LOGIN"Hey, I'm fine. Don't touch me. Don't…"Joanne clearly wasn't used to Quinton's touch. Standing on the stool, she instinctively resisted, but she lost her balance in the process and fell straight into his arms.They locked eyes. For a moment, it felt like time itself had stopped.The way Joanne looked at Quinton was unlike the fear and hesitation she used to have. There was now something else mixed in.Meanwhile, from the way Quinton looked at her, it was obvious his heart went out to her.Renee stood off to the side like an audience member in a romcom flick. She covered her mouth to hide her grin, and she was screaming on the inside. 'They're truly childhood sweethearts. I'm so here for this!'"Ahem! Quinton, aren't your arms getting tired? If they are, maybe you should put Joanne down first."Renee finally spoke up after a few minutes. Seeing how the two were locked in the same pose, she decided she had to interrupt."Oh! Right, right!"The two of them snapped out of it at
"Of course!" Joanne exclaimed.Although she had no idea what kind of help Renee needed, she happily followed Renee into the bedroom.After tidying up for a while, Renee carefully retrieved an ancient painting from a box. She began studying the room and trying to decide where to hang it."Wow, this painting is beautiful! The woman in it has such an elegant presence," Joanne said.She leaned in to look at the painting. She was just as captivated as Renee and Leia had been before."Yeah. Chase gave it to me. I want to hang it in my room. Where do you think it would look best?"Renee treated the painting like family. She was determined to place it just right."Over here. Right across the window. When the sun comes in, the light will hit it perfectly. It'll look even better."Joanne pointed to the wall directly across from the window. That section of the wall happened to be empty. It was almost as if it had been left empty for this exact painting."We really do think alike. That's
In the end, Renee returned to Everheart Manor with the painting.After Renee had spent a night out camping, everything was back to normal at Everheart Manor.Her kids were growing up fast, and they were becoming more sensible by the day. They hardly caused any trouble for the adults anymore.By the time Renee got home, they had already gone to school. Quinton and Joanne had taken them there together and were now returning side by side.At a glance, the kids almost looked like they were born to the both of them."Quinton, Joanne, thank you for helping me take care of Adie and Abby these past few days. I honestly don't know what I would've done without you."Looking at Quinton and Joanne, Renee's gratitude was written all over her face.Ever since Margaret's accident, she had been like a headless chicken. She was juggling the company's affairs on one hand while managing the kids' daily needs on the other. She even had to find time to investigate the truth behind the Everheart fami
"Huh? So this painting actually has that much of a story behind it?" Leia blurted out.As she listened to Renee, her curiosity instantly flared up.She studied the painting carefully. What once seemed ordinary now felt unusually intriguing."I think there must be some kind of secret hidden in this painting. Otherwise, why would your mom play a game like that with you?"Leia rubbed her chin. It looked as if she had turned into a detective who spoke with absolute certainty."I think so too. This painting definitely isn't simple. I was too young back then and didn't think much of it. By the time I actually wanted to study it properly, the Everheart family had already fallen. I guess this painting was sold off during that time."Renee let out a long sigh. Looking at the painting felt like stepping into a time machine. It took her back to the days when the Everheart family was still thriving.Back then, everything had been wonderful. Her parents and grandpa were still alive and well.
Renee and Leia exchanged a glance and swallowed nervously. They wondered what kind of incredible object could be inside that room.Once the door opened, they saw a painting inside a display case."That's it?"Leia was clearly disappointed. She had expected some mysterious rare beast or something more shocking.Instead, it was only an antique painting. The artwork depicted a simple scene of a young woman washing silk. The style was elegant, and it had understated tones for color. It wasn't too different from the antique paintings in museums. It hardly seemed worthy of such tight security."This isn't an ordinary painting," Renee said.Standing in front of it, Renee was instantly captivated. It was as if the entire painting had drawn her in. She stood there for a long time without speaking."As expected, Ms. Everheart has a good eye. This is indeed no ordinary piece. It was painted by a ruler of the Somerian period. There are no authentic works of his left on the market now. The
After the fortune teller finished speaking, he didn't give Renee a chance to ask anything else. He simply lifted his ritual banner and walked away."What was that even supposed to mean? Endings and beginnings? It sounds like he's just being deliberately cryptic. Don't listen to him!"Leia patted Renee on the shoulder and hoped she wouldn't let those words affect her mood.Given how awful Stefan had been, if the two of them really got back together, that would be a complete disaster. As Renee's best friend, Leia definitely didn't want her repeating the same mistakes."Of course I'm not taking it seriously."Renee turned around. Her expression was calm. She chuckled. "What fortune tellers say is basically universal filler. It works on anyone. In the end, mysticism is just psychology.""Exactly! I'm not taking it seriously either. Honestly, I think my breakup was great. I can't even be bothered to care who Xavier is tangled up with anymore. He can do whatever he wants!"Leia took
Liam, dumbstruck, stood frozen on the spot for a long time. Unexpectedly, he felt lost. He smoothed his clothes and calmed down before going to the guest room Renee stayed.The doctor bandaged Renee's wound and advised her to rest in bed for a few days.Leia was beside Renee, caring for the latter att
Although Leia and Renee were best friends, Leia had her own opinions regarding Renee's romantic life. She found Renee too stubborn and stupid for having loved an awful man after so many years.On the other hand, Liam was even more foolish. While Renee kept obsessing about Stefan, Liam remained by her
"Little boy, where are you taking me to?" Leia wasn't on guard with the child; she took his hand without hesitation and walked forward."Lei, don't go!" Renee cautioned. She looked around carefully, worried, and remained standing at the same spot."It's fine, Ren. He's just a child. I'm sure he finds
"No!" Renee's heart skipped a beat. She pounced on the boy without hesitation. The laws at The Triangle were imperfect, with various forces trying to grab power from each other. Many places were full of soldiers and armed civilians. Child soldiers were common as well. The gun in the boy's hand was m







