Hadn’t he just returned? What had he even done to offend her? It took him a while, but he eventually replied, “…Are you mad because I haven’t been calling…?” Gently patting her toner on her cheeks, Tiffany simply said, “As if I’ve ever been mad at you for going on missions.” …That was true… She had always done the house chores properly, and she was great with the kids as well… She truly was a capable wife, so… Really, why was she so mad? Following another short pause, Ian asked, “…Then… is it because I didn’t return immediately after landing? If so, you should know that I was busy tending to Chace, Zayne, and the kids…” Smirking in response, Tiffany then tossed a pillow at him before scoffing, “Wrong answer, Mr. Frankston. With that said, either choose to sleep on the floor or couch tonight.” …What? She had never behaved this way before, so… What had spurred this change in attitude? Unsure how to take all this, he gave her a hug before saying, “…Why don’t you just tell me wha
...What? Was he seriously asking for a divorce after just three days? When she had been suffering by his side for almost three entire years…?! If only he knew how much she had told herself not to overthink throughout their time together…! If only he knew how inconsiderate he had been toward her feelings this entire time…! Feeling both disappointed and dejected, the irked woman replied, “…Fine, then! We’ll get that divorce! I’ll be setting off at seven tomorrow morning for a business trip, so should we settle this now or when I come back?” …Was she for real? He had only said that as an example! Rubbing his temples, Ian muttered, “…You know I didn’t mean it that way-” “Doesn’t matter. The fact that you brought that example up already speaks volumes!” interrupted Tiffany as she turned to leave. Grabbing her hand, Ian pulled her back… but when he saw that her eyes were all watery, he couldn’t help but purse his lips before replying, “…Look, I… I just want to know what caused this c
Fast forward to later that night, Ian gathered Zivon and his brothers over to discuss Tiffany… “Any idea what the issue is? I don’t think I’ve changed how I treated her ever since we got married, so… Really, what’s her problem? Sure, I didn’t tell her about the injuries, but it was because I didn’t want her to worry since she already has a lot on her plate. I really don’t think that alone would make her sad enough to bring up a divorce…” “As they say, women are enigmas, and there’s always a chance that she got mad for no reason,” replied Jacob who still remembered how preposterous ‘that’ woman had treated him… Zivon himself replied, “Whether you did something wrong or not, the fact remains that you made her sad by doing something she doesn’t like.” “…It’s really no wonder why Sister looks up to you so much… Regardless, any idea why she’s so mad at Ian, then? We have a marriage to save!” said James. Looking hopefully at Zivon, Ian added, “Please share any ideas you have…” Ta
“Women prefer rational resolutions, so… Words won’t cut it. If you really want to save your marriage, then let go of Lana. In fact, it would be even better if she got married.” Naturally, this shocked the Frankston brothers! Did such a drastic step need to be taken? Despite their shock, Zivon added, “Listen, it’s not suitable for her to be around a married man all the time, and even if Ian somehow manages to appease her this time without letting Lana off, I can safely say that history will repeat itself if the main issue isn’t solved. I’ve learned from experience, so if you want to go through the same pain as I have, feel free to ignore my advice.” …True enough, Zivon had been surrounded by all sorts of evil women… and though Lana wasn’t anywhere as extreme, who was to say that… It took him a while, but Ian eventually got to his feet and walked off, prompting James and Jacob to exchange silent gazes before looking at Zivon and muttering, “…You really understand everything there
As Wade was left speechless, he couldn’t help but look at the emotionless Sophia who was still straightening her hair. If only he had considered her mental state before bringing that woman home back then…! Either way, since Zivon knew that he wasn’t going to get an answer from her, he set off once more to start looking for more clues. Naturally, he didn’t take Xavia along as she had suffered enough. Instead, he told her to prioritize taking care of Yulia. He didn’t allow Ian to help either, telling him to instead prioritize patching up his relationship with Tiffany. At the same time, he could protect Xavia during his absence as well… Zivon didn’t take no for an answer, and though Xavia really wanted to follow, she ultimately heeded his words… Watching the two working together made Mr. and Mrs. Frankston pleased, though at the same time… It hurt to see them suffer so much. Just why couldn’t they enjoy simpler lives…? Hopefully that dream could turn into a reality once Fabiola was
“You’ve been given many years to figure things out, Ian! How much longer do I have to wait?!” “…I know you’ve had it rough, and I agree that this is all my fault, but… This is my first marriage, and also the first time that I’ve upset you this much… I lack knowledge on how to deal with such situations, so… Would it kill to be a little more patient with me…? I didn’t fire you after your first mistake at work, right…?” “…Are you seriously comparing your work life with our marriage?” “I’m saying that I should at least be given a second chance to make things right again.” “…Sign the papers.” “No,” replied Ian as he shredded the documents and tossed them into the bin. Following that, he looked straight into her eyes before adding, “You can ask for anything but a divorce.” “Fine. Let’s make a ‘separation’ instead, then. Or would you prefer the term, ‘annulment’?” “…Have you always had this sharp tongue?” “Ian, I rarely make a fuss, but when I do, I make sure I hit the headlin
Getting to his feet, Ian replied, “No, I’m the one who handled things poorly. That aside… I’ll have to let you go from today onward. Please find happiness elsewhere. I’m sorry…” Knowing what needed to be done, Lana ultimately nodded before saying, “…Will do. I won’t cause any more misunderstandings for you two…” Following that, she left the room… and once he was all alone again, Ian couldn’t help but rub his temples. He knew it was equally as wrong to order her to change her life like that, but… This was necessary if he wanted his wife back. After giving Lana a better position to compensate for her loss, Ian sighed before heading to school to pick his daughter up… Upon arriving, he quickly got out of the car to survey the area… and finally, he found her car. Without any hesitation, he walked up to it and entered the car, leaving Tiffany speechless. What the hell was this man doing? That aside… she was expecting him not to show up in the first place, so what gave? Before she c
Watching as she glared daggers at him, Ian cleared his throat before saying, “…Anyway, school is over, so we should pick Luna up.” Before Tiffany could reply, the three-year-old child ran up to them while exclaiming, “How nice of you to finally join Mommy to pick me up, Daddy! These are my parents, Teacher! Aren’t they super attractive?!” …The child truly had inherited her mother’s beauty and bold personality… Smiling as he picked her up, Ian replied, “Hey, don’t brag too much, alright?” “I mean, it’s not like I got a chance to do it before… You should know that they used to call you ugly because you never showed up! I’m glad I can finally prove them wrong today!” grumbled the child, leaving Ian slightly speechless. That aside… It was true that he had never picked Luna up from school before, and it made him realize just what a bad parent he was… After returning to the car, he couldn’t help but say, “…I’m sorry for neglecting both you and our children back then, Tiffany…” “…
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