As the saying goes, never push your enemy into a corner. Moreover, Stefan was like a fearsome and ruthless beast. Renee knew when to stop, and so did Aiden and Abigail. Aiden and Abigail sensed that Stefan had reached the limit of his patience, so they hurriedly took out his clothes and pants and stuffed them into his hands.Aiden held his chin up and stated seriously, "We'll let you off this time. Don't you fall into our hands again. It won't be this easy next time.""Same to you. Next time, I'll show you!" Stefan responded with the same cool look and warned them arrogantly. Then, he grabbed his clothes, turned his high heels, and strode into the bathroom quickly."Hahaha!"Renee could not hold back her laughter anymore. It started from a soft peal but quickly escalated into a massive burst. Her wild and unrestrained laughter almost echoed throughout the building!Stefan had always been stoic and arrogant, maintaining a dignified composure throughout the years they were toget
"Mommy taught us to be a good person. If Bad Daddy has changed, why don't we give him a chance to be a good person?""If we treat him well, he'll treat us well. If we treat him badly, he'll do the same to us. Why don't we be kinder to him and have one more person that treats us well?"Abigail spoke her mind with reason.She had always been Aiden's number-one fan and most loyal supporter.Renee laughed and joked that Abigail would always be undoubtedly supportive of Aiden. She did not expect them to quarrel over Stefan."Uh, hey… You two…"Renee listened as the little ones quarreled. She turned to Aiden and then to Abigail, feeling a little at a loss. It was the first time she had encountered such a scene."Abby, your thoughts are problematic. A bad guy will always be a bad guy. He'll never become a good person. We'll hurt ourselves by being kind to the bad guys!""That's not true. People may make mistakes. If not, why would we need teachers and police officers?"It was Aiden's
Renee gulped nervously. She went forward to ask the doctor softly, "Doctor… W-what happened to him?""He fainted from his allergies. It's nothing too bad," the doctor explained. After that, he lectured Renee with a frown, "By the way, what are you guys doing? As his family, don't you know he has hemophobia? His condition is severe. You have to be careful with his diet. He may get an allergy from indiscriminate eating, and it may even kill him!""Huh? He ate something wrong?""Yeah. He can't take sleeping pills. His prescription drugs for hemophobia can cause adverse reactions. If it's serious, it may kill him!"Renee came to a sudden realization after listening to the doctor's explanation. She remembered Aiden saying that he had given Stefan some sleeping pills. She thought he would nap a little because of the pill but never thought it would have such a big impact."It was my negligence. It's our fault, and it won't happen again.""Well, his condition is quite serious. He can be
There was nothing but silence in the room. The man lying on the bed had his eyes tightly closed, accentuated by his long eyelashes that were as dense as feathers. The gentle light from the orange desk lamp cast a shadow on his tall, defined nose. Renee saw no response from Stefan, so she leaned down and got closer to him. As she observed him carefully, ripples of inexplicable feelings rose in her heart."Dude! Leaving all else aside, you do have such a pretty face! Why did God bless you with such beauty?"Renee was once again mesmerized by Stefan's flawless complexion. Stefan had perfectly defined features and great skin. She wondered if he had been using some high-class skin care products for his flawlessly smooth skin.Renee had been fooled many times before and became much more vigilant. She pushed Stefan and warned again, "I'll say it again. Don't use the same trick again!"Stefan did not move or respond."Are you still pretending? I have plenty of ways to deal with you!" R
Renee interrupted Stefan with a stubborn expression.'Damn! That's so embarrassing!' Renee thought. She wondered when Stefan had actually woken up. He must be laughing at the way she was sleeping so soundly beside him!Renee wanted to lash out at Stefan. However, she remembered the doctor's advice and tried to control her temper."How do you feel? Are you still dizzy?"Stefan looked deep into Renee's eyes and let the emotions flow between them. He asked with a half-smile, "Do you care about me that much?""Don't make a fool of yourself. I'm not concerned about you." Renee tensed her pretty little face and said emphatically, "I'm just afraid about the responsibilities. The kids went overboard this time. I don't want you to blackmail us in case something happens to you."Renee thought she was being very sober and sensible. However, Stefan simply arched his brow with a meaningful look that flashed across his eyes. She could not tell whether it was disappointment or interest."What
While the two kids were still at school, Renee called Mr. Q on the way home."What's the matter?"Mr. Q was surprised by Renee's sudden call. "I have a situation. Where are you now?""Me?" Mr. Q paused briefly before answering, "I'm dealing with something at Carmine Pawnshop.""Is that so? When are you free? Can you come over to my place?" Renee sounded a little anxious. It seemed she had something important to discuss with him.Mr. Q could hear Renee's anxiousness and answered calmly, "Give me a moment. I'll come over now.""Sure. I'll be waiting."Renee started packing the daily necessities for her and the children as soon as she went home. About an hour or so later, Mr. Q arrived as promised."You're finally here."Renee felt an indescribable calmness as soon as she saw him. Mr. Q had not accompanied her and the children for long, but his presence gave them the warmth of home. Before she realized it, she had considered this notorious man as one of her own.Even if a wo
Renee confessed to Mr. Q about her entanglements with Stefan. She felt he had a right to know about it, regardless of their relationship."I guessed as much." Mr. Q was not surprised. He nonchalantly asked with a smile, "So, have you decided?""I won't remarry him, let alone give him custody of the two kids."Renee looked determined and gazed at the man in front of her intently. She took a deep breath and said with courage, "So, I decided to marry you!"Mr. Q remained stoic to her answer. He said indifferently, "Tell me why you chose me. You just want to keep custody of the two kids, right?"Renee fell into a short silence. Then, she shook her head and said solemnly, "I think it's more than that. I'm marrying you for way more than the kids.""Well, that's odd..." Mr. Q smiled with interest and leaned closer to Renee. He reached out to caress her cheek. "Could it be… Are you attracted to me?""I don't know." Renee did not refuse Q's touch. She bit her lips lightly and felt very
After the discussion, Renee and Mr. Q took the packed luggage and went straight to the kindergarten to pick up the two children from school.Aiden and Abigail were thrilled and proud to see Renee, and they were eager to show her off to the other children.Abigail pulled her best friend, Yara, over. She held her chin high and looked at Renee in front of the kindergarten, proclaiming, "Look there! The most beautiful lady in the crowd is my mommy. She's the best mommy in the world. I'm lucky to be her daughter!"Yara looked on at Renee with starry eyes but sighed regretfully. "Oh, Abby. Your mommy is indeed beautiful. Why is she with an ugly man in a mask? That's such a waste.""I frequently saw how the TV portrayed mismatched couples. Isn't that just like your mommy and that masked man? If I were you, I would find a beautiful man for your mommy. Maybe she'd be happier with that."Although young, the little girls were obsessed with pretty faces.Abigail loved pretty faces. Naturally
"Cut the crap!" Sabre was a man who had undergone a lot of things and problems all year round. He abruptly gripped Jovan's chin and said coldly, "You can't keep your head for long. You'd better not waste your energy, and you should watch your tongue.""Well, there's something I should say." Jovan didn't resist as he grabbed the chance to touch Sabre's face. "What's your name, dude? Why are you doing this job at such a young age? How much did Austin pay you every month? I'll give you ten times your salary. Just betray him and work for me.""I'm going to kill you!" Sabre was always a serious man, and got furious because of Jovan's words. He was about to slap Jovan before Renee immediately stopped him."Don't do this, Sabre. Let's talk it out. He's the vice president of Hunt Enterprise, but you wanted to slap him. We should keep peace. Plus, he generally never watches his tongue, and he scolds his family more fiercely. Don't take him seriously." Renee tried her best to calm Sabre dow
"I'll come even if you don't welcome me. Bye." Renee hung up. She knew that Justin resented her and feared that Austin might punish her. Regardless, he could not stop her from going to North City. She understood that no one could be at ease if the issue was unresolved. She was the cause of the conflict—the key factor. Thus, she must go there.Finally, the plane took off. Renee fell into thoughts while watching the dense clouds. Jovan sat beside her and noticed her worry. He wanted to hold her hand to comfort her and give her strength. However, his hand stopped in midair. He decided against holding her hand. He knew that she did not need his consolation or reassurance. Instead, she would only resent him."Don't worry. It's going to be okay." Jovan sounded casual. "I'm the culprit and will be blamed. You don't have to be scared."Renee turned and frowned at him. "I don't want to see you in danger, either."Jovan looked serious before he beamed. "Well, I'll risk my life for
Hence, Renee did not beat around the bush or refuse to answer Jovan's question on purpose. She had no idea what her heart wanted and could only see how things went."What?" Jovan narrowed his eyes, wearing a complex expression. The current situation gave him a great sense of danger. He teased, "It looks like I've underestimated that guy. He can end up your man though he's your fallback guy.""Can't you watch your tongue?" Renee became angry as she stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth. "Eat something and stop talking."At that time, her phone rang. Justin did call her back—just like what Jovan had said. Renee quickly picked it up, sounding anxious. "Justin, why didn't you answer my calls? I called you several times!""What's the matter?" Justin sounded extremely icy. Renee had never seen him act that way—it felt unreal. She said carefully, "I want to ask where you are now.""What's the matter?" Justin kept his cold demeanor and repeated the same question without saying anythi
A minute passed by. Renee was holding the phone but had yet to get a call back from Justin. She was not that very confident."Why isn't he calling me back? Should I call him again?" Although she did not want to be embarrassed, she already did after making six calls. She was fine with it already."Calm down. Let's wait a little longer." Jovan sipped some coffee and sounded at ease."Will he call me back?" Renee held her chin, uncertain. For the first time, she knew how aggrieved a kiss-ass felt. In a way, she was considered one as she tried to please Jovan.Jovan placed the cup of coffee down and looked at Renee with leisure and surprise. "Are you that eager to get in touch with him?"After all, based on his observation as an outsider, he knew Renee did not love Justin. Renee only cared about Stefan and regarded Justin as merely a friend. Logically, she shouldn't be that upset."Of course." Renee was open about her feelings and added honestly, "I did want to spend the rest of
Jovan was not mad. Instead, he smirked with satisfaction. "Yeah, that's right. Never let me get that. We need to keep owing something to each other and always get tangled up with each other!"Renee could not take it, and acted like she was about to vomit. "I can't keep on eating. It's disgusting." Although she had made such a claim, she sat down and was engrossed in enjoying the food. She was not as tense as before and started to relax.Similarly, Jovan started eating with satisfaction. The current situation was what he wanted the most. She hated him, but it was her true self.When they were full, it was almost time for them to board the plane. Before boarding, Renee hesitated for a long time before calling Justin. She gave him three calls, but he picked up neither of them.On the other hand, Jovan was sitting in the exclusive lounge for the passengers of first-class cabins. He was flipping through magazines to kill his boredom when he noticed Renee's phone. Jovan smiled and
At that time, Jovan was peeling prawns for Renee. They were hot but fresh. When he was peeling them, their hotness burned his fingers, but he was fine with it."Yes, I had…" While blowing the prawns to cool them down, Jovan smiled and said, "I didn't find one at the moment, so I can't forget about you."Renee frowned and said grumpily, "Don't blame it on me. You just can't settle down. I don't want to be accused wrongly."She never felt that Jovan loved her deeply. He merely acted like an overbearing child who tried to snatch away his cousin's beloved woman because he always regarded his cousin as a role model. It was not that different from trying to snatch away one's toy. Of course, that wasn't true love."Just introduce a woman to me then." Jovan finally peeled the prawns and poured some sauce on them before he placed them on a plate before her. He added, "Have them while they're hot. They taste the best now. You need more protein since you're weak."Renee found it difficul
Vermillion was neither eye-catching nor dark. It suited the scarf around her neck well, making her look brighter and more sophisticated. She was not as pale and weak as she looked just now. "I like this color. I didn't expect you to know women this well. You picked the right lipstick color." Renee pursed her lips and sincerely praised Jovan.Usually, insensible men would pick pink lipstick, which was awful. When Jovan picked that lipstick, Renee's heart skipped a beat. She was even wondering where she should go to remove the lipstick. However, it was not pink. It happened to be vermillion, which she had always favored. It would be hard to gain such knowledge if Jovan had not had experience with it. It could be seen that he had dated quite a lot of women."I'm glad you like it." Jovan looked at her rosy lips which were wonderful and charming. He inevitably swallowed.Renee noticed that he was charmed—but he was not simply attracted by her. Instead, he admired her religiously, whi
"His money?" After a brief pause, Renee waved her hand and said without hesitation, "Well, I'll take this then!""Sure! Please wait for a moment." The saleslady's eyes brightened as she quickly packed the bracelet for Renee.Renee took the gift box and handed it to Jovan. Jovan took it readily and willingly carried it for her like her lackey.They exited the jewelry shop and went shopping someplace else. "You didn't want to use my money, but you used his. Do you value him or me?" Jovan was asking for rebuff. Renee turned and glanced at him. "What do you think?""Of course, you value me." Jovan grinned. "The greatest love is feeling sorry for and doting on your beloved. You must have felt sorry for me. So, you didn't want to spend my money.""Congratulations. You're good at comforting yourself." Renee was quite amused. She could not tell who she valued more. She had wanted to spend Stefan's money because she resented him, so she wanted to waste his money. She refused to use J
It would cost around 150 fifteen dollars or less. Renee found it hard to spend so much of Jovan's money.Jovan stood behind Renee and acted like her wallet. He pocketed his hands and said straightforwardly, "Just show it to us.""Sure!" The saleslady's eyes lit up. She said something to the walkie-talkie, then asked them to wait. The headquarters were trying their best to deliver the item quickly. "May I know how much the new item costs?" Renee asked the saleslady tentatively."It depends on the individual prices of the jewelry and antiques. Its starting price is around 450 thousand dollars," the saleslady explained calmly.It was not a small figure for jewelry or an antique. If they were combined, the item would be more expensive. But people who came to the jewelry shop were powerful and rich figures. Hence, it was not an expensive price either."450 thousand dollars?!" Renee pursed her lips and tilted her head to look at Jovan. "I'll make an excuse to go to the washroom late