Upon hearing that, Xavia went silent. It wasn’t like she had wanted to let Mark know, but he had been with Matthew on the night that she learned about the poison… That aside, Zivon was clearly the most important person in her life! It took her a while, but she eventually muttered, “…I… Just didn’t want you to suffer-” “So what if I suffer? I’m your husband, and I have the right to know, especially since this is regarding your life… Anyway, you don’t have to worry anymore. I won’t let you die…!” His declaration came from the heart, and Xavia couldn’t help but feel the corners of her eyes water… She had initially assumed that he would break down after learning about her dire situation… Yet here he was, motivating her to survive and promising that he would fix things…! Then again, this mature, intelligent, and charming man had always had the world in his grasp… It was really no wonder why women were starting to appreciate older men more… Her train of thought was cut short when o
“So… How much longer does she have after giving her the dialysis and blood transfusion?” After clearing his throat, one of the doctors replied, “Well… Thanks to the perfect donor that Sir Ian found for us, we can safely say that she can survive for up to five more days… If it extends past that, however… There’s a high chance that she’ll finally lose the battle. Though you could argue that the donor could donate more blood to extend that period, she’s already reached the limit of how much blood one can safely donate at a time…” …So they needed to develop or find the antidote in five days, huh…? With a grim expression on his face, Zivon ultimately looked at Ian and asked, “…Any news regarding the search for the antidote?” Sighing in response, Ian replied, “After asking Lana several times, she ultimately told me that nobody had seen the antidote in decades, and that it was safe to say that she probably wouldn’t ever be able to find it… Don’t worry, I’ll still try my best to see if I
At that moment, Jenna only had simple clothes on, and since she didn’t have her usual makeup on either, she looked nothing like her past self. Even so, she couldn’t help but tremble a little when she saw the squinting Zivon walk up to her. Had he figured out who she was?! Was he going to make sure that she really died this time?! Or… Was he actually glad that she was still alive…? Her train of thought was cut short when she heard him ask, “Is there anything I can help you with?” His tone was polite, to say the least… And that alone told her that he hadn’t recognized who she was. What’s more, he was currently only viewing her as Xavia’s blood donor and savior… A complete stranger. Though she was partly glad that she hadn’t been identified, she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed as well. Either way, she was quick to reply, “…I just wanted to walk around a bit, that’s all. That aside, I have to say that Mrs. Burton is the luckiest woman alive to have you as her husband…
Though Lana was usually against violence, she wasn’t one to just accept being talked down to either, especially if the culprit was a heinous woman like Jenna! A bitch like her had no right to compare her love with hers! It didn’t help that Jenna had struck a sore spot by reminding her that she had lost her only chance to propose to Ian since she had failed to cure Xavia! Forget sleeping with him, she couldn’t even dream about holding his hand now… Clenching her fists, she glared at Jenna before growling, “Not everyone is as despicable as you are…! Now leave before I-” Before Lana could even complete her sentence, Xavia suddenly burst into tears! Just as Lana was wondering what Jenna was up to, she realized that Ian was standing at the door! Alas, before she could even explain herself, Ian asked, “…Why are you two causing a ruckus in my sister’s ward?” To that, Jenna was quick to reply, “I-I just wanted to see how Xavia was doing…! I swear that I’ve learned from my mistakes, and
With how strong his grip was, Jenna could tell that he was deadly serious. To think that such a gentlemanly person could be this violent! That aside, though she could understand that this was simply brotherly love, wasn’t she his sister as well?! Wasn’t the way he treated Xavia way too different compared to the way he treated her?! In the end, she got so angry that she couldn’t help but chuckle as her eyes teared up… “…I hope you remember that he was my fiancé at the very start, and that I’ve been trying to win his affection for years…! I sacrificed just as much as she did to be with him! Hell, when you think about it, she was the one who snatched him away from me! Putting that aside, with how hideous I now look, do you think that he’d even want to look at me?! I… I just wanted to look at him from afar…! Is that too much to ask for?! Besides, I’m your sister too at the end of the day!” “Sure, Xavia deserves the right to hate me, but you? What right do you have to treat me this way?
After failing to make any real progress, Zivon had left the lab to take a quick smoke… However, as he was walking past the stairs leading to the roof, he heard someone yelling for help. In the end, his curiosity got the better of him, and it didn’t take long for him to find the donor all tied up in the stream of icy water. After pulling her out, he couldn’t help but notice the slap mark on her cheek, as well as the bruises on her neck. Those alone were enough to make him growl, “…Who the hell did this to you…?!” She was a key component to keeping Xavia alive! Who had the balls to do this to his wife’s potential savior…?! As she caught her breath, Jenna couldn’t help herself from enjoying his warmth. She knew that he was only saving her for Xavia’s sake, but… the fact that her beloved man had saved her meant the world to her. It took her a while, but she eventually managed to mutter, “…C-could you let me take a warm shower first…? I’m freezing…” Though Zivon didn’t usually care
Standing before him, was one of the women he hated most… It was Whitney! Following a murderous glare, Zivon got to his feet to leave… and this prompted Whitney to clench her fists. Did he really hate her that much?! Shaking her head, she then took a deep breath before saying, “…And here I thought you wanted the antidote…” Stopping in his tracks, Zivon didn’t even bother turning around as he replied, “As if someone like you would be able to obtain such a thing. You’re just trying to trick me again!” Now starting to fume a little, Whitney retorted, “I’m just trying to help! Why else would I have contacted Nathan when I learned that you were looking for an antidote?!” “Please, if you wanted to truly help, then all this could’ve been done through Nathan. Why did you insist on meeting me? What’s more, do explain how you found out that I needed the antidote in the first place.” Upon hearing that, Whitney went silent… and just as Zivon was about to leave, the frightened woman quic
“I won’t force you to change your mind, of course. However, feel free to contact me if you ever have a change of heart. Until then, Brother Zivon.” With that said, she turned to leave without another word. Though she was confident that things would go her way, it didn’t make the decision any easier for Zivon to make. After all, he either had to watch Xavia die, or be forced to marry another woman that he absolutely hated! It took him a while, but the irked man eventually got up to leave as well. Upon exiting the café, Nathan was quick to walk up to him… and when he saw how troubled Zivon looked, he couldn’t help but say, “…She gave you some outrageous conditions, didn’t she? I did try to stop you from coming at the start…” Though that was true, Zivon would’ve still chosen to come over even if he knew that the person was Whitney. After all, the meeting was worth it if it would potentially save Xavia’s life. Alas, it was impossible to make an immediate decision with how ridiculous
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