Renee was held by armed guards and pushed into a remote place in the fort that was surrounded by a lot of guards. "How dare you offend Mr. Jenkins! If not for Mr. Osborne, your tongue would have been cut off by now! Stay in there and reflect on yourself." The guard fiercely pushed her into a small, dark room, which was the so-called dungeon. The door was closed again, and Renee felt her throat tighten in the tiny room, like she was being strangled. "Who’s there?" There was movement in the furthest corner, and Renee immediately realised there was someone else in the dungeon with her."You're new here?" The person leaned back against the wall and stared at Renee. Renee couldn't make her features out in the dark, but her voice was eerily toneless.Renee frowned and asked tentatively, "Could you be... Joanne?" She vaguely heard that Joanne was locked up in the dungeon too. Besides, there were practically no women around, so it was very likely that this person was Joanne. "You're ne
Joanne clenched her fists so tightly that her long fingernails dug deep into her palms. "It depends on who the angel meets. If an angel meets another angel, then it'll be heaven. But if the angel meets a demon, it'll go to hell... He was the one who sent me there!""Miss, you... Wait a minute..." Renee's mind was a mess. Feeling bewildered, she asked Joanne in confusion, "You betrayed him and stabbed him, but you also said that he was a demon who pulled you down to hell… Is that right?""Yes, that's right." Joanne nodded vigorously, unashamed of what she had done."Well, you're being unreasonable. How can you shift the blame to him?" Renee argued."What do you know? No one knows about my past with him, so none of you know how he dragged me to hell." "Do you mind telling me then? It seems like both of you are troubled by something… maybe I can help?" Renee felt that the woman she had heard about was not that unreasonable and ruthless. There had to be some kind of misunderstanding.
"Er... that..." When Renee noticed Joanne's intention of letting it all go to hell, she was in a dilemma. When a person had lost all hope, it would be near impossible to save them."If you don't leave, you'll meet a miserable end. Even if you manage to stay alive, the master will torture you. Have you ever thought about the consequences?" Renee patiently tried to persuade Joanne."Yeah, I'm aware of that but I don't care. If I was afraid of death, I wouldn't have betrayed him. I can't bear his lawless behaviour, so I hope that I can do something nice before I die to make up for the mistakes I made," Joanne said absently. She had long lost all hope to survive. When she recalled the things she did in the past, as well as the things she had experienced, she lost her desire to live. She no longer recognized herself. "You want to make up for your mistakes, so it proves that you haven't given up all hope. There's still something you can't let go of... So, don't just give up on yourself,
"Liam, don't worry. Dad won't do anything to that lady. He's just trying to scare you," Amber said softly, finally picking up the courage to speak as she walked beside Liam shyly."I know. He has a soft heart," Liam replied absent-mindedly. He couldn't stop worrying about Renee."I know that lady is very important to you. If you want to save her, you'll have to outsmart him. Don't take him head-on. If not, the consequences will be unimaginable...""Outsmart him?" Liam finally turned his attention to the young woman beside him. Under the moonlight, Amber's long hair, large eyes, and white outfit gave off a pure and gentle aura."Yes. I have a way to help you outsmart him." Amber looked up at him, her dark eyes shining like stars."Really? I'm all ears." Liam was a bit doubtful of this young woman who blushed the moment she saw him. He felt that she would not come up with any constructive ideas, but he couldn't deny his curiosity.Amber then glanced at the guards who were following
Liam was slightly surprised. He did not expect the weak and child-like Amber to show such a tough side. He immediately put away the dagger and said firmly, "Don't joke around like that. Aren't you worried that I might actually take you as a hostage?"Amber was very naive. Her eyes were pure and clear as she said, "I think it's worth it even if you hold me as a hostage in exchange for your beloved woman!""Silly child. You should know your worth." Liam would never use such an immoral tactic, even if he was left with no options.He looked around. Although those two guards had been sent away, they were still following them from afar. All the exits were guarded too, so it would be practically impossible to save Renee under the guards' strict monitoring."Gem… Amber… Forget about the hostage plan. Can you take me to the dungeon to see my girlfriend?" Liam was helpless, and this was the only way he could think of. Amber was the only one on his side that had a bit of status in the whole f
Currently, Joanne was forced to have her body parts sold just because she disagreed with Benjamin's cruel ways. How horrible!"They're so used to this. Will Boss be..." Liam's heartbeat quickened, and he did not dare to think about it. "No, I must save them. I can't delay any longer!" Driven by panic, he rushed towards the entrance of the dungeon. Naturally, he was stopped by two guards."The dungeon is a restricted area. Please show me your pass.""I don't have a pass!" Liam snarled coldly, "My girlfriend is in there, and I've come to get her back.""You don't have a pass, but you want to barge into the dungeon without permission. It looks like you're an intruder. Well, don't blame us for being harsh." The guards raised their weapons and aimed them at Liam's head. Sometimes, there were people who tried to barge into the dungeon like Liam was doing. It was usually quite easy to deal with them—the guards simply pulled the trigger, dragged the body away, and threw it aside."What
In the dungeon, the two men in lab coats had arrived at the cell Joanne and Renee were in."Joanne, come out!" The guard knocked on the iron bars and ordered icily.In the dark, Joanne smiled sadly and said to Renee, "Finally, my time has come."Renee had been feeling drowsy, but now, she was fully awake. "What is it? Where are you going?" "I will be reborn again.""Reborn?" Renee asked slowly. "Has that old man suddenly grown a conscience? Does he want to let you go?""Yeah, he wants to let me go." Joanna's smile became even sadder. She reached out and embraced Renee as she whispered, "Ms. Everheart, I'm glad I got to know you. If you get the chance, please say sorry to Mr. Hunt for me."Renee rolled her eyes and scoffed, "He lied to you and fooled you, but you want to apologize to him?""Yes, I've wronged him deeply. Many things aren't as they seem... I'm leaving." Joanne let Renee go hesitantly, then went out under the urging of the guard.Renee was still rooted to the spo
Liam barged in and held Renee's shoulders, asking anxiously."I'm fine. Go and save Joanne now. She's in great danger." Liam pressed the gun to the guard's head and demanded, "Where's Joanne?" "I'm not telling you anything, so you might as well kill me." The guard tilted his head and closed his eyes, refusing to give in."You!" Liam was greatly infuriated. The people in the fort had undergone high-intensity physical and mental training, so they were loyal to Benjamin and would never easily admit defeat."Maybe she's in the dismantling room," Amber said hesitantly. "I once heard from Mateo that anyone who betrays my dad will be sent to the dismantling room. Their body parts will then be dismantled and sold." "What?" Renee clenched her fists and snarled indignantly, "That old man is merciless!""Maybe that's why Joanne reported my dad. I didn't expect that... it would put her in such great danger." Amber kept her head low. She did not approve of some of Benjamin's actions, but
Justin smiled and described the children's experiences, acting like a stepfather. When he talked about the children, he made it sound like they were his biological children. Stefan didn't look so good. He felt that the glass of wine was getting bitter."Well, I'm sure kids will find everything new and exciting when they go to a new place. But they'll get bored with it when time passes. They'll love their real home better." Stefan had wanted to act relaxed and casual, but he could not stop himself from refuting when he heard Justin's provocative words. "Mm?" Leia sat beside Liam and leaned against his arm, and whispered, "What are they doing? This is weird. Are they going to fight?""It's just a competition between men. They won't get into a fight." Liam kept eating and watching the fun. He merely found it amusing. As expected, Renee was greatly admired. Although she remained silent, she would always be in the limelight. Liam was amused to see people like Stefan or Justin
"How dare you!"Stefan's words instantly made Leia speechless. She had wanted to rebuke him, but he snatched the chance from her and struck her dumb.In short, he was an utter scumbag.After a moment, Leia finally managed to comment, "How shameless!" Justin had kept silent all the while. He looked at Stefan with a scrutinizing and mocking gaze. "Mr. Hunt, I admire your honesty and self-awareness. If that's the case, let's stop being reserved and have fun together!""Yes, let's have fun together. I'm shameless, too!" Liam joined in the effort to mock Stefan. He swayed his glass of wine and faked a smile. "I've known her a long time, so of course I know what shameless things Mr. Hunt has done. I think I'd better grab this chance to tell you all of them since everyone is here today."Standing at the door, Renee was worried that Liam might say more indecent things. She hurriedly stopped him. "Pipe down, Liam!" "Got it." Liam shrugged helplessly but obeyed her.Although he yea
"Do you want to leave?" Stefan saw Renee. He was calm, indifferent, and distant. His behavior stung Renee. Renee could easily recall their lovey-dovey memories. They had both risked their lives for each other and vowed to be together forever. They had two children, too. Yet, they ended up as strangers.Although Renee was heartbroken, she became competitive. She smoothed her hair and said in a similarly cold manner, "I'm going to the washroom." "Okay." Stefan did not have anything to say. He nodded and walked past Renee before heading to the dining table. "Hmph! I didn't expect you to come so boldly," Quinton sneered.At the sight of Stefan, Quinton subconsciously clenched his fists, acting like he was about to fight Stefan. On the surface, he wouldn't act aggressively because he knew Renee would stop him. "It's not easy for the few great families to get together. It's good and meaningful for us. If I refused to come, it would make me seem heartless."Stefan kept his co
Having said that, Renee lowered her head, about to leave. She didn't even have the time to bother about Adie and Abby, and told Quinton to take them home later. Her strange behavior filled Quinton with displeasure. He blocked Renee and said solemnly, "Are you afraid? Do you want to run away? People might think that you're guilty and have cheated on your husband!""No, I'm not!" Renee refuted him loudly, then explained seriously, "I'm busy. I need to handle something right away. Plus, I'm not guilty. I did nothing wrong. There's no reason for me to feel guilty." Quinton went straight to the point. "What are you afraid of since you know you're not guilty? Why do you want to run away? He should be afraid instead!""I told you. I'm not afraid of him. I'm just…" "What?" Quinton crossed his arms and looked at Renee coldly. He wanted to get to the bottom of it.Renee came up with a ridiculous yet normal excuse. "I… I recalled that the dessert shop that I want to head to is about to
Jovan called Stefan to sound the latter out. Anyway, it would be convenient for Stefan to rush over since they were both at the same spot. "I'll be right there," Stefan said. Then, he hung up.For a moment, silence washed over everyone, as if something terrible was about to happen.After taking in the new information, Leia said indignantly, "What's going on? Why does he want to come? Isn't he too shameless? How dare he come?" Although everything wasn't discussed openly, everyone knew why Stefan and Renee broke up all of a sudden, despite how lovey-dovey they were. The reason was that Stefan had cheated on Renee.Even if the adultery was faked, it was still the cause of their breakup. If Stefan were shameful or guilty, he wouldn't have agreed to come. He was going to face Renee there with their friends and family around. Certainly, it was embarrassing. "Hmph! Why not? He impersonated me, seized my business, and snatched away my woman. Plus, he led a steady life, got married
Jovan's words made the atmosphere quiet and bizarre. "Are you out of your mind, Jovan? It's already very annoying to have someone like you here. Do you have to get another annoying guy?" Leia frowned, crossing her arms. She kept scolding him.Initially, the atmosphere was considered harmonious. It was still considered fine even if there was an annoying person like Jovan. Unexpectedly, he wanted to call another, more terrible person to come here. Things would certainly go wrong. "Ms. Osborne, you're famous for talking harshly, too. You're just like me. I love it." However, Jovan was not mad at all. He grinned while waiting for Stefan to answer the call. Generally, Stefan would not answer Jovan's call. Surprisingly, he picked it up that time."What's the matter?" Jovan purposely put it on speaker mode. Stefan sounded aloof and emotionless.Jovan sounded wicked as he calmly asked Stefan, "Do you want to join a gathering, Stefan?""I'm going to hang up if you don't say anythi
In the past, Jovan had always regarded Stefan as a coward. Stefan couldn't forget about Renee, but he kept pushing Renee to another man. It seemed like Justin was more responsible, considerate, and gentle. Of course, Renee would lead a very happy, steady, and comfortable life with such a man. At the very least, Jovan felt that he could not be that meticulous and considerate. He would only drive Renee mad just to get her attention. "Hmph! Are you trying to humiliate me or yourself?" Justin didn't find that a compliment. Instead, it sounded like smockery. Jovan made it sound like Justin was a nice guy, but would not be picked by Renee. Usually, people like that had to suffer and would not end up well."I'm praising you." Jovan was helpless because of his reputation as the villain. Although he had said a lot of annoying things, he did want to compliment Justin. His love was probably as deep as Justin's, but his and Stefan's ways of loving Renee were much inferior to Justin's.
"That's unnecessary." Justin stood in front of Renee, his face cold. He said firmly, "She's unwell and can't have wine." "Is she unwell? I didn't see that." Jovan sized Renee up before he sized Justin up. Then, he sneered, "And who are you to her? You can't stop her from having wine.""It's none of your business who I am to her. I said she can't have wine." Justin always kept peace with others, but at that moment, he was dominant. He didn't always want to control Renee, but she had drunk a lot of wine that day. It might have hurt her belly. Hence, he felt it better for her to abstain from wine lately. However, Jovan was unaware of that affair. He simply found Justin purposely showing his ownership over Renee, which disgusted him."Waiter, get her a glass of milk. She only wants that," Justin instructed a waiter, showing his consideration for Renee. "It's okay. I can have a little wine. Plus, I'm rather good at drinking. It's not easy for everyone to get together tonight. I do
They danced for around ten minutes. Renee danced to the song heartily. Her initial gloomy mood also improved.Renee drank some water and took a few deep breaths. Then, she sincerely praised Leia, "Alright. Your welcome ceremony is bizarre, but it helped relieve my stress. I like it very much!"She could tell that Leia had painstakingly prepared that gift for her. After all, it was not easy to ask the Zambawi people from primitive tribes to sing an English song. "I'm glad you like it. I did this because I wanted you to relax and stop taking things seriously. You need to stop being so hard on yourself and get rid of all the pressure!" Leia said honestly. The Zambawi hand-drum dance came with the charms of a primitive dance. Its goal was to set people free. Of course, it was suitable for Renee to relieve her stress."Yeah, your stress is relieved. From now on, you'll start afresh. This is for you. I'm sure it'll be one of your happy memories." Liam handed the previous Polaroid to