"I mean it literally," Stefan confessed with an expressionless face and steady breath.Anyway, the baby and Renee were gone. It did not matter anymore whether the secret was kept or made public."W-what?" Xavier gapped in shock.Christopher had a similar reaction to Xavier's. He spent about ten minutes sorting out the whole story. After a good while, he finally let out a long sigh. "Stef, you're such a fool. It must be aggravating."Stefan said coldly, "I'm fine. My late brother saved my life. I have to give my all to fulfill his last wish, but unfortunately… I can't do anything!"Stefan slammed his fist hard on the table. His eyes were slightly red. It was clear that he felt very guilty about Tristan."Of course you're fine. It's your wife who suffered!"Xavier could not help but fight for Renee. "If you feel responsible for Tristan's death, so be it, but why did you have to hurt Renee? You did so much for Briar and her child, but what about Renee? She was married to you for fo
"I almost choked her to death. Did I go too far?" Stefan asked."Yes and no." Xavier was an outsider and said impartially, "Considering your usual behavior, choking someone wasn't the worst thing I've seen you do, but… I think hurting Renee was a little too much."Xavier had never seen the usually sober and sensible Stefan in such distraught in all their years of friendship, heartbroken to see the state Stefan was in despite finding his actions maddening. Therefore, he toned down his words."She deserved it!" Stefan's calmness evaporated instantly like a long-dormant volcano that erupted suddenly. His voice was cold. "It's only fair to repay a life with a life!"Xavier took a step backward in shock and grimaced. He ridiculed, "Okay, fine. It's fair. So are we spending so much effort to find her for you to continue choking her to death?"Stefan hissed coldly, "We'll talk about that when we get her back!"Xavier and Christopher exchanged a glance, smiling. They shrugged and shook t
Truthfully, Stefan knew all too well that Renee couldn't possibly be living in Hunt Villa.Even so, he still had the faintest hope that a miracle might happen.It's a little funny. In the past, he used to be decisive and never hesitated about anything. Why had he become so indecisive and illogical?Stefan walked into the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully ran his fingers across the duvet. It was as if he was caressing her hair, her face, and her soft, fair skin…All he could think about was Renee.He thought of the times she smiled at him, when she was angry, when she yelled at him, when she was embarrassed, and finally, when she turned around and left without looking back.There was an emptiness inside him. It was like an endless spiral that devastated his soul!"Damn it!" Stefan took a deep breath. He couldn't go on like this.His life shouldn't be affected so drastically just because a woman left him. He shouldn't be suffering like this.Besides, that woma
"I never thought 'love at first sight' actually existed in this world. We met in the most beautiful way possible, but we spent our time together in the worst way imaginable… I knew he didn't love me, but he had no choice but to marry me. That's why I can understand why he treated me so coldly the way he did…"I guess he must have had a lot on his mind—dreams, poems, songs, ambitions, the girl he loved… everything but me. Even so, I still cried tears of joy when we exchanged vows in front of the priest and put the ring on each other's fingers. I fantasized about the day I'd finally find a place in his heart… even if just a tiny part!"I cried my lungs out. He was petrified when he saw me in that state. Although he was disgusted, he still wiped my tears away and put the ring on my finger. He was cold yet gentle… At that moment… I started falling."Chapter Three, The Long Wait."I've imagined us doing things together after getting married…watching variety shows on the couch, building
"Are you serious?" Stefan looked at Xavier with a cold gaze. His eyes instantly lit up."My men just sent me a message. They said they saw her at an antique market in Water Dock. Here are the photos they sent me," Xavier gushed.He quickly switched on his phone and zoomed in on a photo for Stefan.This was a photo taken from the side. The woman's tall nasal bridge and collar bones looked perfectly identical to Renee's.That wasn't all. She even had on the same white dress Renee once wore.This unclear photo of her face from the side was enough to ignite Stefan's passion and hope!He didn't even hesitate for a split second before standing to his feet. "Let's have a look."The two drove to Water Dock. Meanwhile, Christopher stayed at Hunt Villa in case of an emergency.Xavier saw Stefan clinging tightly to a notebook. He couldn't help but feel curious. "Stef, is your notebook a confidential document? Why won't you put it down?""It isn't," Stefan replied coldly. He looked out th
The emotions Xavier felt were equally intense as those of Stefan!"Huh. Is that all?" Xavier flipped through the notebook and began complaining loudly while thumping his chest. "It's getting to the fun part. Why did it stop here? Who is the author? We should have that person whipped in public!"Stefan subconsciously moved a little further away for fear that Xavier might accidentally hit him.Xavier read the novel multiple times before he realized something. "Stefan, are the male and female leads actually you and your wife?"Stefan rolled his eyes at Xavier. "Who else could they be?""Did she write this? Are the things she wrote all true?""Half of it!" Stefan replied."Although not all details were accurate, her description of how they treated each other in the novel was nearly identical to how their marriage went in real life.Xavier seemed shocked. He held the notebook as if he was holding a precious treasure. "I never knew your wife was this good at writing! I was close to t
Amidst the tension, they arrived at Water Dock.Xavier smiled ambiguously at Stefan. "Stef, why don't we have a friendly competition? If you find her first, I'll accept the fact that she's yours and will forever consider her out of my reach. However, if I find her first… I'll make my move!""Whatever," Stefan replied nonchalantly."You're the most generous man in Beach City!" Xavier exclaimed before opening the door and hastily getting out of the car. He immediately started searching for Renee.Stefan, on the other hand, slowly got out of the car and smoothed out the wrinkles on his high-end suit. Like an emperor on tour, he scanned the surroundings arrogantly.Water Dock's antique market was the largest antique market in Beach City.Since it was located at a strategic intersection between several countries, many valuable treasures were smuggled and sold there. As a result, many local traders became wealthy. Likewise, with increased wealth came an increased crime rate. The area a
Xavier instantly deflated.Renee was indeed not like ordinary women. She was way too smart. She could easily see through him. It wasn't as easy as he thought.Never mind the other stuff—Xavier had spent the entire evening running around the dock, and he couldn't even find Renee. Defeated, that was when he finally went to Stefan to gather some intel.Feeling a little awkward, Xavier tried to change the topic. "Stef, what are you doing? You're holding a bamboo tube. Are you performing a magic trick?"Stefan ignored Xavier and started to focus on shaking the bamboo tube.After five or six shakes, a bamboo stick fell to the ground.The old man picked it up and read the text on the stick, and a complicated expression emerged on his face."What are you looking for, young man?" he asked."I want to know if she and I still have a chance," Stefan said coldly.Needless to say, by 'she,' he was referring to Renee.The old man let out a long sigh. "The breeze comes and goes; the beginnin