�The tree next to the house stands tall, and it has very deep roots. This shows that you have a very loving family, and you love them very much. You intend to repay them in some way for raising you, right?�

�And the tree bearing fruits means that you focus on the outcome on most things. It could be that you have certain things that you wish to obtain results from, which became an obsession.�

Renee remained silent as she wondered, �This escort isn�t just skilled, he�s a master at this! How is his analysis so accurate?!�

Stefan continued, �You also drew a man, a woman and a child in front of the house. So it seems that you have a soft heart, despite your tough exterior. You would much rather prefer a complete and happy family, rather than possessing power and status, right? But you are ashamed of your own ideals, which is why you drew these people small, as if you�re intentionally trying to hide what your heart desires most.�

Renee let out a long sigh, bowing to the man. �I�m impressed, you got everything right. I believe you now.�

She had a lot of secrets within her heart, and she was unwilling to face any of them, even going as far as to allow them to rot with time. She was carrying the Everheart family�s will, and she was determined to seek revenge for her parents. Thus, she decided that men, and her dream for an ideal family, would only be an obstacle to her current goals.

�Problems will arise when you close yourself off for too long. Mental health is just as important as physical health, after all. If you trust me, you can come and vent to me. I wasn�t joking when I said I wanted to stay by your side, you know?� Stefan said genuinely as he stared at her. In actuality, he really wasn�t lying when he said he was a professional therapist, he had indeed taken the tests to receive a license years ago.

He did this in order to find a way to heal from his own issues. His brother�s death was just too much for him at the time, and if his survival instinct wasn�t strong enough, he likely would�ve taken it to an extreme.

Before seeing Renee�s drawing, he thought the woman was just temporarily depressed over some matters, yet� she was suppressing herself so much that her negative emotions became even stronger than what he felt back then.

If this had gone on any longer, she would�ve met with a terrible fate.

Heartbroken, Stefan really wished to be the light in her heart, so that he could bring her out of that abyss of despair�

�I know you need me, so let me save you�� Stefan said softly as he held onto her hand.

Warmth radiated from his large, strong palms, which oddly gave Renee a sense of security.

She then let her guard down and took a deep breath.� Okay.�

Stefan changed the lighting to a warm orange tint, lit up a few aromatic candles to help her relax, and played a soothing melody on the record player. He pointed towards a soft armchair and guided Renee towards it. �Alright, tell me all your secrets.�

However, the woman still chose to reject his offer. �Maybe some other day. I�m getting tired, so I�ll go get some rest.�

Despite believing the man�s occupation, she still chose to lock these secrets away. There were just some things she�d rather hide than face�

Stefan didn�t push her any further, but was still quite devastated. He wasn�t sure if Renee was depressed over his �death�, but he knew for a fact that she wasn�t as happy as she seemed on the outside.

It was as if she was an onion, wrapping herself in layers upon layers to turn herself into someone everyone would like.

�The past few years weren�t kind to you, were they?� Stefan asked in a deep and solemn voice. JrNovels.com