“I was wondering who the person that has been constantly sniffing for my traces over the years was! That IP was like a virus. I intercepted it time and time again. So it was you... my savior.”Renee's red lips curled into a smile as she looked at her old friend.Who knew that there was still an old friend in the vast Beach City who still cared about her. She was touched.“You call me your savior, but you hid from me for four years, making me worry about you for four years. Is your heart made of stone?”Seeing the woman who had become more charming, more attractive, and more elusive than before, Xavier's emotions were complicated.After all, this was the woman who once made his heart race and the woman he risked his life to save. Even if it was impossible between them, she still held an important spot in his heart.Rather than saying that he and Stefan had searched almost every corner of the world for Renee all these years, it would be more appropriate to call it his personal obse
“A weak woman?”That made Renee laugh. "They should pray that they don't lose all their teeth when they try to eat me alive!”“Nice. Your courage is commendable. I'll give you a round of applause.”Looking at the confident Renee, Xavier almost overflowed with admiration.“To be honest with you, the only person I'm afraid of in the entire Beach City is Stefan Hunt. But now that Stefan is gone, those old fools are destined for defeat now that Stefan is gone.”She knew her words were very arrogant, but it was not without reason.“That means you're hoping that Stef's dead for real. Tsk tsk... Poor Stef. He's so sincere to you, but you want him dead.”“Sincere?”Renee snorted. "How could you utter a blatant lie like that? Stefan's sincere to me? Would you want that kind of sincerity?”“I know you have a lot of resentment in your heart, but Stef has his own difficulties too. There are some misunderstandings between you which have been brewing inside you for four years. Neither of yo
It caused a huge uproar. The cameras flashed non-stop. The major drama that everyone was eagerly anticipating had arrived surprisingly quickly.Renee and Xavier also stopped chatting to focus on the stage.Jovan did not panic. His thin lips curled into a smile as he bowed and gestured an invitation to Alexander. "You're right, Uncle Alexander. Although you only have shares but no real power in Hunt Enterprise now, you still have the highest status outside Grandpa's generation in the Hunts. Since you're here, of course you should take this seat instead.”Alexander had no intention of putting on an act with Jovan. He accused Jovan in front of all the reporters. "Do you think I'm only referring to that seat? You did so many dirty things while the Hunt Enterprise was in chaos. In ancient times, you would be like a thief usurping the throne. It's a crime punishable by execution!”“Your words are too extreme, Uncle Alexander. After Stefan met with an accident, Hunt Enterprise became lead
“That's not it!” Renee denied it coldly. "That's just my moral principle. It has nothing to do with him.”The press conference continued under the supervision of the staff.A representative from Hunt Enterprise's PR Department showcased to the media the company's ongoing projects, financial power, and organizational structure.Finally, the PR representative enthusiastically told the media, "Hunt Enterprise is about to embark on a new journey. Let's welcome Mr. Jovan Hunt, the new CEO jointly selected by the board of directors and the major shareholders of Hunt Enterprise, to give us a speech.”The venue suddenly erupted with enthusiastic applause. The atmosphere was even more enthusiastic than when Stefan held a press conference in the past. It was heartbreaking to watch.Jovan spoke eloquently in front of the media.“Hunt Enterprise is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. For the future of Hunt Enterprise and the entire Beach City, I took on the responsibility of CEO at the
Everyone looked toward the direction the sound came from, including Renee.She saw Stefan's tall figure casually walking into the venue like a deity.Originally, Jovan was the center of attention, but as soon as Stefan appeared, he immediately became the side character, like a piece of glass compared to Stefan's diamond.The place exploded. The atmosphere, which had reached a climax before this, became even more intense. The sounds of shutters and flashes were deafening.“N-No way! Stefan Hunt?! But you're already...”Jovan went pale, like he had just seen a ghost. He slumped down in his chair, devoid of his earlier energy and enthusiasm.Stefan's gaze at Jovan was as cold and sharp as a dagger. He said, "You seem disappointed, Vice-CEO.”The senior executives and shareholders sitting to the sides showed various reactions. Some were happy, while some were not.Those who supported Jovan had their backs pressed against their seats. They sweated profusely and found it hard to brea
Stefan sat there like a king, dazzling and charming the people around him. Clearly, the man was a born leader—nobody could take their eyes off him. Even the reporters from popular media companies who were initially only interested in getting their hands on sensational news were now so captivated by Stefan's charisma that they forgot to take notes.Sitting amidst hundreds of other guests in the audience, Renee's icy gaze was locked on the man on the stage. Her fists were clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug deep into her flesh.So, Stefan had been alive all this time… and had now returned more powerful and arrogant than ever! It was truly a pity that she'd spent all that time grieving and shedding tears for him. It was all for nothing! Renee felt like laughing at how foolish she had been.Xavier crossed his legs, looking as if he knew all along that this would happen."I can't believe Stef actually went through with his outrageous plan!" He exclaimed with a grin. "But I've g
"Ms. Everheart, we heard that you recently replaced Mr. Osborne as the president of Azure Group. Considering your rather unusual relationship with Mr. Hunt, what does the future relationship of your companies look like? Would the two of you be competing as rivals or work together as partners?" The person asking was a head reporter from one of the most reputable finance and economics magazines.Renee's thoughts were still circling around the deep anger and resentment she felt for Stefan, and she glared at the man icily. In contrast, Stefan was calm and collected as he gazed at her indifferently."Unusual" was indeed a good word to describe their relationship!Stefan did not have to say anything—the damage was already done. His lethal silence could easily crush anyone's self-esteem to smithereens!Renee clenched her fists and sneered, "There are no friends or enemies in the world of business—there's only benefit and loss. If Mr. Hunt can help me make more money, then we'll work toget
Renee sat on the toilet in the restroom, so enraged that she drew a pentagram on the floor with the tip of her shoe, viciously cursing Stefan."Damn you to hell, Stefan Hunt! You wanted to die so much that you even got yourself a grave, huh? Well, then… I hope you choke to death when you drink water or when you swallow your food! I hope you get struck by lightning when you're on your phone or fall down a hole and die while you're walking…"Suddenly, she heard the voices of women coming from the nearby stalls."Ah, no imitation can beat the real thing… Jovan might be cute, but he's nothing compared to Stefan! They're as different as day and night. Oh, can Stefan be any more perfect? If only I could marry him one day!""Stop daydreaming—he's already found his true love! If you think you'll actually get a turn to be with him, you should get your head checked…""True love? You mean his ex-wife?""No, dummy! It's the woman Mr. Hunt has been protecting for four years—Briar Desrosiers!
"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