A plump boy kept jumping on the beach, trying to catch some fish but failing to get any. "This isn't fun at all!" The plump boy named Tubby grabbed the fishing tools and threw them onto the sand angrily. He grabbed his father's hand and wailed. "Why can't our family catch any fish? What are you both doing? If this goes on, we won't have any dinner. We might even be in last place! Hurry up and think of something!""What can we do, son? We're not professional fishermen, so it's only normal that we can't catch any fish. Maybe there aren't any fish here either. Don't worry, we can get food from others later." Glenn Bardot, Tubby's father, was rather laidback about the whole thing. However, Camila Bardot, Tubby's mother, became restless. She pinched Glenn. "How can you say that? The minute something becomes tough, you immediately give up! No wonder our boy is always lagging." Camila looked around and was surprised to see Adie catching a lot of fish nearby. Camila said to Tubby, "Look at
"I said you're ill-mannered!" Camila snapped haughtily. "I was wondering why you're so fierce and rude, but now it makes sense. Hmph, isn't there a rule in Monte Perry that they won't accept kids from single-parent families? How did you manage to get in? You're tarnishing the image of the kindergarten and its students!" Tubby was a transfer student, so Camila didn't know about the uproar that happened when Adie and Abby tried to register there. Besides, Renee always kept a low profile and purposely hid the background of the two children, so Camila didn't know who Adie's parents were. She assumed that Adie's parents came from new money, since the truly rich families would not easily get a divorce for their image's sake.At first, Adie did not want to lower himself to Tubby and Camila's level, he just wanted to take his eel and leave, but he couldn't let go of the things they said. It wasn't like him to let something like this go. Hence, he put the fishing tools on the ground, stood on
The sturdy man was none other than Glenn, Tubby's father."Daddy, Daddy!" Tubby cried and ran to Glenn. He pointed at Adie and sobbed, "This boy bullied Mommy and me. He beat us up… You have to help us!" Adie couldn't help but laugh. "You're not only useless, you're a coward too! Unfortunately, even if you bring your parents here, you can't win against me." Even though he was young, he took after his mother. He had great IT skills and was good at fighting; even if he couldn't fight against professionals, he was confident he could take on Tubby and his family. Glenn was a sturdy and plump man, and spoiled his son terribly. He couldn't handle seeing this little boy bullying his wife and son. Enraged and humiliated, he grabbed Adie and roared, "Did you bully my son? Say sorry to him now, or I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!" Adie looked up at the giant man calmly. "Firstly, I didn't bully your son. Your son is crazy—he insisted on provoking me, then fell on his own. Secondl
However, Adie was not frightened. His mother had taught him how to escape from such a hold. Using a tactic called Horseyre, he forcefully kicked Glenn's head with the tip of his foot, then flipped over and landed on his feet steadily. Glenn's eyes bulged in rage, but before he could make a move, an icy voice came from behind him, "Let go of my son!"Adie's eyes lit up, and he turned around excitedly. "Daddy, it's you!" Adie couldn't believe his eyes. The person he had been missing for so long was actually here!"Mr. Hunt?" The gathered parents were filled with disbelief. None of them expected a man who was rumored to be dead to show up.The blood drained out of Glenn's face and he immediately let go of Adie, his heart pounding. He swallowed and stammered, "Mr. Hunt, I... I didn't know this boy was your son. I'm so sorry for my rudeness." Glenn was a nouveau riche who had only become rich recently, and his property relied on the products provided by Hunt Enterprise. He must have a
"Now..." Stefan kept his head low, hesitant to answer."Adie!" Renee's anxious voice came from nearby. When she was about to reach the entrance of the cave to find the treasures on the map, she heard from some parents behind her that a family was bullying Adie. She had quickly rushed back to the fishing area with Abby.When Stefan heard Renee, he looked over. Renee looked over too, and their gazes met. There was only twenty meters between them, but it felt like they were worlds apart. Neither of them moved, and time seemed to have stood still. It felt like everything around them had disappeared as they stared at each other, neither making a move or saying anything. The surrounding parents exchanged awkward glances, not knowing what to do.Adie stood beside Stefan while Abby stood beside Renee. The siblings looked at each other and shrugged wearily. Their dramatic parents always caused a scene, so they were used to things like this. All they wanted to do was resolve this issue.Af
Finally, Stefan walked over to Renee with a complicated gaze. "Why didn't you tell me about this? It's a big deal." "A big deal?" Renee sneered. "I'm sorry for my ignorance, but I don't know what you're talking about.""The kids are going to take their graduation photos. As their father, don't you think I should have been informed?" Stefan sounded displeased. He felt that graduating from kindergarten and stepping into elementary school was an important phase in a kid's life, and as a father, he had to be present for it."You were clearly busy, and I didn't even know if you were alive. I didn't want to disturb your precious time with your new sweetheart." Renee sounded jealous. The people around them looked at them curiously. It sounded like Stefan had cheated on Renee and had gone to his mistress while he was missing. No wonder Renee wanted to kick Stefan—it seemed like he deserved it. Stefan put his hands in his pockets, frowning. "You should let me decide what will disturb me
Renee cooperated with Stefan for the sake of saving face. She leaned into Stefan's arms and spoke softly as she smiled up at him. "Since you're here, you should be a responsible father and make their graduation a happy one.""Of course!" Stefan looked down at Rene, returning her smile. "I don't have to act—I'm a good father."Both Adie and Abby shook their heads helplessly. Abby sighed deeply. "Adie, I feel like Daddy and Mommy are getting crazier." Adie muttered, "Yeah, I think so too. I think it's better they don't talk to each other than behave like this."This fake peace was just too strange."Kids, your father and I have talked. We've gathered quite a lot of ingredients, so maybe we should go find the treasures now. What do you think?" Renee asked carefully."Sure!" Abby was the first to give her approval. "Mommy and I nearly found the treasure just now… but I don't know if it's still there."Renee checked the messages in the class' group chat. None of the parents had po
The family of four set off for a cliff on the island based on the map provided by the kindergarten. Stefan carried Abby and placed her on his shoulders while Adie tried searching for the road ahead of them. Renee walked behind them, keeping her distance."Daddy, that cave is very scary. It's dark and deep. I heard that there are dragons that protect the treasures in it… My classmates didn't dare to go in, but Mommy and I did. Aren't we brave?" Abby babbled as she enjoyed the view from Stefan's shoulders, waving her arms joyfully."Oh, that's awesome..." Stefan smiled dotingly and turned around to glance at Renee. Then, he added, "It's no surprise that the children she raised are so amazing.""Daddy, are you saying that Mommy is amazing?" Abby held Stefan's head and asked curiously."Of course." Stefan whispered, "I'm sure you and Adie don't know how amazing your mother is." He was unsure if the children were aware of Renee's glorious past and awesome skills, but he remembered them
"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
Being a sensitive woman, Amber immediately noticed Liam's displeasure. She kept her head lower and explained carefully, "I want a chance to choose again… I want to choose another person to fall in love with. You know that Matt and I grew up together. We're childhood friends. He likes me and always protects me without asking for anything back. I feel that it's happier to marry a person who loves me instead of marrying someone far beyond my reach."For the first time, she expressed the exhaustion she felt from her relationship with Liam. She no longer wanted to be the one who kept fawning over him. She wanted to give up and relax by being the one who was loved and adored in a relationship."Tsk!" Liam snorted arrogantly. "You don't know Mateo. He's not a nice guy. He's just good at pretending. Maybe it's just his means to get what he wants, but you assume that he loves and wants to protect you."Liam hadn't made that statement to purposely put Mateo down. After standing against Mate
Liam focused on holding Amber's hand and leading her through the orange grove. At the same time, he carefully scanned the ground and trees to find any related clues left by Renee and Leia."I don't care what others say, because I didn't do anything wrong," he said indifferently. "I hope you'll feel the same. I don't think you need to stop being my friend after choosing to marry Mateo. Am I not the friend you like the most?""That's different," Amber said.She followed Liam passively. At first, she couldn't adapt to it. After walking briefly, she felt better and found it easier to do. "Although I'm not good at my studies, I know men and women should keep a polite distance. You can't take my hand and sound righteous at the same time," she mumbled."Why not?" Liam retorted firmly. "When I was young, I always held my sister's hand wherever we went. I'm holding your hand because this fog is thick and the ground is slippery. I'm afraid of being separated from you. Just walk with me. St