It wasn’t long before they saw the majestic structure again… and following a squint, Zivon gestured to his team, prompting the men to nod before opening the hatch… Diving straight into the water, Zivon swiftly began swimming toward the structure. Ian followed shortly after, but before he could get too close, he watched as Zivon pointed back at the submarine before continuing to swim off… …Was that his way of saying that he should stay on board? Knowing better than to go against that man’s orders, all Ian could do was sigh before returning to the underwater vehicle… Unbeknownst to the prince, Zivon had done that for a good reason. See, not only was he worried that this was another one of Sophia’s traps, he also really didn’t want the others to see the kids if they had been badly harmed… After all, that would surely be heart-breaking. Shaking his head, Zivon continued swimming closer and closer to the structure… and once he was close enough, he removed his glove and placed his pa
Moving on to Ian, he couldn’t help but worry since Zivon hadn’t given a status report in a while. Noticing that, Jovan was prompted to say, “…If Sophia was inside, then I’m sure Young Master Burton would be able to easily handle her. With that said, since it’s taken quite a while-” “Sometimes it’s better not to state your mind!” snapped Ian before glaring at his programmer and saying, “You there! Show us what he’s seeing!” Nodding in response, the programmer quickly accessed the cameras that had been installed into Zivon’s diving suit… but to their surprise, everything was white! Was that smoke? Quickly putting two and two together, Ian got up and yelled, “Damn it, he’s in trouble…!” Watching as Ian bolted out, Jovan quickly attempted to pull him back… but he was too late. Ian was already swimming toward the hatch as quickly as a speeding bullet! Slamming the copy of Zivon’s palm print (that they had earlier made) against the hatch, it slowly began sliding open… and the next
Though that went without saying, Ian forced himself to remain calm as he replied, “…I see. Zivon was just sent to the hospital, so… Let’s head there now.” Shortly after, all of them arrived at the hospital… and to nobody’s surprise, the doctors were all frantically trying to save his life in the emergency room. Zivon’s face was now as pale as a sheet, and right next to him was a waste paper basket filled to the brim with tissues stained with black blood! It was a truly terrifying sight… and it was almost half an hour later when Zayne and the other doctors finally left the room. Following a heavy sigh, Zayne muttered, “…He was so close to dying… Really, had he not taken precautions before you saved him, he could very well be dead by now…” Pursing his lips, the worried Ian asked, “…And how is he looking now?” “…His condition has stabilized, though… I’m sure you already know how potent that poison was. Honestly, it’ll be lucky if he lasts for two more days… That vile bitch really
“Hey, remember how Xavia’s blood was able to save Jenna and Stefan? Maybe giving Zivon some of her rare blood could slow down the process!” Eyes widening when he heard that, Ian eventually replied, “…It’s worth a shot. I’ll call her over right now!” With that, everyone quickly got to work… Ian immediately contacted the traffic bureau to get Jenna over as quickly as possible, whereas Zayne contacted Matthew to get him to participate in the process as well. If anyone knew the ins and outs of Xavia’s body, it was that man… It didn’t take long for Jenna to arrive, and as expected, she didn’t hesitate at all to donate her blood. After all, she had already sworn to give her life to both Zivon and Xavia before this. Fast forward to the next day, Zivon was looking much better, though… Following a sigh, Matthew was prompted to mutter, “…Young Master Burton’s case is much more complicated than I expected…” “…Elaborate.” “Truth be told, with the amount of gas that he had inhaled bac
Just as she was about to pout a little, Ian noticed her and quickly walked up to his beloved wife… and after giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead, he was prompted to say, “Did the kids make a fuss last night…? I’m sorry, I’ll be back in a few days but for now I need to return to the hospital again… Zivon is once again in critical condition.” Upon hearing that, she no longer felt the urge to be mean, and after fixing his tie a little, she sighed and muttered, “Alright… I’ll handle things at home, so be sure to take care of yourself too at the hospital, alright?” “I will,” replied Ian as he kissed her forehead again before packing some clothes for Zivon. Before he left, however, he headed to the bed that Xavia was still lying on… and after a brief pause, he was prompted to say, “Hey, Zivon got poisoned while attempting to rescue the kids, so since he’s been hospitalized, he won’t be able to visit for a while… Until then, please continue fighting, alright…?” He knew that sayin
Before Zayne could ask why that was, Jenna beat him to it and asked, “What do you mean by that?” Why was the blood transfusion, of all things, the issue? Following a sigh, Zivon calmly replied, “I figured that this would be a problem, but quite frankly, just small doses of blood transfusions won’t cut it. The poison is killing me faster than your blood can heal me, and if change is to be expected, then I’ll have to get a massive amount of fresh blood… The problem is, a person can only receive so much new blood in a day, which ultimately means that I probably only have three days left to live.” As the rest fell silent, Jenna quickly yelled, “N-no! We can’t let that happen! Don’t worry, I’ll just continue giving you more blood then-” “Jenna. Did you not hear what he said? Even if you somehow manage to give him the sufficient amount of blood to counter the poison, taking that much would probably still kill him…” interrupted Zayne with a heavy sigh. It took him a while, but he even
“…What? But her blood is the same as Jenna’s, and since her blood clearly doesn’t work…” “Her blood is different. Compared to Jenna’s blood, Xavia’s is stronger and has greater healing effects. I know because of all the times I’ve had to handle blood transfusions for her, and I can safely say that had her blood been on the same level as Jenna’s, then Stefan wouldn’t be alive today. Anyway, you get my point. There’s hope for Young Master Burton yet!” Though startled by that revelation, everyone quickly went on board with the idea. “Well… Since Zivon was planning on heading back anyway, we may as well go with him!” said Ian. “Agreed. Just give me a moment to pack some medical equipment and we’ll be good to go,” added Zayne as he rushed off… About an hour later, when they finally arrived at the grand villa together… and upon entering the building, Zivon couldn’t help but sigh. Sure, the house was fancy and he was surrounded by family and friends, but…Without Xav and the kids, it
“…She can’t carry out a blood transfusion in her current state!” Naturally, everyone was shocked to hear that! Yasmin, in particular, was so devastated that she nearly fell to the floor! Thankfully, Homer caught her in time… and after a brief pause, he was prompted to ask, “…Why is that? Isn’t Xavia healthy?” “…Though it seems that way, she’s only able to remain in that state because her body is regulating itself… If we draw blood from her now, her body could potentially go into shock, leading to… Well, you know. Regardless, the only way to safely draw her blood is to wait till she’s awake…” …As if that was an option after how long she had been comatose… But if she didn’t wake up, then Zivon would surely die! There really was no winning in this situation…! With how depressing the thought was, Yasmin fainted for real this time, and though everyone began panicking, Ian forced himself to remain calm as he said, “…Dad! Bring her back to her room for now… And Tiffany? Get Lana to gi
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