Association. How could Stefan win her heart if he refused to exert a little effort and employ a few tricks?

Miraculously, Renee actually bought Elijah�s nonsense.

�Fine,� she said. �Hurry up and take us home then!�

She turned around and glanced at Stefan, who had been holding her tight in his arms, soundly asleep. A complicated mix of emotions arose in her heart.

She was not that surprised to find that he behaved in this strange way whenever he was drunk. After.all, exactly the same thing happened on that night�he was also holding her tight and would not let her go, which ultimately led him to sleep with her!

If she had known that he would be this crazy, she would never have played the drinking game with him, even if her life depended on it.

And so the three of them walked out of the karaoke bar in that extremely bizarre formation�with Stefan holding onto Renee tightly, while Elijah supported Stefan as he led them out of the door.

They hailed a cab on the side of the road. Even after getting inside the car, Renee was still stuck in Stefan�s arms, which were wrapped tightly around her neck. No matter how hard she struggled, she just could not break free from him, so all she could do was helplessly urge the cab driver to hurry. �Please speed up!�

They soon reached Hunt Manor. This was the house that Renee called home for the last four years, but.today it was just another grand building that had no room for her anymore. If there had not been an emergency, she would never have willingly taken a step back into this place ever again.

Meanwhile, Briar, whose pregnant belly had ballooned in size, was in the grand living room, dramatically weeping and lamenting about her plight to her future mother�in�law, Francine Milford, like.a soap opera actress.

�It�s not like I don�t want to cultivate a closer relationship with Stefan, Aunt Francine, but he�s just.always so busy with work. that I can count on one hand the number of times he spent the night at home, ever since I moved here��

�What can I possibly do when I barely ever see him?� she added.

�You�re right,� replied Francine in a voice thick with concern. She was sitting on the couch, frowning deeply. �It is indeed unfair to blame you for not taking any initiative. I know my son very well. No one can ever force him to do anything that he doesn�t want to do. As for your engagement, I think there�s.nothing we can do but postpone it.�

She had initially assumed that Stefan didn�t marry Briar earlier because he hadn�t divorced that gold digger Renee Everheart. However, although they were officially divorced now, his relationship with Briar hadn�t improved.

Seeing how her son never mentioned the subject of marriage when Briar�s belly was getting bigger and bigger by the day really broke her heart!

But as soon as Briar heard what Francine said, she sprang up to her feet anxiously and protested, �We can�t postpone it anymore, Aunt Francine! Any further delay and my baby will be born an illegitimate child! You must find a way to help me!�

She hadn�t acted so pitifully in front of Francine for the sake of a compromise, but only because she wanted to put more pressure on Stefan to marry her through his mother.

�Okay,� Francine replied plainly. �Just give me some time, and I�ll think of a way.�

Ever since seeing Briar�s disgusted face when she learned of the misdiagnosis that Stefan was.paralyzed, Francine knew that this woman was not as harmless and innocent as she might seem.

Nevertheless, the child in her belly was still the flesh and blood of the Hunt family, and she had to do whatever she could to help her eldest grandchild. JrNovels.com