Renee wanted him alive even if they were not a couple. She turned the doorknob, then swung open the door and screamed, "Stefan, you jerk! You finally come back, and you—"However, when she saw who was standing at the door, she was stunned. The man standing before her was stunned too."What... Why are you here? Is there anyone else with you?" Renee awkwardly looked behind him, then looked around.The man was awkward too. "No, it's… just me. Victor told me that you wanted to meet me, and I was happy because I thought… I thought you really wanted to see me!"Disappointment and sadness overwhelmed Renee, and she mumbled, "Not exactly." She had never planned on meeting him. Their relationship was ordinary, at most best friends or peers in the same field.Justin wore a long black windbreaker and scratched his head awkwardly. "You can't even lie to me and say you wanted to see me? We're comrades who fought for each other, you know!""When did we do that? I don't remember." Renee's tone
It had been a long time since Renee and Justin last met, and Renee was surprised to bump into him here. Once she had calmed down, she suggested taking a tour of the large casino with him as her guide.Osk Casino was considered one of the top casinos in Beach City. Renee had heard about it but had not visited it or looked it up—she hadn't expected that Justin was the boss of the famous Osk Casino though. "It's good that you're a boss at such a young age. I thought the owner of this casino was an old man given this extravagance, decoration, and style." After seeing all the five floors of the building, Renee gave Justin a thumbs-up. Justin was three years younger than Renee, but he had achieved much more than her."Stop teasing me—my achievements are nothing compared to yours. Plus, I didn't gain this business. My grandpa set it up first, and I'm just enjoying its success." Justin smiled humbly."But as a Baldwin, you successfully established a large casino in Beach City where the Hunt
Renee let go of Justin's arm in satisfaction. "That's more like it." Justin rubbed his sore arm and complained, "You're still as violent as ever, Phoenix.""Do you want more?" Justin immediately became humble and pitiful again. "No, please stop. I'm just saying that despite how much time has passed, our relationship is still the same." Back then, Justin would surely get hurt whenever they met. His arms would almost be broken, or he would have to suffer a few punches. His feelings would be hurt too. However, despite everything… he quite liked that kind of feeling. He was probably a masochist."Well, I might not be as strong as before, but it's more than enough to deal with a boy like you," Renee said confidently.Justin scowled at her. "Can you stop calling me that? I'm not a boy.""You're not?" "I'm most certainly not, thank you very much.""But you're younger than me.""Fine, I can't deny that." Justin seemed to enjoy their banter, and didn't argue anymore after that. "O
After thinking about it for a long time, Renee decided to meet Timothy. She heard that he was ill and had wanted to visit him, but hadn't because of her messy situation. However, the information she had gotten from Justin might be related to Stefan, so she had to go. All she cared about at that moment was Stefan—she wanted to know where he was, and most importantly, if he was still alive."Justin, I'm sorry for troubling you. I mistook you for Stefan and made a scene… I'll compensate you for whatever I destroyed here, and I really hope the casino does well." Renee apologized to Justin with her hands together, then got up to leave."Where are you going?" Justin stood up and asked worriedly."I'm going to look for him!" Renee smiled sadly. "Honestly, I feel like a kid looking for her mother. I don't have a plan but I'll try to get information from whoever I can meet." She had already gone to Briar, Jovan, and Justin to find Stefan; Next on her list was Timothy. Eventually, she had to
Timothy was lying on a lounge chair near the balcony, watching the rain outside the window. His bedroom was facing the garden, where a few Musa basjoo trees had been planted below his window. Those trees were almost as old as him, and they were tall and dense. Raindrops dripped from their branches and leaves, giving off a gloomy atmosphere. "Old Mr. Hunt, look who's here," Asher happily informed Timothy.Timothy did not turn around, and just said indifferently, "It must be Ren, right? The one I've been wanting to meet…""Grandpa..." Renee walked over and kneeled beside the chair, holding his arm gently. "How did you know it's me?""It's because I've been looking forward to seeing you every day!" Timothy looked at her and patted her head. "Silly girl, it's been such a long time. You should have come and met me sooner!""I-I..." "What's the matter? Do you hate me?""No, I always thought about you, but so many things happened lately and I… I was too ashamed to meet you." "Ah, y
Renee could tell that she wouldn't get any answers from Timothy, and disappointment filled her. Timothy sighed when he saw Renee's crestfallen expression. "Ren, stop overthinking. There's always a way around things. Look at my family and the Baldwins—we've been fighting each other for so many years, but it's slowly been resolved. I believe that the thing between you and Stef isn't irresolvable; Just wait, and time will give you an answer."Renee smiled bitterly and asked Timothy, "Since you brought it up, Grandpa… Did you make peace with the Baldwin family?""I guess you can put it that way." Timothy looked ahead. "I already have one foot in the grave, and it made me realize that grudges are nothing compared to death. Austin and I used to be best friends, but we fell out with each other because of some silly misunderstandings. I'm going to die soon, so I don't want to keep on fighting him. If we make peace, it'll be beneficial for our descendants too.""Is that it?" Renee was doub
Justin felt that though Stefan was arrogant, he was also cautious and insightful. As Stefan's enemy, he had to be on guard if Stefan was managing Hunt Enterprise, but now that Jovan was running it… it was too easy and wasn't fun anymore. He tilted his head and offered Jovan a lazy smirk. "If it wasn't for my grandpa telling us not to fight, your family would be done for.""Shut up!" Enraged, Jovan grabbed Justin's collar. "Are you testing my patience or my family's power? Do you think I wouldn't dare to do anything to you since you're in Hunt Manor?"Justin shrugged casually. "Go ahead and do what you want. If you beat me up to vent your anger now, your grandpa will just make you apologize to me later. How humiliating would that be, hmm?" "Apologize?" Jovan scoffed. "You must be dreaming!" He raised his hand to punch Justin. Renee had finished her chess game with Timothy, and was coming down the stairs when she saw Jovan and Justin. Her eyes widened and she shouted, "Jovan, stop!
Renee's teasing remark made Jovan and Justin break out in a cold sweat."What? You want me to be his friend? I'd rather kill myself!" Jovan pretended to vomit. "I wouldn't go to that extent, but it's worse than killing myself if I have to befriend such a childish man," Justin scoffed in disgust.Renee found their argument amusing and shook her head. "Okay, it's getting late. I need to go home." Renee had gained no new information and was mentally exhausted. She wanted to go home and rest, leaving her worries aside for the moment."Are you going home? The weather is terrible. Why don't you spend the night here?" Naturally, Jovan didn't want Renee to leave. "This is also your home, and the maids keep your room clean and well-maintained under Grandpa's orders. If you spend the night here, he'll be very happy.""That's unnecessary. It's more comfortable staying at one's own home. What Phoenix needs the most is a relaxing rest at home..." Justin extended his arm and said to Renee char
Liam felt that his situation at the fort was almost the same as Renee's current situation. He had thought that the marriage was just for show. If he was unhappy, he could get a divorce. Even then, things were not that easy when he wanted to get out of that mess. If Amber had not protected him, Benjamin would have long gotten him killed. He knew better than anyone else how unfair it was for the other party when one tolerated and went through with the marriage.Amber was naive and was willing to be treated unfairly, but Justin was no fool. He would not be able to take it if it lasted for a long time. It was easy to imagine what Renee would face when Justin stopped taking her side."Let's go! I'm not afraid. You don't have to be afraid, either." Liam made up his mind to support Renee, who was standing behind him.Renee bit her lips and started to waver; not because she did not want to be with Justin, but simply because she was not confident in herself. She was afraid she would neve
"Liam, what are you doing?" Leia looked at Liam, unable to understand his sudden excitement."I'm going to meet Austin or Justin. I want them to cancel this engagement ceremony." Liam held Renee's wrist and tried to drag her out of the suite.He was certain Renee didn't want to marry Justin, so it was very likely that she would regret it in the future. It would be hard to settle if she regretted it after the engagement party. Liam felt that he had to try his best to put everything under control while he still could. Feeling helpless, Leia complained, "Stop making a scene… This is Ren's marriage. You can't make all this fuss!""You don't know. I'm doing this for her. I want the best for her." Liam knew the consequences of resisting Austin, given the man's position. He was also ready to be punished by them. Even though he would be beaten up vigorously, he would not hesitate as long as he could stop the ceremony and help Renee avoid such risks. "If you want the best for her, just
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,