�I told you-ignorance is bliss if your mind isn�t strong enough to handle the truth.

Haven�t you heard that curiosity killed the cat?� For some reason, Stefan�s heart ached when he saw her pale face.

He got up to approach her and instinctively wanted to hug her, but Renee retreated and stood far away from him.

�You� Don�t touch me! I - I don�t understand. Has everything been a lie? Why are people like this? I� I�� Renee gasped, sounding hysterical.

�Calm down. If you can�t take it, just forget what I said. I slandered him, just as the public said. Everyone sees me as a cruel and cunning man now, and I�m a target of scorn. It doesn�t really make much difference if you hate me too.� Stefan didn�t defend himself so Joanne could keep that vulgar incident a secret.

Quinton had painted himself as a victim by manipulating public opinion, so he had managed to make everyone forget about the Night Demon�s bloodstained past. He had even gained a group of loyal fans.

As a result, both Carmine Pawnshop and Azure Group had become more popular, while Stefan had to suffer the consequences of being labelled the villain.

Renee took a deep breath and said to Stefan, �I�ll look into it. If you�re right, I�ll ask Quinton to hold a press conference to expose the truth and prove your innocence.� At that moment, she realized that Stefan, who always seemed so aloof and indifferent, actually had the kindest heart among them.

The kind of malice he was willingly facing was no joke. Although she wanted to make it up to Quinton, she felt it was only fair to punish him if he really did commit such evils.

Afterwards, she would help Quinton to return to the right path. Stefan appeared unconcerned.

�It doesn�t matter if I�m innocent or not, just don�t expose Joanne�s whereabouts. If not, Joanne will suffer given how stubborn and crazy Quinton is.�

�Okay, got it. Thank you.� Renee nodded slowly.

Only now did she realize that Stefan just wanted to protect Joanne instead of hurting her by taking her away without Renee�s knowledge. Renee seemed to have a deeper understanding of Stefan now.

After Renee left Hunt Enterprise, she wandered around for a long time on the street before returning to Carmine Pawnshop. When Margaret saw her, she was filled with both joy and worry.

�Miss Ren, you�re finally home! Please comfort Mr. Everheart� he�s in a very bad mood."

During the few days that Renee was away, many things happened to Carmine Pawnshop. Quinton, who was usually rather spirited, suddenly became strangely downcast. He locked himself in his room and neither spoke nor smiled, refusing to have any contact with anyone.

�Really? What a coincidence-l�m in a bad mood too. He�s not the only victim in the world.� Renee scoffed, sounding rather aloof and reproachful.

As Quinton�s sister, she felt that she did have to help him resolve this bitterness and hatred inside him, but when she thought of what he did to Joanne� She understood why they called him a demon. He was like a stranger to her now, and it made her heart ache.

Margaret looked at Renee in surprise and asked worriedly, �Miss Ren, what happened? Why do I feel like something is weighing on your mind now that you�re back? Did something bad happen while you

were away? By the way, where is Mr. Osborne?�

�Yes, something happened to Liam. He sacrificed his happiness for the rest of his life to grant my wish. I owe him yet another favor�� Renee slowly clenched her fists, her eyes turning watery.

"But if I knew his sacrifice would have had such consequences, I wouldn�t have agreed to it. It�s not worth it.� She shook her head, not knowing how she should face Quinton.

�Oh dear� Is there any way to rescue Mr.

Osborne?� Margaret asked anxiously.

�To tell you the truth, we lost contact with Chase after he got on the ship to transport treasure. He was maliciously attacked, and it�s said that he sank into the sea with the treasure. I guess that�s why Mr. Everheart is so down. We have to buck up and not let our enemies defeat us!� JrNovels.com