‘I had honestly hoped that all the harm and abuse would make you leave, but… you simply refused to do so. It got to the point where I became so mad that I wanted to personally kill you, and… Thankfully, I failed in the end.’ ‘Fast forward to when I was about to be executed, Ian learned that we were both Frankstons, which was why he eventually saved me and sent me off to a temple to repent… Naturally, I was unwilling to face such a fate at the time. After all, I was still obsessed with revenge. Eventually, however, I began calming down little by little…’ ‘It was also then that I learned that after my ‘death’, nobody ever came to visit my grave… Well, nobody but you. The entire world viewed me as trash, yet… the fact that you still wanted to visit me after all the evil I had committed… It just changed something in me. Thankfully, I was quickly given a chance to start trying to make things right again when the poison that I previously fed you started acting up again…’ ‘My blood and
‘I know, expecting to be forgiven is something that will probably never happen, but… Hey… If I somehow manage to escape death, could you please accept me as your sister once more…? I know, that’s a tall order given everything that I’ve done, but… Just give me a chance. I promise that as long as I live, I’ll try to make it up to you…’ ‘That’s extremely optimistic, of course, since I’m pretty sure that I’ll die this time… For good. I just hope that you won’t ever be upset about my passing… You should also know that I’m doing this voluntarily, and that I’ll be leaving this world with a smile… Be sure to live happily with Zivon, alright…? He genuinely loves you…’ ‘Love, Jenna.’ By the end of the letter, tears were already streaming down Xavia’s cheeks. To think that Jenna had learned about her existence so early on… That aside, to think that she would actually turn a new leaf…! Hell, she even sacrificed herself for her sake…! She… She was just trying to make it up to her… To finally
With how distraught his family was, Ian felt his heart ache too. He genuinely hated himself for failing to protect Jenna, and in the end, he was clenching his fists so hard that veins were already showing up on his knuckles… To his shock, however, he suddenly heard a familiar voice whimpering, “…Xavia…! Mom…!” Xavia appeared to have heard it as well, and upon turning around… she was greeted by the sight of Jenna looking almost like an apparition in her white dress! Though shocked and slightly convinced that a ghost was standing before her, Xavia didn’t care. After all, even if she was a ghost, she was someone whom she missed dearly! With that in mind, Xavia quickly got up and asked, “J-Jenna…! Did you hear our pleas and return as a ghost…?!” “Indeed…! Are you really our beloved Jenna?!” added Yasmin as she quickly began walking over to her as well… But before the two women could get to her, Ian stood before them with his arms spread out. “…If you’re truly a ghost, then it’s b
No joy in the world could compare to the realization that your loved one was still alive, and now that Jenna had finally repented, Xavia found no reason to hold back. Naturally, Xavia’s reaction greatly touched Jenna’s heart. After all, she seemed genuinely happy that she was still alive, and… her hug… It was warm… So this was what it was like to be hugged by one’s sister… With tears running down her cheeks, Jenna was prompted to mutter, “…Thank you, Xavia… For putting up with me, and… For forgiving me… I… I’m so sorry for making you suffer so much back then…! And for not playing my role as a sister properly…! For not giving you a chance to hug me until this very moment…! Please forgive me…!” Listening as her sister spoke between sobs, Xavia couldn’t help but wail as well. After all, though it was true that Jenna had brought her near endless suffering in the past, Jenna’s genuine apology seemed to make all that irrelevant… So what if it had taken her ages to change? The fact rema
In the end, she couldn’t help but gently pinch her cheek… It hurt… Which meant that all this was real… Since that was the case, then she would dedicate her life to protecting her sister! Shaking her head, the smiling Jenna then quickly put on the clothes that Xavia had picked for her… and once that was done, she followed her downstairs. Everyone else was already seated at the dining table, and when they saw the twins approaching them, they couldn’t help but beam. Xavia had a pink dress on that emphasized her sweetness and femininity, whereas Jenna’s had a more masculine cut, though its pinkness still made her look like a fine woman. As for their hair, they had let them down on the sides of their shoulders, and both of them had pearl hair clips right next to their ears. Aside from the clothes, the two truly looked indistinguishable… “Mommy! Who is she? She looks a lot like you!” exclaimed Yulia. Smiling in response, Xavia replied, “She’s your Aunt Jenna, Yulia… And we look so si
Surprised to hear that, Xavia replied, “…Huh? What happened?” Watching as everyone turned to look at him as well, Ian sighed before saying, “Well… as you all already know, there’s a very slim chance that his legs will heal… Sure, there’s still a tiny possibility that he’ll make a successful recovery if things go well in the initial stages, but more likely than not, he’ll end up with a prosthesis…” Xavia had seen all sorts of prosthesis in blockbuster movies, and she was well aware of how advanced they now were. With that in mind, she was just about to celebrate when Ian suddenly added, “Now, I know you all think that that’s a good thing, but… We all know how prideful and stubborn that man can be. I’m not saying he won’t take the prosthesis, but… he’ll probably need some time to accept that potential fate.” “Just to be clear, I want to believe that he’ll successfully recover as much as all of you do, but… Optimism and reality are different things, and I just want all of you to rem
Fast forward to that night, the full story of Liam’s bombing attempt was finally released to the public under the hashtag of, ‘#Liam Burton, an explosive event!’ According to the article, Liam had abducted Xavia and her children to lure Zivon to the Burton Manor and kill all of them. It was also revealed that Liam had been the mastermind behind Wendy’s murder, and thankfully, the woman he had kidnapped wasn’t actually Xavia, but her maid, Jennie, in disguise. Though Liam attempted to turn the tide around by setting off all the mines at the last minute, James and Jacob had learned about his plans much earlier and replaced the explosives with duds. As for why the authorities had reported that Liam had died, it had only been done to smoke out the rest of Liam’s accomplices. Regardless, Liam was currently in prison, and also seriously injured because he tried very hard to resist arrest. As for Fred, he was currently comatose since he suffered a heavy blow to the head during his attem
“A truly pleasant surprise, wouldn’t you say, Young Master Burton?” said Nathan with a smile. He, for one, knew how guilty Zivon felt about Jenna’s ‘death’ so now that things had come to this… After clearing his throat, Nathan was prompted to add, “…You know, if Jenna could survive this ordeal, then a miracle with your legs shouldn’t be too hard to attain, right…?” Following a short pause, Zivon switched the tablet off before turning to look at Nathan as he said, “If one doesn’t have hope in the first place, then there will be zero room for disappointment.” “…Though that’s technically true, you should remember what you once told me… That one shouldn’t decide that something is set in stone until it is truly over… I’ve seen how strong you are throughout the years, Yong Master Burton, and I truly believe that you’ll succeed in healing this time too…” “…Unfortunately, things are different this time, and the odds are clearly stacked against me. That aside, you’ve been working for me
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