Quinton had realized something was amiss, and had given Renee an emergency alarm. If Renee pressed that button, the whole hospital would be alerted. Renee had initially laughed about it, not wanting to wake everyone up because of her selfish desire to eat cake, but that seemed to have given Stefan the confidence to behave recklessly. "I just wanted to help you wipe your lips… but I won't come tomorrow night if you think it's inappropriate. I'll also fire the pastry chef I poached from a top pastry shop." Raising his brows, Stefan continued, "He was planning to bake a hazelnut cake tomorrow...""No, please don't!" Renee's eyes lit up because she loved hazelnut cake the most. She quickly explained, "Don't fire him. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to get the job, so let him work tomorrow but... you don't have to wipe my lips for me. I can do it on my own.""Sure, I'll think it over seeing how concerned and sincere you are," Stefan said lightly, smiling like a cunning fox."Ah!" Renee
A week later, there was finally news from the hospital. Although Renee's injury was serious, it had healed fast because of the good treatment, and the risk of paralysis was gone. Everyone was happy and relieved to hear it. "Great! It must be your good fortune because you helped so many people. I knew that you would be okay!" Leia said excitedly as she hugged Renee. She'd been so worried about Renee that she hadn't been sleeping well and had lost a lot of weight. One might have thought she was the one who had gotten injured instead."You're not allowed to take part in any climbing activities from now on, be it rock climbing, mountain climbing, or even going up the stairs. If you do, someone has to be around to watch you!" Quinton said sternly. He would never let Renee take any risks like that again. "Don't worry, Quinton. Phoenix won't get in any trouble under my watch." Justin was unusually serious as he gazed at Renee."I heard from the doctor that you'll be discharged from the
Melancholy washed over Renee as she glanced at the flowers and sighed. "I got them from an old friend." "Who's the person who knows your favorite flower? Do I know them?" Leia picked out a sunflower and sniffed it. "Yes, you know him." Downcast, Renee nodded.Justin narrowed his eyes at the bouquet and growled, "Do I know him?""Maybe," Renee answered honestly. "Oh…" Nodding, Justin relaxed. "So it's not Stefan. It doesn't matter then." "Why not?" Renee looked puzzled."It's because I have nothing to fear if it wasn't from Stefan, even if it's flowers, gold, or cash," Justin said confidently.Renee was speechless. Justin seemed to be quite dumb even though he looked smart. He would've gone mad if he knew that Stefan brought food to Renee every night and stayed in her ward for more than an hour. "Regardless, I think he's a kind man since his gift is just what Ren likes," Leia declared brightly, happy if the number of Renee's pursuers grew. "Stop that. What's going on wit
"Don't say that, we're not that close." Disappointment overwhelmed Leia when she recalled the things that had happened in the mountains, and she immediately felt irritated with Xavier. "How cruel! We slept together, didn't we? Of course that makes us close," Xavier said teasingly, finding Leia's behaviour cute. He slowly got closer to her and stared deeply into her eyes. "I don't mind reminding you if you forgot how close we were.""How… are you going to do that?" Shaken by his nearness, Leia subconsciously leaned backward. "I remember that my ex likes it when I kiss her against the wall. I don't mind helping you remember if you've forgotten…" Xavier murmured seductively as he backed her into a corner, leaning over her. "Idiot!" Blushing, Leia tried to slap him but he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, whispering softly into her ear, "Aren't we close?""I…" Leia's heartbeat quickened and she bit her lip, looking away. "I don't know.""Don't make assumptions then. W
"What's the rush? There's nothing urgent we have to do. Isn't it nice to relax, have some coffee, and get to know each other better?" Xavier crossed his legs, rested his chin on his hand and watched her, smirking lazily."Don't you have anything better to do, Xavier?" Leia said through gritted teeth. Her patience was running out, and she wasn't as shameless as the mean seated opposite her."Nope, the most important thing for me to do is to be with you," Xavier said flirtatiously as he sipped his coffee."You're crazy!" Leia pretended to vomit at his cheesy line.After a brief silence, Xavier asked casually, "I heard you're going to join a love reality show that's scripted to have you dating Santiago?""It's a rumor!" Leia declared. Xavier's joy lasted less than a second as Leia added proudly, "I'm going to date Mr. Dalton; it's not scripted at all!""Leia Osborne!" Xavier called her by her full name for the first time, his tone threatening."What's the matter, Mr. Stuart?" Lei
"Mr. Dalton!" Leia looked at Santiago with sparkling eyes and eagerly trotted over to him. Standing under the shade of a tree, Santiago was much more handsome and charming than any idol. Leia was completely focused on him, and failed to see the motorbike speeding towards her."Be careful!" Santiago called out anxiously as he grabbed her and they both tumbled away from the bike. They dropped to the ground, locked in each other's arms intimately. Time seemed to have stopped as Leia and Santiago gazed at each other for a few seconds, immersed in their own world. After a while, they pulled away from each other and stood up awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dalton. I wasn't being careful and made you fall." Leia blushed and smoothed her messy hair, not daring to look at him."No, it was my fault for not going to you immediately," Santiago said tenderly. His attire was simple, with a blue jeans shirt and a pair of khaki pants, but his mysterious and charming aura put him in the spotlight wherev
As soon as the news was released, it became the top search on the Internet for days. The media and fans were hungry for news on the show, and Star Entertainment was on guard because today was the signing ceremony for Santiago and Leia. Almost all the members of the company's management department were waiting eagerly for their arrival. Countless party poppers were fired the moment Leia and Santiago stepped into the company, as if the people gathered there were welcoming a newlywed couple. "I'm so glad to see you, Santi, Lei... Let's go to the conference room so you both can sign the contract." Tense, Adam led them to the conference room.There were two men and three women sitting in the conference room, all guests of the love reality show. Some were celebrities, while others were either elites or ordinary people. However, all of them had one thing in common: they were all breathtakingly attractive."Wow, you're so handsome, Mr. Dalton. I've heard so much about you!" Megan Flores
Adam's expression changed and he started wringing his hands nervously, looking conflicted. "What's wrong, Mr. Jiminez?" Leia asked hesitantly. The happy chatter died down and everyone turned to Adam curiously."There's going to be a small change to our show. Initially, we only had three men and four women, but we now have another male guest joining us, giving us a total of four men and four women," Adam announced solemnly as he placed his palms on the desk."Ah! Well, I think it's a good thing to have another male guest because now we'll have exactly four pairs. It's much more interesting this way!" Megan said eagerly."Yeah, she's right. No one will be left behind, and it won't be that awkward either," someone else chimed in. "Yeah, he said that too, but this guest is a bit special. I'm afraid we can't shoot the show normally if he's here," Adam mumbled and sighed deeply. "Which big shot is it? How popular is he that he can even affect the shooting?" Arrogantly, Skylar adde
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