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
With how much Fabiola’s eyes were sparkling, her siblings were left completely speechless… After all, this was the first time they had ever seen her being this clingy… It took him a while, but Frank eventually rested her head against his shoulder before saying, “…You moved on rather quickly.” “I mean, how could I not have when he’s so sweet…?” …She had completely fallen for him, huh? Sure, Neal didn’t deserve her, but not even Frank wanted Neal to see her like this… That man would probably feel like dying… Alas, with how much Neal had drunk, he was pretty much halfway to the afterlife. Looking at how distraught her boss was, his assistant couldn’t help but take his phone and key in Fabiola’s number… but before she could even hit the call button, Neal glared at her and growled, “Don’t butt into my affairs…!” Pursing her lips, the assistant replied, “…We both know that she’s still concerned about you, so this is your best shot and revealing the truth-” “Hah! The only perso
Blushing slightly, Fabiola replied, “…Well, there’s nothing wrong with me wanting to stare at my husband, so there!” Chuckling in response, Hanley then said, “Doesn’t change the fact that I’m feeling distracted…” “That’s on you…” “I suppose…” “…You seem to give in quite easily… Makes me wonder how many women you’ve been with for you to end up this smooth…” “As I’ve said before, you’re the only one I’ve been with.” “Liar. With how attractive and wealthy you are, I’m sure you’ve had plenty of fans! You could probably have an entire football team of girls if you properly counted them!” “…Should I be happy that you’re that confident in me? Or mad that you’re this unwilling to believe in me…?” asked Hanley as he pulled Fabiola into his lap. Before the embarrassed Fabiola could reply, Hanley added, “Hmm… Why don’t we run… a virginity test?” “…W-what?! How do you plan-” “You can’t seriously tell me that you don’t catch my drift…” interrupted Hanley as he gently caressed he
Clenching her fists, Layla retorted, “He… He’s only allowing you to do as you please because of your status-” “Stop fooling yourself. He clearly loves me, and I can assure you that he wouldn’t even mind if I turned his office into my personal garbage dump!” “…Don’t get too cocky! You know, I’ve heard that you’ve never been good at studies! With that said, I hope you know that Hanley only likes intelligent women!” Smirking in response, Fabiola replied, “Sorry to bust your bubble, but not even my parents have ever been bothered by that. Hanley doesn’t care either, so why should you?” “You…! Listen, Hanley and I have been engaged since we were kids, so stop giving yourself false hope!” Though Fabiola paused for a moment, she eventually replied, “…And? You say it like that’s going to make him love you.” Before the infuriated Layla could even think of a witty reply, Fabiola tossed some snack wrappers at her before adding, “Go do something else already instead of bothering me!”
“...In what way does that count as compensation?” grumbled the blushing Fabiola. Chuckling in response, Hanley replied, “I mean, normally I’d give more, but… As punishment, I’ll restrict myself to only one…” Despite his romantic sentiment, Fabiola pursed her lips before saying, “…Denied! If you aren’t going to suggest a proper one, then how about you go mountain climbing with me?” Raising a slight brow, Hanley took a while before replying, “…I still have things to attend to today, so… Could we hold it off till tomorrow?” Though slightly displeased with his answer, Fabiola eventually said, “…Fine. But it has to be tomorrow!” Smiling in response, Hanley replied, “Appreciated, Your Highness…” Knowing better than to continue bothering him, Fabiola then left him alone… But it was around noon when news about him caught her attention again. Fabiola had been idly browsing through social media at the time when suddenly, there was breaking news regarding Hanley and Layla! Essenti
It was around then when Neal arrived at Fabiola’s home with a gift in hand… but to his surprise, he only found her housekeeper there. Upon being asked where she was, the housekeeper respectfully replied, “Ah, she headed off to go mountain climbing up the Alcier Tips earlier in the afternoon.” Raising a slight brow, Neal decided not to think too much of it and simply left the gift on her table… However, just as he was about to leave, a news broadcast suddenly blared from the playing radio… “An avalanche has been reported at Alcier Tips, and the general public is advised not to approach the area for the time being. Moving on to other news…” Naturally, Neal’s mind immediately began racing after hearing that! Fearing the worst, he quickly tried calling Fabiola… But even after a minute had passed, she still hadn’t picked up! Watching as the anxious Neal began bolting toward the door, the housekeeper couldn’t help but ask, “M-Mr. Xenos! Slow down, where are you-” “I’m off to find
Meanwhile, Hanley had just arrived home from work. Though he had earlier been surprised to find Fabiola gone, he wasn’t too worried about her. After all, she had probably just returned to her family’s side. With that, he sent her a text before heading off to take a shower… Once he was done, however, he couldn’t help but raise a slight brow. Strange… She didn’t usually take this long to reply… Sensing that something was off, he immediately ordered his secretary to check on Fabiola… It was a while later when his anxious assistant reported, “A-apparently she went hiking in the Alcier Tips this afternoon, and she ended up getting caught in an avalanche! From what I’ve gathered, Mr. Xenos has already headed over to rescue her…” Shocked to hear that, Hanley gritted his teeth before putting his coat on and heading straight for the Alcier Tips… It was around then when the sleeping Fabiola finally scrunched her face before opening her eyes… and though it took her a second, she quickly r
Though caught off guard, Fabiola quickly shook her head before muttering, “I-I already told you… We’re through-” “I know it’s my fault for not properly treasuring you before this… And I know you still care for me, even though it’s not as much as before… With that said, why don’t we give it another shot…?” Pursing her lips, Fabiola replied, “…Look, I’m only doing all this because you got hurt because of me… I’d treat anyone the same. Also, as you said before, you only ever saw me as a sibling… and, well… The same applies to me now.” Those words immediately sent his mood plummeting… and after a long silence, he was about to reply when a knock was heard at the door. Watching as she bolted toward the door, clearly unwilling to continue facing the awkwardness of the situation, Neal couldn’t help but lower his gaze even more… Either way, Fabiola was soon left surprised when she opened the cabin’s door… After all, it was Hanley! Feeling her heart soften almost immediately, the woman