Renee remained silent. Quinton had never regretted the things he had done to Joanne, including the child he had forcefully aborted.

Thinking about it� maybe it was best if they didn�t see each other again.

�Joanne doesn�t need anyone to feel sorry for her. She just wants to start a new life peacefully,� Stefan said coldly.

Those were the exact words Joanne wanted him to tell Renee. She knew that Renee and Quinton would come looking for her.

�I understand. I won�t force it� as long as she can let go of her pain and start a new life,� Renee took a deep breath and said softly. She had no right to ruin the kind of life Joanne wished for. She also couldn�t ignore Joanne�s wish just because of Quinton�s pain.

�I�m sorry to have disturbed you today.� She nodded at him and got upto leave.

�You�� Stefan mumbled as he watched her leave, but in the end, he didn�t say anything.

Downcast, Renee left the ward and turned the corner to take the elevator. She happened to bump into Francine and Seraphina, who were exiting the elevator.

Francine�s eyes widened in anger the moment she saw Renee. �You� Why do you still haunt and pester my son? Are you really trying to kill him?!�

�No, I�m not,� Renee said calmly as she stared at her former mother-in-law. It was probably not her destiny to be a part of the Hunt family. She rarely had peaceful days with the Hunts, and she also saw how Francine�s attitude towards her changed repeatedly. She had become numb to it by now.

Francine initially wanted to scold Renee, but upon seeing her dejected expression, her heart softened.

She couldn�t bear to say anything harsh to her, and said instead, �I know that Stef nearly died in your hands again. I don�t know what he�s done to make you do this to him repeatedly, but you were once my daughter-in-law. Do me the favor and stay far away from Stef for his sake. Don�t you see accidents always happen when you both get close to each other? The both of you might love each other truly, but you�re not suitable for each other.� Francine sincerely liked and admired Renee, but unfortunately, she was not fated to be with her son.

Francine felt that she had to break them up for the sake of Stefan�s health.

Renee nodded calmly. �Don�t worry, you don�t have to remind me. I know that I should stay far away from Stefan but sometimes I need to come to him for urgent matters. It�s alright, I�ll give you my word now that I�ll never see him again unless I�m forced to.�

�R-Really?� Francine�s eyes widened, and she felt moved by Renee�s promise. What a considerate and nice woman! If the fortune-teller hadn�t told Francine that Renee and Stefan couldn�t be together, Francine would never let Renee go.

�I won�t break my word.� Renee sounded firm and calm as she spoke, then added, �But I can�t be the only one doing this. You�d better remind your son to not meddle in my affairs. If he comes to me and ends up in danger, you can�t blame me for it.�

�Don�t worry, I�ll advise my son. After he recovers, he�ll marry Seraphina, and I hope that he can forget about you by then,�

Francine said somberly. Seraphina and Stefan were childhood sweethearts, and their families knew each other well.

Francine believed that only an arranged marriage with no feelings tied to it could last, but� she wondered why she always felt a little disappointed about it.

�I�ll take my leave now if you�re done.� Renee nodded at Francine as she held her bag and walked towards the elevator. She did not feel much about Stefan and Seraphina�s impending marriage; the charming childhood sweethearts should have gotten married ages ago. Renee felt that her previous marriage with Stefan was an accident and a joke, and she needed to forget about it.

�Wait,� Francine called after Renee softly.

�Is there anything else?� Confused, Renee turned around and looked at Francine.

"I know I shouldn't beg you for this, but you're a good person, so I think I can discuss it with you.�

Renee was curious now. "Please go on.� JrNovels.com