Watching her go extremely red, Zivon couldn’t help but smile as he replied, “…I await the day you put those skills to test, then…” …Why the hell had she promised him all that…?! Was it too late to go back on her words…?! Either way, since Zivon was still busy, the two soon parted ways… After a few hours of sleep, however, Xavia was awoken by the sound of her phone ringing… It was a call from Mark. “Xavia? Could you accompany me to Stella’s house?” “…Come again? Why are you meeting up with her?” “She wants to marry me, and I need your help to talk some sense into her.” …What the hell was that woman up to this time?! Unsure how to even register this shocking news, all Xavia could do was reply, “…Got it.” It was about half an hour later when the duo arrived at the Gordon residence… and by the time they got to Stella’s room, they saw the injured woman lying in bed, a newspaper in hand. Looking at the two, Stella calmly said, “There you are. Please, take a seat.” After d
“Oh, and speaking of which, I’ve already told your parents to send some legal documents over… and in about thirty minutes, the City Hall will have our marriage registered. Since we’re not in love yet anyway, I skipped the wedding process. Those are just a big waste of time anyway.” …She wasn’t going to let him refuse at all, was she?! Alas, Mark wasn’t comfortable with rejecting her, so all he could do was look at Xavia… But to his dismay, Xavia looked equally as flabbergasted! After all, she hadn’t expected Stella to actually just pick someone to marry after losing her bet with Zivon! It took her a while, but Xavia eventually managed to say, “…As Mark said, marriage isn’t all fun and games, and it’s not like he’s willing to go through with it either. With that said, why don’t you reconsider your options…?” “There’s literally no reason to reconsider. Look, I’ll marry any man that isn’t Zivon, and since Mark’s here, why the fuck not? He already said that he wasn’t going to fall in
Startled by his words, Xavia ended up remaining silent for the longest time… and in the end, Mark chuckled as he replied, “I’m kidding. But really, if my bride isn’t going to be you, then I don’t care who I marry… Honestly, Stella’s pretty capable, so I should feel lucky to be able to marry her. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll be fine…” Pursing her lips, Xavia muttered, “…Are you sure…? Stefan made the same decision, and in the end, he-” “He remarried Lily, you know?” replied Mark, instantly causing Xavia’s eyes to widen. When had that happened? Honestly, finding out through Mark made her feel a little guilty. After all, she had been so busy that she had failed to keep tabs with those close to her… That aside, though remarrying Lily wasn’t exactly the best-case scenario, it wasn’t the worst one either. Her train of thought was cut short when Mark added, “Also, while marriages like mine may seem sad to those who married out of love, you should know that doing this is important for m
As one would expect, it was Stella. Glaring at him, Stella scoffed, “And why is he here? We don’t need your blessings!” It was clear that she was still pissed at how he had treated her before this! Regardless, though Stella was an extremely capable woman, she was nowhere near as prestigious as Zivon was! With that in mind, the other guests were quick to say, “My word, where are your manners, Stella?!” “Indeed! He just came over to give his blessings! Don’t ruin such a joyous day with a tantrum!” “Here, come over and join us, Young Master Burton!” Looking completely unbothered, Zivon walked up to the two and said, “Though we’re not exactly close friends, we know one another enough for us to give you our blessings. Do accept this gift, and I hope that you live harmoniously till death do you apart.” Accepting the beautifully packaged box, Mark nodded as he replied, “Thank you.” Stella herself simply remained silent. Though she was tempted to make things hard for Zivon, she kne
Pissed by how shameless she was being, Mark replied, “…You sound like you already know the answer!” “So it’s true. I believe you. With that said… allow me to give you an unforgettable first experience tonight…” Not even giving Mark a chance to reply, Stella then pushed him against the bed before landing a domineering kiss on his lips! Truth be told, she had already had interest in Mark from the moment they first met. After all, he had a kind and approachable aura that was vastly different from what Zivon emitted. Because of that, Mark was all she could think of when she was being treated harshly by Zivon in that forest. She yearned for someone loving, and Mark was the perfect candidate for that. It was the reason why she had immediately began researching Mark upon her return… and by the time she got all the info that she needed, Stella was left flabbergasted. After all, not only had Mark waited for Xavia to return his love for over ten years, but he had even chosen his career b
Following a sneer, she grabbed her clothes, walked up to the door and added, “Don’t worry, I’ll be on a business trip from tomorrow onward, and I’ll only return between half a month and half a year! Feel free to pretend that you don’t have a wife during my absence!” Watching as she slammed the door behind her, Mark couldn’t help but feel simultaneously angry and humiliated. However, he had to admit that Stella had suffered her share of grievances as well, yet he had blamed her for everything… Feeling his heart grow even heavier, he then sighed before heading out. Upon descending the stairs, he bumped into Matthew who had a curious look in his eyes. Turning to look at Mark, Matthew asked, “…Um… I just got off work a while back, and I rushed over the second I heard that you got married… Why the sudden urge to marry? And was the woman who just left your new wife…?” Before Mark could reply, Matthew noticed how ragged Mark looked. This prompted him to add, “…Huh. Guess someone finally
Then again, she couldn’t deny that she had spent the day with Mark just trying to help him deal with the issue… Sure, she was sad for him, but it had nothing to do with affectionate feelings. After reassuring herself of that, Xavia hugged Zivon’s arm and said, “…Don’t worry, even if you hadn’t told me about the present, I wouldn’t have lost sleep because of him. Tell you what? Upon lying in bed, I’ll spend about an hour thinking about the gift before dozing off… and once I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll finally see what it is.” Truth be told, Zivon hadn’t even been mad at her. He simply didn’t want her to think of Mark too much. Regardless, after smiling in response, Zivon slowly drove the car into the palace… Once inside, Zivon made sure to follow Xavia upstairs to pay the kids a visit. Naturally, the kids instantly hopped off their beds when they saw their father! “Daddy! I miss you so much!” “Heh. Daddy’s been so busy pursuing Mommy that he completely forgot about us till
Awoken by her words and actions, Zivon looked down at the tiny woman who was hugging him tightly… and after a subtle sigh, he smiled before holding her close and gently kissing her lips… Since Xavia still thought that this was a dream, she didn’t squirm at all. In fact, she even chose to relish the moment by returning the kiss as affectionately as possible… Alas, this was a very real situation and Zivon found it increasingly difficult to restrain himself! Just as the mood was starting to get spicy, the two were startled when they heard Yulia mumble, “Mommy…? What are you doing with Daddy…?” …Come again? Opening her eyes, Xavia was immediately greeted by the sight of her immaculate man… and behind her, she realized that Yulia was peeking over her body to see what they were doing! Had none of that been a dream?! Now as red as a tomato, Xavia couldn’t help but wish that she was dead! To think that she had done all that to him! What’s more, Yulia had almost caught them in action!
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