Renee thought to herself, 'Isn't Stefan Hunt the most cocky and heartless person? How could he possibly have this many thoughts hidden away?'"Stefan, you're… you're joking, right? Or have you been drinking? Is this the alcohol talking?" She knew how low the man's alcohol tolerance was, so it was still a possibility that this was the case. The woman refused to believe that he would ever hold such deep love for her, especially considering their terrible past relationship with each other, and the fact that she had seen his sheer ruthlessness.The woman's question was just like a bucket of water, extinguishing all of Stefan's burning passion. Instantly, his rationality returned, and the longing in his eyes was quickly replaced with hostility. Stefan then let go of her hands and sneered, "Renee Everheart, is your heart made of stone? You really are the cruelest, most dense woman I have ever met!""Hey, don't try to pin the blame on me. You should know which of us is truly the cruelest
At night, Renee headed back to her apartment with the Rainbow Glaze. The place was rather lively, with Mr. Q playing with the children. There was even a hearty dinner left on the dining table just for her."What brings you here?" Renee asked casually as she closed the door. Compared to before, she was no longer against being around this man. Sometimes, she would even feel relieved to find him in her house when she returned."Didn't I tell you? I'm now your husband and the father of your two children, so I'm obligated to take care of you. It's my responsibility to make sure you come back to a warm meal and to keep the kids company," Mr. Q explained as he continued playing 'red light, green light' with the children.He didn't sound like he was joking at all and seemed to be truly genuine in everything he said."Yeah, Mommy! We're a family, so of course we're living together. Let me tell you a secret… Daddy Q picked us up from school today! Our classmates were so jealous that we had a
Mr. Q calmly described the situation as if he was an outsider in the scenario. Despite having lost the battle, he didn't seem to hold any resentment at all, and graciously accepted his defeat."You're kidding, right? How is that possible?" Renee was certain that Mr. Q was lying on purpose, all for the sake of toying with her."I'd believe it if you said the relic had historical value, but I refuse to believe that it can cure all diseases! This is real life, not some fantasy movie! If you keep bluffing, this thing is going to reveal its true form as a god or something!""You can choose to not believe me, but it is the truth. Stefan Hunt handed you something that he needs to survive, which means that he literally put his life in your hands. I'm sure he asked for something in return." Mr. Q raised an eyebrow questioningly."He didn't ask for much. He… he probably felt like he owed me too much, so he gave this to me… to make himself feel better about himself." Renee stammered, trying t
Mr. Q placed his hands together and replied, "If Stefan really were to fight you for custody, what do you think your biggest disadvantage would be?""I don't think I have any disadvantages." Renee seemed cocky, replying coldly. "I raised both of them, that's a big enough advantage. He has nothing against me.""If it was someone else, they might not be able to win against you, but this man is Stefan Hunt. He has Hunt Enterprise behind his back. As long as they wish it, both the court and the public would surely favor them without questions. If you don't have a perfect plan to counter his attacks, you might just lose horribly."Renee clenched her fists, looking slightly depressed. "What would be a perfect plan, then?""Back to my previous question. If Stefan were to fight for custody, I think your biggest disadvantage would be the environment you could provide for the children, not your financial status or education level…"Renee shook her head, visibly confused. "I don't get it."
Moments later, Renee realized the only solution really was to give the children a father, so that they could be a complete family. She thought, 'Do I really have to try it out with Mr. Q and get married to him?'The next day, Renee decided to return the Rainbow Glaze to Stefan after giving it some thought.Mr. Q had described the item as some kind of fantasy tool that had healing abilities, and she found it bizarre. However, now that she knew about it, she couldn't bring herself to feign ignorance. She would never forgive herself if Stefan's condition worsened without this relic.Renee checked her watch and noticed it was ten in the morning, which was during work hours, so Stefan was probably busy in Hunt Enterprise at the time. She still had no idea how to face the man after his confession, so she wanted to visit Hunt Manor during these hours to avoid him.Timothy was watering his plants at that moment. He soon noticed the maid bringing Renee over to him, which brought a bright sm
"Okay then!" Renee nodded and brought the Rainbow Glaze, along with a big basket of fresh cherry tomatoes, into the manor.Stefan's bedroom was on the second floor, and it was normally off-limits. After placing the basket of cherry tomatoes on the coffee table, Renee headed upstairs toward the man's room. At first, she was going to place the item by his doorstep but figured that it would be unsafe to leave such a precious relic outside. After a few minutes of pondering, she decided that it was best to just place it inside his room.With that, she tried to turn the doorknob but didn't expect the shut door to swing open so swiftly. She looked up in confusion and, to her horror, saw Stefan standing at the door with damp hair and an exposed torso. He merely had a pair of gray sweatpants on, making him seem casual, chic, and sexy at the same time. It really showed just how charming he was.Renee's face instantly turned red. She turned around and stumbled over her words. "I… I'm sorry,
The male anatomy was the body's most vulnerable area, and the effects of being injured there were awful.Stefan would make her life difficult if he became impotent because of her. She didn't want to be responsible for that, so she couldn't be careless.Stefan's expression clouded, and he grabbed her wrists and asked her harshly, "Renee, are you done? How much longer will you embarrass me?""How did I make you feel humiliated? The hit was quite hard, so it's best if you get checked at a hospital. You don't love your body enough to care for it, but you're upset with me for helping you arrange a doctor's appointment? You have no idea how to be appreciative!""I know you're a CEO who values your reputation, so you'd be embarrassed to have a check-up at the hospital. I can help you register anonymously, so don't just assume that I'm trying to embarrass you—it's for your own sake!" She responded angrily.“Haha… For my own sake?" His scowl turned into a sarcastic smile, and he pulled her
"Try it… if you're not afraid of becoming impotent!" Renee gritted her teeth and prepared to strike him where he was weak."Do you think I'm afraid of that?" Stefan, on the other hand, wasn't scared of her threats at all. He was calm, his eyes fixed on her crimson lips as he prepared to kiss her.“Don’t!” She closed her eyes, and rejection was written all over her face.The kiss she was expecting never came, and she slowly opened her eyes to find Stefan looking at her in disgust."Do you honestly believe I'm that perverted? You should know that I hate forcing others. You may leave now!" He stood up abruptly after speaking and didn't look at her again. Even though she had gained her freedom, Renee was suddenly hit with disappointment.She stood up and fixed her hair. She gazed at his icy back and wanted to say something before leaving, but she didn't."Ren, have you returned the item to him?"As she walked down the stairs, she noticed Timothy returning from the garden, held by
Leia couldn't understand it. Both Renee and Stefan once loved each other passionately. They had soldiered through a lot of difficulties. But when everything became better, they stopped seeing each other. Such separation brought a fatal blow to her views on love. Suddenly, she found herself too timid to give up her heart. After all, it was nothing. People could break up with each other easily."No wonder Xavier refused to come. If he was here, I would have hated him because of Stefan. I'd beat the crap out of him!" Leia was furious, but she couldn't find someone to vent her anger on.The Stuart family was invited to the party too, but Xavier refused to come. He claimed that he would have betrayed Stefan if he had come to the party.However, Stefan was the greatest betrayal of his romance since he remained silent and indifferent. While Leia was still angry, everyone in the hall suddenly fell silent. They stretched their heads to look at the entrance of the hall."The Hunt famil
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Liam muttered guiltily, avoiding Leia's scrutinizing gaze. "You must know what I'm talking about!" Leia refused to let Liam go and went straight to the point. "Look! Because of such a bind, you probably fell in love with Amber, who isn't related to you. Why can't Ren fall in love with Justin after spending a long time with him?""So, what's your point?" Liam didn't refute Leia. He was curious about what she was trying to say. Leia reasonably explained her opinion, "I'm trying to tell you that things might not be as bad as you imagine. Even if you take Ren away and stop this ceremony, things might not be better either."She was too timid to tell Liam that she regarded Renee and Justin's marriage in a favorable light because she found them similar. Similar people could at least lead a stable life though it might not be very passionate and exciting.After leading a wandering life for such a long time, Renee needed steady happiness. It
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