Adie helped Renee to the master bedroom upstairs and tucked her into bed. He even poured a glass of water for her and placed it on the bedside cabinet. "There's water on the bedside cabinet, Mommy. You can drink it if you're thirsty," Adie said considerately."Thank you, Adie. You and Abby are my eyes, so... I'm not afraid. In fact, I feel relaxed and happier. Although I can't see with my eyes, I can see with my heart!" Renee said and smiled sincerely. Yes, her pain for losing her sight was real, but her children's love for her was real too, and it filled her with happiness. She wouldn't know how warm her children were if something like this didn't happen. They were no longer merely kids under her care—they could be independent, and they could even take care of her when she needed it. "Rest early, Mommy. Don't worry, I won't let you be blind for long. I'll come up with ways to make you see again," Adie promised firmly, clenching his fists."Just let things run its course. Of course
After a week, Renee was getting used to being blind. She adapted quickly, and Margaret and her children took great care of her. She learned about current events through voice messages and Braille, which she picked up quickly, so she was quite up-to-date despite staying at Everheart Manor all the time. She found out from the news that the Hunt and the Murphy families had fallen out with each other, and naturally, the marriage between Stefan and Seraphina was off. Thanks to that, Hunt Enterprise was facing its biggest crisis due to financial and technical issues, and many felt that the Great Eight of Beach City might be reshuffled. Renee didn't know what to feel when she heard the news. She was neither happy nor sad, and felt like an onlooker calmly reading about people from another world. Finally, she could distance herself from that mess, and the thought of it gave her peace of mind. After driving Adie and Abby to school every morning, Margaret would lead Renee to the pagoda tree in
Suddenly, Renee found something amiss. She couldn't feel the wind, but it didn't feel like the wind had stopped. Rather, it felt like something was blocking the wind. Frowning, she asked hesitantly, "Margaret?" Only silence greeted her.Renee could hear someone's rapid breathing, and felt their gaze on her skin. "You aren't Margaret, are you?" Margaret wasn't tall enough to be able to block out the breeze entirely, and she would have answered Renee by now. Also, this person smelled like grass, ambergris, and medical disinfectant. Finally, she realized who it was. Renee clenched her fists and asked coolly, "What are you doing here, Stefan?" Stefan's heartbeat quickened, and he stared at Renee's eyes in disbelief. "Your... eyes?""You came at last." Renee wasn't surprised because Adie had warned her about Stefan's desire to meet her. People usually needed around two weeks to recover after brain surgery, but he had come here in less than a week. His wound had probably just healed; t
"We're even..." Stefan stared at Renee, and his voice shook as he said, "Does that mean we can start over?"Renee's heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she was thrown off guard. "Stop messing around. It's not funny." She never felt that they could start over. After all, many things had happened, and they were already heartbroken. If they started over, they would go down the same path and get hurt again."Yeah, I was just joking. If you don't think it's funny, I'll stop." Taking a deep breath, Stefan moved closer to Renee and suggested calmly, "It doesn't mean that we have to be lovers or married if we start over… but I think we can restart our relationship. As for our future, we can wait and see what destiny holds for us. Maybe we'll be good competitors or friends, but if nothing else... you're the mother of my children. We can be good partners. What do you think?" Stefan's words calmed Renee's tension for some reason. She swallowed and asked, "Do you really think so? Or… do yo
It seemed rather cost-effective to hire a capable live-in helper like Stefan, but Renee found it weird. He was always cold and distant, so why had he become so shameless after his brain recovery surgery?"Just say yes. You can always kick me out if it doesn't work out, right?" Stefan urged Renee. Since Renee couldn't find a reason to reject him, she said grumpily, "Whatever. I can't see, so it doesn't matter to me.""So, you said yes..." Stefan's deep-set eyes brightened immediately. The first step had gone much more smoothly than he thought. Being persistent was quite effective when dealing with Renee. Margaret's voice came from the manor at that moment. "Ms. Ren, whose luggage is at the door..." Margaret entered the front yard, looking confused when she saw Stefan. "What are you doing here, Master Hunt? What are you trying to do to Ms. Ren?" Margaret immediately ran over to stand in front of Renee and glared at Stefan, saying firmly, "You're not welcome here. Please leave!" R
Margaret was baffled to see Stefan run happily to the backyard in search of his room. "Why is Mr. Hunt so happy to stay in the doghouse? Did they remove a part of his brain during the surgery?" Margaret asked seriously. Speechless, Renee shook her head in confusion. "I don't know why he's suddenly become so shameless. I couldn't get rid of him.""Do you want me to be the bad guy and drive him out?" Margaret asked, raising a brow. Her opinion of Stefan was based on Renee's—if Renee liked him, she would welcome him; if she didn't, Margaret would dislike him too."Just let him be. I want to see what tricks he has up his sleeve..." Renee had done this out of consideration for her two children. "The kids are still so young, but I'm blind now, and you're getting old. Plus, Quinton isn't back yet. If our enemies come, we're powerless against them. I think we might as well keep Stefan around.""Yes, you're right, Ms. Ren." Margaret nodded approvingly, but still asked, "Do you want him to
Besides, Margaret found it a little pitiful if Stefan was forced to stay in the doghouse right before his big battle. "Haha! I certainly won't ask him to stay in the doghouse. Go and clean up the storeroom in the backyard, the room that used to be my father's workroom. My father loved to make things there for my mother and I there whenever he was free. When the fire burned down this manor, that storeroom was the only room left. Stefan might get lucky if he stays there." In the past, Renee loved to play in that storeroom because it was a comfortable room with nice weather all year round. Unfortunately, she couldn't see it anymore. "Okay, I'll go and clean it up for him now," Margaret agreed. She could tell that Renee still cared about Stefan very much. Both Renee and Stefan still valued each other whether they were a couple or not, and their concern for each other was already more than enough. Margaret went to the backyard and found Stefan standing in front of the doghouse, which
Stefan stared at the drawing in shock, instantly recognizing the woman in the sketch. It was none other than Francine, his mother. It was a younger version of Francine, just like how he remembered her when he was three or four years old. But why was his mother's sketch in Renee's father's workroom?"I'm done making the bed for you, Mr. Hunt." After cleaning up the room, Margaret went to Stefan. She saw the sketch just as Stefan wanted to put it away, and asked curiously, "Do you know the woman in the drawing, Mr. Hunt?""I..." Stefan swallowed, then asked carefully, "Was there any kind of relationship between this woman and Renee's father?""I'm not sure about that, but I know that the late Mr. Everheart cherished this sketch very much. It might be a person he had imagined. Whenever I came to clean this room, I often saw him staring at the sketch in a trance..." Margaret said softly, "The late Mr. and Mrs. Everheart had a very deep relationship and were a match made in heaven. T
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.