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
Renee was initially looking at the moon, but after glancing at Stefan, she couldn't stop staring at him. She was completely drawn to his perfect-looking face.She couldn't help but sigh. Why was God so unfair? Why did God give him such a good family? Why was he so capable? Why did he have to have such a perfect face?In spite of all that, God didn't give him 'emotions.'This guy was an emotionless, cold-blooded animal. He was better off made into a specimen to be displayed in museums. He shouldn't be allowed to have human contact.Otherwise, the person coming into contact with him would only be annoyed to death!"How did you get by with two kids all these years?" Stefan was also looking at the moon in the beginning. Suddenly, he turned to look at Renee and noticed she was peeking at him.When their eyes met, there was a spark of romance in the air…Renee panicked a little and quickly looked away. "There's not much to say about it. Both of them are good kids. I would go as far as
"You had a brother?" Stefan was a little surprised. This was the first time he'd heard that Renee actually had a twin brother who didn't survive."Hmph! If my brother were still alive, he'd have beaten you up long ago. You're only bullying me because you think I have nobody at home to depend on!" Renee couldn't resist condemning Stefan again.Oftentimes, the marriage quality of a woman was greatly correlated with their family situation.If her family was powerful and could help her husband's family in a particular way, her in-laws wouldn't dare look down on her. Even if her husband didn't spoil her rotten, they would at least treat each other with respect. She'd still have a healthy sense of ego.That explained why Renee was treated so unkindly in the Hunt family back then. Even the maids walked all over her. It wasn't because Stefan didn't love her. Instead, it was because she had nobody to rely on, and her family wasn't powerful enough to support her."I'm not that vain. Back th
"Back then, I did find you pitiful. You seemed as fragile as the flower on your ear. A gentle breeze could easily make you wither. After getting divorced, your personality changed completely. One couldn't even associate the word 'weak' with you. I was definitely overthinking, though." Although Stefan knew about how much Renee had changed after their divorce, he still couldn't quite process it.He couldn't figure out how the same person could have two completely different states of being!However, it didn't matter whether she was 'weak' or 'tough'; she was still able to easily influence his emotions.Renee smiled and looked at Stefan with a complicated expression on her face. "I never knew you were so kind and generous. If that's the case… Why don't you go all the way and set us free? Let my children and I live our lives in peace."Stefan's gaze turned gloomy. "Do you really think I'm bothering you and the kids by being close to you?""Don't you think so? Can't you tell that neithe
Stefan left after he finished speaking.Renee stayed in the garden on her own. She stood under the moonlight and got lost in thought while she gazed at the field of sunflowers.Truth be told, Renee did consider doing exactly as he said.Although Stefan's words were unpleasant, he was speaking the truth when he said no other man would treat her children better than their biological father.Like every other mother, Renee wanted the best for her children.If she and Stefan got back together, her children would be happier. Perhaps, she could give it a try.But what about Mr. Q? She promised she would marry him in a week!"Ahh. This is so annoying!" Renee felt increasingly annoyed. She ruffled her hair and cursed herself for being a tramp. She was two-timing her fiance.Feeling conflicted, she returned to the bedroom. She tossed and turned all night long, and she barely slept.By the time she woke up the next day, it was already noon."Crap!"With warm sunlight shining against he
"I don't know how to tell you. I'm sure you can understand." Renee could not bring herself to say more because it was a humiliating privacy. She might as well keep it to herself."Let me guess…" Justin's gaze grew sharp as he went straight to the point. "The man in your story is Stefan, isn't it?" Silence washed over Renee as she kept her head bowed. It was a silent approval.Justin burst into reckless laughter, which was scary. He looked down at his cut wound and laughed pathetically. "This is why he could make you fall in love with him, and I couldn't. I'm too cultured compared to him.""Don't say that, Haze!"Seeing how defeated Justin was, Renee became uneasy. "It isn't written in the stars for us. Plus, I've fallen in love with Stefan a long time ago before I even got to know you. I also rely on him physically and psychologically. I can't control my feelings. It's not something we can change. We…" "Stop!" Heartbroken, Justin pushed away everything in front of him and s
Time passed by. Gradually, the pain knocked some sense into Justin. He no longer wanted to take advantage of Renee."Let me get you some water." Renee had no idea what she could do for Justin. After some contemplation, she got to her feet and poured him a glass of water.Finally, she studied the room closely and found that it was a wedding room as Justin had mentioned. Everything was set up according to her preferences, which she had occasionally mentioned to Justin. For example, she loved keeping some ceramic ornaments on the bedside cabinet and hanging some seashell wind chimes at the windows. The entire room was painted in beige and green, which were her favorites, too. Beige gave a sense of warmth, while green gave a sense of gloominess. All of those details became the perfect wedding room for Renee.If everything went on smoothly, she would spend most of her time there, and he would be her life companion. Unfortunately, there were no ifs in the world.Renee handed the gla
Renee covered her lips, her tone filled with disbelief. "I…cut myself." Justin leaned against the corner and frowned deeply. He was in deep pain."Why did you cut yourself?" Renee was scared out of her wits and grew more sober. In her panic, she threw herself at him and tried to stop his bleeding.Justin reacted aggressively as he waved his dagger and warned fiercely, "Get away from me! Don't touch me!" "I…" Renee paused, too afraid to act recklessly. She pointed at his wound and said, "I'm just worried about you. You're bleeding. It must hurt a lot. Why did you hurt yourself?" "It's better to be in pain!" Justin gnashed his teeth and said in agony, "The pain will knock some sense into me, so I won't act like an animal and lose control of myself.""I see…" Stunned, Renee was moved to tears. She understood why he cut himself. Surprisingly, he wanted to stay sober and not be controlled by the drug in the wine.He could have used her to satisfy his desire, and she would never b
"You're playing with fire!" Justin leaned close to Renee's ears and said fiercely, "What do you think there is in the wine? Maybe I'm not someone who will take liberty on women, but I can't promise that the wine won't make me so." "So, you're saying that the wine…" Suddenly, Renee realized the wine was not as simple as she thought. She also understood why Rose had behaved in such a mysterious manner. "Stay…away from me!" Suddenly, she became frightened and wanted to keep some distance from Justin. She knew that people could not be trusted completely, especially under the effects of chemical reactions. Things would certainly get out of control. Justin probably did not want to do anything to her, but both of them would lose their minds under the effect of the wine and do something that would fill them with regret. The only way to prevent such an incident was to avoid each other."You want to stay away from me, but it's too late now. I'm no saint. I'm just a normal guy!"Just
"I'm so thirsty!" The burning sensation of the wine made Renee thirsty. She wanted to drink some water.In the dark, she heard some rustling. The next second, something was on her lips. It seemed to be someone else's lips. She wondered if someone had secretly kissed her."Who are you?" Renee grabbed the person in front of her and interrogated angrily, "How dare you kiss me without my permission! Do you know who I am? I'll cut off your lips!""Let's see if you can do that or not." The man sounded dull and drunk, but he was also overbearing.Although Renee was drunk, she could discern who it was. She called out in the dark and tried to confirm her doubt. "Haze…?" "Yeah, it's me," Justin admitted, but he did not plan to let her go. He used a more overbearing manner and trapped her between him and the door."What do you want?" Renee panicked. She wanted to kick him away, but she did not resist when she learned that it was Justin. After she had done so many things to hurt him, s
The servant walked forward with trepidation and helped Justin back to his room. Austin's eyes were dark. He whispered to his assistant, who nodded and immediately carried out his order.After two glasses of strong wine, Renee felt dizzy and could not stand steadily. "It's weird. Is this wine this strong? I just had two glasses of it, but I feel quite dizzy." It was hard for her to exit the hall. She could not stand properly, so she supported herself against the wall."Ms. Everheart, you didn't seem well. Let me help you to get some rest." Austin's assistant caught up to her and stood behind her. He even sounded respectful. "It's… fine. I can go back to my room." Renee waved; she didn't want to trouble others. Besides, she did not want others to see how miserable she was. She had assumed that she was good at drinking and would not get drunk, but it seemed like she had overestimated herself. After two glasses of wine, she became quite drowsy. She would not easily leave if s
Renee blinked and smiled brightly at Justin, asking him, "Are you worried about me?" "No, I'm not worried about you!" Justin said angrily. "I don't want you to get killed here. I can't explain it to your brother and kids. It's hard to handle the three of them."He was not lying. Although he had befriended Quinton, Adie and Abby might make a scene there if they realized that Renee had drunk so much wine at the party. They were witty, always full of ideas.Hence, it was better not to cause trouble. Before they could make a scene and things get out of control, Justin must stop Renee. He wasn't worried about her at all. "So, you're not worried about me?" Renee's gaze turned dull as she sighed. "It looks like you didn't forgive me. So, I must drink this glass of wine." Something was wrong with Renee, or perhaps she just wanted to torture herself. It seemed like she insisted on drinking the wine. She swung off Justin's hand and gulped down the wine."You're out of your mind!" Justi
The aged white wine was strong. Ordinary people would find it hard to drink a glass of it. Yet, Renee had drunk two glasses of it consecutively. It was a little dangerous. Everyone at the dining table was initially watching the fun, but they showed Renee some pity after she drank two glasses of wine consecutively. After wiping her lips clean, Renee staggered and said to Justin, "Let me toast to you now. I've wronged you the most." Justin, sitting there, said with a poker face, "You don't have to say sorry to me. We don't hold each other any grudge. After all, we can't make others fall in love with us.""No, I must apologize to you. It's for my sake." After that, Renee used a bigger glass and filled it with wine."Whatever!" Justin frowned and ignored Renee. He had no idea what was wrong with her. He had yielded and let her off, but she stubbornly wanted to keep drinking the wine.He wondered if she had forgotten the fact that she had just recovered from a serious illness. She
Suddenly, Justin became mature and stopped making jokes. He talked steadily and was no longer emotional. It filled Austin with worry because it made him feel like Justin was an emotionless robot.In comparison, he liked Justin's previous self better. At that time, Justin was simple and sentimental. He was the grandson Austin doted on the most.Sophia grinned and commented, "Dad, you don't have to worry about Justin. Men will change. Previously, he was just a childish kid even though he was in his twenties. He didn't know how to see through people's pretense. But he's all grown up now. He knows what's right or wrong. That's a great thing!" As a mother, she naturally did not want her son to get hurt. Although she favored Renee and wanted the latter to be her daughter-in-law, she would give up since Renee had let her son down and harmed him. All she wanted was to see Renee get away from her son."Yes, you're right. People need to grow up. He has grown up a lot lately, but the price