“...Will you truly believe what I have to say…?” Giving her a glance, he sneered again before scoffing, “With that guilty expression on your face? Even an idiot would know that you’re planning to lie. As I’ve said last night, until you’re willing to explain things to me, you can give up on trying to make amends!” Watching as he strode off, Xavia couldn’t help but feel extremely vexed. If she explained things to him, then all her previous suffering would be for naught… Yet if she didn’t explain things, then this cold war would only continue getting worse. What was she supposed to do…?! In the end, she knew that she couldn’t allow their relationship to be further strained! With that, she quickly rushed into his car before hugging his arm and exclaiming, “There has to be some other way to prove that I still love you, Hubby…!” At the time, his car had already started moving. Thankfully, it hadn’t gathered that much speed and he was able to hit the brakes in time. Glaring at her, he
It was quite a while later when the car finally stopped shaking… and after catching her breath, all the embarrassed Xavia could do was stare at his face… She wanted to say something, but… she simply couldn’t find her voice. Eventually, Zivon pulled her close before giving her a deep, long kiss… When their lips finally parted, he stared straight into her eyes before helplessly asking, “…Just what do you want from me, Vixen?” By this point, he was already thoroughly annoyed by his inability to stand up against her! Regardless, after biting her lower lip, Xavia slowly replied, “I… Just want you to be happy… Again, I’m forced to do all this, but… I can’t explain why, at least not yet… Please give me a bit more time before I explain everything to you… Please…?” Naturally, Zivon was against that. After all, what married couple kept secrets between them? Hell, what wife would ever try to get her husband to love another woman?! Alas, he was powerless against her pitiful pleas… and in the
It naturally belonged to Zivon, and after gulping slightly, Xavia quickly shook her head before saying, “N-nothing…!” “Y-yeah, we were just having a simple chat!” added Fiona. Naturally, Zivon wasn’t about to believe that. Glaring at them, he eventually said, “…Whatever you talked about, it had better not be about me. You should both know by now that I won’t ever marry anyone else. With that said, I hope that you two won’t disappoint me any further!” Naturally, his statement shocked both of them. To think that he would declare such words without any hesitation…! That aside, though it hurt Xavia to know that anything she now did would only serve to irritate him, her heart ached even more when she heard him say that he wouldn’t ever marry anyone else… Did that man really prefer being a widower rather than getting betrayed by his loved one…? Then again, they did say that the worst possible pain came from heartache… It was simultaneously heart wrenching and touching for her… Thro
Whatever it was, she wasn’t about to decline, and after telling Zivon about it, he and the kids got into the assistant’s car as well… To their surprise, however, they soon found themselves approaching the local cemetery… and upon getting out of the car, they saw that the place was packed with friends and family members of both the Harrisons and Youngs… Sophia herself stood out in her fully black attire, and she could be seen standing before her mother’s grave… Upon noticing Xavia’s presence, she walked up to her before saying, “Xavia, Yulia… You’re here… So… I invited both of you over to formally apologize to both of you… Basically, during my time in prison, I had plenty of room to think about what you had told me… About how I kept on blaming you for my mother’s death instead of thinking about things rationally…” “It was wrong of me to justify my terrible actions for something you didn’t even do, and I can now say that I truly regret everything that I’ve done… I can only imagine
In the end, they stayed by Sophia’s side for most of the night. Eventually, her doctor entered the ward and declared that her poor mental and physical state had caused her to have a miscarriage… Feeling like she had been struck by lightning, the anxious Xavia was quick to reply, “B-but how could this be…?! There must be something you can do about this…!” Even if Sophia had been a bad person, her child was innocent! What’s more, Sophia had already repented! She didn’t deserve this…! To Xavia’s dismay, the doctor simply shook his head before helplessly replying, “Apologies, but we’ve done our best… Putting that aside, she needs to rest a lot from now on. Otherwise, her physical state will continue deteriorating to the point where she won’t be able to conceive children anymore…” Feeling increasingly anxious when she heard that, Xavia was about to reply when she suddenly felt light-headed. Thankfully, Zivon caught her in time and said, “…Relax. She’ll be fine.” How was she expect
“Miss Frankston? Miss Frankston, can you hear me…?!” exclaimed the sweating Lana as she desperately continued trying to save Xavia. It had been three hours since Xavia was brought over, and though Lana had been working tirelessly, she knew for a fact that a single wrong move would spell Xavia’s death! Ian himself had his fists clenched, and he was so nervous that he could feel his heart in his throat! As he anxiously tapped his foot, he couldn’t help but glare at Jenna whom he had brought over earlier. She was lucky that she had been on her best behavior, otherwise, he would’ve surely beaten her to death by now! “…How could you be so evil to your sister…?! I’ll have you know that if she fails to wake up, I’m burying you with her! Actually, I’ll just toss you into the ocean! You don’t deserve to share a coffin with her!” Upon hearing that, Jenna couldn’t help but bite her lower lip. Wasn’t she his sister too? Why was he treating her so badly?! Then again, she couldn’t really blame
Alas, Xavia remained unconscious, and shortly after, the cardiac monitor began showing signs of her vitals deteriorating again… By this point, Ian’s eyes were already bloodshot. He couldn’t just lose her, and he didn’t even want to imagine attending her funeral… Yet after failing to bring her back for so long, was there even any hope of her surviving this ordeal…?! Was… Was it high time for him to tell Zivon about the truth…? To at least let him meet her during her final breaths…? …No. He refused to let her die like this…! Continuing to hold her hand tightly, Ian said, “Xavia, you have to wake up…! Our parents, your brothers, and even your kids…! You can’t just abandon us like this…! I haven’t even mentioned Zivon, the one who loves you the most…! Can you imagine just how badly he’ll take your death…? How will he continue living his life with you gone…?! So… please… Please wake up, Xavia…!” Watching as the trembling Ian begged for Xavia to wake up, Jenna couldn’t help but feel in
He wasn’t really sure if Xavia was just trying to continue setting him up with Fiona, but he also understood how bad Ian’s illness was. With that, he was prompted to reply, ‘Why don’t I accompany you? I can call a good doctor over as well.’ ‘He doesn’t like too many people watching him, so it’s best if you don’t do that… Don’t worry, I’ll tell you once he gets better. For now, just continue doing whatever you were up to.’ This prompted Zivon to raise a slight brow. He had already been wary about Fiona’s earlier claims, and judging from ‘Xavia’s’ response, he was right to doubt her. Just what was Fiona planning to do…? In the end, Fiona didn’t really do anything but drink on and on… and after a while, the tipsy woman began mumbling, “I know I sound like a broken record, but you should know that I’ll only ever fall for you, Zivon… Just why do you love Xavia so much…? Is she not identical to Jenna…? Don’t you feel pissed just looking at her…? Even if she looks slightly prettier, the
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