It was the first time Benjamin saw Amber rebel against him. In a moment of desperation, he slapped her hard. "He doesn't even like you, but you insist on marrying him! Why is my daughter such a dumb bitch? Would it kill you to break up with him? You're embarrassing!"Amber's face grew swollen, and her lips bled.Liam frowned and stopped Amber. "Stop arguing with Mr. Jenkins. Yes, what I did today was impudent. He should punish me. As for our marriage, I think it's better—"Before he could say that they should forget about it, Amber covered his mouth and shook her head. "Our marriage has been decided. There's nothing to talk about. I must marry you. As for what goes between you and Ms. Everheart, I knew that beforehand. I'm fine with it. I won't blame you, either.""Good grief, you're shameless! You're infuriating!" Benjamin didn't expect his gentle daughter to be so stubborn about the marriage. Furious, he clutched his chest. It took him a long time to calm himself."You're a fu
Liam looked at Amber, and sighed helplessly. He found himself owing her a lot, and thus deliberately avoided having much to do with her. He hoped she could see how bad he was, and willingly cancel their marriage.Yet, she foolishly and stubbornly desired him. She would rather turn hostile toward her father just to marry and protect him."You don't have to treat me this way. I'm a bastard." Liam said seriously, gripping her hand as she applied ointment to his neck. He was starting to feel bad. "What's…what's wrong?" Amber was stunned, blushing. Although she was about to marry Liam, they weren't very close to each other. They rarely spent time alone with each other, let alone had any physical contact. Liam suddenly held her hand, throwing her into anxiety. She had no idea how to react."What do you think?" Liam looked at the gentle and delicate woman. He tensed up and wanted to act fierce at first, but failed. Helpless, he sighed again. "Can't you see? I'm a disloyal and selfish s
Amber looked up and pondered it. Then, she cracked a bitter smile. "Of course I'll be sad, but I'll be delighted if you can be free and be with your beloved woman. I think it's worthwhile."Amber spent her entire life in the fort. Although she grew up in a place full of evil, others protected her. She grew up to be a pure, simple, and kind woman regardless of her environment's wickedness and evilness.Her thoughts were very simple—she wanted the people she liked to be happy. As for her happiness, she didn't care about it. She loved Liam more than anyone else. Hence, seeing Liam happy would be her greatest happiness. "No, you're wrong!" Liam yelled.Amber's simple thoughts drove him mad. He gripped her shoulders and looked into her eyes, and said seriously, "Remember! You're an independent individual. You must put yourself above everything else. Your happiness is the most important thing. You can't regard others' happiness as yours because others aren't under your control. Yo
"What…do you mean?" Amber asked carefully, swallowing.Liam pinched her face and turned it toward him. "If you don't listen to me, I'm going to take advantage of you. I'll make you see how wicked and vulgar this world is." He purposely said that to frighten Amber, as he knew that she always thought the best of him. She saw him as a gentleman without any vulgar thoughts.Hence, he could only use that method to ruin her perception and stop her infatuation with him. Then, she wouldn't seek justice for him or stand against Benjamin."No, you won't do that." Amber tensed up. Although she was very nervous, she met his gaze boldly. Liam was strikingly handsome, with his refined facial features and perfect figure. He was different from others in the fort. His skin was fair, though it was different from pretty boys. He was fair because he came from a wealthy family and led a comfortable life. Amber never understood what she liked about Liam. Later, she learned that it was most probabl
Amber was no longer her usual shy and quiet self. She opened up herself, and made faces at Liam. "Why didn't you listen to me? Do you think I'm just trying to scare you?" For the first time, Liam saw that side of Amber. Suddenly, he became interested in her. He touched her red lips. "But I'm not trying to scare you.""I don't know if you're trying to scare me or not, but I know that you won't harm me. You're the best and most accomplished gentleman I've ever met. I won't be mad at you no matter what you do. I'm sure you want the best for me." Amber said seriously and naively as she reacted to Liam's flirtation, raising her chin. "Fine. You said that, so don't regret it." A sudden urge rose in Liam. He couldn't tell if he wanted to teach her the vulgarity of humanity, or if it was just his basic urges desiring a woman. Unexpectedly, he kissed her.Speechless, Amber could feel Liam's warmth on her lips. It was warm and gentle. She was dumbstruck and stood rooted to the spot, no
"Bitch?" Amber repeated that word, as if she was doubting Mateo and interrogating herself. Then, she shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Liam and I are about to marry, so kissing is the most basic intimacy." "Humph!" Mateo sneered. "No, you're wrong. Getting married isn't the standard for a couple to kiss. It's love. Ask yourself—do you guys love each other? Before, he eagerly carried another woman. Now, he's kissing you. Isn't he a bastard? And yet, you treat yourself unfairly for such a bastard. Don't you think you're a bitch?""I… I…" Amber's eyes were red. She didn't know how to refute Mateo, and found herself very inferior. She wanted to lie to herself, but failed to find an excuse.Liam stood up and shot Mateo a complicated gaze, and said mockingly, "What do you know, then? Do you think you know and understand everything?""Don't I?" Mateo shot back. "Speak your mind. What do you feel about Gem? Don't tell me you love her. Maybe you aren't even willing to see her as your
If Amber hadn't experienced any love from Liam, she might not stubbornly want more. But with just a kiss, she had fallen in love with him. She hoped he could hug her and kiss her more passionately, until his heart was full of her.When all her hope fell through uncontrollably, the difference was akin to an abyss engulfing her whole.Amber asked herself if she cared. Of course, she cared! "You've seen what a bastard he is. Why don't you stop wasting time with him?" Mateo gripped Amber and said angrily, "Come with me. Stop wasting your time with him. If you guys are apart long enough, you'll come to your senses. He won't be able to affect your feelings again."Amber hesitated for a long time, her head low. Then, she nodded. "Okay."Mateo was about to drag Amber away. Liam watched their backs, suddenly uneasy. For an unknown reason, he found her different from all the times he had met her before.She was no longer the woman who cared only for him and had abandoned her true self
Liam, dumbstruck, stood frozen on the spot for a long time. Unexpectedly, he felt lost. He smoothed his clothes and calmed down before going to the guest room Renee stayed.The doctor bandaged Renee's wound and advised her to rest in bed for a few days.Leia was beside Renee, caring for the latter attentively. She felt very sorry for Renee; several times, she turned away to wipe away her tears.Liam opened the door and walked into the guest room. "How are you doing?""There you are, Liam!" Leia turned around, her eyes still red. "You don't know how miserable Ren was! That beast trap came with such long and sharp claws. It clamped her ankle. The doctor said she was lucky. Her tendons would be broken if the beast trap had deviated a bit."We didn't have a smooth journey. First, we got caught and were taken to a scamming factory. They nearly made us take part in a disgusting porno. Then, Ren was captured by that barbarous tribe. Your place is so dangerous, It isn't a place for humans
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
"This is your welcome ceremony. This hand-drum dance is to help eliminate bad luck." Leia held Renee's arm, satisfied with her arrangement. She said happily, "Listen to their song! It's a great song!""Is there a song?" Renee frowned; she felt that Leia was always doing bizarre things. She wondered how Leia could come up with such a preposterous welcome ceremony."Mm, listen carefully! It's English. You can understand it." At that point, Leia said to the Zambawi people, "Put on your microphone. And sing louder."The Zambawi people gave their cooperation. They used their typical Zambawi singing to sing the English song. While listening to the song, Renee found it very familiar. "The flowers will bloom in spring, and the birds are free. I'm still waiting, waiting for my love to come back. Hurry home!""Isn't that Spring Flowers by Curtis Harrett?" Renee finally recalled what song it was. It was a song with a happy beat. It could make people happy. The Zambawi people made th
"I don't know, either. All I ever remember from when I was young is that I led a very painful life. I once tried my best to make the Garcia family accept me. I did all the dirty and tiring jobs. I went out to work at an early age to get money for them. I also did all the house chores. "But my foster parents were never nice to me. They would always beat me up or scold me. My elder foster brother also saw me as an eyesore. He always tried to get me killed…" Quinton calmly described his past. He no longer seemed to be in pain. All that was left in him was numbness, as if he were talking about someone else.However, Renee was always in pain whenever she heard him talk about his past. She felt like she had returned to his past with him and experienced those painful things. It was normal for her to feel that way because they were twins. A lot of their thoughts and feelings were synchronized. "I suddenly recalled that I would inexplicably become gloomy many times when I was young. I
"I'm sorry." When Renee heard that from Quinton, she realized the conflict between him and Stefan had yet to be resolved. It was temporarily put aside because of her. She occasionally saw him and Stefan talk to each other and drink together, but they merely put on a show to ease her mind. Their hatred for each other hadn't been eliminated. Instead, it was growing secretly. If Renee were Quinton, she might never forgive the person who had snatched away her beloved and seized her identity. That person even ruined her face."Why did you say sorry to me? It's the resentment between him and me. It has nothing to do with you. Plus, I didn't know he was my brother-in-law then. If I knew, I wouldn't have fought him." When Quinton recalled those affairs, he realized that people were nothing but the sport of fate. If there had been no resentment between him and Stefan, Renee might not have broken up with Stefan. Their families might even get closer. "Stop bringing up the past. It's
During these days, Renee was under pressure because of her affairs. She had no chance to ask Quinton about it. Now, the long flight gave them a chance to have a deep conversation. They could talk about their woes and seek consolation."Me?" Quinton lowered his head and shook his head helplessly. "I'm still the same old me. Nothing is troubling me. I've been busy with Carmine Pawnshop. I have no time to think about other stuff.""You have no time?" Renee touched her chin and smiled naughtily. "Then, you must have been dwelling on other stuff. Let me guess… Is it the thing between you and Joanne?" "Stop asking so much." Quinton did not deny it but refused to talk much about that. "It looks like I made the right guess. You fell out with Joanne, didn't you?" Renee knew Quinton well. Generally, his work would not affect his mood. The only person who could affect his mood was Joanne, who shared a complicated relationship with him. Before Renee left Beach City, she had created a l
After a long while, Quinton turned around. He looked at Renee, who was across from him, and heaved a long sigh."We're about to go home soon. Why do you look this gloomy? What's wrong…? Are you reluctant to part with this place?" Quinton said. "No, I'm not." Renee poured herself a glass of orange juice and sipped it. She frowned and dwelled on it before she said, "I feel empty inside. I don't know if I made the right choice.""Empty?" Quinton asked curiously."I think I've said goodbye to a steady life since I decided to leave. Maybe I'll keep on wandering from now on," Renee said melancholically. The reason why she chose to give it a try with Justin because she was tired. She was exhausted from leading a wandering life and wanted to settle down with someone. Others could not give her the sense of security like Justin. When she saw him, she inexplicably wanted a home. At that time, she thought she could forget about everything and start a new life with him. Unexpectedly, she
Adie was still a child, but he acted like a smart person and could see through a lot of things. He could guess why Austin took them to the Baldwin residence. He had also heard the servants of the Baldwin family rebuking Renee in secret. After combining various situations, he learned about what had happened between Renee and Justin. Despite everything, Justin could forgive Renee under such circumstances. He also treated Adie and Abby nicely. It proved that he was a very compassionate man. A small regret gripped Adie. He wondered why Renee didn't date Justin right from the start. If Renee were with such a kind man, she might be very happy. She wouldn't have to suffer through so many hardships either. "No, you don't know me. I always sweat the small stuff."Justin was displeased since Adie had claimed that he was a good guy, like Renee had. He heaved a long sigh and said, "But it's useless even if I sweat the small stuff, so I stop trying. It all comes down to fate. We can't forc
Renee turned and found Jovan unscathed. Relief washed over her. She said grumpily, "It's none of your business!""Tsk! How cruel!" Jovan clutched his chest and pretended to be in deep pain. At the same time, he teased, "I know. Your soulmate is better. I'm so jealous of him, though he's still a fallback guy.""Go to hell, Jovan!" Jovan's nasty words drove Renee mad. She grabbed a piece of napkin, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it at his face. "If I knew you'd talk so badly, I wouldn't be bothered to save you. Maybe you'll get reborn in Ulria. Then, you have to watch your tongue!""Hey! Yeah, I was wrong. You don't have to curse me like that!" Jovan raised his hands to surrender, but felt quite moved. He poured himself a glass of milk and devotedly toasted to her. "Thank you for caring about me and trying your best to save me. I'll toast to you. And you can do whatever you want.""You're so childish." Renee rolled her eyes and was amused.Justin was quite jealous to see them
"What's that?" Justin frowned and said with disdain, "That's something to fool naive women like you. Only lovestruck fools will believe that." As a materialistic person, he never believed in things like horoscopes and fortune-telling. At most, they were mixed with some psychology. They weren't trustworthy at all.If Renee wanted to use those things to talk about their relationships and destinies, it would seem very childish. "Don't be so extreme. Those things are real and logical." Renee acted like an experienced salesperson and gradually eliminated Justin's prejudice. She said patiently, "If you believe those things, they can guide you and help you to see things through. If not, you can use them to kill time. Just try to get to know them. Isn't that nice?"Finally, Justin was convinced. He had some milk and asked her leisurely, "Fine. Tell me what kind of relationship we have based on those things." "I learned that our relationship is a declining friendship based on our birt