Renee returned to the Carmine Pawnshop after destroying the tape thoroughly. She headed to bed with a heavy heart.She was especially restless for the entire night, with several dreams popping in her head during her slumber.In her dreams, Briar crawled out of the sea with messy hair, with her limbs dislocated and her bones penetrating through her flesh. She then cackled eerily, her face completely drenched in blood."Hahaha, Renee Everheart, your days are numbered… I may not have been able to compete against you when I was alive, but I can drag you down to hell with me as a ghost!" Briar screeched as her bloodied face inched closer to Renee, to the point she seemed to be hovering right above her.The suffocating pain consumed the woman's chest. She flung her arms around in panic, screaming, "No! Don't come near me!""Ms. Ren! Ms. Ren! Wake up! The sun is up!" Margaret worriedly held her hand, sitting by her bed. "Argh!" Renee felt like she was pulled out of an abyss as her eyes
Quinton was reading the newspapers at the time, and as he lowered his hands, a sharp glare was revealed."I… I'm just going to tend to some work in the company. There's going to be a lot of new projects coming in, so I figured I should head back to work after such a long vacation.""You're my sister. As long as I'm here to provide for you, you can have a lifelong vacation if you so, please. Besides, it's been quite dangerous lately, so I'd say you should rest a little longer before returning to your work."Quinton was considered the current head of the Everheart family, hence somehow taking up the father figure role. He couldn't help but wish he could place Renee under lockdown forever just to ensure her safety. After all, Beach City was currently in an ever-changing state. Moreover, he had made many enemies in the past and was very worried that his sister would be dragged into his mess."Oh, now you're just being dramatic. I'm not a weakling! If anyone dares to try something on
"Haha, why else? It's because Shirley is practically your clone!" The manager slapped the woman on the back excitedly. "You just look so alike! Everyone in our industry is saying how Shirley is your stand-in too." "Shirley's debut film was the one that starred the famous Mr. Hunt and was inspired by the trending short story 'Hunt my Everheart.' People absolutely loved it, and that was Shirley's big break…"Renee brushed her hair out of her face and continued replying awkwardly. "Yeah, I've kind of heard of it.""It's a shame that Mr. Hunt is currently going out with Ms. Murphy. Looks like everyone's ship sank…" The manager let out a long sigh, her eyes filled with regret and sympathy.Renee watched as Shirley worked from afar, unable to contain her curiosity. "Is Ms. White still single?""Oh her?" The manager turned to look at Shirley as well, smiling. "She has someone rich, but you can't tell anyone this, okay?""Who is it? Is it Xavier Stuart?" "No, no, think bigger.""Bigg
"Does that mean you like Xavier?""That's not the only relationship a man and a woman could have, you know…" Not intending to stall any longer, Renee told her everything."Basically, my friend likes him, and I think he's fallen for her too. But he's just acting so weird! He likes her, but he doesn't dare to make a move.""So I was wondering if he has some kind of unresolved issues and if it has anything to do with you.""Fell for your friend?" A glimpse of jealousy flashed within Shirley's gorgeous eyes for a split second. She then let out a cold chuckle. "I think your friend must have been assuming things. Xavier loves me very much, and he'd never move on so easily."I did reject him in the past, but something happened later on, and it helped me confirm my feelings towards him. That's why I've decided to be with him. So I'm guessing he rejected your friend because of this.""R… Really?" Renee was dejected after hearing this. After all, everyone knew just how head over heels Xa
As Renee headed towards the parking lot, she found her head heavy, and she was feeling more disoriented the more she walked."Alright, everyone, get in position! And… action!" Behind her was the director giving orders, followed by the sound of the clapperboard.Shirley had already left the waiting area by then, and she now stood by the cliff for yet another shoot.Amongst her dizziness, she noticed Shirley's long hair and white dress. It was rather odd, but she found her looking quite similar to Briar, who she accidentally pushed down this cliff three months ago.Shirley and Briar's faces started merging into one, passing through the group of staff with an eerie smile. She was staring straight at her as blood started dripping out of the corners of her eyes and mouth…"Ah! No! Don't come near me!" Renee screamed as she blacked out, falling straight to the ground.After some time, as she regained consciousness slightly, she felt a bucket of ice-cold water poured onto her face.S
Francine stayed silent, not denying these allegations. Renee had always been a smart woman, which was why she admired her to begin with."Hah, well, I can't blame anyone but myself for this. I was fooled by Star Actress Shirley's innocent demeanor. As expected from her, I suppose, her acting skills are immaculate." Renee gave a thumbs up as she shook her head, smiling sadly."Does that mean you're admitting to all the crimes you have committed?" Francine asked as she tightened her grasp on the railing, her entire body trembling."What crimes?" Renee lifted her head and stared straight at Francine with her usual thorny attitude."What do you think? Do you feel no regret for what your demented brother has done to Stef and Seraphina? He ruined their lives!""You can insult me, but don't you dare insult my brother. I was the one who made the decision to lure Stefan Hunt into the trap. So I'll take full responsibility for what happened."Renee could guess that her brother had definite
There wasn't even the slightest hint of fear shown on Renee's face. She even burst out laughing, as though she wasn't being held captive."You bitch. How could you laugh in the face of death?!" Seraphina fumed, slapping Renee across the face as hard as she could. "What's so funny, huh? Are you not scared?!"A red slap mark slowly appeared on Renee's fair skin, with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. It seemed quite painful, yet she didn't even furrow her brows. Instead, the woman continued laughing loudly. "Hahaha, I'm laughing because of your stupidity. You're the one staring in the face of death, yet you still act like you have the upper hand! Isn't that hilarious?""You… What do you mean by that?! I'm doing just fine! How dare you curse me?!" Seraphina was actually feeling quite guilty from the start, and hearing Renee's words took her aback. Despite this, she still intended to slap Renee once more, but it was no match for the woman's great reflexes. She kicked her
"Like I said, there's no use putting up an act at this point! I will never forgive you, no matter how much you pretend to be innocent! You can never undo the damage you've done to me. I will only find peace by making you suffer a hundred times worse than I have!" Seraphina yelled. She then clapped her hands and turned her head to the door. "You may come in." After that, several rows of burly men, an estimated hundred in total, walked through the entrance. They were all wearing the same clothing and were mostly tanned. Their expressions were rather fierce, and they looked like foreigners. "What are you doing?" Renee asked Seraphina frostily."You're a smart woman. How could you possibly not know what I'm trying to do here?" Seraphina patted the tall man next to her, her smile twisted. "I specifically found these guys from a countryside far, far away, just for you.""They're very rugged, you know? They have more than enough stamina to satisfy you. I'm sure you'd die happy even if