"Wrap it up for me?"Renee was taken aback and perplexed."You don't like it?" Mr. Q questioned, turning to face her.“No. I really do!"She returned her gaze to the picture and said, "Isn't it a little inappropriate that you give me such an expensive painting?"Although she had been hinting at him to give it to her, she never expected him to be so casual about it!"I don't see what the problem is if you like it. It's just a piece of art. There are a lot of paintings in the pawn shop," he said casually."Thank you!"She quickly bowed and thanked him. At this moment, she thought even his face mask was charming.Money was, indeed, the most powerful force in the world.She was suddenly reminded of the elderly man's forecast that said, 'As lofty as the mountain, as boundless as the sea. An unrivaled pair, their union shall stand through eternity.''Is it possible that Mr. Q is the one I'll marry? If he were, it would be absurd, considering he is Stefan's arch-adversary. If Stefa
“You…”Mr. Q took a moment to process all Renee said before responding emotionlessly, "You have a wild imagination.""Is that not the case?"Renee took a step closer to him before placing her palm on his chest.When he saw this, he grimaced and grabbed her hand. "What exactly are you doing?" "Don'tworry. I simply want to know whether your pulse quickened for me."She raised her glance to his and smiled sweetly.He was first uneasy until a grin came over his face. He put his long arm around her waist, drew her into his arms, and murmured hoarsely, "If you want to feel it, come closer."Renee's cheeks reddened instantly, and she slipped from his grasp."What's the matter with you? I'm not going to eat you."It was his time to take the lead, and he grinned as he inched closer to Renee. "You said that I am your ex-husband's adversary. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend,' as the adage goes. I believe we can give it a go and be together.""No!"She quickly crossed her arms.'I
Renee led Mr. Q to Sun Island's center, where she and her children spent most of their time.They had to stroll through the sunflower garden to get there.The garden was lovely, as each sunflower bloomed beautifully and grew to be as tall as humans.One strolled in front of the house, while the other wandered in the garden. The golden warmth of the sun shined on their head and shoulders. The sight was stunning, like something out of a movie.Abigail stood at the far end of the garden, wearing a yellow dress and a little hat. She had a tiny shovel in her hand and was digging a hole."Abby, the sun is up, and the temperature is rising. Let's get you home before you become ill!" Margaret said as she stepped to the side and fanned her. "You can go home first, Margaret. I need to cover the whole farm with sunflowers. Only then can Mommy and Adie return.""This land is enormous. It'll be night by the time you finish planting it with sunflowers. Let's go home.." Margaret was concerned
Renee was uneasy as she struggled to introduce Mr.Q to Abigail.Abigail would have driven him away with the small shovel if she had informed her he was coming to acquire Sun Island."He's a new friend I made in Beach City," she answered hopelessly since this was the only response she could come up with. "Mommy's friend?"Abigail stepped out of Renee's embrace and moved up to Mr. Q. She smiled pleasantly and glanced at him before grasping his palm in her small hand. "Greetings from Sun Island. You're my friend too, because you're Mommy's buddy!"Mr. Q's frigid expression vanished, and it was clear that Abigail's kindness warmed his chilly heart.As a result, he knelt and shook Abigail's hand, saying, "Nice to meet you, little one. Not only am I your mother's friend, but I am also your brother's buddy. I am confident that the four of us will be great friends.""Of course!"Mommy doesn't have many friends, especially male friends," Abigail said, her eyes sparkling with delight. "
"Margaret, you can tell me about your concerns," Renee said."Ms. Ren, you know Addie and Abby grew up here on Sun Island, they barely have any contact with the outside world. I'm not concerned about Addie. He's a clever child who is quite defensive, so no one can trick him. But I'm concerned about Abby. She's a tiny angel with no defensive abilities. I'm concerned she'll encounter some nasty individuals when she leaves Sun Island. The most important fact is that Abby has health problems and has difficulty breathing. She needs fresh air to breathe. Even here on Sun Island, where the air is clean, she'll become sick now and again; what will happen if she moves to the city?"Renee seemed concerned when she heard this. "This concerns me as well. But Abby cannot constantly be sheltered; she must learn from her surroundings. I'll do my best to locate a suitable location in Beach City.""When it comes to a healthy environment, there are only two areas in Beach City where the tree coverage
Abigail enthusiastically handed out the cards. This was her favorite game.Renee and Aiden would constantly beat her and Margaret.‘Since the masked guy is here, I must win for once!’ she reasoned to herself.Renee gave Mr. Q an uneasy grin and said, "It's a little childish, but she likes it. Please play with her while you're here!"Mr. Q hesitantly agreed.Abigail soon finished delivering all of the cards.They all opened their cards at the same time. Mr. Q was dealt the Joker, while Abigail was dealt the King."Yay! I won!"This was her first victory, and she bounced about enthusiastically, eager to punish him.Renee reminded Abigail that Mr. Q was their visitor and her sponsor. "Abby, he's a guest. Don't go too far.""Don't worry, Mommy. I'm not going to make things difficult for our visitors.""All right, then, decide whether you want me to choose truth or dare.""Hmm… Dare!""Sure. I'm not afraid of anything," he said unequivocally.Abby looked at him, blinked her br
"Well…"Abigail paused after sneaking a glimpse at Renee. She was, indeed, concealing secrets from Renee."You must abide by the rules. Your nose will grow long if you lie." Mr. Q frowned deeply and admonished Abigail.Renee was also curious and attempted to find out the truth from Abby. "What's the secret? Tell me, I'm curious!""Okay, I'll tell you, but Mommy mustn't be angry." Abigail blinked her eyes and smiled at Renee."Don't be concerned. I'm not going to be upset. Everyone has secrets, even me."Renee considered herself a more positive mother, believing that as long as her children did not do something wrong, she would support them."Okay, I'll tell you," Abigail stated gravely, sucking in a long breath and holding Renee's hands with her small hand. "Mommy, I want to tell you that Addie and I want a daddy. Despite your assurances that we can be happy without Daddy, I believe we would be happier if we had one. Can you find a daddy for me and Addie, Mommy?"Renee was surp
At this time, Abigail said quietly from the side, "Mommy, there’s something that Daddy and Mommy can do but Daddy will do it better.""Oh?"Renee and Mr. Q both turned to gaze at her, intrigued about her response."It's lifting me up!""Daddy will definitely lift me up higher than Mommy. I want to sit on Daddy's shoulder and watch the scenery around me!" he concluded.Renee was unable to refute her remarks and was overcome with remorse.There was a physical difference between a man and a woman. A man could provide a kid with more protection and security. This was something she would never be able to make up for."Is that it? I'll lift you up."Mr. Q abruptly bowed down and put out his extended arms, effortlessly placing Abigail on his wide shoulders."Wow, this is very high. I can see the entire sea!"She was so happy that she burst out laughing and put her arms around his neck, shouting, "Lift me up even higher!"They blended perfectly with the blue water, creating a lovely
Liam hit the nail on the head. "If you informed Xavier to join the rescue, you must be lying. It's illogical! But it's weirder if it's the other way around. He should have informed his buddy to come to the rescue instead of the guy's rival in love. Am I right?"Justin leaned against the seat and said calmly, "How strange. Why is it illogical if I informed Xavier to come here?""If you learn that your beloved woman is in danger, you'll come to her rescue immediately instead of wasting time with your rival's buddy. Telling your rival is risky, too. He might even snatch the chance to save the damsel in distress. Am I right?" Liam analyzed logically, his logic irrefutable. Justin spread his hands helplessly. "No wonder you've been Phoenix's lackey for so many years. You're meticulous. Yes, I found out from Xavier. He hoped I could come with my men to fight the fort. He knows that among many families, only mine could acquire such a powerful rescue team."In the past, among the thre
Previously, Liam felt that Benjamin was very kind to his daughter Amber despite his aloofness. Amber should be his weakness. Gradually, Liam learned that Benjamin was a naturally aloof man who always weighed the pros and cons. No one would ever be his weakness unless it affected his interests. If Amber were truly his weakness, he would first consider her lifetime happiness. Instead, he cared about his interests and reputation. He had quickly agreed to let Amber marry an unsuitable match. "He has no weakness…" Justin touched his chin and frowned contemplatively, then sighed. "It'll be very hard to handle him if he has no weakness. He's crazy and desperate. If we fight him, I'm afraid things will be out of control.""No, we won't fight him," Renee said calmly. "Plus, he has a weakness. It isn't a human, but his interest and power."Liam spent a long time to find that out, but Renee saw through Benjamin the first time she confronted him. At that time, Amber challenged Benjamin to
"It's because Phoenix and I share a telepathic connection!" Justin remained carefree and sounded ambiguous."Telepathic? Why didn't you say it was a tarot reading?" Liam glared at Justin grumpily."Do you take me as a kid? Stop using such a bizarre excuse! If you share that with her, you would be the one who had kids with her."Justin's expression grew hideous because of Liam's nasty words. He complained to Renee, who was sitting beside him. "Phoenix, your lackey is fierce as if I'm indebted to him. He and I don't hold grudges against each other. Plus, I saved him. Why does he find me an eyesore?""Don't take him too seriously." Renee remained indifferent. "He's just worried about me and that you might hold some bad ideas about me.""Well, his worries aren't wrong." Justin didn't hide his feelings for Renee. "Yeah, I do have feelings for you. I wouldn't waste so much time and make such a huge effort to come here to rescue you if I don't want anything to happen between us… Now th
"What do you mean?" Renee was confused. She looked toward the soldiers, and found them familiar. "They're… They're…"Justin didn't reply to her, and instead said to the high-spirited team, "Don't just stand there! Salute!"The soldiers saluted Renee in unison and shouted, "General!""General? Me?" Renee asked in disbelief, her eyes widening even more. "Of course!" Justin smirked and added, "Did you forget? This is the wedding gift my grandpa got for you. He's been training them recently. Now, it's finally the time to make great use of them. They performed well this time and didn't embarrass the Baldwin army.""Oh, I remember that…" Renee instantly remembered how that army came about.Back then, she occasionally went to North City with Justin. The entire Baldwin family liked her, especially Austin. He insisted on her getting married to Justin and gave her the most elite army team as a wedding gift without any hesitation. At that time, Renee loved that team very much. She also s
Renee shook her head and frowned. She asked Xavier solemnly, "You weren't the one who spoke just now. So… Who else came with you?" They were tied up just now, so Renee could not see who threatened their enemies behind them. However, she was sure that Xavier didn't come alone for the rescue."Who else do you hope came with me?" Xavier smiled and asked Renee curiously."I don't hold such hope. All I know is that no matter who came to save us, they wanted some value in us in exchange," Renee said, her tone calm but her words cruel.Of course, one person would appear in her mind. Yet, she was too timid to hold such hope. Besides, that wasn't his voice either. Someone else must have come with Xavier. "Who else could it be? It must be someone powerful to outflank Macsen's men. I'm sure you know who that is," Leia said meaningfully. "He finally did something good.""Stop saying nonsense since you don't know." Xavier tried to stop Leia because of the complicated situation. It couldn't
"It's you?" Leia's eyes went wide. She looked at the man before her in surprise. Everything happened so suddenly, making her seriously doubt if it was her illusion before she got killed.It was none other than Xavier, her only regret before she died. "Yes, it's me!" Xavier hugged Leia, feeling sorry for her. He kissed her lips, which had gone pale because of her fear. He kept kissing her as if he had finally found the treasure that he had lost. Surprise and sadness overcame him. "Luckily, I came in time. You're still alive… I'm sorry to have made you suffer. I'm a useless boyfriend!"When his passion grew, he ignored the rest and kissed Leia passionately."Mm…" The kissing made Leia dizzy. She frowned in embarrassment and turned away. "What's going on? What are you doing here?""I got news that you're in trouble." Guilt gleamed in Xavier's eyes. "I should have paid more attention to you. I wasn't worried when you told me that you went on a trip with Renee. After all, she's
While Macsen was talking, his subordinate reached Leia and grabbed her neck with one hand. A light was reflected on the shiny machete; it seemed he was about to slash Leia.Frightened, Leia hunched and screamed in terror. "Ah, no! Save me, Liam! Ren, save me!" "Stop!" Reia yelled at Macsen, anxious. "What do you want to let us go? Tell me, I'll do it!"At first, she was carefree. She was fine even if she got killed and couldn't be bothered to resist. However, she grew restless since her friend was about to be harmed. She would rather take Leia's place. "Stop stalling for time. You've used this trick too many times tonight. Do you think I'll be fooled again?" Macsen sneered. "You're too vicious and nearly bit off my neck. I'm just avenging myself!""Then, you're asking for trouble!" Renee's gaze grew sharp. "Listen. If you harm her, you'll die very miserably right away!""Hahaha! Stop bluffing!" Macsen laughed. "People who can save you now can't even protect themselves. Plus, th
"What?" When Leia heard that, she swallowed and her hair stood on end. Although she didn't know what it meant, using human skin was terrifying. "You guys look confused. I'm sure you don't know what that is…" Macsen was calmer since his neck was bandaged. He said generously to his subordinate, "Come and explain it to them. Prepare them for fear that the lamp might not be bright enough because they're too nervous.""Okay, boss!" Macsen's subordinate nodded. He walked to them and said arrogantly, "Well, we'll use a machete to skin people from head to toe to make lamps. The light from these lamps is blurry and beautiful. It's a top and valuable item.""That's crazy!" After listening to that explanation, a chill ran down Leia's spine. She gnashed her teeth and said to Macsen, "Are you out of your mind? That's a crazy habit! Aren't you worried the victims might come demanding your life in the middle of the night?"The people here were used to a human lamp, so it became common among th
The three of them rolled their eyes in unison and looked speechless."Look, Liam. She's the top love-struck idiot. She'll never learn though she'd suffered much." Leia shook her head and sighed. She felt sorry for Renee's bad luck and disappointing actions.Although Leia was a love-struck fool herself, she was better than Renee. She would quickly retreat if she found anything wrong unless the guy shamelessly pestered her. Also, he had to show his sincerity. Only then would she forgive him. Renee was way worse. She suffered countless times because of one single man, but she didn't even hate him. She even wanted to ask him if they could start over.No one could be as "humble" as her.Renee used to be a bright and awesome figure, and it seemed like there was nothing she could not resolve. Yet, she lost herself several times because of a man. It infuriated Leia. Leia was not alone in feeling that way. Liam shared her sentiments and gnashed his teeth furiously. "Seriously, I wonde