"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
The person in the lead was none other than the guy Renee had been waiting for all night—Jerome."Ms. Everheart, my naughty daughter has gone way over the line this time. I've already punished her by grounding her for a month. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive her." Jerome sincerely apologized, his face filled with guilt."I was lucky enough to escape unscathed, but my husband, who tried to save me..."Renee looked towards the ward where Stefan was, her fingers clenching slightly.Although his life was no longer in danger, the toxin had accumulated in his body, so no one knew if it would have any lasting effect. She was somewhat worried and also felt a bit guilty.If she had not tried to put on the act to acquire South Group's cooperation, Stefan would not have been in danger.She could now take the opportunity to make the request from Jerome, but... she could not do it.Liam, however, did not have that kind of reservation. He cut straight to the point. "If apologie
Austin was sincerely happy when he saw Renee's relaxed smile.Renee looked a lot like Maurice. Given how he missed and respected Maurice, Austin wouldn't treat Renee unfairly, even if he didn't wish for other things. "I'm sure she likes us."Sophia walked over and held Renee's wrist intimately. They walked forward calmly and steadily. "Renee, let's forget about our past conflict. You know what kind of a person Dad is. Yes, he's fierce, but he's not vengeful. Since you came back to us now, we'll still welcome and love you as we once did. Take my home as your home. Take Dad, Jack, and me as your grandpa-in-law and parents-in-law. Promise me."It had been a long time since Renee experienced such a warm feeling. It was the happiness of a happy family, and it overwhelmed her. Endless warmth filled her, and she nodded firmly. "I'm thankful for your forgiveness and that you're willing to accept me again. I thought it over before I decided to come. I won't break my promise, and I'll
"What do you mean, brat? Do you want to get a beating?" Austin snarled. He immediately put away his smile and glared at Justin, waving his walking stick threateningly. "No… I've lived with you for so many years, but I never saw you smile. Now, you're smiling so brightly. It's frightening!" Justin swallowed and added carefully, "Act normal. It's better if you are serious.""How dare you!" Austin, unable to hold himself back, raised his walking stick and hit Justin's back hard.Justin stood upright, neither yelling in pain nor frowning. His parents stood behind him, seemingly used to it. They didn't stop Austin, either.Renee watched the scene and found it horrifying. "Don't we have to do anything?""It's fine. Grandpa used to do this," Justin said, smiling at Renee. He even smoothed his hair indifferently. After all, physical punishment was normal to the Baldwin family."Hmph, brat! You always ruin my reputation." Austin finally put away his walking stick after he got tired from
The Baldwin family was so excited that they couldn't sleep. They waited at the exit of the airport eagerly for a long time."Dad, you can't be this fierce. The past is the past. What's important now is Justin has brought Ms. Ren home. He didn't let us down. And don't scare her off again. Just smile!" Sophia boldly reminded Austin, who looked stiff, for the sake of the bigger picture."Why should I smile? I'm born like this. I hate smiling!" Austin retorted stubbornly. His face grew stiffer and he looked more solemn. "Why can't you take my advice? Ms. Ren came to a strange city all alone. I'm sure she's scared, but you're going to be so fierce to her. If you scare her off, you'll make a scene again. It'll be too late if you regret it by then!" Sophia nagged, insistent on explaining the interests at stake."Okay, stop. Dad's always like that. He's a general. No general loves to smile. When did he ever smile? Stop forcing him. We'll do the smiling." Jack dragged Sophia to the side, f
In the past, Renee recalled hurting Justin once. If she chose to get off the plane, she couldn't regret it. For a moment, she was unsure. She wondered if she was ready to make such a huge decision."It's fine. I told you, it's not too late if you don't get off the plane," Justin whispered. Although he looked hurt, he remained gentle and kind. "You have one minute to reconsider.""No, that's unnecessary." After taking a deep breath, Renee finally made up her mind. "I'll go with you."She had made such a decision after much contemplation. Since she was bold enough to board the plane, then she could get off it."Alright!" Justin's eyes brightened. He walked over and interlocked his fingers with hers. "You don't have to be scared. I'll be with you every step of the way. Let's face everything together."They walked side-by-side as they got off the plane.They took an individual pathway to exit the airport since they rode the exclusive plane of the Baldwin family. The Baldwin family ha
"I'm sorry!" Renee blurted—she realized her selfishness."I admit that I took you as a substitute. I wanted to get out of that suffering relationship, and I didn't care about your feelings. I'm so sorry."At first, she wanted to forget Stefan and start a new relationship. And then, Justin risked his life to save her. On top of that, they were compatible in various aspects. She felt that she could spend the rest of her life with him.However, Renee realized that her actions were purely self-serving. She never considered Justin's feelings or asked about his willingness. She merely took him as a convenient tool. "No, you did nothing wrong," Justin said. "You have your choices. Likewise, I have my choices too."He stared at Renee passionately, his teary eyes filled with pain, and held her hand. "I chose you. I want to stay with you while you're trying to forget about him. I want you to be happy with me.""You…" Renee looked into Justin's eyes. His generosity, firmness, and thoug
"Mmph!" Renee was sitting beside the window, watching the floating clouds up in the sky when a sudden pain gripped her heart—as if it was clenched tight. "What's wrong?" Justin asked nervously. Sitting across from her, he could feel something wrong with her. "I'm fine." Renee shook her head and tried to soothe her stuffy chest. "My heart suddenly hurt just now. I guess it's because of the sudden weightlessness when the plane took off."Justin sighed in relief. "I've heard that some people might get dizzy or feel their ears ring because of weightlessness, but I've never heard of hearts aching.""It's fine. It's something rare, I guess. I'll feel better after a while." Renee waved his concerns away, taking a deep breath. She picked up the cup in front of her and sipped some water, and felt better. Perhaps the water had cooled her heart. However, Justin felt a little uneasy. He knew her heart wasn't his though their destination was the same."If you can't forget about him, yo
Stefan got involved with Briar. At the same time, something seemed to be wrong with Renee and she insisted on meeting Justin's parents. In short, they were lying to themselves.Xavier found it ridiculous that they would break up and date someone else, when in truth they loved each other passionately and had gone through so much together. They were just cowards who refused to face their problems head-on."Well said! I agree." For the first time, Leia and Xavier shared the same thoughts on the issues related to love. Aside from Stefan and Renee, there were many similar examples. Leia was convinced Liam was doing the same thing. She couldn't understand why they had to hurt themselves like that. It would be better to make peace.Suddenly, Xavier turned around and looked at Leia passionately, and declared with utmost seriousness, "So, we can't do that!" Having his face so close to hers so suddenly, Leia's heartbeat quickened. She pursed her lips and stood up shyly. "You're nuts
Justin walked over and tapped his wristwatch. "It's almost time. Let's go.""Okay." Renee nodded, then said to Leia, "Just go home and take good care of Liam. Tell my brother and kids that I'm fine. I'll be back at Beach City soon.""Uh…" Leia wanted to stop Renee from going to Beach City, but she couldn't find a reason to make Renee refuse. Of course, Renee had to stop the program which never responded."Fine. Take care. Call me immediately if anything happens!" Leia, enlightened, decided to respect Renee's choices. She hugged Renee and sobbed, "I hope you'll pick happiness no matter who you choose to be with!""Of course. I want you to do the same." Renee hugged Leia firmly.Then, she got into the small private plane bound for North City with Justin."She left…" Xavier muttered. He watched the plane take off for North City as he sat in the lobby, feeling complicated. He felt sorry for Stefan, but at the same time, he felt that Stefan had brought it upon himself. Being on
However, Leia didn't believe that Renee would have given up on Stefan. Based on their night chats a while ago, she could tell from Renee's tone that the latter was still confused about Stefan and couldn't part with him.It wasn't long ago, but now, Renee wanted to marry someone else. It was abnormal."Yes, I did…" Renee coldly looked ahead and added, "I did just now.""What?" Leia's eyes went wide, and she didn't stop questioning Renee. "What happened just now? Nothing happened!""Let me be frank with you." Renee decided to be honest with Leia since Leia insisted on getting to the bottom of it. "Justin told me something the night he saved us. Stefan informed him and asked him to come to our rescue.""I know that. And then?"Leia had heard the same story from Justin. She and Liam kept cursing Stefan for being a dirty coward all night long. It was infuriating. Stefan didn't try to save his beloved woman, but made his rival in love do so instead. It seemed he had given up his belo