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
"Can I wake her up?" Stefan seemed to be asking them and himself. He shook his head in self-hatred. "I'm afraid I'm the reason why she wants to escape this world. She must hate me to the core and refuse to see me. She might know that I'm here, so she's avoiding me and refuses to wake up."He recalled how much he had harmed her. He was not confident to wake her up, let alone face her."Yes, you're sinful, ut you must be held accountable for it!" Justin could not bother to waste his time talking to Stefan. He pushed Stefan into the ward instead. "You made her so angry, she's in a coma now. So, you have to wake her up. If she doesn't, you can't leave the ward!""Agreed!"Jovan was standing on the other side. He and Justin seemed to have formed a barrier and refused to let Stefan back down.After some contemplation, Stefan decided to face the music. He closed the ward door and quietly went to Renee's bed. It was the first time he was alone with her after a long time."You're tr
Unsurprisingly, Renee remained irresponsive. Justin gradually grew depressed. Before, he was confident. Seeing that he was getting no response from her, his confidence waned. Undeniably, he was probably not that important to her. If not, she wouldn't remain indifferent. She would have sensed that he was around. "I got it. You don't need me." Justin smiled helplessly. He felt pathetic too. He took a deep breath and finally stood up to exit the ward."How's it going?" Stefan asked.He kept waiting outside the ward, paying close attention to it in hopes that Renee could wake up. He also felt that Justin could bring Renee wonderful things and hope. She would wake up when she sensed that Justin was calling for her. "Hmph! Isn't it obvious? Of course, he couldn't wake her up!" Jovan casually leaned against the bench in the corridor, not even looking up. He sounded vicious. "He's just a backup guy. Of course she doesn't care about him! She's not in love with him." Justin glared at J
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