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
Briar stood up and went to the door. Outside stood William, her biggest admirer."I'm here for my reward!" William barged in and pressed Briar against the wall. He began kissing her passionately.Briar lifted her arms and let him do what he wanted without any expression on her face. She even seemed annoyed.After a few kisses, William found it pointless and harshly let her go."If you don't like me at all, why did you promise you would give yourself to me as a reward for completing the mission?" William asked.He pinched her cheeks with his long fingers. "You're like a log. There's no warmth and no response from you. Are you rewarding me or humiliating me?" he asked through clenched jaws.Briar sneered. "What's the rush? I've always kept my promises. If I promised you something, I'd give it to you, but not now…""What's your excuse this time?" William was losing his patience."I've considered you my one and only love interest for many years. I've never let myself forget that. B
Renee could do nothing else but watch Sabre take Jovan away. "Don't worry. They can't do anything to me. I won't be worried since I'll be staying here. And I'll wait for your good news."Renee flexed her fingers and suddenly regretted everything. She knew Austin would not easily forgive them when Jovan insisted on going to the Baldwin residence with her. But at that moment, she was worried about Justin since he might be in grave danger. She could not accept it either because Jovan was too weak to soldier through any torture. She had no idea what to do if he failed to soldier through. She might never forgive herself."Grandpa Baldwin…" Renee took a deep breath and did not give up trying to beg Austin's mercy."You don't have to say too much," Austin sneered. "You'd better worry about yourself or your family. Did you forget that your brother and kids are still in my hands? Can you worry about too many people?" "Don't hurt them!" Renee almost lost her mind when she heard that.
"Mr. Hunt, please leave." Sabre kept a long face, his tone calm."I just came, but you made me leave. That's inappropriate!" Jovan looked at Sabre and refused to budge. He did not want to stay, but found Austin acting weird. He wondered if Austin wanted to use a more cruel means to torture Renee after driving him away. If he left, he would have escaped, but he could not imagine what Renee might face. Naturally, he refused to leave. "What else do you want?" Austin looked solemn and dangerous. He coldly added, "If you think you need to be punished, I'll grant your wish." He looked at Sabre, who quickly put Jovan under control."No, you got me wrong…!" Jovan did not expect Austin to turn hostile. He wanted to struggle free, but Sabre was one of Austin's rare confidantes and could fight well. He easily stopped Jovan from moving. Anxiety gripped Renee when she saw that. She immediately begged for Austin's mercy. "Grandpa Baldwin! Jovan is a crazy and childish man, like you
Renee's heart was well guarded. No one else could win her over except Stefan. Justin had tried hard and was once hopeful. But in the end, it was still futile. He ended up with endless humiliation. Hence, he learned from Renee and was on guard against others. He merely did not want to get hurt or feel disappointed."That's it. You can be the bold hero yourself."Justin swung off Jovan's hand and left."Damn! He's quite heartless too, just like Stefan!" Jovan was angry for no reason. He found it a pity since Justin had given Renee up, just like what Stefan had done. Those men claimed to love her but did not choose her firmly, and left at the most critical moment. After Justin was gone, the atmosphere in the room became more dangerous and stressful.Austin coldly stared at Renee and asked contemptuously, "My grandson is gone. Can you stop pretending?"It was hard to imagine such a scene. Austin once doted on Renee as if she were his granddaughter. But now, he regarded her as
"Oh, you're quite serious about it." Austin faked a smile, then addressed a subordinate standing beside him. "Since you insisted, I'll grant your wish." In a while, his subordinate came with a tray with dozens of needles in various shapes. Most of the needles were used for treatment. The needle would cause quite a lot of pain with only a slight jab. "Okay, let's stop joking. We're considered famous people. Stop using such a childish trick! It's embarrassing…" Jovan realized how serious the situation was. While teasing, he rebuked Austin's subordinate so the latter would remove the needles. However, the subordinate did not heed Jovan. He did not take Jovan seriously at all. Austin's subordinate politely extended his hand and coldly urged Renee, "Please go ahead, Ms. Everheart." "Okay." Renee flexed her fingers and took a deep breath. She swallowed and adjusted her mouth, ready herself to take a needle."Hey, moron! Are you going to sit there and watch?" Helpless, Jovan tried
Jovan cleared his throat and assumed his usual casual demeanor. "I lost my mind on the day of the engagement ceremony. I knocked Renee out and took her away. This incident has nothing to do with her. You guys can blame me. I should be the one to hang myself, too.""Jovan!" Renee glared at Jovan. "Don't take the blame for me. I won't thank you, either."Jovan turned and started arguing with Renee. "No, I'm not taking the blame for you. I was just telling the truth. I did knock you out and take you away that day. You didn't leave on your own!"He felt guilty toward Renee, especially when he saw her lying in bed and using an iron wire to cut her wrist so she could run away. It was a great shock to him.He realized he had nearly ruined her, body and soul. At that moment, he no longer wanted to compete for her. He felt that he might as well let her go and grant her wish. He just wanted her to be safe and happy, regardless of who she chose to be with.His greatest wish was to see her
Both Renee and Jovan finally arrived at the Baldwin residence under Sabre's escort.Austin was waiting in the tea room since he knew Renee was coming."I'm sorry, Grandpa Baldwin. I'm here to apologize to you." Sabre pushed them into the room.After entering the room, Renee realized that Justin was there too, sitting on Austin's left and pouring tea for Austin. Justin was no longer enthusiastic and close to Renee. Instead, he kept his head low and was busy. He did not even look at her, as if they did not know each other. "You want to apologize to me?" Austin sneered. He raised a cup of tea and sipped it. "Stop flattering me. Plus… You shouldn't be apologizing to me."Justin stopped what he was doing, but he was still unresponsive. He stared absent-mindedly ahead as if he were away from reality. He seemed like a different man. Renee had never seen this side of him, which filled her with sadness and guilt. She blamed herself for turning a carefree and bright youth into a gloo
"Cut the crap!" Sabre was a man who had undergone a lot of things and problems all year round. He abruptly gripped Jovan's chin and said coldly, "You can't keep your head for long. You'd better not waste your energy, and you should watch your tongue.""Well, there's something I should say." Jovan didn't resist as he grabbed the chance to touch Sabre's face. "What's your name, dude? Why are you doing this job at such a young age? How much did Austin pay you every month? I'll give you ten times your salary. Just betray him and work for me.""I'm going to kill you!" Sabre was always a serious man, and got furious because of Jovan's words. He was about to slap Jovan before Renee immediately stopped him."Don't do this, Sabre. Let's talk it out. He's the vice president of Hunt Enterprise, but you wanted to slap him. We should keep peace. Plus, he generally never watches his tongue, and he scolds his family more fiercely. Don't take him seriously." Renee tried her best to calm Sabre dow
"I'll come even if you don't welcome me. Bye." Renee hung up. She knew that Justin resented her and feared that Austin might punish her. Regardless, he could not stop her from going to North City. She understood that no one could be at ease if the issue was unresolved. She was the cause of the conflict—the key factor. Thus, she must go there.Finally, the plane took off. Renee fell into thoughts while watching the dense clouds. Jovan sat beside her and noticed her worry. He wanted to hold her hand to comfort her and give her strength. However, his hand stopped in midair. He decided against holding her hand. He knew that she did not need his consolation or reassurance. Instead, she would only resent him."Don't worry. It's going to be okay." Jovan sounded casual. "I'm the culprit and will be blamed. You don't have to be scared."Renee turned and frowned at him. "I don't want to see you in danger, either."Jovan looked serious before he beamed. "Well, I'll risk my life for
Hence, Renee did not beat around the bush or refuse to answer Jovan's question on purpose. She had no idea what her heart wanted and could only see how things went."What?" Jovan narrowed his eyes, wearing a complex expression. The current situation gave him a great sense of danger. He teased, "It looks like I've underestimated that guy. He can end up your man though he's your fallback guy.""Can't you watch your tongue?" Renee became angry as she stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth. "Eat something and stop talking."At that time, her phone rang. Justin did call her back—just like what Jovan had said. Renee quickly picked it up, sounding anxious. "Justin, why didn't you answer my calls? I called you several times!""What's the matter?" Justin sounded extremely icy. Renee had never seen him act that way—it felt unreal. She said carefully, "I want to ask where you are now.""What's the matter?" Justin kept his cold demeanor and repeated the same question without saying anythi