“Mr. Hunt, calm down! Leave Mrs. Hunt alone!”“You know that domestic abuse is a crime, right? Mrs. Hunt is such a great person! She loves you so much too! How could you ever bring yourself to hit her!?”“We’ll quit our jobs if you dare to hit her one more time! And we’ll file a lawsuit against you for the abuse you’ve put her through!”These people were employees of Hunt Enterprise, specifically the ones Renee handed her lunchboxes in secret to. Looks like the few extra snacks Renee gave them finally paid off.At the time, Stefan and Renee were still in a rather… inconvenient position.Looking from afar, it seemed that Stefan was forcing himself on Renee, using his tall figure as an advantage to her feeble body. To an outsider, it was truly an infuriating sight.Stefan’s actions had caused an uproar. Even his most trusted assistant, Elijah, was on Renee’s side this time.“Mr. Hunt, I have to be real with you here.“Mrs. Hunt is a great person. You should know that. For the pas
After the live stream incident, Stefan found himself in a PR disaster where netizens cursed him out daily. Some of them even went as far as to expose his mistress, Briar’s past relationship with his late brother.Everyone was absolutely furious with Stefan’s indecency, especially with how he was sexually involved with his brother’s girlfriend. Hunt Enterprise, which had barely recovered from the recent cyber attack, was also affected by this. Their stock prices tanked as soon as news of their CEO’s scandal spread.“Stef, what in the world happened in that live stream? Just look at how you treat Renee… How could my son be such a bastard!“Your cheating is now being published on every platform too! Aren’t you proud of yourself?!“And how dare you abuse Renee! If I weren’t traveling abroad to find a suitable heart donor for your grandfather’s surgery, I’d make sure you won’t see the light of day!”The sun had just risen, but Stefan had already received an earful from his father.W
Stefan’s patience was wearing thin. “Just spit it out, what’s the hold-up?”“After careful data analysis on every platform, we’ve arrived at the conclusion that most netizens feel upset for the unfairness that Mrs. Hunt has faced. “If you were to obtain Mrs. Hunt’s forgiveness, and show the public how your relationship has improved, I think we have a good chance of changing public opinion toward you,” Rachel explained while looking away from Stefan.She knew just how prideful her boss was. In fact, it wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that everyone perceived him as the ruler of Beach City. Now, they were asking for him to grovel before a woman he had abandoned. It just didn’t seem possible.“No.” Stefan was very straightforward with his answer. “Since those netizens love wasting their time on gossip, then so be it.”“They are naive if they think they’re able to take Hunt Enterprise down,” Stefan scoffed haughtily. Hunt Enterprise has branched out into various industries, in
Stefan did not expect to find 300,000 active users on this forum, which placed it in the top five most active groups on the entire website.He foolishly thought that this was just a small interest group, but it seemed that they were as big as an army. It was no wonder a single live stream was able to put him in the headlines.Stefan continued scrolling down the page, his eyes completely focused on the screen.[This is so sweet! Just look at them! Look at them!][Oh my god, my precious little Renee is looking at that bastard with such loving eyes!][They’re definitely the opposites attract trope! The cold tsundere CEO, Stefan Hunt, loves his wife just as much as she does!]The forum was incredibly active, and new threads containing old stories, photos, and theories would pop up every few minutes, all revolving around Stefan and Renee’s relationship. This was the first time Stefan realized that he actually had this many pictures with Renee. Moreover, he noticed just how deeply in
“Cough! Cough!” Renee, who was drinking a glass of lemon water when Stefan asked the question, started choking.‘Am I hallucinating? Isn’t this stone-hearted prince being too direct? This is too unlike him.’“Don’t be a narcissist. Who even told you that?” Averting her gaze, Renee denied ever loving him with guilt gnawing in her heart.“Everyone has been telling me that. They said you loved me very much,” replied Stefan with a grin that unconsciously widened.Plenty of women have confessed their love to him. Some even tried to seduce him with their bodies. He would always be annoyed by them, let alone develop feelings for them. On the other hand, he enjoyed being doused in this Renee’s love. For some reason, it gave him a sense of achievement.“Oh please, you know I was acting during that live stream. Those people are blissfully unaware of what was actually happening,” Renee answered nonchalantly. She did not intend to reveal her true feelings. It was the only way she coul
Renee’s mind went blank and her body stiffened up. Although she had slept with the man once, this was the very first time they had kissed.As she expected, his lips were cold as ice, but they made her burn up intensely. Renee’s clenched fists slowly loosened up as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in his sudden embrace…A few minutes later, a man’s voice came from one of the corners, “Alright, we can wrap this up now!”Soon, the restaurant’s lights were once again switched on.Renee was finally brought back to reality as well. She quickly pushed Stefan off of her with a look of disgust.‘What just happened?‘Was I out of it just now? How could I have kissed my future ex-husband?!’Thinking to herself, she immediately wiped her lips clean with her hands, but this action made Stefan rather upset“What are you doing that for? I could tell that you enjoyed it, you know?”Renee tightened her fists, suppressing the urge to beat the man up while questioning him. “Wh
"What else is there?" Renee turned around, staring at the man's hand around her wrist, her expression as calm as still water. "Would you like to return the favor, Mr. Hunt?"Stefan was silent as he stared at her coldly. His deep gaze held a million unspoken words. Renee boldly stepped forward, and her face was now inches away from his. Her lips curved into a smirk, and she whispered mockingly, "You’re famous for holding grudges, Mr. Hunt, so why pretend? If you're upset, just get even and slap me."Naturally, Stefan didn't lift a finger. Instead, he looked at the people around them, silently commanding them to leave.Soon, they were the only two left in the large restaurant.Stefan let go of her, and exhaled deeply. "I never wanted to use you… I may have been lying when I said I loved you, but I truly am sorry for hurting you."The light of the chandelier accentuated the man's beautiful features, making him look like some kind of ethereal being. He was so near, yet so far."Are
"With who now?" Renee couldn't understand a single thing Leia was saying. She didn't really take Leia's screaming seriously, since she had always been quite dramatic."With Stefan Hunt!" Leia screeched. "Girl, if you really slept with him, I'm going to be so disappointed in you… I know I used to support the two of you, but that cretin crossed the line! Didn't you say you wanted to divorce him? How could you sleep with him?!"Leia was only angry out of concern for her best friend. She didn't want Renee to get hurt again."Who said I did that?" Renee felt awkward, realizing Leia must've watched the livestream from last night. "It was all just for show. Sure, we might have kissed, but I also got to slap him as compensation."Renee didn't find the kiss much of a sacrifice, as it was great being able to slap Stefan across the face. 'Damn, that felt so satisfying!'"Oh, so you slapped him… Nice one, Ren!" Leia exclaimed, then turned serious again. "But that's still not a good enough rea
Leia felt so awkward that she wanted to run away. "Hey, can you stop flattering yourself? You haven't settled your messy romance, so please don't get Ren involved. You shouldn't joke like that!"Similarly, Liam found his joke impudent and admitted to his mistake. "Yeah, I was wrong. Don't take my joke seriously."Both Renee and Leia were amused. It helped relieve their tension. "But have you thought it through? After this ceremony, you'll be a part of the Baldwin family. You can't regret it by then," Liam said; he was worried about Renee. Everyone knew the Baldwin family's style. They had such a grand ceremony today. If anything went wrong, the Everheart family might be ruined for the second time. Although nobody knew who would win the battle, the trouble could be avoided. Liam was clueless as to why Renee wanted to take such a risk."Yes, I have." Renee nodded and added firmly, "I'd thought it through the moment I boarded the plane with Justin to fly here."It was the last c
Renee was done getting ready. As her closest friend, Leia came to North City with Liam immediately.The engagement ceremony was held in a magnificent hall of a top hotel. The guests arrived one by one and chatted among themselves. It was a luxurious and grand scene. "Ren, I'm sorry I'm late!" Leia arrived at the hotel suite where Renee was waiting. She put her hands together to express her apology. "It's Liam's fault! He was out of his mind and insisted on not coming here, but I forced him to and took some time. Please don't be mad at me!""Silly, I won't be mad at you. Plus, this ceremony doesn't carry much meaning. The Baldwin family just needs this as an assurance. It doesn't matter even if you're absent."Renee looked indifferent and was not at all happy and eager like a bride-to-be. The engagement ceremony was held to announce to the world about the relationship between her and Renee. In all honesty, Renee was resistant to it. She did not want her family or friends to at
Margaret decided to be frank since Renee had said so. "I can tell that you don't sincerely love Mr. Baldwin. Your marriage is just a way to avoid reality. Why are you so harsh on yourself if that's the case? Now, you're making such a big fuss about moving here. If you fail to get along with him and have to return to Beach City in the future, many people will gossip about you. They'll say nasty things about you. Why do you have to put yourself in such a condition?""Margaret, you don't understand…" Renee looked at herself in the mirror. She looked very charming, like a bride in ancient paintings. Everyone would be charmed by her—including herself. She knew very well that she was the one taking the lead in her romance with Justin. They could go on forever as long as she didn't end it. She was just afraid she could not hold on and wanted to stop, and the only reason that she wanted to stop was probably because of Stefan. "If I stay in Beach City, I'll come across Stefan. I know t
Time passed by. It was soon the day for the engagement ceremony between Justin and Renee.The Baldwin family held a grand ceremony while adhering to tradition. It was both traditional and romantic.Renee put on a red slim-fit silk gown with intricate black and gold embroidery. Her long hair was delicately pinned up, showing off her fair and slender neck. She looked elegant."How pretty!" Margaret stood in front of the vanity table and looked at Renee, whose face was dolled with exquisite makeup. She looked gratified, as though she were looking at her daughter."If your parents saw how pretty and elegant you were, they would be very happy." Margaret gently placed her hands on Renee's shoulders and commented, "You married Mr. Hunt when I wasn't around. You must have suffered a lot. But things will get better now… I'll stay with you and protect you forever. I'll be your strongest support."Back then, Renee was left alone when her family was ruined. She married Stefan without anyo
Alexander and Francine were already old. It was fine even if others criticized them or took violent revenge on them. But they were worried that the younger generation, especially Adie and Abby, would have a hard time handling it."You're right. I wasn't thinking straight…" Francine became teary and sobbed. "I just wanted to relieve my guilt and failed to consider the kids. We brought this upon ourselves. I'll probably have to suffer this pain for the rest of my life.""Stop thinking about that. It's all over. It's useless to regret or dwell on it." Alexander walked over and hugged her shoulders. He whispered some consoling words, "No one can tell who was right or wrong about that affair. We're already punished. Just act like everything is gone…"Is it? You're just trying to make yourself feel better." Francine leaned against Alexander's shoulders, full of melancholy. "Don't you think the kids are suffering the consequences of our actions? They love and understand each other bu
"No, I'm not going to snatch away the bride." Stefan put his fork down and stood up. He added calmly, "Plus, I'm going to give them a huge wedding gift."Flabbergasted and shocked, Francine's face stiffened. "I'm full. Just enjoy your meal." Stefan went past Francine and headed upstairs to his room. Francine and Alexander watched Stefan's upright but desolate back for a long time, unable to snap back to reality."Alexander, is there something wrong with him? Should we get an exorcist? He's acting weird!"Francine could not accept to see Stefan that generous all of a sudden. His woman was snatched away, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he wanted to buy the couple a big wedding gift. She couldn't come up with any other possibility except that Stefan was crazy or possessed. "I can understand him." Suddenly, Alexander became sad as if he recalled his past. He looked gloomy as he added, "Sometimes, letting go is a kind of happiness. Helping the others to be together is true l
"How could you!" For a moment, Timothy was rendered speechless. After all, his anxiety was useless since Stefan was calm. "Forget it. I'm not eating. It's annoying! I'm going upstairs." Timothy did not want to argue with Stefan since Stefan was already an adult. He could not force Stefan to do anything. Instead, he chose to get away from such annoyance to not ruin the harmony of the New Year. After he got up and left, Francine braced herself to mediate the situation."Your grandpa isn't very healthy. He should rest early. Let's eat. We should enjoy our meal happily no matter how unhappy things are." Alexander soon gave his cooperation as well when he heard that. He put some food on Stefan's plate and smiled. "Yes, we can't force things in life. Let's enjoy our meal first." "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry you guys are worried about me. Happy New Year."Stefan quietly ate and raised his wine glass, toasting to his parents. He looked normal and calm, and was warmer toward them.However,
Coldness rapidly engulfed everyone. "It's said that Ms. Renee Everheart and Mr. Justin Baldwin have been best friends for many years and ended up as soulmates. They're going to hold a grand engagement ceremony three days later. They've also announced that the Baldwin family has finally made peace with the Everheart family. Many distinguished guests will attend the ceremony. It's still unknown if this event will bring any new changes to North City and Beach City. Let's wait and see!"The host was reporting the affair excitedly on the TV as if he was an eager onlooker."Tsk! What TV station is this? How lousy! I'm going to acquire it!" Francine criticized it before she told the servant to turn the TV off. She also looked at Stefan and Timothy carefully from time to time. She wondered what was on their mind since nobody spoke up.After the TV was turned off, a strange feeling overcame everyone."Let's enjoy our reunion dinner. Don't be angry." Alexander urged everyone to start eat
After a pause, a long sigh escaped Timothy. "Well, children are lacking."Both Alexander and Francine kept quiet. They knew he was going to start talking about that again.Timothy would always talk about the same thing whenever they sat down for a meal. He would make Stefan ask Renee to remarry him, and then demand he get his children home. The harmonious atmosphere would become particularly gloomy and tense every time Timothy brought that up. They knew the thing he yearned for was a prohibited topic for Stefan.It seemed Stefan had made up his mind to never have anything to do with Renee. His face would sink every time they talked about him making peace with Renee, remarrying her, or the children. He would put the fork down and leave. However, Timothy mentioned that topic straightaway during dinner. Awkwardness soon filled Alexander and Francine, and they didn't dare to speak at all. They were afraid that the reunion dinner would become a battlefield."Yes, you're right."