Benjamin waved his hand and snarled, "Okay, I give up. I'll grant your wish." Amber opened her watery eyes. Smiling, she said, "Dad, I knew you weren't that cruel...""Don't get cocky. I'll let them go… on one condition." Benjamin stared at Liam fiercely, then sneered, "My daughter's willing to give up her life for you. It's obvious that she loves you very much, so I want you to promise to stay and marry her. If not, all of you can't leave the fort."Hearing that, Amber's face turned red and she protested, "Dad, you... Don't be like this. A marriage will only be happy if both parties love each other. You can't force people to marry like this!" Benjamin ignored Amber and stared at Liam intently. "What do you think? Are you willing to marry my daughter?" "I..." Frowning deeply, Liam looked conflicted and hesitant. His heart belonged to someone else, so naturally, he was unwilling to marry a woman he did not love. However, he was also afraid that he, Renee, and Joanne would end up
Renee left the fort with Joanne, and they soon arrived at a hospital in the city.Joanne was placed on a stretcher and pushed into a surgery room quickly."Doctor, please save her. You have to save her!" Renee begged pitifully as she followed them. They had gone through so much to save Joanne, and Liam had even been forced into a marriage; she did not want all their sacrifices to go to waste."We'll try our best," the doctor said solemnly, and then the door to the surgery room was closed.Exhausted and dejected, Renee sat down on a chair in the waiting area. Helplessness overwhelmed her, and she stared at the floor absently. She wanted to sleep in a nice, warm bed or rest her head on someone's shoulder.At that moment, she saw a pair of long legs striding aloofly towards her.The crisp suit set off the slimness of the man's legs, and it was clear that the person was tall and attractive.Renee raised her head and met the man's cold gaze. Her eyes were filled with tears, so her vi
"You're overthinking. I just told him that I didn't want to see my partner get his hands dirty. Surprisingly, Benjamin let you go. You guys must be pretty lucky.""Hmph, I know that you're not that kind." Renee looked away and ignored him. She glanced at the flickering lamp of the surgery room and recalled Joanne's final wish. Feeling angry, she turned to Stefan and glared at him fiercely. "You scumbag!"He stared at her incredulously. "What did I do to you now?" "It's not about what you did to me, it's about what you did to Joanne! You tricked her and manipulated her. You even watched her fall into the sea but didn’t save her. Calling you a scumbag is putting it lightly!"Renee's eyes turned watery, and she fought back tears. "Do you know how loyal she was towards you? She knew she was about to be killed, but her final wish was to meet you one last time. A scumbag like you doesn't deserve her loyalty!" Stefan's gaze was indifferent as he said cryptically, "You're not Joanne, s
Stefan frowned. "What do you mean?" "Never mind, it's nothing." Renee mumbled and then turned to the doctor. "Take my blood. Now!"After that, she rushed into the surgery room. "Take mine too." Stefan followed her quickly. He felt that a man should bear this kind of burden."You both…" This was the first time the doctor had faced such a situation, but he didn't want to waste any time. "Alright. Both of you can donate blood in case we need a lot of it." Finally, Joanne was saved due to Renee and Stefan's joint efforts. When her condition was stable, she was transferred into an ordinary ward."Are you alright?" Renee and Stefan asked each other at the same time as they exited the surgery room. "I'm fine. I told you that my hematopoietic function is very strong." Stefan put his hands in his pockets and raised his brows slightly."Yeah, you're very strong. But you fainted earlier, didn't you?" Renee asked, raising an eyebrow."No, I didn't. I just dozed off.""If you say so.
"What do you think? My kidneys are very valuable. Also, I heard that people who come here can only leave after they give up their kidneys. Who knows if you've conspired with the gangs here?" Renee teased him, but she was actually quite frightened. She walked beside him the whole time, not daring to stray too far."You're right, this place is pretty chaotic. You'd better stick close to me if you don’t want to lose your kidneys. Hold my hand tight." After that, he reached out and held her hand.Instantly, he was struck by an odd sensation. It was the first time he held her hand, but he found her small hand very familiar… It was as if he had held her hand countless times before. Stefan always longed to hold onto this feeling, so he always tried to approach Renee."You scheming man. You must have done this on purpose!" Renee complained but still subconsciously leaned closer to him. She didn't dare to let go of his hand at all.When they reached the end of the corridor, they saw a res
After Stefan paid the bill, he walked out of the restaurant and saw how dark it had gotten. Frowning, he turned and looked at Renee. "It's getting dark. Let's find a place to rest for the night."Renee had a bit of wine, so her cheeks were slightly flushed and she was feeling a little dizzy too. She stepped forward and lifted his chin, narrowing her eyes at him. "Looks like you want to take advantage of me after buying me dinner. Don't think I don't know what's on your mind." Stefan was speechless.Renee burped and said bluntly, "But it's fine, it's hard to say who will take advantage of who. Alright, let’s go and get a hotel room!"Stefan's jaw dropped. Did she have any idea what she was saying?!He supported the swaying Renee and said coldly, "You're too inexperienced to take advantage of me. What's more, you donated so much blood today. You'd better just behave yourself and rest well."They went to the most prestigious hotel in the city center. Stefan went to the reception
"Am I that annoying? Why don't you want me in your life?" Stefan lay flat on the bed, unexpectedly calm as he met Renee's gaze and asked her. Although he seemed to have some kind of grudge against her and she conspired with Quinton and nearly got him killed…For some reason, he could not bring himself to hate her. On the contrary, he couldn't help but want to be near her. It had become his subconscious habit.It was exactly what happened this time around. He was indeed Benjamin's partner, but he did not have to lower himself to come here. He had only come because he had heard she would be here, and thus, he shamelessly and eagerly followed her.Why? He yearned to know the answer. "I've thought about it for a long time, and I've decided that I must recover my lost memories. Do you know how to help me do that?" Stefan asked her seriously. "Yes, I have a lot of ways...""Tell me!""For instance..." Renee leaned in close to his ear as if she were about to make some kind of grand
While Stefan was taking a shower, he heard some noise. He turned around, and to his shock, Renee entered the bathroom. "What... What are you doing?" Stefan was frozen, so pale he looked like he had seen a ghost. He dared not move at all."I'm going to take a bath," Renee muttered tonelessly. After that, she slowly walked towards the shower and stood in front of Stefan, facing him. "I'm too hot. I need to shower.""I… Umm…" Stefan couldn't look away as water flowed down her body. Her long hair was drenched, and so were her clothes. They stuck to her body, showing off her curvy figure.His mouth went dry, and he stared at her hungrily. 'Damn it, she's not helping the situation!'"It's so refreshing!" Renee sighed blissfully and leaned her head back to enjoy the water splashing on her face."Woman, what are you trying to do?" Stefan finally growled. At first, he was embarrassed since he was naked. Though his sculpted body looked like a piece of art, he was still very shy about show
Then, Stefan calmly placed the crab leg on the plate in front of Leia. Leia was flabbergasted. She did not dare to move. She wondered what he was doing, and if he wanted to sacrifice her."Why aren't you eating it?" Stefan looked at Leia, sounding composed. Yet, he was full of the dominance that could burn anyone.Leia swallowed and gnashed her teeth, asking Stefan, "How could you peel the crab for me? Isn't it inappropriate?" She was the most cowardly person. Usually, she looked fierce and indignant as if she wanted to punish Stefan severely. But when he came to her and looked at her, she would be very frightened. She would not dare to do anything."Why not? Someone said women shouldn't peel the prawns or crabs themselves. I'm just being a gentleman. It's nothing serious. It's just peeling the crab!" Stefan said. It was rare to see him speak so much. It was incompatible with his contradictory identity. However, it was clear that he was mocking Justin and saying how ridiculo
Both Stefan and Justin mocked each other, which made the atmosphere more awkward. Although Liam and Leia were simply watching the fun, they felt awkward, too. It made them restless.Renee was having a hard time, too. She smacked the table and said to Stefan and Justin, "You'd better stop eating. Go out and fight. The food got cold because of your endless fight."When she spoke, she sounded like a class teacher with absolute authority. Although both Stefan and Justin were dissatisfied, they fell silent and did not dare to say more. Everyone started enjoying the great food, but said nothing. It seemed a little gloomy.Renee was about to get a prawn, but Justin had already peeled it nicely for her. He dipped it in some sauce and put it in Renee's bowl. "I know you love prawns the best. I've peeled it for you. Of course, women can't peel the prawns themselves.""Oh, Mr. Baldwin. You're considerate. You're a role model among the men. Anyone who marries you will be very happy!" Le
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.