"What is it, Madam Francine? Is there any news of Stefan?" asked Briar anxiously."Yes." Francine nodded without the slightest joy on her face."That's great. How's Stef now? Where is he? Did he say that it was them who did it to him?" asked Briar eagerly.She guessed that something unpleasant must have happened between Renee and Stefan. Liam's reaction wouldn't have been so defensive otherwise.Now that Stefan was found, she certainly wasn't about to let them escape!After a long silence, Francine said with a complicated expression, "Stef is… quite well. We have misjudged Ms. Everheart and Mr. Osborne.""What?" Briar and Liam shouted simultaneously in surprise."It's good that he's okay." Renee was relieved to hear the news.Liam would've concealed something to not make her worry, but a calculating person like Francine would've pounced on her long ago if something bad happened to Stefan. As Francine had no reason to hide from her, she had reason to believe that Stefan should b
Renee's expression was very calm, and she said with confidence, "We will just do what we should. Azure Group was not affected by Hunt Enterprise in the past, and so will it be in the future. Hunt Enterprise has been prosperous for so long, but it is time to change that. We'll let them taste how it is to be under the thumb of someone."Liam's confidence was boosted instantly. He looked at Renee with starry eyes as if gazing at his only God. He admired her so much that he could practically kneel down in front of her. "Don't worry, Boss. I have already set up the press conference site. Whether it is the media or our peers, they won't be attending this press conference just for fun. We shall let the whole nation watch how the magnificent Hunt Enterprise falls from grace!"The man was very excited. He and Renee had waited too long and put in too much effort for this day, so only success was allowed, not failure.He could not deny that the incident of Stefan happened just in time.Supp
Abigail clapped in excitement.As Aiden's biggest fan, Abigail regarded him as an all-powerful superhero. In her heart, her brother was the most powerful person in this world.As for the second, it was no doubt her beautiful and gentle mommy!As for the third… she thought that it should be Bad Daddy who hurt her mommy. Only he had the ability to make her strong and brave mother shed tears."Adie, I think the bad guy who hurt Mommy could be Bad Daddy. After all, Mommy is so powerful. Who else would bully her?" She blinked her big, round eyes and guessed suddenly."Well, it is possible." Adie nodded. Though he was a four-year-old child, his handsome small face already revealed its potential to charm. "I’ll soon be able to meet bad daddy, and I will naturally know if he is the one who harmed Mommy. If he really did it, I will not forgive him!""But Adie, Mommy said that he is very powerful. Can you beat him alone?""Of course, I can." Adie patted his small briefcase and said conf
At the sight of the man, Aiden put his small computer into his briefcase nonchalantly. He then took off his sunglasses, revealing his round, shiny, tiger-like eyes, and said sweetly, "Hello, mister. Nice to meet you!""Oh, what a little good guy!"The previously ferocious security guard's heart melted instantly the moment he had a good look at the face of the small handsome man. He smiled calmly and said, "What's your name, little guy? What are you doing here? Where are your parents?"Aiden was well aware that his cute and harmless face was his biggest weapon. No ordinary man would be able to resist once he saw his face. Therefore, he deliberately blinked his eyes and put on a pitiful look, and started manipulating the man. "Mister, I am waiting for my dad to get off work here. I feel so bored, but I can only play a game here. Aren't I look pathetic?""That's too much!" The security guard felt very sorry for Aiden when he saw him frowning and said angrily, "Who’s your father? H
After sending Aiden to the lounge, the security guard zealously went to get snacks for him. However, when he returned to the lounge with a plate of cake and fruit, no one was there!Adie successfully evaded all the cameras with perfection and got to the top floor of Hunt Enterprise. The top floor exclusively belonged to Stefan. It was where the CEO's office was.The floor was so spacious and cold that it was close to empty, save for his secretary and the executives.Because there was no news of Stefan these days, his secretary and the executives were so swamped with handling important business that they rarely went to that floor.Adie soon made his way to the door of the CEO's office. He entered the cracked code and unlocked the door easily."Hah! It's just as Mommy said. The security system of Hunt Enterprise sucks. That wasn't even a challenge!"The little boy shook his head in disappointment. Clenching his teeth, he pushed the door with all his might and strutted in.Stefan's
Aiden put down the envelope and looked at Briar calmly. "Who are you? Why are you here at Stefan's office?"His questions only invoked Briar's guilt."I…"Now, she was almost sure that this boy was Stefans's son. Not only did he look exactly like the childhood Stefan, but he carried the same strong and confident aura his father had! "Adie, I am your Mommy's good friend. You can call me Aunt Briar."Briar was all smiles as she approached Aiden gradually.She could only be sure that this kid was Stefan's. As for his mother, she was still unsure if it was Renee.Stefan was so outstanding. There were countless women who wished to bear his children. It might not be Renee, after all."You are Mommy's good friend?"Aiden's chubby but handsome face showed a confused expression.His mother had only talked about one best friend, Leia Osborne, his Aunt Lei. He had never heard of her having any friends named Briar.However, he heard that Aunt Lei often cursed a woman called Briar, sayi
"Aunt Briar, don't you like me?"Aiden blinked his eyes like how his sister, Abigail, always did. He tried hard to act cute with the same intention as Briar, to gain her trust, as he knew that it was her who worked with Bad Daddy to bully Mommy. Therefore, he needed to find a way to teach this woman a lesson!"I…"Briar couldn't bring herself to even say that she hated this little kid the moment she looked at his adorable face."Aunt Briar, can you pat and hug me? You are just like my Mommy. I like you very much!"Aiden beamed and held Briar's hand.Briar was instantly defeated. She failed to restrain herself and cupped Aiden's fair and soft cheeks and said, "How can I not like you? You’re so cute! Don't worry. I will take good care of you. Why don't I take you somewhere to play later?""Sure. You’re the best!"Aiden continued to hug Briar tightly while plotting a small plan in his mind.She indulged in the feel of Aiden's soft cotton-ball-like cheek, unwilling to let go.She
A week later, Renee recovered well from her leg injury. She was now able to get her cast removed and was discharged from the hospital.Liam, Leia, and William came to pick her up."Today is such a good day. Our Boss can finally remove her cast and come back to life with full blood in her veins. We must celebrate this!"Liam was apparently excited and even thoughtfully prepared a wheelchair for Renee."Of course! I have booked a restaurant and prepared a surprise for Ren. I think that she will like it!" Leia said in suspense, smiling like a flower in full bloom.They drove to the restaurant Leia had booked in advance.The feast on the table made Renee drool. She couldn't wait to dig in."Take your time, Boss. Don't choke yourself."Liam patiently cut the steak for Renee and put them onto her plate quietly as if he was taking care of a child. He did everything so meticulously.He could not help it, as he cared too much for her. He would not allow her to be hurt even a bit, so he
Macsen got up angrily and pointed at Renee. "You nearly got me killed by biting me! I didn't even make you pay for that, but here you are, trying to accuse me. Do you think I won't do anything to you?" "Of course you will. You nearly got us killed," Renee sneered, glancing at the glass of mulberry wine. "So, it's logical that you poisoned the wine.""No, I didn't!" Macsen raised the glass of wine and leaned backward to gulp it down. Then, he glared at Renee. "I'm not such a petty man!"Instantly, the air grew tense. Liam, sitting on Benjamin's right, tried to keep the peace. "Okay, stop bickering. Since Mr. Jenkins held this party today, he wanted us to bury the hatchet. We don't have to take to heart what happened a few days ago. The most important thing is to keep peace and come up with a win-win situation."Benjamin nodded and clapped. "Liam knows me the best. He didn't take the stab for nothing. At least I can see that he's sincere toward me, Gem, and the fort.""Oh, gosh!
Three days later, Liam got better and could get out of bed.Benjamin held a party to express his apology to Renee and the others.Before attending the party, Leia held Renee's hand, frightened. "Is he plotting something?"After all, they had witnessed Benjamin's craziness. He could even kill his only daughter! It seemed unlikely that this was just an ordinary party."Don't be scared. We can fight them if worse comes to worst," Justin said casually as he walked behind them. He found a spot and sat in front of them.The army Austin had promised Renee was already on guard outside of the party, hence Justin's confidence. Besides, the Baldwin family was informed beforehand to come assist them if anything went wrong.Since he had absolute power, he was fearless."You're right. We can still fight them. I'd like to see what tricks that crazy Benjamin is trying to pull." Leia said.She stopped taking things too seriously, and casually walked into the place and took her seat. Xavier, sit
"But…" Renee insisted."This is worth it. I was able to gain Benjamin's trust and calm his anger, which in turn helped us leave. I would've done the same thing again without hesitation."Liam looked relaxed and sounded casual, as if he didn't have a close brush with death. Rather, he treated the whole thing like a game he nearly got disqualified from and in turn rewarded for. The result was worth it. He took everything as an exciting adventure rather than a life-threatening incident. "Oh, you're always so casual. What do you mean, worth it? If that knife reached your heart or the doctor wasn't skillful enough, you would've been killed. And I… I might have to watch you die just because I left things to chance!" Renee yelled.She couldn't dwell on what had happened. The memory chilled her blood, and she hated herself for being so scheming. Renee could feel herself changing. Before, she was direct, bold, straightforward, and did everything she could for the sake of justice. Now, sh
"It was just a test from my father. He had seen through people. He wouldn't make things difficult for the people who were nice to me," Amber explained.She knew what kind of a person her father was. At this point, she didn't want to keep it from Renee and the others either. She felt that it was more important to reassure them. "So, it really was a test!" Leia was enlightened, but failed to understand Benjamin. "Is he out of his mind? He didn't have to make it seem so real! If Liam didn't block the knife for you, he would have lost you!"Leia was filled with lingering fear when she recalled the terrifying scene yesterday. Benjamin's madness surprised her. He could even be harsh on his daughter! At the same time, Leia mocked Mateo's fake passion. He said so much, but he could still attack his so-called beloved woman at that critical moment.What amazed her the most was Liam. He claimed that he didn't love Amber, but he was the one who used his chest to block the attack for her. It
Amber's emphasis made both of them awkward. It seemed like Liam had flattered himself.Renee and Leia happened to run into that scene when they opened the door. Feeling out of place, they wanted to leave and hide.Finally, Renee walked over and faked a smile despite the stiffness in the air. "Hahaha! Liam, I'm glad that you're awake!""Renee…" Liam's facade faded as he blinked. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" "We did, but you guys were so absorbed in talking to each other that you didn't hear us," Leia eagerly explained.There was a screen between the bed and the door. A servant informed Liam and Amber about the visitors, but they didn't hear that since they were absorbed in their conflict.Thus, Renee and Leia were forced to watch an awkward romance. They found it stifling, just like Liam and Amber."Okay. Let's not talk about that."Liam didn't want to recall that awkward scene and changed the topic. "I was just stabbed. Stop making a big fuss over it. And don't wo
Nothing went wrong that night. Renee and Leia slept soundly after such an exhausting day. The next morning, a servant of the fort woke them up early. "Ms. Everheart, Ms. Osborne, Mr. Osborne is awake. You can visit him." "Great! Liam's awake!" When Leia heard that news, she got out of bed and quickly washed up.Renee, finally relieved, breathed a sigh. They reached Liam's room as quickly as they could. There, armed guards were around, guarding the place fiercely. "What's going on? Do they take Liam as a criminal?" Leia was furious to see it. She wanted to demand an explanation from those guards, but Renee stopped her.They had to bow down since they were staying in Benjamin's territory. It was up to him to treat them politely or otherwise. Even if they were locked up like prisoners, it was only expected.Liam had just regained consciousness and was seriously injured. If they offended Benjamin, he and the others would only suffer.Liam leaned against the head of the bed in
"I'll bring Phoenix to see my parents. If she's okay with it, we'll get married. This army is the wedding gift my family prepared for her." Justin smiled, his tone eager."Stop fantasizing! Renee won't go there with you," Xavier said. He found Justin's plan ridiculous. "I don't believe you. Has Renee ever said yes? You keep saying you were going to do something big, but you might not even get anything out of it.""It's not up to you whether she'll say yes or not." Justin was indifferent toward Xavier's mockery. He seemed to be very confident, his eyes cold. "I told you that because I wanted you to pass the message to Stefan. I'm not trying to take advantage of the situation, because I already gave him a chance to win her back.""Then, I need to thank you on Stefan's behalf." Xavier didn't take Justin seriously at all, and instead waved provocatively at him. "We'll talk about that once you make Renee say yes. Bye!"Back in the guest room, Xavier held his phone, hesitating. In the en
After a long wait, there was finally some news."Good news, everyone! Ms. Jenkins' blood matched Mr. Osborne's. Mr. Osborne is out of danger since he got a blood transfusion in time. He'll wake up soon. It's getting late, so you should all get some rest," the doctor said as he exited the blood transfusion room."Great! Liam's out of danger now!" Leia leaped happily, moved to tears. "Wonderful! I knew he'd be fine! Thank god!""Well, I told you not to worry, but you refused to listen. You were worried for nothing." Xavier was delighted, too. He watched her dotingly, happy that she had finally relaxed. At the very least, she would stop being cold to him and find fault with him.Unexpectedly, Leia still found Xavier an eyesore and glared at him. "What does it have anything to do with you? I don't want to talk to you!"Then, she held Renee's arm and yawned. "Let's go, Ren. We can finally sleep. I want to sleep with you tonight."The two friends returned to their room, leaving Xavie
"No, Ms. Jenkins! If Mr. Jenkins learns you're donating your blood for another man, it'll drive him mad!" The doctor looked at Amber, too terrified to act. Everyone in the fort knew how much Benjamin cared about Amber. He would never let anyone off the hook if they harmed her, let alone donating so much blood."He won't be angry." Amber sounded indifferent. "He didn't even care about me. If it weren't for Liam, Matt would have killed me. I want to donate my blood to Liam. No one can stop me, not even Dad.""But…" The doctor was too scared to act rashly. "Do it. If not, I'll cut my veins to release the blood." Amber seemed to have anticipated the doctor's hesitation. She fished out a blade she got somewhere and abruptly placed it against her wrist. "Then, I'll die of blood loss. Is that worth it?""Oh, no!"The doctor never expected the usually gentle Amber would suddenly become so tough and stubborn. He stopped babbling and immediately started the blood transfusion. After all,