With how confident he sounded when he said that, Fiona couldn’t help but feel slightly saddened. Even so, she knew better than to push her luck, so she forced a smile before saying, “…Deal! Be sure to keep your word, alright? Now… Excuse me, waiter?” Upon hearing her call, a waiter walked up to her, prompting Fiona to say, “A cup of Blue Mountain Coffee, a serving of foie gras, premium salmon sashimi, and a bowl of minestrone soup, please.” Knowing full well that those were his favorite dishes, Fiona winked at him before saying, “Well? Those are your favorites, right? Shows how much I know about you!” “My servants know what I like eating as well.” “…You’re a harsh man, Zivon.” “I’m simply stating a fact.” Upon hearing that, Fiona remained silent till the end of their meal. Just as she was about to pay, however, Zivon beat her to it. By the end of it, he only had a hundred dollars left… Knowing how dire his monetary situation was, Fiona couldn’t help but say, “I could’ve p
She had come over because Ian had told her that Yasmin’s birthday was coming soon. With that in mind, she had decided to get some shoes for her. As for why Mark was here… It was essentially Ian’s idea. Naturally, she couldn’t decline since she had promised to follow his arrangements last night. Regardless, she simply replied, “…I came to get Mom some shoes. And why are you here?” It was clear that she had misunderstood the situation, so Zivon was just about to reply when Fiona interrupted, “Please don’t misunderstand, Miss Lockhart! He only treated me to lunch and brought me shoe shopping because I injured my legs while saving his life! Don’t worry, he only has you in his heart, and he even made sure to tell me that he’d never fall for me right off the bat. With that said, please don’t think badly of him…” While explaining the situation, Fiona had clearly tried to paint her as a petty woman, and this prompted Xavia to feel slightly awkward. It took her a while, but she eventually
“M-my brother isn’t like that, and neither am I!” “Yet you seem to think that that’s the case with me,” replied Zivon, momentarily stunning Xavia. It wasn’t like she thought that he was like that, but she was truly mad when she saw him with Fiona earlier! “…W-well, you’ve never brought me shoe shopping before, so I had good reason to be mad!” grumbled the defeated woman. “…What? If shoe shopping will cheer you up then let’s do that now. Actually, hold on, I only have about a hundred dollars left, so let me sell a few designs first. I’ll bring you shoe shopping tomorrow, alright…?” “…What? Didn’t you earn quite a bit yesterday? Have you spent most of that cash on Fiona…?!” exclaimed Xavia. “She was the one who ordered, but in the end, I paid since I didn’t want a woman to pay for me,” replied Zivon. …So that was the case… Thank God, otherwise, she would’ve fainted from rage! Her train of thought was cut short when Zivon chuckled before saying, “So, taking charge of the fin
Unable to refute, all Xavia could do was nod while saying, “…Alright. Let’s just shop together, then…” Raising a slight brow, Zivon couldn’t help but wonder when she was allowing this third wheel to join their shopping date. Oh well, he wasn’t the one who was going to feel uncomfortable anyway. However, moments after they began looking at shoes, he received a call from his mother. Knowing that he couldn’t ignore it, he turned to look at Xavia before saying, “…It’s my mom. Go continue looking at shoes first.” “Got it,” replied Xavia, prompting Zivon to walk out of the store as she continued browsing through the shoes. Though she had a mask on to prevent any scandals, the fact remained that she had branded clothes on, making it evident that she was of the higher class. This prompted a smiling employee to walk up to her and say, “Good day, Miss! Please have a look at our wonderful assortment of high heels that will surely match your elegance!” While it was true that the heels
It took her a while, but she eventually managed to mutter, “H-he just had to take my sizes to tailor a gown for me a while back… That’s all there is to it…” Just thinking about Mark measuring her sizes made Zivon extremely pissed, and in the end, he couldn’t help but grumble, “…Don’t let him measure your body anymore after this…!” “H-hey, he was doing it professionally… It’s just like going to the hospital and having a male gynecologist-” “I’m not hearing it! I don’t like it when other men look at your body, especially when it’s a man who clearly likes you…!” growled Zivon, leaving Xavia momentarily speechless. After all, Mark wasn’t that kind of man at all! Not wanting to argue, she sighed before replying, “…Alright, fine, he doesn’t get to do it anymore… Now let’s continue looking for a gift, alright…?” “Not until we get you new undergarments,” said Zivon before dragging the helpless woman in. And here she had thought that he had only suggested that to piss Mark off! Shor
Quickly retracting her warm hand, Xavia grumbled, “You’re the most shameless person I’ve ever met!” “Aww, thank you, Honey,” replied Zivon with a grin, leaving Xavia utterly speechless… When she was finally able to cool off, Xavia sighed before heading over to the gift store next door… Upon noticing that Mark was still browsing through the items, she was prompted to ask, “Still looking?” Turning to look at her, Mark replied, “Well, she is the Great Lady, so she probably already has everything that she wants. Adding that to the fact that she’s your mother, I’m thinking of getting her something extra special… Truth be told, I’m thinking of making her a lavish gown. Sure, it’ll take a while, but I think I can manage. What do you think?” “Come to think of it, I remember Mom praising your designs a while back… You know what? I think your idea is perfect for her!” Nodding in response, Mark replied, “Guess I’ll head back to get started, then. Since Zivon is here, I’m sure he’ll take
Understandably confused by his statement, Xavia replied, “…Come again?” “You know what I mean. Both Stefan and Mark like brighter colors, so it makes me wonder if you dislike those who prefer darker colors like me!” Though she could tell how irritated he was, Xavia couldn’t help but feel that his thought process was ridiculous! With that, she was quick to reply, “I only thought that it looked good on you, alright? I mean just look at the golden rims! I thought it suited someone as grand as you are, but I guess even that warrants a misunderstanding! Just put it back, I’m not getting you anything else after this!” Watching as the upset woman stormed out of the store, Zivon couldn’t help but rub his temple. Great, not only did he fail to find a suitable present, but he ended up making her mad too! It didn’t help that he was guilty of causing that this time! Shaking his head, he quickly caught up to her before saying, “…Wait. If what you said was true, then I’m sorry…” “…What do
Upon hearing that, everyone immediately turned to look at the pile of boxes that had arrived… and though the items inside were properly concealed, the store’s logo was clear for all to see… A logo that all of them recognized! Knowing full well that she had only bought undergarments, Xavia immediately wished that she could just vanish from the face of the earth! How embarrassing! It didn’t help that she was reminded of what Zivon had said! That he wanted her to wear a different pair on each day that passed from their wedding date…! Unable to handle the awkwardness, Xavia muttered, “I-I’ll be heading to my room first-” “W-wait, Xavia… Um… We were hoping to visit the Lockharts later to discuss your brothers… Why don’t you come with us?” interrupted Yasmin after clearing her throat. Recalling how James and Jacob had reacted around her, Xavia couldn’t help but say, “I… don’t think that’s wise… They don’t seem to like me…” “Nonsense! They’re just not as good at showing their affect
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