Justin shared the same thoughts as Stefan. Justin could tell from that day's incidents that it would be very difficult for Renee and him to move forward in their relationship. This might be his only chance to take wedding photos with Renee. Although it was not proper wedding photos, it was still something he could cherish. It was a crazy idea, but he would take what he could get."You're not a good match for her," Stefan said to Justin coldly as he changed his posture at the photographer's request."Thank you for the advice but…" Similarly, Justin changed his posture, staring into Stefan's eyes intently. "Save it for yourself. You're worse.""Have you ever considered not disturbing her and letting her find someone who can truly make her happy?" Stefan asked sharply. Truthfully, Stefan was only saying such things because they were well-suited for each other, and it filled him with envy. He knew Renee well—she wouldn't get into a relationship easily, but once she did, she would throw
"That's none of your business." Stefan ignored Justin's question and said threateningly, "You just need to know one thing—if you or your family do anything to her, I'll make you all pay." Then, he walked out of the photoshoot and said to the others, "I need to leave."Dumbfounded, Xavier grabbed Stefan's arm. "If you leave like this, what about Renee? Do you want to leave her with Justin?" "That's her choice. I can't do anything about it," Stefan said expressionlessly as he walked past Renee to leave.Flabbergasted, Xavier complained, "What the hell? You shouldn't have come then. Did you just come here to get attention?" He couldn't understand Stefan's actions. If Stefan was unconcerned, he wouldn't have come to play this childish game with them. It was obvious he couldn't tolerate seeing Renee and Justin deepen their relationship, but at a critical time like this, he was running away. If Stefan hadn't been his friend for many years, Xavier would have called him a scumbag.Leia sa
Xavier glared at Justin and demanded, "How can you say that? You were so close to Stefan just now, whispering to each other. What did you guys talk about? Don't tell me that your final goal is actually to win Stefan over." Xavier hadn't expected to see Stefan and Justin take a photo together, and he was jealous that his buddy had been snatched away. "You're crazy!" Leia's eyes widened as she sized Xavier up. "Do you have… feelings for Stefan? Don't tell me you're…""What about me?" Xavier looked at the others in confusion."You know what I mean." Leia took a step back, shaking her head as if she had just realized something. "I knew it! Why else would you always defend Stefan? It has to be because you have feelings for him. As expected, people in love are blind. It must have been hard for you to keep it a secret for so many years."Xavier still looked puzzled.Renee laughed and chimed in, "Okay, stop teasing him. He's had so many scandals that I'm sure he's straight!""So, you th
Renee was pretty tired after the escape room. She didn't want to talk about romance—all she wanted to do was rest.When she reached Everheart Manor, she ran into Quinton. It was midnight, but he was not sleeping. He sat alone in the pavilion in the garden, looking up at the moon. Renee could tell he was feeling lonely. She didn't want to disturb him, but before she could leave, he turned and saw her."Ren!" Quinton's face lit up in delight. "I heard you went on a date with Justin again today. Did you have fun?""It wasn't bad." Renee walked to Quinton and sat down gently beside him. "What did you do today? Did you go out for some fun?""I'm old, so there's nothing fun out there for me. I just stayed home. It's pretty relaxing," Quinton said casually, but he sounded tired."Quinton, you're wrong..." Renee smiled and continued, "You said you're old, but you're just a few minutes older than me. Don't tell me I'm old too." "You're different from me." Quinton looked at Renee lovingly
Renee didn't want to pressure Quinton to get married, but she could tell that he was lonely. He needed someone who could understand him and stay with him. The longer he stayed like this, the more he would regret it. The first half of his life had been torturous, and Renee didn't want to see him spend the rest of his life alone."It's nice to have a companion, but the problem is..." Quinton shook his head helplessly. "I'm mentally ill and flawed, so I'd better not burden others. It's fine if I enjoy the moonlight alone. I don't think it's sad." He had gotten used to being lonely, and had anticipated spending his life alone."How could you say that about yourself?" Renee frowned. "I think everyone is mentally sick one way or another, and sickness can be cured. You were living a gloomy life in the past, but you've left that behind now. Once you face the sunlight, you'll naturally become brighter. You're not mentally ill or flawed!" Renee hated Quinton's pessimism. His life was still lon
Renee could tell that Quinton had not forgotten about Joanne, and his feelings for her ran deep. That was why he refused to open up or get close to other women. Hence, Renee hoped that Quinton and Joanne could at least talk so they could let go of their past and start their new lives.Unfortunately, Quinton kept avoiding the subject. "Don't worry about my affairs, especially my love life. Just take care of yourself and get along well with Justin; that's what I really wish for." He had no intention to date anyone for now—he just wanted to restore his family's image and protect Renee well. He knew that he had a lot of trauma, and if he dated someone, he would subconsciously hurt that person."I'm not trying to force you to go on a date or make peace with Joanne. I just hope that you can let go of your past and open your heart to new things. Then, you can truly live your life." Renee sounded urgent as she sighed. "I feel like a doctor. I know the reason for your illness and watch you su
Gina had to have enough experience as a class teacher if she wanted to get a management position. One needed a rich resume to be the class teacher. Since Gina graduated from Coral Coast University, she was confident that the principal would appoint her as the class teacher. To her displeasure, the principal had picked Joanne instead, who was unqualified in all aspects."Ms. Garcia, it's going to be tiring receiving the new students today. What would you like to talk about during the parent-teacher meeting later?" After helping the students settle down, Gina came to the office and spoke to Joanne."I'll talk about my teaching methods," Joanne replied coolly. She had an innate aloofness, which was why she wasn't close to the other teachers there even though six months had passed. Additionally, all the teachers there shared Gina's thoughts in thinking Joanne was inferior and did not deserve to be working there."Gina, you don't know since you just came, but Ms. Garcia is awesome. She j
Gina looked at Joanne and blinked, then grinned coyly and said, "Don't be upset, Ms. Garcia… I was just joking. After all, it's rather odd that you were hired here despite your academic qualifications and experiences. I know for a fact that all teachers here are curious about it.""Can you accuse someone like that just because you're curious?" Hostility gleamed in Joanne's eyes. "If that's the case, can I assume that it's because of your looks that you became the deputy class teacher of the primary school at such a young age?" "How can you say that, Joanne? I graduated with a master's degree from Coral Coast University. I worked hard to get here!" Gina immediately stood up and said rudely, "I must have guessed right that you got into this school by relying on a man—you wouldn't be this upset otherwise!" "Well, you also overreacted, so I must have hit the nail on the head too," Joanne sneered.Gina's eyes widened in rage. "How dare you…"Ainsley Terrell, the teaching director, im
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.