"That's not right, Francine! Shouldn't you be angry with your daughter-in-law for being so lazy?""I don't see any reason to get angry," said Francine in a considerate tone as she took a sip of her tea. "If the young couple wants to sleep, then let them. It's perfectly natural that they're especially affectionate with each other. I don't see any problem in letting them roll around in bed for a while anyway.""But that's nonsense!" one of Stefan's aunts argued indignantly. "She's a member of a respectable family now, and she should learn to act like it! All of us who married into the Hunts know this! We make sure that we're elegant, dignified, graceful, and courteous at all times—the basic qualities that the wife of an affluent man should…""My daughter-in-law doesn't need any of these qualities," Francine interrupted. "All she needs to do is to spend the rest of her life happily with my son.""You may be able to accept this, Francine, but what about Stefan? Can he endure having suc
The atmosphere in the great hall tensed up immediately. The tension was so thick in the air that it felt like a knife could cut through it.Ever since Stefan faked his death and Jovan colluded with his cronies in an attempt to seize power in Hunt Enterprise, the Hunt family was divided into two warring factions. The first took Alexander's side, while the second took Arthur's side—and from then on, the two cousins then became adversaries.Alexander had a forthright personality, so when he saw Arthur approaching from a distance, he immediately glowered and blurted, "Hmph! I can't believe you have the gall to step into this house! If I'm not mistaken, I don't think my father ever invited you and your wife here today!""Come on, Alex! Why are you treating me like I'm a stranger?"Arthur, cunning as an old fox, wore a wide phony grin on his face as he walked up to Alexander and put his hand on his cousin's shoulder in a fake brotherly gesture."How could I not be here when it's such a
"Arthur's right," Alexander agreed smugly. "No one else in the entire Hunt family could ever hold a candle to Stefan apart from your son Jovan…"Then he viciously added, "But I've got a grandson and a granddaughter now. As their grandfather, I will raise them and train them so well that they'd be able to take over the family business from Stefan one day. We won't need to trouble your son anymore."Alexander's words made Arthur and Sheila green with rage, but because old Mr. Hunt was still there, they remained cautious and dared not cause too much of a scene. Still, these two would never give up so easily, especially not Sheila—she was not one to take it lying down! She had been stifling a grudge all along, and now that Alexander humiliated her in front of the whole family, she swore that she would let them pay no matter what!"Alex, Francine, let's not forget that it is a happy occasion for the family, so let's not bring up the messy past! When I heard that Stefan got back together
"Why didn't you tell me that there were guests downstairs? What would your family think of me now?!"Renee buried her beet-red face in her hands, totally humiliated. She wished that she could find a hole in the ground and hide in there forever. They must have found out that she had been sleeping in this late, and if she showed up looking unkempt and disheveled, she would forever be regarded as the shame of the Hunt family and drown in their saliva from their disparaging opinions!"What they think is their business," replied Stefan. "All I want is for you to be comfortable."Stefan put his arms around Renee's shoulders and calmly led her downstairs. Then, in a casual tone, he greeted everyone, "Good morning, uncles and aunts. Please forgive me and Ren for getting up so late."Stefan's power and position in the Hunt family were only second to Timothy, so as soon as he spoke up, his voice carried a certain authority that instantly silenced the whole room.But when he looked down at
This bastard was downright vulgar!Sheila and Arthur were seething with anger. They quickly rushed towards Timothy to complain."You… You heard that, didn't you, Uncle Timothy? Stef was simply being disrespectful of us! Sheila only meant to give them the golden lock as a special gift with pure intentions. It's fine if they don't appreciate it, but how could he say that Jovan could be cut off from his children? You must grant us justice, Uncle!"Sheila clung onto the armrest of the chair where Timothy was seated, wailing as if the world was ending.Arthur then added, bringing up his long-dead father to put more pressure on Timothy, "My father died young, Uncle Timothy, but before he died, he entrusted me to you. Although I'm only your nephew, I've always looked up to you as my real father, so you can't let your son and grandson bully me like this. If Jovan really is cut off from his children, my bloodline will end with him, and in that case, my father will certainly have something t
Both Arthur and Sheila were startled by Stefan's threat. They knew that Stefan was a haughty man, but they never expected it to reach the point where he would disregard basic social etiquette of showing respect to the elders—all for a woman of a low status!For a family who had always abided by strict rules, such behavior was simply perfidious!The elders in the room could no longer stand by quietly. One by one, they stood up and voiced their disapproval."Stef, you're Arthur's nephew! How could you speak to him like that? Think of how embarrassing it would be if the public finds out about this!""No matter how wrong Arthur and Sheila were, they are still your uncle and aunt! You should settle the matter by discussing it like civilized people. Is the problem even worth losing your temper over?""As your uncles and aunts, we think you two are the ones who should be begging for your aunt and uncle's forgiveness!"Because of his arrogance, Stefan now became the target of the family'
"Apologize to her."The demand that came out of Stefan's mouth sounded simple, but it was given firmly and coldly as he slowly stepped toward Sheila."What are you doing? Don't come near me! You… You…"Sheila backed away from Stefan in fright. She looked so distressed that she could barely hold her tears in.Renee tugged at Stefan's sleeve and whispered, "I'm fine, Stefan! Please, stop looking like a man-eating monster! We're still younger than them, so let's just…""I said apologize!"Stefan repeated his order to Sheila in a much more forceful manner now, completely ignoring Renee's pleas. He looked as if he might beat Sheila to death in a heartbeat!Seeing this, Arthur rushed over and acted as if he was teaching Stefan a lesson, asking him, "What are you doing, Stef? Is this how you speak to your aunt?""I'm only counting to three. Both of you will apologize to my wife…"Stefan had a savage expression on his face, and his eyes looked bone-chillingly cold as he counted, "One,
After Stefan had given his warning, the party then went on quite harmoniously, and the jeering and sneering were gone as well.Renee used to occupy an even lower status than stray dogs in the Hunt family, but she had risen to the pinnacle as if she was the main star of the show. Elders who used to hold her in contempt now surrounded her and praised her incessantly.This helped her understand a certain truth—how popular and respected you were with your in-laws had nothing at all to do with how friendly and sociable you were or how good you were at your career because, at the end of the day, it all depended on how your husband treated you.When your husband doted on you, it did not matter how lazy or unruly you were. When all had been said and done, you would be his one in a million, an irreplaceable wife and a remarkable daughter-in-law.But when your husband neglected you, it did not matter how much you abided by the rules or even if you were completely perfect. In the end, you wou
Renee grinned, satisfied after a long rest. "Why didn't you sleep a bit longer? This bed is comfortable and fluffy." While talking, she behaved like a fish as she extended her limbs and rolled around in bed childishly. In comparison to her calmness and ease, Justin behaved gingerly and did not dare to move as he lay in bed."Do you have any idea what had happened? We aren't dreaming. We're lying in the same bed," Justin said.He was certain that Renee was not fully awake. It explained why she was that composed. Otherwise, any normal woman would get out of bed with a start and keep screaming if they found herself lying in a man's bed."I know!" Renee said. After having a great time rolling around, Renee faced Justin with her head on her arm while lying on her side. "I wanted to drink wine to say sorry to you guys last night, but your family drugged the wine. You drank the same wine when you tried to stop me. We were controlled by the drug and were locked up in this room. T
Renee instantly understood what Justin meant by that. It turned out that the incident was just a part of the Baldwin family's plan. If she left, the Baldwin family would not easily let her off the hook.Justin still cared about her at a time like that, which moved her. "Thank you. You're great." Renee cried; she had no idea how to repay him. "You don't have to thank me. I'm not so great, either. I just hate that they always pester me." Justin purposely sounded relaxed. He finally calmed himself down as he casually grabbed some bandages to bandage his wound. Then, he lay in bed.He slept on one side of the bed and said to Renee, "It's late. You should rest early. This bed is large enough. If you don't mind, you can lie in bed too."The bed was large. It was more than enough even if Renee and Justin lay there."I…" Renee hesitated briefly before she finally got in bed. She trusted Justin. If he wanted to do something indecent to her, he would have long done that. He would no
"I don't know how to tell you. I'm sure you can understand." Renee could not bring herself to say more because it was a humiliating privacy. She might as well keep it to herself."Let me guess…" Justin's gaze grew sharp as he went straight to the point. "The man in your story is Stefan, isn't it?" Silence washed over Renee as she kept her head bowed. It was a silent approval.Justin burst into reckless laughter, which was scary. He looked down at his cut wound and laughed pathetically. "This is why he could make you fall in love with him, and I couldn't. I'm too cultured compared to him.""Don't say that, Haze!"Seeing how defeated Justin was, Renee became uneasy. "It isn't written in the stars for us. Plus, I've fallen in love with Stefan a long time ago before I even got to know you. I also rely on him physically and psychologically. I can't control my feelings. It's not something we can change. We…" "Stop!" Heartbroken, Justin pushed away everything in front of him and s
Time passed by. Gradually, the pain knocked some sense into Justin. He no longer wanted to take advantage of Renee."Let me get you some water." Renee had no idea what she could do for Justin. After some contemplation, she got to her feet and poured him a glass of water.Finally, she studied the room closely and found that it was a wedding room as Justin had mentioned. Everything was set up according to her preferences, which she had occasionally mentioned to Justin. For example, she loved keeping some ceramic ornaments on the bedside cabinet and hanging some seashell wind chimes at the windows. The entire room was painted in beige and green, which were her favorites, too. Beige gave a sense of warmth, while green gave a sense of gloominess. All of those details became the perfect wedding room for Renee.If everything went on smoothly, she would spend most of her time there, and he would be her life companion. Unfortunately, there were no ifs in the world.Renee handed the gla
Renee covered her lips, her tone filled with disbelief. "I…cut myself." Justin leaned against the corner and frowned deeply. He was in deep pain."Why did you cut yourself?" Renee was scared out of her wits and grew more sober. In her panic, she threw herself at him and tried to stop his bleeding.Justin reacted aggressively as he waved his dagger and warned fiercely, "Get away from me! Don't touch me!" "I…" Renee paused, too afraid to act recklessly. She pointed at his wound and said, "I'm just worried about you. You're bleeding. It must hurt a lot. Why did you hurt yourself?" "It's better to be in pain!" Justin gnashed his teeth and said in agony, "The pain will knock some sense into me, so I won't act like an animal and lose control of myself.""I see…" Stunned, Renee was moved to tears. She understood why he cut himself. Surprisingly, he wanted to stay sober and not be controlled by the drug in the wine.He could have used her to satisfy his desire, and she would never b
"You're playing with fire!" Justin leaned close to Renee's ears and said fiercely, "What do you think there is in the wine? Maybe I'm not someone who will take liberty on women, but I can't promise that the wine won't make me so." "So, you're saying that the wine…" Suddenly, Renee realized the wine was not as simple as she thought. She also understood why Rose had behaved in such a mysterious manner. "Stay…away from me!" Suddenly, she became frightened and wanted to keep some distance from Justin. She knew that people could not be trusted completely, especially under the effects of chemical reactions. Things would certainly get out of control. Justin probably did not want to do anything to her, but both of them would lose their minds under the effect of the wine and do something that would fill them with regret. The only way to prevent such an incident was to avoid each other."You want to stay away from me, but it's too late now. I'm no saint. I'm just a normal guy!"Just
"I'm so thirsty!" The burning sensation of the wine made Renee thirsty. She wanted to drink some water.In the dark, she heard some rustling. The next second, something was on her lips. It seemed to be someone else's lips. She wondered if someone had secretly kissed her."Who are you?" Renee grabbed the person in front of her and interrogated angrily, "How dare you kiss me without my permission! Do you know who I am? I'll cut off your lips!""Let's see if you can do that or not." The man sounded dull and drunk, but he was also overbearing.Although Renee was drunk, she could discern who it was. She called out in the dark and tried to confirm her doubt. "Haze…?" "Yeah, it's me," Justin admitted, but he did not plan to let her go. He used a more overbearing manner and trapped her between him and the door."What do you want?" Renee panicked. She wanted to kick him away, but she did not resist when she learned that it was Justin. After she had done so many things to hurt him, s
The servant walked forward with trepidation and helped Justin back to his room. Austin's eyes were dark. He whispered to his assistant, who nodded and immediately carried out his order.After two glasses of strong wine, Renee felt dizzy and could not stand steadily. "It's weird. Is this wine this strong? I just had two glasses of it, but I feel quite dizzy." It was hard for her to exit the hall. She could not stand properly, so she supported herself against the wall."Ms. Everheart, you didn't seem well. Let me help you to get some rest." Austin's assistant caught up to her and stood behind her. He even sounded respectful. "It's… fine. I can go back to my room." Renee waved; she didn't want to trouble others. Besides, she did not want others to see how miserable she was. She had assumed that she was good at drinking and would not get drunk, but it seemed like she had overestimated herself. After two glasses of wine, she became quite drowsy. She would not easily leave if s
Renee blinked and smiled brightly at Justin, asking him, "Are you worried about me?" "No, I'm not worried about you!" Justin said angrily. "I don't want you to get killed here. I can't explain it to your brother and kids. It's hard to handle the three of them."He was not lying. Although he had befriended Quinton, Adie and Abby might make a scene there if they realized that Renee had drunk so much wine at the party. They were witty, always full of ideas.Hence, it was better not to cause trouble. Before they could make a scene and things get out of control, Justin must stop Renee. He wasn't worried about her at all. "So, you're not worried about me?" Renee's gaze turned dull as she sighed. "It looks like you didn't forgive me. So, I must drink this glass of wine." Something was wrong with Renee, or perhaps she just wanted to torture herself. It seemed like she insisted on drinking the wine. She swung off Justin's hand and gulped down the wine."You're out of your mind!" Justi