Renee could rule out that the Hunt family planned to ambush her since the electricity had gone out due to a faulty circuit.She let out a sigh of relief and relaxed somewhat. She let go of Stefan's neck and tried to move away from him, but his strong arm suddenly circled her waist. He pulled her towards him, and she tumbled onto him with a yelp. When she felt his warm frame against hers, she immediately froze. "What... What are you doing?"Stefan remained silent, but his grip on her tightened.Renee lost her cool and hissed at him, "Stefan, don't you dare try to take advantage of me. Let me go before I hurt you!""Stop moving!" Instead of letting her go, he held onto her like his life depended on it."Clearly, you don't value your life. Do you want me to break your arm?" She was going to push him away when she heard sniffling. She hesitated, her eyes wide in disbelief.'Is Stefan… crying?' She thought in shock. She immediately calmed down, taken aback by this unexpected occurren
“You can't open the door until the electricity is restored," Stefan said bluntly.Renee's jaw dropped. "If the electricity doesn't come back on by tonight, I'll have to spend the night with you!""I can handle it. It's only one night, after all." Stefan was so calm that Renee wondered where his anxiety from earlier had gone. Only now did she realize that she had fallen into his trap."Didn't you say you had PTSD and that your organs would fail and you'd die?" She asked him suspiciously."I'll be alright if you're here to give me hugs. I can handle you," Stefan said smoothly.Renee was speechless."You might be able to stand me, but I can't stand you," she remarked, rolling her eyes. "I have to get out of here today!"She wanted to use the light from her phone to try to figure out how to open the doorknob, but unfortunately, her phone ran out of battery and turned off.The room became dark once again."Damn it!" Her patience had reached its limit, and she patted the ground arou
Renee's mind went blank as Stefan's lips claimed hers passionately.She pushed everything to the back of her mind and grabbed Stefan's collar, snarling, "If you want to kiss me, do it properly." Pulling him down to her, she kissed him back with a hunger that surprised them both.That wasn't the first time they'd been this close—when they had gotten drunk back then, they had been even more reckless. Back then, they could blame it on the alcohol, but they were both sober now, so the aftermath was surely going to be messy.As a result, they both instinctively came to a halt.Renee sat on the carpet, leaning against the door and breathing heavily. She tugged at her hair agitatedly as she tidied her clothes. "I must have been insane to do that! Don't overthink it—it's only normal in such a situation."Stefan's raspy voice revealed hints of suppressed longing. "I understand." He coughed softly. "I feel the same way."He subconsciously moved closer to her, and they sat next to one oth
"Don't you think there's something wrong with your mother, Stefan? What is she attempting?" Renee lamented hopelessly, "When I initially married you, she saw me as a monster and wouldn't let me get close to you at all because she was worried I'd take advantage of you. But now she's locking us up like animals because she wants us to reconcile?""You're right. My mother's greatest dream right now is for us to have a grandchild for her to play with. We should be grateful she hasn't drugged us." Stefan couldn't help but grin and nudge her. "Even if you wait until tomorrow, as long as her aim is not met, she will try even more bizarre methods to get us together. So, I propose that we try something.""Try... what?" Renee choked out, her cheeks flushed."We should make some noise so she'll let us go sooner," Stefan suggested.Renee's cheeks flushed even more as she stammered uncomfortably, "What? Is this some sort of joke? I… I'm not sure how to fake those noises!""I can teach you."Be
Francine leaned against the door, looking more and more confused. "This doesn't sound right. Now it's Stefan screaming… Is he getting beaten up?""How can that be? Ms. Renee is so graceful and delicate, like a feeble, wealthy lady. She couldn't possibly do such heinous things.""Ah, you don't know her. Don't be deceived by her kind exterior—she's actually a tough fighter on the inside. She reminds me of myself when I was younger!""If that's the case, don't be concerned. It demonstrates Ms. Renee's ability to keep Mr. Hunt in check. Well, I never imagined Mr. Hunt would have such a day. I'm embarrassed to hear what's going on inside." Lisa couldn't help but cover her face as she imagined what was happening."You're right... She can keep him in check!" Francine's eyes shone, and she praised Renee, saying, "Renee is a gem. She excels at everything, even this! She really is flawless. Oh, my wish to have a grandchild seems to be coming true."They quickly left, and the electricity was
Renee's expression was grave as she stood before Timothy.The old man looked up at her innocently. "What do you mean? I've just finished reading the news."Renee pursed her lips. "You can drop the act, Grandpa. There's no way you would have been able to read in the dark, and besides… your newspaper is upside down."Renee raised an eyebrow at him expectantly.“Hmm… I…” The old man mumbled in embarrassment and adjusted the newspaper. Refusing to admit defeat, he just went along with it. "Since I'm farsighted, I'm accustomed to reading things upside down. This is actually the easiest way for me to read.""Is that right? I don't believe you." Renee was initially upset but couldn't help giggling at the old man's antics.Seeing her laugh, he gently laid down the newspaper and said, "Ren, don't blame us for doing that… We just want you back. Unfortunately, like me, you have no acting talent. Your little performance earlier might have been enough to deceive Francine, but it's not enough
Renee returned to her apartment late at night after the children had fallen asleep.Margaret heard the ruckus and went outside, wearing a jacket over her pyjamas."Where have you been, Ms. Ren? The kids were waiting for you all night.""I went to Hunt Manor to search for the children, but it was a mistake. Stefan, like the rest of the Hunt family, was unaware of Adie and Abby's existence." Renee gave an awkward chuckle. Her cheeks flushed subconsciously as she remembered what had transpired earlier."Ah, that was a misunderstanding. I heard from the kids that the person who took them is Mr. Q, the man you brought to Sun Island a few days ago. Adie followed him because he claimed Abby as his goddaughter."Margaret informed Renee of what she had learned from the children. "Mr. Q is a nice guy," she added with a relieved grin. "The kids adore him, and he treats them like they're his biological children.""Oh, so it was him!" Renee scowled and said, "What does he want? Not only does
Aiden held his small water bottle and gulped l a mouthful of water before he started talking non-stop, "If Abby acknowledges another man as Daddy, I'll be the first to oppose it, but Mr. Q is different. He's awesome and very patient with us. I asked him to cook nice food for us, and he took my word and improved his cooking skills... Do you know what's the most important thing?" "I don't know. I just know that he's not a good guy, and I don't know how he fooled you guys!" Renee was speechless. She did not know how Mr. Q, who was a villain with such a bad reputation, could make those two children so obedient toward him. Her two children were no naive fools. They were quite witty, so ordinary people usually had no way of winning them over. "The most important thing is that I heard that he's our Bad Daddy's sworn enemy. I think if you and Q work together, Bad Daddy will be ruined. He can no longer harm you!" "Why, you…" Renee opened her mouth slightly, and her anger quickly faded.
"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
Silence washed over everyone instantly. It seemed they were waiting for Renee's answer.Mateo, who was unrelated, was all ears too. He wanted to listen to a spicy story before he got killed. After all, it was related to Stefan, the mighty president of Hunt Enterprise. Of course, it would be amazing. However, Renee remained silent after a long while."Hey, silly. Of course, Renee wants to meet Adie and Abby the most!" Leia glared at Liam because the latter had asked the obvious. She also helped to get Renee out of the awkwardness. "Of course." Liam didn't let it go, and kept pressing Renee. "Is there anyone else you want to meet other than Adie and Abby?" "Certainly. Both Quinton and Margaret are very important to Ren. I know Ren can't bear to let them go," Leia casually mentioned other people except Stefan. She knew Stefan's name was too special to Renee. If she mentioned Stefan, Renee might break down. Hence, she could never mention Stefan."No, you're wrong!" Mateo finall
Previously, Amber cared very much about Liam. Later, she wanted nothing but to stay away from him.She had happily planned their wedding and imagined how to lead their married lives. Later, she planned her wedding with another man…and wanted to learn sewing from Liam to sew their wedding suits. It was heartbreaking!Hence, Liam chose a noble excuse to try and ruin the wedding between Amber and Mateo. He kept using pessimistic wedding opinions to influence Amber's thoughts as a traditional woman.True, he hadn't influenced Amber's mind solely out of his selfishness. Women would have more freedom if they stayed single. He dissuaded Amber from getting married mainly for the sake of her happiness, but it didn't cover up his despicable thoughts. Hence, he chose to keep quiet."Wow, Liam! I didn't expect you to fall for her. I thought you were forced to be with her!" While enjoying the fun, Leia forgot about her sadness and fear. Her eyes went wide as she teased Liam. "Hey, you kno