...Did she really get it or was she simply repeating what he had said? Regardless of whichever it was, he sighed before muttering, “…Look, she came over in the dead of night wearing only a coat and lingerie underneath… And though she intended to give herself to me, I immediately shut her down by wheeling her out of the villa… I guess her hair clip must have fallen around then…” “Naturally, I assumed that she would’ve left after such a rough send-off, but I was left surprised when she was still here in the morning. I did try to send her off again, but she seemed genuinely remorseful of her actions, so I let her stay till after breakfast. As for why she lied to you… Well, given now that you know what she’s done and how she still ended up failing, I guess she just didn’t want to be humiliated any further.” “Same applies for me. She has her dignity to remain, though do understand that I would’ve eventually told all this to you anyway. That’s pretty much the entire story,” concluded Ziv
Naturally, this left Zivon slightly startled. However, upon realizing that Fiona was still present, he quickly pieced together what she was trying to achieve. With that, he simply replied, “What, wasn’t what we did earlier enough…? Your relatives are going to notice your swollen lips if we continue, you know…?” With how suggestive his tone was, Xavia couldn’t help but gulp. He had said it like they had truly done something unspeakable while they were upstairs! Fiona herself was already feeling woozy from all the constant blows to her ego. Thankfully, Nathan was quick to wheel her out of there… and soon enough she was gone. Once the sound of a leaving car could be heard, Zivon finally asked, “Well? I hope that helped get everything out of your system…” …This man… Just how had she gotten such a caring fiancé…? Her train of thought was cut short when she heard him add, “…Why the silence? Unless you really want to experience all that I’ve just said…” “I-I’m good!” grumbled Xavia
Honestly, Xavia couldn’t help but feel slightly swooned by Stella’s appearance and demeanor. It seemed that there was still much of Darlsbury that she had yet to see. Her train of thought was cut short when she heard her grandfather say, “Do take a seat with Young Master Burton, Xavia. Oh, and pour some tea for our guests, butler.” Nodding in response, Xavia was quick to reply, “Very well, Grandpa and Grandma…” Zivon himself was quick to hand them a gift as he said, “A pleasure to meet you two. I’ve prepared a simple gift, so please accept it…” It was typical for juniors to bring gifts along when they met their elders, so after accepting it, Julian sized Zivon up before replying, “I’ve heard about you for a while now, Young Master Burton, and though I expected you to be older, you seem both young and capable. A keeper for sure.” “I appreciate the compliment. Please, just call me Zivon.” Upon hearing that, the amiable Yvonne quickly added, “I agree. Young Master Burton makes
“Stella here, is the only granddaughter from the paternal side of my family. This stunning woman has learned martial arts from the age of three, and she was so competent that she was allowed to join the army at a younger age than usual. Though it’s true that she’s contributed a lot to our country, it saddens me to say that she’s completely inexperienced when it comes to love. She simply refuses to marry anyone but her long-time crush… Do you get what I’m saying?” By this point, Xavia’s eyes were already widened in disbelief. Stella’s crush… Was Zivon?! Sure, it was understandable why she would have a crush on him, but the fact that her eldest cousin had fallen for her man was still displeasing to know. Zivon himself remained calm. Not even bothering to glance at Stella, he simply replied, “I am unable to prevent others from liking me, Sir. I also hope that you understand that nothing will change my feelings for Xavia.” Feeling slightly bitter when she heard that, she gave Zivon
“That aside… We apologize for her rashness, but she’s simply incapable of accepting defeat without a fight. Trust us when we say that we’ve tried to change that time and again… Anyway, we only agreed to her wish since we don’t want the cousins to hate each other right off the bat. All in all, since you’re so confident that there won’t be any issues in the next ten days, then just accept her challenge!” “In fact, let me just officiate things! If Stella can’t make you waver by then, then she’ll have to get engaged with another man! Any objections, Stella?” asked Julian. “None at all!” declared the prideful Stella. “Then it’s decided!” concluded Julian, not even giving Zivon the option to say a word. Alas, all he could do was remain silent. After all, they were still Xavia’s relatives! It was when they were wandering in the garden that Xavia meekly asked, “…Are… you mad…?” Raising a slight brow, Zivon replied, “What do you think? Any woman who has dared to covet me has never got
“…I just don’t like it. She’s literally perfect, and I don’t like how it seems that she can easily steal you away from me…” It was only after hearing all that that Zivon calmed down a little. Truth be told, he had only been irked since she didn’t seem to care about the situation at all. Now that he knew that she had secretly been jealous, however, he felt much more relieved. Dropping his stern façade, Zivon replied, “Look, was Sophia not as exceptional as she was? Hell, I’ve met plenty of greater women than her. You should know that the princess of Y Country once offered to be my sugar mommy when I was still studying abroad!” Naturally, this revelation stunned Xavia. To think that a princess would yearn for him! In the end, she couldn’t help but grumble, “…You’re way too popular for your own good, you know? Makes me wonder if I can still ditch you…” Chuckling in response, Zivon replied, “Sure… In your next life! Jokes aside, don’t even worry about her stealing me away… You shou
Smiling smugly, Stella replied, “…Trust me when I say that you’ll fall for me, Young Master Burton. Just you wait…!” “Bring it on,” scoffed Zivon, instantly turning Stella’s grin into a frown before she strode off… That night, a bonfire party was held in the Gordon residence’s backyard, but this wasn’t any regular party. After all, it showcased Stella fighting a beast in front of everyone! Once it was slain, the beast was cooked and served to the guests… Though it was true that Xavia had previously been attacked by a similar beast back when she was in the mountains with Keith, the fight looked extra terrifying since she was able to get closer glimpses of how bloody things could get! Amazingly, Stella was able to defeat the beast without even a scratch on her skin! After a series of claps, Stella walked up to Zivon before asking, “Well? Did you enjoy the show?” “It was far too bloody, that’s what it was. You ended up scaring Xav,” scoffed Zivon, leaving Xavia speechless. While
With how close he was, Xavia couldn’t help but blush. After all, though the parting screen was shut, Mr. Cornwell could’ve easily overheard all that! Quickly grabbing Zivon’s hand, Xavia grumbled, “S-stop it…” Chuckling in response, Zivon replied, “This isn’t even our first time doing this… That aside, are you sleeping at my place tonight again?” Though he couldn’t fully have his way with her yet, he was permitted to hug and kiss her… and with how comfortable he felt around her, he definitely preferred if she stayed by his side. Sadly, Xavia shook her head as she replied, “Brother’s already scolded me for hanging out with you for so long the last time… I really don’t want him slut shaming me again, and I need to keep the kids some company as well. Remember, they need to be loved more at their age…” Her reasoning was sound, and since he didn’t want to make things difficult for her, all he could do was nod. However, instead of letting her go, he simply replied, “…Then we need to
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