# Chapter 553: Thankfully, they had managed to fool Renee.: A Dangerous Secret Hidden Behind a Smile
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 553: Thankfully, they had managed to fool Renee. of "The Untouchable Ex Wife". I hope you're ready for another roller-coaster ride of emotions, because believe me, this chapter carries a storm of tension, sudden revelations, and terrible news hidden just beyond the door of a calm and healing room!
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The atmosphere inside Renee's room was deceptively peaceful. Sunlight filtered gently through the windows, touching the edges of her bedding as she lay there, her face still recovering but gaining color bit by bit. She chatted softly with her friends before them, a fragile smile gracing her lips. It was the kind of moment that made everyone almost forget the storm raging beyond those hospital walls—the kind of moment they wanted to freeze forever, if only to spare Renee from more pain.
But Owen, ever mindful of her well-being, stepped forward and suggested politely, "There are three courses of treatment that she'll take over a span of two weeks. She'll get better with each treatment, but she also needs to rest. Let's not disturb her."
His voice was calm, but something lurking beneath it—something heavy and dark—told the others it was time to leave before their masks cracked.
"Okay, let's go then." Leia immediately stood up, her voice deliberately light as she gestured for everyone to follow her out of Renee's room.
They shuffled out one by one, careful not to make too much noise, each person playing their part well. Once outside, they moved like shadows down the stairs, all the way to the lower level, where they finally confirmed Renee was fast asleep. Only then did their strained faces crack, masks discarded, replaced by furrowed brows and sleepless eyes.
They turned to Neil and Elijah, demanding answers.
Neil stood there, his body stiff, his throat dry. He had wanted to set off for Dragos immediately with the remainder of the dragon's saliva—every second wasted meant Stefan's life hanging by a thinner thread. But he owed these people an explanation. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and looked at the anxious faces surrounding him.
"In order to get the dragon's saliva, Mr. Hunt climbed our dragon statue," Neil began, his voice trembling slightly as he recalled the scene. "That statue—it is the most sacred thing in my clan. His actions infuriated the villagers. And if they decide to punish him by clan laws..."
He paused, the weight of the statement crushing his chest like a stone.
"They'll cook and eat him," he finally forced out, his voice barely above a whisper. "They'll sacrifice him to the ancestors to pacify the dragon's wrath."
The words dropped into the room like a bomb. Silence stretched for a beat—shock, disbelief, confusion flickering across every face—as the truth of their gravity slowly sank in.
Then, a violent exclamation shattered it.
"What?! They're going to cook and eat him?" Xavier yelped, leaping out of his chair as if he had been electrocuted. His eyes were wide, blazing with fury and revulsion. "What kind of crazy clan are you from? Are they cannibals from Zambawi? Shouldn't they consider the legal consequences of doing something like that?"
Xavier's voice rose with every word, his body practically vibrating with rage. He stormed toward Neil as though he meant to physically beat the answer out of the man. But Leia—still bewildered herself but sharper than usual in moments of crisis—immediately stepped between them, holding up her hands as a human shield.
"Can you sit down quietly and listen to him?" she shouted at Xavier, frustration lacing her voice. "He's the one who brought the dragon's saliva here, so we should be thanking him!"
"You think this is all because of him?" Xavier's expression was icy as he glared past Leia, his words cutting through the air. "Didn't you hear? Stefan risked his life for this, but you so easily forgot about that. Do you all want him to get into trouble?"
The accusation hung heavy in the air. Xavier's protectiveness of Stefan bordered on obsession—a fierce, brotherly loyalty that made his eyes blaze and his fists clench. But Leia refused to yield, standing her ground.
"Listen—I know you're worried about Stefan, we all are," she said, shaking her head, visibly exasperated. "Ren will have a mental breakdown if anything happens to him, so at least for Ren's sake, I don't want to see him in trouble!"
She let out a long, heavy sigh. Honestly, Xavier always drove her crazy when it came to Stefan. The man was usually calm, composed, and rational—a true pillar of strength. But mention Stefan Hunt, and Xavier turned into a raging bull. Leia couldn't help but wonder, privately, if Xavier harbored a secret, hidden crush on Stefan—the thought flitting through her mind even amid all this chaos.
"Yes, Mr. Stuart, please calm down." Elijah stepped forward helplessly, trying to mediate the collision of emotions. He knew all eyes were on them—his and Neil's—for answers, for blame, for something to anchor their anger toward. "Ms. Osborne is right. We're all worried about Mr. Hunt, and we don't want anything to happen to him. However, this matter was out of our hands, which is why things turned out this way. Let Neil finish before we come up with a plan."
Xavier's jaw tightened. He stared at Elijah for a searing moment, chest heaving as he forced the storm inside him to recede. With a sharp, controlled breath, he finally nodded and released the death grip he had on the air.
"Go on," Xavier grunted, his voice still tight as a drawn bowstring.
Neil swallowed timidly, acutely aware that he was the bearer of terrible news—and perhaps, in some way, a bearer of blame as well. He wet his lips and forced the rest of the story out.
"Mr. Hunt urged me to bring the dragon's saliva to Mr. Young no matter what happened," Neil said, his words stumbling over themselves in haste. "So after thinking about it... I went to find Mr. Young, instead of rescuing Mr. Hunt... I exited the village late at night and reunited with Mr. Young, who was waiting at the foot of the mountains, then we came here."
His confession landed like a slap. There it was—the terrible, honest truth: when Stefan needed rescue most, they had run.
"What did you say?" Xavier bellowed, surging forward again. His hand shot out, grabbing Neil's collar in a white-knuckled grip, yanking the frightened man close. "You mean those barbaric villagers captured Stefan when you left, and you both didn't go back to save him?!"
Xavier's roar echoed through the room, shaking even the windows. His veins stood out on his neck, his face twisted with fury and despair. He shook Neil like a ragdoll, as if trying to shake a different answer out of him—one where Stefan was safe, where they had saved him, where this all made sense.
"Ugh..."
The sound slipped from Neil's throat, fear coloring his face as he hung helplessly in Xavier's grasp. The situation was spiraling, the room echoing with accusations and dread. One thing was certain: Stefan was in grave danger. And with Renee upstairs sleeping peacefully, unaware of the nightmare unfolding below—all anyone could do was pray they could find a way to save him before it was too late.
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**Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:**
This chapter is an emotional storm wrapped in tension! The contrast between the gentle serenity of Renee's room and the explosive spiraling anguish downstairs creates an incredibly powerful narrative effect. Leia's exasperation, Xavier's fierce loyalty and rage, Elijah's helpless mediation, and Neil's guilt-laden confession depict the raw human response to a terrible crisis.
The chapter also delivers a gut-wrenching reminder of Stefan's peril: captured by a clan, facing an unimaginable fate—being cooked and eaten alive. Honestly, I find it horrifying and deeply gripping at the same time. The fact that Neil chose to follow Stefan's orders and flee instead of rescuing him adds a heavy, complex layer of guilt and practicality that makes character interactions even more dynamic.
I deeply appreciate how the author balances urgency with emotion, creating a chapter that makes your heart pound while keeping you glued to the page. And poor Renee—asleep, unaware of the looming tragedy—it's the kind of dramatic irony that makes readers grit their teeth in worry!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
**Next Chapter Prediction:**
Given the heated confrontation that is unfolding, Xavier will likely force a rescue plan immediately. Meanwhile, Leia and the others will have to hide Stefan's capture from Renee at all costs, which promises to create more intense emotional moments. I predict that in the next chapter, Xavier might lead an armed rescue mission back to Dragos, confronting the clan directly. But the bigger question is—will they make it in time, or will the villagers carry out their terrifying ritual before help arrives? And how will Renee react when she inevitably senses that something is terribly wrong?
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