"What do you mean?" Xavier asked curiously."He's the most handsome member of SK Group, a new idol group. People even call him 'Mini Stefan Hunt'," Christopher said with a grin."Pfft!" Xavier almost spat out his drink.Stefan's nephew was a chief engineer, a gamer, and the most handsome member of an idol group? Julian really was an interesting person!"If he's a member of an idol group, why is he still developing chips?" Xavier asked."How am I supposed to know? Maybe he got sick of researching and wanted a different lifestyle." Christopher observed Julian from afar, admiration in his eyes.He and Xavier could only dream of living this kind of life, where one did whatever they wanted and chose their own lifestyle.Stefan was dancing with the girl in the white dress, but he was distracted. He had noticed Renee and the others as soon as they walked in. In the beginning, he felt a little guilty. He was worried Renee might misunderstand his relationship with the girl, so he intenti
"Dance?" Renee cleared her throat awkwardly, and pretended to be uninterested. "I'm not a fan of dancing."Julian smiled, a knowing look on his face. He stared into Renee's eyes challengingly. "Is that the truth, or are you just scared?""Are you kidding me? Why would I be scared?" Renee scoffed, but she couldn't meet Julian's gaze.Julian's piercing eyes reminded her of Stefan. When he looked at her, it was as if he could see all her secrets.Truthfully, how could she not care that Stefan was dancing with another girl? She was only pretending not to care, but unfortunately, her acting wasn't good enough. As soon as she saw Stefan chatting and laughing with that girl, her walls came down… She got so distracted that she forgot about the game and dragged her team down."If you're not afraid, then dance with me. I'm sure you'll feel much better after we dance," Julian insisted and offered his hand to Renee again.Although he was Stefan's nephew, he was only one and a half years youn
Renee immediately stood up. She touched Liam's face, then patted Julian on the head. It looked like an emperor choosing his consort. "One is handsome and positive, while the other is quiet and thoughtful. Don't worry. I'll dance with both of you!""I'll dance with Julian first since he came from far away. Liam, wait for me like a good boy!"Liam was extremely jealous. He could easily get any woman he wanted, and the look in his eyes said he knew it. However, he still nodded obediently. "Alright. Boss, you can dance with the fake Stefan first. I'll join you once you're ready for the grand finale.""Good boy." Renee smiled and touched Liam's face again. She reached for Julian's hand, and he led her confidently to the dance floor.All the women in the bar sighed, their chins on their palms."That woman is so lucky! She has two handsome men by her side… it's really the best of both worlds!""I'm curious how she managed to do it. I'm sure her family must be rich. Either that, or she r
Renee looked down and saw her foot on top of Julian's. Her face burned in embarrassment and she mumbled awkwardly, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention.""You're dancing with me. If you're not paying attention to me, who are you paying attention to?" Julian asked her casually.Renee stepped on Julian's foot out of anger this time and hissed, "Why did you have to say that? I'm already in a tough spot here!"Wasn't it obvious? Of course, she had been focusing on Stefan. She felt like a thief prying into other people's business when Julian called her out like that.After a while, the song ended, and the lights went out.Julian suddenly let go of Renee's waist. He spoke just loud enough for Stefan and the others to hear them. "Since we aren't good dance partners, why don't we try exchanging partners?""What?! Exchange partners?" Renee sputtered, but before she could react, Julian started walking towards Shirley. He reached out to her. "Shall we dance?""I…" Shirley's cheeks turn
Renee's face turned red for some reason, and she avoided Stefan's gaze. Her mind went blank, and she didn't know how to answer him.Fierce pride rose in Stefan and he continued triumphantly, "Your silence tells me that I'm right. You still have feelings for me, don't you? You can't move on."Renee had nowhere to hide. She made several mistakes while dancing and Stefan's feet suffered the consequences.She was a coward! Renee was furious at herself and gathered the courage to speak. After taking a deep breath, she looked up daringly into his eyes. "Mr. Hunt, it seems to me that you're very self-obsessed. I had never fallen for you to begin with, so how can I move on?""You're acting tough again…" Stefan sighed, then leaned down to murmur in her ear, "You know very well that you're in love with me."Renee's face turned even redder. She wanted to deny it, but the song suddenly came to an end. Stefan immediately went back to his indifferent self and let go of Renee. Though they had bo
Renee gasped. She was afraid that Liam might actually lose control and beat Stefan up. There were so many people around, and they were both from respectable families - it wouldn't look good if anything happened.Renee quickly stood up to drag Liam back, but Leia stopped her. "Don't worry, Renee, you know my brother won't do anything stupid. Just wait and see.""You're right…" Only then did Renee sit down.Liam was the sixth son of the Osborne family, a famous elite in Beach City. He was known for his intelligence, and he had punished many bigshots for misbehaving. He definitely wouldn't do anything stupid!When Stefan saw Liam walking over, his expression remained blank, and he acted as if he couldn't even see Liam.Xavier, who was much more straightforward, stood up and glared at Liam. "What's your problem?" He asked in an unfriendly tone.Liam smiled. "No need to get riled up, mate. I mean no harm. On the contrary, I've always looked up to you since you're all older. Fate broug
Liam picked up two glasses and filled them up—one for him, and the other for Stefan."Here… a toast from me to you. Thank you for giving Ren her freedom. It's a new beginning for her, and she's so much more confident than before. You're a living saint!"Liam downed his glass after saying that. He didn't just say that to be polite—he really did mean every word. If Stefan wasn't such a jerk and forced Renee to get divorced, she'd probably just be seen as 'Stefan's wife'.Stefan looked at the glass Liam handed him, emotions whirling in him. Anyone could tell that Liam didn't have good intentions, but deep down, he actually agreed with what Liam said.To everyone's surprise, Stefan accepted the glass from Liam and chuckled. "Indeed… She's changed after leaving me. She's like a fish that's returned to the ocean and a bird that's taken off to the sky. She's found her own haven."I thought a boring woman like her would suffer without the Hunts’ protection, and not many men would like her
Renee once told Liam that Stefan wasn't good at drinking, and that he was like an elementary school kid when it came to drinking games. That was why Liam had prepared a bottle of the strongest vodka he could find. He wanted to play a drinking game with Stefan until he became drunk. Liam would then humiliate Stefan and avenge Renee.Liam felt that Stefan was a proud person. With some encouragement, he would certainly accept the challenge.However, to Liam's surprise, his plan didn't work.Stefan didn't plan on accepting the challenge at all. He stood up and turned to face Christopher and Xavier. "Something came up. I'll catch you later."After that, he turned to Shirley. "Come with me.""Huh. I… Can I?" Shirley's eyes were wide in disbelief. She was an ordinary college student, and it was her first time working in a bar as a part-time dancer. Everything that had happened tonight felt like a dream to her.Stefan didn't answer her and just walked towards the bar's exit."W-Wait for
"What is it, Mommy? You look so serious!" Adie touched his chin and looked at Renee seriously. He tried to make a guess. "I'm sure it's not something good because you don't look fine.""No, it's not something bad, but it might be a little change for you guys. I don't know if my idea is right or wrong." Renee frowned and hesitated. For a moment, she could not bring herself to tell them about it. "Just tell us, Mommy. Let's discuss it together. Then, we'll know if it's right or wrong." Abby blinked and sounded serious, too. Although Abby was not as smart as Adie, she was good at perceiving emotions. She could tell that Renee was unhappy. Moreover, she knew that the decision must be heartbreaking for Renee. It would be best if she and Adie could share the burden for Renee at that moment. "What a good girl you are, Abby!" Renee turned teary. She held Abby's chubby face and kissed the latter dotingly. "You're always my dear baby. And you, Adie…"Similarly, she rubbed Adie's ha
Austin left the tea room after saying that, leaving Renee there alone. She was both free and confined. She was free because no one was controlling her. She could leave at any time. However, she was also confined because the Baldwin family had controlled everyone except her. Austin would probably kill everyone if Renee did anything wrong. It would be more heartbreaking than killing her. She took a deep breath and stopped dwelling on it. She could only act accordingly. She went to The West Chamber, where she had once stayed, to see her children and others.The chamber came with a nice environment. Since it was spring, the plants were growing well in the warm weather. It was quite comfortable. Renee could hear her children talking loudly from afar."Abby, you have to stay here! I need to go away for a bit for something.""Adie, what are you trying to do? I want to go with you no matter where you go!""I'm going to run away to look for Mommy. If you go with me, I have to take
Renee could do nothing else but watch Sabre take Jovan away. "Don't worry. They can't do anything to me. I won't be worried since I'll be staying here. And I'll wait for your good news."Renee flexed her fingers and suddenly regretted everything. She knew Austin would not easily forgive them when Jovan insisted on going to the Baldwin residence with her. But at that moment, she was worried about Justin since he might be in grave danger. She could not accept it either because Jovan was too weak to soldier through any torture. She had no idea what to do if he failed to soldier through. She might never forgive herself."Grandpa Baldwin…" Renee took a deep breath and did not give up trying to beg Austin's mercy."You don't have to say too much," Austin sneered. "You'd better worry about yourself or your family. Did you forget that your brother and kids are still in my hands? Can you worry about too many people?" "Don't hurt them!" Renee almost lost her mind when she heard that.
"Mr. Hunt, please leave." Sabre kept a long face, his tone calm."I just came, but you made me leave. That's inappropriate!" Jovan looked at Sabre and refused to budge. He did not want to stay, but found Austin acting weird. He wondered if Austin wanted to use a more cruel means to torture Renee after driving him away. If he left, he would have escaped, but he could not imagine what Renee might face. Naturally, he refused to leave. "What else do you want?" Austin looked solemn and dangerous. He coldly added, "If you think you need to be punished, I'll grant your wish." He looked at Sabre, who quickly put Jovan under control."No, you got me wrong…!" Jovan did not expect Austin to turn hostile. He wanted to struggle free, but Sabre was one of Austin's rare confidantes and could fight well. He easily stopped Jovan from moving. Anxiety gripped Renee when she saw that. She immediately begged for Austin's mercy. "Grandpa Baldwin! Jovan is a crazy and childish man, like you
Renee's heart was well guarded. No one else could win her over except Stefan. Justin had tried hard and was once hopeful. But in the end, it was still futile. He ended up with endless humiliation. Hence, he learned from Renee and was on guard against others. He merely did not want to get hurt or feel disappointed."That's it. You can be the bold hero yourself."Justin swung off Jovan's hand and left."Damn! He's quite heartless too, just like Stefan!" Jovan was angry for no reason. He found it a pity since Justin had given Renee up, just like what Stefan had done. Those men claimed to love her but did not choose her firmly, and left at the most critical moment. After Justin was gone, the atmosphere in the room became more dangerous and stressful.Austin coldly stared at Renee and asked contemptuously, "My grandson is gone. Can you stop pretending?"It was hard to imagine such a scene. Austin once doted on Renee as if she were his granddaughter. But now, he regarded her as
"Oh, you're quite serious about it." Austin faked a smile, then addressed a subordinate standing beside him. "Since you insisted, I'll grant your wish." In a while, his subordinate came with a tray with dozens of needles in various shapes. Most of the needles were used for treatment. The needle would cause quite a lot of pain with only a slight jab. "Okay, let's stop joking. We're considered famous people. Stop using such a childish trick! It's embarrassing…" Jovan realized how serious the situation was. While teasing, he rebuked Austin's subordinate so the latter would remove the needles. However, the subordinate did not heed Jovan. He did not take Jovan seriously at all. Austin's subordinate politely extended his hand and coldly urged Renee, "Please go ahead, Ms. Everheart." "Okay." Renee flexed her fingers and took a deep breath. She swallowed and adjusted her mouth, ready herself to take a needle."Hey, moron! Are you going to sit there and watch?" Helpless, Jovan tried
Jovan cleared his throat and assumed his usual casual demeanor. "I lost my mind on the day of the engagement ceremony. I knocked Renee out and took her away. This incident has nothing to do with her. You guys can blame me. I should be the one to hang myself, too.""Jovan!" Renee glared at Jovan. "Don't take the blame for me. I won't thank you, either."Jovan turned and started arguing with Renee. "No, I'm not taking the blame for you. I was just telling the truth. I did knock you out and take you away that day. You didn't leave on your own!"He felt guilty toward Renee, especially when he saw her lying in bed and using an iron wire to cut her wrist so she could run away. It was a great shock to him.He realized he had nearly ruined her, body and soul. At that moment, he no longer wanted to compete for her. He felt that he might as well let her go and grant her wish. He just wanted her to be safe and happy, regardless of who she chose to be with.His greatest wish was to see her
Both Renee and Jovan finally arrived at the Baldwin residence under Sabre's escort.Austin was waiting in the tea room since he knew Renee was coming."I'm sorry, Grandpa Baldwin. I'm here to apologize to you." Sabre pushed them into the room.After entering the room, Renee realized that Justin was there too, sitting on Austin's left and pouring tea for Austin. Justin was no longer enthusiastic and close to Renee. Instead, he kept his head low and was busy. He did not even look at her, as if they did not know each other. "You want to apologize to me?" Austin sneered. He raised a cup of tea and sipped it. "Stop flattering me. Plus… You shouldn't be apologizing to me."Justin stopped what he was doing, but he was still unresponsive. He stared absent-mindedly ahead as if he were away from reality. He seemed like a different man. Renee had never seen this side of him, which filled her with sadness and guilt. She blamed herself for turning a carefree and bright youth into a gloo
"Cut the crap!" Sabre was a man who had undergone a lot of things and problems all year round. He abruptly gripped Jovan's chin and said coldly, "You can't keep your head for long. You'd better not waste your energy, and you should watch your tongue.""Well, there's something I should say." Jovan didn't resist as he grabbed the chance to touch Sabre's face. "What's your name, dude? Why are you doing this job at such a young age? How much did Austin pay you every month? I'll give you ten times your salary. Just betray him and work for me.""I'm going to kill you!" Sabre was always a serious man, and got furious because of Jovan's words. He was about to slap Jovan before Renee immediately stopped him."Don't do this, Sabre. Let's talk it out. He's the vice president of Hunt Enterprise, but you wanted to slap him. We should keep peace. Plus, he generally never watches his tongue, and he scolds his family more fiercely. Don't take him seriously." Renee tried her best to calm Sabre dow