"Pfft!" Renee spat out the soup in her mouth, face flushed and eyes wide. "Professor Wood, what are you saying?! It's not that easy to get pregnant! People will surely get the wrong idea if they hear that!" Sophia tilted her head and observed Renee's belly. She then frowned and said, "I get where he's coming from. Your belly does look a bit bigger now…" "Mrs. Wood, don't side with your husband!" Renee groaned, then said calmly, "I'm just too happy after getting the divorce, so I've let myself go a little. I'm not watching my weight like I did when I was still married. I never ate enough back then, and that's why I was slim!" Anthony and Sophia found her explanation reasonable. Sophia nodded and said, "That's right. If women don't watch what they eat, they can put on weight very easily." Stefan, however, was staring at her intently. Renee seemed composed now, but he had noticed her initial panic that she had quickly stifled. People always said that when one tried very hard to ex
"Stef, Ren, it's been a long time since I watched a movie. Let's go see one!" Jane chirped energetically and held their hands as they walked towards the cinema. "Umm..." Renee stole a glance at Stefan. She figured that watching a movie would be a boring activity for Stefan given his status and position… surely he would refuse Jane's request. However, he said indifferently, "I haven't watched a movie in a long time too. The new animation called Soul Travel should be nice." "You know about Soul Travel?" Renee asked immediately, her eyes lighting up. "I've been wanting to watch that movie! I heard it's good, but not many wanted to watch it, so they don't play it much. If we don't watch it now, it'll soon be out of theatres." Stefan nodded. "True. It's about saving one's soul. My Grandma Coco, which is produced by the same company, is pretty good too." "Yeah, I liked that one. I watched it when it was first released, and cried like a baby in the cinema..."Before they realise
Renee frowned and grabbed a woman who was running away. "What's going on?" "A-A crazy man kidnapped a girl in the hall on the first floor. He's a suicide bomber!" "A girl?" Renee felt sick to her stomach and quickly asked the lady, "Was the girl around five to six years old and wearing a yellow dress?" The lady looked bewildered but nodded slowly."I think so! You both should leave... Everyone in this mall will die if that bomb goes off!" After that, she hurried away, along with many others from the first floor. Renee immediately wanted to go downstairs, but Stefan stopped her. "What are you doing?" Renee looked at him desperately. "Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to save her! A madman kidnapped Jane. If I don't save her, she'll die!" Stefan pointed at the emergency exit everyone was rushing to, then said urgently, "It's too dangerous here. Go to the emergency exit with the others and leave this place." After that, he pushed past the panicked people, running towards the s
The man's eyes were fierce as he snarled, "Everyone will die with me. I don't care about the consequences!" "I know you don't care about the consequences, but what about your wife and daughter? Did you ever consider what might happen to them?" Renee asked him calmly. "Didn't you hear me?! They're dead, so I want all of you to die with them!" The man shouted at her. "Heh! You're too naive. Death is not the end..." Renee shook her head, smiling as she approached him slowly. Everyone there was shocked to see her approach him. The man's body was covered with bombs, so going closer would only mean courting death! Stefan clenched his fists so tightly they turned white. He desperately wanted to carry the fearless Renee away but feared agitating the madman in front of them. His handsome face turned frighteningly cold. However, Renee appeared very relaxed as she slowly approached the man, talking to him as if they had been friends for many years. "People go to hell after they pass a
However, Renee was much faster. She lifted her hand and forcefully hit the man's chest. The man doubled over in pain and stumbled back, and Renee managed to free herself.Everyone couldn't believe what they'd just seen."How dare you? This is your fault, girl! Now, you'll all die!" The man screamed and yanked the bomb's safety string.Everybody screamed in fear. "Watch out!" Renee was pulled aside, and was soon buried in a warm chest. Confused, she looked up and found herself in Stefan's strong arms. It was strangely comforting, like an impenetrable wall against the dangers outside. It felt like they were in an apocalypse drama… The two of them had never been so close to each other before!However, the explosion they expected never happened.A white puff of smoke appeared, signaling that the bomb had failed to explode."W-What's going on? Why didn't it explode?" The man looked at the bomb strapped to his waist in confusion. The people around him looked at each other, equally pe
The woman was none other than Jane's biological mother, Sandra. "Jane, are you alright? I think your neck is bleeding! Does it hurt? I'll take you to the hospital right away!"Sandra picked Jane up and looked her over anxiously, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had been reading a dossier when she saw the live broadcast on TV and was shocked when she realized that her precious daughter had been kidnapped. She immediately dropped whatever she was doing and drove as fast as she could to get to the mall.Fortunately, her daughter had only suffered some minor external injuries, thanks to Renee's selfless act.Initially, Sandra couldn't even be bothered to spare Renee a glance, but now, she felt nothing but gratitude toward her. "Thank you so much. I can't imagine what would've happened if it weren't for you. You saved Jane's life, and that makes you my savior too. I owe you my life!"Renee waved her off awkwardly. "It's nothing. I would've done the same for anyone. But if it gains y
The crowd gradually dispersed, and the mall became peaceful again.Renee looked at Jane's neck worriedly. "Although the wound isn't deep, it still needs to be looked at. I'll take you to the hospital."Renee looked around for Stefan, but he was nowhere to be found. She felt very upset. The man was so selfish and heartless! They had barely survived a dangerous situation, but he had just upped and left!Renee brought Jane to the shopping mall's entrance to hail a taxi. Immediately, Stefan's silver car slowly moved toward them and stopped in front of them.Renee's tense expression relaxed slightly. Looks like he still had a shred of humanity in him! She opened the door to the backseat and got in after Jane.Stefan sat in the driver's seat, wearing sunglasses. "Jane can stay. You, get out," he said to Renee coldly."Huh?!" Renee was in shock. Was the man serious?"The weather is scorching hot, and I narrowly escaped death earlier. How could you ask me to get out? Are you trying to
Soon, they arrived at a nearby hospital.After the doctor tended to Jane's wound, he turned to face Stefan and Renee. "The wound is just on the surface, so it's nothing serious. She just has to make sure the wound doesn't get wet, and she'll have to apply ointment on it once in the morning and once at night.""That's good to know." Renee finally felt relaxed. She held Jane's hand and told her regretfully, "Jane, I'm sorry. It's all my fault for not looking after you well enough. Can you ever forgive me?"Jane blinked at her and patted Renee's head like Renee was the child. "Ren, don't be silly. You're so cute and brave. You saved all of us, so of course I'll forgive you!"Jane then turned to look at Stefan. "Stef, don't you think Ren is extremely cute and brave?"Stefan harrumphed and muttered darkly, "I don't know about that, but I do know that there's something very wrong with her brain."He still hadn't fully recovered from the fear he experienced at the shopping mall. If that