"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
“Let’s get a divorce, Renee.”The man’s cold voice sounded from behind while Renee Everheart was in the middle of searing steaks. After hearing those words, she became seemingly numb to the hot oil splattering on her cheeks from the lightly sizzling pan.“We’re only husband and wife on paper. Now that four years have passed, it’s time to end this,” Stefan Hunt said with a cold, distant tone. Renee bit her lip anxiously. ‘Looks like this day was inevitable after all…’Her family was declared bankrupt four years ago. Her parents, unable to endure the stress of financial hardship, took their lives together, leaving young Renee to handle the mess alone. In the past, Renee’s grandfather fought alongside Stefan’s grandfather on the battlefield, and he even saved the latter’s life once. In his dying moments, he voiced out to his old pal his concern for his granddaughter and left Renee under his care. And so, a marriage of convenience was arranged between Stefan and Renee to put the
‘No wonder Stefan wanted me out by tonight. He had another woman he wanted to play house with! Hah, to think that I let that man affect my emotions! How I wish I could slap my past self!’Briar approached Renee with a cocky smirk. “So you’re Renee Everheart, huh? What are you still doing here? Didn’t Stefan kick you out? Get a move on! Have you no shame?!”Despite the provocation, Renee continued packing her belongings at her own pace.“Hey, are you deaf? I’m talking to you here!”“Sorry, I didn’t quite hear you.” Renee met her gaze calmly. “All I heard was some crazy bitch barking!”“How dare you call me a bitch?!”“I didn’t. Looks like you went ahead and got offended in the first place.” Renee replied as she got up with her luggage. She tilted her head at Briar, who was blocking her path. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. Nice little doggies should know how to stay out of the way.” “How dare you!” Briar’s face went bright red as she stomped her feet.‘Wasn’t she known to be a
The next day, Renee showed up at the courthouse at 8:30 am, even though they agreed to meet at nine.Not only did she arrive early, but she also made sure to put on heavy makeup and her favorite outfit, a rose-red halter dress. With her long hair tied up into a ponytail, the skin on her neck and back glowed under the bright sunlight.When paired with her elegant, yet cold demeanor, she looked angelic from afar.Unfortunately, she had caught a cold the night before. Her body was burning up, which made her feel quite weak.At 9 am sharp, a silver Bugatti Veyron cruised into the parking lot in front of the courthouse. Soon after, she was greeted by Stefan’s ice-cold expression as he exited the vehicle.His eyes sparkled for a split second when he saw Renee standing there, but this was quickly replaced with a contemptuous expression for some reason.“Well, aren’t you excited?” Stefan scoffed as he walked past Renee, heading straight towards the department that handled divorce cases.
‘Just look at how unabashed this man is acting! This is ridiculous!’ Renee thought. She had always viewed Stefan as someone who was morally sound and would never commit adultery.In the end… the very same man she thought so highly of, dropped a nuclear bomb on her. Not only did he intend on marrying his mistress, but they were expecting as well.This was the last push that Renee needed to move on completely. The tinge of sadness in her heart had completely vanished.“So this means you were cheating on me, right?”Before Stefan could respond, Briar hurriedly placed herself between them. Teary-eyed, she said, “Ms. Everheart, it’s all my fault! If it makes you feel better, you can punish me however you want…”‘Does this woman think this is some soap opera? She’d make a great actress, honestly.’“Really now?” Renee raised her hand up high as if she was about to deliver a slap.As soon as she realized what was going to happen, Briar squealed and darted behind Stefan.“Didn’t you say
Renee thought she was about to fall flat on her face.Just then, a man wrapped his strong arm around her waist, catching her fall. The fresh scent of peppermint filled her senses, entrancing the woman entirely. "You're burning hot… Do you have a fever?" Stefan asked her with a hint of concern in his voice.The urge to protect her sprang up in his mind, accompanied by the following thought.'She's so thin and frail, like a feather.'"This doesn't concern you!" Renee hissed through her teeth as she regained her balance. She stubbornly tried to free herself from his arms.After the procedure was done, she intended to walk away elegantly, leaving Stefan in the dust. She wanted to avoid casting the impression that she was using her illness to gain sympathy.However, no matter how tough she tried to act, her body was simply exhausted. Even after gaining her footing, she staggered backward.Seeing this, Stefan lifted her bridal style and said, "I'll take you to the hospital.""What
Liam's relaxed voice came to a sudden halt as soon as he noticed Stefan standing inside the ward.He studied the man before him as the man did the same. An odd tension settled in the room."Do you know each other?" Stefan asked Renee with a chilling tone.He wondered how an infamous playboy and a modest rich lady would ever get the chance to interact when they were from completely different worlds."Well…" Renee buried her face in her hands awkwardly. She was the one who texted Liam to meet at the hospital, but she didn't expect him to arrive so soon.'A soon-to-be ex-husband bumping into the dashing playboy… This was weirdly reminiscent of a scene from a romantic drama.’“Know her? She’s my muse!” Liam exclaimed as he approached Renee with a bouquet of sunflowers in his hand. With a sarcastic smile, he turned to Stefan. “Little do you know, Master Hunt, Miss Everheart has quite the reputation back in our school! She has so many admirers that she could build an army if she want
“I’ve got it right here. How would I dare slack off when you’re my boss?” Liam stopped his cheeky act and handed the woman a thick stack of documents.Renee couldn’t care less about her sick state and skim through the pages quickly.After a few moments, a pleased grin formed on her lips. “Good. I knew these lawyers weren’t as ordinary as they seemed. They’re worth way more than what he offered as compensation!”“Tsk, but they’re Stefan Hunt’s employees. How great can they be?” Liam questioned, crossing his legs while leaning against the side rails of her bed. “I know lots of lawyers who are better than them. If you need any, I can give you some recommendations.” “No, I want them,” Renee said with a determined expression. She seemed in a great mood, absolutely unbothered by her divorce.“Boss, are you planning something? I feel like I can smell a scheme coming our way.” Liam expressed sheer excitement.‘Four years! It’s been four whole years! I’m so thrilled the goddess herself h
"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
"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