"Many people want me dead, so I just want to live a secluded life after I settle the feud

between Stefan and me. I don't want to lead such a dangerous life again.�

"The feud between you and Stefan..." Renee took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She had always hoped that the Everheart and Hunt families could get along well like in the past, but now, it seemed like it was just a fantasy. Stefan and Quinton held deep grudges against each other, and now there was this ring too... Renee could not pretend that she had not seen it. �Renee, stop trying to fool yourself. Wake up!�

"Quinton, rest well. I'll take care of Ren. We'll wait for the day when you make a comeback and bewitch the women of Beach City," Leia cheekily teased Quinton, then helped Renee out of the ward.

After Leia and Renee walked out of the ward, Leia pulled Renee to a corner near the stairs. �That ring... It's Stefan�s, right?"

"Yes." Renee nodded tiredly, unable to run from the truth any longer.

�I'm sure you've gained some information, right?�

Leia knew that she could no longer hide it since things had turned out this way. She could only tell Renee everything she knew.

"I'd been wondering if someone had done this on purpose after something went wrong with Quinton's accident. So, I went to the medical staff and interrogated them."

"What did they say?� Renee asked cautiously.

"That nurse claimed that the main surgeon received a call before Quinton�s surgery telling him to do the surgery well or something like that. The caller was Shirley, so I went to find her and confront her. She claimed that it was Stefan's order..." Leia told Renee everything.

"I thought Shirley was just trying to create problems, so I wanted to get more evidence first, but... it seems that the evidence came to us. When I saw the ring, I knew I had to tell you.�

"Thank you, Lei. I could have guessed it even if you didn't tell me. I was just fooling myself and didn't want to accept the truth. I always thought that he wasn't that bad...� Renee admitted, her heart aching.

"We can't blame you or him. After all, he's forgotten everything about you, so you don't mean anything to him anymore. It's not odd that he would do something like this for the sake of profit,� Leia said hesitantly, unsure of how to console Renee.

"Yeah, I know he's forgotten about me. I'm the only one who keeps holding on to the past. It's my fault!" Renee took a deep breath, fighting back tears.

"What are you going to do now? Are you going to talk to him?" Leia asked, feeling sorry for Renee.

"I haven't thought about it yet...� Renee leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling, smiling bitterly.

"It's meaningless either way. It would be stupid of me to still hope that he and my

brother can stop fighting.�

Renee wanted to be alone, so she went to the hospital's garden downstairs. She sat in front of the pond and watched it quietly. JrNovels.com