With how serious he sounded, the stunned Sophia had to take a moment to process his words before ultimately replying, “…I… beg your pardon, President Burton…?” “…Grandma’s final wish was for me to marry you, but I can’t keep that promise. Even so, I can at least try to respect her final decision by following the rules… If she’s watching from heaven, then this will be a perfect opportunity to let her know that enough is enough… Once those three months are up, I’m choosing the one I love for myself.” …So that was why he had said that… He was only planning to use her to fulfill Ava’s dying wish… In the end, Sophia was prompted to reply, “…In all honesty, since she’s passed away, there really isn’t a reason to go through all this… Besides, I’m sure she’ll understand once you find true happiness with Xavia…” Sophia was reluctant to partake in this since she knew that she’d never be able to let him go once it started. Regardless, in all honesty, Zivon had to agree with Sophia’s words
“In the end, she was partly injured by fire, and quite a bit of smoke entered her lungs, causing her to go unconscious. However, I’ve talked to the doctor, and he said she was going to be fine. I’m only telling you this now since I thought you wanted to send Lady Burton off peacefully…” concluded Nathan. With how quick-witted that woman had been, Zivon couldn’t even find any fault with her actions. In the end, he was prompted to say, “…I see. Get me to the hospital, then.” “Right away, Young Master Burton…” Shortly after, they arrived at the hospital… and upon arriving at Xavia’s ward, he was greeted by the sight of Stefan sitting by a hospital bed… A bed which Xavia was lying on. She had a hospital gown on, and though her face was pale, it appeared quite peaceful… Though it had only been three days since they last met, it had felt like a lifetime for Zivon. With that in mind, he quickly walked over to her before asking in a serious tone, “She hasn’t woken up?” Upon realizing
His words instantly made her heart skip a beat. He was a busy person who had just lost a loved one… He was the one who should be consoled at the moment… Even so, he had immediately come to her the second the funeral ended… That meant that regardless of how busy he was, he remained concerned for her. If that wasn’t heart-warming, she didn’t know what was… It was shortly after when she realized that her throat wasn’t hurting from the smoke anymore. Knowing that she was now better, she was quick to sit up and say, “…You know what? Once I’ve been discharged, let’s go watch a movie. One that we’ve yet to watch.” Her request caused Zivon’s gaze to momentarily darken as he replied, “…How long did the doctor say you needed to stay here? That aside, don’t ever do something so dangerous again. Your safety should be prioritized.” Though Xavia knew that was true, she really didn’t have any other choice at the time… If she had copulated with Stefan, then it’d only have hurt them both since it
She wasn’t going to forget this humiliation…! After the red-eyed woman rushed off, the ward became silent again… Xavia herself couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed… After all, though she disliked Fiona, Song Feier did save Zivon’s life back then… What’s more, they were quite close… With that in mind, Xavia didn’t like the idea of putting Zivon in a difficult situation because of her… In the end, she was prompted to mutter, “…Um… Though she’s like that, she really does like you, I think… With that said, it’d be better if you made things clear with her…” Her words made Zivon monetarily speechless. After all, he only treated Fiona like his younger sister, and he felt that it was only right for Fiona to treat him like a brother. To think that things would turn out this way… Shaking the thought off, Zivon replied, “…Don’t worry, I won’t indulge in her nonsense.” …That wasn’t what she meant at all! What a headache…! Whatever the case was, it was later that noon when Xavia wa
Was he ill? Or in danger…?! Her train of thought was cut short when Zivon—whose eyes had grown considerably darker—said in a deep voice, “Don’t overthink it. It’s seriously nothing. With that said, get some proper rest today and I’ll come get you tomorrow night.” Following that, Zivon left the scene… and shortly after, Xavia heard his car starting up before the man drove off… Even after he had left for a while, Xavia was unable to fully snap out of it. After all, wasn’t he usually the one who wanted to stay…? Why was he so intent on leaving this time…? Whatever his reasoning was, she couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable by his actions… …Perhaps it was simply because he wasn’t in the mood…? After all, Ava’s burial wasn’t all that long ago… Shaking her head, she then patted her cheeks to reassure herself that that was probably it… and after a deep breath, she sighed before re-entering the house to care for the children… The kids themselves were still awake, and they were
Zivon himself simply raised a brow… But eventually, he knelt on one knee before the children as he said, “It was quite important, yes… Though… I’m free tonight, so I can take her out on a movie date. With that said, can I trust you two to hang around Dolly while we’re gone?” Overjoyed to hear that, the children then exclaimed, “No problem! We’ll behave as well as we can so that we’ll get a new sibling soon!” Chuckling as he patted the two on their heads, Zivon then turned to look at Xavia before asking, “Do you want to change? Or are you fine leaving like this?” Upon hearing that, Xavia instantly went red. The fact that he hadn’t reprimanded the kids… Meant that he didn’t mind getting them a sibling…?! That aside, was he assuming that she’d agree to all this?! Now flustered beyond words, Xavia was quick to say, “I-I’ll go get a change!” Following that she bolted into her room’s bathroom before dousing her hair with a stream of icy water! They were just going to see a movie to
It was at that moment when Xavia almost felt her heart leap out of her throat! Now that he was so close to her, she could see every detail on his face with immense precision…! From his deep eyes to his supple lips, every part of him just seemed so enticingly perfect…! Thinking that he was about to kiss her, Xavia was prompted to close her eyes… However, it was shortly after when she heard her seat belt unbuckle. Following that, Zivon casually added, “I’m just trying to make you a bit more comfortable, so calm down…” …S-she had been overthinking things?! Unable to bear the shame, Xavia opened her eyes as she grumbled, “I-I can unbuckle it myself-” However, before she could complete her sentence, his lips were already on hers! Naturally, this shocked Xavia, and though it was a pleasant surprise, she quickly snapped out of it and embarrassedly pushed him aside as she muttered, “…W-what happened to just trying to make me feel comfortable…” “Well, I was… but you’ve been looking a bi
When the flabbergasted woman gave no response, Zivon moved the popcorn out of her hands… before hugging her tightly and giving her a deep kiss… With how gently he was guiding her tongue, she couldn’t help but completely melt in his arms… At the same time, her mind immediately began racing. After all, from how things had been progressing, there was a high chance that Dolly’s prediction was right on the mark! He was probably going to propose to her any second now…! Feeling simultaneously nervous and excited, Xavia ended up closing her eyes… If he was really proposing to her now, then there was no way she’d say no! Regardless, as the expectant woman’s lips parted with Zivon’s, she soon realized that he was looking straight into her eyes… and before she could say anything, the man gently said, “…I’m dating Sophia for the next three months, so we won’t be seeing each other again until then…” Upon hearing that, Xavia felt like she had just been doused in icy water. What…?! Where was
Staring in shock at the kneeling man, Yulia mustered her remaining sanity as she replied, “B-but you’re younger-” “Even if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that I’m much more ‘capable’ than your older pursuers…?” …Why were his words so suggestive all of a sudden?! Forcing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath before saying, “…Elliot, I’m not sure what spurred this decision, but… I’m not the one for you. Please find someone your age. I’m sorry.” After saying that, she strode straight for the car… but before she could start the engine, she couldn’t help but notice how desolate he looked standing under the pouring rain… Clenching her fists, it took her a while to finally sigh and walk back to him… “…Are you really sure about this?” asked Yulia, much to Elliot’s delight. “I am! Please! Give me a chance! You won’t regret it!” …When he put it that way, all Yulia could do was help him up before finally deciding to return his kiss… Sure, things had taken a sudden, unex
She stared in horror as he removed his shirt right there and then! “W-what are you doing?!” yelped the startled woman as she quickly looked the other way. “…Huh? I mean, I’m drenched, so…” “E-even so, you shouldn’t change right in front of me!” “…Yulia, we bathed together as children… It’s not like you haven’t seen everything already…” “Y-you can’t compare that to this situation…!” “Fine, fine, I… Um… Go cook, I guess… I’ll go get a change upstairs first…” muttered Elliot as he headed upstairs. Yulia herself had to try her best to calm down! After all, Elliot had been plaguing her mind in the past few days, and… she even had dreams where he had… …No! She couldn’t be thinking about such things! She needed to cook! Maybe that would help get her mind out of the gutter! Once that was done, she’d leave and finally start devising a plan to get rid of him…! As Yulia scurried off, Elliot himself was currently staring at an old photo that showed him eating some candy in Yulia’
Just as she had arrived at her car, the president of the Halls Group suddenly walked up to her, a bouquet in hand! The Halls Group had collaborated several times with the Burtons before, and because of that, she was well acquainted with the man. Sadly, he had also proposed to her on multiple occasions… and though she kept rejecting him, he never seemed to get the hint! “There you are, Miss Burton… Since you’re off work, I was wondering if you’d join me for dinner tonight…” asked the charming man. Feeling awkward, she was just about to come up with an excuse when Elliot suddenly grabbed her by the waist and said, “Oh? Another one of your admirers, Yulia…? Sorry, but she already has a boyfriend, my man. If that doesn’t deter you enough, then you should know that she prefers her partners younger. Now please leave.” Startled to hear that, the man glanced at Yulia, his eyes begging for an explanation… Yulia herself was eager to just escape this embarrassing situation, but before s
With that tale done, it was now time to return to Yulia’s story… Ever since she was a child, she had undergone countless hardships with her mother… and even after she was able to reunite with her father, things didn’t go much easier from there. To make matters worse, Fabiola ended up getting kidnapped for the longest time, resulting in Frank ending up the way he was today… Because of all that, it only made sense that she’d mature much sooner than others her age, and unlike the naïve girl she used to be, she was an extremely competent woman today. Alas, because of how used she became with working, she soon lost the urge to find herself a romantic interest… Things continued that way until… Well, that time that Elliot… …Wait, what was she thinking?! He was younger than her, for heaven’s sake! Quickly shaking her head, she attempted to force herself to concentrate on work again… But before long, a knock was heard on the door. After being allowed in, the department manager entered t
Knowing that there was no point in keeping things a secret anymore, Rea took a deep breath before saying, “…Alright, so… The truth is, I’ve always been highly competent, but… I’ve been pretending to be useless just so that you’d eventually marry me… The trip my parents are taking… That was my suggestion too…” Feeling speechless, it took Frank a long while to reply, “…So you weren’t really drunk when you did all that last night?” Pursing her lips, Rea awkwardly muttered, “…I wasn’t… Luna suggested it, and since it sounded like a good idea to accelerate things…” …Fucking hell, to think that he had fallen straight into her trap without even putting up a fight! Watching as he glowered at her, Rea gulped before adding, “A-anyway, now that we’re married and there’s potentially a baby in my belly, you won’t divorce me, right…?” “…Oh, believe me when I say that divorce is the easy way out! From today onward, I’m making you pay for your actions for the rest of your life!” Fast forwa
Fast forward to the next morning, Rea awoke with a yawn… What a nice sleep… Wait. Why was she naked? And why was Frank…?! Her following scream immediately woke the icy man up… and upon looking at her, he was immediately reminded of what had transpired last night! Essentially, Rea ended up clinging to him, and though he initially wanted to just carry her to bed to let her rest… Damn it! Had she really been that sensual?! How had he lost control so easily?! His train of thought was cut short when he realized that Rea was bawling her eyes out… and after rubbing his temples, he was prompted to say, “…Why are you crying when you’re the one who initiated this? I’ll have you know that I never forced you-” “I-I know, but…! I’ve just…! This is my first time…!” whimpered the quivering woman, prompting Frank to purse his lips. As if he wasn’t in the same situation… “…You’re not alone there.” “It’s not the same! Men are free to sleep with whoever they want but when it comes to women, I’l
“Say, wouldn’t you agree that the food smells delicious…? Why don’t I teach you how to grill, Rea…? Oh, but make sure to take your clothes off first before we start! Wouldn’t want them to get dirty…” With how drunk Rea was, she wasn’t able to fully register his words… and just as he was about to touch her clothes, an icy voice roared, “Stop right there…!” Instantly feeling a shiver run down his spine, the man turned around… and to his horror, it was Frank! Young Master Burton’s perpetually icy son…! Why the hell was he here?! Before the frightened intern could think of how to even react, Frank walked up to him and growled, “Leave now before I chop your hands off…! Don’t make me repeat myself!” Nodding in terror, the man frantically bolted off… and once he was out of sight, Frank glared at the tipsy Rea before adding, “This is what you meant by learning how to be more responsible…?!” “Huh…? But the food really did smell super good… I want to learn…” mumbled the drunk woman.
After leaving his office, he headed off to look for Rea. She had said that she wanted to use the bathroom, but… It had already been half an hour since she disappeared. What trouble had that idiot gotten herself into this time? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he found her laughing along with some of his interns… When the interns saw him, they were quick to bow and say, “Good morning, Mr. Burton.” Barely even glancing at them, Frank looked at Rea and said, “It’s time to head home.” “I… Won’t be following you back…” “…And why is that? Are your parents back?” “No, it’s just… These are my good friends back from school, and they’ve been staying together to learn to be more independent… With that said… I think that staying with them will be a good start for me to learn more about how the world works. Thank you for taking care of me up till this point, Frank… I won’t bother you anymore.” Raising a slight brow, Frank then looked at the interns for a while before saying, “…Are you
Regardless, after leaving her in the room, Frank returned to the shower to cool himself off… but no matter what he did, he simply remained irked. It got to the point where he couldn’t relax at all, and after wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his phone to send his father a text. ‘Was there really nobody else who could’ve taken care of Rea?’ ‘What? Can’t even care for a woman properly.’ ‘I’m a busy man.’ ‘I trust in your time management skills.’ …Though he really wanted to tell Zivon that he had misplaced his trust in him, he didn’t want to disappoint his father either. With that, all he could do was clench his fists before giving Rea’s parents a call… “Hello? Frank? Why are you calling at this time of night?” “…When are you and Uncle Saltman returning, Aunt?” asked Frank who wanted them to take back their idiot already! “…Huh? What was that? Sorry, the line isn’t very good… I hope Rea isn’t giving you too hard a time! Don’t worry, we’ll be back after about a