Stefan tried to pacify Renee patiently, sounding more gentle than when he tried to comfort Abby. "I don't want to forgive you, you'll just do it again! I want to give you up; I wouldn't be this helpless when I'm in pain then..." Renee muttered crossly. "You're my painkiller, but I'm slowly building resistance towards you. I didn't feel so bad when I didn't see you for ten days or half a month before this, but I feel so sad when I don't see you for just a day. I don't want this!" If there was drug resistance, she had to increase the dosage to numb the pain, but... Stefan wasn't a drug. What would she do if he refused to help her stop the pain one day?"That'll never happen, I promise. I'll give you all my time as long as you need me..." After a pause, Stefan added seriously, "Plus, I'm not a painkiller—I'm the drug that can bring you back to life. I'll cure you. Owen told me that he could make the antidote in three days at most. You won't be in pain again." "Really?" Renee asked in
Once Owen had gotten the poison components from Stefan, he immediately rushed to the laboratory to make the antidote. The more he researched the poison, the more scary he found it. He quickly called Stefan over. "It's terrifying! I can't believe someone so malicious exists in this world. It's madness!" Stefan worriedly approached him, and Owen showed him the list of heavy metals in the poison. "Look! There's thallium, lead, and uranium... One is already toxic on its own, but this poison practically has all the elements in the periodic table! The person who made this is a demon!""She's crazy." Stefan clenched his fists anxiously. He couldn't imagine how someone as slim and weak as Renee could bear such pain. If Owen hadn't broken his promise and shown Stefan Renee's medical report, she might still have hidden it from Stefan, pretending to be happy while enduring excruciating pain. "I guess you know who the culprit is since you got the prescription. I won't say much, but… you have to
Owen warned Stefan because he knew how hard it was to get those herbs. "I don't care—I'll get them!" Stefan said firmly."Okay, I can rest easy then." Owen nodded and stopped worrying about the herbs. It seemed like Stefan, the all-powerful president of Hunt Enterprise, might be the only one who could save Renee.Owen handed a list to Stefan. "These are the herbs I need and their quantities. Get them for me within a week."Stefan studied the list intently and frowned. There were four herbs on it, and their names were so strange Stefan doubted their existence. "Are you sure... these are real?" Stefan stared at the names, perplexed."Yes, they're real, but they're extremely hard to obtain. If not, I wouldn't be so worried." Owen sounded serious. He wouldn't lie about something like this. The herbs were hard to get because of their excellent healing properties. "Southern Oceanic Stone? Western Hills Fruit? Northern Lake Anaconda? Eastern Dragon Saliva?" Stefan's face sank. He stop
Stefan was silent as he looked at the list of herbs, then said, "Wait for me to come back!" He exited Owen's office, staring at the herbs. It was a good thing manpower and resources were not limited thanks to his position—something so trivial couldn't stop him. The first thing he wanted to find was the Southern Oceanic Stone. He felt that it was the easiest to find because it was just an older pearl. He made his preparations and bade Renee goodbye before setting off. "I might be gone for a while this time, maybe about a week. Stay here, and we'll keep in touch. When I'm back, you'll be cured," Stefan said gently as he hugged Renee.Renee's pain was numbed because she had just taken a painkiller, so she was in rather good spirits. "I heard from Dr. Wagner about the herbs you have to find. Do they really exist?" Renee was worried that Stefan was going on a pointless search—dragons only existed in legends. "I doubt Dr. Wagner would lie because he knows we're already so stressed and I'm
"Was it really Tess?" Renee asked again, finding Stefan's response a bit strange. It sounded like he was trying to hide something from her. "Why couldn't I get in touch with Tess? Did she tell you who drugged me?" Renee had been trying to contact Tess, but Tess seemed to have gone missing. Renee could not reach Tess' phone, and Tess no longer came to Everheart Manor. If Tess did get the list of ingredients of the poison, she would certainly come to remedy her mistake, but instead, she was avoiding Renee."Tess… has some family issues. Maybe she's just been too busy to get in touch. Give her some time, then ask her," Stefan said lightly, but in truth, he knew that Tess had been forced to leave Beach City. He didn't hold her responsible for what had happened, and had given her some money and asked her to leave Beach City forever. He had also prohibited her from telling Renee anything about what had happened that day. "Okay." A sigh escaped Renee, and she stopped asking about it. It lo
Elijah and the fishermen looked at Stefan in confusion.Stefan took off his coat and said to the fishermen, "Help me get a diving suit and a guide. I'll go look for the pearl myself.""No, Mr. Hunt!" Elijah blurted out, and quickly stopped the fisherman who was going to look for a diving suit. He said anxiously, "I know you're eager to save Ms. Everheart, but you can't be impulsive. Diving is very dangerous, and I don't think you have to do it yourself. We'll just wait for the news by the sea.""They said we need a good diver, and I'm a good diver." Stefan ignored Elijah's objection and again asked the villager to find him a diving suit. He started doing stretches to warm up and prepare for diving. Diving was one of his hobbies, and he loved free-diving without an oxygen tank the most. He loved laying on the soft sand at the bottom of the sea, watching the colorful underwater world and the sky. It brightened his boring life a little, and he'd always wished he could do it with Renee
There had been many stubborn and fearless people like Stefan who had wanted to enter the cave, but they had died before they could get to the end. The only person who had successfully passed through that cave was Stefan's guide, and he knew how dangerous that cave was. He swore never to go close to it anymore.Stefan gestured to show that he was going to enter the cave, then swam into it."Come back! Come back!" The guide got so anxious that he wanted to take off the mouthpiece of his oxygen tank. Unfortunately, Stefan had made up his mind, and swam deeper into the cave. As he passed the heart-shaped cave entrance, Stefan felt like he had entered another world. It was pitch black without any light, and he could feel seagrass against his legs, almost tangling them.There was a gigantic cliff section beside him. He couldn't see the top or the bottom, and people with weak hearts would surely be frightened out of their wits. Heart pounding in his chest, Stefan looked around in the dar
There was a white shell as large as a tire at the crevice of an underwater cliff, and light was emerging from it. Stefan's eyes widened in excitement. Was this the Southern Oceanic Stone he had been looking for? He quickly swam towards it, trying to ignore his throbbing head and lack of oxygen. He felt like he could barely breathe. "I found it! I got it!" Stefan endured the pain and reached out to grab the giant shell. A kaleidoscope of colours engulfed him, and memories of Renee flooded his mind. Renee's face was the last thing he saw before he blacked out.Stefan regained consciousness some time later, and he vaguely heard voices calling him. "Mr. Hunt? Mr. Hunt... Wake up!""Mr. Hunt, don't scare me. Hurry up and wake up!"Stefan groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Bright light immediately filled his vision, and he quickly put his hand up to block it. Now, he could see some people standing over him, staring at him in concern. The fishermen were there, as well as Elijah...
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