Her train of thought was cut short when she heard her mother call out to her. Shaking her head, she then got into the car before following her family home… By the time they got back, the kids were already waiting for her in their room. “Have you made up with Daddy, Mommy?” asked both of them. Realizing that they were still in the dark, Xavia quickly explained, “Of course! He couldn’t resist my charms, which is how I got him back in a single day!” “…Is that really the case? Daddy was ignoring you the entire time though… Are you sure you aren’t lying, Mommy…?” “Let’s give Daddy a video call to see if she’s telling the truth!” Before Xavia could stop them, the dialing tone could already be heard. Feeling helpless, Xavia was prompted to grumble, “…Am I really that untrustworthy…? A-ask away anyway! I’m telling the truth!” The second her sentence ended, Zivon popped up on screen. He had a black down jacket on, and he seemed to be sketching up new designs just moments ago. Gaze
Naturally, Xavia instantly went red as she grumbled, “C-cut it out…” “What? What’s the fun in love if we’re always so rigid, hmm…?” replied Zivon, leaving Xavia momentarily speechless. There was no outtalking this man… In the end, she took a deep breath before saying, I-I off to take a quick bath! It’s bedtime for me…” Since Zivon still had quite a lot to do as well, he was prompted to reply, “Alright… Rest well.” Following that, he hung up to resume work. With how much he had spent in the past two days, he knew that he had to start earning more if he wanted to be able to cover his living expenses… Either way, he had just completed his work at eleven when a knock was heard on his door. Wondering who it could be, he then headed outside… only to be greeted by the sight of a smiling Fiona! Looking all dolled up, the wheelchaired woman rolled herself in before saying, “Evening, Zivon! I knew you’d still be awake, which is why I came over to visit! That aside, I also know how qu
Her every move was both professional and gentle, and once she was done, she took a few pictures before saying, “Alright, I’ll change your bandages again tomorrow morning, so get some rest for now. Don’t worry, I’ll be getting you your breakfast as well-” “Wait,” interrupted Zivon, instantly causing Fiona to beam. “…Hmm? As in, don’t leave? You know, I’ve never minded the thought of staying over…” “It’s not that. I’ll be busy tomorrow, and since I won’t be home, there’s no need for you to come over.” With her mood dampened almost immediately, Fiona couldn’t help but mutter, “…And here I got worked up over nothing… Oh well. I’ll just come over earlier, then.” Before he could even reply, she had already run off, prompting him to sigh before heading to bed… Nights in the countryside were tranquil, to say the least, and Zivon could soon hear his own breaths... The absolute silence gave him time to think about his current situation, and he had to admit that if he hadn’t met Xavia
It was the well-dressed Fiona. Frowning slightly, he walked up to her and asked, “…Why are you here?” Instantly beaming when she realized that he was here, the shivering woman walked up to him and exclaimed, “Y-you’re finally back…! I came earlier today to bring you breakfast, but you were already gone. Because of that, I decided to get you dinner instead. Since you weren’t home, I decided to wait for a bit, figuring that it wouldn’t take you too long to return… A-anyway, have a taste of my food while it’s warm! I made it myself, you know?” Watching as she extended a few food containers toward him, Zivon couldn’t help but notice that there were a few burn marks on her freezing hands… He, for one, knew that Fiona had always been a golden child. Not only did she never have to cook, but he was pretty sure that her servants helped her bathe and get dressed as well. With that in mind, the fact that she had taken the time and effort to make these herself… “…I’ve already eaten. Also
With that, she happily wheeled herself to his bedroom to slip her leggings on. Since she was actually injured, she had to take a while to complete the task… and by the time she left the room, she saw that Zivon had already begun eating her food. The truth was, he had only eaten fast food earlier that day, so he had already been feeling rather hungry. Though he could’ve easily satiated that hunger by getting more fast food, the fact remained that Fiona had put in the effort to make this meal for him, so he wasn’t against saying, “Tastes good.” Overjoyed to hear that, Fiona exclaimed, “G-glad you like it, Zivon…! I spent an entire day watching cooking videos to make that, and I had to waste three whole chickens just to succeed! R-regardless, have more, Zivon! I made sure to choose a recipe that includes lots of herbs, so you can be sure that this meal is as nutritious as they come! Honestly, I still can’t believe that Sir Ian is heartless enough to put you through these torturing cha
“What kind of help?” asked Xavia who rarely ever heard Mark ask for help. “Well, your mother’s dress is done, and since this is my first time giving her a present… Let’s just say I’m feeling a little nervous. With that said, could you come over to have a look at it? See if there are any alterations needed.” Though Xavia understood how he felt, she was quick to reply, “…Why don’t you just send me a photo?” “I did consider that, but I’m worried that your mother will accidentally see it on your phone… I really want to keep this gift a surprise, you see.” …A true fashion designer, huh? Not knowing what else to say, she ended up saying, “…Alright, send me your location.” “Will do. Also, it’s pretty cold, so be sure to wear thicker clothes.” After telling him she would, she slipped on a thick coat before telling her chauffeur to drive her over to Hartman Studios. By the time they arrived, it had already gotten pretty dark, and most of the lights in the area had been dimmed out.
It took her a while, but she eventually replied, “…Fine, but just go to the hospital if you truly feel unwell, alright…? Don’t put your health at risk!” Chuckling in response, Mark then said, “Roger that, ma’am… Jokes aside, won’t you have dinner with me…?” …Dinner at this hour…? If someone managed to take photos of them, then rumors would surely start spreading again, and that would ultimately lead to Zivon getting mad… With that in mind, she was just about to decline when Mark added, “What? Unwilling to have a meal with me just because you have a boyfriend now…?” “O-of course, not! It’s just… Oh, fine, I’ll treat you to dinner since you’ve been working so hard… Consider it my way of thanking you for making these wonderful dresses…” replied Xavia, prompting Mark to smile rather wryly. After all, the fact that she needed a reason to convince herself to eat with him was a clear sign that she was still actively trying to avoid his advances… Slightly defeated, he then led her to
The first screenshot showed a post that said, ‘I hope Zivon doesn’t get any scars from his hand injuries… Praying that that doesn’t happen!’ Attached to the post was a picture of an instantly recognizable hand… and below the post was a comment that wrote, ‘You’re that worried about him, huh? Almost makes me feel like you’re the wounded one!’ Fiona herself replied, ‘Oh, if I could have taken the hit for him, I would’ve surely done so!’ Zayne had commented as well, and he wrote, ‘That’s quite enough. Are you trying to piss Mrs. Burton off?’ ‘I’m sure she won’t mind since I’m truly just worried about his hand injury. Besides, he loves only her, and she knows it.’ Moving onto the second post, it showed a photo of Zivon sitting at the dining table under the caption, ‘Made some chicken soup for him! It was the result of three tries and a few burns, but it’s all worth it since he said that it tasted good! Oh, and I got Zivon a heater as well!’ ‘Wait, the great Miss Squire cooked?
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