...Then again, it wasn’t like they hadn’t slept together before… Besides, he knew she was on her period, so he probably wouldn’t try anything funny, right…? On the other hand, they rarely ever slept like this… and things were pretty different now too. After all, their relationship was now public, and it was no longer morally incorrect for them to sleep together… Though she hadn’t told him that he was Yulia’s father yet, the fact remained that the children were now together with their official parents… If only Yulia knew that he was her father, then the girl would surely be overjoyed… Sadly, she still remembered Zivon’s response back then… ‘I’d break up with her and take the child away.’ …She shouldn’t ask for too much. This was enough… Her train of thought was cut short when she heard Zivon say, “What are you thinking about, hmm? Head on over to the bedroom and get the clothes ready. I’ll be carrying the kid over.” Once Xavia had nodded in response, Zivon carried Yulia to the
“…Um… I’m fine as long as you don’t continue keeping in touch with her…” Jenna was just a big liar, after all. Regardless, Zivon smirked in response as he replied “What? You have a desire for control already?” As if! She just didn’t want him to get fooled by that woman! But she couldn’t just say that… Since she was remaining silent, the kids took the chance to say, “Daddy, she just wants you to listen to her advice!” “Mommy, don’t be too fierce with Daddy!” This prompted Xavia to look embarrassedly at Yulia while muttering, “…You’re siding with him now? Are you already forsaking Mommy…?” Sticking her tongue out, Yulia replied, “Of course, not! I just feel that you should be gentler with Daddy! For example, you could’ve said, ‘Please promise me that you won’t care for other women from now on, okay, Hubby? Otherwise, I’ll be sad…’” This nearly caused Xavia to spit out her honey water as she asked, “Where on earth did you learn to speak like that?!” Ignoring Xavia’s questi
“…N-nothing… I was just thinking about how I didn’t get mad even though Yulia didn’t notify me that she was sick earlier… Normally, couples can get angry even over white lies, right? W-well… Since you’re such an understanding man, I believe what I’m asking for isn’t too much, right…?” muttered Xavia who knew that it’d be all over if she mis-said anything now! Zivon couldn’t sense her worry, and he believed that there was nothing she could really do to deceive him anyway. With that, he replied, “You’re free to praise me all you want, but asking for something like that requires a fair trade, you know?” “…I’m still on my period right now… Also, the kids are here…” muttered Xavia. “Oh? What did you think I was referring to?” replied Zivon as his wolfish eyes glinted in the dark. Just as Xavia was frantically wondering how to give a safe answer, Zivon added, “Relax, I was just thinking about what Yulia had said earlier…” …She’d rather die than act all coquettishly! With that in mind
Going slightly teary-eyed, Xavia muttered, “…I’m starting to suspect that this isn’t your first time dating… How else could you be so good at making my heart flutter…” “You’re the one and only… and I’m glad. After all, I only wish to be sweet to you.” …This man…! Despite how flustered she was, she ended up having a well-rested and painless night… Fast forward to the next morning, she was surprised to see Wade at her place. “Morning, Miss Lockhart. Teacher said there’s an important class today, and he wants both of us to be there. Since I was passing by anyway, I wonder if you’d like to head over together.” Frowning slightly, Xavia muttered, “…Um… Yulia’s feeling unwell so I may not be able to come along…” “…But Teacher only hosts special classes like this once a year…” replied Wade. Upon hearing that, Zivon understandingly said, “Uncle Harold rarely teaches such important topics, so you may as well go ahead. Don’t worry, Maison and I will take good care of Yulia.” Overjoy
Since Zayne was around, Zivon didn’t need to wait at all, and Yulia was immediately brought in for examination. After watching Zayne examine her for a while, Zivon was prompted to ask, “…Any idea what’s wrong with her?” “From what I can gather, it’s nothing too serious. Essentially, she ate too much cold food while she was sick, and the cold weather doesn’t help. With that said, it’d be best if she stayed at home for the next few days. Oh, and no junk food. Consider porridge instead to nourish her stomach,” replied Zayne, prompting both Zivon and Maison to breathe sighs of relief. Yulia herself was upset as she muttered, “No junk food at all…? How sad!” Holding her tiny hand, Maison replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll only eat porridge too! I’ll make sure to make all sorts of yummy porridges that will taste infinitely better than regular junk food!” “…Can porridge actually taste good…?” “Just believe in me!” replied Maison, prompting Zivon to smile. His train of thought was cut sho
She had been hospitalized on her first birthday… Which technically meant that she hadn’t celebrated it. So the fact that she had celebrated two other birthdays meant that she really was three! In other words, Yulia was using a fabricated passport! After glancing at each other, they talked to Yulia for a bit longer before walking off to ‘prescribe medicine’ for her. However, once they had arrived at a rather isolated garden, Zayne finally said, “…Honestly, I think it’s highly suspicious that Xavia is not only falsifying Yulia’s legal documents, but also putting the child’s name under her dead brother…” “Tell me something I don’t know… Like why she’d go through so much just to conceal her child’s age,” grumbled Zivon who had no idea why she’d do such a thing. Scratching the back of his head, Zayne eventually muttered, “Your guess is as good as mine… Then again, she was pregnant when she was only nineteen, so maybe her fear ultimately made her make such an irrational decision? Or… P
The fact that the stern man had a suit on as he said that made Xavia tremble a little. Then again, it wasn’t like he ever wore anything else, so she simply smiled and said, “Well, there’s a bit more work to be done, but I should be free in about two hours.” “Actually, I’m a bit tired since I haven’t done huge projects in a while. With that said, run along, now! We can continue tomorrow,” replied Harold as he stroked his beard before heading toward his recliner… Turning to look at Wade, Xavia awkwardly muttered, “Sorry for affecting you as well…” “Don’t worry about it. It’s good for Teacher to get more rest anyway. With that said, you two have fun. I’ll be returning to my own studio,” replied Wade, prompting Xavia to smile with a nod before waving at the leaving man. This prompted Zivon’s gaze to darken a little. Could such an innocent-looking woman truly be hiding something nefarious…? Once they got into his car, Zivon couldn’t help but ask, “Do you always smile so much at othe
Upon hearing that, Xavia instantly gulped. She had completely forgotten about that! It took her a while, but she eventually muttered, “…While it was true that I slept with him three years ago, I was pregnant for about ten months so that age is normal for Yulia…” …A reasonable explanation. If only she hadn’t mentioned that Yulia was three, he would’ve believed her too. Sadly, despite how innocent she seemed, it appeared that even Xavia was capable of lying… Worried that he’d continue asking about the topic, she quickly added, “A-anyway… I don’t have an issue with putting Yulia under your name… That way, we can be a true family of four…” Though he would’ve usually been overjoyed to hear that, the fact that she was potentially lying made his heart hurt too much for him to be anything but frustrated. Still, at the end of the day, she was still a victim… It appeared that he needed to start making his own investigations. After returning to the villa, Zivon called Nathan to the study
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