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
Stefan looked coldly at Shirley. He didn't answer her.Shirley realized she had overstepped a boundary, and she frantically apologized. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you that. I think you might find me useful in the future, so… can I have your number?"This was the bravest thing that Shirley, who had been naive and conservative for many years, had done.Her careful attitude reminded Stefan of Renee when he met her four years ago, and his heart softened a little. "Give me your phone.""O-Okay!" Shirley quickly handed him her phone.The two stood very close to each other in front of the taxi, and to anyone watching, it seemed like a very intimate scene.At the same time, Renee and Liam walked out and happened to see this.Renee felt her heart ache. She wanted to pretend she didn't see anything and leave right away, but coincidentally, Stefan looked up, and their eyes met.His gaze was cold as usual, but there seemed to be an aura of superiority about him. He didn't feel awkw
Soul Travel was about an unsuccessful pianist who accidentally died just as his dream was about to come true. He met Soul Number 22, who hated life, and they helped each other find the meaning of life. It was a story of mutual redemption…The screen emitted a gentle glow. The graphics were beautiful, and the story was heart-warming.While watching, Renee silently began to weep. It wasn't because the story was particularly touching or that Stefan hurt her… She just felt like crying at that moment.According to the books she read, pregnant women tended to be very emotional due to fluctuating hormones, so it was very easy for them to get upset. Renee believed she was going through this phase, and so, she didn't want to hold it in. She began sobbing profusely…She gently placed her hands on her belly. "Hang in there, my little ones. I'll be able to leave with you very soon!"After crying, Renee felt much better. Her mood lifted significantly.Coincidentally, the movie had also ended.
Seeing how she wasn't replying, Stefan felt slightly annoyed and muttered coldly, "It's fine, I have other things to do anyway.""No! I'm free!" Renee instantly blurted out, then inwardly kicked herself for being too eager. She awkwardly brushed her hair to the side of her face and stammered, "I mean… I'm actually really busy, but it's not like I don't have time for supper..."Stefan felt rather amused with her bashful attitude, smiling to himself as he thought, 'She's actually kind of cute when she's like this.'The two exited the cinema and headed straight to a famous place known for their street food. "What would you like?" Stefan turned around, asking the woman standing behind him."Anything, just make sure it's not too savory.""Did I hear you right?" Stefan frowned. "I thought you used to love savory foods. What changed?"Renee naturally couldn't tell him that she was pregnant and had to monitor her diet, so she replied casually, "People change all the time. What's so w
Stefan looked at Renee and asked casually, "So, what are your plans?"Renee drank another mouthful of soup, then asked, "What plans?""You can't really stay in the business field forever, right? It's a complicated and dangerous world. You won't be able to handle it for long," Stefan explained, as he had experienced the struggles within the industry as well. He figured that a woman like her wouldn't be able to bear the stress of managing a business. Although they were divorced, he didn't wish such an uneasy life on her. "How would you know if I can't handle it?" Renee looked towards the man, a confident smile appearing on her face. "Just look at me now. Aren't I doing well? Azure Group has only been established for a few months, but we were able to secure a big contract! I even became the president of the Electronics Technology Association! Everything is going well as of now, so sorry for not seeing the dangers in this field, I guess.""You're too naive!" The man shook his head,
Stefan lowered his gaze, staring at the hands around his arm with narrowed eyes. "What's wrong?""People! There are so many people!" Renee looked around anxiously, then tried pulling Stefan into the backseat of the car. As she continued to squeeze in, she mumbled under her breath, "There's so many of them! They're coming for us! Oh god, this is so scary… Let's hide in the car!""Many people?" Stefan looked around, the confusion on his face evident. It was midnight by the time they left, and they were the only two in the parking lot at the time. 'What is she talking about?'"Hey, why are you being so stubborn? They're right behind us! Do you have a death wish? Hide in here, quick!" Renee was so panicked that her face was red. She used all her strength to drag Stefan inside as if they didn't have much time.Helpless, Stefan could only listen to her demands, getting into the backseat with her. It was fortunate that there was a lot of space in the back, considering that it was an
"Hurry up and explain to her, then!" Amber said hurriedly. "Matt, you're close to her. You know Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne would never do that on purpose. Try to persuade her to let this go, and then you can immediately set them free.""I don't have a say in this." Mateo shook his head, pretending to be helpless. "You know how much Luneth dotes on her son. Ms. Everheart pinned him to the ground and beat him up. His head got injured and started bleeding. I heard it's a large cut with a lot of stitches. We can't let it go just like that.""But you can't—" Amber wanted to say more, but Liam interrupted her. He looked at Mateo, his eyes cold and fierce. "I know you set them up. Just be frank. Why did you do that?" "See?" Mateo sighed. He pretended to be aggrieved as he looked at Amber. "The guy you like is sinister. I kindly helped him, but he didn't thank me. He even accused me of setting this up… He always sees the worst in people. He criticized me in front of you and sowed di
Liam immediately noticed something wrong. He asked Mateo fiercely, "What do you mean?""Calm down." Mateo put away his gun and placed it back around his waist. "They broke the rules and barged into the orchard. Plus, they hurt Luneth's child. So, I locked them up for the time being."He appeared calm, as if he was discussing what he had eaten for dinner. He didn't feel that he had been over the line. "Go to hell!" Liam finally failed to hold himself back. He rushed over and grabbed Mateo's neck fiercely. "You can harm me, but how dare you harm them!"At the same time, Mateo's subordinates raised their guns and aimed them at Liam. The recently eased atmosphere immediately became tense again."Hey, don't!" Amber, all tensed up, braced herself to try and stop them. Even so, she was mentally exhausted."What? You want to strangle me?" Mateo was fearless. He grinned deviously and teased, "Cool it. I just locked them up, but they didn't suffer. They're fine. If you harm me, though, I
Livid, Mateo pulled the trigger without hesitation. However, he moved the gun less than an inch. The bullet passed by Liam's ear and hit an orange behind him.The fruit immediately blew up, its juices splashing on Liam's face."Aaaah!" Amber, terrified, trembled. Her eyes turned red, and she hurriedly tried to plead with Mateo. "Matt, cool it! Aren't you and Liam friends? You guys drank and chatted together in the past. You were so close to each other. How could you do this to him? Hurry up and put the gun away! If it goes off accidentally, it'll be over!"However, Mateo ignored her. His eyes were red as he glared at Liam. "Did you see the orange behind you? Let go of her now! If not, I'll blow up your head just like I did to that orange!""Is that all you got?" Liam taunted. He refused to let Amber go. He whispered to Amber, "Watch well. If he shoots me today, promise me not to marry such a man. I can use my life to knock some sense into you.""No!" Amber shook her head. Liam
"What bad timing!" Mateo's indifferent voice came from behind Amber.Amber turned around and saw Mateo with a team of armed soldiers. Terrified, she quickly put some distance between her and Liam. She stammered an explanation. "Matt… It's not what you think. Liam and I came here to look for people. Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne are gone. Liam couldn't find them and guessed they might be in the orchard. He wasn't familiar with the orchard and asked me to guide him."Mateo looked livid, but still cracked a gentle smile. "Silly, you don't have to be scared. I know you're prudent. He must have forced you to come here. I don't blame you."He extended his hand and beckoned Amber toward him. "Come here. You're my fiancee. You should stand with me.""I…" Amber bit her lip—Mateo was right. She kept her head low, about to walk to him.But in the next second, Liam firmly grabbed her wrist. "You can't go!" Liam held Amber's wrist tightly and shot Mateo a challenging look."When did Amb
Liam could only see through Amber's true thoughts if she showed her true self to him. "No, I do like you. I love you the most, and I want to marry you. But you neither like me nor want to marry me. You love freedom and Ms. Everheart. You love and yearn for the kind of life ordinary people like. So, I could only choose to give you up and let you get what you want. What else do you want me to do?" Amber was generally shy and reserved, but when Liam drove her anxious, she rambled a lot."Whatever I want is my business. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to grant my wish!" Liam held Amber's shoulders, acting like a kind senior. He tried to persuade her in earnest. "Marriage isn't a joke. Think it through. Do you like and know Mateo well? You won't be happy after marrying him, given the savage culture around here. And can you divorce him easily?""Matt will be nice to me. Even if he changes his mind, he'll still be nice to me because…my father is Benjamin," Amber replied.She chose
Being a sensitive woman, Amber immediately noticed Liam's displeasure. She kept her head lower and explained carefully, "I want a chance to choose again… I want to choose another person to fall in love with. You know that Matt and I grew up together. We're childhood friends. He likes me and always protects me without asking for anything back. I feel that it's happier to marry a person who loves me instead of marrying someone far beyond my reach."For the first time, she expressed the exhaustion she felt from her relationship with Liam. She no longer wanted to be the one who kept fawning over him. She wanted to give up and relax by being the one who was loved and adored in a relationship."Tsk!" Liam snorted arrogantly. "You don't know Mateo. He's not a nice guy. He's just good at pretending. Maybe it's just his means to get what he wants, but you assume that he loves and wants to protect you."Liam hadn't made that statement to purposely put Mateo down. After standing against Mate
Liam focused on holding Amber's hand and leading her through the orange grove. At the same time, he carefully scanned the ground and trees to find any related clues left by Renee and Leia."I don't care what others say, because I didn't do anything wrong," he said indifferently. "I hope you'll feel the same. I don't think you need to stop being my friend after choosing to marry Mateo. Am I not the friend you like the most?""That's different," Amber said.She followed Liam passively. At first, she couldn't adapt to it. After walking briefly, she felt better and found it easier to do. "Although I'm not good at my studies, I know men and women should keep a polite distance. You can't take my hand and sound righteous at the same time," she mumbled."Why not?" Liam retorted firmly. "When I was young, I always held my sister's hand wherever we went. I'm holding your hand because this fog is thick and the ground is slippery. I'm afraid of being separated from you. Just walk with me. St
Liam walked ahead of Amber, then turned to glance at her. He faked a smile and asked, "What's the matter? Are you worried that I might take advantage of you?" "No, of course not!" Amber quickly shook her head and pushed her scarf up. It had fallen a little. "I just find it improper," she answered softly.She looked like a typical woman from Southeast Aeos, petite and with a small face. Her skin was tanned, and her facial features weren't very distinct. She was charming and reserved, exuding a girlish pureness. She had put on her country's special traditional clothes. The thick clothes, embroidered with various patterns, wrapped around her petite body and gave her an exotic impression. From afar, she appeared like a colorful oil painting. "Hey, it's not improper. If I wanted to do anything to you, I would've done that long ago. I don't have to wait until now." Liam sounded relaxed and prudent to ease Amber's anxiety."Don't worry. I've always regarded you as my younger siste
Amber hurriedly turned Liam down. "You can't help with my affairs. I can handle it.""Well, tell me why I can't help you," Liam pressed. "I… I want to sew a wedding gown. And there are a lot of details that I need to add." Amber became competitive for no reason, and added stubbornly, "Your words aren't absolute. Yes, your business is important, but so is mine!""Oh, you want to sew a wedding gown. I can help you with that…" Liam said, relaxed. "Maybe I didn't get to tell you that I went to a small country in Southeast Aeos when I traveled around the world. I got to know a great sewing master. The pictures he sewed looked real like paintings! I found them interesting, so I learned from him. My sewing skills are probably better than yours. I can help you with that.""Really? You can sew?" Amber was full of surprise and admiration. Her eyes lit up. "I can't sew well. I want to learn from a great master too! If you can do it, can you teach me?""Of course!" Liam promised. "Can you he