The next day, Renee headed for Floating Cloud Villa in a casual beige suit. Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail. She looked young, like a fresh college graduate.Floating Cloud Villa was located in a primeval forest more than 50 kilometers away from the urban area of Beach City.The place had dense vegetation, a high level of oxygen concentration, natural hot springs, golf courses, and natural fishing grounds. It was the first choice holiday destination for many wealthy people.Due to a bit of traffic on the road, Renee arrived at Floating Cloud Villa at exactly 10:01 am, so she was a minute late.Upon arriving there, she saw a group of people enthusiastically gathered around someone who was walking out of Floating Cloud Villa.That person was Jerome South, chairman of the South Group, and the person Renee was going to meet.South Group was a powerful company with a strong background. It was one of the top investment companies in Beach City and a loyal partner of Hunt Enterpri
"Give it to me!"Jerome grabbed the brown paper bag and pulled out the documents inside, his fingers trembling slightly due to excitement.It was a freshly-issued winning verdict for an appeal.Except for Renee, no one there knew how significant this verdict was to Jerome.After a long time, Jerome finally turned his gaze away from the verdict.He looked at Renee. His shrewd eyes had a hint of barely noticeable wetness in them. He said, “Come with me!"And so, as everyone watched on in disbelief, Renee successfully obtained the opportunity to meet with Jerome, the chairman of South Group, alone.In the high-end luxury box, Jerome was very emotional."The appeal is successful. Finally, the appeal is successful. Five years... I've waited way too long for this moment!"He repeatedly read the contents of the verdict. Even now, he could still hardly believe it.Jerome's reaction reminded Renee of her late father. She sighed. “Justice is always present. I believe Ms. Chase can defi
The next second, a beautiful and boisterous figure burst in.Comment by Felicia C: insert 2 hashtag before first para"Daddy, I heard a slut is trying to seduce you, so I came to see what the shameless woman looks like!”Jane South was wearing black high heel boots and carrying a limited edition bag. She was shouting and making a scene like a typical spoiled rich girl.She instantly saw Renee sitting across from Jerome South. Surprise crept into her willful face."It's actually you... the woman that Stefan has hated for four years but is still shamelessly clinging onto him!” said Jane through clenched teeth. She looked at Renee with contempt and jealousy. Her attitude was full of hostility.Renee's smiled faintly and extended her hand to Jane, unperturbed. "Hello, Ms. South. I'm honored that you still remember me."She had met Jane before. She knew Jane was Stefan's number one fan. Because Jerome doted on Jane, Jane had grown up spoiled and willful.Generally speaking, Renee ha
Gourmet Pavilion was a top-class restaurant in Beach City. It was the preferred place for many businessmen to socialize and entertain guests.Currently, in their most luxurious dining hall, the Swan Hall, Stefan was sitting at the main table, receiving praises and flattery from everyone. He was undoubtedly the center of attention.“You're definitely the most outstanding individual in the entire Beach City, Mr. Hunt. You repeatedly lead Hunt Enterprise to achieve new heights! The likes of us can only look up to you!"A steady stream of toasts accompanied by flattery would make anyone dizzy.But not Stefan. He remained steadfast, his cold eyes unreadable. The regal air he exuded was a far cry from the crude air around the other businessmen.At that moment, a young voice cautiously said, "Although Mr. Hunt is incredible, there are many rising stars lately. Take Liam Osborne, the young son of Geronimo Osborne, for example. The Azure Group he runs is on a roll right now!"In the midst
About ten minutes later, a waitress in a traditional dress led Jane into the Swan Hall."I finally get to see you again, Stefan. You can't avoid me this time!"She went straight to Stefan's left side. The person sitting to Stefan's left was very tactful and immediately offered his seat.Everyone in Beach City knew that Jane, the future heir of South Group and the pampered only child of Jerome South, was crazy about Stefan Hunt.Hunt Enterprise and South Group were strategic partners that had cooperated for many years.The two young people were comparable in age and family background. A marriage between them seemed like a matter of certainty.But a certain Renee Everheart suddenly appeared out of nowhere..."Stefan, you've grown even more handsome since the last time I saw you. You have no idea how much I've missed you. All I could dream about was you...”Since Jane came in, her eyes never left Stefan. She intimately grabbed his arm and said coquettishly, "How could you be so cr
During the day, the primeval forest with dense vegetation at Floating Cloud Villa was a natural oxygen bar for the wealthy, a place for them to take vacations and recuperate. However, during the night, it was a dangerous place where all kinds of wild beasts roamed.At the center of the forest was a sealed underground bunker surrounded by vines and thorns. Few people came to this area. Right now, it was emitting a faint blue light that looked like an eerie fire in the dark night.Renee was sitting at the bottom of the hole. The humid air carried a musty smell, and occasionally mice and cockroaches would crawl past her. Her delicate little face was expressionless. She was calm.Heh, that fool Jane thought that if she tricked Renee into this air-raid shelter and locked her in, she would be teaching Renee a lesson.However, Renee's grandfather had taught her survival skills in the wild when she was little. This environment was no doubt a nightmare for ordinary people, but for her, it w
Stefan thought Renee was trying to trick him so she did not take her warning seriously.Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle.Looking down, he saw a black snake spitting out its bright red tongue, looking at him menacingly. The snake was about two fingers wide."Crap!"Stefan frowned. He could clearly feel the muscles around his ankle becoming numb. He could hardly stand anymore.He quickly moved Renee behind him to protect her and said, “I'll lure it away. You look for a chance to escape!""Did it bite you?" Renee clenched her fists and said in a tense voice, "The snake has a silver ring around its neck and lives in a humid place, so it should be highly venomous. Stop moving so that the venom won't spread so fast!"Shut up if you want to live!"Renee's voice was so loud that it was giving him a headache.In his opinion, all Renee's voice would do was anger the cold-blooded animal in front of them.He had no experience in handling snakes, but under the tense situation,
"Mhh..."The man's lips were hot. Renee's mind went blank. She simply let him get the best of her as if her body had been paralyzed.This was not the first time he had kissed her, but it was the first time he was doing it so passionately and enthusiastically.So much so that she found herself immersed in the kiss and could not help responding...While getting lost in the kiss, Renee opened her eyes and took a peek to see what kind of expression Stefan had when he was kissing her.Stefan's eyes were tightly closed. His slightly curled long eyelashes and his pronounced facial features were truly a work of art.His deep eyes, his high nose bridge, his perfect jawline, his thin and sexy lips... If looks could kill, his face would be a weapon of mass destruction!Four years ago, she was enthralled by this handsome face.Four years later, she found that she still had no resistance to it!"Ahem!"In the darkness, someone coughed awkwardly."Boss, are you done kissing? We've been he
Livid, Mateo pulled the trigger without hesitation. However, he moved the gun less than an inch. The bullet passed by Liam's ear and hit an orange behind him.The fruit immediately blew up, its juices splashing on Liam's face."Aaaah!" Amber, terrified, trembled. Her eyes turned red, and she hurriedly tried to plead with Mateo. "Matt, cool it! Aren't you and Liam friends? You guys drank and chatted together in the past. You were so close to each other. How could you do this to him? Hurry up and put the gun away! If it goes off accidentally, it'll be over!"However, Mateo ignored her. His eyes were red as he glared at Liam. "Did you see the orange behind you? Let go of her now! If not, I'll blow up your head just like I did to that orange!""Is that all you got?" Liam taunted. He refused to let Amber go. He whispered to Amber, "Watch well. If he shoots me today, promise me not to marry such a man. I can use my life to knock some sense into you.""No!" Amber shook her head. Liam
"What bad timing!" Mateo's indifferent voice came from behind Amber.Amber turned around and saw Mateo with a team of armed soldiers. Terrified, she quickly put some distance between her and Liam. She stammered an explanation. "Matt… It's not what you think. Liam and I came here to look for people. Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne are gone. Liam couldn't find them and guessed they might be in the orchard. He wasn't familiar with the orchard and asked me to guide him."Mateo looked livid, but still cracked a gentle smile. "Silly, you don't have to be scared. I know you're prudent. He must have forced you to come here. I don't blame you."He extended his hand and beckoned Amber toward him. "Come here. You're my fiancee. You should stand with me.""I…" Amber bit her lip—Mateo was right. She kept her head low, about to walk to him.But in the next second, Liam firmly grabbed her wrist. "You can't go!" Liam held Amber's wrist tightly and shot Mateo a challenging look."When did Amb
Liam could only see through Amber's true thoughts if she showed her true self to him. "No, I do like you. I love you the most, and I want to marry you. But you neither like me nor want to marry me. You love freedom and Ms. Everheart. You love and yearn for the kind of life ordinary people like. So, I could only choose to give you up and let you get what you want. What else do you want me to do?" Amber was generally shy and reserved, but when Liam drove her anxious, she rambled a lot."Whatever I want is my business. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to grant my wish!" Liam held Amber's shoulders, acting like a kind senior. He tried to persuade her in earnest. "Marriage isn't a joke. Think it through. Do you like and know Mateo well? You won't be happy after marrying him, given the savage culture around here. And can you divorce him easily?""Matt will be nice to me. Even if he changes his mind, he'll still be nice to me because…my father is Benjamin," Amber replied.She chose
Being a sensitive woman, Amber immediately noticed Liam's displeasure. She kept her head lower and explained carefully, "I want a chance to choose again… I want to choose another person to fall in love with. You know that Matt and I grew up together. We're childhood friends. He likes me and always protects me without asking for anything back. I feel that it's happier to marry a person who loves me instead of marrying someone far beyond my reach."For the first time, she expressed the exhaustion she felt from her relationship with Liam. She no longer wanted to be the one who kept fawning over him. She wanted to give up and relax by being the one who was loved and adored in a relationship."Tsk!" Liam snorted arrogantly. "You don't know Mateo. He's not a nice guy. He's just good at pretending. Maybe it's just his means to get what he wants, but you assume that he loves and wants to protect you."Liam hadn't made that statement to purposely put Mateo down. After standing against Mate
Liam focused on holding Amber's hand and leading her through the orange grove. At the same time, he carefully scanned the ground and trees to find any related clues left by Renee and Leia."I don't care what others say, because I didn't do anything wrong," he said indifferently. "I hope you'll feel the same. I don't think you need to stop being my friend after choosing to marry Mateo. Am I not the friend you like the most?""That's different," Amber said.She followed Liam passively. At first, she couldn't adapt to it. After walking briefly, she felt better and found it easier to do. "Although I'm not good at my studies, I know men and women should keep a polite distance. You can't take my hand and sound righteous at the same time," she mumbled."Why not?" Liam retorted firmly. "When I was young, I always held my sister's hand wherever we went. I'm holding your hand because this fog is thick and the ground is slippery. I'm afraid of being separated from you. Just walk with me. St
Liam walked ahead of Amber, then turned to glance at her. He faked a smile and asked, "What's the matter? Are you worried that I might take advantage of you?" "No, of course not!" Amber quickly shook her head and pushed her scarf up. It had fallen a little. "I just find it improper," she answered softly.She looked like a typical woman from Southeast Aeos, petite and with a small face. Her skin was tanned, and her facial features weren't very distinct. She was charming and reserved, exuding a girlish pureness. She had put on her country's special traditional clothes. The thick clothes, embroidered with various patterns, wrapped around her petite body and gave her an exotic impression. From afar, she appeared like a colorful oil painting. "Hey, it's not improper. If I wanted to do anything to you, I would've done that long ago. I don't have to wait until now." Liam sounded relaxed and prudent to ease Amber's anxiety."Don't worry. I've always regarded you as my younger siste
Amber hurriedly turned Liam down. "You can't help with my affairs. I can handle it.""Well, tell me why I can't help you," Liam pressed. "I… I want to sew a wedding gown. And there are a lot of details that I need to add." Amber became competitive for no reason, and added stubbornly, "Your words aren't absolute. Yes, your business is important, but so is mine!""Oh, you want to sew a wedding gown. I can help you with that…" Liam said, relaxed. "Maybe I didn't get to tell you that I went to a small country in Southeast Aeos when I traveled around the world. I got to know a great sewing master. The pictures he sewed looked real like paintings! I found them interesting, so I learned from him. My sewing skills are probably better than yours. I can help you with that.""Really? You can sew?" Amber was full of surprise and admiration. Her eyes lit up. "I can't sew well. I want to learn from a great master too! If you can do it, can you teach me?""Of course!" Liam promised. "Can you he
"Uh…" Amber looked like she was being put in a difficult position. She found it impudent for a man and a woman to be alone in the dense orchard at night. "What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?" Liam frowned, puzzled. He felt that Amber was purposely avoiding him after expressing her desire not to marry him and making Mateo her groom instead.Before, she would always put on her favorite dress and stand at the entrance of the fort, looking eager no matter how late Liam and Benjamin returned from their work.Usually, she would carry a small bamboo basket containing the tea she brewed and dessert or food she had painstakingly prepared. When Liam returned, she would excitedly welcome him and inquire after him. Lately, she no longer did that. When Liam occasionally ran into her in the fort, she would bow indifferently at him and quickly brush past him as if they were merely acquaintances. They seemed distant.Honestly, Liam found it unfamiliar. He couldn't get used to the fact that Amber
"I don't know. Why don't you ask the guards to get us some fried chicken and French fries? Didn't Mateo say that we can ask the guards for food?" Renee said.Leia's anxiety eased as she relaxed. She turned around and got out of bed, then gestured at the guard and ordered quite a lot of food. Meanwhile, Liam accompanied Benjamin to West River in the morning for a negotiation that yielded a good result. Benjamin's attitude had improved. He didn't demand an explanation from Liam about the affairs between Liam and Amber, and didn't ask about Renee or Leia either. Liam was delighted. He carried the unique desserts he had bought at the local market for Renee and Leia to enjoy. Upon arrival, he found that they were not in the room. "Weird. Where did they go?" Liam looked around, but found no sign of Renee and Leia. He casually asked a servant, but the servant stammered and insisted on not knowing anything. Anxious, Liam kept looking for them in the fort. Coincidentally, he ran into