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
In the end, he simply replied, “Yeah, you couldn’t do anything around the kids, which is why you headed out to meet Mark, right? I suppose you never considered the fact that the kids could end up in danger because of your absence?” …What? Was pissing her off not enough? He had to be all snarky with his reply?! Now extremely angry, she yanked his arm and bit down hard! She only stopped biting when her arm was all bloody, and before he could say a thing, she was quick to retort, “You’re an asshole, Von!” Following that, she ran off. Since the pain was rather immense, he hadn’t been able to stop her in time, and after shaking his head, he glared at Zayne and Chace before growling, “…Take care of the kids for me.” With that said, he then began chasing after Xavia who had already gone outside. Alas, it was already late evening, and crowds of people could be seen walking up and down the traffic-heavy streets. Finding her was going to be impossible! In the end, he decided to give her
“…I’m the one making the fuss? Don’t you think that you’re the one guilty of that?! Look, I nearly died that night, and all I ever thought about was you, and the kids! I kept reminding myself that I couldn’t die, no matter how much it hurt! I had even told Doctor Rudner to stick pictures of you and the kids as I laid on the operating table!” “Did you really think I didn’t want to tell you that I was alright back when I first woke up again? I had only refrained because I knew that this was my best shot at finally taking Jenna down! Contacting you was risky, as there was a chance that she’d learn that I was trying to fight back! With that in mind, I continued playing dumb right till the moment I revealed all that…!” “When I finally won, I immediately wanted to share my joy with you, but where were you? Gone! It didn’t help that you immediately started a cold war with me shortly after! While I understand where your upset feelings are coming from, you never gave me a chance to properly
Now that he knew that she was enjoying it as much as he did, he felt his heart soften as he realized just how long it had been since they had last kissed like this… In the end, he was prompted to say, “…I’m sorry for my behavior… But I was just so worried about you throughout those six days… When I found out that you had been with Mark that entire time, I just… I lost it. I admit that I should’ve restrained myself better… I’m sorry…” …The fact that this superior man became such a mess from thinking about her made Xavia’s heart melt. Feeling her anger subside as she stared into his genuine eyes, she ended up muttering, “…You’re an idiot…” “Hmm? Why so?” “Only idiots would misunderstand their loved ones this badly!” Gently lifting her chin, he then replied, “Despite my high IQ, I became an idiot after meeting you… Since that’s the case, I guess you’ll need to be responsible and care for me for the rest of my life…” …Did this man’s shamelessness know no bounds?! Seeing how s
“…What kind of things?” “Some… protection, if you catch my drift.” Finally realizing what he was referring to, the blushing woman eventually muttered, “…There’s… no need for that…” “…Are you sure?” replied Zivon with a slightly raised brow. “I-I am!” exclaimed Xavia who didn’t want to be caught dead buying such things! How embarrassing! Chuckling in response, Zivon then said, “Don’t worry, there’s a reason why raw sashimi is so delicious.” …The hell was he even saying?! That wasn’t what she meant! This man truly was impossible to talk to! In the end, she simply buried her face against his chest. At the very least, he wouldn’t be able to sexualize her words if she didn’t say anything! Either way, it was shortly after when they found out that the kids had been sent back to the villa by Zayne and Chace. Wendy had been taking care of them, and when the two saw Xavia piggybacking Zivon, they instantly revealed bright smiles. “You’re finally home!” “Uncle Zayne said he said
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