything about it, but our son can!" Francine said confidently. "They're always caught up with each other, and they can't stop loving each other.""What do you mean?""Stef can win Ren back as long as he does something.""But they've ended up like this. If they wanted to remarry, they would have long done so. You made it sound too easy," Alexander said,