"Hah, you'll be shocked when you find out!"Xavier said proudly, "Do you know Petersville University? Cecy studied astrophysics there, their most difficult subject. When she presented her research paper, she was even awarded the first prize in the Starburst Competition!""Wow, you're really an outstanding student, Cecy!"The crowd cast adoring glances at Cecilia. It was not that their reaction was exaggerated, but in fact, it was because it was very rare for those who were born with a silver spoon to excel in academics, so an astrophysics top student was a feat to them.Cecilia smiled lightly and said softly, "It's not that I am good, it's just that I happened to pick the topic that the judges liked.""Don't be so humble. You should just admit it if you are good!"Xavier put his hands into his pockets and looked at Renee pompously, and asked, "Do you know what astrophysics is? I guess a housewife like you, who never leaves the house without her husband, must have never heard of i
"Why would I not dare to?"Although Renee did not know what trick he was pulling this time, she did not chicken out and took out her cell phone confidently.Perhaps she wanted to compete with Cecilia deep down.After all, Cecilia was Stefan's first love whom he could not get over, so she was curious about what was so memorable about this woman. "Did you download Apex Heroes on your phone?"When Xavier said this, he cast an even more adoring gaze at Cecilia and said, "Cecy is not only a top student, but she was also an advanced game player. Apex Heroes is the most popular game worldwide and she is the third-best player in Aeos!"Renee smiled and said calmly, "Is she really that good? Then let’s stop wasting time and play a match.""You even know how to play games?"Xavier was a little surprised.It seemed like this demure wife was not as boring as he had thought!Anyway, he guessed that she would only be a rookie who would never beat his Cecy.After losing the battle just no
"How... do you want me to make you feel better?"Renee asked earnestly, her back pressed tightly against the seat, her eyes innocent and clear.Honestly, she didn't know how to feel.She should have felt elated and vindicated to see the man in this predicament. Yet, seeing how sad he was, she felt a little bad.'The best way to forget someone is with time and a new love. I have plenty of time. But a new love...'Stefan stared at her intensely. He lifted her chin slightly with his long finger and said in a low voice, "Everyone said that you're a better version of Cecilia. How about you become her substitute for a few minutes and give me a comforting kiss?"He closed his eyes. His pronounced facial features were perfect, as if they were sculpted. His thin lips slowly moved closer to Renee.No woman could refuse such a handsome face.The old Renee would have fallen for it too...But now, her mind was crystal clear. Her fists tightened.‘You want me to be a substitute?!‘In yo
Stefan noticed her discomfort and asked, "What's wrong?""Nothing, just a little cramp because I crouched down for too long."Renee endured the discomfort and returned to the passenger seat.She must be careful not to let Stefan find out about her pregnancy.Upon returning home, Renee could not endure it anymore. She immediately lay down on the sofa and did not dare to move.She took out her phone and called Liam. "Come here and take me to the hospital right now!"Liam drove Renee to the nearby hospital in his super expensive sports car as fast as he could.After a series of examinations, Renee was placed on a hospital bed to wait for the examination results.Liam paced back and forth restlessly. He was so confused.Why was Renee in the obstetrics department?He finally received the answer when the examination results came out. He was petrified."What the hell... six weeks pregnant?"The doctor pushed his glasses and told Renee and Liam, "What were you guys doing? You’re pa
After a few days of rest, Renee's body completely recovered.She brought the law firm share transfer contract to Hunt Enteprise to get Stefan to sign it.Hunt Enteprise had a serious atmosphere today. A security cordon had been set up outside the building. Supposedly, an important person was visiting the company with guests. Many reporters had heard the news and were waiting outside.Renee was stopped outside the cordon. She had to wait until the visit was over before she could enter the building.She saw Stefan in the distance. He was in a black suit. He was standing in the center of the building, gracefully and calmly taking a group photo with the visitors.Stefan's handsome face and cold eyes gave him a naturally regal air. He was always extremely attractive.Suddenly, a commotion rose in the crowd."Let me in! Don't you know who I am?"A man was struggling to break through the cordon to get to Stefan.Elon Barnes!Renee's brows furrowed and her fists tightened.Elon, lik
Stefan's strong presence caused Elon to shrink back a little.However, with so many cameras aiming at them, he did not think Stefan would dare do anything funny!"What else could I want, my nephew-in-law?"Elon cleared his throat and said loudly, "My niece has been your wife for many years. She has always been a responsible wife. Now that you want to dump her, all you're giving her is a stupid law firm? How is she supposed to live from now on? Considering how rich the Hunts are, surely you don't have to be so heartless?” His words caused an uproar in the crowd. The reporters frantically pressed their shutters."My niece is shy and timid, so she begged me the whole night to help her fight for what she deserves..."I'll keep it simple. Give us $7 million, and we promise to disappear from your life completely!"Elon could hardly wait to extort Stefan."Elon Barnes, shut the hell up!" Renee said through clenched teeth.His words had dragged her reputation through the mud. She wis
Haze looked at Renee casually with his hands in his pockets and said pointedly, "What a coincidence. You're here too, Mrs. CEO's wife. A wonderful show is about to begin. Why don't you stay for the show, seeing that you're one of the main protagonists?”Renee was not stupid. She naturally heard the hidden meaning in Haze's words.It looked like his threat to expose her as Phoenix if she refused to work with him was not just an empty threat, but a real one!Before Stefan transferred the law firm's shares to her, her identity as Phoenix must remain a secret!"The famous Haze! I've long been an admirer of your skills. Could I perhaps have a quiet word with you?"Although it looked doomed, Renee was unwilling to give up. She decided attempt a desperate Hail Mary.You never know, Haze might take mercy on her plight and give her a chance."Of course."Haze's long, narrow eyes shined with a glint of cunningness as he said with a smile, "Since the CEO's wife personally requests it, who
Renee took a deep breath and walked into Stefan's office.Comment by Felicia C: insert 2 hashtag before first paraStefan's slender body stood in front of the bright french window. His broad shoulders and long legs gave him a dashing appearance.However, the chilly air emanating from his entire body lowered the temperature in the office to a freezing point.It appeared the big iceberg knew everything now.However, Renee did not panic. She calmly took out the share transfer contract and said to his back as if nothing had happened, "Mr. Hunt, if you're free right now, please sign this. We should split up the assets cleanly now so that the divorce can proceed without a hitch.”Stefan turned around. The sun added a bit of warmth to his cold, handsome face, making him look even more charming."Why are you in such a hurry to get the divorce? Don't you think you should explain yourself first?""Explain myself?"Renee's expression was calm. She had nothing to lose anymore. “There's no
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,