The cemetery was rather remote. Not only were there large thickets around the area, the paths were quite rocky as well. The thick smog enveloping the area could easily affect one's sense of direction as well. If headed in the wrong direction, the forest would seem like a confusing maze, which would make the journey even more dangerous than it was.Renee was completely immersed in her phone, wondering if she should tell Leia about William's complicated past with Briar. Then, suddenly, she felt her entire body falling forward…Renee screamed as she tumbled down a cliff. She hit her head on a large rock going down, and instantly faded into unconsciousness.Meanwhile, Stefan and Briar had already arrived at the child's tomb. A small gravestone stood there forlornly, with the baby's name and death date engraved on it."Hi, baby! Mommy and Uncle Stefan are here to see you again. How are you feeling today? The weather's getting kind of cold, so I prepared lots of warm clothes for you. D
Looking around, Renee finally found her phone nearby, only to realize that it was broken. She couldn't turn it on at all."Agh, that useless Stefan Hunt! I knew he was bad luck!" Renee cursed as she scanned her surroundings. It was pitch black, with no one remotely near. Renee immediately felt scared. "Is there anyone out there?! Somebody, please help!" She screamed, her voice echoing alongside the caws of crows. The pain in her head and leg was overwhelming, and she was finding it difficult to even scream for help at this point."I won't die here, right?! That'd be too unfair…"-In Hunt Manor, the family had gathered around the dining table to have a nice dinner together, but the atmosphere felt rather odd for some reason.Francine was trying to ask Stefan over and over again if he had contacted Renee. She had just found out that Renee, who'd disappeared for four whole years, had returned to Beach City all of a sudden. The woman felt conflicted when it came to Renee. She c
Stefan then got into his car and sped towards the forest as fast as he could. Francine's casual chit-chat during dinner had reminded him that the cemetery indeed had complex terrains, with smog all around it. He was worried that something might've happened to Renee. Although the possibility was extremely low, he still had to personally investigate the area to ease his anxiety.The car continued racing through the night, with its headlights being the only light source. Stefan was gripping the steering wheel tightly, scanning the area with his sharp gaze, all while loudly calling out to the woman."Renee!"Night time in the forest was exceedingly quiet. Any sudden sounds would echo through it loudly, startling the birds nearby.Soon, he had reached the area where he had kicked Renee out, and he got out of the car right away."Where are you, Renee?! Answer me!" Stefan yelled louder than before, his voice turning hoarse. However, all he received in response was either crows cawi
Stefan gripped his dislocated left leg, breaking out in a cold sweat. However, he still managed to plaster an arrogant expression onto his face."That's good." Renee felt more relaxed now.'That man sure is tough—he's fine even after falling a few miles down a cliff. That's impressive, not going to lie!'"How are you feeling?" Stefan endured the pain and shifted towards Renee in the dark."Terrible! I'm pretty sure I have a concussion, and my leg is fractured! I'm tired, cold, and starving! I feel like I'm going to die soon!"Renee tried to get up a few times, but her leg didn't allow her to move at all, so she could only lay there helplessly. She thought she was about to see the light when the hunger kicked in."How could you fall from just walking? How stupid are you? Couldn't you have called someone for help?" Stefan was so worried that he wanted to beat some sense into the woman.'It's been four years and she's still the same—she can't take care of herself!'"My phone is br
"Huh?" Renee stared at the man's wide shoulders under the dim moonlight. She looked rather hesitant and replied, "That's not appropriate, is it?""Stop dawdling. If you won't get on, I'll just leave you here," Stefan said frostily. In reality, he knew that he didn't have much time with his dislocated leg, and that he wouldn't be able to help if they kept stalling."Ah, fine, fine. If you insist," Renee said and put her arms around the man's neck, putting her entire weight on him."Hold on tight." Stefan reminded the woman and tried his best to stand up. Despite his tall build, having to endure this extra weight made him sway back and forth unsteadily.Renee held her breath, not daring to move a muscle, and asked softly, "Hey, are you okay? Why do I feel like you're having a hard time carrying me? It's like you're about to faint!""I'm… fine!" Stefan said with difficulty, gritting his teeth.It was as if his left shin bone had fractured, with the pain piercing his flesh like thous
"Okay!" Renee couldn't quite remember where she saw these numbers, and didn't have the time to think about it. She quickly typed in a number into the keypad and dialed it. The call immediately went through."Liam, it's me. Do you have time to pick me up from X cemetery?"Meanwhile, Liam had been panicking over Renee's sudden disappearance, and had nearly barged into Hunt Manor to look for her. Now that he had received a call from her, he was extremely agitated.As the two continued conversing, Stefan could no longer listen and snatched the phone, yelling. "Enough! She's hurt, so get over here!"At that moment, Renee finally noticed Stefan's hands were covered in blood. This immediately sparked her anxiety, which made her rush over to him. "Stefan, you… where is the blood coming from? Are you hurt too?""I'm fine." Stefan retracted his hand swiftly."Stop lying! You've lost so much blood already! Quick, tell me where you're hurt!" Renee shouted as she used the flashlight on the ph
"Ah, it's a long story. Just send us to the hospital now!" Renee said, as she knew that they didn't have time for idle chit-chat, especially not with Stefan's critical condition."Alright!" Liam nodded, suppressing the resentment he held for the man and carrying him into his car. He then drove as quickly as possible to the nearest hospital. Once he got there, he carried Renee in his arms, yelling at the emergency unit with a panicked expression. "Doctor, please help!"Renee, however, turned to look at Stefan, who was still lying in the car. She grabbed Liam by the arm and said, "Don't mind me for now. His condition is worse than mine. He should receive treatment first!"Liam had always listened to Renee's every order, but this time was different. He was still dashing through the halls as if he was participating in a marathon. He then lowered his gaze to speak to the woman in his arms. "Renee, I love and respect you a lot, but please don't forget that I am only a man. I am not as
"That's because he carried me all the way up to the road, despite knowing that he was injured badly too. If something happens to him, or his leg, I will never be able to repay him for his kindness. I was just worried that I'd have to deal with him for the rest of my life, which is why I kept asking you about his condition. Do you understand now?" Renee truthfully explained everything to Liam."What? He… He carried you up there?" Liam turned around, disbelief written all over his face. "I don't believe it. I saw how badly injured he was! He can't have been able to walk, let alone carry you up a cliff… I won't believe it!""I didn't believe it either. He's always been such a cold, heartless, utterly selfish man… but I can't deny the truth. If it weren't for him, I would still be stuck at the bottom of that cliff! Even if I didn't die from the pain, I would've died from starvation…"Renee recalled how the man carried her up the cliff. Every step he took felt unreal as if she had dreamt