"Is there anything else?" Stefan stopped and turned to look at Leia wearily. His talk with Jovan had tired him out, and he had to worry about Renee and the children. Even if he was energetic, there were times he wanted to rest too. For now, he just wanted one night where he could rest quietly. "You left early and came home late. You didn't spend much time with Ren, and now you want to go straight to bed. Have you ever thought that Ren might be waiting for you? Wouldn't she be disappointed if you just went to sleep?" Leia asked meaningfully. She wasn't usually a busybody, but today was a special day. She knew Renee well, and figured she was probably still awake and waiting for Stefan to comfort her. If Stefan went to bed now, Renee might be mulling over the news the whole night."You're right. I wasn't being considerate enough." Stefan nodded and took a deep breath before he headed upstairs quietly. "Hey, you..." Leia's heart ached as the sight of his lonely figure heading up the s
"Silly, that day will never come. You'll be the one getting sick of me." Stefan kissed Renee lovingly. His wife might never realize how attractive she was and how many people were coveting her, so he had to be alert all the time.After a while of kissing, Renee said rather bashfully, "Umm... There's something I want to tell you.""What is it? Why are you being so mysterious about it?" Stefan was curious because both Renee and Leia had been acting strangely. "Open the drawer—there's something in it. I'm sure you'll know when you see it." Renee kept her head ducked, as shy as a schoolgirl. It was not the first time she had gotten pregnant, but she was more nervous and excited than before. Renee felt that the both of them would look forward to this child's arrival. "I'm looking forward to it!" Stefan could not suppress his eagerness as he pulled open the drawer. When he saw the test strip and two lines on it, he became nervous. "Dear, umm... is it positive?" "What?""Why didn't y
"No, of course not!" Stefan immediately covered Renee's lips. "Shush… Don't say such things. If our baby hears that, he or she may hate me, and that would be unfair for me." "What? The baby is just a small cell that can't even be seen at this point, of course it can't hear us." Amused, Renee moved his hand away, feeling relieved at his joy. Of course she had been worried— she was blind, and Stefan was busy gaining a firm foothold in Hunt Enterprise. Besides, they had Adie and Abby. Even if Margaret, Leia, and the others were around, it would still be quite exhausting. If they had another child now, their life would be more chaotic. "I'm serious, darling. I can get rid of it if you think it's not the right time for us to have another child." Leaning into Stefan's arms, Renee said sadly, "We can have another child in the future; I don't want to see our lives get too chaotic, and I don't want to see you stressed." It was already tough taking care of a blind person, and if that person
It was better to communicate instead of making assumptions if there was an issue."Nothing. It's getting late. You should sleep early." Stefan didn't want to tell her because he didn't want her to worry."No, there has to be something going on. Tell me!" Renee said urgently. "I said that there can't be secrets between us. I don't want you to go to bed worrying about whatever that is."Stefan sighed deeply, knowing Renee wouldn't let it go until he told her. "Hurry up. We can sleep after you tell me!" Renee complained. "Okay, I'll tell you." After some hesitation, Stefan explained, "Grandpa talked to Jovan alone again tonight, and I talked to him too. Can you guess… what we talked about?""Control over Hunt Enterprise?" Renee asked instantly. "Isn't that why he constantly fights with you? Doesn't he find it tiring?" Although she had been staying at home recently, she did listen to financial news. She was aware of Jovan making vast changes to Hunt Enterprise that had been pretty
Renee swallowed, her face pale. After a long silence, she whispered, "Then... he must be out of his mind." For some reason, she felt guilty. It wasn't that she had feelings for Jovan, but she now realized that Jovan's feelings for her were deeper than she thought. It made sense though—he would not have risked his future and given up his blood and eyes to Stefan for her otherwise. When she heard that he was willing to give up Hunt Enterprise which he had coveted for a long time just so he could pursue her... she felt very uneasy. "Tell me the truth. I know you both left Beach City and went abroad for half a year. You guys spent days and nights in each other's company. Did you—""No!" Knowing what Stefan wanted to ask about, Renee firmly responded. She hugged him from behind and leaned her head on his large back. "Promise me you won't ever doubt my love for you. I've never loved anyone else. If I did, I wouldn't have started over with you.""I know." Stefan's voice was hoarse as tear
Hurriedly, Stefan promised Renee, "I hold no affection for Seraphina. She's just my childhood friend. Plus, I know what she's done to you and me, so I'll never be friends with her again.""Hmm? Why do you sound regretful?" Renee asked coldly, "Be frank with me. You lived under the same roof as Seraphina when I was away from Beach City. How far did you both go? Did you ever sleep with her? Do you still miss her? Is that why you sound regretful?" "No, I swear! There's nothing between us!" Stefan protested desperately. Immediately, he raised two fingers and said loyally, "The most intimate action between us was kissing. I never slept with her.""Not even once?" Renee frowned suspiciously. "You guys were pretty lovey-dovey back then, and you both had even planned out your marriage. Wasn't it natural to have slept with each other?" She patted his shoulders reassuringly, acting like she was cool with it as she smiled. "Calm down. You lost your memory, didn't you? Even if you had slept wi
After Stefan and Renee had confided in each other that night, Stefan felt a lot more relaxed, like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Early the next morning, he booked the best private obstetrics hospital for Renee's pregnancy check-up. However, Renee took her sweet time to wake up, and she seemed absent-minded."What's the matter?" Stefan realized something was wrong and asked gently."Well, I've just gotten pregnant. Isn't it too soon to get a check-up?" Renee asked hesitantly."Too soon?" Stefan frowned in confusion. "Shouldn't people get a full check-up right after they learn that they're pregnant? I actually wanted to get you an appointment with a specialist last night." "No, it's too fast. Why don't we wait a little..." Renee reached out, feeling the warm sunlight on her palms. "The weather is nice today, so why don't we go sunbathe in the garden?"Stefan looked out of the window and saw that it was indeed bright and sunny outside, but he felt like Renee was purpo
Stefan finally understood Renee's thoughts and hugged her gently as he whispered, "Don't worry—you have me. I'm your biggest support. You can do whatever you want to. If you don't want to meet people, we won't. If you want to stay home forever, I'll stay here with you. It's not a big deal.""Thank you. You're the best!" Renee leaned into his arms, her eyes watery. In the past, she had achieved many things, but now she finally knew what true happiness was. It was not about status or wealth, but feeling secure with loved ones who made you happy."It's okay if you don't want to go out, but you must have the check-up. We can't ignore you and the baby in your belly." Stefan thought about it for a while, then came up with an idea. He patted her belly and said reassuringly, "Just leave it to me. I'll arrange it."Renee was lying in a lawn chair in the backyard and enjoying some sun that day when a professional obstetrics team moved into Everheart Manor with advanced equipment. Stefan spent
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