The bar owner wasn't even trying to stop them, and instead, egged them on. "Come one, come all! It's time to place bets on who will win this fight…""I bet on that fat guy!""Me too!""That pretty chick seems like quite a fighter, though. I'll bet on her!"Everyone crowded around Renee and Max as if they were in an underground boxing arena. All of them were more than happy to gamble.Rosie immediately panicked, afraid that these big burly men would actually fight them, putting both her and Renee in grave danger. Trying her best to settle things calmly, she flashed a desperate smile at Max and his group. "Sir, you took us too seriously. We were just joking, you know? Please calm down, and forgive my friend and I… We're modest people, so I think it's best if you find someone you can have more fun with. We don't have to go to such extremes over a small matter like this. People are going to laugh at all of us, you know?"Seeing Rosie begging for mercy, Max's interest in her was piq
The person seemed to be making a call, and the phone in Rosie's hand started chiming at the very same time as well."You must be Stefan Hunt. You were the one who called Ms. Everheart, right?" Rosie asked nervously. Her eyes widened as she looked up at the tall man, then at the ringing phone. Stefan was wearing a long black coat and frowning down at her. He looked like royalty, extremely elegant and completely out of reach. He furrowed his brow and asked slowly, "So, you're Renee's friend?""Uh yeah, kind of," Rosie replied unsurely. She knew that Renee hated her ex-husband, so she didn't really want to engage with this jerk either. However, the situation was rather urgent, so she looked past his menacing aura and blurted out, "You're just in time! Please save Ms. Everheart—she's surrounded by a bunch of perverts!""They're trying to attack her?""Yeah! Right there! Just listen to the screams yourself… I can't even get through because there are so many people around!" Rosie was t
Rosie soon came to realize that this 'large object' was, in fact, the arrogant Max."Ow!" Max yelped. His chubby face was bruised and swollen, and he kept whimpering in pain."What… What just happened?" Rosie looked confused.Stefan, on the other hand, continued sipping his cocktail, unsurprised. "This is her style, after all."Soon after, another person came flying over, landing right on top of Max. It looked like the 'Ed' that Max had mentioned. Another man came flying over, then another, and another, until there were six of them stacked on top of each other like building blocks, wailing and howling."The beauty won! She actually won! I'm rich, baby!" The few people who had bet on Renee winning the fight cheered at the outcome."If you've won money, then share some of it with me! I don't fight for free, you know!" Renee growled and stumbled over to a man, grabbing him by the hair.Immediately, the people around her backed away, staring at her like she was a ghost."Ms. Everhe
Renee looked up in shock, looking as if she had sobered up right then. However, the alcohol hadn't left her yet—her mind was foggy, and she wasn't in full control of her body.She reached over and pointed at Stefan's nose, turning to Rosie. "Girl, look, this… this is Stefan Hunt, my trashy ex-husband. Just look at him. He looks fine, doesn't he? But the truth is… he's not good at all! In fact, I've wanted to send him to heaven for a while now!"As the woman rambled on, she really seemed like she was getting ready to kick Stefan up into the sky."Hey, hey! Ms. Everheart, be careful!" Rosie tried to hold Renee's arm to steady her, but it only caused Renee to lose her balance and fall straight into Stefan's arms."Oh? Is this an attempt to seduce me, Renee?" Stefan teased with a smirk, holding Renee gently by the waist."Hell no!" Renee's cheeks turned red, and she tried to wriggle out of the man's grasp. "I'm disgusted by your touch, you shameless jerk! How could I possibly want to
Rosie was at a loss for words and lowered her head quietly. 'I think he's right. Just a while ago, Ms. Everheart did say that they were now legally married again because he used some sort of trick! If they really are husband and wife on paper, I have no right to interfere!'"So, can I take her home now?" Stefan raised an eyebrow."Okay!" Rosie nodded profusely.Stefan nodded back. He looked cold and elegant, but his heart was pounding in his chest. 'Well now, it does feel good to be legally married!'He then brought Renee all the way to his limited edition Rolls-Royce, with Elijah opening the door to the backseat already. "Mr. Hunt, is the young miss alright?" Elijah asked in concern. Since this was the most dangerous and crime-infested place in Beach City, he was worried that Renee had been in danger. He even had some of their men on standby, heavily armed. If they received orders from Stefan, they would demolish the entire port in seconds."It's fine. She's just drunk. She als
The atmosphere in the vehicle suddenly became tense."So, that means that person is much more important than Stefan Hunt to you?" Stefan clenched his jaw, questioning angrily."Are you kidding?" Renee smacked Stefan lightly, still drunk, then started hugging him even tighter. "Mr. Q, you're the most important person to me now. Why else would I marry you? Stefan Hunt is nothing to me, I moved on from him four years ago… That jerk was probably jealous of your personality and looks, and that's why he scarred your face! Don't worry, I'll definitely get revenge for you!""Really now?" Stefan scoffed. "And how are you going to do that?""Simple, he scarred your face, so I'll scar his…" Renee let out a burp and covered her face, giggling. "I'm going to carve the words 'I'm an ugly jerk' into his face! Hahaha, pretty cruel, aren't I?"Stefan fell silent. "Pfft!" Elijah couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. When he felt a chill in the car, he cleared his throat and said formally, "
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hunt, I've misspoken. I just don't want to see you making the same mistakes. After all, Ms. Everheart-""She already knows the truth, so I trust that she will understand." Stefan obviously knew that he should treat Briar as nothing more than a dead woman, but she was still the woman his brother had once loved deeply, so he did not want her to meet a cruel fate."Ms. Everheart knows the truth?" Elijah was shocked and confused. "Wait, but then she'd know that you were merely bound by circumstance, right? Why is she still avoiding you like the plague? Could it be that… she's fallen for another?""Maybe." Stefan seemed weirdly calm, which puzzled Elijah further. "That's not right, Mr. Hunt. You would've flipped if she fell in love with another man, so why are you being so calm about this? You're not usually so generous when it comes to Ms. Everheart!"The more egotistical a man is, the more possessive he becomes. Hence, it was only natural for him to hope that the wom
"I won't let that happen," Stefan said curtly."But what if it does?" Elijah continued daringly. "The future is unpredictable, so what if their fates are bound to clash? What if only one of them is allowed to survive? Who would you save?"Stefan did not reply, but his eyes were fixated on Renee, full of unspoken affection and determination. His answer was clear.He had already made the wrong decision four years ago, causing him to miss out on creating memories with Renee. Now that he had learned his lesson, he swore to never repeat the same mistake.He knew that he, along with Renee and the children, did not have another four years to waste.It was already past 2 AM when the car arrived at the manor."Mr. Hunt, we've arrived," Elijah reported in a soft voice."Alright." Stefan nodded.The two of them were speaking and moving cautiously as though they were protecting a newborn kitten that was asleep. They were extremely worried that their movements would wake her up."Do you ne
While Macsen was talking, his subordinate reached Leia and grabbed her neck with one hand. A light was reflected on the shiny machete; it seemed he was about to slash Leia.Frightened, Leia hunched and screamed in terror. "Ah, no! Save me, Liam! Ren, save me!" "Stop!" Reia yelled at Macsen, anxious. "What do you want to let us go? Tell me, I'll do it!"At first, she was carefree. She was fine even if she got killed and couldn't be bothered to resist. However, she grew restless since her friend was about to be harmed. She would rather take Leia's place. "Stop stalling for time. You've used this trick too many times tonight. Do you think I'll be fooled again?" Macsen sneered. "You're too vicious and nearly bit off my neck. I'm just avenging myself!""Then, you're asking for trouble!" Renee's gaze grew sharp. "Listen. If you harm her, you'll die very miserably right away!""Hahaha! Stop bluffing!" Macsen laughed. "People who can save you now can't even protect themselves. Plus, th
"What?" When Leia heard that, she swallowed and her hair stood on end. Although she didn't know what it meant, using human skin was terrifying. "You guys look confused. I'm sure you don't know what that is…" Macsen was calmer since his neck was bandaged. He said generously to his subordinate, "Come and explain it to them. Prepare them for fear that the lamp might not be bright enough because they're too nervous.""Okay, boss!" Macsen's subordinate nodded. He walked to them and said arrogantly, "Well, we'll use a machete to skin people from head to toe to make lamps. The light from these lamps is blurry and beautiful. It's a top and valuable item.""That's crazy!" After listening to that explanation, a chill ran down Leia's spine. She gnashed her teeth and said to Macsen, "Are you out of your mind? That's a crazy habit! Aren't you worried the victims might come demanding your life in the middle of the night?"The people here were used to a human lamp, so it became common among th
The three of them rolled their eyes in unison and looked speechless."Look, Liam. She's the top love-struck idiot. She'll never learn though she'd suffered much." Leia shook her head and sighed. She felt sorry for Renee's bad luck and disappointing actions.Although Leia was a love-struck fool herself, she was better than Renee. She would quickly retreat if she found anything wrong unless the guy shamelessly pestered her. Also, he had to show his sincerity. Only then would she forgive him. Renee was way worse. She suffered countless times because of one single man, but she didn't even hate him. She even wanted to ask him if they could start over.No one could be as "humble" as her.Renee used to be a bright and awesome figure, and it seemed like there was nothing she could not resolve. Yet, she lost herself several times because of a man. It infuriated Leia. Leia was not alone in feeling that way. Liam shared her sentiments and gnashed his teeth furiously. "Seriously, I wonde
Silence washed over everyone instantly. It seemed they were waiting for Renee's answer.Mateo, who was unrelated, was all ears too. He wanted to listen to a spicy story before he got killed. After all, it was related to Stefan, the mighty president of Hunt Enterprise. Of course, it would be amazing. However, Renee remained silent after a long while."Hey, silly. Of course, Renee wants to meet Adie and Abby the most!" Leia glared at Liam because the latter had asked the obvious. She also helped to get Renee out of the awkwardness. "Of course." Liam didn't let it go, and kept pressing Renee. "Is there anyone else you want to meet other than Adie and Abby?" "Certainly. Both Quinton and Margaret are very important to Ren. I know Ren can't bear to let them go," Leia casually mentioned other people except Stefan. She knew Stefan's name was too special to Renee. If she mentioned Stefan, Renee might break down. Hence, she could never mention Stefan."No, you're wrong!" Mateo finall
Previously, Amber cared very much about Liam. Later, she wanted nothing but to stay away from him.She had happily planned their wedding and imagined how to lead their married lives. Later, she planned her wedding with another man…and wanted to learn sewing from Liam to sew their wedding suits. It was heartbreaking!Hence, Liam chose a noble excuse to try and ruin the wedding between Amber and Mateo. He kept using pessimistic wedding opinions to influence Amber's thoughts as a traditional woman.True, he hadn't influenced Amber's mind solely out of his selfishness. Women would have more freedom if they stayed single. He dissuaded Amber from getting married mainly for the sake of her happiness, but it didn't cover up his despicable thoughts. Hence, he chose to keep quiet."Wow, Liam! I didn't expect you to fall for her. I thought you were forced to be with her!" While enjoying the fun, Leia forgot about her sadness and fear. Her eyes went wide as she teased Liam. "Hey, you kno
Liam found Leia unlucky and disappointing. He simply stopped talking.A brief silence overcame them. It seemed like they had accepted their fate to get killed as they quietly waited for their death.Macsen had returned to the shop to treat his wound. After struggling for a long while, Mateo failed to struggle free. Macsen's subordinate whipped him several times. "Motherfucker! Just wait. I'll make you pay!" Mateo furiously cursed Macsen's subordinate. Macsen's subordinate sneered. "Hmph. You want to make me pay? I think my boss will skin you alive. It's been a long time since I've seen a lamp made of human skin. We're waiting for a good show!"Leia had closed her eyes, but when she heard that, she shuddered and reopened them abruptly. Her voice was shaky as she asked, "Liam, what's that?" "Uh…" Liam found it too cruel and couldn't bring himself to explain it to Leia. He hated his incapabilities. "It's my fault. I got you guys into this mess. Damn it all!""No, we can't blam
Renee was well aware of the situation and was calm in the face of death. "If Macsen wants to kill us, Benjamin will feign ignorance. I think we're doomed here today.""Whatever. I'm not afraid!" Leia didn't take it too seriously, grinning. "You and Liam are the most important people to me. Although we weren't born on the same day, it's great that we can die on the same day. I want us to be siblings in our next lives!""Silly, you're so optimistic. We're going to get killed, not attending a party! Why are you this happy?" Liam's gloominess and tenseness gradually relaxed because of Leia's optimistic and happy tone. "Yeah, it isn't a big deal. I have no regrets since I can die with you guys.""You guys have no regrets, but I'm unlucky!"Mateo kept sighing. "If I knew, I wouldn't have meddled in this or caught you guys. At most, I'd be suppressed by another guy. But now, I'm about to get killed. I regret it! You have big supporters, don't you? Is there any way to contact either of
When the fight reached an intense moment, Macsen's subordinates managed to surround Liam and Mateo. They were disappointing.Macsen's most loyal subordinate aimed a gun at Liam's head and screamed at Renee, who had gone mad. He tried to threaten her. "Let our boss go, or I'll make you pay a price!" Renee regained her wits and turned to look at Liam. Her mouth was bloody. A helpless sigh escaped her. "Why are you this useless? How could they get you?"Helpless, she slowly got up and let Macsen go temporarily. "Motherfucker! Go to hell!"When Macsen regained freedom, he was no longer a gentleman. He slapped Renee twice with one hand and held his neck with the other. Then, he ordered his subordinates, "Tie them up with the woman on that ship!""Okay!" Macsen's subordinates were obedient. They quickly grabbed a thick and heavy rope to tie up Renee, Liam, Leia, and Mateo together, tying the rope around them thrice."Liam, why are you caught too? You're so useless. We even wanted
Everyone looked at each other in dismay before raising their weapons to attack Renee.Liam ordered his subordinates to fight Macsen's men when he noticed the danger. "Don't hurt her, or I'll fight you!"There were more than ten people from both sides. When they started fighting, the whole jetty was filled with the sounds of weapons and bullets. It was a mess.That battle sacrificed a lot of Liam's subordinates. Gradually, he failed to hold on."Mateo, where are your men? Get them into the fight. If anything happens to Boss, you'll suffer too. That crazy Stefan will kill everyone!"While fighting Macsen's subordinates, Liam wanted to involve Mateo in the fight since the latter was merely watching. Besides, he knew what a man like Mateo, who was good at weighing the pros and cons, cared about the most.As expected, Mateo chose to side with Liam when he heard that this mess would affect his relationship with Stefan.After all, Macsen was the most powerful person in the fort. It wou