“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
Jovan was not mad. Instead, he smirked with satisfaction. "Yeah, that's right. Never let me get that. We need to keep owing something to each other and always get tangled up with each other!"Renee could not take it, and acted like she was about to vomit. "I can't keep on eating. It's disgusting." Although she had made such a claim, she sat down and was engrossed in enjoying the food. She was not as tense as before and started to relax.Similarly, Jovan started eating with satisfaction. The current situation was what he wanted the most. She hated him, but it was her true self.When they were full, it was almost time for them to board the plane. Before boarding, Renee hesitated for a long time before calling Justin. She gave him three calls, but he picked up neither of them.On the other hand, Jovan was sitting in the exclusive lounge for the passengers of first-class cabins. He was flipping through magazines to kill his boredom when he noticed Renee's phone. Jovan smiled and
At that time, Jovan was peeling prawns for Renee. They were hot but fresh. When he was peeling them, their hotness burned his fingers, but he was fine with it."Yes, I had…" While blowing the prawns to cool them down, Jovan smiled and said, "I didn't find one at the moment, so I can't forget about you."Renee frowned and said grumpily, "Don't blame it on me. You just can't settle down. I don't want to be accused wrongly."She never felt that Jovan loved her deeply. He merely acted like an overbearing child who tried to snatch away his cousin's beloved woman because he always regarded his cousin as a role model. It was not that different from trying to snatch away one's toy. Of course, that wasn't true love."Just introduce a woman to me then." Jovan finally peeled the prawns and poured some sauce on them before he placed them on a plate before her. He added, "Have them while they're hot. They taste the best now. You need more protein since you're weak."Renee found it difficul
Vermillion was neither eye-catching nor dark. It suited the scarf around her neck well, making her look brighter and more sophisticated. She was not as pale and weak as she looked just now. "I like this color. I didn't expect you to know women this well. You picked the right lipstick color." Renee pursed her lips and sincerely praised Jovan.Usually, insensible men would pick pink lipstick, which was awful. When Jovan picked that lipstick, Renee's heart skipped a beat. She was even wondering where she should go to remove the lipstick. However, it was not pink. It happened to be vermillion, which she had always favored. It would be hard to gain such knowledge if Jovan had not had experience with it. It could be seen that he had dated quite a lot of women."I'm glad you like it." Jovan looked at her rosy lips which were wonderful and charming. He inevitably swallowed.Renee noticed that he was charmed—but he was not simply attracted by her. Instead, he admired her religiously, whi
"His money?" After a brief pause, Renee waved her hand and said without hesitation, "Well, I'll take this then!""Sure! Please wait for a moment." The saleslady's eyes brightened as she quickly packed the bracelet for Renee.Renee took the gift box and handed it to Jovan. Jovan took it readily and willingly carried it for her like her lackey.They exited the jewelry shop and went shopping someplace else. "You didn't want to use my money, but you used his. Do you value him or me?" Jovan was asking for rebuff. Renee turned and glanced at him. "What do you think?""Of course, you value me." Jovan grinned. "The greatest love is feeling sorry for and doting on your beloved. You must have felt sorry for me. So, you didn't want to spend my money.""Congratulations. You're good at comforting yourself." Renee was quite amused. She could not tell who she valued more. She had wanted to spend Stefan's money because she resented him, so she wanted to waste his money. She refused to use J
It would cost around 150 fifteen dollars or less. Renee found it hard to spend so much of Jovan's money.Jovan stood behind Renee and acted like her wallet. He pocketed his hands and said straightforwardly, "Just show it to us.""Sure!" The saleslady's eyes lit up. She said something to the walkie-talkie, then asked them to wait. The headquarters were trying their best to deliver the item quickly. "May I know how much the new item costs?" Renee asked the saleslady tentatively."It depends on the individual prices of the jewelry and antiques. Its starting price is around 450 thousand dollars," the saleslady explained calmly.It was not a small figure for jewelry or an antique. If they were combined, the item would be more expensive. But people who came to the jewelry shop were powerful and rich figures. Hence, it was not an expensive price either."450 thousand dollars?!" Renee pursed her lips and tilted her head to look at Jovan. "I'll make an excuse to go to the washroom late
The car drove through the city center in a high-profile manner and reached BC Airport. Jovan had bought an afternoon flight, so they had to wait for five hours. Of course, he had done it purposely because he wanted to spend more time with Renee.After parking the car, Jovan hypocritically glanced at his watch and asked in a dilemma. "There are five hours left before our flight. Do you want to go shopping?""I'm not in the mood." Renee leaned against the shotgun seat and sounded weak. After all, she had just escaped death. Yes, she had recovered, but her body had undergone a lot of hardships. She became rather weak. She was not interested in everything and was naturally in no mood to go shopping. "If you're not in the mood, let's get you into the mood. Let's go!" Jovan opened his car door and went to the other side to open the door of the shotgun seat. He dragged Renee out of the car. Helpless, Renee got out of the car with him reluctantly. After checking in on the flight, Jov
Elijah sounded urgent and serious. "Mr. Hunt, something's wrong!"Meanwhile, Renee exited the hospital. There was a luxurious convertible at the entrance which attracted a lot of people's attention. Jovan, who kept a high profile, was sitting in the sports car.He was wearing an ostentatious black floral shirt. However, his ostentatious appearance coupled with his casual aura made him look more charming like a model from an advertisement. Renee covered her face and stealthily got into the car. "Can you stop keeping a high profile? You're very eye-catching. It's dangerous!"Jovan kept waving, shouting, and whistling at her just now. It filled her with deep embarrassment. "Well, we're all experiencing the world. If I don't keep a high profile, people won't remember me. I don't care what they think about me as long as I have a great time!"After Jovan confirmed that Renee had sat properly, he pressed hard on the gas pedal and started driving. Although Renee found that unaccept
"Are you trying to sound me out?" Renee smirked, squinting her eyes at Stefan. Although he claimed that he wanted to end things with her and kept some distance from her, his actions betrayed him. These days, he kept staying close to her. Besides, he kept acting when it was time for her to leave the hospital. He purposely dawdled while helping her pack her things. Besides, he even asked about her relationship with Justin. It showed that he was reluctant to part with her. She was baffled. She wondered why he was that aloof if he could not part with her."No, I'm not." Stefan smiled and did not hide anything. He openly admitted, "I care about you.""You finally…" Renee's eyes brightened as she looked at him eagerly. She wondered if he had come to his senses and wanted to tell her the truth. He was willing to face the difficulty with her.However, he sounded even calmer. "After all, you're Adie and Abby's mother. Grandpa is always concerned about you. I want you to be happy and sa
The Lotso bear was a villain in the movie, but it was a pitiful villain because it was abandoned by its owner. It used various means and encountered a lot of hardships to return to Daisy, its owner. In the end, it found that its owner had long gained new toys.After getting hurt, it no longer wanted to be kind. It was used to act cunningly as a form of disguise. But honestly, it was a dear baby who needed love. Of course, it was not a villain at all. Renee liked it because she saw herself as well as others in it. Everyone was gloomy in some way. People got hurt and slowly became gloomy. Instead of criticizing such a thing, Renee felt more compassion and sorry for such a situation. "But you still don't want it and want to throw it away." Stefan was gripped with complicated feelings after listening to Renee's explanation. He sounded sad."Yes, I like it. But I still want to throw it away. It's better to stop in time." Renee laughed and stopped shaking her legs. She was her usual