“Let’s get a divorce, Renee.”The man’s cold voice sounded from behind while Renee Everheart was in the middle of searing steaks. After hearing those words, she became seemingly numb to the hot oil splattering on her cheeks from the lightly sizzling pan.“We’re only husband and wife on paper. Now that four years have passed, it’s time to end this,” Stefan Hunt said with a cold, distant tone. Renee bit her lip anxiously. ‘Looks like this day was inevitable after all…’Her family was declared bankrupt four years ago. Her parents, unable to endure the stress of financial hardship, took their lives together, leaving young Renee to handle the mess alone. In the past, Renee’s grandfather fought alongside Stefan’s grandfather on the battlefield, and he even saved the latter’s life once. In his dying moments, he voiced out to his old pal his concern for his granddaughter and left Renee under his care. And so, a marriage of convenience was arranged between Stefan and Renee to put the
‘No wonder Stefan wanted me out by tonight. He had another woman he wanted to play house with! Hah, to think that I let that man affect my emotions! How I wish I could slap my past self!’Briar approached Renee with a cocky smirk. “So you’re Renee Everheart, huh? What are you still doing here? Didn’t Stefan kick you out? Get a move on! Have you no shame?!”Despite the provocation, Renee continued packing her belongings at her own pace.“Hey, are you deaf? I’m talking to you here!”“Sorry, I didn’t quite hear you.” Renee met her gaze calmly. “All I heard was some crazy bitch barking!”“How dare you call me a bitch?!”“I didn’t. Looks like you went ahead and got offended in the first place.” Renee replied as she got up with her luggage. She tilted her head at Briar, who was blocking her path. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. Nice little doggies should know how to stay out of the way.” “How dare you!” Briar’s face went bright red as she stomped her feet.‘Wasn’t she known to be a
The next day, Renee showed up at the courthouse at 8:30 am, even though they agreed to meet at nine.Not only did she arrive early, but she also made sure to put on heavy makeup and her favorite outfit, a rose-red halter dress. With her long hair tied up into a ponytail, the skin on her neck and back glowed under the bright sunlight.When paired with her elegant, yet cold demeanor, she looked angelic from afar.Unfortunately, she had caught a cold the night before. Her body was burning up, which made her feel quite weak.At 9 am sharp, a silver Bugatti Veyron cruised into the parking lot in front of the courthouse. Soon after, she was greeted by Stefan’s ice-cold expression as he exited the vehicle.His eyes sparkled for a split second when he saw Renee standing there, but this was quickly replaced with a contemptuous expression for some reason.“Well, aren’t you excited?” Stefan scoffed as he walked past Renee, heading straight towards the department that handled divorce cases.
‘Just look at how unabashed this man is acting! This is ridiculous!’ Renee thought. She had always viewed Stefan as someone who was morally sound and would never commit adultery.In the end… the very same man she thought so highly of, dropped a nuclear bomb on her. Not only did he intend on marrying his mistress, but they were expecting as well.This was the last push that Renee needed to move on completely. The tinge of sadness in her heart had completely vanished.“So this means you were cheating on me, right?”Before Stefan could respond, Briar hurriedly placed herself between them. Teary-eyed, she said, “Ms. Everheart, it’s all my fault! If it makes you feel better, you can punish me however you want…”‘Does this woman think this is some soap opera? She’d make a great actress, honestly.’“Really now?” Renee raised her hand up high as if she was about to deliver a slap.As soon as she realized what was going to happen, Briar squealed and darted behind Stefan.“Didn’t you say
Renee thought she was about to fall flat on her face.Just then, a man wrapped his strong arm around her waist, catching her fall. The fresh scent of peppermint filled her senses, entrancing the woman entirely. "You're burning hot… Do you have a fever?" Stefan asked her with a hint of concern in his voice.The urge to protect her sprang up in his mind, accompanied by the following thought.'She's so thin and frail, like a feather.'"This doesn't concern you!" Renee hissed through her teeth as she regained her balance. She stubbornly tried to free herself from his arms.After the procedure was done, she intended to walk away elegantly, leaving Stefan in the dust. She wanted to avoid casting the impression that she was using her illness to gain sympathy.However, no matter how tough she tried to act, her body was simply exhausted. Even after gaining her footing, she staggered backward.Seeing this, Stefan lifted her bridal style and said, "I'll take you to the hospital.""What
Liam's relaxed voice came to a sudden halt as soon as he noticed Stefan standing inside the ward.He studied the man before him as the man did the same. An odd tension settled in the room."Do you know each other?" Stefan asked Renee with a chilling tone.He wondered how an infamous playboy and a modest rich lady would ever get the chance to interact when they were from completely different worlds."Well…" Renee buried her face in her hands awkwardly. She was the one who texted Liam to meet at the hospital, but she didn't expect him to arrive so soon.'A soon-to-be ex-husband bumping into the dashing playboy… This was weirdly reminiscent of a scene from a romantic drama.’“Know her? She’s my muse!” Liam exclaimed as he approached Renee with a bouquet of sunflowers in his hand. With a sarcastic smile, he turned to Stefan. “Little do you know, Master Hunt, Miss Everheart has quite the reputation back in our school! She has so many admirers that she could build an army if she want
“I’ve got it right here. How would I dare slack off when you’re my boss?” Liam stopped his cheeky act and handed the woman a thick stack of documents.Renee couldn’t care less about her sick state and skim through the pages quickly.After a few moments, a pleased grin formed on her lips. “Good. I knew these lawyers weren’t as ordinary as they seemed. They’re worth way more than what he offered as compensation!”“Tsk, but they’re Stefan Hunt’s employees. How great can they be?” Liam questioned, crossing his legs while leaning against the side rails of her bed. “I know lots of lawyers who are better than them. If you need any, I can give you some recommendations.” “No, I want them,” Renee said with a determined expression. She seemed in a great mood, absolutely unbothered by her divorce.“Boss, are you planning something? I feel like I can smell a scheme coming our way.” Liam expressed sheer excitement.‘Four years! It’s been four whole years! I’m so thrilled the goddess herself h
Stefan stood tall and proud, an indifferent look on his face as he pondered over his father's words.His eyes landed on Briar’s stomach, and he said dismissively, “As you can see, Briar is already three months pregnant. This child is part of the family bloodline, so she will need a proper title before the child is born. I’ve already proceeded with the divorce with Renee. Once we're legally separated, I will register my marriage with Briar.”Francine and Briar let out a sigh of relief at the same time after hearing this.However, this statement only made Alexander even more furious. He was on the verge of slapping his son. “You bastard! So, you’re serious about this?! You… You’re so foolish that you kicked your wife out to make space for your mistress! Are you insane?!“If Ren’s grandfather found out about this, how should he rest in peace? You should know that he used to be quite the soldier and was even appointed as an esteemed general! Aren't you worried that he’d haunt you in yo
Renee was well aware of the situation and was calm in the face of death. "If Macsen wants to kill us, Benjamin will feign ignorance. I think we're doomed here today.""Whatever. I'm not afraid!" Leia didn't take it too seriously, grinning. "You and Liam are the most important people to me. Although we weren't born on the same day, it's great that we can die on the same day. I want us to be siblings in our next lives!""Silly, you're so optimistic. We're going to get killed, not attending a party! Why are you this happy?" Liam's gloominess and tenseness gradually relaxed because of Leia's optimistic and happy tone. "Yeah, it isn't a big deal. I have no regrets since I can die with you guys.""You guys have no regrets, but I'm unlucky!"Mateo kept sighing. "If I knew, I wouldn't have meddled in this or caught you guys. At most, I'd be suppressed by another guy. But now, I'm about to get killed. I regret it! You have big supporters, don't you? Is there any way to contact either of
When the fight reached an intense moment, Macsen's subordinates managed to surround Liam and Mateo. They were disappointing.Macsen's most loyal subordinate aimed a gun at Liam's head and screamed at Renee, who had gone mad. He tried to threaten her. "Let our boss go, or I'll make you pay a price!" Renee regained her wits and turned to look at Liam. Her mouth was bloody. A helpless sigh escaped her. "Why are you this useless? How could they get you?"Helpless, she slowly got up and let Macsen go temporarily. "Motherfucker! Go to hell!"When Macsen regained freedom, he was no longer a gentleman. He slapped Renee twice with one hand and held his neck with the other. Then, he ordered his subordinates, "Tie them up with the woman on that ship!""Okay!" Macsen's subordinates were obedient. They quickly grabbed a thick and heavy rope to tie up Renee, Liam, Leia, and Mateo together, tying the rope around them thrice."Liam, why are you caught too? You're so useless. We even wanted
Everyone looked at each other in dismay before raising their weapons to attack Renee.Liam ordered his subordinates to fight Macsen's men when he noticed the danger. "Don't hurt her, or I'll fight you!"There were more than ten people from both sides. When they started fighting, the whole jetty was filled with the sounds of weapons and bullets. It was a mess.That battle sacrificed a lot of Liam's subordinates. Gradually, he failed to hold on."Mateo, where are your men? Get them into the fight. If anything happens to Boss, you'll suffer too. That crazy Stefan will kill everyone!"While fighting Macsen's subordinates, Liam wanted to involve Mateo in the fight since the latter was merely watching. Besides, he knew what a man like Mateo, who was good at weighing the pros and cons, cared about the most.As expected, Mateo chose to side with Liam when he heard that this mess would affect his relationship with Stefan.After all, Macsen was the most powerful person in the fort. It wou
"What do you want? I'm warning you! Stay away from me, or I won't go easy on you!"For an unknown reason, a chill ran down Macsen's spine when he saw how fierce Renee looked. He wondered why she was that fierce. She could walk fast even when dragging a sandbag over 110 pounds—she wasn't ordinary.Holding a gun, Macsen flexed his fingers as his knuckles turned white. "I don't care about people's lives! I can kill them if I'm happy, including you!""Is that so?" Renee stubbornly faced the gun and walked forward. She glared at him coldly. "A demon like you should never live. I'll kill you, even if I have to die for it!"She swiftly pounced on and pushed him down despite the heavy sandbag.Everything happened so fast, Macsen was dumbstruck. Renee even managed to knock on his gun. The gun went off, firing a bullet at a nearby stone pillar. It nearly hurt one of Macsen's subordinates. "Oh, you don't care about people's lives, do you? You can just kill them, huh? I'll make you suffer t
Macsen clenched his fists, agitated. For many years, he was mainly responsible for the armed forces of the fort. On the other hand, Benjamin instructed his adopted sons to take care of his business. Previously, Hunt Enterprise promised the Jenkins family many profits under the condition that Renee and Joanne could leave the fort safely. Hence, Benjamin let them go at that critical point despite the humiliation he faced. Afterward, Stefan continued his close cooperation with the Jenkins family. While this happened, the relationship between Macsen and Benjamin grew tenser. Gradually, Macsen kept gathering power to surpass Benjamin one day and take revenge on Stefan.Renee and Leia's sudden arrival at the fort was beyond Macsen's expectations. Although he was getting stronger, he wasn't powerful enough to fight Benjamin and the Hunts. Despite this, he naturally wouldn't give up such a good chance easily. Macsen's revenge was the result of his impulsiveness. He had been reckless,
"Well, you're bold. A pity that…you fell in love with such a cruel man like Stefan!"Macsen took a deep breath and waved melancholicly. Then, he instructed someone to push Renee into the river.Renee neither resisted nor tried to stall for time. She just wanted to get it over with. Having seen through men and human nature, she suddenly became pessimistic.Macsen's subordinate grabbed Renee and dragged her to the river bank. Before he was about to push her into the river, a dazzling light ruined the darkness and oppresiveness of the jetty. "I knew it was you, Macsen!" a furious voice resonated in the air. Liam, holding a floodlight, shone it into Macsen's eyes. "You and I aren't enemies! Why did you target me? Do you know how important these two people are to me?" he growled fiercely. Mateo followed closely behind. At first, he watched everything in silence. Eventually, he said something to sow discord between them. "Macsen, why couldn't you talk it out with us? You secretly
Disgust overcame Renee. She found Macsen pathetic."You claimed that you love your girlfriend, but you married Luneth. You married her and got a kid. Now, you want to be intimate with the woman you've just met. Do men think that love is just a trivial thing?""How could you…" Macsen was stunned. He didn't expect her to say that so directly. Guilty, he retorted, "You don't know anything! Men's love is different from women's love.""What's the difference?" Renee snorted and shot him a disdainful stare. "Yeah, it's different. Women are superior human beings. Once they fall in love with someone, they'll never sleep with another man. But men are different. Men are simply animals. They can love many people and sleep with different women. Maybe men and women shouldn't exist at the same time. Then, there won't be so many heartbroken women.""I disagree!" Macsen rolled up his sleeves, turning competitive because of Renee's words. "You make it sound like only men will have a change of heart.
"What kind of condition? I'm listening," Renee said curiously."It's very simple. The best way to take revenge on a man is to humiliate his beloved in front of him, especially by making her a slut in front of him. So…"After a pause, Macsen sized Renee up and cracked a wicked smile. "Turn on your social media, go live, and show everyone how you and I fool around. Let them see how you enjoy my lovemaking. Then, I'll consider letting you guys live!""That's outrageous!" Leia snarled, unable to tolerate it any longer. "You're out of your mind! Your woman is humiliated, so you should find fault with the culprit! Why do you want to hurt another innocent woman? If you love live shows, you should go shoot that kind of video yourself and sell it worldwide. It'll satisfy your special tastes!"Her sarcasm angered Macsen, who turned to his subordinate beside him.The subordinate immediately walked forward. Without hesitation, he grabbed Leia to the large ship behind Macsen."It's finally qu
Renee interrupted Leia for fear that the latter's words might drive Macsen up the wall.Macsen's intense reaction proved that he wasn't lying. Stefan had probably done something outrageous to his girlfriend.However, there might be some hidden clues in that incident. Given Renee's understanding of Stefan, he wasn't so ruthless even though he was abominable."No, she's right." Macsen took a deep breath and sneered. "I should make myself clear. If not, you'd never know how wicked someone could be… When I found my girlfriend, she was naked and had all kinds of bruises. She cried and told me that Stefan had assaulted her for several days and nights. In the end, she jumped off a building and died in front of me because of the utter humiliation!""What?!" At that point, Leia expressed her disbelief. "That can't be! There must be some misunderstanding! Stefan's a scumbag, but he's not a skirt-chaser or a deviant. That kind of thing would never have happened. Given his identity and sta