With that, only Renee and Jovan were left standing in the men's restroom awkwardlyLike a villain who had succeeded in bringing his evil plan to fruition, a sinister yet childish smile cropped up on Jovan's face. He told Renee, "You see? You clearly made the right choice in leaving your ex-husband because all he ever wanted was a tool to perfect his image. He was never interested in you, he never understood you, and he never even wanted to understand you. What a failure.""Why, thank you for the enlightenment, Jovan!" Renee could not help but roll her eyes as she pointedly sneered, "If you have that much spare time, why don't you worry about yourself instead? How stupid can you be? You've been played like a fiddle and wiped out from your position, yet you're still here bragging like an idiot!"Jovan wasn't angered by her words, and instead approached Renee with a cheeky smile. "So, you're worried about me, huh?"Renee let out a frustrated snarl and kicked Jovan in the butt before r
"I'm going to hang up now," Renee told Leia with a sigh. "It's time to pick up the kids."She then ended the call and headed straight to Monte Perry Kindergarten.The streets in front of the kindergarten were always full of cars and crowded with people. All kinds of luxury cars were lined up at the Monte Perry Kindergarten gates, making it look like some kind of car exhibition was going on.After a while, Renee finally found a parking spot. She parked her car and was about to get out when Margaret suddenly called her."Hello?" Margaret's voice was shaky with panic. "Ms. Renee, are you here yet? Come quickly! Something… something happened!""What happened?" Renee asked quickly, then said to Margaret soothingly, "Don't panic… Speak slowly.""I'm useless, Ms. Renee! I deserve to die a thousand deaths! I was about to pick up the kids just now, but the teacher told me that… that…" Margaret sounded as if she was about to burst into tears."The teacher told me," she continued anxiously
Ms. Apple looked somewhat conflicted. Her eyes darted around before she cryptically answered, "Please don't worry, Ms. Everheart. The twins are definitely fine, and I'm sure they'll be home in no time. As for the person who took them away… Please forgive me, but I really can't tell you anything about him."Hearing this, Renee dug her nails into her palms and forced herself to remain calm as she said with a sneer, "This man really is powerful, isn't he? He's so powerful that he can easily kidnap other people's kids in public, and even their own mother doesn't have the right to know about it.""He is indeed very powerful. In fact, only a handful of people in the whole of Beach City would dare to go up against him, so…" Ms. Apple paused for a few seconds, then told Renee in a lowered voice, "The twins both called him Daddy without hesitation and were very friendly with him, and the man himself… is connected to the Hunts.""Connected to the Hunts, huh?" Renee frowned slightly as she tho
Despite the servant's efforts to stop her, Renee strode in boldly and said sarcastically, “I was once a part of the Hunts. I treated Grandpa Timothy like my own grandfather, so there’s no need to stop me from visiting him, right?”Meanwhile, Timothy, who was sitting at the head of the table, was scowling fiercely at Stefan. He was just about to teach him a lesson after learning about the rumors about Stefan, Renee, and Jovan.However, his eyes sparkled when he heard Renee's voice, and he turned to her with a wide smile. "Ren, my wonderful granddaughter-in-law, I was just about to teach this clueless boy a lesson. I'm delighted you're here! Come, child, sit by me."He motioned to the unoccupied seat next to him and urged her to have a seat. Meanwhile, Stefan sat on the opposite side, his expression frigid.The servant added a new set of tableware to the table. Renee was unable to say no to the old man, and was forced to sit at the table with the Hunt family.The jovial atmosphere i
Stefan gingerly wiped his lips with a handkerchief, then turned to Renee with a smirk. "Truth be told, I really don't know why you're here. Might it be because you still love me and want to rekindle our relationship?""Excellent, excellent!" Francine clapped her hands gleefully. "Renee, if you wanted to rekindle your relationship with Stef, you should have just said so! There's no need to beat around the bush, and you don't need Stefan's opinion about it—he's a moron who doesn't know anything. I can help you both make it happen. We'll arrange for a larger and better wedding too."Timothy nodded his head approvingly. "I'm glad you're finally considering it. You should've reconnected with Stefan sooner. This is something that the whole Hunt family agrees on!""No way! That's not it!" Renee's cheeks reddened, and she started to panic. "I'm not here to reconcile with him. In fact, I'm going to become a nun and live alone for the rest of my life. I'm never going to get back together with
Stefan's gaze was frigid as he stared at Renee. "There's no one here, so you can just be honest with me. What happened to them? They need to be released immediately. I'm willing to give up everything for them—even my life. Don't push me, Stefan. I'm warning you." Renee clenched her fists tightly, her entire body tense. She had given birth to Aiden and Abigail and raised them with all her love and attention. They weren't just her life. They were also the Everheart family's future.Stefan might have tried to take them away, but she would definitely get them back."I'm not sure what you're saying." Stefan looked perplexed as he frowned at her. "Who are you referring to?""Stop acting dumb!" Renee burst out furiously. She was so enraged that she approached him, grabbed him by the collar, and warned, "I'll count to three, and if you don't give them to me, I'll break your neck. You already know I'm capable of it!""You want to break my neck?" The corners of his lips curved upwards into
Renee could rule out that the Hunt family planned to ambush her since the electricity had gone out due to a faulty circuit.She let out a sigh of relief and relaxed somewhat. She let go of Stefan's neck and tried to move away from him, but his strong arm suddenly circled her waist. He pulled her towards him, and she tumbled onto him with a yelp. When she felt his warm frame against hers, she immediately froze. "What... What are you doing?"Stefan remained silent, but his grip on her tightened.Renee lost her cool and hissed at him, "Stefan, don't you dare try to take advantage of me. Let me go before I hurt you!""Stop moving!" Instead of letting her go, he held onto her like his life depended on it."Clearly, you don't value your life. Do you want me to break your arm?" She was going to push him away when she heard sniffling. She hesitated, her eyes wide in disbelief.'Is Stefan… crying?' She thought in shock. She immediately calmed down, taken aback by this unexpected occurren
“You can't open the door until the electricity is restored," Stefan said bluntly.Renee's jaw dropped. "If the electricity doesn't come back on by tonight, I'll have to spend the night with you!""I can handle it. It's only one night, after all." Stefan was so calm that Renee wondered where his anxiety from earlier had gone. Only now did she realize that she had fallen into his trap."Didn't you say you had PTSD and that your organs would fail and you'd die?" She asked him suspiciously."I'll be alright if you're here to give me hugs. I can handle you," Stefan said smoothly.Renee was speechless."You might be able to stand me, but I can't stand you," she remarked, rolling her eyes. "I have to get out of here today!"She wanted to use the light from her phone to try to figure out how to open the doorknob, but unfortunately, her phone ran out of battery and turned off.The room became dark once again."Damn it!" Her patience had reached its limit, and she patted the ground arou
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.