Shocked by all this, the old woman peeked outside to see what was going on… and when she felt like something was off, she immediately attempted to run! However, before she could even enter her house again, a shot pierced through her good leg, instantly causing her to howl in pain before falling to the ground! By this point, Fabiola had run out as well… and it didn’t take long for her to see them. Her three, heroic-looking uncles! She truly was getting rescued…! As the toy in her hand fell to the ground, Xavia and Zivon couldn’t help but tear up a little. It was their girl…! Their beautiful girl…! Immediately running up to her, the overjoyed mother exclaimed, “It really is you…! Fabiola, I promise never to let you out of my sight again…!” “I… I’m sorry for taking so long to find you, Fabiola…! Daddy’s so sorry…! I swear that from today onward, you’ll never have to face danger ever again…!” added the guilty man, instantly causing Fabiola’s heart to throb. They… These were her t
“I made sure to repeat to myself every night before bed that I was a little princess who had two brothers, a sister, two loving grandparents, and many aunts and uncles… Thankfully, you were all able to find me again!” Upon hearing that, Xavia had to try her best not to cry again. Oh, she truly didn’t deserve to have such a wonderful daughter…! Holding her child’s hand, Xavia then said, “…We’ve been looking for you this entire time, and we’re glad that you’re finally home again… Our precious little baby girl…” Following that conversation, the smiling Zivon left the room… only to be greeted by the sight of Nathan waiting for him outside. “Congratulations, Young Master Burton! Really, had you not suggested that we start saving kidnapped children, we may never have found her… Putting that aside, what should we do with Joseph and that woman?” Squinting slightly, the man’s infamous icy aura flared up as he growled, “…Put them in jail first… I’m making sure that they live the rest of
Sniffling in response, Fabiola then looked up… and when she saw the black wig with ribbons on it, her eyes instantly widened! What a beautiful wig…! Smiling when he saw her expression, Zivon then gently attached it to her head before saying, “Like it? If you don’t, Daddy has many other designs…” Smiling widely when she saw herself in the mirror, Fabiola replied, “No… This is perfect… I… I finally have nice hair again…!” Fighting the urge to purse his lips, Zivon smiled subtly as he patted the pitiful child’s head… Oh, if only he could take back all the pain inflicted onto her… Shaking his head, he then turned to look at Yulia before saying, “…Would you like one too, Yulia?” It was clear to Xavia that Zivon was doing this not only because he knew Yulia would like the idea, but also because he didn’t want Fabiola to feel left out for being different… This man truly was on a whole other level… Fast forward to a few days later, it was already New Year’s Eve, and snow had nearly
Once dinner was over, everyone headed to the balcony to enjoy the fireworks… and as expected, it was a truly glorious sight. Looking at how excited the children were, Xavia couldn’t help but smile… but shortly after, she felt a hand touching her shoulder. That warm, familiar hand of her charming man… Maybe it was the wine, but he looked extra perfect tonight… and in the end, she couldn’t help but mutter, “…You’re getting more handsome by the day, you know…?” Raising a slight brow, Zivon replied, “…How am I supposed to react to that, hmm…?” Chuckling slightly, Xavia then said, “No need to… I’m just stating the truth… I really love you, you know…?” Zivon did, and he couldn’t help but smile as he stared at his beautiful wife… Kissing her on the cheek, Zivon then asked, “Speaking of which, I recall you had your eyes on a pink necklace while we were out shopping with the family yesterday… Did you get it?” Shaking her head, Xavia replied, “Nope. Sure, it was beautiful, but jewelr
Regardless, though the fireworks were scheduled to continue way past midnight, the kids were already starting to get sleepy, so Xavia made sure to take the kids back to their rooms… but before putting them into bed, she handed out some red packets to them and said, “Here, kids… Your new year gifts…” Since Frank and Fabiola were still relatively young, they honestly had no real concept of the importance of this tradition yet… and in the end, they simply exchanged glances before asking, “Um… What is this for, actually…? Is there something special with the money today…?” Chuckling in response, Xavia then cleared her throat before saying, “Once upon a time, there was a small demon who would always attack kids on New Year’s Eve… So to stop that mean demon from having its way anymore, we now give out money since it seems to be afraid of good fortune…” “Yeah! To be extra safe, consider putting the packets under our pillows! That way, we’ll be one hundred percent safe!” added Yulia, prom
Though Zivon made sure not to work throughout the New Year, that didn’t mean that he remained idle. If anything, he was extra busy since he made sure to spend every second that he had with his family… and in the end, it was only on the ninth day after New Year that he finally replied to Zayne’s missed call. “Sorry, why’d you call back then?” Squinting slightly, Zayne replied, “…Have you forgotten our annual New Year gathering? The one you attend without fail before all this? Seriously, I know family is important but come on…” Though it was true that they had always hung out like that every new year in the past, Zivon eventually replied, “…Are we still not friends even if I miss out on our little meeting? Besides, you two are married as well, so spend more time with your families… We can just meet if something comes up.” …What? Was he seriously suggesting that they only met whenever there was an emergency?! Dolly was one thing, but Zivon too?! Now increasingly irked, Zayne rubbe
After putting the karaoke mic aside, Zayne got to his feet before saying, “…Alright, let’s start the little game… Everyone, put your phones on the table. If any of your wives call you, then you may leave.” Raising a slight brow, Jacob replied, “…I’m not even married yet-” “Then just stay and observe,” interrupted Zayne, leaving Jacob slightly speechless. Why the hell was he even invited, then?! Zivon himself, who usually headed home on his own without waiting for Xavia to call, was prompted to ask, “Why are we doing this again?” “Indeed! And here I was expecting something fun!” grumbled Chace, prompting Zayne to chuckle before saying, “I just wanted to see whether I’d be the loser in the end, that’s all…” …Wait… Was he having problems with his wife? Was this what it was all about? Following a long sigh, Chace muttered, “…You’re only hurting yourself more by doing this, you know? After all, Bianca gets antsy whenever I come home late now…” “Tiffany has gotten a lot clingie
After drinking another glass of wine, Zayne finally added, “Honestly, I’ve already asked several other men about this, and… it seems that all of them are in the same boat as we are. Basically, though our wives may have wanted our full attention at the start, once the kids came into the picture… Well, we’ll practically be nothing to them if this goes on. Makes you wonder whether the marriage was for us or for the kids…” “…You’re exaggerating.” “Right? Just as Zivon said, they’re probably being extra lenient since they know who we’re hanging around with…” Upon hearing that, Zayne replied, “You don’t know that? Regardless, since things have come to this, let’s make a bet to see whether they still care or not!” Before the others could ask what he meant, he called in a group of beauties and handed them some glasses… and once that was done, he took a video of them together before posting it online! “Now, we wait,” said Zayne with a chuckle, much to the dismay of all the other men.
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