"It's about Adie and Abby's custody�" Francine started, but was immediately interrupted by Renee.

"No, I'll never give up custody of them,� Reene said firmly.

Although Francine had anticipated this, she still felt very aggrieved. "Normally, I wouldn't give up custody of either of them because they're Hunts at the end of the day...�

Renee shook her head and argued, "You're wrong. Biologically, only women's genes are passed down, which means Adie and Abby are Everhearts and don't have much to do with the Hunt family.�

Francine frowned petulantly and complained, "Stop being so stubborn. If this becomes a court case, the judge will surely give the Hunt family one of the kids.�

"Fine, go ahead. I have the most outstanding civil attorney who has never lost custody cases like this before. Try it if you don't believe me. The Murphy family won't be quiet about it too if word gets out,� Renee added calmly, pointing out that Francine had more to lose.

"The Murphy family isn't important.� Francine waved her hand dismissively and added, "I've been thinking about it, and if you're willing to give up custody of the kids, even if it's one of them, I'll make Stef cancel his engagement with Seraphina and guarantee that he'll never get married again. He'll focus entirely on raising the child.� After all, he didn't care about other women, so it would be meaningless to ask him to get married. He might as well raise his child which would give him something to focus on and make his life easier too.

"I'm sorry but I really can't do that..." Taking a deep breath, Renee continued, "Do I love my son any less than you love yours? I love Adie and Abby to the moon and back, and I raised them with a lot of love and care. They're twins and can't leave each other; you'll be hurting them if you separate them. Have you ever considered their feelings?"

"I... I..." Francine's stubborn front immediately crumbled, and she felt humiliated. Renee's logic made it difficult for Francine to argue, and the elder woman finally admitted sadly, "I know I'm being selfish, but I love and miss them very much. I... I guess I didn't think this through.�

Renee sighed when she saw how crestfallen Francine looked, and her heart softened. "If you love and miss them, you all can pay them a visit once a month. Is that acceptable?�

�Really?� Francine�s grief turned to joy, and she couldn't believe that Renee was being so generous.

"Are you really willing to let me visit them? Can I take them back to the Hunt manor to stay the night there?� After Stefan had gotten injured, his recovery had taken six months, and the Hunts had never met Adie and Abby during that time. Not only had Renee prohibited it, but Quinton�s men always escorted the children and no one could approach them. Besides that, Stefan couldn't be stimulated with past memories while he was recovering, so they also purposely stopped mentioning the children. However, things were much better now, so it would be best if the Hunts and Everhearts could get along and raise the children together.

"Sure, but only if they stay for a day or two," Renee agreed after a brief contemplation. As a mother, she was happy to see more people doting on her children as long as they were sincere about it.

Renee felt dejected after she came back from the hospital.

When she arrived at the Everheart Manor, she found Quinton digging the ground with Adie and Abby in the large back garden. The children were jumping around Quinton happily, a thin layer of sweat on their chubby faces.

"What are you all doing?" Renee's heart softened and she smiled tenderly when she saw them.

�Mommy, look! Uncle is teaching us how to plant flowers." Abby's cheeks were flushed from all the jumping around, making her look even more adorable.

�Really? What kind of flowers are you planting?" Renee walked into the garden and asked curiously.

�Of course, we're planting sunflowers, your favorite. Uncle said this kind of sunflower will blossom in a month, and by then, this garden will be filled with golden sunflowers as pretty as the ones in Sun Island!� Abby exclaimed, sounding a little wistful. Sun Island was where she and Adie were born, and they had so many wonderful memories there.

�Mommy, when can we go back to Sun Island for some fun?" Adie put his shovel down and wiped away his sweat, asking Renee seriously.

"I can take you there anytime you want.� Renee squatted down and held Adie's shoulders. Smiling, she added, "But not now because I still have a lot of things to deal with.�

"What kind of things?� Adie asked innocently, �Can I help?"

"No, you can't help me with it. The important thing is that you're happy and go to school every day with your sister.�

"Don't worry, Mommy. Abby and I will do just that.� Adie clenched his fists in determination, looking like an adult about to take on a challenging task. JrNovels.com