‘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
It was already late at night when they arrived at the Baldwin residence. The place was an Elizabethan-era courtyard building, and was divided into four courtyards in the south, east, north, and west. Each courtyard was elegantly decorated with pavilions, carved railings, and jade.Renee’s room was in the East courtyard, next to Justin’s.“Brat, you'd better be a good host and help Ren settle in so she'll start envisioning this place as her home,” Sophia ordered Justin solemnly before returning to her room to rest.“Don’t worry, Mum, I'll take good care of my girlfriend,” Justin sighed.“Hmm. Since she’s your girlfriend, the two of you should be staying in the same room. Why get a separate room?”“Mom, I told you that she’s shy. We’re not married yet, so how can we stay in a room together?” With that, Justin gently pushed Sophia out of the room and said, “Go to sleep. We want to spend time together.”When Sophia heard this, her eyes shone with excitement. “Yes, please enjoy your t
Honestly, Justin was an attractive man, but Renee wasn’t familiar with him yet, so his actions weirded her out.She ducked out from under him and pushed him against the wall, twisting his arm behind his back. Justin let out a muffled groan, his charming face smashed against the wall.Renee growled menacingly in his ear, “You'd better behave around me, brat. Don’t try to flirt with me or I’ll tear your limbs off!”“Ah! It hurts. Boss, let me go!” Justin yelped, not expecting her to be this strong. He squealed so loudly that the entire courtyard could hear him.When Sophia heard this, she smiled happily. “Good! Justin didn’t fail me.”Inside the room, Renee only let Justin go after teaching him a lesson.“Phoenix, you’re a girl, but you’re also a hacker and a fighter. Who would dare to marry you if you’re this fierce?” Justin groaned and rubbed his neck, which had almost been snapped by Renee, keeping his distance as he teased her.“Are you still going to talk nonsense?” She held