To the duo’s surprise, however, Zivon simply traveled back and forth between the Burton manor and his lab in the next few days. What’s more, his responses toward Xavia’s messages were all indifferent… And to top it all off, Zivon was apparently meeting another woman in secret! “From what I’ve gathered, that woman goes by Dolly, and she’s Xavia’s best friend. Dolly has apparently divorced recently, and she’s been living in Zivon’s home ever since. It’s also worth mentioning that Zivon was the one who helped her deal with the divorce procedures, and because of that… I think it’s safe to assume that the two are having an affair.” “Zivon has also been getting involved with the sister of Zayne Xenos, his long-time friend. She just returned from abroad, and from what I can guess, Zivon is toying with both their hearts and treating them like mistresses…” Looking at the photos that Fred, his assistant, had placed on the table, Liam eventually sneered before scoffing, “I guess he’s not th
“I have. That aside, how far have you gotten with the game? I have some time to kill now, so why don’t I help you conquer a few rounds?” Honestly, Xavia hadn’t been playing in the past two days. She simply hadn’t been in the mood… Noticing how upset she looked, Keith replied, “…Thinking about Uncle Zivon?” …As if! After shaking her head, she couldn’t help but mutter, “…Hey… Are men prone to switching their moods at the flick of a switch? Before leaving for work, he told me that he would miss me dearly… But now that he’s gone, he hasn’t even bothered to send me a proper message!” …If only she knew what Zivon had said back at the Burton manor… Shaking his head, Keith replied, “…I’m sure Uncle Zivon just has a lot on his plate right now-” “Please, I’m able to make a social media post and talk with five friends at the same time while waiting for the traffic light to turn green! How hard would it be for him to give a proper reply? It’s clear that he’s deliberately ignoring me-”
Though it was typical for parcels to be thoroughly examined before being allowed into the palace, the guards chose not to open it since it was apparently from Zivon. With that in mind, they simply ran it through a puffer machine, and after ensuring that there was nothing dangerous inside, one of them delivered it to Xavia. “A parcel from Young Master Burton, Miss Frankston.” Though she was rather annoyed to hear that name, she took the parcel before thanking the guard and closing the door behind her. Taking a deep breath, she then opened the box… and for a moment, she found herself too flabbergasted to even respond. After all, the stack of photos inside all revealed Zivon interacting with two other women, with one of them being Dolly, no less! She didn’t know who the other woman was, but she did appear petite and lovely...! What the hell was he doing with those two when he was supposed to be busy…?! With her heart now torn into shreds, she found it increasingly difficult to even
Thinking back, she shouldn’t have seen herself as inferior… After all, rather than being an issue of quality, she simply never had a chance against Xavia whom Zivon deeply loved… Honestly, she was pretty much in Keith’s place back then, though Keith was probably better than her too. After all, he was able to move on and love Xavia instead… She truly had been a pitiful fool… Either way, it was only moments after Jenna had fallen asleep that Xavia suddenly shot up in bed while exclaiming, “H-hold it!” Startled awake, Jenna groggily replied, “W-what’s wrong, Miss Frankston…?” “Well… Those photos. Now that I think about it, they were definitely from the enemy! I’m sure they sent them to test whether I’m truly done with Zivon or not! With that said, it’ll surely arouse the enemy’s suspicions if I don’t make a move!” Frowning slightly, Jenna replied, “…What do you intend to do…?” “Oh, I intend to give the enemy what they want…!” declared Xavia as she got out of bed and headed strai
Continuing to smirk as he watched Zivon walk off, it was only once he was no longer in sight when Liam scoffed, “Well? Show’s over, so head back to bed, everyone!” Nodding in response, everyone then began leaving… But before the final butler could follow the rest, he felt Liam’s hand on his shoulder. “Make sure to send me a copy of tonight’s living room footage…” said the hateful man who was still smiling villainously. He was going to enjoy rewatching that scene over and over again…! Moving back to Zivon, he was still making a mad dash toward Xavia. After all, though he didn’t want her to learn about his plans at the start, he hadn’t anticipated that Liam would send those photos to her! The main reason why he hadn’t told her about it at the start was so that she wouldn’t get stressed enough to affect the children… Now that things had come to this, however, it was probably better to just explain things to her! Thankfully, he caught up to her in time before she was able to close
“Don’t worry, we won’t see a thing. Just go ahead since it was pretty hard for you two to meet up in the first place.” …God, could she just hide in a coffin already or something…?! Gulping slightly when she saw how eager Zivon’s eyes were, she eventually replied, “…F-fine, we can kiss, though… Could you first tell me whether those photos were part of your plan…?” Raising a slight brow, he then pulled her into his arms before asking, “…Is that jealousy, I sense?” Feeling her cheeks redden even more, Xavia was quick to reply, “A-as if! I’ve always hated jealous people, so I’m definitely not one myself! T-that aside, are you just trying to change the topic out of guilt-” “Of course, it was all staged. Do you truly believe that I would do something that obnoxious? However, if you’re still feeling doubtful, then I swear that I’ll chop my hand off and present it to you if I ever cheat…” Pursing her lips, she eventually nodded before muttering, “…I’m not interested in such a bloody
“…You hardened my gun…” Instantly going red, Xavia grumbled, “W-would it kill to be a bit less shameless…?!” Following that, she broke free from his arms before leaning against the opposite door, glaring at him the entire time. Smirking in response, Zivon replied, “Oh…? I’m being blamed when you’re the one who caused it to rise in the first place…?” …Damn it! When he put it that way… It took her a while, but she eventually grumbled, “I-I just wanted to make your bruise hurt a little less! I wasn’t aiming for anything else!” Continuing to smile, Zivon replied, “…Of course, I know… If I had assumed otherwise, then you wouldn’t be sitting so far from me right now…” Gulping slightly, Xavia quickly shook her head as she said, “…R-regardless, go head back already before Liam gets suspicious!” Knowing that she was right, Zivon sighed before replying in a serious tone, “Alright, so… be sure to take good care of the kids during my absence… and of course, to take extra good care
She had chosen Keith today since firstly, he actually knew how to play games. Secondly, they clicked, and lastly… Since he lived in the Burton manor, that meant that he would be able to tell her more about the situation there! However, before she could even say a word, Keith walked up to her and said, “Hello, Xavia. Before anything else, do have a look at the gift I brought for you…” Looking at what he was holding, Xavia couldn’t help but cover her mouth in surprise. It was a handmade silk dress! One that looked perfect to dance in! It took her a while, but she eventually replied, “…Um… You’ve already given me a lot of gifts…” “And I’ll bring many more. After all, you’re the only woman I wish to see happy…” said Keith with a smile. Naturally, his response left Xavia slightly more confused. Why did it seem like he actually had feelings for her…? But that was impossible, right? After all, she was clearly Zivon’s wife! He was probably just doing this out of pity, right…? After r
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