For that reason, Renee had to refrain from appearing too curious. She sat quietly in the passenger's seat.Soon, the traffic began to ease as they gradually entered the suburbs. The surroundings gradually got darker. There weren't even street lamps to light the road. It only got creepier by the second. Unsurprisingly, this was the kind of place where bad people did terrible things.Renee wasn't afraid, however. With her abilities, she could fight ten more Jovans even if her legs had only just recovered."Hey… Where are you taking me?" Renee was getting a little impatient. She was visibly unhappy."Be patient. We'll be arriving soon." Jovan said before making a turn onto a small, dark road. There were lush cypress trees on both sides of the road, which stood upright like triangular flags.Renee rolled down the window and looked around. Why did this place seem a little familiar?After that, she suddenly recalled that this was the gravesite where she and Stefan had fallen and gotten
Jovan's smile broadened. He stared at Renee with glistening eyes. "Are you worried about me?""..." Renee remained silent."If bleeding a little can make you worry for me, I don't mind getting beheaded just to see you smile," he added."Go to hell!" Renee rolled her eyes before tossing him a handkerchief.Jovan dangled the handkerchief in front of his nose and took a big whiff at it. He then reluctantly wrapped it around his bleeding neck before tying a knot. "Such a wonderful handkerchief. It's a pity," he said with a sigh."You've truly gone mad!" Renee rubbed her temples. She regretted her decision.At first, she thought Jovan was a big idiot, and she could easily extract important information about Hunt Enterprise from him. To her surprise… He was only pretending to be dumb all this time. He was a mad person and not as easy to manipulate as she had thought.Playing along would only delay her own plan. It even resulted in conflict between her and Liam.'I made a huge mistake
Renee shook her head. "I don't have an answer, and I don't want to make a guess. I'm also not in the mood to listen to your nonsense. You'd better get out of the way, or I'll run you over!"Jovan sat lazily in front of the car. He ignored Renee's warning completely. "I thought you've grown much stronger in the past few years, but you're still as much of a coward as ever. You don't even have the guts to face the truth. Don't you think it's sad that you have to lie to yourself like this?""I don't know what you're talking about!" Renee exclaimed. "I'm saying this for the last time. Get out of the way!"She placed her foot on the gas pedal. All she needed to do was step on it lightly, and Jovan would be crushed into a pulp of flesh."Hehe. Do you think you'll be able to change my dying cousin's fate by running me over?" Jovan slowly got up. He propped his arms on the hood and smiled creepily at her."Weren't you curious why I brought you to the middle of nowhere? Look around. Don't y
Jovan lifted his foot and turned sideways to look at Renee. He smiled. "I was never a gentleman, to begin with. I bring shame to the family. It's not like you've never heard about that… I couldn't do anything to Stefan when he was alive, but I can insult him all I want now that he's dead!"Renee's eyes filled with tears. "You're mad. Even if Stefan's dead, he'll always be stronger than you!"Jovan's eyes glistened briefly. He approached Renee one step at a time. "Is that so? What can he do right now? My footsteps are on his face, and I'm about to sleep with his wife in front of him. All he can do is watch. Do you call that strong?""You’re shameless!" Renee slapped Jovan hard across the face. "You're a loser. Don't ever think you can get close to me!"Renee still felt angry even though she'd said those things. She lifted one leg and kicked Jovan in the stomach."Hmph!" Jovan curled up and kneeled in front of the tomb.Renee stood behind him and stepped on his back. "This is how y
Renee couldn't be bothered to waste any more time with Jovan. She turned around, got into the car, and drove away from the gravesite.She didn't once look at Stefan's so-called tomb.That was because she believed from the bottom of her heart that he was still alive…Under the moonlight, Renee returned to Leia's apartment in the city center as quickly as she could.She had been through too much today. She was exhausted, and she could barely keep her eyes open. She wanted nothing else but a good night's sleep.As soon as she opened the door, she realized that Liam was also there, apart from Leia.After their fight in Hunt Enterprise, it felt a little awkward when they locked eyes."Ren, you're finally home. Liam almost called the cops," Leia said with a long sigh. She wrapped her arms around Renee's arm. "Are you hungry? I'll cook something for you if you are."Renee shook her head. She looked tired. "I'm not hungry. I'm just a little sleepy. I think I need a good, good rest. Goo
"I don't believe you!" Leia was still worried. She turned to look at Liam. "Liam, think of something. Ren must've experienced something devastating. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so downtrodden. Although you guys broke up, you can't just ignore her. Didn't you wait all night to talk to her after she returned? Why are you being silent?"Leia had always been hot-headed. She directly pushed Liam into Renee's room and closed the door with a bang. She then locked the door from the outside.Liam instantly panicked and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Leia, damn it! Open the door!""I don't care. You have to make Ren feel better tonight. Otherwise, don't even think about coming out," Leia uttered. Worried that the lock might not hold, she even attached a steel bar as a latch for good measure.It couldn't be helped—her brother was too passive—if she didn't lend him a hand, he wouldn't even stand a chance!Renee and Liam were left in the large room all alone. They looked at eac
Meanwhile, at a child-friendly hotel in Beach City, Aiden sat cross-legged on a couch in one of the suites, eyes glued to Happy Sheep and the Big Gray Wolf on television.Briar brought some washed fruits to Aiden with a big smile on her face. "Adie, have some fruits. You need the vitamins."Adie smiled in an adorable manner. "Thank you, Aunt Briar. You're a beautiful and kind person. No wonder you're Mommy's good friend.""You are such a sweet-talker.""Of course. I get to eat super sweet fruits that you personally washed. My mouth naturally becomes super sweet too!" Briar couldn't stop smiling throughout her conversation with Aiden.Although she kept reminding herself that Aiden was Renee and Stefan's child and that the child would severely delay her marriage into the Hunt family, meaning he couldn't be spared, she couldn't resist his angelic smile. He was so sweet with the things he said that she couldn't help but want to be close to him. She yearned to give him good food and
Good men were scarce, and women needed to have thick skin to win them over and keep them. The more ruthless one was, the more stable one's position in the household would be. Weak women would only be discarded—even their children would end up suffering.Therefore, Briar had no other talent than competing for men.She fought hard to have Tristan and had him wrapped around her fingers.Tristan thought she was pregnant with his child but in reality… The child didn't even belong to the Hunt family.In other words, even if her baby was healthy, she wouldn't keep it.Renee happened to be the perfect scapegoat.Stefan was the man Briar had set her sights on. She was willing to pay any price to get married to him."Adie, you have to believe that I'm a good person. I would never hurt you. You should be grateful that your mother has a good friend like me," Briar said with a smile while she gently ruffled Aiden's head.She made up her mind right there and then.The kid could only blame h
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