"You'll find out soon. I can't tell you now, or it'll lose its magic.""Uhh..." Renee was so amused by her daughter and could not stop laughing.Aiden crossed his arms and said cooly, just like an adult, "What secret can they have? They must be talking about handsome guys again. Childish!"Since they started kindergarten, the relationship between the two little ones had subtly changed. The cool Aiden was undoubtedly very popular in kindergarten. Nonetheless, he was too cold and distant and made no friends. The children liked him but dared not approach him. On the contrary, his sister Abigail had become the darling of her teachers and classmates because of her cute face and high emotional intelligence. She made a lot of friends and had companions wherever she went.Aiden was secretly jealous and felt he was no longer the only one for his sister. Abigail used to worship and admire him. She always listened to him unconditionally. However, now, it seemed she had her own ideas and n
"Are you joking, Mommy? Why should we live with this bad guy?"Aiden's strong reaction showed how much he disliked Stefan.Abigail, on the contrary, was blinking her shiny eyes and showed anticipation. "Really? Can we really live with Handsome Daddy, Mommy?"Her reaction irked Aiden even more. He crossed his arms across his chest and criticized her harshly, "What is wrong with you, Abigail? Don't you have any sense of danger? We are going to the place of this bad guy. What are you so happy about?""Of course, I am happy. My mood gets better when I think of seeing Handsome Daddy every day. And what's more, if Handsome Daddy and Mommy become best friends, we will have an extra daddy. Isn't it wonderful?" Abigail explained logically for her excitement."No, it is not! We don't make friends with bad people. We stay away from them!""Maybe he is not a bad guy. You don't know him yet. If we live with him, it will be a great opportunity for us to get to know him better!""There is no n
What Stefan and Abigail were doing now was the loving scene between father and daughter she had imagined countless times in her mind.She had been very hopeful about their married life when she married Stefan back then.She had wanted to give him a lovely daughter and a cool son.She had pictured in her mind that he would carry their daughter, and she would hold their son as they strolled together in the sea of sunflowers, enjoying the evening breeze and the happiness of a family. Regardless, when her dream came true, she could no longer ignite her long-lost passion."Mommy, do you still hate Bad Daddy?"Aiden was very sensitive and smart and quickly sensed the change in his mother's emotions. Like a young knight, he patted his chest bravely and said, "If you still hate him, I will take revenge for you! I will not be like that idiot Abby who smiles and gets tricked so easily by the person who hurt you. Abby is a traitor. I will find a way to make her come to her senses!"Renee
Abigail's voice interrupted Renee's thoughts.Curious, she walked to where Abigail and Stefan were standing.At the moment, the father and the daughter were standing under the garden arch where the vanilla plant grew in front of the main gate.Sitting on Stefan's shoulders, Abigail pointed at a bird nest with her tiny finger and cheered, "Mommy, look at this. There is a bird nest here, and there are four babies inside. They are so cute!""Um. so your surprise is these birds…"Renee smiled weakly and looked at Abigail with loving eyes.This dramatic girl was capable enough to make anything petty sound very serious.But it was because of her character that Abigail became Renee's angel that brought her endless happiness and surprise.Abigail explained to Renee with a very serious face. "This is not an ordinary bird, Mommy. This is a special gift Handsome Daddy prepared for you!""For me?"Renee turned her eyes to Stefan. Her gaze changed so quickly, as if the warm sun in the spr
She fished out her mobile at the same time and googled when birds can fly after hatching.And the answer: about a month.She rubbed her chin and nodded. One month should be sufficient to rebuild the Everheart Manor.The remaining three, however, reacted differently.Abigail was excited and waved at the four chicks happily. "Wonderful! We have new family members. Welcome to our family, birdies!"Aiden was as cold as ever and commented briefly, "That was childish!"As for Stefan, his thin lips curled into a vague smile. It was obvious that his "wicked" plan had worked.There were, in this world, flightless birds, such as the four he placed on the vines. They were kākāpō, the world's only flightless parrot found in Nouveauland. They were also known for their longest lifespan and low intelligence among the bird species, as well as their peculiar appearance.Renee was just like them. She was adorably dumb to be thinking of flying out of his hands. He would never let it happen!The
Renee made her way to the kitchen and started cooking dinner.Though it had been so many years, it was strange that she didn't feel the least awkward to be back in this kitchen. She felt as if she had returned to her own territory.No matter how strong she presented herself, she still subconsciously enjoyed life as a little woman who cooked for her loved ones.She quickly served a feast on the table like how it was in the past. The aroma of the food spread in the house.What was different was that the usually deserted table became very lively, and people were already seated and could not wait to dig in."Wow, it smells so good! Mommy, the lemon pie looks very tasty, and it's making my mouth water…"Abigail missed Renee's lemon pie very much. She could eat the entire thing on her own every time Renee made them.But Renee was normally very busy with her work and had little time to cook. So when Abigail saw the pie on the table, she grabbed one immediately like a hungry beggar."H
After saying that, Renee grabbed a piece of meat and shoved it into Stefan's mouth.Stefan had never been treated in such a disrespectful manner. He looked like he was about to break into a fit of rage."Hahaha! This is so funny. Why does he look so hilarious? Well done, Mommy!" Aiden had been cold all night long. He finally laughed. He also didn't seem as hostile toward Stefan as he did before.This was the first time Stefan saw Aiden laughing so joyfully in front of him. This was how a four-year-old should behave.Stefan felt his heart melting away, and he naturally stopped feeling angry. He began to taste the food seriously.After the two children stopped laughing, they also began eating the food Renee prepared.It didn't take very long for them to clear their plates.Renee was very satisfied that they seemed to thoroughly enjoy the food.The greatest sense of accomplishment for a chef was to see their food being finished.At night, Renee tucked her children in.Aiden and
Later in the evening, Renee finally coaxed the talkative children into sleeping.To be more precise, Abigail was the talkative one. She kept pestering Renee to talk about her past life with Stefan.Aiden refuted all night long, but it was to no avail. He, too, was forced to listen to Renee's stories about her life with Stefan.In the end, Abigail's conclusion was that Stefan was a good person who could be forgiven.Aiden, on the other hand, concluded that Stefan was terrible and couldn't be forgiven.After the children fell asleep, Renee found herself wide awake.She decided to take a walk in the garden for some fresh air.When she opened the door, she was shocked to find Stefan standing right outside the door. She wondered how long he'd been standing there.She gasped in surprise. "W-Why aren't you in bed? Why are you standing here? You gave me a fright!"Renee's tone wasn't exactly gentle when she looked at him and questioned him."I couldn't sleep. The moon looks beautiful
Then, Stefan calmly placed the crab leg on the plate in front of Leia. Leia was flabbergasted. She did not dare to move. She wondered what he was doing, and if he wanted to sacrifice her."Why aren't you eating it?" Stefan looked at Leia, sounding composed. Yet, he was full of the dominance that could burn anyone.Leia swallowed and gnashed her teeth, asking Stefan, "How could you peel the crab for me? Isn't it inappropriate?" She was the most cowardly person. Usually, she looked fierce and indignant as if she wanted to punish Stefan severely. But when he came to her and looked at her, she would be very frightened. She would not dare to do anything."Why not? Someone said women shouldn't peel the prawns or crabs themselves. I'm just being a gentleman. It's nothing serious. It's just peeling the crab!" Stefan said. It was rare to see him speak so much. It was incompatible with his contradictory identity. However, it was clear that he was mocking Justin and saying how ridiculo
Both Stefan and Justin mocked each other, which made the atmosphere more awkward. Although Liam and Leia were simply watching the fun, they felt awkward, too. It made them restless.Renee was having a hard time, too. She smacked the table and said to Stefan and Justin, "You'd better stop eating. Go out and fight. The food got cold because of your endless fight."When she spoke, she sounded like a class teacher with absolute authority. Although both Stefan and Justin were dissatisfied, they fell silent and did not dare to say more. Everyone started enjoying the great food, but said nothing. It seemed a little gloomy.Renee was about to get a prawn, but Justin had already peeled it nicely for her. He dipped it in some sauce and put it in Renee's bowl. "I know you love prawns the best. I've peeled it for you. Of course, women can't peel the prawns themselves.""Oh, Mr. Baldwin. You're considerate. You're a role model among the men. Anyone who marries you will be very happy!" Le
Justin smiled and described the children's experiences, acting like a stepfather. When he talked about the children, he made it sound like they were his biological children. Stefan didn't look so good. He felt that the glass of wine was getting bitter."Well, I'm sure kids will find everything new and exciting when they go to a new place. But they'll get bored with it when time passes. They'll love their real home better." Stefan had wanted to act relaxed and casual, but he could not stop himself from refuting when he heard Justin's provocative words. "Mm?" Leia sat beside Liam and leaned against his arm, and whispered, "What are they doing? This is weird. Are they going to fight?""It's just a competition between men. They won't get into a fight." Liam kept eating and watching the fun. He merely found it amusing. As expected, Renee was greatly admired. Although she remained silent, she would always be in the limelight. Liam was amused to see people like Stefan or Justin
"How dare you!"Stefan's words instantly made Leia speechless. She had wanted to rebuke him, but he snatched the chance from her and struck her dumb.In short, he was an utter scumbag.After a moment, Leia finally managed to comment, "How shameless!" Justin had kept silent all the while. He looked at Stefan with a scrutinizing and mocking gaze. "Mr. Hunt, I admire your honesty and self-awareness. If that's the case, let's stop being reserved and have fun together!""Yes, let's have fun together. I'm shameless, too!" Liam joined in the effort to mock Stefan. He swayed his glass of wine and faked a smile. "I've known her a long time, so of course I know what shameless things Mr. Hunt has done. I think I'd better grab this chance to tell you all of them since everyone is here today."Standing at the door, Renee was worried that Liam might say more indecent things. She hurriedly stopped him. "Pipe down, Liam!" "Got it." Liam shrugged helplessly but obeyed her.Although he yea
"Do you want to leave?" Stefan saw Renee. He was calm, indifferent, and distant. His behavior stung Renee. Renee could easily recall their lovey-dovey memories. They had both risked their lives for each other and vowed to be together forever. They had two children, too. Yet, they ended up as strangers.Although Renee was heartbroken, she became competitive. She smoothed her hair and said in a similarly cold manner, "I'm going to the washroom." "Okay." Stefan did not have anything to say. He nodded and walked past Renee before heading to the dining table. "Hmph! I didn't expect you to come so boldly," Quinton sneered.At the sight of Stefan, Quinton subconsciously clenched his fists, acting like he was about to fight Stefan. On the surface, he wouldn't act aggressively because he knew Renee would stop him. "It's not easy for the few great families to get together. It's good and meaningful for us. If I refused to come, it would make me seem heartless."Stefan kept his co
Having said that, Renee lowered her head, about to leave. She didn't even have the time to bother about Adie and Abby, and told Quinton to take them home later. Her strange behavior filled Quinton with displeasure. He blocked Renee and said solemnly, "Are you afraid? Do you want to run away? People might think that you're guilty and have cheated on your husband!""No, I'm not!" Renee refuted him loudly, then explained seriously, "I'm busy. I need to handle something right away. Plus, I'm not guilty. I did nothing wrong. There's no reason for me to feel guilty." Quinton went straight to the point. "What are you afraid of since you know you're not guilty? Why do you want to run away? He should be afraid instead!""I told you. I'm not afraid of him. I'm just…" "What?" Quinton crossed his arms and looked at Renee coldly. He wanted to get to the bottom of it.Renee came up with a ridiculous yet normal excuse. "I… I recalled that the dessert shop that I want to head to is about to
Jovan called Stefan to sound the latter out. Anyway, it would be convenient for Stefan to rush over since they were both at the same spot. "I'll be right there," Stefan said. Then, he hung up.For a moment, silence washed over everyone, as if something terrible was about to happen.After taking in the new information, Leia said indignantly, "What's going on? Why does he want to come? Isn't he too shameless? How dare he come?" Although everything wasn't discussed openly, everyone knew why Stefan and Renee broke up all of a sudden, despite how lovey-dovey they were. The reason was that Stefan had cheated on Renee.Even if the adultery was faked, it was still the cause of their breakup. If Stefan were shameful or guilty, he wouldn't have agreed to come. He was going to face Renee there with their friends and family around. Certainly, it was embarrassing. "Hmph! Why not? He impersonated me, seized my business, and snatched away my woman. Plus, he led a steady life, got married
Jovan's words made the atmosphere quiet and bizarre. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? It's already very annoying to have someone like you here. Do you have to get another annoying guy?" Leia frowned, crossing her arms. She kept scolding him.Initially, the atmosphere was considered harmonious. It was still considered fine even if there was an annoying person like Jovan. Unexpectedly, he wanted to call another, more terrible person to come here. Things would certainly go wrong. "Ms. Osborne, you're famous for talking harshly, too. You're just like me. I love it." However, Jovan was not mad at all. He grinned while waiting for Stefan to answer the call. Generally, Stefan would not answer Jovan's call. Surprisingly, he picked it up that time."What's the matter?" Jovan purposely put it on speaker mode. Stefan sounded aloof and emotionless.Jovan sounded wicked as he calmly asked Stefan, "Do you want to join a gathering, Stefan?""I'm going to hang up if you don't say anythi
In the past, Jovan had always regarded Stefan as a coward. Stefan couldn't forget about Renee, but he kept pushing Renee to another man. It seemed like Justin was more responsible, considerate, and gentle. Of course, Renee would lead a very happy, steady, and comfortable life with such a man. At the very least, Jovan felt that he could not be that meticulous and considerate. He would only drive Renee mad just to get her attention. "Hmph! Are you trying to humiliate me or yourself?" Justin didn't find that a compliment. Instead, it sounded like smockery. Jovan made it sound like Justin was a nice guy, but would not be picked by Renee. Usually, people like that had to suffer and would not end up well."I'm praising you." Jovan was helpless because of his reputation as the villain. Although he had said a lot of annoying things, he did want to compliment Justin. His love was probably as deep as Justin's, but his and Stefan's ways of loving Renee were much inferior to Justin's.