The atmosphere suddenly became tense again. Everyone looked at Stefan, waiting for his answer.The man slowly took a sip of champagne and said meaningfully, "I used to be fearless, but now, what I fear most is my wife leaving me.”“Oh no, you really are a hopeless romantic. Show some backbone, Stef!”Xavier waved his hand. He expected that answer. It did not surprise him at all.Leia also could not help mocking Stefan. "Can you two please stop taking every opportunity to show how much you're in love? It's making me sick. I don't even have the appetite for the leg of lamb anymore.”Renee was calm, though. Her beautiful lips curled into a shallow smile. She looked gentle and peaceful, but there was a trace of coldness in her eyes.She crossed her legs and wrapped the blanket tighter around her, then said to Stefan, "May I ask you a question?”Stefan shrugged and said calmly, "Go ahead.”“You keep emphasizing that you're afraid I'd leave you one day. Does that mean, deep down in y
Xavier leaped up, swooped Leia off her feet and carried her on his shoulder, then walked unsteadily towards the villa.Stefan and Renee were in shock. They stared at each other for a long time before they snapped back to their senses.Renee: "Your buddy is crazy.”Stefan: "Your bestie doesn't seem that normal either."Renee: "Are they entering the bridal chamber now?”Stefan: "Probably.”Renee: "Should we stop them?”Stefan: "They're consenting adults. Whatever happens, happens.”And thus, Leia and Xavier spent a whole night doing adult stuff.After Renee put the two kids to bed, she sat on the beach next to the fire with Stefan, drinking some wine.The waves rose and fell. The two drank one glass after another. They were both feeling a bit tipsy by now, Stefan more so than Renee because his alcohol tolerance was low.“We're alone. Can you tell me what your dark side is now?”Renee's hair had been blown into disarray by the sea breeze. It also made her mind much clearer. In
“Admit it, Stefan. You're a murderer. You killed Mr. Q, didn't you?!”Renee clenched her fists and questioned Stefan emotionally.She had had her suspicions before, but it was not until Stefan arrived at Sun Island that it was 100% confirmed.This was also the reason she had been feeling depressed and gloomy all day. She wanted to confront Stefan about it, but she was afraid that the moment she did, they would never be able to go back.Stefan was caught off guard by the accusation.He did not expect Renee to come to that kind of conclusion.He did not know whether to laugh or cry.It seemed like he overestimated her intelligence. He thought she had already realized that he was "Mr. Q"!“What kind of reaction is that? Did you kill him or not? Tell me the truth. Why are you laughing?”Renee could not understand why he was holding back laughter.Was it an arrogant laugh because she guessed right, or was it a mocking laugh because she guessed wrong?“Do I look like a murderer to
It was time to bring the matter to a conclusion.The next day.“Ah!”Leai's scream could be heard from the guest room.As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Xavier sleeping next to her on the bed. The most tragic thing was that she was holding onto him tightly with her hands and legs like an octopus!“You're awake, Lei?”Xavier stretched with drowsy eyes. He looked gently at the woman in his arms with a smile.“Xavier Stuart, what's going on? You… me… how did we...”“We drank a lot last night. Generally speaking, this is a normal outcome.”Xavier put on a relaxed demeanor. Every inch of him, from his hair to his toes, told Leia that he was "experienced”.Leia was going crazy. She had a sacred view of love. She could not accept the concept of casual sex.“Shut up, you rotten scumbag! Don't talk to me!”She kicked him out of bed, hastily put on her clothes and fled the room like she was running for her life.“Good morning, Lei!”Renee was already awake. She was taking a w
“What should I do? He's here! He's here! I don't know how to face him. Hurry up and stop him!”Leia awkwardly scratched the ground with her leg while blushing, making a hole in the beach beneath her feet.“Uhh... How am I supposed to stop him? I...”Renee was at a loss.After all, a shameless guy like Xavier would just go wherever he wanted. There was no way she could stop him.As the man approached, the panicking Leia jumped into the sea and swam offshore.“???”The smile on Xavier's face disappeared. He was also shocked by Leia's action.“What's wrong with Lei?”He asked Renee with a puzzled look.“Umm... She... She's just taking a morning swim. It's a habit she's had for years.”Renee came up with a random excuse to cover up for Leia.Xavier believed her. He had an appreciative look on his face. "It's a great habit to have. Many of the girls I've met are very delicate. They would start complaining after staying too long under the sun, let alone exercising.“Lei is a spe
Xavier's beautiful eyes curved into wicked arches. "I won't take off my pants. Lei might feel shy...”Then, like Leia, he too plunged into the sea.Renee watched as the two figures got closer and closer to each other in the blue sea.She ran away, but he gave chase, and now she's caught!Tsk, tsk, tsk. How romantic.Renee could not help but smile. She was almost moved to tears.She knew her decision was correct. The man she had carefully chosen for her bestie could not be that bad!“Hurry up and catch up to her, Xavier! Do your best!” Renee cheered Xavier on from the shore.“Alright, that's enough. Be careful not to catch a cold.”Stefan had arrived at some point. He gently wrapped a striped embroidered shawl around Renee's shoulders.“Thank you.”Renee turned around and gave him a sweet smile.The two embraced each other as they had for many mornings in the past.Feeling the warmth of the man's embrace, she felt happiness from the bottom of her heart. So this was what i
Stefan was gone for more than a week. He was gone without any news as if he had disappeared like Mr. Q.He could not be contacted by phone. Francine said she did not know where he was, and the media did not mention his disappearance at all.Leia was really anxious. She used her connections to look for him everywhere, but the rich young people who were usually fearless all played dumb this time, afraid to say too much.However, Renee remained calm. When her call couldn't get through, she would just try calling again after a few hours. If she still couldn't get through, she would simply give up as if nothing had happened.On a certain morning, Renee leisurely set up an easel facing the sea to paint the beautiful sunrise.Leia anxiously paced back and forth beside her. After a while, she could not stand it anymore. She grabbed Renee's paintbrush and asked with a frown, "Ren, how can you still paint at a time like this? Aren't you worried?”“What's there to worry about?” Renee asked
Tsk tsk, if they really were to date, he would probably need to get a bigger insurance policy!“Alright, you two, stop messing around. My two children already give me enough headaches. If I have to take care of you two as well, I'll collapse from exhaustion.”Renee rubbed her temples with a tired expression.Xavier childishly licked the lollipop and patted Renee on the shoulder. "Ren, don't worry. Stef is really good at solving problems. He'll take care of the problem in no time.”Renee's expression changed slightly. She asked, "Does that mean you know what's going on?”“I'm not sure.”There's something behind Xavier's words.Leia was angered. She glared at Xavier. "Can you speak like a human? Stop being so elusive.”“Alright, I'll say it. Don't get mad.”Xavier instantly turned into an obedient little boy. He told them honestly, "I tried to contact Stef too like you did, but my calls couldn't get through either, so I asked my old man. He said that he heard the Hunt Enterprise
Liam looked certain. "The Baldwin residence is strictly guarded. Plus, Austin owns military power. If the Hunt family wants to take Renee away, they'll have to fight the Baldwins. Things will get very hideous. But if they use a little trick, they don't have to waste any manpower to take her away. Why wouldn't they do that?""So, you're saying that Mr. and Mrs. Hunt fought against Justin's parents to purposely attract others' attention and to cover for Stefan. They wanted to give him the chance to take Ren away secretly.""That's very likely."Liam nodded. Else, he couldn't figure out why the decent Alexander and Francine would do such an indecent thing in front of so many rich and powerful people. After all, the Hunts would be ridiculed for what they had done just now if it got exposed. It was such a great price. They wouldn't have to make such a great sacrifice if not for their son's lifetime happiness."If that was true, the Hunts are just too cunning." Leia shrugged. She fou
The spotlight shone on the entrance as everyone looked forward to the prince and princess' entrance.However, only Justin appeared like a charming prince in front of everyone in his white suit. There was no sign of his princess. Austin's initial confident smile stiffened. He flexed his fingers slightly and held himself back as he waited quietly for Justin to get onto the stage. Justin took calm steps. Smiling, he waved and greeted everyone, looking very much like a future bridegroom. When he got on the stage, Austin pulled him over. While lowering his voice, he interrogated coldly, "Why are you alone? Where is Ren?""Don't worry, Grandpa. Ren is the princess. Of course, she has to come last. We're just people who set off her charms. All we need to do is wait for her patiently."Then, Justin held the microphone and faced all the guests below the stage. He cleared his throat and said, "Please calm down, ladies and gentlemen. My future bride's gown is rather grand and needs more
Austin was telling the truth."Of course, children will always stay with their mothers. Home is wherever their mother is. You'd better ask about Ren's opinion instead of making a scene here."Austin glanced at the gilded ancient clock above the hall, his eyes sharp."The engagement ceremony of my grandson and Ren is about to start in ten minutes. You can ask her opinion when she's here.""Really?"Francine was delightedly surprised. For the first time, she felt that Austin was not as horrible as legend had it. He was reasonable. She tried to reconfirm with him. "So, you're saying that I can ask Ren to come home with me when she's out, and you'll let her go if she says yes?" "No, you're wrong." Austin shook his head. "She came here willingly. Of course, it's not as if you need to ask me to let her go.""It's fine. That's not important as long as you remember what you said." Francine was confident and eager. She then said smugly to Austin and the others, "Wait and see! I have w
When things became awful, an old but awe-inspiring voice came from behind them."What are you doing?" Undeniably, it was the powerful Austin who also enjoyed the highest status in North City.Instantly, the onlookers retreated and held their breaths.They knew how horrifyingly powerful Austin was because he owned military power. It would be very normal if he asked his army to shoot them to death if they fell out with him.Francine and the others, who were engaged in a fight, stopped too."Old Master Baldwin, nice to meet you."Francine nodded at Austin but didn't let go of Sophia. The scene was tense, but her actions looked amusing. "Dad, hurry up and catch these two! They're being unreasonable!"Sophia's pinned hair was messy because Francine kept scratching at it. If she wasn't mentally strong enough, she might have cried. She had imagined endless ways how the Hunt family would make a scene—except for the most primitive way. Francine made a scene like a three-year-old ki
Francine went berserk again and gripped Sophia's neck. "I'm going to count to three! Get my grandkids here! I'm going to take them home! If not, I'll break your neck!" she yelled. She couldn't stop Renee from marrying someone else, but she couldn't tolerate her two grandchildren relying on others' charity like Renee.It wasn't only about her dignity, but more about the children's growth and mental health. She couldn't be careless."You're out of your mind! Drive them out of here!"Sophia was a decent woman who couldn't allow herself to go berserk. Although she had a glib tongue, she found herself unable to handle a figure like Francine. Francine was never too harsh and would only make a scene. But now, she was out of control and was screaming nonstop. "Talk it out with them. Don't use violence. We're parents. It's humiliating to be violent," Alexander interrupted.Alexander tried to make Francine calm down and behave herself. Even so, he didn't act accordingly and pushed Ja
Francine's obvious provocation made others draw in a cold breath, let alone Justin's parents.No wonder she was one of the Four Princesses of Beach City. She was much too impulsive. Justin's parents looked very hideous. However, Sophia wasn't so soft. After taking a few deep breaths, she faced Francine with the same fake smile. "Don't worry. I'll take Adie and Abby back home. Since Ren is marrying Justin, my family will treat the kids as ours. We'll be their grandparents. In a few years, my son and Ren will have more kids to be their siblings. Then, we'll be one family!""What? Do you want to take the kids back home?" Fury instantly gripped Francine. She ignored all decency and demanded fiercely, "What do you want to do to my grandkids? They're still young! How could you target them?" "You must be mistaken. Ren is going to be a part of my family, so naturally, her kids are going to come with her. I'm sure there isn't anything wrong with that." Sophia snorted. "You're their bi
Leia couldn't understand it. Both Renee and Stefan once loved each other passionately. They had soldiered through a lot of difficulties. But when everything became better, they stopped seeing each other. Such separation brought a fatal blow to her views on love. Suddenly, she found herself too timid to give up her heart. After all, it was nothing. People could break up with each other easily."No wonder Xavier refused to come. If he was here, I would have hated him because of Stefan. I'd beat the crap out of him!" Leia was furious, but she couldn't find someone to vent her anger on.The Stuart family was invited to the party too, but Xavier refused to come. He claimed that he would have betrayed Stefan if he had come to the party.However, Stefan was the greatest betrayal of his romance since he remained silent and indifferent. While Leia was still angry, everyone in the hall suddenly fell silent. They stretched their heads to look at the entrance of the hall."The Hunt famil
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Liam muttered guiltily, avoiding Leia's scrutinizing gaze. "You must know what I'm talking about!" Leia refused to let Liam go and went straight to the point. "Look! Because of such a bind, you probably fell in love with Amber, who isn't related to you. Why can't Ren fall in love with Justin after spending a long time with him?""So, what's your point?" Liam didn't refute Leia. He was curious about what she was trying to say. Leia reasonably explained her opinion, "I'm trying to tell you that things might not be as bad as you imagine. Even if you take Ren away and stop this ceremony, things might not be better either."She was too timid to tell Liam that she regarded Renee and Justin's marriage in a favorable light because she found them similar. Similar people could at least lead a stable life though it might not be very passionate and exciting.After leading a wandering life for such a long time, Renee needed steady happiness. It
Liam was impressed while looking at Justin's calm expression. He had always thought that Justin was cunning and full of schemes. He was even worried that Justin might plot against Renee in the future.However, Justin was quite open and generous. He was considering things from Renee's angle. He could be Renee's haven, but if he stepped down, he could willingly grant Renee's wish to be with the one she loved. It seemed that Justin was selfless, and Liam felt that he was worse than Justin. No wonder Renee would choose to spend the rest of her life with Justin. It seemed like he was a reliable man.Justin pocketed his hands and asked casually, "Is there any other problem now?""Not at the moment." Liam frowned in defeat. Since Justin had made such a big compromise, he would seem like a fool if he was too arrogant and refused to give up. A long sigh escaped him as he let go of Renee's hand, but he was still hopeful. He boasted to Justin, "Wait and see! I'll make Stefan appear.""Go