Stefan sat there like a king, dazzling and charming the people around him. Clearly, the man was a born leader—nobody could take their eyes off him. Even the reporters from popular media companies who were initially only interested in getting their hands on sensational news were now so captivated by Stefan's charisma that they forgot to take notes.Sitting amidst hundreds of other guests in the audience, Renee's icy gaze was locked on the man on the stage. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug deep into her flesh.So, Stefan had been alive all this time… and had now returned more powerful and arrogant than ever! It was truly a pity that she'd spent all that time grieving and shedding tears for him. It was all for nothing! Renee felt like laughing at how foolish she had been.Xavier crossed his legs, looking as if he knew all along that this would happen."I can't believe Stef actually went through with his outrageous plan!" He exclaimed with a grin. "But I've g
"Ms. Everheart, we heard that you recently replaced Mr. Osborne as the president of Azure Group. Considering your rather unusual relationship with Mr. Hunt, what does the future relationship of your companies look like? Would the two of you be competing as rivals or work together as partners?" The person asking was a head reporter from one of the most reputable finance and economics magazines.Renee's thoughts were still circling around the deep anger and resentment she felt for Stefan, and she glared at the man icily. In contrast, Stefan was calm and collected as he gazed at her indifferently."Unusual" was indeed a good word to describe their relationship!Stefan did not have to say anything—the damage was already done. His lethal silence could easily crush anyone's self-esteem to smithereens!Renee clenched her fists and sneered, "There are no friends or enemies in the world of business—there's only benefit and loss. If Mr. Hunt can help me make more money, then we'll work toget
Renee sat on the toilet in the restroom, so enraged that she drew a pentagram on the floor with the tip of her shoe, viciously cursing Stefan."Damn you to hell, Stefan Hunt! You wanted to die so much that you even got yourself a grave, huh? Well, then… I hope you choke to death when you drink water or when you swallow your food! I hope you get struck by lightning when you're on your phone or fall down a hole and die while you're walking…"Suddenly, she heard the voices of women coming from the nearby stalls."Ah, no imitation can beat the real thing… Jovan might be cute, but he's nothing compared to Stefan! They're as different as day and night. Oh, can Stefan be any more perfect? If only I could marry him one day!""Stop daydreaming—he's already found his true love! If you think you'll actually get a turn to be with him, you should get your head checked…""True love? You mean his ex-wife?""No, dummy! It's the woman Mr. Hunt has been protecting for four years—Briar Desrosiers!
There were a few men inside the men's restroom standing at the urinals, doing their business without a care in the world. When Renee stormed in, they were shocked and hastily covered their private areas with their hands."You…" One of them sputtered indignantly, his face red in embarrassment."What are you looking at?" Renee shouted at the men, holding her head high. "Have you never seen a woman in the men's restroom before? If you can't deal with it, then get out!"The men in there were all respectable gentlemen, and they had probably never encountered such a tough and intimidating woman before. Instantly, they hurriedly zipped up and ran out.In a few seconds, the restroom was empty, except for the lone figure at the innermost urinal—Stefan Hunt. He stood straight and tall, like a cold and flawless marble statue. He managed to exude an air of superiority and unattainable perfection even as he stood in front of a urinal.He had not yet done his business before Renee barged in, so
In a desperate attempt to stop her from walking away, Stefan stretched his leg out to block her path and grabbed her tiny shoulders with both of his hands."Don't you have anything to tell me?" He asked meaningfully."Is this a joke? What would I have to tell you?" She glared at the big hands on her shoulders and warned him in an icy tone, "Let me go!"Stefan gazed into Renee's eyes as he asked her, "I hid the truth from you because the situation forced me to, but what about you? Don't tell me you're not hiding anything from me!""What…" Renee was starting to feel unsettled. "What are you talking about?""You know what I'm talking about… In your eyes, I'm the stupid one, aren't I? You hid in a corner where I couldn't see you, and you laughed at me for years, didn't you?"Stefan's grip on Renee's shoulders unconsciously tightened, and his calm expression now gave way to a mixture of anger, pain, and helplessness… as if he was powerless against the woman in front of him!Renee was
Trepidation was written all over Renee's face. She was full of guilt, but she raised her fist and said threateningly, "Go on and speak if you dare, Jovan!""Ignore her," Stefan coldly stated. "Tell me everything you know."Jovan smiled wickedly, then began in a meaningful tone, "If I'm not mistaken, your marriage to Renee lasted for about four years. In our current society, that's not a short marriage at all. Do you think you know her well? Do you know what her real personality is like?"Stefan's expression turned ugly, and he said in a dangerously icy tone, "What exactly are you trying to say? Stop beating around the bush—I don't have time to chat with you.""Answer my questions then. Do you understand her? What kind of a person is she in your eyes? Once I've got your answers, I'll tell you the shocking secret that she's been hiding from you…"Jovan's words aggravated both Stefan and Renee, but in order to satisfy his curiosity, Stefan forced himself to keep calm and answered the
Renee was so angry that she punched Jovan in the back twice. She did it so naturally that it was like they knew each other for a long time—there was no awkwardness between them at all.Stefan's expression twisted even more, and he subconsciously clenched his fists."You see, Stefan… this is Renee's real personality. She's not dignified or gentle like you said, nor is she elegant or prim and proper. The real Renee Everheart has a violent temper, and she beats people up when she's displeased with them. She always beats me up when she sees me; she's basically a tigress! I bet you've never seen this side of her, have you?"Although he'd just gotten punched, Jovan could not be happier. In fact, he even looked proud as he crowed triumphantly, "You were married to her for so many years, but I bet she's never punched you, has she? That's too bad… Research shows that when a woman is relaxed enough to show her real self to a man, she is more likely to love the man with all her heart and spend
With that, only Renee and Jovan were left standing in the men's restroom awkwardlyLike a villain who had succeeded in bringing his evil plan to fruition, a sinister yet childish smile cropped up on Jovan's face. He told Renee, "You see? You clearly made the right choice in leaving your ex-husband because all he ever wanted was a tool to perfect his image. He was never interested in you, he never understood you, and he never even wanted to understand you. What a failure.""Why, thank you for the enlightenment, Jovan!" Renee could not help but roll her eyes as she pointedly sneered, "If you have that much spare time, why don't you worry about yourself instead? How stupid can you be? You've been played like a fiddle and wiped out from your position, yet you're still here bragging like an idiot!"Jovan wasn't angered by her words, and instead approached Renee with a cheeky smile. "So, you're worried about me, huh?"Renee let out a frustrated snarl and kicked Jovan in the butt before r
Liam felt that his situation at the fort was almost the same as Renee's current situation. He had thought that the marriage was just for show. If he was unhappy, he could get a divorce. Even then, things were not that easy when he wanted to get out of that mess. If Amber had not protected him, Benjamin would have long gotten him killed. He knew better than anyone else how unfair it was for the other party when one tolerated and went through with the marriage.Amber was naive and was willing to be treated unfairly, but Justin was no fool. He would not be able to take it if it lasted for a long time. It was easy to imagine what Renee would face when Justin stopped taking her side."Let's go! I'm not afraid. You don't have to be afraid, either." Liam made up his mind to support Renee, who was standing behind him.Renee bit her lips and started to waver; not because she did not want to be with Justin, but simply because she was not confident in herself. She was afraid she would neve
"Liam, what are you doing?" Leia looked at Liam, unable to understand his sudden excitement."I'm going to meet Austin or Justin. I want them to cancel this engagement ceremony." Liam held Renee's wrist and tried to drag her out of the suite.He was certain Renee didn't want to marry Justin, so it was very likely that she would regret it in the future. It would be hard to settle if she regretted it after the engagement party. Liam felt that he had to try his best to put everything under control while he still could. Feeling helpless, Leia complained, "Stop making a scene… This is Ren's marriage. You can't make all this fuss!""You don't know. I'm doing this for her. I want the best for her." Liam knew the consequences of resisting Austin, given the man's position. He was also ready to be punished by them. Even though he would be beaten up vigorously, he would not hesitate as long as he could stop the ceremony and help Renee avoid such risks. "If you want the best for her, just
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,