At that moment, the speaker sounded again. "Congratulations, players—you've won the game! Please come to the registration counter to get your mystery gift!""Yeah, we did it! We're so smart!" Leia held Xavier's hand and jumped up and down happily.Renee, however, still looked unsatisfied. "Is that all?" Although they had won the game, she found the plot too unrefined. The ending was too abrupt."You didn't enjoy yourself?" Justin smiled at Renee fondly and said, "Why don't we come again another day? They have other themes that are pretty interesting too.""Forget it, I won't come again. Maybe I'm getting old… I'm not suited for things like this." Renee chuckled."Well, what should we do next time then?" Justin started planning their next date. After some contemplation, he suggested, "Why don't we go to the forest for a paintball game?" "That's not suitable for her either," Stefan abruptly commented from behind them.Renee turned around and glanced at Stefan disdainfully, then g
"Excuse me?" Stefan frowned and looked at Justin incredulously. Justin stood there with his mouth agape like a goldfish, gaze moving from Stefan to the receptionist. Everyone was stunned into silence."Pfft! Haha!" Leia burst out laughing, bending over and holding her stomach. "Good call—I think they're a perfect match given their similarities and history.""Leia!" Stefan hissed threateningly, shooting Leia a vicious glare. If looks could kill, Leia would be dead by now."Oh, how scary. I think he's scarier than those characters earlier. He's looking at me like he wants to kill me," Leia hurriedly hid behind Xavier and said dramatically. "Xavier, the day has finally come to choose between your buddy and me—who will you side with if he wants to kill me?"Renee walked to Leia and hugged her, then patted her head dotingly. "Don't worry, I won't let anyone harm you. If anything happens to you, I'll avenge you, okay?" "I knew you always treat me well! These useless men are just tempor
Justin shared the same thoughts as Stefan. Justin could tell from that day's incidents that it would be very difficult for Renee and him to move forward in their relationship. This might be his only chance to take wedding photos with Renee. Although it was not proper wedding photos, it was still something he could cherish. It was a crazy idea, but he would take what he could get."You're not a good match for her," Stefan said to Justin coldly as he changed his posture at the photographer's request."Thank you for the advice but…" Similarly, Justin changed his posture, staring into Stefan's eyes intently. "Save it for yourself. You're worse.""Have you ever considered not disturbing her and letting her find someone who can truly make her happy?" Stefan asked sharply. Truthfully, Stefan was only saying such things because they were well-suited for each other, and it filled him with envy. He knew Renee well—she wouldn't get into a relationship easily, but once she did, she would throw
"That's none of your business." Stefan ignored Justin's question and said threateningly, "You just need to know one thing—if you or your family do anything to her, I'll make you all pay." Then, he walked out of the photoshoot and said to the others, "I need to leave."Dumbfounded, Xavier grabbed Stefan's arm. "If you leave like this, what about Renee? Do you want to leave her with Justin?" "That's her choice. I can't do anything about it," Stefan said expressionlessly as he walked past Renee to leave.Flabbergasted, Xavier complained, "What the hell? You shouldn't have come then. Did you just come here to get attention?" He couldn't understand Stefan's actions. If Stefan was unconcerned, he wouldn't have come to play this childish game with them. It was obvious he couldn't tolerate seeing Renee and Justin deepen their relationship, but at a critical time like this, he was running away. If Stefan hadn't been his friend for many years, Xavier would have called him a scumbag.Leia sa
Xavier glared at Justin and demanded, "How can you say that? You were so close to Stefan just now, whispering to each other. What did you guys talk about? Don't tell me that your final goal is actually to win Stefan over." Xavier hadn't expected to see Stefan and Justin take a photo together, and he was jealous that his buddy had been snatched away. "You're crazy!" Leia's eyes widened as she sized Xavier up. "Do you have… feelings for Stefan? Don't tell me you're…""What about me?" Xavier looked at the others in confusion."You know what I mean." Leia took a step back, shaking her head as if she had just realized something. "I knew it! Why else would you always defend Stefan? It has to be because you have feelings for him. As expected, people in love are blind. It must have been hard for you to keep it a secret for so many years."Xavier still looked puzzled.Renee laughed and chimed in, "Okay, stop teasing him. He's had so many scandals that I'm sure he's straight!""So, you th
Renee was pretty tired after the escape room. She didn't want to talk about romance—all she wanted to do was rest.When she reached Everheart Manor, she ran into Quinton. It was midnight, but he was not sleeping. He sat alone in the pavilion in the garden, looking up at the moon. Renee could tell he was feeling lonely. She didn't want to disturb him, but before she could leave, he turned and saw her."Ren!" Quinton's face lit up in delight. "I heard you went on a date with Justin again today. Did you have fun?""It wasn't bad." Renee walked to Quinton and sat down gently beside him. "What did you do today? Did you go out for some fun?""I'm old, so there's nothing fun out there for me. I just stayed home. It's pretty relaxing," Quinton said casually, but he sounded tired."Quinton, you're wrong..." Renee smiled and continued, "You said you're old, but you're just a few minutes older than me. Don't tell me I'm old too." "You're different from me." Quinton looked at Renee lovingly
Renee didn't want to pressure Quinton to get married, but she could tell that he was lonely. He needed someone who could understand him and stay with him. The longer he stayed like this, the more he would regret it. The first half of his life had been torturous, and Renee didn't want to see him spend the rest of his life alone."It's nice to have a companion, but the problem is..." Quinton shook his head helplessly. "I'm mentally ill and flawed, so I'd better not burden others. It's fine if I enjoy the moonlight alone. I don't think it's sad." He had gotten used to being lonely, and had anticipated spending his life alone."How could you say that about yourself?" Renee frowned. "I think everyone is mentally sick one way or another, and sickness can be cured. You were living a gloomy life in the past, but you've left that behind now. Once you face the sunlight, you'll naturally become brighter. You're not mentally ill or flawed!" Renee hated Quinton's pessimism. His life was still lon
Renee could tell that Quinton had not forgotten about Joanne, and his feelings for her ran deep. That was why he refused to open up or get close to other women. Hence, Renee hoped that Quinton and Joanne could at least talk so they could let go of their past and start their new lives.Unfortunately, Quinton kept avoiding the subject. "Don't worry about my affairs, especially my love life. Just take care of yourself and get along well with Justin; that's what I really wish for." He had no intention to date anyone for now—he just wanted to restore his family's image and protect Renee well. He knew that he had a lot of trauma, and if he dated someone, he would subconsciously hurt that person."I'm not trying to force you to go on a date or make peace with Joanne. I just hope that you can let go of your past and open your heart to new things. Then, you can truly live your life." Renee sounded urgent as she sighed. "I feel like a doctor. I know the reason for your illness and watch you su
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