In the end, Fabiola vomited several more times… and once all of it was out of her system, she finally dozed off again… After staring helplessly at her for a while, Neal eventually got her a glass of warm water before slowly spoon-feeding it to her… and once he was done, he began cleaning her face with a warm towel. Following that, he began cleaning up… And after everything was all tidy again, he couldn’t help but return to her side and start reminiscing about all the happy times they had together as kids… This girl had always been a passionate one, and no matter how many times he rejected her, she’d always be back on her feet the very next day… Oh, how things had changed… It took him a while, but he eventually muttered, “…Didn’t you tell me that you’d only ever love me, Fabiola…? What happened…?” All of a sudden, the sleeping woman grabbed his hand and muttered, “Hanley… You jerk…” …She was even thinking about that man in her sleep? Just how close were those two…? Just th
Clenching his fists, the infuriated man growled, “…Revoke all of Wanda’s bank cards…! And warn her never to ever appear before me again!” …Wait, what? Did that bitch trick him as well? Now that she finally saw the whole picture, she was prompted to ask, “…Since this is genuinely a misunderstanding, why don’t you-” “There’s… No point explaining things to her when her heart is no longer with me…” He genuinely looked worn out, and though Lea felt sympathetic, she knew deep down that there was nothing more that could be done… Fast forward to the next morning, Fabiola awoke with a splitting headache… and when she finally sat up, she was surprised to find out that she was on her couch instead of the floor… What’s more, her room was now spotless. What on earth had happened? Her train of thought was cut short when Lea walked up to her with some broth in hand… “Finally awake? If you’re wondering about the room, Neal cleaned it up for you…” …What? Sensing her surprise, Lea added, “
Squinting slightly when she heard that, it took her a while to reply, “…It’s not as easy as that. I was serious when I said that I no longer wanted to marry you.” Pursing his lips, Neal then said, “…Alright, assuming you truly do like him… I still have a right to be your friend then, right? With that said, cut the politeness…” Upon hearing that, Fabiola simply lowered her gaze and began eating her cake, causing Neal to frown a little. Though dejected, he reminded himself that this was how he had always treated her back then… and if she could wait for him for so long before giving up, then he was going to make sure that he did the same! Fast forward to a few days later, Fabiola was invited to the nineteenth Aplos Swimming Competition, one of the greatest swimming competitions in the country. Anyone who won would then represent the country in the international rounds in hopes of bringing Aplos greater glory. Knowing that, Fabiola took a deep breath before agreeing to participate…
Upon hearing that, Fabiola instantly fell silent… and since she was no longer struggling, Hanley quickly took the chance to carry her to the changing rooms to start treating her wound… Watching as he gently began patching her foot up, Fabiola couldn’t help but mutter, “…Are you this kind to everyone?” Raising a slight brow, Hanley replied, “Not everyone can make me kneel.” …Though she knew that much, she also couldn’t forget the hickeys on his neck from that day… and after clenching her fists, she smacked a nearby bag against him while snapping, “Liar! You clearly loved your ‘friend’ just as much, so stop pretending and leave my life already!” Her attack genuinely hurt, and after pursing his lips, Hanley pulled her into his arms before saying, “Were you not the one who suggested the marriage and agreed to sign the divorce papers? Tell me, just what am I supposed to feel?” “…Y-you’re the one who initiated the divorce, and you’re the one who kissed her, so you’re clearly the ba
...So she would rather make him suffer all that pain rather than back down a bit? Though slightly disheartened by that, Hanley simply shook the thought off before saying, “…True enough, it is fitting for a princess to be prideful… Regardless, if another misunderstanding ever occurs, then please allow me to address the issue before turning me down… Is that agreeable?” “…Deal!” replied Fabiola who was now feeling much better. Her parents had constantly reminded her to never lower herself too much for others, and… Now that she had made a fool of herself in front of Neal, she wasn’t about to let Hanley have the last say too! Looking at the prideful woman, Hanley couldn’t help but smile for a bit… But after a while, he couldn’t help but ask, “…You thought I was unfaithful, but… Have you been faithful to me as well?” Without the slightest hesitation, Fabiola declared, “Of course, I have! Sure, I may appear carefree, but I’ve never ever done anything inappropriate with Neal! In fact,
As Fabiola blushed even more, she failed to notice Neal standing right outside the room, a towel and water bottle in his clenched hand… It made him think about all the times that Fabiola had done the same for him… and in the end, he walked away without another word. Unbeknownst to him, Cleo had been staring at him from afar, and after a sigh, she shook her head. If only he knew what was really up… Regardless, after handing Fabiola some new clothes to change into, Hanley headed to the balcony… and once he was there, he realized that there was a message waiting for him. ‘How are things going with Fabiola?’ After squinting a little, Hanley quickly replied, ‘We’ve made up. We won’t be divorcing.’ Just as he had deleted both messages, Fabiola appeared… and when she saw Hanley’s fingers tapping away, she couldn’t help but ask, “…Are you texting her again? Don’t tell me it’s her birthday or something.” Chuckling in response, Hanley replied, “Zero, seven, zero, seven… That’s my pho
As she was wondering how to proceed with this, she was surprised to hear Neal add, “Naturally, Mr. Robinson is invited as well.” Upon hearing Hanley agree, the shocked Fabiola was quick to say, “A-are you sure? My siblings can be overbearing, you know…?” “I mean, I’ll have to meet them sooner or later… That aside, I believe that you’ll protect me…” “…That’s true… Don’t worry! I’ll make sure they won’t force you to drink too much!” With how close the two seemed, Neal couldn’t help but purse his lips… It wasn’t long after when the trio arrived at the massive rooftop of a luxurious hotel… and as it turned out, the clearing had a sky garden that had been decorated all over with bright fairy lights, bouquets, and even balloons… As they made their way toward the other Burtons, they heard Yulia exclaim, “She’s really awesome to be able to make it to the finals!” “That, she is… She may be bad at studies, but she’s literally perfect with everything else!” replied Maison. Frank h
With how well everyone seemed to be getting along, Neal couldn’t help but lower his gaze. It didn’t help that Fabiola only had her eyes on Hanley this entire time… Just how had things gotten to this point…? In the end, he drank glass after glass of wine to drown his sorrows… and after what felt like forever, he raised his glass to say, “…Congratulations on your victory, Fabiola… I’ll… Be leaving first…” Watching as he drunkenly began to leave, the worried Fabiola was tempted to at least see him out… but before she could leave, Hanley held her hand and muttered, “Stay… The last thing I want is for you to be with your ex on the day we made our relationship public…” It wasn’t like she wanted to do anything with Neal… She was simply worried as a friend. However, before she could explain, Lea suddenly said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he’s fine. You guys carry on.” Relieved to hear that, Fabiola nodded before saying, “Got it… That aside… Were you jealous…?” “It’s simply my way of