"What happened?" Stefan asked, his heart pounding. "The cave entrance... It's collapsed and completely blocked off—and worse, rain keeps pouring in!" The captain stammered, looking desperate. "If this goes on, the cave will fill with water, and we'll either drown or die from lack of oxygen!""What?" Stefan's eyes widened in disbelief. If that was the case, the only thing left for them was death. Lack of oxygen, drowning, hypothermia, hunger... They could take their pick."Are we dying? I... I don't want to die." Tiffany, who had been quiet all along, suddenly started to cry. "I want to grow up and keep on being my parents' daughter. I want to keep going to school and make many friends. I don't want to die!"Adie hurriedly held Tiffany's hand to comfort her. "Stop crying, Tiffany, we won't die. My daddy is awesome—he'll definitely come up with a way to rescue us. Plus, my mommy says I'm a lucky star, so everyone will be safe as long as I'm here." "Haha! It's fate!" Madelyn watche
"The news said that this is a powerful hurricane—it's almost a category three. Also, the center of the hurricane is only sixteen thousand feet from that island, so Adie's in grave danger right now!" Leia clenched her fists in agitation, wanting to rush to the island to rescue Adie. "There's no time to lose. Adie needs us!""I know that!" Quinton sighed in frustration. "I've sent Chase there to check things out. We can't panic at a time like this… If Ren finds out about this, she'll want to go there, and we can't afford that.""But we can't keep hiding it from her!" Leia tried to calm herself down by rubbing her hands, but it didn't work. "No, I can't sit here and do nothing. I've got to save Adie. If anything happened to him, I wouldn't be able to face Ren." Leia was a woman too, and although she didn't have children, she knew how important a child was to their mother. If something happened to Adie, it would crush Renee, and Leia didn't want to see that happen."You'd only make thin
Meanwhile, Renee had unplugged the infusion tube and left from the window ages ago. She was making her way to the island where Adie was. She knew that the others wouldn't let her leave the hospital in her current condition, but there was no way she could stay there and leave Adie alone during a hurricane. Both Adie and Abby meant more than her life to her, and she had to protect them no matter the cost. However, Renee was only human, and humans were weak in the face of natural disasters like this. The speedboat she had rented for an exorbitant price had almost been overturned by the strong winds several times, and her compass started to malfunction halfway through.She could only rely on her instincts moving forward. The downpour drenched her and soaked her bandages, tearing her recently healed wound. She almost fainted from the pain. 'My son needs me… I have to hold on!' Renee told herself, biting her lip so hard to stay conscious it started bleeding. She looked up at the sky and yel
Although Adie was just a child, he was not afraid of death. The only thing he was afraid of was his parents separating if he died. "You don't know how hard it is for Mommy. She gave birth to Abby and I and raised us alone, and even though she encountered so many obstacles, she resolved them all on her own. She's the greatest and kindest woman I've ever met." Adie recalled the time he spent with Renee and Abby on Sun Island wistfully, and felt sorry for Renee. "Daddy, I can swear that you're the man Mommy loves the most. Don't be mad at her. Just forgive her, okay?""I was never mad at her, silly. I'm the one who made a mistake. I should be begging for her forgiveness instead... because she's the woman I love the most too!" Stefan's eyes glistened with unshed tears. Even though he and Renee kept breaking up and getting back together with each other, he had never stopped loving her. He tried to distance himself from her because he didn't want her to get hurt again, but he hadn't expecte
"An angel?" Dazed, Adie forced himself to open his eyes. He saw light pouring in from the blocked entrance, and to his surprise, the person he had been longing for stood there. "Mommy... The angel is Mommy!" Adie's eyes widened in delight, and he waved at Renee excitedly.At that moment, Renee had dug through the entrance and was completely exhausted, but her energy seemed to come back when she saw Stefan and Adie. "Thank God you're here, Adie!" Renee cried out in relief, and crawled into the cave. She met Stefan's gaze and smiled tearfully. "You're here too. So, you're not that cruel after all." Initially, she had been disappointed because she thought Stefan had run off with Briar, but when she realized he had actually braved the hurricane and the flood in the cave to save their son, her feelings for him came rushing back. However, this wasn't the time to think about that."Give Adie to me. We have to leave right now, or the cave might collapse!" Renee stretched her hands out to tak
Renee's heart clenched the moment she heard those words. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she carried Tiffany in her arms, resting her hand on the little girl's pale face. "Don't be scared, you're safe now."However, Tiffany shook her head and kept crying. She tried her best to raise her hand to point at the cave. "Save my mommy… please!" Her small body trembled and she was scared, but she still hoped that someone could save Madelyn.Stefan checked Adie's breathing and realized he had fainted from exhaustion. He gently laid Adie on a boulder to rest, then turned to Tiffany and said, "You're too kind. That woman wanted you to die with her, but you're still begging to save her. You're very silly!" He had seen Madelyn's insanity the night before, and didn't feel it was necessary to save her."Is there another person in there?" Renee asked in shock. When she entered the cave just now, she hadn't seen anyone else. She had assumed that Adie had gotten rid of the kidnapper, but surprisingly
Stefan looked away as he said emotionally, "He doesn't want us to fight anymore... He wants me to take care of you and protect you, and he wants our family of four to live happily ever after!" He had been given a second chance at life, and he wanted to treasure it. He didn't want them to take unnecessary risks."I know Adie—he would want me to go in there and rescue her. Plus, if that woman really was crazy, Adie wouldn't be alive right now, and the girl wouldn't be asking me to save her. I think there's more to this story, and she's not as wicked as you think she is. We can talk about it after I save her!" Renee said, about to crawl into the cave."Why are you so stubborn?" Stefan grabbed Renee's arm. "Think of the kids! This girl doesn't want to lose her mother, but do you think Adie would want to lose his? You should at least think of his feelings.""Adie..." Renee looked at Adie hesitantly, her heart clenching as she stared at the unconscious boy. Stefan was right—one careless m
Time seemed to have stopped at that moment."Mommy!" Tiffany screamed, trying to crawl to the cave."Don't go there!" Renee quickly stopped Tiffany. "It's too dangerous. Your mommy… Maybe she's already…""No, I want to save Mommy. She's still alive, I'm sure of it!" Tiffany shook her head stubbornly, her face wet with tears. "Mommy is still waiting for me to save her. I can't leave her behind. It's my fault… If I hadn't said all those things, Daddy wouldn't have given my brother up… It's all my fault. I want to say sorry to Mommy. I want her to forgive me!" Tiffany kept crying as she spoke, her love for Madelyn clear. However, it was too late. The landslide had covered the entire cave, and Madelyn's chance of survival was very slim. Holding a compass, the captain looked around before glancing at the cloudy sky. He turned to them and urged, "Mr. Hunt, Ms. Everheart, we have to go. If we don't leave now, we might not be able to get out of here!" Renee bit her lip and carried Tiffa
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.