He seemed to have noticed her. He turned around to look at her through the curtain of rain shrouding him, his dark eyes vast like the boundless universe. Her heart raced and she quickly looked away. “I also do not have the courage to go over. Miss Harrison should also be feeling very sad today, so maybe we shouldn't disturb her for now. Let’s wait for another day.”Xavia pulled Wade to the side of the building.Wade was silent. He originally thought of asking Xavia to accompany him there, but it seemed as though this young girl felt even more guilty than him.What a mess…About half an hour later, Sophia and Zivon finally left.Xavia and Wade walked to the tombstone together, and Xavia held out a hand-wrapped bouquet of flowers and knelt before the tombstone. “Aunt Young, I’m here to see you again. I don’t know if you have forgiven me, but I miss you so much.”She missed her just like she missed her grandmother. After all, Dana was one of the few people who really cared about
“Don’t say one thing in front of me and do something else behind my back. Otherwise, you will only end up killing me like how you killed my mother.”Xavia was stunned!Sophia’s words carried a deeper meaning—Xavia might also get her killed if Xavia did not do as she said and leave Young Master Burton. Xavia's small face turned pale and she dejectedly turned around and left. Outside the cemetery, on the main road.A luxury Maybach was parked at the side of the road, domineering and noble compared to the other cars around it. Zivon, who was inside the car, looked indifferent. “Young Master, I am back.” Nathan hurriedly sat in the driver’s seat and reported, “Miss Harrison went back into the cemetery to look for Miss Lockhart. She also slapped Miss Lockhart…”Zivon’s face fell as he thought of the young lady’s tender skin and the mark that would appear on it. He said coldly, “Change locations and wait for Xavia.”“Are you sure, Young Master?” Nathan knew about Zivon’s contr
His tone was slightly commanding and a little distressed. Xavia felt like something was off. Stefan would be more concerned about whether she was in pain before carefully applying medicine for her.His domineering aura… Why did it seem like—Ring, ring! Her cell phone rang suddenly.Xavia took it out. When she saw that it was Stefan calling, she frowned in confusion.What was going on? Wasn’t he in front of her? Why was he still calling her?She answered, curious and wary.“Xavia, I heard from my friends that things aren't so good on your end. What’s going on?”This…this was Stefan’s voice!Xavia looked at the man in front of her, her face pale as if she had just seen a ghost. His eyes, lips, and nose gradually outlined the name of another person in her mind… Mark Newman!The realization made Xavia’s perception shatter. She was shocked—she never would have thought that she would meet Mark, let alone under such circumstances! And before this in Hacienda…it had also been
Mark saw the shift in her mood but did not hold it against her. He raised his hand and rubbed her head reassuringly. “It's my fault, I didn't want you to know. Go and treat the wound on your face.”He was still being gentle and accommodating.Xavia nodded embarrassedly and went into the house with him.Inside the taxi.Zivon watched as the three figures disappeared from sight, his eyes incomparably dark.Ding, ding! At that moment, Nathan’s phone made noise. “Young Master Burton, I've just received information. Miss Lockhart left in Matthew Rudner’s car but the person inside was Mark Newman.”“Mark and Matthew met abroad and they were like brothers who went through many hardships together. The both of them lived abroad together and they also returned to the country together.”“Also…” Nathan trailed off apprehensively, not daring to continue. “Say it!” Zivon ordered in a cold voice. “Yes!” Nathan shuddered and continued, “The person who saved Miss Lockhart in F Country, as
'Have you been doing well?'Mark didn't know how to respond to that question. When he first arrived overseas, he had been unsettled, lonely, and having a hard time at work, so it had been a difficult time for him. It was even more challenging because she was not by his side. He would always wonder how she was and what she was doing. Missing someone was the most bitter pain, and her words brought back all those miserable memories.Mark wanted to tell her that he had not been okay and that he had missed her terribly, but he did not want to worry or frighten her. Finally, he just said, “Quite well. I’ve been working hard to establish my personal brand ‘Mr. South’.” Mr. South represented his journey and all his efforts throughout the years. Xavia was stunned. She thought that Mr. South seemed familiar, but she didn't expect it to be Mark! The clothes that she wore had been made by him! “How many times have you seen me? What other identities do you have that I don’t know about?”
Brother Mark was still Brother Mark, but unfortunately, she had changed. “Brother Mark, Yulia is used to going to bed at around nine o’clock, so Dolly and I have to take her back,” Xavia said politely as she kicked Dolly under the table.Dolly got the message and quickly smiled as she said, “That's right. The child is still growing so she has to sleep early. Anyway, we’re really glad that you're back, Brother Mark. Ever since Grandma passed away, Xavia felt like an orphan, but now that you’re here, Xavia won't feel alone again. Let’s meet up again sometime.”Mark stared at Yulia intently, but did not stop them. Now that he had met Xavia, there would be plenty of opportunities to see her again in the future. “Okay. Let me drive you all back.”“It’s okay, I’ve got a car.” Dolly held up a car key and declared, “I’m now Xavia’s personal assistant and driver.”Truthfully, the car wasn't hers. Xavia had asked her to rent it beforehand, and now she knew why.There was nothing Mark coul
How long she had spent with Mark! Those words stunned Xavia. He had texted her almost four hours ago, and the fact that he could tell her how many minutes had passed could only mean… He had been out here the whole time! Xavia nervously explained, “I really did intend to go back earlier, but Brother Mark asked me to join him for dinner since we hadn't seen each other for many years. He also invited Dolly and I didn’t know how to reject his offer, so I stayed for dinner. It was just dinner, really.”It was the truth but when she explained it, she sounded like a child who had done something wrong and was feeling guilty. Zivon raised an eyebrow and scoffed, “The first time meeting each other after so many years? From what I know, the two of you met in F Country, in this mansion, and even at Hacienda a few days ago.” Every word was an angry accusation. Xavia’s face turned pale. How did he know about all that?!“Xavia, if you want to go back to your first love and break up wit
Lying was a sign of guilt, and guilt meant she had thought about it. Well, who wouldn’t consider their options when their childhood sweetheart suddenly appeared again?Zivon switched off his phone abruptly, ignoring the text. Xavia stood outside for around thirty minutes, but Zivon never replied to her message. She was tired and heartbroken, and she sat down weakly on the floor.How could such a misunderstanding happen when there was clearly nothing between her and Mark?“Xavia, what are you doing here?” A voice rang out sharply.Xavia looked up and saw Sophia, who was as angry and frightening as she was in the afternoon when she had warned her to not get close to Zivon. Xavia quickly stood up. “I’m sorry, but there was a misunderstanding between Young Master Burton and I, so I came here to clear things up with him.”“Misunderstanding? Don't make me laugh. You're just looking for an excuse to get close to Young Master Burton, right? Even if there was a misunderstanding, shou
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