Chapter 1

“Let’s get a divorce, Renee.” The man’s cold voice sounded from behind while Renee Everheart was in the middle of searing steaks. After hearing those words, she became seemingly numb to the hot oil splattering on her cheeks from the lightly sizzling pan. “We’re only husband and wife on paper. Now that four years have passed, it’s time to end this,” Stefan Hunt said with a cold, distant tone. Renee bit her lip anxiously. ‘Looks like this day was inevitable after all…’ Her family was declared bankrupt four years ago. Her parents, unable to endure the stress of financial hardship, took their lives together, leaving young Renee to handle the mess alone. In the past, Renee’s grandfather fought alongside Stefan’s grandfather on the battlefield, and he even saved the latter’s life once. In his dying moments, he voiced out to his old pal his concern for his granddaughter and left Renee under his care. And so, a marriage of convenience was arranged between Stefan and Renee to put the old man’s concerns to rest. As time passed, Renee found herself falling in love with the man she married. She thought that as long as she played the role of a good wife, he would reciprocate her feelings one day. However, what transpired was the complete opposite of what she had hoped for. “I’ll give you 40 million dollars and a penthouse at Long Beach. Here are the divorce papers. Sign them if you have no objections.” Stefan then pushed a document towards Renee. His stern expression indicated that this was no more than another business transaction to him. Renee skimmed through the string of numbers. ‘40 million dollars for four years, huh? The Hunts are still as wealthy as ever,’ she thought to herself. “Do we have to?” She put down the document and stared at her husband. The man she had loved for four years was drop-dead gorgeous, yet his beautiful face was always stern and distant. “Yes,” Stefan replied without a hint of hesitation. Renee’s heart stung, but she was not one to drag things out. As her objections had fallen on deaf ears, she knew it was time for her to go. ‘Whatever, I got 40 million for the years I’ve spent being his wife. This is more than worth it!’ “Alright.” She picked up a pen and scribbled her signature on the papers decisively. Stefan was taken aback by her resoluteness. The Renee he knew was fragile and indecisive, and he had never seen this side of her. For some reason, this left a sour taste in his mouth. “I’ll let you know once this is processed. If it’s possible, I’d like you to move out by tonight.” The man said, brushing off the unpleasant feeling in his chest before leaving. It was painfully obvious that he didn’t intend on discussing the matter over. On the very same night, the housekeeper immediately threw Renee’s belongings out of the villa after receiving news of the divorce. It wasn’t like she respected Renee back then, but now that they were officially separating, she became openly hostile. “Serves you right, you gold-digging leech! It’s about time they decided to kick you out!” Renee had no choice but to crouch down and pick her scattered clothing up. The cold night breeze only served to rub salt in her wound. Just then, she heard the sound of a car rolling to a stop behind her. A tall slender woman emerged from the vehicle. “Ms. Desrosiers, you’re here! Welcome, welcome!” The housekeeper, who was just yelling profanities at Renee, immediately jumped to the guest’s assistance. However, Briar Desrosiers didn’t even bother to spare the housekeeper a glance. “Be careful with my belongings. If you break even a single thing, you wouldn’t be able to pay it back within a lifetime.” Renee’s entire body stiffened up. In mere seconds, the pieces fell into place in her mind.