The silence was deafening, and Renee inwardly counted the seconds as despair gripped her. She had lowered her pride just to get an answer, but he refused to even give her that… How cruel! Humiliated, Renee let go of Stefan's waist and smoothed her messy hair. She cleared her throat and asked coldly, "So, it's because of Briar, right?" She hadn't wanted to think of it, but that seemed like the only possible reason. He wouldn't be acting like this otherwise."Briar?" Stefan flinched in surprise, then fell silent. Finally, he asked, "She went to you?""Yes, she did!" Renee took a deep breath and wiped her face, deciding to be frank with him. "She came to me with intimate photos of you both, acting like she had won a prize as she showed them off. I don't hate her because I know everything happens for a reason, but I'm just curious. Why... would you do that?" Renee stared at Stefan's back, tears running down her cheeks."There's no reason." Stefan did not want to explain too much. If Ren
Renee thought that Stefan would stay, but he just paused briefly before leaving. It was almost like he had never been there at all. Feeling drunk and dizzy, Renee just laid back on the bed, eventually falling asleep. She hoped that it had all just been a dream, but after avoiding this for so long, she knew it was time for her to face the cruel reality.The next morning brought good weather. Having slept well, Renee stretched, enjoying the morning sun on her face."Little girl, do you want breakfast? I made my best sandwiches." Jamie knocked on the door and called from outside the room. He had been rudely awakened by Stefan at five in the morning, who ordered him to take good care of Renee and make a delicious breakfast for her. Jamie had led a pampered life, but there he was in the kitchen at the break of dawn, doing his best so Renee could have a good meal. After some research, he finally decided to make vegetable sandwiches as they were convenient, fast, and nutritious. Renee got
After breakfast, Renee bade Jamie goodbye and returned to Everheart Manor. All the people in the manor were anxiously waiting for her, and when she walked in, they all breathed a sigh of relief."Oh, thank goodness! Ren, where did you go last night?" Leia asked worriedly, looking Renee up and down. "I got drunk last night and went home, and when I came back today, they told me that you were missing. I nearly called the cops!" Renee slowly entered the manor and laid on the sofa, then said calmly, "I was fine. I just slept in my neighbor's house.""You slept in your neighbor's house?" The atmosphere immediately grew tense.Xavier walked over and asked tentatively, "Which neighbor? Is it the house... across from this?""Mm." Renee nodded and rubbed her aching head. "Ugh, hangovers are torture. I won't get drunk at night again." Her calmness was confusing everyone there."In that case, did you see... any special person?" Leia asked carefully. She figured that the scumbag, Stefan, wa
Renee woke up early the next day. She put on light makeup, then drove Adie and Abby to kindergarten. The children would be taking graduation photos soon since it was almost their graduation.Adie and Abby's teacher was waiting there, and enthusiastically went to greet Renee. "Ms. Everheart, as you know, the kids will be graduating soon, so the kindergarten wants to give them a nice parting gift. We decided on taking family photos as graduation photos to strengthen the bond between the kids and their parents.""Sure, I support the idea." Renee nodded in agreement. The teacher nudged her glasses awkwardly. "Well, it's a family photo, so both parents have to be present for it. Adie and Abby are the only students who don't have both parents around, and I know it caused some issues during their registration here. We know Adie and Abby's situation is a bit special, but…" Renee frowned, feeling uneasy when she heard that. "Miss, my kids are just like every other kid out there. The only
When Renee got back from the kindergarten, she started making preparations for Jeffrey's debut. She took Jeffrey to Xavier's company, and after the receptionist took down their information, they went to the reception room to wait for Xavier. It was the first time Jeffrey had been to the city, and he was curious about everything he saw. Though he was awed by a lot of it, it also made him feel insecure. "Renee, can I really do this?" Jeffrey stood in front of the large French window in the reception room, staring at his tanned skin, messy hair, and unsophisticated look dejectedly. "Yeah, it'll be fine." Renee stood up and patted Jeffrey's shoulders, looking at him dotingly as if he were her son. "Your look is very rare in the current entertainment circle, and I'm sure it'll win you lots of fans." There were many handsome celebrities on the market, but they were all too delicate. They were nice to look at, but there was nothing unique or magnetic about them. Jeffrey, however, looked l
"You… want to work with Jeffrey?" Renee was taken aback. In her mind, Shirley had once been the top actress in the country, and she would never lower herself to work with an ordinary person unless there was something in it for her. Nonetheless, it would greatly benefit Jeffrey if he could work with Shirley—her fame would definitely get him attention. However, Renee was worried that Shirley wouldn't do her part to help him."Are you surprised?" Shirley sat opposite Renee and chuckled. "Aren't you confident in this novice you want to promote? Do you think he's not on my level?" When Jeffrey heard that, he ducked his head in shame, clenching his fists. Jeffrey had been a spirited and confident youth who had fearlessly roamed the seas, but here in this big city, he felt like a fish out of water. It was hard to adapt, and he often felt overwhelmed. "Of course not." Renee leaned against the chair and stared at Shirley intently. Shirley shifted uneasily. "Is there something on my face?
Shirley flinched, her face going pale. She was in her twenties and had done all kinds of things, but she had a clear conscience and no regrets… except sleeping with Xavier's father. Technically, it hadn't been her intention. Xavier's father had been scheming to get her for ages, and had drugged her drink. However, she didn't call the police or complain about it to Xavier after she had slept with Xavier's father, and instead tried to use that incident to make Xavier's father promote her. In the end, things had gotten out of hand. When the affair was exposed, Xavier cut off all ties from Shirley though he had once doted on her. He no longer gave her any resources, and that was when Shirley learned the truth—it was the seemingly frivolous Xavier that was running Universal Entertainment and the Stuart family, even though it looked like his father was the one in charge. Shirley hadn't gotten any benefits from her affair, and she had lost a man who loved her because of her choice."Yeah,
Renee flinched as if struck, and her heart twisted painfully. "Why... are you asking me that?" Renee glared at Shirley, immediately cautious. She had only told Leia about Stefan cheating on her with Briar. She didn't want others to learn about such a humiliating affair that could ruin her dignity."Ms. Everheart, why are you so nervous? I know that Mr. Hunt is one of those rare good men. He's rich and handsome, and also very loyal to you," Shirley said meaningfully, and it made Renee wonder if Shirley knew anything. When Renee didn't reply, Shirley continued, "But even the perfect partner can make mistakes. I'm just curious to know if you'd forgive him if you were in this situation. If you would, then you can't say that Xavier wouldn't forgive me. There's nothing wrong in seeking forgiveness. Am I so despicable that all of you will always think the worst of me?" Renee averted her gaze guiltily. "I... I'm not sure.""What are you not sure about?" Shirley urged. "I'm not sure if I
Liam was impressed while looking at Justin's calm expression. He had always thought that Justin was cunning and full of schemes. He was even worried that Justin might plot against Renee in the future.However, Justin was quite open and generous. He was considering things from Renee's angle. He could be Renee's haven, but if he stepped down, he could willingly grant Renee's wish to be with the one she loved. It seemed that Justin was selfless, and Liam felt that he was worse than Justin. No wonder Renee would choose to spend the rest of her life with Justin. It seemed like he was a reliable man.Justin pocketed his hands and asked casually, "Is there any other problem now?""Not at the moment." Liam frowned in defeat. Since Justin had made such a big compromise, he would seem like a fool if he was too arrogant and refused to give up. A long sigh escaped him as he let go of Renee's hand, but he was still hopeful. He boasted to Justin, "Wait and see! I'll make Stefan appear.""Go
"Let go of her!" Justin turned cold and grabbed Renee's other hand. He said darkly to Liam, "You don't have the right to take her with you!""Hmph! I don't have the right to take her with me? Well, you don't have the right to marry her. I must take her with me today. Worst comes to worst, I'll fight your family!"Though he was too weak to fight the powerful Baldwin family, Liam was never a coward. He would fight the whole world alone for the sake of Renee's happy and stable life."Calm down…"In comparison, Justin was calmer. He was probably more confident since it was his territory and he could affirm Renee would not leave with Liam. He started mocking Liam. "I'm not the kind of person who will force others to do things they refuse to do. If Ren wants to leave, I'll let her go even if my family disowns me. But I know that she won't leave. At the very least, she won't leave with you.""What do you mean?" Liam could tell that Justin was mocking him, and it annoyed him. "Why are
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