“…Am I just expected to wait for a chance for her to wake up, then…?!” “…A-about that… There’s a chance that she may turn into a full vegetable if this goes on for long enough… B-but that’s the worst-case scenario, so…!” “…What did you say…?!” growled the infuriated Ian as he crashed a vase onto the floor! “Ian, calm down…” muttered the worried Tiffany. “How am I expected to calm down when all this bullshit is happening…?! I knew it! I shouldn’t have sent them off without guards…!” howled Ian, prompting Tiffany to purse her lips before hugging him tightly. “…Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll wake up. Speaking of which, I heard the doctor saying that Zivon’s condition had stabilized… Maybe he’ll be able to bring her back once he’s up?” “Y-you heard correct, and that’s a great idea! I’m sure he’ll be able to help!” replied the doctor. “Then what are you waiting for…?! Go make sure he wakes up as soon as possible, then!” retorted Ian, prompting the frightened doctor to nod before
Shortly after, Zivon was wheeled to Xavia’s ward… and with his intravenous drip still attached to his arm, the people he passed by couldn’t help but sigh. After all, even though he had just escaped the maws of death, his priority was still his wife… What a truly loving couple… Either way, when Zivon finally saw the unconscious Xavia with her oxygen mask attached, an immense pressure began building around him. Noticing that familiar pressure, Ian quickly looked up and realized that Zivon was finally up. Before he could say a word, however, one of the doctors was quick to say, “Young Master Burton awoke about five minutes ago, and his first order was for us to bring him over!” Pursing his lips, Ian replied, “…Though I did urge you to wake up sooner, at least go through a full-body examination first before coming over-” “No need for that,” interrupted the determined man, causing Ian to sigh. There was nothing he could do to change that man’s mind, huh? Shaking his head, Ian then
Zivon was rightfully angry. After all, he had been trying his best to lay low throughout the past years, but now that something like this had happened…! There was no way that he could remain calm! As the doctors and nurses trembled in fear, Ian himself couldn’t help but sigh… and eventually, he patted Zivon’s shoulder before saying, “…Your health is just as important as her situation, so don’t push yourself too much, alright? Also, I agree that there’s a chance that the kids could still be alive, so we’ll double our search efforts. You can help, but only after resting here for five more days. Following that, we’ll both make sure that Xavia wakes up in the end!” With that said, Ian headed off to look for more clues, leaving Zivon behind in the ward… It took him a while, but Zivon eventually ordered, “…Put the two beds together.” “R-right away, Young Master Burton!” After doing as he was ordered, the doctor quickly left the ward with the other nurses, turning the room silent ag
Eventually, there came a point where Zivon approached her in her dream, asking why she had been doing everything behind the scenes. Naturally, she immediately attempted to distance herself from him. After all, if he came any closer, then history would surely repeat itself… However, her yearning for him made her dream about him calling out to her every night… If only she knew that that was what the real Zivon had been doing this entire time! Regardless, it was stormy one night in her dreams, and after he escorted her home, she couldn’t resist asking him to stay the night… And that eventually led to them sleeping together. She simply couldn’t help herself… So be it if they were met with danger again! She’d simply have to love him even more than ever to prevent anything bad from happening to him again! Alas, the more she fell for the Zivon in her dreams, the further she got from actually waking up again… “…We’re sorry, Young Master Burton, but she’s been unconscious for almost thr
“Remember what the doctor said? Xav’s body is fine, it’s just her mentality that’s preventing her from waking again. Naturally, we can’t get her to talk to a psychiatrist in her current state, but… Maybe a hypnotist can help. I’ve researched all night, and I’ve managed to locate a senior hypnotist living abroad. I plan to hire her in person, so… Yeah,” concluded Zivon. …That… That could actually work…! Why hadn’t he thought of that before?! Now seeing a glimmer of hope again, Ian replied, “…Thank God for your brilliant mind… Alright, don’t worry. I’ll be sure to take care of everything while you’re gone.” “We’ll help too!” added James, Jacob, and Tiffany. Nodding in response, Zivon replied, “Actually, before I leave… There’s something else that must be done.” “Go on…” “Get Jenna home in secret and have her pretend to be Xavia. Oh, and before you release the fake news to the public, be sure to transfer Xavia into a private treatment room, just to maintain the illusion.” Unde
Moving back to Zivon, he and Jenna soon touched down in the foreign country, and they were quickly sent to a hotel in a private car… Upon arriving at their room, Jenna couldn’t help but look at the lonely man before saying, “…Don’t worry, your plan is excellent, Young Master Burton… I’m sure that Fiona will be feeling extremely restless now, and we’ll have her right in our trap in no time. With that said… Be sure to rest up so that you’ll have the energy to face them then, alright…?” Watching as she handed him a box of sleeping aids, Zivon eventually replied, “I appreciate the concern, but you don’t have to worry about me. Be sure to get some rest yourself.” After saying that, Zivon opened his luggage bag and took out a tiny camera which he then attached to one of the paintings in the room… Raising a slight brow, Jenna replied, “…Are you worried that Fiona will strike while we’re asleep.” “No, she knows me well enough to not act overly rashly… I’m simply doing this to prove t
“Don’t waste your time, Young Master Burton… Our lady has already declined meeting you, and she won’t be changing her mind anytime soon…” Naturally, Zivon’s gaze instantly fell upon hearing that… But though the maids then politely gestured for him to leave, he simply began walking straight toward the manor! Frightened by his actions, the anxious maids quickly ran after him while saying, “Y-Young Master Burton, please…! You’re making things difficult for us!” “Indeed! Oh dear… Lady Ellen will surely be mad…!” “W-we’re sorry, Lady Ellen! We did our best to stop him…!” It didn’t take long for Zivon to come across the woman who was dressed fully in white… and after putting her coffee down, she gestured for her maids to leave. Gulping slightly, the maids quickly bowed before leaving the room… and now that they were alone, Zivon immediately said, “Apologies for the intrusion, Miss Ellen, but please understand that I’m here to save my wife. With that said, we can either do things
On that same day, Zivon flew back to Aplos… and the second they touched down, Ellen wasn’t even given a second to rest before she was dragged over to meet Xavia… Looking at all the hopeful gazes from the Frankstons and Xavia’s friends, Ellen couldn’t help but purse her lips. Was she seriously going to do this for the sake of that man who had threatened to kill her just earlier that day? Turning to look at Zivon, she was surprised to see him holding Xavia’s hand extremely gently. Come to think of it, his wife had been the only thing on his mind this entire time, and his attitude toward others had been far different… Maybe… he was worth her attention after all? It took her a while, but she eventually made up her mind to help these two reunite. With that, she began her treatment… Fast forward to half an hour later, Ellen finally appeared before the family again… and though they kept asking her how things had gone, she found herself unable to reply. “…Just tell us the truth,” sai
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