The '81 Curve' was the most difficult route in the area, with several risky turns, and was a natural racing course. The road had 81 turns in all, thus the name.Many underground racers enjoyed racing there, and as a result, many died there too. Although racing was no longer permitted on the track, many people still went to race there at night. Renee was one of those courageous individuals.Stefan grinned as he looked out the window at the greenery that flashed past him. "You can go as fast as you want; I'm not as weak as you think. You don't have to hold back in front of me."Renee used to hide her real feelings in order to be the ideal wife in front of him. The more she strived to be flawless, the more he loathed it, and it had created a tremendous gap between them. He couldn't fall in love with someone who buried her emotions behind a mask, but he was so passionately in love with her now that she had ceased caring about his opinion and was genuinely herself."I read somewhere that th
In Hunt Manor, Timothy was overjoyed, and his eyes welled up with tears as he saw Francine bring Aiden and Abigail home."Kids, this is the grandpa I mentioned. He's the Hunt family member who likes your mother the most and who your father fears the most." Francine gladly introduced Timothy to the children. After interacting with them for a few days, she had come to understand their thought process—anyone friendly to Renee and hostile to Stefan was an ally.She had become their ally by criticizing Stefan on occasion, and she hoped that by introducing Timothy in such a way, the children would warm to him.To Francine's delight, her plan worked. Aiden, who was usually cautious, approached Timothy on his own.He raised his head and looked at Timothy's wrinkled face, then gently hooked his finger around the old man's wrinkled finger and murmured, "Great-grandpa, I can tell you're a good person. Thank you for looking after my mother."When Abigail saw this, she went up to her brother and ha
"Yes. That's exactly what I mean." As Timothy listened to them, tears welled up in his eyes, and he felt a surge of pride. "It's no surprise you're Ren's children. You're both very intelligent, and your thinking is very mature. Your emotions are also stronger than your father's. It's the Hunt family's good fortune to have gotten such good genes from the Everheart family."Alexander was astounded by his grandchildren's intelligence, but he wasn't about to give in as he protested feebly, "Dad, Stefan's genes aren't bad either. If the children supposedly inherited their mother's emotional intelligence, they must have inherited their father's intelligence as well.""Nonsense!" Timothy rolled his eyes at Alexander. "Did you know Ren is a top student? She skipped grades and pursued her master's and doctoral degrees in the most difficult subject, physics. Stefan cannot compete with her—he's only good at business."Renee had wheeled Stefan into the living room just as Timothy was criticizing h
"Quiet down." Stefan cleared his throat and declared, "I have good news."Everyone turned to glare at him.Timothy, in particular, seemed unsatisfied and irritated every time he saw Stefan. "Are you even capable of giving me good news? It's most likely horrible news!"Francine had the same annoyed expression on her face as she waved her hand dismissively. "Your grandfather and the grandchildren dislike you. Renee dislikes you as well. Why don't you go into your room and wait there so you don't spoil our mood?""What do you have to say?" Alexander urged him frustratedly. "Make it quick. I'm too busy peeling walnuts for my grandkids to squander my time." He fed a peeled walnut to Aiden and then to Abigail as he talked, then told them gently, "Adie, Abby, you should eat more walnuts to keep your brain healthy. Don't be like your stupid father, who does things without thinking."Stefan was stunned. Since Aiden and Abigail arrived, he'd lost all his status in the Hunt family. They only saw
"Then you two have agreed to lie to me!" Timothy saw straight through their plan, and sighed deeply. "You know I won't live for long, so you decided to put on an act with him to avoid having any regrets?""No, Grandpa. You've overthinking it!" Renee protested."I know your personality, Ren. You've always put others before yourself, so it's not surprising that you'd do something like this. As much as I hope you and Stefan will return to the way you both were before, you must forgive him, fall in love with him again, and be content with him first."After advising them, the old man said seriously, "Look into my eyes and tell me you've forgiven him and fallen in love with him again.""I…" Renee unconsciously looked away from his intense gaze as guilt consumed her and glanced at Stefan for assistance. "You should ask him, Grandpa. He is aware of everything.""I knew you wouldn't believe me. Fortunately, I came prepared." Stefan scoffed, then pulled out a document from his pocket and proudly
"Yes. Renee, it's your turn." Stefan's eyes were filled with passion and hope."I…" Renee swallowed her saliva, feeling as though she had been put on the spot. Because of Timothy's statements, she found it difficult to concur with Stefan. If she made a casual commitment and couldn't follow through with it, she'd be cursing Timothy."Ren, you said you got back together with Stefan because you love each other. Isn't it normal for a husband and wife to swear never to leave one other for the rest of their lives? Why are you finding it so difficult?"Timothy frowned. He just wanted them to be happy. "No!" Renee gulped hard, smiled gently, and clasped Stefan's hand, muttering, "I hope that as Stefan's wife, I can always be happy with him for the rest of my life."Stefan was so astonished he choked on his own spit. He stared at Renee, eyes wide in disbelief. He hadn't expected Renee to say those things to him—he expected her to tell a few falsehoods and lie to Timothy."Renee, have you given
When Stefan and Alexander heard this, they were both dumbfounded. Although the atmosphere was lively and humorous, it was also peaceful and heartwarming.Aiden, on the other hand, seemed solemn. He crossed his arms and pouted as if he was angry.Renee and Francine were pleasantly conversing when Renee saw his face and asked, "Adie, what's wrong? Why do you look so unhappy?""Mommy, I think you're being irresponsible.""Huh? What do you mean?" Renee was perplexed, and everyone turned to stare at the little boy.Aiden had kept his displeasure hidden for so long that he finally let everything out. "Weren't you supposed to marry Q? How did you end up marrying Bad Daddy? Did you forget how he used to bully you?"He was afraid Renee would be bullied again."Hahaha. Well, about that..." Renee felt uneasy and didn't want Timothy and the others to discover the act, so she stated, "I was just joking with Mr. Q. How am I going to marry him? He is not your biological father.""It doesn't matter wh
Timothy suspected that Mr. Q was probably a source of contention between Stefan and Renee, so he avoided asking anything else about him.Aiden, on the other hand, was a child. Even though he had tremendous intelligence, he had little understanding of relationships and continued to battle for Mr. Q's justice. "I disagree with you marrying Bad Daddy, Mommy. You should get married to Q—He's a thousand times better than Bad Daddy!"Pouting, the little boy fiercely declared, "If you don't marry Q, I won't acknowledge you anymore!"Timothy was perplexed. He grinned as he affectionately rubbed the boy's head. "Can you explain why you like Q? How is he superior to your father?""Q aced all of my tests. He cooks well, talks kindly, sings well, makes Mommy laugh, and most importantly, he has a house full of unique treasures. If Mommy is upset, she will go inside for a stroll and immediately feel better!""Treasures?""Yes. It's Water Dock's treasure house. Everyone admires and fears him. He's in
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