Hearing the rhythmic snoring, Stefan turned around to find that Renee was fast asleep


    without a care. Furious, he spun the steering wheel and jammed his food on the brakes.


    As the car came to a screeching halt at the turn on a coastal zone, Renee immediately


    jolted awake and reached for the car door handle, looking around in panic, “Argh! What


    happened?! Was there an earthquake?!”


    She saw that the car had stopped by the beach, enveloped in darkness and silence—


    danger seemed to lurk everywhere.


    Meanwhile, Stefan opened the window to let the fresh breeze in, looking up at the starry sky


    above.


    “Carefree, aren’t you?” He scoffed tly as he lit himself a cigarette, exhaling a puff of


    smoke. “Someone who knew better would know you’re due for punishment, but those who


    don’t would think that you’re here to sightsee.”


    Embarrassed, Renee hastily tidied her appearance and cleared her throat.” Sorry I wasn’t


    taking this seriously. Should I be more worried about not meeting your expectations? If that


    won’t do, I could cry for you again…”


    As soon as she said it, she started bawling, “Please, I’m begging you, Mr. Bigshot CEO. Let


    me go, I won’t do it again… Please don’t torture me anymore…”


    Stefan breathed another puff of smoke in frustrated silence-she really would be the death of


    him!


    “See? That reaction was fantastic but you refused to y along. How am I supposed to do


    this?” Renee kept flirting with him, but the fact that the man refused to y along made


    things awkward.


    One could never cook without ingredients-how was she going to achieve anything if she


    was forced to match this stoic guy?


    “You can shut up now,” Stefan growled through the smoke-this woman was brazenly


    messing around even though her doom was at hand!


    “Fine, you’re the boss. You said to shut up, so I’ll shut up.” Renee reclined against her seat


    and kept her mouth shut-she had no choice but to be fullypliant. Maybe if she managed


    to cajole Stefan, he would not keep harassing her and Jovan, or even take her to the beach


    in the middle of the night, just to make her watch him smoke.


    The sight of cigarettes certainly tickled her nicotine addiction.


    Hence, braving the risk of being kicked out of the car, she asked gingerly,” Hey, do you have


    more? Can I have one?”


    Stefan was dumbfounded, but Renee pressed, “It’s not like we have anything better to do.”


    Stefan snorted. “You’re outrageous.”


    He brought her out here to mess with her, and get his revenge for her duplicity… only for her


    to treat this as a pleasure trip, even asking if she could have a cigarette!


    She shot him a look, andined, “It’s fine if you don’t want to give me one. There’s no


    need to be so petty.”


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    And with that, neither spoke as Renee kept watching him smoke, while the atmosphere


    between them stayed awkward.


    Still, Stefan was certain proof that someone up there yed favorites. That chiseled, perfect


    face could give star actors a run for their money, and his aloofness made his very presence


    irresistible.


    Even as Renee stared at him, she could not help gulping as she restrained herself from


    leaning in to kiss him