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.
After Renee drove her two children to kindergarten, she turned the car around and drove towards the headquarters of Azure Group. Azure Group was located in the CBD core area of Beach City, only one street from Hunt Enterprise. However, Azure Group's scope was much smaller than Hunt Enterprise's. The most obvious difference was the office areas of the two groups. Azure Group had only two levels as office areas, while Hunt Enterprise had a whole building to themselves.Renee took the elevator to Azure Group, which was on the twenty-eighth floor of the office building. The developer rented that office building out, so there were a lot of companies like Azure Group in the building. In the past, Renee was the woman behind the scenes for Azure Group. Most of the time, she worked away from the office and rarely went to the building. It was the morning peak hour when she went to take the elevator that day, so the line was very long. Renee put on a mask and a pair of sunglasses. Ev
Renee appeared calm when she said to the two women, "Well, it's true that I had a divorce, but I don't think that I'm inferior to others because of it. Everyone has the right to choose their happiness; I just chose a way that made me happy. What's more... Ladies, can you guarantee that you'll never get a divorce? When you're putting me down, did it ever occur to you that you may face the same situation one day? I'm afraid you'll be much more miserable than me if it happens." "Why, you..." The two women were furious but couldn't argue. The surrounding people clapped enthusiastically at Renee's response, especially the married women who felt the same as her. Their hands soon became numb from clapping. "Good! You made a good point. Women should never look down on other women. We should unite to fight against those vulgar and crafty men instead of fighting against other women!" A woman with black glasses added on eagerly. Renee glanced at the woman and nodded approvingly. Women lik
Renee was sitting on a leather chair in the chairman's office. She had a powerful aura and a composed expression. She looked at Laura, who was sitting across from her, and got straight to the point. "You waited for me for so many days here, so what is it you want?" "Isn't it obvious? I want my shares back," Laura scoffed bluntly. Renee shrugged. "I'm fine with it. I'll transfer your shares back to you..." "No, you don't understand." Laura adjusted her glasses slightly, her gaze cunning. "Both you and I know what a bad situation Azure Group is in. I don't want shares—I want you to convert my shares into cash for me." Renee smirked and sipped her coffee before saying, "Ms. Osborne, your thought process is rather amusing. I really don't understand… What kind of bad situation is Azure Group in? Why do you want to get cash and run away?" "What do you think?" Laura said disdainfully, "It's still acceptable if Azure Group suffered losses all year round, but you persisted in building
Laura replied immediately, "Isn't it obvious? Of course, I'll pick the 520 million. Azure Group is going to be ruined, so which fool would stay? You don't even know if the company will survive until the end of the year, and yet you're talking about a year-end bonus. It'll be a blessing if the company doesn't go bankrupt by then!" Laura sneered mockingly. After all, she had worked hard for four years, but she saw no benefits. The competition between these companies was also getting stronger year by year, so it was very difficult to make a turnover. "Got it!" Renee raised her brows and said to Laura, "Sign this contract then. I'll ask the finance department to transfer the money to you later." She pushed the contract to Laura as if she had expected her to choose that option. "I didn't expect you to be so agreeable." Laura quickly signed her name and stood up arrogantly. "I'm leaving, but... I believe that we’ll meet again soon." After she left the office, one of the company staff
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,