After saying that, Justin confidently tried to pull Renee back.Unsurprisingly, Stefan did not let Renee go. He narrowed his eyes at Justin and sneered, “Is that so? We'll see just how capable you are then!”Meanwhile, Renee was not enjoying being stuck in the middle of these two men as they played tug of war with her.“Stop it!” Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and screamed at them. She kicked both of their legs and broke free from their grip angrily.“What's wrong with the both of you? Do you think I’m a toy to play around with? Have you even asked me what I want?” Renee snapped at them, crossing her arms over her chest.Stefan and Justin stopped glaring at each other and turned to her.Stefan said coldly, “If you had a brain, you'd know he has a motive for getting close to you… You should know what to do.”When Justin heard this, he shrugged and admitted, "I do have a motive. The truth is that I'm in love with you and want to marry you. I feel the Baldwins and the Hunts
Renee turned to Justin, her eyes meeting his affectionate gaze. She was stunned for a while before she smiled and asked him, “What about you? Did you mean what you said?”Justin felt his heart skip a beat, and his eyes widened slightly. ‘Why am I losing my cool like this? What is happening to me?’ He thought in bewilderment.He raised his eyebrows and said half-jokingly, “Of course, I’m serious about it. Ever since I learned you’re Phoenix, I regretted not marrying you four years ago.”“Is that so?” Renee laughed and asked him, “The Baldwins are pretty prestigious… Would they accept a divorcee like me?”“What’s wrong with being a divorcee?” Justin’s handsome face became serious, and he sounded angry as he said, "Those men are fools to give up such loving partners. It's another man's fortune to be married to a divorcee."“You might not care, but surely your family does, right?”“Don’t worry. No one would dare object. I guarantee that they'll welcome you with open arms.”He added, “My gr
‘Is there going to be a war? Are they going to kill me?’ Renee thought to herself, her heart pounding.Justin caressed her head and grinned sheepishly. "This is the Baldwins' overly lavish welcome tradition… I tried to warn you.”Renee narrowed her eyes at him. “You should've tried harder.”Finally, she exhaled deeply and grumbled, “They nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought they were trying to kill me!”“Don’t worry. You're a guest of my family. We can’t possibly murder you!” Justin grinned at her cheekily, then grabbed her hand and said, “Since we're acting, we gotta make it look real. If not, my grandfather will be able to tell we’re faking it!”Renee cooperatively held his hand and nodded. “Don’t worry, I got this!”The two walked towards the group, holding hands.Renee saw an elderly man in uniform standing amid the troops. His outfit was adorned with medals, and he emerged from a tank with a man and a woman.“Grandpa! Dad! Mom!” Tears of joy welled up in Justin’s eyes
“Gift?” Renee instantly shook her head and backed away. “Grandpa Austin, I appreciate the gesture, but you didn’t have to get me a gift. I didn’t even get anything for you! You’re all too generous.”Renee had forgotten what it felt like to be appreciated and loved like this. When the Everheart family went bankrupt and she married into the Hunt family, all she got from the Hunt family was judgment and glares.She felt touched, and also a little guilty. After all, this was all just an act.Austin frowned and said solemnly, “This is nothing. I’m not a generous man, but I mean it when I say that you’re the future mistress of the Baldwins. The gift I prepared for you isn’t just any gift. It’s more of a dowry.”“There’s no need for that…” Renee felt so guilty that she wanted to run away and hide. If she knew the Baldwin family would be so serious about it, she wouldn’t have agreed to pretend to be Justin’s girlfriend.Renee stared at Justin pointedly, but Justin ignored her and spoke to
Any person watching this scene would be weirded out, but Renee loved it. It was as if she was born for the battlefield as she screamed the war cry loudly.“Good… Very good!” Austin nodded his head proudly, tears in his eyes. “Maurice, are you watching this? Renee is truly your granddaughter. She’s a natural leader with a bright future!”Jack and Sophia held each other’s hands with tears in their eyes. “Our son finally made us proud. She’s the best daughter-in-law anyone could ask for!”On the other hand, Justin felt terribly guilty. ‘Damn, is Grandpa serious? He gave Renee an entire army! If he finds out the truth, I’ll be in big trouble.’The group got in their car and headed to a fine-dining restaurant in Sutton.Sophia had already accepted Renee as her future daughter-in-law. She had held Renee's hand for the entire journey to the restaurant, enthusiastically pointing out every landmark they passed. “Renee, do you see that shopping mall? It belongs to us. Oh, that building belo
“Who dares to make such a bold suggestion?” Austin slammed his fist on the table and scowled at the waiter. “Fine, ask them to come in. It’s been a while since a person this bold appeared in the Baldwins’ territory!”Renee glanced at the door and was instantly curious about this mysterious person. After all, the Baldwin family was the most powerful family in Sutton, but this person dared to disrespect them, so they had to be someone powerful too.The door to the banquet hall opened, and an elegant woman strolled in. She was wearing an expensive-looking silk dress and carrying a fancy Hermes handbag.“It’s been a while, Uncle Austin. I missed you so much that I came all the way from Beach City to see you. I hope you can grant me the pleasure of dining with you.” Under everyone's surprised gazes, the woman placed her ten-million-dollar Hermes bag on the table and sat down at the table casually.This elegant yet arrogant woman was none other than Renee’s ex-mother-in-law, Francine.A
Renee smiled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond. She knew Francine was arrogant, but she didn’t know she could be so bold.Had Francine just come here to boast about her relationships?“How dare you!” Jack slammed the table, his face fierce as he shouted, “Do you think you’re in Beach City? This is the Baldwins’ territory. If you dare to continue this nonsense and upset my wife, then you can’t blame me for hurting you!”Francine rolled her eyes and remarked sarcastically, “Oh, I’m so scared. Jack, we used to be childhood sweethearts, and your wife and I were really close when we were kids. How can you threaten me like this?”“You!” Jack was so enraged that he clenched his fists, about to hit her.When Renee saw this, she immediately stood before Jack and calmed him down. “Uncle Jack, don’t be mad. Madam Francine is known for being rude and blunt. Just think of her as an underdeveloped child, okay? There's no point in arguing with a child.”She was able to endure the years in the
Hearing this, Francine raised her eyebrows, put down the glass in her hand, and said slowly, “If that’s the case, then I’ll be honest. The reason I’m here is to bring my daughter-in-law back.”Instantly, everyone became tense, and their faces darkened."Renee grew up in Beach City," Francine said confidently. “The economy there is flourishing, and everything is perfect. Sutton, on the other hand, is impoverished, inconvenient, and has terrible transportation. I can’t watch her stay here and suffer.”The Baldwin family’s expressions were thunderous, and nobody said a word, but the atmosphere was dangerously tense.Renee became even more scared, and she tugged on Francine’s arm and whispered, “Madam Francine, I advise you to stop talking. Why are you insulting this city?”Francine was a really brave woman!“I'm not insulting it, I'm just stating facts. If you look at the annual global wealth list, Beach City far outranks Sutton. The numbers are practically on opposite ends of the l
After all, Jovan was a human being. Such direct physical pain made him shake and groan. Normally, he should get angry and try all means to make her stop biting him.However, he was not an ordinary man. Although he trembled in pain, he maintained his posture and let her bite him as if he wanted to see who would give up first.Renee kept biting him fiercely, as if her teeth would gnaw through his palm. Blood oozed out of the wound. She was full of hatred, wishing to vent her anger. "Just bite me hard as long as you're happy. I'm enjoying myself too!"Jovan looked at her, whose head was lowered as she kept biting his palm fiercely. It was a bloody scene, but his words made everything sound ambiguous. Renee noticed his underlying meaning and was disgusted. She immediately let go of his palm. "Bah! Disgusting! You're sick!"Her lips were still stained with blood. From afar, it looked like a blooming rose from afar. It looked attractive on her. Aroused, Jovan held the back of her
The bed was around seventy inches large. Renee's eyes were closed as she moved anxiously.She thought she was still sleeping in the West Chamber, but the mattress didn't feel the same. Then, she abruptly opened her eyes. She saw a luxurious bedroom in the Paris La Nuit Club style. Above her hung a brilliant chandelier akin to the ones in medieval castles. A fragrant scent permeated the air. "You're finally awake…" A man's bewitching voice came from an inconspicuous corner. "Renee."Jovan was sitting in a luxurious chair, his legs crossed, swaying a glass of red wine. He appeared like a stereotypical vampire as he stared wickedly at Renee. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? What did you do to me?" Renee yelled.Recalling what had happened, she abruptly sat up. Once she realized her situation, she started snarling at him. "Do you or your family hold a grudge against me? Why did you kidnap me from my engagement party?! Have you thought about the consequences? I'm sure you know h
"I… I don't know! I really don't know!" The makeup artist's face was flushed, her eyes rolling back. She felt like she was about to faint again."Are you still trying to hide the truth?" Justin continued flexing his fingers. He was certain that the makeup artist who suddenly wanted to modify the size of the gown must be aware of the truth.With her eyes rolled back, the makeup artist begged him, "I'll tell you…! Please let me go! I'll tell you everything!" Hearing that, Justin slowly released his grasp.The makeup artist finally got a chance to breathe. She kept taking deep breaths and almost cried because of her terror. "What should I tell you?" She truly knew nothing."What?" Justin's gaze grew fierce."Oh, I remember it now…" She drew in a cold breath and hurriedly said, "A handsome guy came not long after you were gone. I think he's Mr. Hunt. When Ms. Everheart saw him, she was very…"She paused, trying to find her words. "She was very…?" Justin urged her. This was the
Meanwhile, Liam and Leia became vigilant when they saw that scene."What are they doing?" Liam walked past the guests enjoying the fun and stood between Alexander and the two guards. He faked a smile and said, "We're the guests you invited sincerely. Is this how the Baldwin family treats their guests?""Guests?" Austin got off the stage and strode toward them. Although he was smiling, coldness gleamed in his eyes. "Have you ever seen any guest steal the hostess?""You can't say that, Sir Baldwin..." Liam smiled and added, "How could you be sure that it must be the Hunt family?""Who else could it be?" "This is just your guess. They've always been here. Even if they wanted to do that, they couldn't. So… You should act fair and square, given your noble identity. Shouldn't you find fault with the culprit instead? Isn't that more reasonable?" Liam looked at Austin. Although he was younger and came from a family weaker than the Baldwin family, he was still domineering.Besides, his
Alexander took a deep breath and analyzed logically, "This wasn't Stef's style. If he wanted to snatch her away, he would have done it openly in front of everyone. But this trick was cunning and dishonest!""Yes, you're right, but this is a special case. If he didn't use a trick, his woman would marry someone else. It's normal for him to be restless." Although Francine agreed with Alexander's analysis, she felt that Stefan could do anything if it concerned Renee. Naturally, he would stoop this far. "Regardless, we have to leave," Alexander whispered to Francine, sensing danger. "Austin has always been decisive and cruel. Since Stef humiliated him, I'm sure he wouldn't let Stef off easily. We're in danger too.""Is it that serious?" Francine looked at Austin, who was standing on the stage. He coldly ordered his assistant about something. It seemed like he wasn't that crazy. "I don't care what he'll do. We have to get out of North City right away because this city is controlled b
"What?! She's gone?" Justin's face fell immediately. He grabbed the collar of the person who came to inform them and demanded coldly, "What do you mean?! Why is she gone for no reason?""We… We don't know!" That person looked at Justin while trembling and reported everything. "When we got there, we found no one else in the makeup room except the makeup artist lying on the ground. We didn't see Ms. Everheart, either. We don't know what happened!""Something must have gone wrong with her!" Justin pushed that person away without hesitation and rushed toward the makeup room."Hey, Justin! What are you doing?" Sophia watched Justin disappear in front of everyone. She wanted to pursue him but failed.Everyone below the stage fell into an uproar and discussed among themselves endlessly. "The bride went missing all of a sudden! Did her ex-husband come for her?""It's possible. They were once madly in love with each other. Plus, the Hunt and Baldwin families were in conflict for many yea
On the surface, everyone felt that Justin was passionate and respected the bride well. However, only he knew that he was just terrified. He was afraid that the reality might exceed his anticipation. He was terrified to find that he was betrayed in the end when he had trusted Renee that much and treated her so sincerely."Justin, what's going on with you? How could you talk about that at such a time like this? The most important thing now is to make her come out and have this engagement ceremony. We should do the guests justice. If not, everyone will laugh at us after we've kept our dignity well for so many years!"Sophia couldn't understand his hesitation. They were just going to urge Renee to appear. It had nothing to do with their patience or ability to take good care of Renee.Both Alexander and Francine looked at each other in confusion."Dear, did you do anything?" Alexander asked Francine softly.If Renee suddenly failed to attend the ceremony, it might have been Francin
Renee was furious—he was ridiculous!"You won't allow that?" She snorted and looked at him as if he were crazy. "Who do you think you are? You can't meddle in my life!""I'm nobody, but I know that I don't want you to marry another guy." The man approached Renee, wanting to catch her."Stay away from me, or I'll get somebody! You should know how powerful the Baldwin family is in North City…" Renee spat coldly. She did not want to make things too ghastly, so she wouldn't alert the Baldwin family if she could help it. The man sneered wickedly. "Yes, the Baldwin family is strong. So? Even if they're strong, they can't fight against my cunning means!""What do you mean?" A bad feeling gripped Renee. She wanted to ask more questions, but found herself dizzy. Her surroundings became blurry. "I'm so dizzy! What…did you do?" The next second, she staggered and fainted.He firmly caught her and whispered, "You've suffered a lot, so I'll let you rest a bit.""Ah! You… You…" The make
"You flatter me." Renee smiled, sadness in her eyes. She recalled the day she was about to marry Stefan many years ago. The young female designer responsible for her makeup had praised her the same way. At that time, she had recently lost all her family members and was gripped with excruciating pain. Her waist had been much slimmer. She looked pitiful but bewitching. "Don't worry! Master Hunt is a great man. He'll be nice to you and protect you. You guys are a perfect match."Renee remembered that the makeup artist used a makeup blender to soak her tears and firmly told her that. The artist at that time also felt that Stefan would be her protector for the rest of her life. Renee had a crush on Stefan for many years. He was the ray of light that had saved her from her despair. Although she was strong, she couldn't help but regard him as her savior. At that time, she never imagined spending the rest of her life with someone else other than him. Many years passed since then. Sh