When Zivon finally got home, he found that Xavia and the kids were already sleeping soundly. Beneath the dim light, he couldn’t help but stare at the marks on the frail woman’s neck… and in the end, his gaze darkened as he recalled Jenna’s earlier words. ‘Had she been in hiding for six whole days just to look for information? Or had she taken the chance to sleep with Mark as well?!’ …Would he ever get the answer? Either way, news of Jenna’s crimes continued spreading like wildfire online throughout the next three days. Aside from the usual scowling, however, the public was also collectively concerned about how long Jenna would remain imprisoned. Xavia, of course, shared the same sentiments. Once everything was settled, she’d finally be able to start working up the courage to kneel before Aunt Dana and her grandmother’s graves… Until then, however, she had other matters to deal with. For one, her relationship with Zivon had fallen into a deadlock in the past few days. He was luk
Xavia was left momentarily speechless when she heard that. While it was true that she was responsible for that much… “…Remember, I didn’t know who you truly were at the start, and I hadn’t even fallen for you then… Why would I have told you all this?” Her words jabbed through his heart like a spear, and in the end, he smirked mockingly as he retorted, “…Yeah. Of course! You had still been madly in love with Mark back then, right?! Of course you didn’t have to tell me! In fact, that probably hasn’t changed at all, right?!” Before Xavia could even reply, Zivon had already headed upstairs, leaving Xavia frozen on the spot. That wasn’t what she meant at all! Just as she was wondering how things had gotten so out of hand, Zivon returned for a while and growled, “One more thing… Behave in front of the children!” Following that authoritative order, he left once more, leaving Xavia standing alone in the living room. What a headache… While it was true that there were several reasons w
‘Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to provide evidence of all my heinous acts, and I’m fully ready to accept the legal penalties. Before I hand myself in, however, I’d like to say that you’re the kindest and most generous person I’ve ever met. Had you not taken the brunt of all my rage and sadness, I’d probably have taken a turn for the worst…’ ‘With that said, I hereby declare that I’m transferring fifty percent of the Harrison Group’s shares to you. From today onward, you’ll be treated as a major shareholder, as well as a member of the Harrison Group. All my workers will have to obey your orders, and treat you as though they were talking to me. Thank you, and sorry for all the trouble I’ve given you.’ Sophia had made sure to write all her thoughts down, and she had even posted evidence of her hiring those thugs. Because of that, the internet went into a flurry once more! ‘The scandals simply never end, do they?’ ‘To think that Sophia had committed such dastardly acts!’ ‘Her parents
“…Can I really not return the stocks…?” muttered Xavia as she turned to look at him. “Even if you returned the document, the Harrison Group will still have to continue depositing monthly and annual dividends to your account. Unless Sophia revokes your status as a shareholder, then you won’t be able to change a thing.” …This was the first time she felt this helpless when she was given money! Her train of thought was cut short when the kids held onto her hands while saying, “Since she’s given you the money, you should just accept it, Mommy! You’ve earned it after all the trouble she’s given you!” “Yeah! Remember, she tried to kill us!” Shaking her head, Xavia then squatted to their level before replying, “While it’s true that she did all those bad things back then, she’s repented, and she’s even willing to be punished by the law. Also, she worked hard to earn all that money, so we have no right to take any of it, understand?” After a brief pause, the children nodded and replied
Before she could even reply, Zivon said, “Well, I’d better leave now if I don’t want to be late.” With that said, he headed off for work, leaving Xavia speechless. That forehead kiss… somehow it made her feel immensely flustered. He had just done that for the kids’ sake, right? She knew that was the case, so why was her heart rate skyrocketing?! Regardless, his actions were admirable, to say the least. After all, he was definitely still angry, but the fact that he was willing to pretend that he wasn’t just to appease the kids… Only a mature man was capable of that. It was sometime later when Xavia was preparing to leave for work when Bianca contacted her and said, “Ah, I forgot to mention that Young Master Burton has forbidden you from working for an entire month.” …Was she supposed to just stay home and take care of the kids, then? She’d die of boredom! Just as she was wondering how she was to spend all that time, she received a text… It was Matthew. ‘I’m celebrating my birt
In the end, she decided to send him a message that stated, ‘It’s Matthew’s birthday, so I thought of getting him a gift… Remember, he did save my life, so I’m only going there to express my gratitude…’ It didn’t take long for Zivon to reply, ‘I don’t care who saved you. Just don’t bring my kids into this.’ …Wasn’t he being a bit too cold?! Bah! Forget it! She’d think of a present herself! Shaking her head, she then began Googling for a suitable gift… and in the end, she chose a top-quality massage chair. With that done, she hurriedly brought the kids over to the venue, and just as promised, they were the first to arrive. Pleasantly surprised to see her there so early, Matthew said, “Well, seems like someone kept their promise!” “I don’t make promises I can’t keep,” replied Xavia with a smile. “Mommy is very honest, uncle! That aside, is it true that you saved her? If so, I’d like to thank you on behalf of my family! Thank you so much for saving her!” declared Maison who made
As expected, the trio drew quite a bit of attention upon their arrival. Even so, they did their best to remain low profile, making sure to find a quiet corner to sit in right after giving Matthew his gifts. It didn’t take long for Zivon to see the kids, and he slowly walked over to them while saying, “There you two are.” Thrilled to see him there, both of them quickly ran up to him. Yulia herself made sure to cling on tightly to him while exclaiming, “Look! Isn’t my Daddy extremely handsome? He looks even cooler than those main characters in comics!” After giving Zivon a good look, the other kids were quick to reply, “Yeah! He’s really cool! I envy you, Yulia!” “I wish my daddy was as handsome as him!” “It’s not fair! How come she gets such a cool father!” Overjoyed to hear that, Yulia added, “Daddy! They used to call me fatherless, but I’m glad I now have you! It’s even better since you’re the most handsome father of them all!” Upon hearing that, Zivon was reminded that
Alas, he had dug his own grave, so all he could do now was try to undo the mess he had created! After clearing his throat, Zayne awkwardly said, “Um… S-sister-in-law! Zivon is over here!” Upon hearing that, everyone turned around… and it was then when they realized that Zivon had been present this entire time! “Crap! He’s been looking at the two this entire time…?!” “Shh! Let’s pretend we didn’t say all that…!” Xavia herself was left startled when she heard that, and soon enough, she saw the icy man glaring daggers at her from beneath a crystal chandelier. What was he doing here?! Zivon interpreted her shock as guilt, and he couldn’t help but clench his fists in frustration. Noticing the high tension, Zayne quickly walked over to Zivon’s side and whispered, “Remember what I said earlier…! Don’t let her go…!” Following that, he pulled Xavia over while smiling before adding, “So, um… Zivon came over to attend Doctor Rudner’s party the second he got off work! He wanted to pe
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