"Didn't you say you'll share the burden with me earlier? Are you scared already?” Stefan sneered. "If you want to leave, just leave. I might as well die than live like this."Renee typically would not give in to harsh threats but was a sucker for attacks on her conscience. If she really left him now, she would feel terrible."Alright, I'll take care of you. But I'm only doing it for the money!" said Renee.After all, Stefan turned out this way because he tried to save her. She hated being indebted to others. If she really left him now, how could she let her conscience rest?In any case, it would only be for a few days. It would be over in the blink of an eye!"You choose to do this willingly. I didn't force you." Stefan said arrogantly."That's right, it's because I'm bored and I love to get yelled at. I'm becoming your servant willingly. Happy?"Renee rolled her eyes and silently added, "Arrogant bastard!"Stefan truly did have the capitalist mindset. He immediately started to
"You mean... right now?"She looked at the man on the bed who could not move, then at the doctor and nurses who had professional fake smiles on their faces. She felt like she had played herself."Of course. Do you want to wait until the venom spreads to my heart and brain and kill me?”Stefan's cold words left Renee speechless."A man and a woman shouldn't have such intimate contact. I... don't think this is appropriate.”Renee was embarrassed and wanted to run away.She never even got to hold Stefan's hand usually. Now she had to touch every inch of his body?... The mere thought of it made it hard for her to breathe.The doctor was puzzled. "But Mrs. Hunt, you're his wife. This could not be any more appropriate.""Well, I mean, I'm not a nurse. My technique may not be very professional.""That's nothing to worry about. When you rub the medicine, try to rub it on every inch of his skin, then make sure you massage him a lot to promote absorption."After the doctor said that, h
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"Renee quickly withdrew her hands."It was an accident!" Renee said with her hands raised.Stefan was still very calm. He said, "It doesn't matter. It's not like I can do anything about it.""What he hell..."That was so embarrassing. She had never felt more embarrassed in her life.The only thing Renee wanted to do now was to dig a hole, bury herself in it, and never come out again!She did not notice the slight curl on the corners of Stefan's thin lips.Over the next few days, Renee slowly got used to it.Having gone through the embarrassing experience on the first day, she could now rub the medication on Stefan's body with practiced familiarity.Her thought process was, Stefan did not have any physical sensation anyway, so it's not like he could feel her touching him. In that case, why should she be so polite?So, she now touched and rubbed his body as much as she pleased.Facing a beautiful creature with perfect muscles like that every day, no
The air became silent.A strange emotion filled the air between the two people.Stefan's thin lips moved, as if he was about to say something.But right then, the door of the ward slammed open."I see. So this is the so-called “holiday abroad”. Incredible. You even lied to your grandpa!"Francine walked in menacingly. She glared at Renee, wishing she could devour Renee alive.Briar came in after Francine.Her stomach had grown larger since the last time Renee saw her. The round belly was like a silent slap to Renee's face, instantly waking her up.Heh, what an idiot she was.Stefan cheated on her. That was the cold hard truth. Yet she was foolish enough to test how he felt still.Considering what had happened up to this point, was it important whether he regretted saving her or not?"Now that you're here, I'm finally free."Renee calmly stood up from the chair. She gestured towards the bowl of medicine on the table and told Briar, "Three times a day, rub it on his whole bod
"I…" Briar stammered in slight awkwardness. She did like Stefan very much, but she liked him only when he was perfect and high-spirited. If he was a good-for-nothing who was paralyzed in bed, she would not even give him a glance, let alone marry him. Renee became slightly annoyed when she saw that reaction. She felt like Briar was being picky and disdainful toward the treasure she had cherished for so many years, so she immediately protected him. She sneered. "Ms. Desrosiers, didn’t you claim that what you had with Mr. Hunt was true love? Why are you hesitant now? "Mr. Hunt is so awesome. Even if he’s paralyzed, his complexion, figure, and temperament are exceptional. If you wouldn’t marry him, many people would. He’s the famous Stefan Hunt. It’s not up to you to be choosy!" Being criticized, Briar was at a loss, and she went as white as a sheet. "I-I… I didn’t mean that. I just…" Stefan, however, looked composed as he raised his charming brows. "It’s fine. I can understan
"You tricked me!" Renee shot Stefan a cold glare. She was indeed slightly hurt. She recalled how she’d been acting like a fool these few days. She tried her best to take care of him, fearing he might catch some kind of illness. She also satisfied all of his fussy requests though he had long recovered. She felt just like a clown, her dignity trampled on by him. "Think I’m some kitten or puppy? Is it amusing to you?" Renee clenched her fists and suppressed her urge to break his bones. "Enjoy yourself. I’ll be going!" She then left without looking back. Of course, part of the reason she ran away so quickly was that she was guilty. After all, she firmly announced his lifelong paralysis a few minutes ago. Stefan was so mean that he bickered over the smallest trifles and was extremely vindictive. If she didn’t run away quickly, she was simply waiting to be ruined. Stefan attempted to pursue her, but Briar held his arm, pretending to be considerate. "Stefan, you just recov
"She’s not pregnant?" Francine breathed a sigh of relief because her family did not have to be humiliated. "But why did she visit the gynecologist if she’s not pregnant?" "Well, I can’t talk about this because I’m afraid that Stefan might get upset…" Briar looked at Stefan carefully and spoke pretentiously. Stefan’s handsome face was as hard as a stone. "Go on!" he said coldly. "Umm… I’ll tell you the truth then…" Briar was very satisfied with his reaction, so she continued eagerly, "I didn’t tell you right away after seeing the photograph because I feared a misunderstanding. So, I went to see their attending doctor to get the truth. The doctor told me she wasn’t pregnant, though she was ready to have Mr. Osborne’s child. They got a lot of vitamin B… "And… It looks like she can’t get pregnant easily. If a natural pregnancy fails, they may try getting a test-tube baby." Of course, Briar made those things up. She indeed found the attending doctor who was responsible f
Stefan was as handsome and elegant as ever, even though she had not met him for a few days. This was especially true for his long, perfect pair of legs—it appeared that he had recovered very well, with no residual effects to be seen. Renee breathed a sigh of relief. At last, she could relax a little. If it turned out that he was suffering from some hidden illness, she might just be held responsible for it. Consequently, she would not be able to get a divorce. Renee pinned the strands of her hair and cleared her throat. She felt that she should greet him, given that they were a couple. It was better to part on good terms. She waved her hand at him and revealed a fake smile that she thought looked very natural. "Hi…" However, he pursed his thin lips tightly and wore a cold face. He ignored her and strode away with his stork-like legs. He left… just like that. This left her at a loss for words. Her smile stiffened, and she felt both awkward and angry. ‘Damn! Why is he so a
Livid, Mateo pulled the trigger without hesitation. However, he moved the gun less than an inch. The bullet passed by Liam's ear and hit an orange behind him.The fruit immediately blew up, its juices splashing on Liam's face."Aaaah!" Amber, terrified, trembled. Her eyes turned red, and she hurriedly tried to plead with Mateo. "Matt, cool it! Aren't you and Liam friends? You guys drank and chatted together in the past. You were so close to each other. How could you do this to him? Hurry up and put the gun away! If it goes off accidentally, it'll be over!"However, Mateo ignored her. His eyes were red as he glared at Liam. "Did you see the orange behind you? Let go of her now! If not, I'll blow up your head just like I did to that orange!""Is that all you got?" Liam taunted. He refused to let Amber go. He whispered to Amber, "Watch well. If he shoots me today, promise me not to marry such a man. I can use my life to knock some sense into you.""No!" Amber shook her head. Liam
"What bad timing!" Mateo's indifferent voice came from behind Amber.Amber turned around and saw Mateo with a team of armed soldiers. Terrified, she quickly put some distance between her and Liam. She stammered an explanation. "Matt… It's not what you think. Liam and I came here to look for people. Ms. Everheart and Ms. Osborne are gone. Liam couldn't find them and guessed they might be in the orchard. He wasn't familiar with the orchard and asked me to guide him."Mateo looked livid, but still cracked a gentle smile. "Silly, you don't have to be scared. I know you're prudent. He must have forced you to come here. I don't blame you."He extended his hand and beckoned Amber toward him. "Come here. You're my fiancee. You should stand with me.""I…" Amber bit her lip—Mateo was right. She kept her head low, about to walk to him.But in the next second, Liam firmly grabbed her wrist. "You can't go!" Liam held Amber's wrist tightly and shot Mateo a challenging look."When did Amb
Liam could only see through Amber's true thoughts if she showed her true self to him. "No, I do like you. I love you the most, and I want to marry you. But you neither like me nor want to marry me. You love freedom and Ms. Everheart. You love and yearn for the kind of life ordinary people like. So, I could only choose to give you up and let you get what you want. What else do you want me to do?" Amber was generally shy and reserved, but when Liam drove her anxious, she rambled a lot."Whatever I want is my business. You don't need to sacrifice yourself to grant my wish!" Liam held Amber's shoulders, acting like a kind senior. He tried to persuade her in earnest. "Marriage isn't a joke. Think it through. Do you like and know Mateo well? You won't be happy after marrying him, given the savage culture around here. And can you divorce him easily?""Matt will be nice to me. Even if he changes his mind, he'll still be nice to me because…my father is Benjamin," Amber replied.She chose
Being a sensitive woman, Amber immediately noticed Liam's displeasure. She kept her head lower and explained carefully, "I want a chance to choose again… I want to choose another person to fall in love with. You know that Matt and I grew up together. We're childhood friends. He likes me and always protects me without asking for anything back. I feel that it's happier to marry a person who loves me instead of marrying someone far beyond my reach."For the first time, she expressed the exhaustion she felt from her relationship with Liam. She no longer wanted to be the one who kept fawning over him. She wanted to give up and relax by being the one who was loved and adored in a relationship."Tsk!" Liam snorted arrogantly. "You don't know Mateo. He's not a nice guy. He's just good at pretending. Maybe it's just his means to get what he wants, but you assume that he loves and wants to protect you."Liam hadn't made that statement to purposely put Mateo down. After standing against Mate
Liam focused on holding Amber's hand and leading her through the orange grove. At the same time, he carefully scanned the ground and trees to find any related clues left by Renee and Leia."I don't care what others say, because I didn't do anything wrong," he said indifferently. "I hope you'll feel the same. I don't think you need to stop being my friend after choosing to marry Mateo. Am I not the friend you like the most?""That's different," Amber said.She followed Liam passively. At first, she couldn't adapt to it. After walking briefly, she felt better and found it easier to do. "Although I'm not good at my studies, I know men and women should keep a polite distance. You can't take my hand and sound righteous at the same time," she mumbled."Why not?" Liam retorted firmly. "When I was young, I always held my sister's hand wherever we went. I'm holding your hand because this fog is thick and the ground is slippery. I'm afraid of being separated from you. Just walk with me. St
Liam walked ahead of Amber, then turned to glance at her. He faked a smile and asked, "What's the matter? Are you worried that I might take advantage of you?" "No, of course not!" Amber quickly shook her head and pushed her scarf up. It had fallen a little. "I just find it improper," she answered softly.She looked like a typical woman from Southeast Aeos, petite and with a small face. Her skin was tanned, and her facial features weren't very distinct. She was charming and reserved, exuding a girlish pureness. She had put on her country's special traditional clothes. The thick clothes, embroidered with various patterns, wrapped around her petite body and gave her an exotic impression. From afar, she appeared like a colorful oil painting. "Hey, it's not improper. If I wanted to do anything to you, I would've done that long ago. I don't have to wait until now." Liam sounded relaxed and prudent to ease Amber's anxiety."Don't worry. I've always regarded you as my younger siste
Amber hurriedly turned Liam down. "You can't help with my affairs. I can handle it.""Well, tell me why I can't help you," Liam pressed. "I… I want to sew a wedding gown. And there are a lot of details that I need to add." Amber became competitive for no reason, and added stubbornly, "Your words aren't absolute. Yes, your business is important, but so is mine!""Oh, you want to sew a wedding gown. I can help you with that…" Liam said, relaxed. "Maybe I didn't get to tell you that I went to a small country in Southeast Aeos when I traveled around the world. I got to know a great sewing master. The pictures he sewed looked real like paintings! I found them interesting, so I learned from him. My sewing skills are probably better than yours. I can help you with that.""Really? You can sew?" Amber was full of surprise and admiration. Her eyes lit up. "I can't sew well. I want to learn from a great master too! If you can do it, can you teach me?""Of course!" Liam promised. "Can you he
"Uh…" Amber looked like she was being put in a difficult position. She found it impudent for a man and a woman to be alone in the dense orchard at night. "What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?" Liam frowned, puzzled. He felt that Amber was purposely avoiding him after expressing her desire not to marry him and making Mateo her groom instead.Before, she would always put on her favorite dress and stand at the entrance of the fort, looking eager no matter how late Liam and Benjamin returned from their work.Usually, she would carry a small bamboo basket containing the tea she brewed and dessert or food she had painstakingly prepared. When Liam returned, she would excitedly welcome him and inquire after him. Lately, she no longer did that. When Liam occasionally ran into her in the fort, she would bow indifferently at him and quickly brush past him as if they were merely acquaintances. They seemed distant.Honestly, Liam found it unfamiliar. He couldn't get used to the fact that Amber
"I don't know. Why don't you ask the guards to get us some fried chicken and French fries? Didn't Mateo say that we can ask the guards for food?" Renee said.Leia's anxiety eased as she relaxed. She turned around and got out of bed, then gestured at the guard and ordered quite a lot of food. Meanwhile, Liam accompanied Benjamin to West River in the morning for a negotiation that yielded a good result. Benjamin's attitude had improved. He didn't demand an explanation from Liam about the affairs between Liam and Amber, and didn't ask about Renee or Leia either. Liam was delighted. He carried the unique desserts he had bought at the local market for Renee and Leia to enjoy. Upon arrival, he found that they were not in the room. "Weird. Where did they go?" Liam looked around, but found no sign of Renee and Leia. He casually asked a servant, but the servant stammered and insisted on not knowing anything. Anxious, Liam kept looking for them in the fort. Coincidentally, he ran into