"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
Just when swords almost clashed, Ms. Apple, the class teacher, waved at them. "Ms. Everheart, Ms. Click, both of you happen to be here today. Please come over. I need to tell you something about your children." "Sure, Ms. Apple. I'll be there." Renee appeared devastatingly smug as she put on airs, but in the next second, she was full of smiles. She became brighter and gentler. Jasmine also quickly crawled back up and dusted off the dirt on her body. She also put on a very flattering front. "Ms. Apple, I'm coming!" Their humble and flattering looks were rather amusing. It was understandable. In today's world, women left their children to society as hostages, and the kindergarten teacher was the one who managed those hostages. So, nearly all parents, including the local dignitaries as well as the cleaners, would be flattering and humble in front of the kindergarten teacher. It was no exception for a pompous lady like Jasmine. Ms. Apple led them to the consulting zone of t
In comparison, Jasmine became more arrogant and ill-mannered. Ms. Apple quickly said to Renee, "Of course not. Adie and Abby are very smart and don’t create trouble at all. They never make me worry about them. But unfortunately, some students are more spoiled. They like to annoy or bully others, and it's giving all the teachers a very hard time..." When Ms. Apple mentioned that issue, she gave Jasmine and Hudson a cold glance before she sighed. "Adie and Abby have a great sense of justice, especially Adie. He's the prince and hero to all the girls in our class. Everyone likes him! "This noon, Huddie snatched a small cake from a girl in class. Adie boldly did the right thing and wanted to snatch the cake back for that girl, but Huddie was adamant about holding on to it. Eventually, he even threw the cake on Adie, and they broke into a fight. Seeing that, Abby quickly ran over to help Adie. And… they ended up in the state that you see now." After Jasmine heard the teacher's descrip
As soon as Jasmine made that statement, a man in a white suit with sunglasses barged into the place fiercely with three to four men in black suits. "Ms. Click, are you and Mr. Huddie okay?" The man in a white suit asked Jasmine nervously. "Ken, you guys are here at last. Hmm... Any later, and my son and I would've been chastised to the dump!" Jasmine grabbed the man's arm and complained about it while crying piteously. After that, she pointed at Renee and Renee's children. "They bullied Huddie and me. Even the teacher conspired with them..."Look at Huddie! His face was terrible with the scratches. If my man saw it, he'll feel very sorry!"You guys must take revenge for Huddie and me today. If not, my man will be greatly humiliated." Ken, Ethan's assistant, patted Jasmine's shoulders and consoled her softly, "Ms. Click, don't worry. My boss ordered me to make those who bullied you and Mr. Huddie pay a heavy price regardless of the mess it'll cause. We won't let any of them of
Hudson stood upright. He did not dare to move at all, and he burst into tears because he was frightened. "Mommy, I'm scared!" "You... Don't scare my son. Just come at me!" Jasmine pulled Hudson to her back. She was originally arrogant, but when she saw Ken and the others who collapsed on the ground from the fight, she turned cowardly, gulping in fear. "You... Just talk nicely. Why did you have to use violence?" "Didn't you guys say you want to resolve the issue with violence? What's wrong? Do you think... I'm not violent enough?" "No!" Jasmine admitted to her defeat and bowed her head. "I think it's very normal for kids to argue and fight among themselves. Adults shouldn't meddle. You also shouldn't... act so violently. Look at how scared the kids are!" "Okay, we won't resolve this with violence..." Renee paused briefly before she bent down to grin at Huddie. "Boy, say sorry to whomever you bullied. Otherwise, I'll get mad and hit your hips again." "Hmm... Waah! Mommy,
Stefan could tell that Renee was hiding something and stopped asking."That's right. It's a special day today, so I'm taking you to a special place. Let us celebrate as a family…"Stefan gripped the steering wheel, then planted his right foot on the gas pedal and drove into the unknown."Special day? What special place? Can you tell us?" Renee asked with a frown. What Stefan said earlier made her very curious."Nope." Stefan drove the car out of the school area with ease. Then, he turned into the Marine Highway at a quick pace. He said mysteriously, "Have a good sleep. The mystery will be unveiled in a few hours. Don't be too excited or faint from overexcitement."Although full of secrecy, Stefan's handsome cold face lit up with an irrepressible pleasure.Stefan had always dreamt of having his wife in the passenger seat and his children in the back seat. He was simply blessed to enjoy this moment in peace.As the car sped along the blue sea, the sunset burned in its boldest blaz
The noises eventually woke Aiden up, who rubbed his eyes sleepily."Adie! Bad Daddy was biting Mommy again. I slapped him hard. You're right… He's terrible and always bullying Mommy! We don't want him anymore!"Abigail was too young to understand what she had just seen. She simply thought Stefan was hurting Renee by forcing her underneath him, so slapping him was considered a rather light punishment. Stefan sighed helplessly. He patiently explained to the two little ones, "Adie, Abby. I've told you many times. That wasn't bullying. That was Daddy's expression of love for Mommy. We were kissing."I believe there are many who have kissed you too. That's their expression of love to you…""That's not right!" Abigail's face was red. She said sternly, "Our uncles and aunts always kiss our cheeks and forehead, not bite our mouths. You were biting Mommy's mouth. I saw clearly! You're bad!"Abigail complained in agitation, raised her hand, and slapped Stefan on the other cheek. This slap
Stefan remained quiet as he calmly watched Renee. He extended his hand to touch her face but retrieved it before he could.She used to be the woman he was familiar with and the one he had hugged and kissed countless times, but now, he didn't even dare to touch her. "I think she doesn't even want you here. She must hate you so much and is disappointed in you. She'll be even more pressured if you stay here, and it'll push her further from this world. So please, get the hell out of here if you want the best for her!"Justin could not hold himself back from scolding Stefan. If Jovan was telling the truth, Stefan must be aware of the fact that Jovan was holding Renee hostage. Yet, he remained indifferent and feigned ignorance. He didn't even care if Renee was fine. What a cruel bastard! Justin was disappointed in Stefan. He wanted nothing more than to see what was really on Stefan's mind."Take good care of her." Stefan did not want to defend himself. He glanced at Renee, relucta
"What did you do to her?!" Stefan interrogated Jovan coldly, his eyes teary. "She isn't the kind to kill herself! What the hell did you do to her?" "Try to wake her up if you want to know." Jovan was pale. His previous sickness, coupled with his recent blood donation to Renee, made him very weak. Despite that, he refused to stop infuriating others. "Do you think I can't do anything to you? Do you really think that?" Stefan could no longer hold himself back and strangled Jovan. "I'm going to kill you! Repent for the terrible things you've done!"He couldn't imagine the kind of thing that could force the strong and stubborn Renee to resist by using such a desperate means. "You obviously won't go easy on me! I'm sure of that!" Jovan sneered. His pale face turned flushed as he suffocated from Stefan's powerful grip. "But you'd better kill yourself first if you want to avenge her! She ended up like this because of you." "What?" Stefan's face was frosty. He strengthened his grip a
Jovan slowly got up from the ground, looking incredibly weak. He whispered, "She lost too much blood. The doctor claimed she's out of danger, but…she hasn't woken up.""What did you say?" Stefan and Justin were bewildered. They couldn't process his words."So, she was the female college student who tried to kill herself?" Stefan said. He staggered after linking the information he had heard from a nurse with the things that Jovan had said."Stop acting dumb! You're so smart, how could you have missed that?" Jovan glared coldly stared at Stefan, scrutinizing him in disdain. "You were just too scared to face the truth and your woman! You're such a coward! You're an embarrassment to your family!""Agreed!" Justin added; he suddenly found Jovan useful, especially when the latter started insulting Stefan. It felt just right."Although I'm a fallback guy, I'm braver than you. I accept that she doesn't love me, and I'm willing to give it a try with her. And although this guy's a vill
Stefan frowned, doubtful. He looked vigilantly at Jovan, who had collapsed on the ground. "What do you mean by this?"Jovan kept coughing and said nothing. His lips grew pale as he sneered.Justin's eyes were cold, and he held back his urge to beat up Jovan. "Hmph! Obviously, this is a scam!"He demanded condescendingly, "How dare you barge into my territory and take away my woman! Don't you fear my family and me at all?"Jovan, filled with disdain, looked at Justin as if he was a fool. "Stop talking. You don't even have the right to join this battle."To Jovan, only Stefan was qualified and powerful enough to be his enemy."How dare you say that!" Justin was infuriated. He got down on one knee and grabbed Jovan. "Your family always says nasty things! You two are the same. If we start fighting, I'll make sure to cut your tongue first!""Did I say something wrong?" Jovan sized Justin up, ridiculing Justin with mock compassion. "Don't you have any self-awareness? You're just a fal
Stefan frowned and asked solemnly, "Aren't you a top hacker? Hack into this hospital's inpatient system. Then, we'll know where she is.""Yes, you're right." Still, Justin wanted to challenge Stefan. He said indifferently, "But you're Jovan's cousin. It's more convenient for you to make a call instead of me hacking into their system."Yes, Justin could hack into their system, but calling Jovan would be quicker. And what they needed the most was time."He and I…" Stefan sneered, flexing his fingers. "The fact we didn't kill each other is considered peaceful. He's not as obedient as you think.""You'll know by calling him."Justin had heard about the complicated internal fights of the Hunt family, but he felt that Stefan was exaggerating."Jovan is a Hunt no matter what. Plus, he's still working at Hunt Enterprise. Just call him," Justin said. "Fine." Stefan found Justin logical. His private grudges with Jovan were not important because finding Renee immediately was the most impo
Both Stefan and Justin arrived at Grace Hospital quickly. However, Stefan suddenly stopped before he entered the hospital. He looked at Justin curiously."Let's go! It's urgent. Stop standing here!"Justin hurriedly ran. When he turned around, he found that Stefan had not caught up with him. Confused, he asked Stefan, "Something is puzzling me. Don't you want me to stop seeing her? Why did you let me come with you?" Stefan narrowed his eyes and interrogated Justin suspiciously, "Did you lie to me? Or are you plotting something?" "That's nonsense! Don't take me as you. I'm not full of schemes like you!" Justin sounded disdainful. In comparison to Stefan, Justin was not full of schemes. He also looked down upon Stefan since the latter was always vigilant.Justin answered honestly, "Yeah, I don't want you to meet her ever, but I'm sure she wants to see you if she's in danger. Yes, I hate you—but I want her to be happy." He guessed that Renee must be in a serious state since Jov
"Uh…" After some contemplation, Elijah nodded. "I know what to do, Mr. Hunt. It looks like you can see far beyond the current situation. Just leave this to me.""Of course, the most important thing is to have fun."Stefan remained calm; he didn't feel like he had stepped over the line. He merely wanted Justin to learn about the cruelty of the world since Justin was always being protected so well. Whenever he did something wrong, he had to pay a price for it.Besides, Stefan merely did it for his aunt, who had taken the gunshot for nothing. When they reached a consensus, Justin came to meet Stefan. "Hey…" After a pause, he said with dissatisfaction and helplessness, "Would you like to go with me?"Stefan raised his brows in confusion."I mean, do you want to visit Phoenix with me?" Justin sighed. He looked naive, like a college student, as he confessed, "I found Jovan. I don't know why he's so good at countersurveillance. After exiting the emergency room, he transferred her to
"So, what do you want to do?" Stefan asked emotionlessly. He kept watching Nora, who was lying unconscious in the ward."At the very least, we have to teach the Baldwin family a lesson and make the public aware of your family's power as the head of The Great Eight of Beach City. It's not just about venting anger, but more about which side the various great families will take. It concerns the future of your family, too. We can't take it lightly!"Elijah could not hide his indignation. As Stefan's assistant, he was no longer merely an ordinary employee. He was loyal to Stefan and the Hunt family. He couldn't bear to see Stefan suffer any injustice or watch the Hunt family get humiliated. If Stefan hadn't stopped him, he would have gathered all the manpower to fight the Baldwins. Although he had fought Cadmus and Tiger, he had yet to defeat them. He tried to figure out a way to make a counterattack, his face shadowed in gloom.Stefan turned and calmly looked at Elijah. "How shoul
When Justin was willing to send them on an errand again, Cadmus was eager to express his loyalty."No, you don't have to risk your lives for me. That's bloody and horrible. All you need to do is find someone for me." After a pause, Justin added, "Jovan Hunt, Stefan's younger cousin." Cadmus clenched his fists and said fiercely, "It's another Hunt! Old Master Baldwin is right. The Hunt family is full of bad people. If we knew, we shouldn't have dismantled the bombs in Hunt Enterprise. The Hunt family has strengthened their security system now. It's hard to set up bombs there if we want to." Justin felt a headache when he heard Cadmus babbling. He rubbed his temples, and said tiredly, "Stop. We don't have to blow up Hunt Enterprise. I just want to find him. Do you get me? Find him. That's enough!"He stressed his intention of locating Jovan as if he were giving a simple and clear order to robots. Most of the time, Cadmus and Tiger were like AI. Real robots were probably more obedie