"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
However, she regretted it the moment she raised that question. The answer was clear. She was just embarrassing herself. "I want to give you a friendly reminder, too," she insisted stubbornly in an attempt to retrieve some of her dignity. "Briar isn’t the right woman for you. Let’s not talk about her character; the moment she heard that you’d be paralyzed forever, the disdain on her face was obvious. It’s destined that you guys can share happiness but not sorrow. She only loves the bright and perfect you, not for who you truly are." Stefan said calmly and lightly, "It’s not important whether she loves me or not. I just want the child to be safe and happy." "Mr. Hunt. You’re awesome. Now that’s true love!" Renee was deeply hurt. She felt so ashamed and awkward that she could not show herself. Hmph! Did he love Briar so much that he didn’t care if she loved him, as long as their child was happy? Suddenly, Renee felt lucky that she wasn’t impetuous and told him that she was p
Timothy put down the brush pen and opened the desk drawer while saying these to Renee. Then, he solemnly took out a rosewood box and handed it to Renee.“Ren, open it up.”Renee took the box and opened it with care. Inside the box was a medal engraved with a dove of peace and a sword. Renee turned to Timothy with confusion. “Grandpa, is this…”“Child, your grandfather gave me this before he died. This medal was dear to him and symbolized his heroic life. Now, I’m passing it on to you.”Timothy sighed as he recalled the legendary life of his dearest friend Maurice. “Your grandfather was most worried about you before his death. He repeatedly told me to pass the medal to you four years after your marriage with Stefan…”“It’s now the fourth year of your marriage. The medal carries your grandfather’s blessing to you both. It’ll bless you both with a happy ever after marriage!”Renee looked at the gold medal in her hand with teary eyes. It was as if she had traveled beyond life and dea
When Stefan and Renee left the Beach City Courthouse, they went their separate ways as if they would never see each other again. Who knew they would meet again in just a few hours?Without the marriage license restraining them, the way they looked at each other seemed to have changed slightly.Timothy’s old eyes were filled with complicated emotions as his gaze traveled back and forth between the two.“You two. You just came back from a vacation together. Shouldn’t you be all lovey-dovey? Why did you come to visit me separately? Did you have a fight?”“We’re…” Renee bit her lips, feeling torn. She was unsure if she should be honest or keep lying.Things were different before they were officially divorced. Renee could forge a lie without feeling the slightest guilt. Besides, she was not trying to deceive him. However, her relationship with Stefan had changed so much that she found herself unable to pretend.“We’re so in love. How could we ever fight?” Stefan said calmly and wrap
“Hint?” Renee listened in confusion. She gave Timothy the black pearl in the hopes that it might bring him health and peace. What did she hint at him? How could she not know?“As soon as I saw the pearl, I thought of how it symbolized fertility and childbirth…”Timothy’s face turned grim. He sternly questioned Stefan, who was kneeling on the ground. “You bastard. Tell me honestly. Are the rumors true? Did you really knock up another woman behind Ren’s back?”Since the matter had digressed to this point, Stefan found no reason to hide anymore. Although he was still on his knees, he kept his back straight and said with a cold and firm voice, “Now that you know, I have nothing to say. The child does indeed have the bloodline of the Hunts. It needs a legitimate identity and a competent father.”“You!” Timothy held his chest and almost skipped a breath. Then, he slammed his cane on Stefan’s back with no mercy. “You fool!“That child needs a legitimate status and respect. What about Ren
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
"Let go of her!" Justin turned cold and grabbed Renee's other hand. He said darkly to Liam, "You don't have the right to take her with you!""Hmph! I don't have the right to take her with me? Well, you don't have the right to marry her. I must take her with me today. Worst comes to worst, I'll fight your family!"Though he was too weak to fight the powerful Baldwin family, Liam was never a coward. He would fight the whole world alone for the sake of Renee's happy and stable life."Calm down…"In comparison, Justin was calmer. He was probably more confident since it was his territory and he could affirm Renee would not leave with Liam. He started mocking Liam. "I'm not the kind of person who will force others to do things they refuse to do. If Ren wants to leave, I'll let her go even if my family disowns me. But I know that she won't leave. At the very least, she won't leave with you.""What do you mean?" Liam could tell that Justin was mocking him, and it annoyed him. "Why are
Liam felt that his situation at the fort was almost the same as Renee's current situation. He had thought that the marriage was just for show. If he was unhappy, he could get a divorce. Even then, things were not that easy when he wanted to get out of that mess. If Amber had not protected him, Benjamin would have long gotten him killed. He knew better than anyone else how unfair it was for the other party when one tolerated and went through with the marriage.Amber was naive and was willing to be treated unfairly, but Justin was no fool. He would not be able to take it if it lasted for a long time. It was easy to imagine what Renee would face when Justin stopped taking her side."Let's go! I'm not afraid. You don't have to be afraid, either." Liam made up his mind to support Renee, who was standing behind him.Renee bit her lips and started to waver; not because she did not want to be with Justin, but simply because she was not confident in herself. She was afraid she would neve
"Liam, what are you doing?" Leia looked at Liam, unable to understand his sudden excitement."I'm going to meet Austin or Justin. I want them to cancel this engagement ceremony." Liam held Renee's wrist and tried to drag her out of the suite.He was certain Renee didn't want to marry Justin, so it was very likely that she would regret it in the future. It would be hard to settle if she regretted it after the engagement party. Liam felt that he had to try his best to put everything under control while he still could. Feeling helpless, Leia complained, "Stop making a scene… This is Ren's marriage. You can't make all this fuss!""You don't know. I'm doing this for her. I want the best for her." Liam knew the consequences of resisting Austin, given the man's position. He was also ready to be punished by them. Even though he would be beaten up vigorously, he would not hesitate as long as he could stop the ceremony and help Renee avoid such risks. "If you want the best for her, just
Leia felt so awkward that she wanted to run away. "Hey, can you stop flattering yourself? You haven't settled your messy romance, so please don't get Ren involved. You shouldn't joke like that!"Similarly, Liam found his joke impudent and admitted to his mistake. "Yeah, I was wrong. Don't take my joke seriously."Both Renee and Leia were amused. It helped relieve their tension. "But have you thought it through? After this ceremony, you'll be a part of the Baldwin family. You can't regret it by then," Liam said; he was worried about Renee. Everyone knew the Baldwin family's style. They had such a grand ceremony today. If anything went wrong, the Everheart family might be ruined for the second time. Although nobody knew who would win the battle, the trouble could be avoided. Liam was clueless as to why Renee wanted to take such a risk."Yes, I have." Renee nodded and added firmly, "I'd thought it through the moment I boarded the plane with Justin to fly here."It was the last c
Renee was done getting ready. As her closest friend, Leia came to North City with Liam immediately.The engagement ceremony was held in a magnificent hall of a top hotel. The guests arrived one by one and chatted among themselves. It was a luxurious and grand scene. "Ren, I'm sorry I'm late!" Leia arrived at the hotel suite where Renee was waiting. She put her hands together to express her apology. "It's Liam's fault! He was out of his mind and insisted on not coming here, but I forced him to and took some time. Please don't be mad at me!""Silly, I won't be mad at you. Plus, this ceremony doesn't carry much meaning. The Baldwin family just needs this as an assurance. It doesn't matter even if you're absent."Renee looked indifferent and was not at all happy and eager like a bride-to-be. The engagement ceremony was held to announce to the world about the relationship between her and Renee. In all honesty, Renee was resistant to it. She did not want her family or friends to at
Margaret decided to be frank since Renee had said so. "I can tell that you don't sincerely love Mr. Baldwin. Your marriage is just a way to avoid reality. Why are you so harsh on yourself if that's the case? Now, you're making such a big fuss about moving here. If you fail to get along with him and have to return to Beach City in the future, many people will gossip about you. They'll say nasty things about you. Why do you have to put yourself in such a condition?""Margaret, you don't understand…" Renee looked at herself in the mirror. She looked very charming, like a bride in ancient paintings. Everyone would be charmed by her—including herself. She knew very well that she was the one taking the lead in her romance with Justin. They could go on forever as long as she didn't end it. She was just afraid she could not hold on and wanted to stop, and the only reason that she wanted to stop was probably because of Stefan. "If I stay in Beach City, I'll come across Stefan. I know t
Time passed by. It was soon the day for the engagement ceremony between Justin and Renee.The Baldwin family held a grand ceremony while adhering to tradition. It was both traditional and romantic.Renee put on a red slim-fit silk gown with intricate black and gold embroidery. Her long hair was delicately pinned up, showing off her fair and slender neck. She looked elegant."How pretty!" Margaret stood in front of the vanity table and looked at Renee, whose face was dolled with exquisite makeup. She looked gratified, as though she were looking at her daughter."If your parents saw how pretty and elegant you were, they would be very happy." Margaret gently placed her hands on Renee's shoulders and commented, "You married Mr. Hunt when I wasn't around. You must have suffered a lot. But things will get better now… I'll stay with you and protect you forever. I'll be your strongest support."Back then, Renee was left alone when her family was ruined. She married Stefan without anyo
Alexander and Francine were already old. It was fine even if others criticized them or took violent revenge on them. But they were worried that the younger generation, especially Adie and Abby, would have a hard time handling it."You're right. I wasn't thinking straight…" Francine became teary and sobbed. "I just wanted to relieve my guilt and failed to consider the kids. We brought this upon ourselves. I'll probably have to suffer this pain for the rest of my life.""Stop thinking about that. It's all over. It's useless to regret or dwell on it." Alexander walked over and hugged her shoulders. He whispered some consoling words, "No one can tell who was right or wrong about that affair. We're already punished. Just act like everything is gone…"Is it? You're just trying to make yourself feel better." Francine leaned against Alexander's shoulders, full of melancholy. "Don't you think the kids are suffering the consequences of our actions? They love and understand each other bu