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