"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
Liam couldn't bear seeing Renee like this, and said, "Don't worry, just rest first. I'll go ask the doctor about his condition. I'm sure Stefan is fine—you know how tough he is.""That's true, that guy really is a tough cookie! Waves couldn't drown him, and fire didn't bother him either! A little fall is probably nothing to him!" Renee finally felt much more relaxed, urging Liam instead. "Well, don't waste any more time on me, go look for a doctor! If you won't, I'll just have to do it myself!""Don't move, I'll go right now!" Liam said as he stood up to leave. However, he was still rather uneasy, pointing at the food he brought. "I hope you finish this before I come back, Boss. You know your body best, and think of the kids… What would they do if you starve yourself till it affects your health?"After Liam left, Renee still had no appetite due to her anxiety. She couldn't imagine Stefan losing his life or his leg just because of this incident. She had no idea how she could possib
In actuality, Stefan's condition was much worse. The tissue around his leg had been severely damaged, so much so that he'd be risking amputation and his life along with it."I'm finished! Ah, I'm so full!" Renee patted her stomach with a satisfied grin. She then turned to Liam and asked, "Did the doctor mention when I can take this cast off? And when is my estimated discharge date?""That depends on your physical condition and cooperation. It'd take at least two weeks, and at most months.""I have to rest well then. Once I'm completely healed, I have to personally thank Stefan for saving me."Upon hearing this, Liam couldn't help but feel slightly panicked. "You don't really have to, right? He did you so wrong back then! Just take this as his way of atoning for his sins. What is there to thank him for?!"He was worried that Renee wouldn't be able to handle the shock and sadness if something really were to happen to Stefan. Hence, he figured it would be best if the two stopped seei
"Impossible, that's just impossible! I refuse to believe this!" Liam mumbled as he fell to the ground in shock.After that, the nurses pushed the surgical table from the operating room, with a tall man lying still on top of it. The body was covered with a white cloth."Would you like to see the patient for the last time?" The doctor spoke to Liam, who had turned pale. "If you decide not to, we will have to send him to the mortuary. Please make funeral arrangements as soon as possible.""I…" Liam gulped nervously, wanting to stand up and take a look. However, he realized he still wasn't prepared to accept this cruel reality."I'll pass." He waved his hand, lowering his gaze dejectedly.With that, the nurses walked past him while pushing the surgical table, heading straight toward the mortuary.'Stefan Hunt is dead! He's dead…' The news felt like a curse, flashing repeatedly in Liam's head, making him feel extremely tense and uneasy. He wondered to himself, 'That legendary man died
However, the guard said, "I'm sorry, I'm afraid someone has already taken the body away.""What? Took away?" Liam felt extremely anxious. "Who?""One of Mr. Hunt's family members. They took him away last night.""So that means the Hunts know! But… why isn't there any news about it?" Liam fell into deep thought. He turned his phone on and browsed through the latest news. However, the stock market, the media, and even Hunt Enterprise were as calm as still water.'This is strange! Could this just be a misunderstanding? Was it someone else who died?'"I'd like to ask… Was that body… the CEO of Hunt Enterprise, Stefan Hunt?" Liam tried to confirm this with the guard."I think so. The one who took the body away was Mr. Hunt's father himself," the employee replied honestly."Well that's weird…" Liam remained doubtful as he returned to Renee's ward.Coincidentally, Leia had brought her boyfriend, William, over to visit Renee."Ren, I was worried sick about you! Why did you go missing
"Of course!" Leia agreed without any hesitation. She was just like her brother, and trusted Renee completely. "Ren, help me keep an eye on that guy. I trust your judgment." Before Leia left, she smirked at Renee, then patted William on the shoulder. "Do your best, but if my bestie won't give us her blessing, I’ll never marry you!""Don't worry, I'm confident that Ms. Everheart can see how genuine my feelings are for you." William smiled, looking at Renee with certainty. "Right, Ms. Everheart?""Maybe." Renee's lips curved upwards as she said mysteriously.As the siblings left the ward together, the smile on Renee's face disappeared, and her gaze turned cold. "Close the door, please."William was rather cooperative, approaching Renee with a warm smile. "I'm sure you've already looked into my past, Ms. Everheart."Renee seemed quite surprised, huffing coldly. "You're smarter than I thought.""You're too kind, Ms. Everheart. Leia talks about you a lot, so I know you're a devoted,
That would make sense, but Renee still felt like something was off because it was too much of a coincidence."If you've got nothing to hide, then come clean to Lei about your relationship with Briar. If she takes it well, I won't say anything else on the matter," Renee demanded. Her biggest worry was that she was the reason why Leia was caught up in all this. Every time she met that woman, things went downhill.“I know what you're worried about, and it's not something that I need to be reminded of. I will make sure to talk it out with Lei." William promised Renee, his tone sincere."Fine, you better be honest about everything, and remember what you just told me. If you try any funny business, I'll make sure you regret it!" As Renee hadn't caught Willian slipping up, she warned him again for good measure.William walked away from the room. Leia, who had been waiting outside, rushed up to him. "How did it go with my best friend? Did you pass?""I think I got more than 80%,” Willia
William's expression seemed troubled. After a moment, he said, "Could you let me know what you plan to do to them?""Why are you asking so many questions!" Briar's gaze turned frosty and she snapped, "You know what I've been through! You were the one who told me you loved me, and would do anything for me. This is your chance to prove yourself, so don't you dare drop the ball on this. If this plan succeeds, I will give you anything you could ever ask for!""I…" William took a deep breath, his fists clenching as he responded, "I understand. My love for you is unshakable—even if the entire world turns its back on you, I will always stand by you."Briar smiled in approval, her tone arrogant as she declared, "Don't you dare go back on your word. I, Briar Desroisers, despise men who make empty promises."Oh yeah, since you've known that woman's best friend for so long, what other information have you learned apart from her having two kids?""There's no new info for now. Leia's being tig
Stefan remained quiet as he calmly watched Renee. He extended his hand to touch her face but retrieved it before he could.She used to be the woman he was familiar with and the one he had hugged and kissed countless times, but now, he didn't even dare to touch her. "I think she doesn't even want you here. She must hate you so much and is disappointed in you. She'll be even more pressured if you stay here, and it'll push her further from this world. So please, get the hell out of here if you want the best for her!"Justin could not hold himself back from scolding Stefan. If Jovan was telling the truth, Stefan must be aware of the fact that Jovan was holding Renee hostage. Yet, he remained indifferent and feigned ignorance. He didn't even care if Renee was fine. What a cruel bastard! Justin was disappointed in Stefan. He wanted nothing more than to see what was really on Stefan's mind."Take good care of her." Stefan did not want to defend himself. He glanced at Renee, relucta
"What did you do to her?!" Stefan interrogated Jovan coldly, his eyes teary. "She isn't the kind to kill herself! What the hell did you do to her?" "Try to wake her up if you want to know." Jovan was pale. His previous sickness, coupled with his recent blood donation to Renee, made him very weak. Despite that, he refused to stop infuriating others. "Do you think I can't do anything to you? Do you really think that?" Stefan could no longer hold himself back and strangled Jovan. "I'm going to kill you! Repent for the terrible things you've done!"He couldn't imagine the kind of thing that could force the strong and stubborn Renee to resist by using such a desperate means. "You obviously won't go easy on me! I'm sure of that!" Jovan sneered. His pale face turned flushed as he suffocated from Stefan's powerful grip. "But you'd better kill yourself first if you want to avenge her! She ended up like this because of you." "What?" Stefan's face was frosty. He strengthened his grip a
Jovan slowly got up from the ground, looking incredibly weak. He whispered, "She lost too much blood. The doctor claimed she's out of danger, but…she hasn't woken up.""What did you say?" Stefan and Justin were bewildered. They couldn't process his words."So, she was the female college student who tried to kill herself?" Stefan said. He staggered after linking the information he had heard from a nurse with the things that Jovan had said."Stop acting dumb! You're so smart, how could you have missed that?" Jovan glared coldly stared at Stefan, scrutinizing him in disdain. "You were just too scared to face the truth and your woman! You're such a coward! You're an embarrassment to your family!""Agreed!" Justin added; he suddenly found Jovan useful, especially when the latter started insulting Stefan. It felt just right."Although I'm a fallback guy, I'm braver than you. I accept that she doesn't love me, and I'm willing to give it a try with her. And although this guy's a vill
Stefan frowned, doubtful. He looked vigilantly at Jovan, who had collapsed on the ground. "What do you mean by this?"Jovan kept coughing and said nothing. His lips grew pale as he sneered.Justin's eyes were cold, and he held back his urge to beat up Jovan. "Hmph! Obviously, this is a scam!"He demanded condescendingly, "How dare you barge into my territory and take away my woman! Don't you fear my family and me at all?"Jovan, filled with disdain, looked at Justin as if he was a fool. "Stop talking. You don't even have the right to join this battle."To Jovan, only Stefan was qualified and powerful enough to be his enemy."How dare you say that!" Justin was infuriated. He got down on one knee and grabbed Jovan. "Your family always says nasty things! You two are the same. If we start fighting, I'll make sure to cut your tongue first!""Did I say something wrong?" Jovan sized Justin up, ridiculing Justin with mock compassion. "Don't you have any self-awareness? You're just a fal
Stefan frowned and asked solemnly, "Aren't you a top hacker? Hack into this hospital's inpatient system. Then, we'll know where she is.""Yes, you're right." Still, Justin wanted to challenge Stefan. He said indifferently, "But you're Jovan's cousin. It's more convenient for you to make a call instead of me hacking into their system."Yes, Justin could hack into their system, but calling Jovan would be quicker. And what they needed the most was time."He and I…" Stefan sneered, flexing his fingers. "The fact we didn't kill each other is considered peaceful. He's not as obedient as you think.""You'll know by calling him."Justin had heard about the complicated internal fights of the Hunt family, but he felt that Stefan was exaggerating."Jovan is a Hunt no matter what. Plus, he's still working at Hunt Enterprise. Just call him," Justin said. "Fine." Stefan found Justin logical. His private grudges with Jovan were not important because finding Renee immediately was the most impo
Both Stefan and Justin arrived at Grace Hospital quickly. However, Stefan suddenly stopped before he entered the hospital. He looked at Justin curiously."Let's go! It's urgent. Stop standing here!"Justin hurriedly ran. When he turned around, he found that Stefan had not caught up with him. Confused, he asked Stefan, "Something is puzzling me. Don't you want me to stop seeing her? Why did you let me come with you?" Stefan narrowed his eyes and interrogated Justin suspiciously, "Did you lie to me? Or are you plotting something?" "That's nonsense! Don't take me as you. I'm not full of schemes like you!" Justin sounded disdainful. In comparison to Stefan, Justin was not full of schemes. He also looked down upon Stefan since the latter was always vigilant.Justin answered honestly, "Yeah, I don't want you to meet her ever, but I'm sure she wants to see you if she's in danger. Yes, I hate you—but I want her to be happy." He guessed that Renee must be in a serious state since Jov
"Uh…" After some contemplation, Elijah nodded. "I know what to do, Mr. Hunt. It looks like you can see far beyond the current situation. Just leave this to me.""Of course, the most important thing is to have fun."Stefan remained calm; he didn't feel like he had stepped over the line. He merely wanted Justin to learn about the cruelty of the world since Justin was always being protected so well. Whenever he did something wrong, he had to pay a price for it.Besides, Stefan merely did it for his aunt, who had taken the gunshot for nothing. When they reached a consensus, Justin came to meet Stefan. "Hey…" After a pause, he said with dissatisfaction and helplessness, "Would you like to go with me?"Stefan raised his brows in confusion."I mean, do you want to visit Phoenix with me?" Justin sighed. He looked naive, like a college student, as he confessed, "I found Jovan. I don't know why he's so good at countersurveillance. After exiting the emergency room, he transferred her to
"So, what do you want to do?" Stefan asked emotionlessly. He kept watching Nora, who was lying unconscious in the ward."At the very least, we have to teach the Baldwin family a lesson and make the public aware of your family's power as the head of The Great Eight of Beach City. It's not just about venting anger, but more about which side the various great families will take. It concerns the future of your family, too. We can't take it lightly!"Elijah could not hide his indignation. As Stefan's assistant, he was no longer merely an ordinary employee. He was loyal to Stefan and the Hunt family. He couldn't bear to see Stefan suffer any injustice or watch the Hunt family get humiliated. If Stefan hadn't stopped him, he would have gathered all the manpower to fight the Baldwins. Although he had fought Cadmus and Tiger, he had yet to defeat them. He tried to figure out a way to make a counterattack, his face shadowed in gloom.Stefan turned and calmly looked at Elijah. "How shoul
When Justin was willing to send them on an errand again, Cadmus was eager to express his loyalty."No, you don't have to risk your lives for me. That's bloody and horrible. All you need to do is find someone for me." After a pause, Justin added, "Jovan Hunt, Stefan's younger cousin." Cadmus clenched his fists and said fiercely, "It's another Hunt! Old Master Baldwin is right. The Hunt family is full of bad people. If we knew, we shouldn't have dismantled the bombs in Hunt Enterprise. The Hunt family has strengthened their security system now. It's hard to set up bombs there if we want to." Justin felt a headache when he heard Cadmus babbling. He rubbed his temples, and said tiredly, "Stop. We don't have to blow up Hunt Enterprise. I just want to find him. Do you get me? Find him. That's enough!"He stressed his intention of locating Jovan as if he were giving a simple and clear order to robots. Most of the time, Cadmus and Tiger were like AI. Real robots were probably more obedie