Stefan and Renee walked into the cave silently. The atmosphere was tense and almost suffocating, like there was something threatening to surface. Maybe the oxygen level in the cave was low, or maybe it was the tension between them.Renee held the torchlight and shone it ahead of her. However, she wasn't really checking the cave out or searching for treasures—she was trying to figure out how to talk to Stefan about the children. "You..." Renee started, but gasped as she accidentally stepped into a dark pit. However, before she could fall, Stefan grabbed her and held her, and they both tumbled to the ground together. Renee had fallen on Stefan, and immediately panicked when she realized it. "Are you alright? Did you hurt your head? Can you move?" At first, Stefan was fine, but when Renee pressed down on his body, he winced in discomfort. "Maybe I'd feel better if you weren't crushing me.""Oh, I'm sorry!" Renee immediately tried to stand up, feeling embarrassed when she realized she
Stefan did not answer Renee's question immediately, and the silence in the cave made everything more awkward.Renee wasn't used to being so close to him. She could feel his breathing and the warmth of his body, but it felt like their hearts were far apart. She didn't know what he was thinking. Humiliated and disappointed, she tried to stand up, keeping her distance from Stefan. "Is it that difficult to answer?" Renee huffed angrily. She could accept Stefan's fickleness and insincerity, but she couldn't accept his silence and avoidance when it came to their children."What do you want me to do?" After a long silence, Stefan quietly stood up, upset that their romantic moment was cut short. However, he didn't regret his decision to stay away from her—he knew she would suffer less in the future. "What do you mean? You're their father, but you never thought of how you'd take care of them in the future?" Stefan's casualness infuriated Renee, and she had to stop herself from slapping him.
"You want to find another father for them?" Stefan laughed when he heard that, feeling angry and helpless. "If you think that's the better option, just go ahead then!" Then, he walked ahead to look for the treasure."You..." An unspeakable sadness gripped Renee as she watched Stefan walk away. She hadn't meant it—she just wanted to see his reaction. He had always been a very possessive man, and logically, he should have gotten furious at the suggestion of his former partner and children forming a family with another man. However, he didn't stop her, and even seemed to support her plan. At that moment, Renee realized that Stefan might have really given her and the two children up. She naively thought that he would turn around and fight for his family, but it looked like they could not make peace with each other anymore.Stefan walked ahead absent-mindedly, adjusting his headlamp. He saw an undercurrent in the cave ahead of him, and there seemed to be something shiny beside it. "I thin
Sunset gradually came, dying the sea and clouds orange. The scenery was beautiful as they returned to the campsite at the foot of the hill. After their discussion, Renee no longer had any expectations of Stefan. She merely regarded him as a stranger and ignored him. Holding the treasure chest, the children followed them cautiously, tired of the ups and downs of their parents' emotions. "Daddy, what did you do in the cave? Mommy looked so weird after she left the cave. She looks... scary!" Adie didn't dare provoke Renee after she had scolded him, so he went to pester Stefan instead."We didn't say much." Stefan put both hands in his pockets and watched Renee, who was keeping some distance from them. He sighed, then whispered, "Your mommy wants to find a new daddy for you and your sister." "What?" Adie's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Is Mommy out of her mind? We have a daddy, so why does she want to find us a new one? If that happens, who will you be to us, Daddy?" "I don't know!"
"Tiffany is..." Abby blinked innocently. She was about to introduce Adie's most beloved girl to Stefan when Adie immediately covered her mouth."Abby, watch your tongue. It's a secret, so keep it between us!" Adie ordered Abby."But it's Daddy… I think it's a nice thing that you like Tiffany, so shouldn't we share our happy events with our parents?" Abby felt that telling Stefan about Tiffany wasn't a bad thing, and couldn't understand Adie's exaggerated reaction. "He's no longer our loved one." Adie pouted and glared at Stefan furiously. "He said terrible things to Mommy in the cave just now and broke Mommy's heart... Abby, do you still remember the promise we made?" "Yes!" Abby nodded, then said solemnly, "If Daddy makes Mommy mad, we'll support Mommy no matter how close Daddy is to us." They had made such a rule because they felt that Stefan and Renee's relationship was never certain, and they never knew whose side to take. Sometimes Abby would take Stefan's side while Adie to
"Miss, let us think about it for a while!" Adie said to the teacher, then leaned close to Abby's ear and started whispering to her.Both Renee and Stefan stood nearby awkwardly, unable to do anything during their children's serious discussion. Thanks to their status and identities, the parents around them immediately started gossiping about them. "Wow, they're the legendary Master Hunt and Ms. Everheart. What a perfect couple!""Their marriage is practically a gift from heaven. They even have a pair of twins! What a perfect life..." "How lucky that our child can study with the children of such a prestigious family!""I knew that the parents of the children studying in Monte Perry Kindergarten were extraordinary, but I didn't expect this at all!"Renee's awkwardness grew as she listened to the excited whispers around her. She stared at the ground, wishing it would open up and swallow her. She had been through a lot, but this was a first for her. In the past, she could have made
Everyone turned to Adie, and Renee asked him suspiciously, "What kind of wish?" She had a feeling that Adie was about to trap her."I want Daddy and Mommy to hug each other for ten minutes!" Adie blurted out. "Yeah, we hope Daddy and Mommy can hug each other for ten minutes," Abby echoed excitedly as she jumped up and down."Huh? What a weird wish!""I heard that Mr. Hunt and Ms. Everheart divorced each other. I guess they're forced to be together for the kids...""The children probably want them to get back together. It's sweet, but… also quite pitiful." Everyone started gossiping, curious about the relationship between Stefan and Renee and sympathetic towards Adie and Abby.Renee's jaw dropped, and she quickly squatted down and held Adie, whispering indignantly, "What are you two up to? You can't trick me like this!" "Mommy, we're not trying to trick you…" Adie whispered back, his gaze sincere. "I heard stories where people stopped fighting after hugging each other, so yo
The people around them felt confused watching them hug."Why are they hugging each other so intimately? They look so lovey-dovey.""Although they're divorced, they look more in love with each other than my husband and I..." "Ah, I really don't understand rich people. Isn't it tiring to keep breaking up and getting back together?"Renee's cheeks heated in shame, and she wanted to leave, but Stefan just hugged her even tighter."Calm down, time's not up yet," Stefan closed his eyes and whispered to Renee."You know, I should be asking you that question. Isn't it tiring for you?" Renee stopped struggling and whispered furiously to Stefan. She couldn't blame the parents for bringing it up; she herself was tired of this vicious circle. She didn't want to feel these emotions anymore… She just wanted peace.After ten minutes passed, Renee and Stefan let go of each other. "Great! That's the kind of romance we want to see!" Some of the parents started clapping enthusiastically. Adie
"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