After listening to Leia's plan, Liam's furrowed brows finally relaxed a bit.At that moment, Geronimo came to his room. Geronimo seemed extremely proud, like a victorious general.“Son, how are you doing? Are you disabled yet?”He spoke to Liam with a smile. He was obviously in a good mood.Liam's expression was cold. He did not even want to take one look at Geronimo. "Thanks to my father's mercy, I'm still breathing.”“Tsk tsk, sounds like you're still angry with me. I did it for your own good. As my son, you can have any woman you want. Why do you have to go after a divorcee?”“Fortunately, the divorcee has some conscience in her. She raised enough money to pay back your debt with the bank. In a way, it shows that you're indeed my son. You have some charm...”Geronimo proudly patted Liam's shoulder.“...”There were still some deep whiplash marks on Liam's shoulder, so Liam immediately winced in pain.Leia instantly spoke up for her brother. She said angrily, "Dad, Liam has
“Over the past few years, Ren and I have spent a lot of time together, especially on the Azure Group, which we started together. To be more precise, she spent a lot of time and effort on the Azure Group, while we merely paid for it. If I really were to sever my relationship with her, the problem of the Azure Group's ownership must be made clear. It will either belong to me or to her.”Liam paused for a moment to study Geronimo's expression before he said tentatively, "If it goes to me, then I'll have to pay her compensation. If it goes to her, I'm too ashamed to ask her for money, so...”Geronimo waved dismissively. "It's just a stupid company. I heard it's been sustaining losses every year. It doesn't have a good prospect. As long as you promise not to get involved with her anymore, she can have the company.”In Geronimo's opinion, the Azure Group was just a small project started by his hopeless romantic son to impress a woman. Although the Osborne family paid for the starting capi
Hunt Villa was empty. The garden was deserted. The living room was not lit. The inside of the villa was pitch black. The air had a stale odor.The only light that was turned on was the one in Stefan's room on the second floor. A tall figure could be seen at the window.Renee walked into the living room and climbed the rotating staircase to the second floor.Stefan's door was slightly ajar, and through the crack in the door, she could see a man standing by the window.However, she could only see his back.The back figure was tall, straight, and cold. It must be Stefan!At that moment, Renee felt a passion that she had not felt for a long time.She rushed forward and pushed the door open. "Stefan! I knew you were still alive!”The man by the window slowly turned around. His thin lips curled into a smile as he stared at Renee with mischievous eyes. He shrugged and said, "My dear cousin-in-law, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not that man you're thinking about day and night.”
She did not want to cripple him and be pestered by him her whole life!“I knew it. You still care for me and can't bear to hurt me...”While swinging around his arm that almost got dislocated, Jovan continued to make fun of Renee, challenging the limit of Renee's patience without any fear of the consequences.Renee tried her best to calm herself down. "You're not actually trying to replace Stefan and take away everything that belonged to him, are you?”“Stefan is history now. Hunt Enterprise cannot remain leaderless forever. I'm doing Hunt Enterprise a huge favor by taking over the company right now. How can you call that taking away?”“Hmph, your plan won't go that smoothly. Even if Stefan is no longer here, Grandpa Timothy and Uncle Alexander are. They won't let you do whatever you want. You should just give up if you know what's good for you, or you might lead yourself into a desperate situation!”Renee had always felt that Hunt Enterprise would not easily have a change in dyn
Renee raised her eyebrows and feigned ignorance, "What exactly do you mean? I don't understand.”“Did I not make myself clear enough?”Jovan greedily took in the sensation of being so close to the goddess of his desire. His hand boldly slithered towards Renee's slender waist. His deep voice was cheeky, but carried a hint of seriousness too. "In ancient times, there was Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. If I can have you, I would launch a thousand ships for you too.”Renee couldn't help but roll her eyes. “Get to the point!”“Simply put, if you become my woman, Hunt Enterprise is yours to do with as you please. If you want it to shut down, it'll shut down, and if you want it to keep operating, it'll keep operating.”There was a cold determination in Jovan's eyes.The whole world knew that he, Jovan Hunt, was just a carefree playboy. He had no interest at all in competing for power or building a business empire.The reason why he had been working so hard to r
Both of them were shocked to see each other.Renee had conflicting emotions regarding her former mother-in-law. On the one hand, Renee hated her, and on the other hand, Renee sympathized with her for having lost two sons in a row.But Francine also had conflicting emotions regarding her former daughter-in-law.From her initial dislike and disgust of Renee, to appreciation, and later on, to hatred—it was enough to write a novel that was millions of words in length!“Good evening, Madam Francine.”Renee swallowed awkwardly and greeted Francine, "Fancy... running into you here.”“Someone told me the light in my son's room was turned on so I rushed over to check, but turns out it's just you...”Francine's eyes were filled with both hatred and sadness, which gradually turned into gloom. She lowered her head and said, "Sure enough, there are no miracles in this world.”Renee was a mother too, so her chest tightened hearing that. She comforted Francine softly, "My condolences. Don't b
Upon seeing Renee's reaction, Francine's eyes brightened. She excitedly pulled Renee's hand and asked, "Did you think of something? Tell me, quick!”“I knew my son wouldn't die so easily. I knew he left clues for you!”Renee shook her head. Her helpless expression seemed sincere. "He didn't leave me any clues, but if even you, his mother, can't be sure if he's dead, then I'm even more uncertain... At least, so far, I've only learned about his death from other people.”“Since you've already chosen a grave for him, surely you must know where his corpse is?”Francine's bloodshot eyes were sad as she said, "Stefan's father said he had an accident and died in the hospital. Apparently, the way he died was horrible. His father was worried that I might not be able to take it if I saw him, so he was cremated overnight. We chose the grave together, but I still don't believe that he's dead. I think they must be planning something in secret, so I turned a blind eye and went along with their ac
But her mouth was still as vile as ever. She kept spouting various unpleasant words, challenging Jovan's patience.Fearing that something more serious was going to happen, Renee immediately stepped forward to stop them. "Jovan, let go of her. She's your aunt. This is disrespectful.”“Hmph, have you ever seen such a cruel aunt? If she doesn't respect me, why should I respect her?...”Jovan had no intention of letting Francine go. His eyes became increasingly cruel, as if they contained decades of accumulated anger. He looked like he was going to break Francine's hand!“This woman is the most arrogant and snobbish woman I've ever seen. In her eyes, everyone else except for her two precious sons is trash. Even though she humiliated me for years, I never thought of getting back at her, but she just had to insult my mother... I'm not venting my anger, I'm teaching her a lesson on my mother's behalf!”“Aah! My hand! You little bastard! You immediately start to retaliate the moment you g
Leia felt so awkward that she wanted to run away. "Hey, can you stop flattering yourself? You haven't settled your messy romance, so please don't get Ren involved. You shouldn't joke like that!"Similarly, Liam found his joke impudent and admitted to his mistake. "Yeah, I was wrong. Don't take my joke seriously."Both Renee and Leia were amused. It helped relieve their tension. "But have you thought it through? After this ceremony, you'll be a part of the Baldwin family. You can't regret it by then," Liam said; he was worried about Renee. Everyone knew the Baldwin family's style. They had such a grand ceremony today. If anything went wrong, the Everheart family might be ruined for the second time. Although nobody knew who would win the battle, the trouble could be avoided. Liam was clueless as to why Renee wanted to take such a risk."Yes, I have." Renee nodded and added firmly, "I'd thought it through the moment I boarded the plane with Justin to fly here."It was the last c
Renee was done getting ready. As her closest friend, Leia came to North City with Liam immediately.The engagement ceremony was held in a magnificent hall of a top hotel. The guests arrived one by one and chatted among themselves. It was a luxurious and grand scene. "Ren, I'm sorry I'm late!" Leia arrived at the hotel suite where Renee was waiting. She put her hands together to express her apology. "It's Liam's fault! He was out of his mind and insisted on not coming here, but I forced him to and took some time. Please don't be mad at me!""Silly, I won't be mad at you. Plus, this ceremony doesn't carry much meaning. The Baldwin family just needs this as an assurance. It doesn't matter even if you're absent."Renee looked indifferent and was not at all happy and eager like a bride-to-be. The engagement ceremony was held to announce to the world about the relationship between her and Renee. In all honesty, Renee was resistant to it. She did not want her family or friends to at
Margaret decided to be frank since Renee had said so. "I can tell that you don't sincerely love Mr. Baldwin. Your marriage is just a way to avoid reality. Why are you so harsh on yourself if that's the case? Now, you're making such a big fuss about moving here. If you fail to get along with him and have to return to Beach City in the future, many people will gossip about you. They'll say nasty things about you. Why do you have to put yourself in such a condition?""Margaret, you don't understand…" Renee looked at herself in the mirror. She looked very charming, like a bride in ancient paintings. Everyone would be charmed by her—including herself. She knew very well that she was the one taking the lead in her romance with Justin. They could go on forever as long as she didn't end it. She was just afraid she could not hold on and wanted to stop, and the only reason that she wanted to stop was probably because of Stefan. "If I stay in Beach City, I'll come across Stefan. I know t
Time passed by. It was soon the day for the engagement ceremony between Justin and Renee.The Baldwin family held a grand ceremony while adhering to tradition. It was both traditional and romantic.Renee put on a red slim-fit silk gown with intricate black and gold embroidery. Her long hair was delicately pinned up, showing off her fair and slender neck. She looked elegant."How pretty!" Margaret stood in front of the vanity table and looked at Renee, whose face was dolled with exquisite makeup. She looked gratified, as though she were looking at her daughter."If your parents saw how pretty and elegant you were, they would be very happy." Margaret gently placed her hands on Renee's shoulders and commented, "You married Mr. Hunt when I wasn't around. You must have suffered a lot. But things will get better now… I'll stay with you and protect you forever. I'll be your strongest support."Back then, Renee was left alone when her family was ruined. She married Stefan without anyo
Alexander and Francine were already old. It was fine even if others criticized them or took violent revenge on them. But they were worried that the younger generation, especially Adie and Abby, would have a hard time handling it."You're right. I wasn't thinking straight…" Francine became teary and sobbed. "I just wanted to relieve my guilt and failed to consider the kids. We brought this upon ourselves. I'll probably have to suffer this pain for the rest of my life.""Stop thinking about that. It's all over. It's useless to regret or dwell on it." Alexander walked over and hugged her shoulders. He whispered some consoling words, "No one can tell who was right or wrong about that affair. We're already punished. Just act like everything is gone…"Is it? You're just trying to make yourself feel better." Francine leaned against Alexander's shoulders, full of melancholy. "Don't you think the kids are suffering the consequences of our actions? They love and understand each other bu
"No, I'm not going to snatch away the bride." Stefan put his fork down and stood up. He added calmly, "Plus, I'm going to give them a huge wedding gift."Flabbergasted and shocked, Francine's face stiffened. "I'm full. Just enjoy your meal." Stefan went past Francine and headed upstairs to his room. Francine and Alexander watched Stefan's upright but desolate back for a long time, unable to snap back to reality."Alexander, is there something wrong with him? Should we get an exorcist? He's acting weird!"Francine could not accept to see Stefan that generous all of a sudden. His woman was snatched away, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he wanted to buy the couple a big wedding gift. She couldn't come up with any other possibility except that Stefan was crazy or possessed. "I can understand him." Suddenly, Alexander became sad as if he recalled his past. He looked gloomy as he added, "Sometimes, letting go is a kind of happiness. Helping the others to be together is true l
"How could you!" For a moment, Timothy was rendered speechless. After all, his anxiety was useless since Stefan was calm. "Forget it. I'm not eating. It's annoying! I'm going upstairs." Timothy did not want to argue with Stefan since Stefan was already an adult. He could not force Stefan to do anything. Instead, he chose to get away from such annoyance to not ruin the harmony of the New Year. After he got up and left, Francine braced herself to mediate the situation."Your grandpa isn't very healthy. He should rest early. Let's eat. We should enjoy our meal happily no matter how unhappy things are." Alexander soon gave his cooperation as well when he heard that. He put some food on Stefan's plate and smiled. "Yes, we can't force things in life. Let's enjoy our meal first." "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry you guys are worried about me. Happy New Year."Stefan quietly ate and raised his wine glass, toasting to his parents. He looked normal and calm, and was warmer toward them.However,
Coldness rapidly engulfed everyone. "It's said that Ms. Renee Everheart and Mr. Justin Baldwin have been best friends for many years and ended up as soulmates. They're going to hold a grand engagement ceremony three days later. They've also announced that the Baldwin family has finally made peace with the Everheart family. Many distinguished guests will attend the ceremony. It's still unknown if this event will bring any new changes to North City and Beach City. Let's wait and see!"The host was reporting the affair excitedly on the TV as if he was an eager onlooker."Tsk! What TV station is this? How lousy! I'm going to acquire it!" Francine criticized it before she told the servant to turn the TV off. She also looked at Stefan and Timothy carefully from time to time. She wondered what was on their mind since nobody spoke up.After the TV was turned off, a strange feeling overcame everyone."Let's enjoy our reunion dinner. Don't be angry." Alexander urged everyone to start eat
After a pause, a long sigh escaped Timothy. "Well, children are lacking."Both Alexander and Francine kept quiet. They knew he was going to start talking about that again.Timothy would always talk about the same thing whenever they sat down for a meal. He would make Stefan ask Renee to remarry him, and then demand he get his children home. The harmonious atmosphere would become particularly gloomy and tense every time Timothy brought that up. They knew the thing he yearned for was a prohibited topic for Stefan.It seemed Stefan had made up his mind to never have anything to do with Renee. His face would sink every time they talked about him making peace with Renee, remarrying her, or the children. He would put the fork down and leave. However, Timothy mentioned that topic straightaway during dinner. Awkwardness soon filled Alexander and Francine, and they didn't dare to speak at all. They were afraid that the reunion dinner would become a battlefield."Yes, you're right."