Renee turned to leave but her belly exposed her by growling loudly."Let's go. You're clearly hungry, so why are you resisting? We're just going to eat, so what are you so afraid of?" Jovan held Renee's arm, smiling in amusement. Eventually, Renee stopped refusing."Wait, Mr. Hunt!" Just as they were about to get into the car, Sage ran over to them, gasping for breath. "Mr. Gunter from Raypeace Group sent over the joint development contract, so please check it and sign it. If everything's okay, I'll send it back to them," Sage said, then handed a contract to Jovan. "Hey, aren't you… that kind person?" Renee immediately recognized Sage as the one who had handed her a blanket and ordered a cup of milk tea for her, and her eyes widened in realization. So she hadn't been lucky… it was just that busybody Jovan."Umm, I... I don't know what you're talking about." After getting Jovan's signature, Sage turned and fled. "So you knew I was there all along?" Renee asked Jovan suspiciously.
Jovan took Renee to a nearby restaurant selling Jamerian food. "This restaurant's food isn't too oily or spicy, which is better for you since your wounds are recovering." While talking, he awkwardly arranged the silverware, and tentatively handed the restaurant's signature dessert to Renee.After such a long day, Renee was starving. She picked up the dessert with her bare hands and started devouring it. "Hey, it tastes pretty good." She generally disliked Jamerian food, especially raw meat. She felt like her brain would get infested by parasites if she ate that kind of food, but sometimes when people were really hungry, it was easy to overlook such things. Jovan smiled as he watched her enjoy the meal, and took out his phone to record the moment. "You must really be starving.""Why are you taking photos?" Renee wiped her hands clean and tried to grab Jovan's phone. They behaved childishly, but looked like a couple being playful and sweet. Unexpectedly, a waiter there snapped a ph
"Underground casino?" Renee asked urgently, "Which underground casino?" "That's hard to say. You don't understand gambling addicts—they'll go to all the underground casinos once they're addicted. They won't stay put in one place." "You're lying!" Renee didn't believe Jovan. Firstly, Stefan would contact Renee immediately if he was alive—there was no way he would be lingering in underground casinos. Secondly, his properties were enough to support him for his whole life, so he didn't have to hide even if he lost money every day. Also, Renee had never seen Stefan show an interest in gambling from the time she'd first met him. It was impossible to imagine Stefan becoming addicted to gambling in the one month he went missing. There was only one possibility when she thought about it, and that was that Jovan was lying to Renee on purpose. "I know you don't trust me, so I wasn't planning on telling you." While talking, Jovan picked up a pancake and munched it slowly. "But I saw you speak
A blonde man appeared in front of Renee half an hour later. "Ms. Ren, is that you? You've changed! You're so pretty now," he said excitedly, staring at Renee like an adoring fan.Renee rolled her eyes. "So, you're saying that I wasn't pretty back then?""No, of course you were very pretty in the gang too, but you're pretty like a princess now. You look like a goddess!""And you're still glib-tongued," Renee grumbled. She had known Harvey Murray for many years. When she was handling orders from the underworld, he was her most trusted spy and always helped her with errands. Although he wasn't that capable, he was smart and worked well with Renee. After leaving that life, Renee naturally stopped contacting Harvey, but people from the underworld always valued their friendships. If there was an emergency, they would be there without any hesitation no matter how much time had passed. "Ms. Ren, you've been pretty low-key for the past few years. My buddies didn't believe me when I told th
"No, there's no way around it." Harvey shook his head. "They've got a very good security system to punish those who try to sneak in. They're very experienced in it. Plus, you can't play the games if you sneak in without an identity, so what's the point of sneaking in?" "I'm looking for someone," Renee answered vaguely, then sighed. "Fine, I'll try to get the money." She thought about her circle of friends, and out of them, there were only two people who could lend her 20 million dollars. One of them was Xavier, the young heir of Universal Entertainment, and the other was Jovan, who pestered her shamelessly every day. After some contemplation, Renee chose to seek Jovan's help. Jovan was aware of the situation, but Xavier was not. Besides, Xavier was a blabbermouth. If he went to the casino with her and exposed their whereabouts, it would be very inconvenient."Wait here. I'll transfer the money to your account soon." Renee went to a milk tea shop and ordered a cup of milk tea for Har
Harvey led the way, and both he and Renee soon arrived at a gambling table.Renee just wanted to take a look, but a tall middle-aged man came up to her and said firmly, "You can't just watch here. It's rare for us to have a female guest, so you should go play one or two rounds."Renee sized the man up. He was wearing a black suit and had a beard, and his gaze was sharp and dangerous. He looked like a gangster, but he didn't seem reckless. Renee figured he was from the administration part of the casino. "That's the manager of Osk Casino, Victor Reed. He's good at gambling but is very vicious. Be careful," Harvey whispered to Renee."It's okay, I've faced many big shots in my life. This is nothing." Renee patted Harvey's shoulder reassuringly, then faced Victor and said confidently, "Sure. I managed to get in after spending 20 million dollars, so of course I'd like to have some fun. However... you're the only one I want to play against in this casino.""You want to play against me?
"You're pretty arrogant… but I like it. Well, what's your gaming chip? Let me know, then I'll decide if I want to play against you." Victor spread his hands smugly. "After all, I'm rich. Playing house is a waste of my time." "Didn't you verify my capital when I came in? Just use the money on my account as the gaming chip then. What do you think?" Renee leaned back in her chair and suggested generously.Her words made Victor's eyes brighten. He sat up straight and asked, "Are you sure?" "Of course. You froze my cash, so I can't break my word even if I wanted to." "Yeah, you're right." After a brief contemplation, Victor asked, "What about me then? What do you want from me? It doesn't really matter because you won't win, but I need to make it clear for the sake of the rules." "If I win, I don't want money—I just want to ask you a question, and you have to answer it honestly. What do you think?" Renee calmly revealed her request."You want to… ask a question?" Victor thought tha
Renee had five cards. First, she played a card of three points, which was considered a very low card. Victor chuckled, then put down a card of seven points. Renee followed with a card of eleven points, then Victor submitted a card of thirteen points. It was clear that Victor was way ahead of Renee—his score was eight points higher than Renee's. The only way Renee could win at this point was if she had a Joker with her. If not, she would definitely lose."I'm sorry, I don't think you'll be able to break my streak this time." Victor put down a King and said wickedly, "Your 20 million dollars is only enough for one round. Do you want to continue?" Renee had only one card left with her, and it would decide the total points of her cards. Victor knew she couldn't have the Joker with her because he had modified those two cards. If Renee had any of the Jokers, he would be able to see it, and he hadn't seen them in her hand. "Don't be so sure of yourself." Renee smiled at Victor sweetly, the
Leia felt so awkward that she wanted to run away. "Hey, can you stop flattering yourself? You haven't settled your messy romance, so please don't get Ren involved. You shouldn't joke like that!"Similarly, Liam found his joke impudent and admitted to his mistake. "Yeah, I was wrong. Don't take my joke seriously."Both Renee and Leia were amused. It helped relieve their tension. "But have you thought it through? After this ceremony, you'll be a part of the Baldwin family. You can't regret it by then," Liam said; he was worried about Renee. Everyone knew the Baldwin family's style. They had such a grand ceremony today. If anything went wrong, the Everheart family might be ruined for the second time. Although nobody knew who would win the battle, the trouble could be avoided. Liam was clueless as to why Renee wanted to take such a risk."Yes, I have." Renee nodded and added firmly, "I'd thought it through the moment I boarded the plane with Justin to fly here."It was the last c
Renee was done getting ready. As her closest friend, Leia came to North City with Liam immediately.The engagement ceremony was held in a magnificent hall of a top hotel. The guests arrived one by one and chatted among themselves. It was a luxurious and grand scene. "Ren, I'm sorry I'm late!" Leia arrived at the hotel suite where Renee was waiting. She put her hands together to express her apology. "It's Liam's fault! He was out of his mind and insisted on not coming here, but I forced him to and took some time. Please don't be mad at me!""Silly, I won't be mad at you. Plus, this ceremony doesn't carry much meaning. The Baldwin family just needs this as an assurance. It doesn't matter even if you're absent."Renee looked indifferent and was not at all happy and eager like a bride-to-be. The engagement ceremony was held to announce to the world about the relationship between her and Renee. In all honesty, Renee was resistant to it. She did not want her family or friends to at
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."