By this point, Xavia’s mind was running on autopilot, and she ended up saying, “…Our marriage was getting tiring. After all, we kept doing the same things over and over again. It made me realize that my heart was no longer with you.” Though her words were monotonous, they felt like spears impaling Zivon’s heart. To think that she would say such things…! Each of her words continued echoing in the angered man’s mind… and in the end, his pressuring aura got so overwhelming that Xavia began trembling in fear! However, instead of replying, he eventually just turned to leave… However, that somehow hurt even more! It was only moments after he had slammed the door behind him that Xavia collapsed to the floor. Why…? Had this not been what she wanted…? To make him leave her so that he could fall for Fiona…?! So why…?! Why did it still hurt so much…?! This was a living hell for her…! The last thing she recalled before passing out was an anxious Lana screaming out her name in panic… Moving
...Had the fight been that serious…? Not wanting to get shouted at again, all Nathan could do was nod before resuming the journey back to the villa… Alas, even after Zivon had flopped in bed, he was unable to get a wink of sleep. So what if he hadn’t slept all night? His thoughts were currently too noisy for him to even relax! In the end, he poured himself a glass of red wine before glaring out the window. Sadly, it wouldn’t take long before more trouble arrived at his doorstep… And the name of that trouble was Fiona! She, for one, had honestly given up on wooing Zivon after hearing his hurtful words back at the ward yesterday. It was the reason why she had drunk so much. With that in mind, it was a pleasant surprise for her when she found out that he had taken care of her all night! She even recalled snippets of her hugging and kissing him, and the fact that he hadn’t pushed her aside showed that he wasn’t completely against being with her! Snickering to herself, she then began
...W-what had he just said…?! The one from last night… had been Nathan?! But that was impossible! Her train of thought was cut short when she heard Nathan ask, “I-is that you, Miss Squire…?” Turning to look at him, Fiona was quick to ask, “…Z-Zivon is lying, right…? That wasn’t actually you last night, right…?!” Though he was extremely reluctant to tell her the truth, he ultimately replied, “…He… didn’t lie…” “You…! You’re lying! I remember smelling Zivon’s scent last night, and I’m sure I caught a glimpse of his coat as well…! You’re just lying since you don’t want the media to pick up on the truth, right?!” retorted the desperate woman. “…Miss Squire, you told him that you’d tell him about Xavia’s secret if he brought you home… And that was the only reason he had done so in the first place. Also, he made sure to drape his coat around me before ordering me to keep you in my arms while he drove… He simply wanted the answer from you, but even after giving you sobering pills, y
Ian stepped into the room before saying, “It’s all fake news. I looked into things, and the person who was with Fiona last night was Nathan. Zivon had been cooped up in his laboratory since last night, so you can be extra sure that he’s innocent. Just let the two deal with their own issues.” Though the three were left stunned, they were simultaneously pleased to hear that. “Thank God Zivon didn’t let us down…” “Indeed… That aside, we should’ve trusted him a bit more…” “Agreed. Speaking of which, where’s Xavia?” Upon hearing that, Ian’s gaze fell a little… Lana had earlier informed him that Xavia had fainted again, and Ian had rushed over to his unconscious sister’s side, thinking that Zivon was the culprit. He had already been prepared to take on Zivon if that man had truly caused all this pain for his sister, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all. Even so, the fact remained that Xavia was still out! In the end, he was prompted to reply, “…Since they had already cle
Though Zivon was still mad at Xavia, he found no reason to cause trouble for the other Frankstons. Regardless, after clearing his throat, Zivon explained, “We have the main idea down, at least. Essentially, you’ll first go through dialysis, undergo a blood transfusion, and finally consume a new medicine that we’ve yet to fully develop. It’ll probably be completed soon, and though I can’t say that it will definitely work, the odds of it succeeding are definitely high.” “Alternatively, we’ve learned of another drug that could help, though we’re unsure how to create it and it’s hard to find,” concluded Zivon. Overjoyed to hear that, Ian was quick to exclaim, “Do you hear that, Xavia…?! There’s a chance that the poison can be healed! So please…! Pull yourself together…!” …Xavia was there too? And what did he mean, ‘pull yourself together’? Wasn’t he the patient here? Could it be that… Zivon had only been inches away from the truth when he heard Ian add, “Ah, sorry, I… I just got a
“Remember, had I not given birth to the twins, then you would’ve never gotten to know Zivon in the first place… And had I not been such a terrible woman, then you may not have ended up as kind as you are today…” “Anyway, are you sure you want to just die like this…? If you die, then I’ll replace you, you know…? I’m sure you’ve watched enough dramas to know that men tend to look for replacements once their lovers are gone… Who knows, maybe Zivon will miss you so badly that he’ll finally use me as a substitute to ease his pain… That would be a win for me, honestly, so… Tell me, Xavia… Is that what you want?” …No… No…! She didn’t want that to happen…! That cynical woman did not have a right to be with Zivon anymore…! In the end, Xavia’s immense fright snapped her out of her mini coma… and thankfully, it had all been a nightmare… Jenna wasn’t there… Only Ian and Lana were sleeping by her bed… Thank God… After catching her breath, Xavia slowly got out of bed… and upon looking at the
Even though she didn’t reply, Zivon chose not to get mad. Instead, he simply pulled her out of the room… Understandably curious, Xavia asked, “…Where are we off to…?” Not giving a response, Zivon simply continued pulling her down the stairs… and upon arriving at the entrance, Xavia’s eyes instantly widened. After all, instead of his usual Maybach, a black Prince motorcycle was waiting for them there! Grabbing a helmet, he then helped Xavia put it on… and after putting his own on, he got on the vehicle before saying, “Get on and hug me tightly.” …As if she could say no with how absolutely wild he looked! He had always been a looker even when he was in his pajamas, but now that he was in biker attire? Shouldn’t it be illegal to look this good?! Completely charmed, she found herself doing as he told… and by the time she realized what she was doing, he had already started blasting the motorcycle forward! “W-wait! Slow down…!” screamed the frightened Xavia… but to her dismay, Zivo
It was about twenty minutes later when the sound of propellers could be heard closing in… and soon enough, a helicopter landed before the duo. Out hopped Ian, Jovan, Lana, and several medical assistants who quickly took Xavia from Zivon’s hands before placing her on a stretcher. “Xavia? Xavia…! Answer me…! Don’t worry, just hold on a little longer…! You’ll be home soon, and I’ll get you back on your feet in no time…!” exclaimed the anxious Ian as he followed his unconscious sister all the way to the helicopter. Squinting when he heard that, Zivon quickly got on the helicopter as well… and when he saw how prepared Lana and the paramedics were to treat Xavia, he couldn’t help but think about what Ian had earlier said… In the end, he pulled Ian from her side before asking, “…What’s going on, Ian?” Knowing that there was no point hiding it anymore, Ian took a deep breath before calmly replying, “…I think you already know the answer to that.” …Though he had a rough estimate of w
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