Everyone was at a loss for words. There was a long silence. Xavier's smile froze a little, but he eventually laughed and reached out his hand to Quinton cheerfully. "Ah, you're an old friend! I've heard so much about you!""We're indeed old friends." Quinton had a cold look in his eyes. He said, smiling, "After all, there were many times when I wanted to chop you up and feed you to crocodiles!""Hahaha! Quinton, you're such a funny man!" Xavier pointed at Quinton. "I thought Stefan had beaten you into depression. Is that why you've been hiding in Water Dock?""You must be joking, Mr. Stuart. Do I look depressed? You can try to find out.""If I do, I'll die."The two men were going back and forth with smiles on their faces, but it felt like they were fighting it out with their words.Renee and Leia held each other's hands and retreated to the side, afraid of being accidentally injured."Okay. Have you had enough? Can you stop fighting? Don't block the entrance and hinder traffi
"Ah, monster!""That's so scary! Did someone cut off half of his face? That's terrible!"The passersby's reactions hurt Quinton's self-esteem badly. He quickly put his mask back on and smiled bitterly. "Sorry for scaring you.""N-No..." Renee felt sorry for Quinton and comforted him, "I think you're very handsome. Your eyes are very much like Mom's—gentle and determined. Your mouth is very much like Dad's. You have beautiful lips. You're really my brother. If we weren't blood-related, I would've fallen in love with you at first sight!""Really?" Quinton's eyes brightened immediately. Quinton had always wondered what his mother looked like. He had imagined it countless times, but it never felt real. However, when Renee described her, her image immediately came to his mind, and his heart softened."Of course. You can ask Lei too. She's Mom and Dad's goddaughter and often visited us. She knows Mom and Dad's faces very well… Right, Lei?""Y-Yes!" Leia had been startled by Quinton's s
"Why would I lie to you?" Xavier draped his arm around Quinton's shoulder and patted his chest with his other hand. "Don't worry, bro. You are Ren's brother, so you are also my brother. I only want the best for you!""But you are Stefan's friend, so how good can you be?" Quinton frowned and looked at the man's arm in disgust, restraining the urge to cut it off. Years of bloody battles had made him wary of people and unfamiliar with intimate interactions."No, no, no. I am no longer his brother. From now on, I will cut ties with that cold-blooded and heartless man!" Xavier crossed his arms, and smiled earnestly. "I am now your buddy, so I will listen to everything you say. And I wasn't joking earlier. If you want, I can bring you to the plastic surgeon and let him see if your face can be reconstructed.""Sure." Quinton nodded, the defensiveness in his eyes fading slightly.They got into the car and started talking happily. Quinton even warmly invited Xavier to Carmine Pawnshop to ha
"This is just my brother's hobby. There are dozens more in his display case. If you like them, I can ask him to send you a few.""My gosh, Ren, you are simply too rich!" Leia pretended to wipe away tears as she complained. "Ren, you're literally living the perfect life! You were born into a rich family, you're skilled at practically everything, and are currently the president of KCL. Not only that, your children are pretty and clever, and even your brother who appeared out of nowhere is a magnate. How are common girls like me going to live? Oh, but I forget about the scum from the Hunt family that tainted your life. Anyway, it doesn't matter. You have cut ties with that pathetic being, so you can live a beautiful life alone in the future…"Renee was amused by Leia's dramatic monologue. "My dear Ms. Lei, aren't you born into a rich family? Don't you have a powerful brother? And the most precious thing is that you have a reliable man. I am the one who should envy you.""Man?" Leia fro
Xavier paused briefly, and his playful smile turned stiff, but he admitted openly, "You're really smart. I indeed like your sister so I don't want to fall out with you or else I would have a thin chance of meeting her again.""I know you are a hopeless romantic like Stefan who can betray your friends for the sake of a woman. If Stefan knows about this, I bet he will want to kill you."Quinton smiled cryptically and continued. "Anyway, he might not be in the mood to care about this now, so it might be the best time for you to pursue my sister.""What happened to Stef… I mean, that scum… Isn't he enjoying his life now with a beautiful woman in his arms? How can he be in a bad mood?""Why are you so concerned about him now that you have betrayed him?""No, I'm just curious about whether karma will find the bad guys.""Rest assured, it will."Looking at Quinton's triumphant expression, Xavier knew that Stefan must be in some kind of trouble. Before he could ask about it, Renee pushe
"Bah, you really are the king of playboys and jerks. So, what you're saying is that you don't really like Lei, and you're just messing around with her out of habit?" Renee questioned sharply. She had to confirm Xavier's feelings for Leia before she could help Leia make her choice."I don't want to answer this." There was a subtle uneasiness under Xavier's nonchalance. He looked at Renee indifferently and said, "You're not my girlfriend, so I'm not obligated to tell you about my feelings.""Don't try to evade this with your playfulness, Xavier. Answer my question if you're a man. I know you're not a real playboy, you're just disguising yourself." Renee had hit the nail on the head. She still remembered that he nearly died in the fire to save her. No matter how vile he pretended to be, he could not hide his true self as a brave and responsible man."What does it have to do with you? Your righteous indignation may make me misunderstand you.""Huh? What do you mean?"What do you think
Renee felt nervous when she turned around and spotted Leia. "Lei, when did you get here? Why didn't you say something?""I've been here for a while. It looked like you both were having a good chat, so I didn't have the heart to interrupt." Leia slowly approached them, her tone indifferent and cold.'Darn!' Renee knitted her eyebrows. She did not expect that Leia would overhear her conversation with Xavier.As someone with high self-esteem, Lei must be very hurt!"Don't listen to his crap, Lei. He is just speaking casually. He is not such a person, he…" Renee anxiously tried to make excuses for Xavier, but then realized that the man's words were simply unforgivable."You don't have to defend me, darling, I am that kind of person. It's good for Lei to know this early so that she will give up on her unrealistic fantasies." Xavier put his hands in his pockets. The corners of his lips curved upwards, and his gaze was carefree and charming.Leia looked at the man coldly and said disdai
"Eh, well…" Renee tried to join their conversation but found that they were too engrossed in their conversation. She had no chance to get a word in. Hence, she decided to leave first. "I'll leave you to your chat. Bye." When she was back in the dining room, Quinton had almost finished cooking. He was now enthusiastically arranging the dishes on the table. "Sis, you're home. You're just in time for the meal. Where's Xavier and Lei?" "They're still chatting." "What are they talking about? They're so engrossed in it." "Er, they're discussing how to gain my heart." Renee became quite helpless. While arranging the dishes, Quinton's hands stiffened briefly. He asked tentatively, "What do you think of Xavier?" "Although he's not very serious, he's a good man. He even saved my life." "That's good. You can consider him." "Oh, please. Quinton, why do you behave like Lei? Why do you keep setting me up with some random guy? Didn't you promise to take care of me for the rest
The three of them rolled their eyes in unison and looked speechless."Look, Liam. She's the top love-struck idiot. She'll never learn though she'd suffered much." Leia shook her head and sighed. She felt sorry for Renee's bad luck and disappointing actions.Although Leia was a love-struck fool herself, she was better than Renee. She would quickly retreat if she found anything wrong unless the guy shamelessly pestered her. Also, he had to show his sincerity. Only then would she forgive him. Renee was way worse. She suffered countless times because of one single man, but she didn't even hate him. She even wanted to ask him if they could start over.No one could be as "humble" as her.Renee used to be a bright and awesome figure, and it seemed like there was nothing she could not resolve. Yet, she lost herself several times because of a man. It infuriated Leia. Leia was not alone in feeling that way. Liam shared her sentiments and gnashed his teeth furiously. "Seriously, I wonde
Silence washed over everyone instantly. It seemed they were waiting for Renee's answer.Mateo, who was unrelated, was all ears too. He wanted to listen to a spicy story before he got killed. After all, it was related to Stefan, the mighty president of Hunt Enterprise. Of course, it would be amazing. However, Renee remained silent after a long while."Hey, silly. Of course, Renee wants to meet Adie and Abby the most!" Leia glared at Liam because the latter had asked the obvious. She also helped to get Renee out of the awkwardness. "Of course." Liam didn't let it go, and kept pressing Renee. "Is there anyone else you want to meet other than Adie and Abby?" "Certainly. Both Quinton and Margaret are very important to Ren. I know Ren can't bear to let them go," Leia casually mentioned other people except Stefan. She knew Stefan's name was too special to Renee. If she mentioned Stefan, Renee might break down. Hence, she could never mention Stefan."No, you're wrong!" Mateo finall
Previously, Amber cared very much about Liam. Later, she wanted nothing but to stay away from him.She had happily planned their wedding and imagined how to lead their married lives. Later, she planned her wedding with another man…and wanted to learn sewing from Liam to sew their wedding suits. It was heartbreaking!Hence, Liam chose a noble excuse to try and ruin the wedding between Amber and Mateo. He kept using pessimistic wedding opinions to influence Amber's thoughts as a traditional woman.True, he hadn't influenced Amber's mind solely out of his selfishness. Women would have more freedom if they stayed single. He dissuaded Amber from getting married mainly for the sake of her happiness, but it didn't cover up his despicable thoughts. Hence, he chose to keep quiet."Wow, Liam! I didn't expect you to fall for her. I thought you were forced to be with her!" While enjoying the fun, Leia forgot about her sadness and fear. Her eyes went wide as she teased Liam. "Hey, you kno
Liam found Leia unlucky and disappointing. He simply stopped talking.A brief silence overcame them. It seemed like they had accepted their fate to get killed as they quietly waited for their death.Macsen had returned to the shop to treat his wound. After struggling for a long while, Mateo failed to struggle free. Macsen's subordinate whipped him several times. "Motherfucker! Just wait. I'll make you pay!" Mateo furiously cursed Macsen's subordinate. Macsen's subordinate sneered. "Hmph. You want to make me pay? I think my boss will skin you alive. It's been a long time since I've seen a lamp made of human skin. We're waiting for a good show!"Leia had closed her eyes, but when she heard that, she shuddered and reopened them abruptly. Her voice was shaky as she asked, "Liam, what's that?" "Uh…" Liam found it too cruel and couldn't bring himself to explain it to Leia. He hated his incapabilities. "It's my fault. I got you guys into this mess. Damn it all!""No, we can't blam
Renee was well aware of the situation and was calm in the face of death. "If Macsen wants to kill us, Benjamin will feign ignorance. I think we're doomed here today.""Whatever. I'm not afraid!" Leia didn't take it too seriously, grinning. "You and Liam are the most important people to me. Although we weren't born on the same day, it's great that we can die on the same day. I want us to be siblings in our next lives!""Silly, you're so optimistic. We're going to get killed, not attending a party! Why are you this happy?" Liam's gloominess and tenseness gradually relaxed because of Leia's optimistic and happy tone. "Yeah, it isn't a big deal. I have no regrets since I can die with you guys.""You guys have no regrets, but I'm unlucky!"Mateo kept sighing. "If I knew, I wouldn't have meddled in this or caught you guys. At most, I'd be suppressed by another guy. But now, I'm about to get killed. I regret it! You have big supporters, don't you? Is there any way to contact either of
When the fight reached an intense moment, Macsen's subordinates managed to surround Liam and Mateo. They were disappointing.Macsen's most loyal subordinate aimed a gun at Liam's head and screamed at Renee, who had gone mad. He tried to threaten her. "Let our boss go, or I'll make you pay a price!" Renee regained her wits and turned to look at Liam. Her mouth was bloody. A helpless sigh escaped her. "Why are you this useless? How could they get you?"Helpless, she slowly got up and let Macsen go temporarily. "Motherfucker! Go to hell!"When Macsen regained freedom, he was no longer a gentleman. He slapped Renee twice with one hand and held his neck with the other. Then, he ordered his subordinates, "Tie them up with the woman on that ship!""Okay!" Macsen's subordinates were obedient. They quickly grabbed a thick and heavy rope to tie up Renee, Liam, Leia, and Mateo together, tying the rope around them thrice."Liam, why are you caught too? You're so useless. We even wanted
Everyone looked at each other in dismay before raising their weapons to attack Renee.Liam ordered his subordinates to fight Macsen's men when he noticed the danger. "Don't hurt her, or I'll fight you!"There were more than ten people from both sides. When they started fighting, the whole jetty was filled with the sounds of weapons and bullets. It was a mess.That battle sacrificed a lot of Liam's subordinates. Gradually, he failed to hold on."Mateo, where are your men? Get them into the fight. If anything happens to Boss, you'll suffer too. That crazy Stefan will kill everyone!"While fighting Macsen's subordinates, Liam wanted to involve Mateo in the fight since the latter was merely watching. Besides, he knew what a man like Mateo, who was good at weighing the pros and cons, cared about the most.As expected, Mateo chose to side with Liam when he heard that this mess would affect his relationship with Stefan.After all, Macsen was the most powerful person in the fort. It wou
"What do you want? I'm warning you! Stay away from me, or I won't go easy on you!"For an unknown reason, a chill ran down Macsen's spine when he saw how fierce Renee looked. He wondered why she was that fierce. She could walk fast even when dragging a sandbag over 110 pounds—she wasn't ordinary.Holding a gun, Macsen flexed his fingers as his knuckles turned white. "I don't care about people's lives! I can kill them if I'm happy, including you!""Is that so?" Renee stubbornly faced the gun and walked forward. She glared at him coldly. "A demon like you should never live. I'll kill you, even if I have to die for it!"She swiftly pounced on and pushed him down despite the heavy sandbag.Everything happened so fast, Macsen was dumbstruck. Renee even managed to knock on his gun. The gun went off, firing a bullet at a nearby stone pillar. It nearly hurt one of Macsen's subordinates. "Oh, you don't care about people's lives, do you? You can just kill them, huh? I'll make you suffer t
Macsen clenched his fists, agitated. For many years, he was mainly responsible for the armed forces of the fort. On the other hand, Benjamin instructed his adopted sons to take care of his business. Previously, Hunt Enterprise promised the Jenkins family many profits under the condition that Renee and Joanne could leave the fort safely. Hence, Benjamin let them go at that critical point despite the humiliation he faced. Afterward, Stefan continued his close cooperation with the Jenkins family. While this happened, the relationship between Macsen and Benjamin grew tenser. Gradually, Macsen kept gathering power to surpass Benjamin one day and take revenge on Stefan.Renee and Leia's sudden arrival at the fort was beyond Macsen's expectations. Although he was getting stronger, he wasn't powerful enough to fight Benjamin and the Hunts. Despite this, he naturally wouldn't give up such a good chance easily. Macsen's revenge was the result of his impulsiveness. He had been reckless,