Renee sounded like she was exaggerating Quinton's good sides and ignoring his flaws, but what she said was the truth. The current Quinton was not as extreme and cruel as he used to be, which might have been because of the love Renee and the kids showed him. He had become a rational, gentle, and kind person, so Renee wanted to meet Joanne because she hoped to bring them together. Even if they didn't get together, she would be happy if they resolved the grudge between them. She knew that Quinton hadn't forgotten about Joanne, and she didn't forget him either; They were just waiting for a chance, which Renee shamelessly saw herself as."He stopped... hating Mr. Hunt?" Joanne's eyes widened in disbelief. She had grown up with Quinton and had witnessed the worst sides of him. How could a vengeful person like him let go of his hatred that easily?"Why would I lie to you?" Renee sounded firm. "Not only did he let go of his hatred, they've become acquaintances. But they aren't on the best of
Defeated, Renee returned to Everheart Manor, feeling glum. At that moment, Everheart Manor was filled with a rare liveliness and warmth. Adie had recovered and left the hospital, so Quinton and Leia were holding a small family gathering. Their close friends were there too, but they hadn't mentioned anything to Renee—they were waiting for her to come back to surprise her. However, as time passed, their excitement died down, and they soon grew hungry.When Renee opened the door, everyone cheered and clapped excitedly."Great! Ren is home. Let's eat!" Leia waved at the others, gesturing for them to take their seats."This is…" Renee picked a piece of confetti from her hair, looking confused. "What day is it today? What is everyone doing here?""It's just an ordinary day, but it's a happy one!" Quinton led Renee into the house and gave her a large sunflower bouquet. "Renee, you and the kids have suffered a lot recently. I hope that you three can be happy every day from now on. Don't
Everyone's eagerness turned into disappointment.Leia frowned and glanced at Justin. "You're so stingy, Mr. Baldwin. You rarely get Renee gifts, but the one time you do, you get her a keyboard?"Xavier sighed and said mockingly, "I, for one, am relieved to see Mr. Baldwin's gift. Renee... I think you can wait a little longer if you want to get another man." He had always regarded Justin as Stefan's greatest rival in love, even more so than Jovan. Justin's family background was similar to Stefan's, and they both shared a love of programming. Their characters and tempers were alike too, and they almost seemed like soulmates. However, after seeing Justin's gift, Xavier felt that Stefan didn't have to worry."But the keyboard looks unusual… There must be a special meaning to it!" Quinton looked at the keyboard that Renee was holding approvingly.Renee unpacked the keyboard carefully, as if she was holding some kind of sacred treasure. "Ah, you all don't understand. That isn't a regul
Xavier quietly took his phone out and snapped a photo of Renee hugging Justin. "Yes... Keep it up. Just ignore me, I need to use the washroom." He snuck out of the living room.Xavier walked to a corner and looked around, then went on Facebook and found Stefan's profile. He sent him the photo he had secretly taken just now. "Stefan, don't forget that Renee is close to Justin. I don't care what you're going through, but if you don't stop this, you're going to lose her for real!" Just as he sent the picture, someone snatched his phone from his hands."Who—" He turned around and saw Leia holding his phone. He sighed and said calmly, "Give me back my phone.""No!" Leia took a few steps back and started scrolling through Xavier's chats. "Such a good friend to Stefan… Are you just spending time with us so you can spy for him?" "You make it sound like I'm doing something illegal..." Xavier tried to defend himself. "I make friends everywhere I go. Stefan is my buddy and Renee is my good f
Leia was firm in her opinion. She had not suffered because of his fickle nature, and it taught her the bitterness of romance. She was a lot more cautious now."I don't know what I can say to change your mind." A miserable sigh escaped Xavier. Everyone felt that he was cunning, shrewd, and untrustworthy. Even if he cut out his heart for her, she would not believe him. "Yeah, I'm Stefan's spy, but don't you think it's a pity that Stefan and Renee are separated despite their feelings for each other?""No, I don't!" Leia said coldly, "I just regret not separating them earlier. If I knew that Stefan was that irresponsible, I would have opposed Ren getting back together with him. But I've made up my mind—I don't want Ren to get entangled with that guy again. That's the best decision for both of them!" Previously, she supported them being together, but seeing Stefan hurt Renee so often ruined her impression of him. Right now, she just wanted Renee to stay away from him."I guess women real
Leia paused, then turned around and held her hand out to Xavier. "Let me have a look." Leia loved gossip, and she'd always been invested in Stefan and Renee's romance. Stefan had risked his life to search for herbs to save Renee, then cheated on her. It didn't make sense. Leia had always felt that Stefan had been facing some issues, so she wanted to know what was on his mind.However, for some reason, Xavier became reluctant. He scrolled through his phone with one hand and leaned against the wall absent-mindedly. "Facebook is private. I can't show it to you just because you want me to."Leia clenched her fists and suppressed the urge to kick him, then asked calmly, "Why did you ask then? Are you trying to trap me?" Xavier looked up, his smile flirty. "I'm trying to see if anyone will be tempted.""Forget it, you don't need to show me." Annoyed, Leia turned around and pretended to leave, trying to get a reaction from Xavier.However, Xavier just lowered his head and read the text,
Undeniably, it was tough to outsmart Xavier. Leia was exhausted, but Xavier was still calm and collected. He didn't even let her touch the edge of his phone. It was like tricking a pet dog. Leia bent over and put both hands on her thighs, gulping in air. Then, she waved and said, "Oh, I can't do this. I need to rest!""How are you tired so fast? You've got to train well since... I've always been a strong man." Xavier dangled his phone in front of Leia teasingly.Leia raised her head and glared at Xavier fiercely. "Do you enjoy tormenting me? Don't you think you're going overboard?""Not at all!" Xavier calmly added, "You chose this. I just asked you to get fitter since you couldn't defeat me, but you chose to insult me. Who's the one going overboard here?" Leia was speechless in anger. She felt like a pet for his amusement. "Maybe I'll let you have my phone if you use another method," Xavier purred as he leaned down, waving his phone in Leia's face annoyingly. Leia flexed he
Renee was having fun teasing them. Leia had always been focused on Renee's love affairs, so Renee was the same with Leia. Leia was close to Santiago, and hadn't spoken to Xavier in a long time. Besides, they only ever argued like friends when they met. However, Renee knew Leia hadn't forgotten about Xavier, and only pretended to be indifferent around him. After Renee saw them together on the floor, she knew for certain that they both still had feelings for each other.Leia jumped away from Xavier instantly, smoothing her hair and adjusting her clothes as if she had been caught doing something indecent. She wished the ground would just open up and swallow her. "It's not what you think, Ren! I just wanted to beat him up because he was being annoying, that's all," Leia explained, blushing."I understand." Renee nodded and patted Leia's shoulders reassuringly. "We all know beating is a sign of affection. Just don't love him too much…""That's not it! I just wanted to grab—" Leia blurted
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.