"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
Meanwhile, Alexander and his wife, who were on the stairs, were so embarrassed that they shifted awkwardly and quickly turned around to look away."Geez," Francine muttered, "I didn't know our son could be so shameless!""Geez," Alexander exclaimed with pride, "I didn't know our son could be so good at it!"Renee mustered up all her strength to kick Stefan off her body and shot up to her feet. She tried her best to straighten her messy hair and clothes and said, "Mom, Dad, would you… would you like a cup of tea?""Oh, don't worry about us! You're both clearly very busy right now, so we won't trouble you. Your dad and I were just passing through."After that, Francine quickly dragged Alexander away, and they were gone."Oh god, I'm done for! My image is completely and permanently ruined! What will your parents and all your relatives think of me from now on?!"Renee buried her flushed red face in her hands out of bashfulness. She felt like crying, but no tears came out. She though
"Fine!"Stefan's renowned haughtiness finally gave way to Renee's gentle persuasions. He turned the steering wheel with one hand while he tousled her hair with the other. "For the sake of my angelic wife, I won't stoop to their level today."And so, they agreed to part ways—Stefan drove away and headed towards the open-air parking lot less than half a mile away, while Renee got out of the car and queued up in front of the kindergarten gate and waited her turn to pick up her kids. Once the kids were with her, Stefan drove back to the kindergarten, and they would meet up again.In fact, many other parents had opted to do the same thing because there were just too few parking spots in front of the kindergarten, so it did not matter whether you were a powerful official or a common citizen, once they became parents, they had to abide the rules to set a good example for their children.Meanwhile, the Panamera boastfully screeched to a halt in the parking spot that Stefan had just given u
"Well, so you do know your place!" Jasmine crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised her chin high before she roared at Renee arrogantly, "Hurry up and kneel in apology. I won't hold you responsible for it." The surrounding parents tried to persuade Renee to give in. It was because Jasmine was Ethan's lover for many years. She had become quite arrogant because of how much he had spoiled her. The reason why she dared to be so arrogant was because she had given birth to a son for Ethan. It was a general fact that the Murphy family had only pronounced having a daughter called Seraphina, but in fact, Ethan's illegitimate son was more than four years old now. Jasmine was bold enough to even put Ethan's original wife down because of that illegitimate son. She also became very wilful and unscrupulous. "Great idea!" Renee cracked a smile and put on a queen's demeanor. She stated condescendingly, "I'm ready. You can kneel now." "You're so insensible. I asked you to get
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
"What do you want? I'm warning you! Stay away from me, or I won't go easy on you!"For an unknown reason, a chill ran down Macsen's spine when he saw how fierce Renee looked. He wondered why she was that fierce. She could walk fast even when dragging a sandbag over 110 pounds—she wasn't ordinary.Holding a gun, Macsen flexed his fingers as his knuckles turned white. "I don't care about people's lives! I can kill them if I'm happy, including you!""Is that so?" Renee stubbornly faced the gun and walked forward. She glared at him coldly. "A demon like you should never live. I'll kill you, even if I have to die for it!"She swiftly pounced on and pushed him down despite the heavy sandbag.Everything happened so fast, Macsen was dumbstruck. Renee even managed to knock on his gun. The gun went off, firing a bullet at a nearby stone pillar. It nearly hurt one of Macsen's subordinates. "Oh, you don't care about people's lives, do you? You can just kill them, huh? I'll make you suffer t
Macsen clenched his fists, agitated. For many years, he was mainly responsible for the armed forces of the fort. On the other hand, Benjamin instructed his adopted sons to take care of his business. Previously, Hunt Enterprise promised the Jenkins family many profits under the condition that Renee and Joanne could leave the fort safely. Hence, Benjamin let them go at that critical point despite the humiliation he faced. Afterward, Stefan continued his close cooperation with the Jenkins family. While this happened, the relationship between Macsen and Benjamin grew tenser. Gradually, Macsen kept gathering power to surpass Benjamin one day and take revenge on Stefan.Renee and Leia's sudden arrival at the fort was beyond Macsen's expectations. Although he was getting stronger, he wasn't powerful enough to fight Benjamin and the Hunts. Despite this, he naturally wouldn't give up such a good chance easily. Macsen's revenge was the result of his impulsiveness. He had been reckless,