“No way!”Renee's attitude was firm. "He's not worthy. I'll only cook for people who are worth my time.”“Then what about me?”Mr. Q asked.“You?”Renee was still thinking about it when Mr. Q said with a smile, "I'm kidding. I'm more interested in cooking for you than tasting your cooking.”“I can see that you're someone who gives more than he takes, like the old me. As someone who has experience in this matter, let me give you a piece of advice. Stop doing that. You should love yourself more.”He shook his head, then murmured as if talking to himself, "Sometimes being able to cook for the person you like is also a kind of happiness.”“...”Renee was stunned. She blushed involuntarily.'What is he doing? Confessing?'She was particularly empathetic to words like that, so she was easily touched by them.“Don't get me wrong. My definition of “like” here is very broad. It includes people like Adie and Abby. I like to cook for them too.”He probably noticed Renee's shyness, so
“Who?”Renee's eyes widened. She eagerly pressed him for the answer.“You should be very familiar with this person...”Mr. Q paused and said, "It's your ex-husband, Stefan Hunt.”Renee: “...”Stefan Hunt again?!She was truly fed up with him. Why was he everywhere?!“You're kidding, right? My investigation shows that the Rainbow Glaze is currently stored in the Carmine Pawnshop.”Hanging on to the last glimmer of hope, Renee sought confirmation from Mr. Q.The way she saw it, she was on better terms with Mr. Q than with Stefan.Instead of begging Stefan, she would rather beg Mr. Q.“That's what people say, but the real Rainbow Glaze is still in Stefan Hunt's hands. We had a huge battle many years ago, during which I tried to snatch the Rainbow Glaze from him, but as you know, I suffered a disastrous defeat... We've been on a truce ever since. We try not to tread on each other's toes,” Mr. Q narrated it flatly as if he was telling someone else's story.Legend had it that the
Stefan picked up the latte in front of him, took a small sip, and said flatly, "Okay. You have five minutes left.”Renee: “...”Damn it, she was so mad! This smug bastard! She wanted to hit him!“You have nothing to say?”Stefan raised his eyebrows and said arrogantly, "You have two minutes left. I'm tempted to just get up and leave right now.”“Stefan Hunt! What's with the attitude?”In the end, Renee could not hold back anymore. She yelled at him, "You've wasted plenty of my time yourself. I can't even have a cup of coffee with you now? What are you busy with? Your funeral?”Stefan crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa. "Yup, that's more like you.”Renee: “...”There were many white-collar workers in the cafe.Stefan and Renee were both famous, so they attracted a lot of attention.Renee lowered her voice as much as she could and breached the topic in a roundabout way, "We were married for four years. As my ex-husband, have you ever felt guilty for not fulfilling yo
Stefan's expression, which was originally playful, instantly became serious. He asked, "Who told you that I have the Rainbow Glaze?”“Don't you worry about that.”Renee was naturally not so foolish that she would tell Stefan about Mr. Q. She lifted her chin and asked righteously, "Will you or will you not lend it to me?”Stefan slender fingers tapped the table unconsciously. He inquired further, "Why do you need the Rainbow Glaze?”“Don't you worry about that either.”Renee also did not want to tell him about the transaction between herself and Rubio Pascal. The less involved he was in her affairs, the better.If it weren't because the Rainbow Glaze happened to be in his possession, she would never have come to him!“Why should I help you when you don't tell me anything?”Stefan's eyes became colder, and his tone of voice also became more unfriendly. He turned into an iceberg again.The air around him seemed to freeze. Anyone within a kilometer's radius could feel the chill in
But right now, she felt like she did not know him that well at all. She did not know what he was thinking and what he really wanted.“Can you say something that I can understand, please? What does “a real and authentic” wife mean? What does “a wife that only belongs to you” mean?”Renee could not understand what Stefan was trying to express. She said impatiently, "Let's keep this simple. What do you want? What do you need from me in exchange for the Rainbow Glaze?”“I told you, I want you to fulfill your responsibility as a wife.”Stefan paused for a moment. She thought Renee probably wouldn't understand what he meant, so he gestured at her to move closer.Renee foolishly leaned forward and moved her ear close to Stefan's lips to hear what he had to say.She then heard Stefan say, "The responsibility to please your husband in bed.”“...”Renee's face instantly turned red all the way to the base of her neck. In shame and anger, she picked up her coffee cup and splashed the hands
Renee calmed herself down and returned to the Azure Group.“Ms. Everheart!”The employees were delighted to see Renee return safely. They happily greeted her.All the employees that still remained at the Azure Group were loyal people who were determined to follow Renee.Although there were not many of them, and their abilities could not be considered outstanding, they were all passionate, gutsy people. They made sure to properly complete all the tasks they were assigned.Renee nodded to the employees, then turned to her assistant, Shelley, and said, "Notify every department that we will be holding the monthly meeting right away. All the employees must attend.”“Yes, Ms. Everheart!”Shelley replied respectfully.At the same time, Shelley thought to herself that Ms. Everheart seemed to be in a great mood. She and Mr. Hunt must have had a great time together last night. That meant... the “marriage alliance” between the Azure Group and the Hunt Enterprise would very likely happen.
Jay got more and more emotional as he spoke.That was because he was the person in charge of establishing the R&D Department and the Production Department. He watched money flow out of the accounts every day without any income, so he was very anxious!“That's a good question.”Renee snapped her fingers, then addressed the company employees with a calm expression, "I believe many of you here have the same question as Mr. Yassin. I didn't want to explain too much before, but everyone here stayed behind for me, so we're all in the same boat now. You have the right to know about all the decisions made by the company.”“The reason why I want to quickly build an R&D Department and a Production Department is because the company is about to enter a high-speed operational period. In half a month to a month's time, we will become the largest “G6 chips” manufacturer in the entire Beach City and maybe even in the entire Aeos. If we don't start to prepare now, when the order comes in, we won't
Renee was busy with work. She did not have much time to browse the internet on her phone, let alone pay attention to entertainment gossip.Therefore, even if the “hot gossip” posted by the paparazzi was already a hot topic online, she remained oblivious to it.By the time she was done with work, it was already time to go home.She stretched, leaned back against her chair, and looked up at the white ceiling while planning in her mind how to obtain the Rainbow Glaze in secret.She picked up the coffee Shelley brewed for her to give it a sip.“Ah, Ms. Everheart, stop!”Shelley rushed in like a flying arrow, snatched the cup of coffee from Renee's hand, and said with a serious expression, "How can you still drink coffee?”Renee was confused. "Why can't I drink coffee?”“Coffee...”Shelley took a quick glance at Renee's stomach. She thought that Renee's stubborn personality was preventing her from admitting the truth, so she said vaguely, "Coffee's not good for your body. Drink mil
Liam was impressed while looking at Justin's calm expression. He had always thought that Justin was cunning and full of schemes. He was even worried that Justin might plot against Renee in the future.However, Justin was quite open and generous. He was considering things from Renee's angle. He could be Renee's haven, but if he stepped down, he could willingly grant Renee's wish to be with the one she loved. It seemed that Justin was selfless, and Liam felt that he was worse than Justin. No wonder Renee would choose to spend the rest of her life with Justin. It seemed like he was a reliable man.Justin pocketed his hands and asked casually, "Is there any other problem now?""Not at the moment." Liam frowned in defeat. Since Justin had made such a big compromise, he would seem like a fool if he was too arrogant and refused to give up. A long sigh escaped him as he let go of Renee's hand, but he was still hopeful. He boasted to Justin, "Wait and see! I'll make Stefan appear.""Go
"Let go of her!" Justin turned cold and grabbed Renee's other hand. He said darkly to Liam, "You don't have the right to take her with you!""Hmph! I don't have the right to take her with me? Well, you don't have the right to marry her. I must take her with me today. Worst comes to worst, I'll fight your family!"Though he was too weak to fight the powerful Baldwin family, Liam was never a coward. He would fight the whole world alone for the sake of Renee's happy and stable life."Calm down…"In comparison, Justin was calmer. He was probably more confident since it was his territory and he could affirm Renee would not leave with Liam. He started mocking Liam. "I'm not the kind of person who will force others to do things they refuse to do. If Ren wants to leave, I'll let her go even if my family disowns me. But I know that she won't leave. At the very least, she won't leave with you.""What do you mean?" Liam could tell that Justin was mocking him, and it annoyed him. "Why are
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