It didn’t take long for the article to make its way to the internet, and with how influential Ian was, the scandal spread like wildfire… ‘Sir Ian of all people? For real?’ ‘Isn’t Xavia due to marry Young Master Burton soon? Why’s she still creating scandals with Keith and Sir Ian?! Is she trying to use these to keep her popularity up or something? Kind of makes sense since she hasn’t been uploading new videos lately…’ ‘Forget all that, I’m dead envious of her! How could she garner the fancy of so many amazing people! She’s truly living her best life!’ ‘Agreed. I wouldn’t even mind getting insulted online if I got all the things she did!’ ‘Really makes you wonder how she even managed to charm those powerful men…’ As the comments went on, Whitney suddenly uploaded a post that stated, ‘I was present when Sir Ian brought Xavia away, and at the time, he had forced Young Master Burton to cut ties with her! She then left with Sir Ian, and she barely ever contacted Young Master Bur
When the time came for the conference to commence, the conference hall was filled to the brim with people. Aside from news broadcasters from several social media platforms, there were also those from the entertainment industry, business industry, and even some from the military. Since this was no longer a minor issue, it only made sense why they were all here… Eventually, those from the national science department were first to say, “…Sir Ian, Young Master Burton has donated no short amount of money for the sake of science and our country. Please explain why you hurt such a philanthropic man?” “Indeed, Sir Ian! Remember when Ghilby faced that devastating earthquake that left most of its citizens without homes and food? Young Master Burton was the one who had immediately rushed over to patch things up! He’s a great asset to this country, so he shouldn’t have to suffer even more!” added the military representative. Though the two parties were here for a clear answer, the paparazzi
Ian, of course, had nothing to worry about, so he simply continued glaring at Whitney while saying, “Pity, you say? Miss Baun, just admit that you like Zivon already. That aside, why didn’t you include the part where you used your wealth to get Hershel to agree to force Xavia away, hmm? So that you’d have a chance of marrying Zivon instead? Upon hearing that, the people instantly exchanged glances. After all, this context could change everything! Whitney herself was starting to panic again, but before she could say a word, Ian added, “There, I’ve said my part. Anything else from your end? If not…” After his voice trailed off, Ian gestured toward Jovan, prompting the man to turn a projector on… and shortly after, several photos of Whitney standing by Hershel’s side could be seen. There were also quite a few pictures of her by Zivon’s side, and each image clearly showed how close the two were… “…You know, they really do look quite intimate together… Um… Miss Baun? Since you alrea
“And shortly after they were born, the children were swapped! As for why I didn’t reveal this sooner… It was because I wanted to be sure that this was truly the case. What’s more, my mother was still devastated by Jenna’s death, so I didn’t want her mental state to crumble any further, at least not for the time being.” “Regardless, I’ve been protecting Xavia behind the scenes throughout this month, and because of that, I was able to witness how vile Miss Baun truly was! She caused so much suffering to Xavia… There was no way I could just stand watching my sister getting bullied like that! That’s the reason I brought her back to the villa in the first place!” “As for why I hurt Zivon… It was because without him, Xavia wouldn’t have needed to suffer in the first place! As his future brother-in-law, I think it’s only fair for me to do this much! You should know that he was the one who had asked for the punishment in the first place so that we could deal with any past grudges we had! W
Knowing how rare her blood type was, Yasmin’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, “D-dear Lord… She really is our daughter…! Homer…! Xavia’s our daughter…!” Homer had met Xavia before, so he knew how nice she looked, as well as how likable she was. With that in mind, he sighed before looking at his son while grumbling, “…Hey, tell us things like this earlier next time. We could’ve stopped her suffering much earlier! Regardless, let’s go get our daughter home now, Yasmin…” “R-right! Hold on, I need to change into something better first! Also, we need to go in our best car, and we need to hold a grand feast for her as well…! Oh God, after suffering for over two decades out there, our beloved child is finally coming home…!” Once Yasmin was alone in her room, she couldn’t help but weep silently. Though she was still heartbroken about Jenna’s death, Xavia was still alive… She’d be sure to cherish her with all she could…! As everyone in the palace started getting busy, things were oddly g
“If you’re still worried, allow me to remind you that you’re the one who was always saddened by the fact that you didn’t have a family to return to during our wedding… Now that you have one, be sure to head home with a smile, alright…?” …True enough, she had been greatly saddened by that fact… After all, who didn’t want to receive their parents’ blessings upon marriage? That aside, the fact that Zivon noticed how much that bothered her showed just how considerate this man was. At the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder if her parents would actually like her. At the end of the day, she was a bumpkin, and she wasn’t even able to complete her education… Her train of thought was cut short when a familiar voice called out her name… and upon looking up, she was greeted by the sight of her true parents, both of them looking simultaneously excited and uneasy… Before Xavia could find her voice, Yasmin was already hugging her tightly while saying, “My daughter…! My sweet, sweet daughte
Her train of thought was cut short when Zivon whispered, “See? I told you there was nothing to worry about…” Upon hearing that, all she could do was nod. With how friendly and kind they were, things were playing out much better than she could’ve ever imagined… It was about half an hour later when the cars stopped before the palace, and it didn’t take long for several guards and servants to rush out. After forming two rows, they waited for the royal family to step out before bowing respectfully. Though this was already extravagant for Xavia, her jaw dropped when she saw just how beautifully the inside and outside of the house had been decorated. They said that a mother’s love was the strongest love that could ever exist… and after seeing all that she had done for her, Xavia truly believed that. She snapped out of it when Yasmin said, “We didn’t really know what you or your children liked, so I simply told our butler to tidy the place up and cook some meals for you… Don’t worry,
“I know how much you dislike your father, and I also know that he’s done a lot of upsetting things, but… At the end of the day, he’s still your father, the man who raised you… and now that man is ill… Look, I… Everything he’s done has either been for your sake, or the family’s… Think about it, has he ever tried to harm you…? Just… Please forgive him… Please…?” …Was she seriously groveling for that bastard’s sake? Gently pulling her up, Zivon replied, “…Have you already forgotten how he treated you back then? Does he really deserve forgiveness?” Smiling wryly, Wendy muttered, “…I don’t really care anymore… I’m already this old, and the last thing I want to see is you two continuing to bicker while I’m on my deathbed… Look, I… I won’t force you to return to the Burtons… You’ll be living elsewhere with Xavia anyway once you two get married… Just remember to visit me during the holidays…” “You don’t have to worry about the wedding either… Since Xavia is the president’s daughter, I’m
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