Stefan's expression was cold and indifferent. "She can do whatever she wants. She's single now. It's not like I can tie her up."Francine glared at her son with a frown, lamenting his incompetence and lamenting his misfortune. "Yeah, keep acting tough. I hope you won't regret this."To be honest, it was not as if she liked Renee that much. She only wanted her as a daughter-in-law because her son had fallen in love with her.In addition, the lemon pie made by Renee were truly amazing. Her impression of the woman had improved because of that.Therefore, she could not bear to see a good daughter-in-law like her slip away!Francine became increasingly angrier the more she thought about it. She decided to turn her anger into appetite. She opened the box filled with lemon pie and started to gnaw on one.The aroma of the lemon pie filled the entire office.Stefan stared at his mother who was stuffing her face with lemon pie without any care for how unladylike she looked, his handsome f
Francine patted Stefan on the shoulder and encouraged him, "I believe that as long as you're willing to fight for it, the thing you lost will surely come back to you with a firmer attitude."Francine said no more and left the Hunt Enterprise.Staring at the remaining pie in the lunch box while standing alone in his spacious office, Stefan felt like he could imagine Renee getting busy in the kitchen. It warmed his heart...-At Hunt Villa, Renee and Margaret made a lot of dishes to entertain Haze, who had suddenly come for a visit."Haze, Margaret was able to escape danger thanks to you. I've always wanted to invite you to dinner to express my gratitude, but I haven't been able to find the time. Today's the perfect chance... Think of this fruit juice as wine. Here's a toast to you!"Renee picked up a glass filled with juice and said gratefully to Haze.Margaret also stood up, poured herself a full glass of wine, and raised it towards Haze. "Mr. Haze, thank you for everything. Che
Upon hearing that, Stefan's handsome face became even colder. "Damn that woman. She really ran away!"Margaret carefully provided Stefan with useful information. "I heard them say they're going to Sutton. They're on the way to the airport now. If you hurry, you can still catch up to them...""Sutton?!"With clenched fists and a chilly look in his eyes, Stefan said, "She better pray I won't catch her, or I'll break her leg!"Without saying another word, he drove his expensive sports car straight towards the biggest airport in Beach City.When he walked into the airport lobby, he happened to run into Renee and Haze, who had just arrived themselves."It's you!"Stefan was surprised to see Haze standing next to Renee."What are you doing here?"Renee was surprised to see Stefan too. She felt guilty for some reason, like she had been caught cheating. She subconsciously took a step back.Haze smiled calmly and reached his hand out to Stefan. “Mr. Hunt, long time no see. Are you goi
Stefan took a deep breath and tried to keep his anger under control. He asked Renee, "Since you already know what kind of person he is, why did you still get close to him? Is there something wrong with your brain?""What kind of person he is?"Renee looked directly at Stefan's fierce eyes and gave him a mocking smile. "He's a hacker. People pay him to do stuff. Isn't that reasonable? What's the problem?”"But you... you would go to any length to protect your little lover, wouldn't you? Including destroying evidence in secret. I think your personality is even shadier. You're the one I should stay away from!"“...”Stefan pursed his lips. He was rendered speechless again.Renee was right. In terms of shadiness, he was even shadier than Haze. What moral high ground did he have to criticize Haze's character?Haze looked at his watch and said with a smile on his face, “I'm sorry, Mr. Hunt, but our flight is about to take off. Please make way. This is the first meeting between Ms. Eve
The scene startled the passers-by at the airport.Stefan and Renee were also surprised. They could not make heads or tails of the situation.Haze's eyebrows furrowed. He looked at the elderly man kneeling before him with some displeasure. “Albert, didn't I make it clear that I'll board the plane myself when the time comes? Don't make such a scene!"The elderly man bowed his head in reverence but said with some degree of forcefulness, "Sir, everybody's waiting anxiously for you. They're worried that you might change your mind again, so they sent me to escort you back. I've already chartered the entire plane. Please cooperate with me!""Escort me?" Haze rolled his eyes. "More like keeping an eye on me. After all these years, Grandpa is still so domineering. Was it any wonder that I ran away?""But this time, you don't have to worry because I'm bringing his future granddaughter-in-law back with me. I wouldn't run away halfway!"Upon hearing that, Albert's eyes lit up. He immediately
After saying that, Justin confidently tried to pull Renee back.Unsurprisingly, Stefan did not let Renee go. He narrowed his eyes at Justin and sneered, “Is that so? We'll see just how capable you are then!”Meanwhile, Renee was not enjoying being stuck in the middle of these two men as they played tug of war with her.“Stop it!” Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore and screamed at them. She kicked both of their legs and broke free from their grip angrily.“What's wrong with the both of you? Do you think I’m a toy to play around with? Have you even asked me what I want?” Renee snapped at them, crossing her arms over her chest.Stefan and Justin stopped glaring at each other and turned to her.Stefan said coldly, “If you had a brain, you'd know he has a motive for getting close to you… You should know what to do.”When Justin heard this, he shrugged and admitted, "I do have a motive. The truth is that I'm in love with you and want to marry you. I feel the Baldwins and the Hunts
Renee turned to Justin, her eyes meeting his affectionate gaze. She was stunned for a while before she smiled and asked him, “What about you? Did you mean what you said?”Justin felt his heart skip a beat, and his eyes widened slightly. ‘Why am I losing my cool like this? What is happening to me?’ He thought in bewilderment.He raised his eyebrows and said half-jokingly, “Of course, I’m serious about it. Ever since I learned you’re Phoenix, I regretted not marrying you four years ago.”“Is that so?” Renee laughed and asked him, “The Baldwins are pretty prestigious… Would they accept a divorcee like me?”“What’s wrong with being a divorcee?” Justin’s handsome face became serious, and he sounded angry as he said, "Those men are fools to give up such loving partners. It's another man's fortune to be married to a divorcee."“You might not care, but surely your family does, right?”“Don’t worry. No one would dare object. I guarantee that they'll welcome you with open arms.”He added, “My gr
‘Is there going to be a war? Are they going to kill me?’ Renee thought to herself, her heart pounding.Justin caressed her head and grinned sheepishly. "This is the Baldwins' overly lavish welcome tradition… I tried to warn you.”Renee narrowed her eyes at him. “You should've tried harder.”Finally, she exhaled deeply and grumbled, “They nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought they were trying to kill me!”“Don’t worry. You're a guest of my family. We can’t possibly murder you!” Justin grinned at her cheekily, then grabbed her hand and said, “Since we're acting, we gotta make it look real. If not, my grandfather will be able to tell we’re faking it!”Renee cooperatively held his hand and nodded. “Don’t worry, I got this!”The two walked towards the group, holding hands.Renee saw an elderly man in uniform standing amid the troops. His outfit was adorned with medals, and he emerged from a tank with a man and a woman.“Grandpa! Dad! Mom!” Tears of joy welled up in Justin’s eyes
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.