Pursing her lips, she meekly replied, “…I’m just not tired yet… Um… Want to go… Have a stroll down the beach?” Caught off guard by her request, it took him a while to smile before saying, “…Sure.” The night was a soothing one, and after watching the gentle waves crawl ashore for a while, the barefoot Fabiola eventually muttered, “…Since you got me so many gifts, I wonder if you’d like a fish in return…?” Not expecting this at all, Hanley replied, “…Yeah, that sounds nice.” Nodding in response, Fabiola then rolled her sleeves up before waddling into the deeper waters… Watching as she did so, Hanley couldn’t help but smile before saying, “Careful, Princess…” “No worries, I’m an expert in the water. And… There!” With one swift swipe, Fabiola grabbed onto the rainbow-colored fish before triumphantly lifting it in the air! “What a beauty! Maybe we should keep it as a pet instead!” Naturally, Hanley hadn’t expected her to actually catch it, and after staring affectionately
Watching as the hurt Hanley glared daggers at Neal, Fabiola yelled, “H-have you lost it…?! Why did you do that?!” Squinting at her, Neal retorted, “Have you not considered why I did that in the first place…?! Just what the hell were you thinking when you hugged him in the middle of the sea this late at night-” “Well, haven’t you and Wanda been doing the same?!” “Like hell we have! I haven’t even touched her before!” …What? Was that true? He didn’t seem like he was lying, so… Though she felt slightly troubled by this, she quickly shook her head before retorting, “…Even if that’s the case, that doesn’t give you the right to be so commanding and violent! Come on, Hanley! We’re patching your bruise up!” Watching as she began tugging Hanley back to shore, Neal couldn’t help but clench his fists… and shortly after, he grabbed her other hand while growling, “…And why wouldn’t I have the right to do so…?! You like me, don’t you?! Why the hell are you flirting with another man, then
...He… couldn’t refute any of that, but… He truly didn’t like her! He genuinely disliked how pushy she always was, and how her constant affection toward him had garnered him several unneeded enemies… Yet… Now that he actually thought about it… Hadn’t he secretly enjoyed all that…? His train of thought was cut short when his phone suddenly rang… It was Wanda again. Feeling irritated, he pressed the mute button before tossing his phone aside, leaving Jack slightly speechless… Following a short pause, he finally sighed before adding, “…Also, I don’t think you really like Wanda at all… Sure, you’ve treated her well, but… I have a feeling that you’re only doing all this out of responsibility… It’s literally clear as day that you’re head over heels for the princess. With that said, better act fast before you lose her forever…” Pursing his lips, Neal closed his eyes for a while… and after a moment had passed, he got to his feet and walked out, leaving Jack slightly speechless as he said
Clenching his fists, the man, who had been planning to hand Fabiola her breakfast, ultimately headed back to his own room… Fabiola herself was wondering how to even respond to all this when all of a sudden, a familiar voice could be heard calling out Neal’s name… and upon facing it, Fabiola realized that Wanda was now standing before them! Immediately feeling irked, she pushed Neal out of the room before growling, “…Go focus on that precious Wanda of yours and stop wasting my time!” Though Neal wanted to tell Fabiola to open up, the teary-eyed Wanda quickly hugged him tightly while whimpering, “T-to think that you had gone on a trip with her…! No wonder you didn’t want to answer any of my calls…! If you’re tired of me already, just kill me! That way, I won’t have to be in the way of you two anymore…!” Squinting slightly, Neal replied, “…Are you done? How many times have you threatened me with death? Is it fun for you?” Going slightly pale, the wide-eyed Wanda pursed her lips
With how much work Hanley had on his plate, he ended up staying busy for two entire days… and when he finally returned, exhausted, he was surprised to see Fabiola’s room empty. “…Where is she?” Upon hearing that, the butler respectfully replied, “Ah, she left on the day you returned, and she hasn’t returned since.” Frowning slightly, Hanley then stared at the gift that he had got for her for a while before eventually figuring that he may as well hand it to her personally. With that, he set off to find her… However, when he finally arrived at her villa, his gaze instantly darkened. After all, she was standing before Neal again! With how close the two were, they almost looked like a couple… and after clenching his fists, he drove off without another word. If only he had stayed a bit longer, he would’ve surely heard Fabiola ask, “…Why are you here? Didn’t we agree not to meet yet.” Though he knew that she needed time to process things, Neal took a deep breath before replying,
Not really understanding what he was implying, Fabiola simply nodded before happily gobbling down the food… While eating, however, a thought suddenly came to her… and after swallowing her food, she was prompted to say, “…Hey, Hanley…? Could we keep our marriage a secret for a bit longer?” Watching as Hanley froze, Fabiola quickly added, “You know, because my parents still don’t know about this yet… Sure, they respect my decisions, but… Marriage is still a pretty big deal, you know?” It took him a while, but he eventually placed a drumstick on her plate before saying, “Very well.” Not expecting him to agree so easily, the pleasantly surprised Fabiola was prompted to raise her champagne glass before replying, “I’m glad you understand… To our friendship!” As Fabiola began downing the wine in a single gulp, she failed to notice how bitter Hanley now looked. After all, she had specifically used the word, ‘friendship’… It was some time later when Hanley noticed how wobbly Fabiola
Though she wanted to text Hanley more than ever now, she really didn’t want to be a bother… Thankfully, the doorbell rang shortly after. That had to be him! Alas, when the excited woman arrived at the door, she was greeted by the sight of Neal in a suit! Thinking back, there was no reason for Hanley to ring his own home’s doorbell… What a let-down… Sensing her disappointment, Neal couldn’t help but squint before saying, “…Why didn’t you answer any of my calls? And why are you here, of all places? Did he threaten you to stay-” “He did not! I… I chose to come here and be by his side.” “…Why don’t you be by my side instead? Speaking of which, the new mall is opening today, so if you want, I could take you there-” “Just… stop.” “…What? Refusing to answer my confession wasn’t enough? You aren’t even willing to hang out anymore?” It took her a while, but she eventually sighed before muttering, “…Fine. I’ll go.” She was going to be depressed if she stayed here alone anyway, so
Following that, he continued walking off, leaving Fabiola momentarily too stunned to even react. After all, he was always so gentle with her, yet… Just as she was about to chase after him, Neal grabbed her by the wrist before saying, “…What did you mean by that, Fabiola? That aside, stop sticking by that jerk’s side-” “Neal. I… I need to talk to him, so leave me alone,” interrupted Fabiola before continuing to run after Hanley, leaving Neal speechless. To think that she would prioritize that man over him… How depressing! As he was pursing his lips, he began wondering if this was how Fabiola had felt in the past… Every time he had rejected her… Had they all hurt this badly? Clenching his fists, he swore to himself that he would no longer do such things to her again… Moving back to Fabiola, she ended up silently following Hanley for a while… and in the end, she couldn’t help but mutter, “…Are… you mad…? That aside, I really have been waiting for you this entire time, you know…? I