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
Stefan was enraged but helpless at the same time. "How long have you known him? You haven't even seen his face, so why are you so attached to him? What's so good about that man?""He has lots of good qualities!" Renee protested drowsily."Like what?""He'd cook for me! Every day, no matter how tired I am from work, seeing a warm meal specially prepared for me just melts my heart…""Anyone can cook—all you need is cooking classes.""Yeah, millions of people can cook, but Mr. Q is special. He's one in a million. My trashy ex-husband could never replace him.""Have you ever thought of the possibility that… they're the same person? In that case, there's no need to replace anyone at all." When Stefan revealed this information, he quickly regretted it. He was indeed Mr. Q, or more precisely. He was his substitute.After being defeated, the real Mr. Q's fate was unknown after their previous battle.For years, he had taken over Carmine Pawnshop using a mask and a modified voice. With t
Stefan froze, and finally realized that Renee could have misunderstood him.They didn't exactly sleep with each other, they merely slept together, but… he didn't exactly intend to clear things up. Instead, he smirked slyly and teased, "What do you take me for? Do you really think you can just sleep with me whenever you like?""I take you as a toy, okay?" Renee blushed and quickly got out of his embrace. She then rummaged through her pockets and took out six hundred dollars, finally throwing the cash at the man's handsome face. Putting on an arrogant face, she said nonchalantly, "Here's your payment—just tell me if it's not enough."Stefan was speechless and smiled icily. "How generous!""Good! Now bye!" Renee waved and opened the car door, getting ready to make her escape. 'You'll have to be a little shameless if you want an easier life, after all! Anything that seems indecent won't make you feel as bad, nor would you need to face the consequences.'For example, although she s
Stefan put on a fake smile, and said smoothly, "You're right, I should train more. Once I've recovered, why don't you train with me?""Ahem!" Renee couldn't help but imagine it, and she felt so awkward that she was unable to keep up her arrogant front. She changed the topic immediately. "Fine, I'll get you to the hospital.""No need." Stefan seemed to have a plan in mind. "They'd just ask me to rest anyway. Just get me back to my room and inform my family doctor about my condition. Ask him what we're supposed to do about this.""Sure." Renee found his idea pretty good. The Hunt family's doctor was a professional from the most prestigious hospital in Beach City, after all. His skills were unmatched."Put your arms around my neck, then. I'll get you upstairs." Renee bent down and grabbed Stefan by the hand, placing it on her shoulder. Seeing this, Stefan felt his heart ache for her and rejected her offer. "It's okay. You're too small. I'm worried you might strain your muscles too…"
After considering it, Renee decided to stay and discuss the divorce with the man.Soon, the Hunt family's doctor arrived at the manor. With his years of experience in the medical field, he diagnosed Stefan with mechanical back pain. His back muscles were slightly damaged, so it would take a lot of effort to even walk or sit."Mr. Hunt, your back is severely damaged due to excessive strain. Now, I need to ask you a few questions to determine the appropriate treatment for your wounds…""Go ahead." "Well…" The doctor glanced at the two, hesitant to speak."Doctor, is something the problem? Are his injuries so serious that he's going to be partially paralyzed, or worse, bedridden?" Renee asked anxiously.Normally, doctors would only behave this way if a patient was about to pass. Thus, the woman naturally jumped to the worst conclusion possible."Umm, well, no. I'd just… like to know how you hurt yourself, Mr. Hunt. This is a very serious injury, but I didn't think it was appropria
"You're toying with me again! How could you discuss such intimate topics in front of a woman?!""What do you mean? This is merely a normal conversation between husband and wife…" Stefan said casually, but his eyes were filled with pride. "Don't forget. We are legally married now, so this isn't crossing any lines.""Hmph, legally married?!" This angered Renee, and she scoffed. "You played despicable tricks to obtain my documents and bribed the registration personnel too! How could you bring that up with absolutely no shame?!""Of course. But if you have any objections regarding this matter, you could just try to annul the marriage. We'll see if the judge supports you on that.""You really are a despicable man, Stefan Hunt. You're a fraud!" Renee yelled at the man, helpless. She knew well enough that the judge wouldn't support her even if she tried. Stefan Hunt was a perfectionist and would definitely make sure to avoid every single loophole when carrying this plan out.The woman kn
Stefan remained quiet as he calmly watched Renee. He extended his hand to touch her face but retrieved it before he could.She used to be the woman he was familiar with and the one he had hugged and kissed countless times, but now, he didn't even dare to touch her. "I think she doesn't even want you here. She must hate you so much and is disappointed in you. She'll be even more pressured if you stay here, and it'll push her further from this world. So please, get the hell out of here if you want the best for her!"Justin could not hold himself back from scolding Stefan. If Jovan was telling the truth, Stefan must be aware of the fact that Jovan was holding Renee hostage. Yet, he remained indifferent and feigned ignorance. He didn't even care if Renee was fine. What a cruel bastard! Justin was disappointed in Stefan. He wanted nothing more than to see what was really on Stefan's mind."Take good care of her." Stefan did not want to defend himself. He glanced at Renee, relucta
"What did you do to her?!" Stefan interrogated Jovan coldly, his eyes teary. "She isn't the kind to kill herself! What the hell did you do to her?" "Try to wake her up if you want to know." Jovan was pale. His previous sickness, coupled with his recent blood donation to Renee, made him very weak. Despite that, he refused to stop infuriating others. "Do you think I can't do anything to you? Do you really think that?" Stefan could no longer hold himself back and strangled Jovan. "I'm going to kill you! Repent for the terrible things you've done!"He couldn't imagine the kind of thing that could force the strong and stubborn Renee to resist by using such a desperate means. "You obviously won't go easy on me! I'm sure of that!" Jovan sneered. His pale face turned flushed as he suffocated from Stefan's powerful grip. "But you'd better kill yourself first if you want to avenge her! She ended up like this because of you." "What?" Stefan's face was frosty. He strengthened his grip a
Jovan slowly got up from the ground, looking incredibly weak. He whispered, "She lost too much blood. The doctor claimed she's out of danger, but…she hasn't woken up.""What did you say?" Stefan and Justin were bewildered. They couldn't process his words."So, she was the female college student who tried to kill herself?" Stefan said. He staggered after linking the information he had heard from a nurse with the things that Jovan had said."Stop acting dumb! You're so smart, how could you have missed that?" Jovan glared coldly stared at Stefan, scrutinizing him in disdain. "You were just too scared to face the truth and your woman! You're such a coward! You're an embarrassment to your family!""Agreed!" Justin added; he suddenly found Jovan useful, especially when the latter started insulting Stefan. It felt just right."Although I'm a fallback guy, I'm braver than you. I accept that she doesn't love me, and I'm willing to give it a try with her. And although this guy's a vill
Stefan frowned, doubtful. He looked vigilantly at Jovan, who had collapsed on the ground. "What do you mean by this?"Jovan kept coughing and said nothing. His lips grew pale as he sneered.Justin's eyes were cold, and he held back his urge to beat up Jovan. "Hmph! Obviously, this is a scam!"He demanded condescendingly, "How dare you barge into my territory and take away my woman! Don't you fear my family and me at all?"Jovan, filled with disdain, looked at Justin as if he was a fool. "Stop talking. You don't even have the right to join this battle."To Jovan, only Stefan was qualified and powerful enough to be his enemy."How dare you say that!" Justin was infuriated. He got down on one knee and grabbed Jovan. "Your family always says nasty things! You two are the same. If we start fighting, I'll make sure to cut your tongue first!""Did I say something wrong?" Jovan sized Justin up, ridiculing Justin with mock compassion. "Don't you have any self-awareness? You're just a fal
Stefan frowned and asked solemnly, "Aren't you a top hacker? Hack into this hospital's inpatient system. Then, we'll know where she is.""Yes, you're right." Still, Justin wanted to challenge Stefan. He said indifferently, "But you're Jovan's cousin. It's more convenient for you to make a call instead of me hacking into their system."Yes, Justin could hack into their system, but calling Jovan would be quicker. And what they needed the most was time."He and I…" Stefan sneered, flexing his fingers. "The fact we didn't kill each other is considered peaceful. He's not as obedient as you think.""You'll know by calling him."Justin had heard about the complicated internal fights of the Hunt family, but he felt that Stefan was exaggerating."Jovan is a Hunt no matter what. Plus, he's still working at Hunt Enterprise. Just call him," Justin said. "Fine." Stefan found Justin logical. His private grudges with Jovan were not important because finding Renee immediately was the most impo
Both Stefan and Justin arrived at Grace Hospital quickly. However, Stefan suddenly stopped before he entered the hospital. He looked at Justin curiously."Let's go! It's urgent. Stop standing here!"Justin hurriedly ran. When he turned around, he found that Stefan had not caught up with him. Confused, he asked Stefan, "Something is puzzling me. Don't you want me to stop seeing her? Why did you let me come with you?" Stefan narrowed his eyes and interrogated Justin suspiciously, "Did you lie to me? Or are you plotting something?" "That's nonsense! Don't take me as you. I'm not full of schemes like you!" Justin sounded disdainful. In comparison to Stefan, Justin was not full of schemes. He also looked down upon Stefan since the latter was always vigilant.Justin answered honestly, "Yeah, I don't want you to meet her ever, but I'm sure she wants to see you if she's in danger. Yes, I hate you—but I want her to be happy." He guessed that Renee must be in a serious state since Jov
"Uh…" After some contemplation, Elijah nodded. "I know what to do, Mr. Hunt. It looks like you can see far beyond the current situation. Just leave this to me.""Of course, the most important thing is to have fun."Stefan remained calm; he didn't feel like he had stepped over the line. He merely wanted Justin to learn about the cruelty of the world since Justin was always being protected so well. Whenever he did something wrong, he had to pay a price for it.Besides, Stefan merely did it for his aunt, who had taken the gunshot for nothing. When they reached a consensus, Justin came to meet Stefan. "Hey…" After a pause, he said with dissatisfaction and helplessness, "Would you like to go with me?"Stefan raised his brows in confusion."I mean, do you want to visit Phoenix with me?" Justin sighed. He looked naive, like a college student, as he confessed, "I found Jovan. I don't know why he's so good at countersurveillance. After exiting the emergency room, he transferred her to
"So, what do you want to do?" Stefan asked emotionlessly. He kept watching Nora, who was lying unconscious in the ward."At the very least, we have to teach the Baldwin family a lesson and make the public aware of your family's power as the head of The Great Eight of Beach City. It's not just about venting anger, but more about which side the various great families will take. It concerns the future of your family, too. We can't take it lightly!"Elijah could not hide his indignation. As Stefan's assistant, he was no longer merely an ordinary employee. He was loyal to Stefan and the Hunt family. He couldn't bear to see Stefan suffer any injustice or watch the Hunt family get humiliated. If Stefan hadn't stopped him, he would have gathered all the manpower to fight the Baldwins. Although he had fought Cadmus and Tiger, he had yet to defeat them. He tried to figure out a way to make a counterattack, his face shadowed in gloom.Stefan turned and calmly looked at Elijah. "How shoul
When Justin was willing to send them on an errand again, Cadmus was eager to express his loyalty."No, you don't have to risk your lives for me. That's bloody and horrible. All you need to do is find someone for me." After a pause, Justin added, "Jovan Hunt, Stefan's younger cousin." Cadmus clenched his fists and said fiercely, "It's another Hunt! Old Master Baldwin is right. The Hunt family is full of bad people. If we knew, we shouldn't have dismantled the bombs in Hunt Enterprise. The Hunt family has strengthened their security system now. It's hard to set up bombs there if we want to." Justin felt a headache when he heard Cadmus babbling. He rubbed his temples, and said tiredly, "Stop. We don't have to blow up Hunt Enterprise. I just want to find him. Do you get me? Find him. That's enough!"He stressed his intention of locating Jovan as if he were giving a simple and clear order to robots. Most of the time, Cadmus and Tiger were like AI. Real robots were probably more obedie