"That must be it," Renee said in satisfaction. "You both can't let go of each other, and no one wants to give in. One is close to Santiago and the other is entangled with Shirley, but you both want something more from this. Then, something unexpected happened... You went to the hospital for a check-up, and found out that you're pregnant with Xavier's child. You lied to Xavier and told him that the child is Santiago's to anger him, and told him you're keeping the child. Xavier became furious when he heard that, and that was why you both got into a fight..."Leia and Xavier sat there in stunned silence. "No wonder you've been going to the hospital without telling me—you're pregnant. That's great!" Renee said excitedly, proud of herself for figuring it out.Leia complained helplessly, "Sis, that sounds more like you and Stefan. Stop reading so many romance novels. Nobody gets pregnant and runs away anymore, and anyway, that isn't my style." "Pftt! Haha!" Unable to hold back any long
Renee looked at Xavier's phone, puzzled. "What am I supposed to be looking at?" "Well..." Xavier was about to speak, but Leia grabbed his phone before he could explain. "It's just his new girlfriend. Ignore him!"Leia didn't know what Stefan's response was, but Renee was probably better off not reading it. She easily unlocked his phone since his password hadn't changed since they dated. She opened his Facebook messages, and clicked on Stefan's profile picture. To her surprise, there was no reply from Stefan—only Xavier's message was there. After leaving Stefan's chat, she saw a message from Shirley which Xavier hadn't read yet. Leia bit her lip nervously, and at last, her curiosity got the better of her as she clicked on Xavier's chat with Shirley. The chat was filled with Shirley's messages, with only a few perfunctory replies from Xavier. Leia read Shirley's newest message: [Are you free? I'm drunk at Rosy Bar. Can you come pick me up?] Leia felt uneasy wondering what Xavier wou
"Okay, I'll stop joking about you. It's rare for him to give in. Just go with it..." Renee hugged Leia and whispered, "Trust me—when a player wants to get rid of all his other women for you, it means that he's sincere. Just give him a chance!" Then, Renee said to Xavier, "And you should be loyal to her. Stop being a ladies' man. Don't you know being in a relationship means being exclusive?" "I know." Xavier nodded. "I'll be careful from now on." After all, he didn't want him and Leia to go through as much trouble as Stefan and Renee. He wanted a calm and smooth life. "Okay, you both talk. I'll go." Renee didn't want to be a third wheel, so she left.The atmosphere grew awkward after Renee left. Leia smoothed her hair and said casually, "I know you were just lying so Ren wouldn't notice Stefan didn't text you back. I won't take it seriously." Leia pretended to be indifferent, but she actually cared."I'm not as considerate as you think," Xavier said in amusement. "I meant what I s
When Renee went back at tha party, she drank wine and chatted with the others. She looked happy, as if she was no longer traumatized by her failed marriage. At night, the guests eventually left, and Margaret helped put the children to sleep. Renee exhaled deeply, exhausted."Do you want to get a drink? Just the two of us?" Justin held up a bottle of wine and grinned. "I stole this plum wine from my house's old wine cellar. It's my grandpa's favorite, and this is the last bottle. I didn't want to drink it during the party just now." Renee was sitting on the stairs in front of the living room, looking up at the starry sky. When she heard Justin, she just said calmly, "Sure, I didn't have much to drink earlier." Renee had to pretend to be happy and cheerful in front of everyone during the party, but now that everyone had left, she could go back to being depressed. "Come on then! Let's go to the back garden." Justin's eyes gleamed with delight, and he excitedly invited her to the back
Justin immediately met Quinton to make that happen, and the two soon became close friends. Eventually, Quinton hoped to see Justin become his brother-in-law. "I don't think so!" Margaret frowned solemnly. "Yes, Mr. Baldwin is a good guy, but his family isn't, especially Old Master Baldwin. He's very autocratic and eccentric. If Ms. Ren gets with Mr. Baldiwn, she'll have to live with Old Master Baldwin, which is very dangerous. Ms. Ren wouldn't know when he'll lose his temper." "You're overthinking." Quinton admired Austin, and protested, "Old Master Baldwin was a soldier who killed many enemies. He's a righteous and brave man. Why would he mess with his daughter-in-law? If my sister marries Justin, I'm sure Old Master Baldwin will dote on her. He'll cherish her and adore her." "If you think that, you don't know their generation well!" After all, Margaret was older, and she knew the grudges and history of the three families well. "When it comes to that, it's Old Mr. Hunt who is th
Meanwhile, Renee and Justin had reached the back garden."I like your house's back garden. It's spacious, bright, and quiet. I can lay on the flowerbed and look at the stars. It's wonderful!" Justin held the wine bottle and got into the flowerbed, sitting on the ground cross-legged."The garden at your house isn't small either. I remember I nearly got lost there once." Renee sat beside Justin, feeling surprisingly relaxed as she enjoyed the night breeze. "The garden at my house is too orderly. It's boring; I hate going there." Justin shifted awkwardly, scanning his surroundings. He was surprised at the blue forget-me-nots all over the ground. "This place used to be full of sunflowers. Why did you start planting these small flowers instead?" He picked one and sniffed it, then shook his head. "Sunflowers look better. They're golden and large, and look enthusiastic and generous. This small flower does look elegant, but it doesn't match your style!" Renee caressed the forget-me-nots
"Don't hesitate—just go for it. Hurry up and buy me. The sale is only for today—you might lose this chance if you're not fast enough!" Justin urged eagerly. Renee thought for a while, then looked up at the stars. "Look at the stars—each one is beautiful and unique."Disappointed, Justin pouted and complained, "Why are you talking about the stars now? You can refuse me, you know." He knew Renee—although she was talking about cost-effectiveness, she still wanted perfection. Justin might not even have the option to be her Plan B. He knew his position well, so he always stayed with her as a best friend who shared her interests. He rarely tried to win her favor and pursue her romantically, because he knew he would fail."No, I'm not trying to change the subject." Renee glared at him. "Didn't I just say that each star is unique? I don't have to keep looking at just one." "What do you mean?" Justin's breath caught, and he didn't dare move. He was afraid that even the slightest noise wou
For the next few days, Renee tried dating Justin. They kept things casual, but both of them intended to develop their relationship as lovers.Renee received a text from Justin the moment she woke up: [How would you like to enjoy yourself today?] She rubbed her eyes, a sense of warmth and peace blooming in her heart. After a brief thought, she texted him back. [We've watched movies and operas, and even tried a candlelight dinner… but they all seem kind of boring!][What do you mean?] Justin read Renee's reply, feeling alarmed. [Are you trying to ask for a refund before the probation is over?][Haha! No, I just think we should try something special today.][Like what?][Like an... escape room?][Sounds interesting. Let's go!] Excited, Justin immediately changed into casual clothes and styled his hair with gel. He looked like a handsome college student. [Wait for me. I'll pick you up.][Okay!] After texting him, Renee went to wash up and get ready."Ren, let's go shopping later!"
Francine went berserk again and gripped Sophia's neck. "I'm going to count to three! Get my grandkids here! I'm going to take them home! If not, I'll break your neck!" she yelled. She couldn't stop Renee from marrying someone else, but she couldn't tolerate her two grandchildren relying on others' charity like Renee.It wasn't only about her dignity, but more about the children's growth and mental health. She couldn't be careless."You're out of your mind! Drive them out of here!"Sophia was a decent woman who couldn't allow herself to go berserk. Although she had a glib tongue, she found herself unable to handle a figure like Francine. Francine was never too harsh and would only make a scene. But now, she was out of control and was screaming nonstop. "Talk it out with them. Don't use violence. We're parents. It's humiliating to be violent," Alexander interrupted.Alexander tried to make Francine calm down and behave herself. Even so, he didn't act accordingly and pushed Ja
Francine's obvious provocation made others draw in a cold breath, let alone Justin's parents.No wonder she was one of the Four Princesses of Beach City. She was much too impulsive. Justin's parents looked very hideous. However, Sophia wasn't so soft. After taking a few deep breaths, she faced Francine with the same fake smile. "Don't worry. I'll take Adie and Abby back home. Since Ren is marrying Justin, my family will treat the kids as ours. We'll be their grandparents. In a few years, my son and Ren will have more kids to be their siblings. Then, we'll be one family!""What? Do you want to take the kids back home?" Fury instantly gripped Francine. She ignored all decency and demanded fiercely, "What do you want to do to my grandkids? They're still young! How could you target them?" "You must be mistaken. Ren is going to be a part of my family, so naturally, her kids are going to come with her. I'm sure there isn't anything wrong with that." Sophia snorted. "You're their bi
Leia couldn't understand it. Both Renee and Stefan once loved each other passionately. They had soldiered through a lot of difficulties. But when everything became better, they stopped seeing each other. Such separation brought a fatal blow to her views on love. Suddenly, she found herself too timid to give up her heart. After all, it was nothing. People could break up with each other easily."No wonder Xavier refused to come. If he was here, I would have hated him because of Stefan. I'd beat the crap out of him!" Leia was furious, but she couldn't find someone to vent her anger on.The Stuart family was invited to the party too, but Xavier refused to come. He claimed that he would have betrayed Stefan if he had come to the party.However, Stefan was the greatest betrayal of his romance since he remained silent and indifferent. While Leia was still angry, everyone in the hall suddenly fell silent. They stretched their heads to look at the entrance of the hall."The Hunt famil
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Liam muttered guiltily, avoiding Leia's scrutinizing gaze. "You must know what I'm talking about!" Leia refused to let Liam go and went straight to the point. "Look! Because of such a bind, you probably fell in love with Amber, who isn't related to you. Why can't Ren fall in love with Justin after spending a long time with him?""So, what's your point?" Liam didn't refute Leia. He was curious about what she was trying to say. Leia reasonably explained her opinion, "I'm trying to tell you that things might not be as bad as you imagine. Even if you take Ren away and stop this ceremony, things might not be better either."She was too timid to tell Liam that she regarded Renee and Justin's marriage in a favorable light because she found them similar. Similar people could at least lead a stable life though it might not be very passionate and exciting.After leading a wandering life for such a long time, Renee needed steady happiness. It
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