Sensing her confusion, Hanley sighed before adding, “…Basically, I didn’t like how close you were to him during my absence… And I don’t like you talking about him either.” …Oh. So that was why he behaved that way… After a brief pause, she lowered her gaze before muttering, “…Sorry, I… I’ve just gotten so used to him that I didn’t think too far ahead when I was hanging out with him… Don’t worry, we didn’t do anything…” Pleased to hear that, Hanley slowly smiled as he replied, “…I see. I apologize for jumping the gun, then… Please punish me as you see fit. Perhaps you could choose something for me to kneel on? I can do it in public if you’d like.” Left momentarily speechless by how absurd his words were, Fabiola eventually chuckled before saying, “…There’s really no need to go that far since you sound so sincere… Still, that doesn’t mean that you’re free from punishment.” “Go on…” replied Hanley in a tone that suggested that he would go to the moon for her. “Hmm… You’ll need
Feeling like she had just been gutted, the trembling woman struggled to say, “…W-what…? I… Y-you’re joking, right…? It’s just a cruel joke, right…?! I… I saved you…! You should love me…! I-” “Stop. Just… Stop it. It’s exactly because you saved me that I’m giving you this chance to escape… Now that you’ve assaulted Fabiola, Young Master Burton will surely have your head if news about this gets out… With that said, be good, take this ticket, and leave…” Knowing how much Young Master Burton loved his wife and daughter, Wanda couldn’t help but shudder… And after a while, she took a deep breath and said, “…Fine. I’ll leave for now… But don’t you even think about cutting ties with me…! You’re mine, now and forever…! I’ll be back one day…!” Fast forward to the next day, Fabiola could be seen enjoying some snacks and coffee at home with Hanley by her side. They were watching a movie that included plenty of panoramic scenes… and once the movie was over, Fabiola couldn’t help but say, “…Sa
Though shocked by his actions… Fabiola honestly found it more shocking that she didn’t feel touched at all… Unsure how to feel about all this, she figured that she may as well tell him to get up first… But before she could do so, he suddenly flopped to the ground! Understandably anxious, she immediately lifted him in her arms before bolting off to the nearest hospital… and since they were in a public area, it made sense for the people there to start talking about it online! ‘#Young Master Xenos leaps into river in search of his lover’s ring!’ ‘#A proposal to the princess!’ ‘It’s finally happening…! He’s finally heads over heels for her, and the fact that he was willing to risk his life for that ring proves it…!’ ‘Right?! It’s already been written in stone that they will end up together, and I’m glad it’s now official!’ ‘Wedding bells! Wedding bells!’ Though many were happy with this turn of events, Hanley, who had just heard about the news, couldn’t help but squint for th
Though startled by his sudden proposal, Fabiola eventually took a deep breath before saying, “…Sorry, but I refuse.” “…What? Why? Is it because of Wanda? Because if it is, then don’t worry. I-” “She isn’t the problem anymore,” interrupted Fabiola who had genuinely thought long and hard about her situation. After hours upon hours of considering her situation, she realized that she no longer held any expectations for him… Even she didn’t understand when it happened, but… That was simply the reality of the situation. Naturally, Neal wanted to continue talking about it… However, Fabiola simply raised her hand and said, “…That’s enough. Just… Go home… I’m tired…” Though he was understandably bummed by the rejection, it was true that she looked rather exhausted… and in the end he shook his head before gently replying, “…Alright, get some sleep first… I’ll come by again tomorrow.” After he had left, Fabiola couldn’t help but flop onto her bed, exhausted… Damn it… She really wanted t
...So he was aware, huh? Watching as she looked the other way, Hanley sighed before saying, “…Layla and I are just friends… She’s been abroad this entire time, and she’s only back to extend her business. We’re just cooperating on some projects, you know?” “…Friends, huh? That’s not what I heard from everyone on my way to the office… Apparently you two were made for each other.” “…They said such things? This won’t do. Mr. Castell, go teach them a proper lesson…” Gulping slightly, Mr. Castell then nodded before leaving… and once he was gone, Hanley looked at the angry woman before adding, “That aside… Are you jealous?” “What- O-of course, I’m not! I hate jealousy the most, and don’t you dare try to change the subject!” Chuckling in response, Hanley replied, “Hey, I haven’t stayed single because of her or anything… I just hadn’t found the right woman back then. That aside, I’m not sure if you’ve also heard about my foul mood this morning, but I’ve since calmed down…” “…Lies.
Instantly blushing, Fabiola immediately attempted to change the topic by saying, “Y-you know what? I’m in the mood for a car race! W-what about you?” Though disheartened by her clear refusal, Hanley eventually nodded in agreement… Following that, they both signed her up for a car race… and in the end, she actually won! Naturally, that instantly brightened her day, and when they got home at around nine that night, Fabiola couldn’t help but say, “Thanks for accompanying me today, but… I want to celebrate with my best friend tonight, so I won’t be coming home. Don’t worry, I’ll go to you tomorrow.” Hanley was fine with her getting personal time, so he nodded before replying, “Alright. Don’t overdrink or stay up too late, alright?” Rolling her eyes, Fabiola then said, “Fine, Dad… Seriously, you’re just like him!” “…How so?” “You nag exactly like him! I know you care for me, but seriously… If you do this again, then I’ll just respond by calling you Dad!” “…See you tomorrow,” r
It took Neal an entire hour for him to calm down… and even then, he had only managed to do so by convincing himself that she was probably just being fooled by Hanley. Regardless, after taking a deep breath, he was prompted to gently say, “…I apologize for losing control, I… I was just really upset by how close you were to him… I know for a fact that he has some ulterior motive, so please… Just stay away from him and return to my side… Alright?” Though she had calmed down as well by this point, Fabiola simply huddled under her blanket while saying, “…Leave.” He was saddened to hear that, of course, but… He’d rather follow her orders rather than rile her up again. With that, Neal replied, “…Alright, I’ll give you some time to heal, but… At least let me stay by your side until I’m sure that you’re fine…” Meanwhile, Hanley could be seen staring at Fabiola’s home, his fists clenched this entire time… Fabiola had left her bag in his car, so he had driven back to give it to her… but
Sensing her shock, Hanley simply stirred his coffee before adding, “Let’s be real, you only proposed to me because you wanted to get Neal’s attention… Or are you telling me that isn’t true?” Watching as the panicking Fabiola went pale, Hanley clenched his fists a little before saying, “…Well, since you’ve achieved that goal, let’s not waste our time anymore. You can hand those papers to your lawyer once they’re signed. Adieu.” Even after he had left, Fabiola found herself too shocked to even move a muscle. This… This had been the man who had greatly adored her just a day ago… How… How could he…? As tears began streaming down her cheeks, her phone began ringing… It was a call from Lea. “Hey, there’s a new restaurant downtown that’s totally your type! Want to go give it a try?” When all she heard was sniffling, the worried Lea couldn’t help but add, “…Are you… crying? Fabiola, what’s wrong? Where are you?” After telling her the location, Lea arrived in no time flat… and when
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