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
Renee frowned and asked the doctor nervously, "Please tell me.""Because the snake venom is too strong and can disrupt the victim's central nervous system, Mr. Hunt may experience symptoms of quadriplegia for the next few days. In other words, he won't be able to move. You and Mr. Hunt should not panic if that happens. He's not paralyzed for life. He'll be fine once the snake venom is cleansed.""Quadriplegia?"While Renee was still digesting that word, a loud noise came from the ward."Get out! Get out! Don't touch me!"Stefan had come to. His angry voice was loud enough for the entire floor to hear him.Renee and the doctor hurried over.They saw several young nurses standing at the door of the ward, all of them afraid to go in."What's the matter with you people? The patient's awake. Why aren't you taking care of him? Don't you want to work here anymore?"The doctor said with a serious expression.The person lying inside was Stefan Hunt, the CEO of Hunt Enterprise! If they
Liam felt that his situation at the fort was almost the same as Renee's current situation. He had thought that the marriage was just for show. If he was unhappy, he could get a divorce. Even then, things were not that easy when he wanted to get out of that mess. If Amber had not protected him, Benjamin would have long gotten him killed. He knew better than anyone else how unfair it was for the other party when one tolerated and went through with the marriage.Amber was naive and was willing to be treated unfairly, but Justin was no fool. He would not be able to take it if it lasted for a long time. It was easy to imagine what Renee would face when Justin stopped taking her side."Let's go! I'm not afraid. You don't have to be afraid, either." Liam made up his mind to support Renee, who was standing behind him.Renee bit her lips and started to waver; not because she did not want to be with Justin, but simply because she was not confident in herself. She was afraid she would neve
"Liam, what are you doing?" Leia looked at Liam, unable to understand his sudden excitement."I'm going to meet Austin or Justin. I want them to cancel this engagement ceremony." Liam held Renee's wrist and tried to drag her out of the suite.He was certain Renee didn't want to marry Justin, so it was very likely that she would regret it in the future. It would be hard to settle if she regretted it after the engagement party. Liam felt that he had to try his best to put everything under control while he still could. Feeling helpless, Leia complained, "Stop making a scene… This is Ren's marriage. You can't make all this fuss!""You don't know. I'm doing this for her. I want the best for her." Liam knew the consequences of resisting Austin, given the man's position. He was also ready to be punished by them. Even though he would be beaten up vigorously, he would not hesitate as long as he could stop the ceremony and help Renee avoid such risks. "If you want the best for her, just
Leia felt so awkward that she wanted to run away. "Hey, can you stop flattering yourself? You haven't settled your messy romance, so please don't get Ren involved. You shouldn't joke like that!"Similarly, Liam found his joke impudent and admitted to his mistake. "Yeah, I was wrong. Don't take my joke seriously."Both Renee and Leia were amused. It helped relieve their tension. "But have you thought it through? After this ceremony, you'll be a part of the Baldwin family. You can't regret it by then," Liam said; he was worried about Renee. Everyone knew the Baldwin family's style. They had such a grand ceremony today. If anything went wrong, the Everheart family might be ruined for the second time. Although nobody knew who would win the battle, the trouble could be avoided. Liam was clueless as to why Renee wanted to take such a risk."Yes, I have." Renee nodded and added firmly, "I'd thought it through the moment I boarded the plane with Justin to fly here."It was the last c
Renee was done getting ready. As her closest friend, Leia came to North City with Liam immediately.The engagement ceremony was held in a magnificent hall of a top hotel. The guests arrived one by one and chatted among themselves. It was a luxurious and grand scene. "Ren, I'm sorry I'm late!" Leia arrived at the hotel suite where Renee was waiting. She put her hands together to express her apology. "It's Liam's fault! He was out of his mind and insisted on not coming here, but I forced him to and took some time. Please don't be mad at me!""Silly, I won't be mad at you. Plus, this ceremony doesn't carry much meaning. The Baldwin family just needs this as an assurance. It doesn't matter even if you're absent."Renee looked indifferent and was not at all happy and eager like a bride-to-be. The engagement ceremony was held to announce to the world about the relationship between her and Renee. In all honesty, Renee was resistant to it. She did not want her family or friends to at
Margaret decided to be frank since Renee had said so. "I can tell that you don't sincerely love Mr. Baldwin. Your marriage is just a way to avoid reality. Why are you so harsh on yourself if that's the case? Now, you're making such a big fuss about moving here. If you fail to get along with him and have to return to Beach City in the future, many people will gossip about you. They'll say nasty things about you. Why do you have to put yourself in such a condition?""Margaret, you don't understand…" Renee looked at herself in the mirror. She looked very charming, like a bride in ancient paintings. Everyone would be charmed by her—including herself. She knew very well that she was the one taking the lead in her romance with Justin. They could go on forever as long as she didn't end it. She was just afraid she could not hold on and wanted to stop, and the only reason that she wanted to stop was probably because of Stefan. "If I stay in Beach City, I'll come across Stefan. I know t
Time passed by. It was soon the day for the engagement ceremony between Justin and Renee.The Baldwin family held a grand ceremony while adhering to tradition. It was both traditional and romantic.Renee put on a red slim-fit silk gown with intricate black and gold embroidery. Her long hair was delicately pinned up, showing off her fair and slender neck. She looked elegant."How pretty!" Margaret stood in front of the vanity table and looked at Renee, whose face was dolled with exquisite makeup. She looked gratified, as though she were looking at her daughter."If your parents saw how pretty and elegant you were, they would be very happy." Margaret gently placed her hands on Renee's shoulders and commented, "You married Mr. Hunt when I wasn't around. You must have suffered a lot. But things will get better now… I'll stay with you and protect you forever. I'll be your strongest support."Back then, Renee was left alone when her family was ruined. She married Stefan without anyo
Alexander and Francine were already old. It was fine even if others criticized them or took violent revenge on them. But they were worried that the younger generation, especially Adie and Abby, would have a hard time handling it."You're right. I wasn't thinking straight…" Francine became teary and sobbed. "I just wanted to relieve my guilt and failed to consider the kids. We brought this upon ourselves. I'll probably have to suffer this pain for the rest of my life.""Stop thinking about that. It's all over. It's useless to regret or dwell on it." Alexander walked over and hugged her shoulders. He whispered some consoling words, "No one can tell who was right or wrong about that affair. We're already punished. Just act like everything is gone…"Is it? You're just trying to make yourself feel better." Francine leaned against Alexander's shoulders, full of melancholy. "Don't you think the kids are suffering the consequences of our actions? They love and understand each other bu
"No, I'm not going to snatch away the bride." Stefan put his fork down and stood up. He added calmly, "Plus, I'm going to give them a huge wedding gift."Flabbergasted and shocked, Francine's face stiffened. "I'm full. Just enjoy your meal." Stefan went past Francine and headed upstairs to his room. Francine and Alexander watched Stefan's upright but desolate back for a long time, unable to snap back to reality."Alexander, is there something wrong with him? Should we get an exorcist? He's acting weird!"Francine could not accept to see Stefan that generous all of a sudden. His woman was snatched away, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he wanted to buy the couple a big wedding gift. She couldn't come up with any other possibility except that Stefan was crazy or possessed. "I can understand him." Suddenly, Alexander became sad as if he recalled his past. He looked gloomy as he added, "Sometimes, letting go is a kind of happiness. Helping the others to be together is true l
"How could you!" For a moment, Timothy was rendered speechless. After all, his anxiety was useless since Stefan was calm. "Forget it. I'm not eating. It's annoying! I'm going upstairs." Timothy did not want to argue with Stefan since Stefan was already an adult. He could not force Stefan to do anything. Instead, he chose to get away from such annoyance to not ruin the harmony of the New Year. After he got up and left, Francine braced herself to mediate the situation."Your grandpa isn't very healthy. He should rest early. Let's eat. We should enjoy our meal happily no matter how unhappy things are." Alexander soon gave his cooperation as well when he heard that. He put some food on Stefan's plate and smiled. "Yes, we can't force things in life. Let's enjoy our meal first." "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry you guys are worried about me. Happy New Year."Stefan quietly ate and raised his wine glass, toasting to his parents. He looked normal and calm, and was warmer toward them.However,