Before Xavia could walk off, Zivon quickly pulled her back into his arms and said, “Hey, I was only showing my concern.” “Yeah, right…” “…That sounds like a challenge to me…” “…Don’t you dare-” As an onslaught of moans began taking place shortly after, Ian and Tiffany couldn’t help but exchange awkward glances… Tiffany was only here because she had spent quite a bit of time with the babies before this, and she wanted to give Xavia a celebratory gift. Never could she have expected to bump into the couple making out… It didn’t help that when she tried to leave, she saw Ian staring at her from a distance! What was with her insane bad luck?! It took her a while, but she eventually muttered, “…I… Think we should leave them be.” Watching as the blushing woman quickly turned to leave, Ian couldn’t help but facepalm in his embarrassment as well. He was only here because he wanted to put the children in bed after they fell asleep… What was with this timing…? Shaking his head, he
Naturally, her comment instantly made Ian glower at her! The nerve…! Tiffany herself was starting to regret what she had said. Damn it, her nervousness had caused her even more trouble! Not wanting to deal any further damage, she quickly took a deep breath and said, “S-sorry, I’ll be taking my leave first!” Following that, Tiffany bolted off, leaving Ian too flabbergasted to even react for a while… When he finally snapped out of it, however, he clenched his fists before calmly returning to his car and ordering the driver to bring him back to the palace. Throughout the journey home, the icy man couldn’t help but ponder Tiffany’s words. Honestly, he had to admit that she was rather seductive, and this was genuinely the first time he had ever wanted to possess someone this greatly… What an odd feeling… Regardless, when he finally arrived at the palace, he was immediately greeted by the sight of two familiar faces… They were Jovan and Lana. “…You two are finally back?” Nodding
Despite all the praises, Tiffany couldn’t help but lower her gaze once Ian was out of sight. It had been over a month since the last time they properly interacted, and though she had initially assumed that he’d be mad at her, he was now acting like they were complete strangers… For him to behave this calmly… It was clear that she simply wasn’t significant enough for him to bother with, right…? Her train of thought was cut short when she saw Ian getting into a nearby car… revealing Lana inside. From the looks of it, they were having quite a friendly conversation… and after staring for a while, Tiffany couldn’t help but purse her lips. Come to think of it, he had never talked to her in that manner before throughout her time working with him… …Was it because he was in love with Lana? That had to be the case, right? Hell, he had probably treated her so badly before this because he was frustrated with Lana leaving him! So that was the truth…! Smiling wryly, she shook her head and atte
Noticing that, Zivon was just about to ask what was wrong when Xavia quickly sat up and replied, “Got it. I’ll be right there immediately!” After hanging up, she turned to look at Zivon before muttering, “So… Tiffany got drunk at a bar, and she was almost taken away by two men… We need to take her home.” “…Why call you of all people?” “The bartender had no idea who to call, so he simply called the last person she had called on her call records…” …That made sense… Shaking his head, Zivon replied, “…Let Ian do this instead.” “…Huh? But why- Oh. You’re right! This is the prime opportunity for us to bring them together!” Sure, Ian wasn’t into Tiffany yet, but as they said, feelings could always be nurtured through interaction… Either way, she quickly told Ian about the news… Speaking of Ian, he had been close to falling asleep when he received the call from Xavia… But the second he learned about the situation, he instantly shot up and began changing into a presentable set of
“S-Sir Ian?! Why are you- Wait. Why… Why am I at home?!” exclaimed the flabbergasted woman who clearly remembered that she had been drinking in a bar last night. Looking at the disheveled woman, Ian, who hadn’t slept a wink last night, was prompted to reply, “You were almost taken away by some men, and you were only saved because the bartender stepped in. As for how I learned about this, the bartender called Xavia, who in turn told me about this.” …So that was the case… Xavia had probably done that to bring them closer together, but… To think that Ian had actually agreed. Wasn’t this man far too busy to be taking care of her? Feeling her heart race, Tiffany took a deep breath before saying, “…T-thanks… Sorry for causing you so much trouble…” “…I don’t find it troubling to help you, but I really dislike how you handled yourself. You’re a woman, for heaven’s sake. You should know better than to get drunk alone! Even if you had a fight with your partner, you should at least have cal
“…I mean, we don’t even know when we’ll die, so… It’s better to just say what we have pent up in our hearts…” muttered Tiffany, instantly causing Ian’s eyes to widen even further. It took him a while, but he eventually nodded before turning to leave… Once he was out of sight, Tiffany couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. Come to think of it, who was she to be giving such advice when she couldn’t even do the same herself…? How laughable… Moving back to Ian, he eventually ended up meeting up with Xavia and Zivon to ask for advice on how to confess. After all, he had never actually done it before… Naturally, his question came as a surprise to the two. Xavia, for one, found herself wondering how she and Zivon had ended up getting together in the first place. After all, their love journey had been unconventional at best… Really, the only thing that still clearly came to mind was the fact that he had promised to go the extra mile for her as long as she took a single step toward her…
Snapping out of it when she heard that, Xavia then shook her head before asking, “That’s right… Who are you planning to confess to again?” …Was that really important? Still, he knew that he wouldn’t get an answer without first being frank, so he simply sighed before telling them the entire story… Once he was done, the delighted Xavia was quick to exclaim, “T-that’s great! Tiffany is a swell woman, and I really like her! To think that she’ll be my sister-in-law soon! Anyway, you got this, Brother! Just shower her with gifts and flowers and I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful impression on her! Oh, and be sure to choose a proper place and use heartfelt words when you confess! Women absolutely love that!” “Indeed. Honestly, she seems like she’d love red roses, though… Maybe that’s a bit too old-fashioned. Be sure to get a bit creative with that info,” added Zivon, causing Ian to frown. He had to prepare gifts? And choose a meaningful location? Was he confessing or taking a test? Mo
...W-what?! What was he even talking about?! Watching as the frantic woman attempted to pull him to his feet, Ian simply pursed his lips before adding, “…I admit that I’m not exactly a romance God, and that I have very little time to be with any potential partners… My straightforwardness and awkward timing today are good examples of that. Also, I may not be able to find time for birthdays or anniversaries and such, which automatically labels me as a pretty bad lover…” “…Even if we get married, I don’t think I can announce your identity to the public for fear of backlash, and… Well… You’ll definitely be sad if you choose to be with me… With all that said… Will you still agree to say yes? I should warn you that I’ll never allow a divorce, so be sure to think properly before you answer…” Feeling more confused than ever, the perplexed Tiffany eventually replied, “…A-are you using me for drill practice, Sir Ian…?” “…What? No, I’m literally proposing to you now.” …What? What the fu
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