At the time, Fabiola had just finished her shower and was draped only in a white bathrobe… and as she was drying her long hair, she finally realized that she wasn’t alone. Alas, before she could even turn around, she found herself being pinned against the wall! It was Hanley?! Despite her shock, she quickly snapped out of it and growled, “…Why the hell are you here…?! Get out!” Completely ignoring her words, he simply stared straight into her soul as he replied, “Since you keep refusing to have a proper conversation with me, I’m literally forced to do this… You said you were mad at me for not sleeping with you, right…? What would happen if I granted you that wish now…?” Sadly for Hanley, his words only pissed her off even more! What the hell was he even saying at a time like this?! Struggling to break free, she was quick to retort, “Fuck off! Let me go-” Before she could say any more, his lips were already planted on hers… and even though she tried her best to fight back, she s
Though she felt guilty for hitting him, she also felt that it was deserved. With that, she clenched her fists before quickly putting on her bathrobe again and growling, “…Leave. This is the last time I’ll say this before calling the cops!” Staring straight into her eyes, Hanley helplessly glanced out the window as he replied, “…Are you sure I can’t even stay until the torrential rain ends…?” When he said that, she finally realized just how disheveled he looked compared to usual… and though she had to admit that making him leave now felt rather cruel, she quickly shook the thought off. Knowing him, he was probably just using her pity to get his way! What’s more, if she let him stay, he’d surely get to sleep with her! That was his goal to calm her down, right?! With that understanding, Fabiola steeled her heart before retorting, “…Oh, you bet I am! I have no reason to let a person who only toys with my emotions stay!” Though Neal had said something along those lines before and he
...A smartly dressed Neal? It wasn’t Hanley after all… Actually, hold on, thank God it wasn’t Hanley! Watching as Fabiola shook her head, Neal took a moment to ask, “…Who goes fishing when it’s raining this hard?” Pursing her lips, she averted her gaze before muttering, “…As they say, heavy rain draws the bigger fish to the surface…” She looked genuinely exhausted, and… after a short while, he sat next to her and said, “I’ll keep you company, then.” Finding no reason to disallow that, Fabiola simply nodded before continuing to fish… It wasn’t long after when the rain grew even heavier, and even though their tent was starting to shake from the strong winds, Fabiola remained completely unfazed. Raising a slight brow, Neal eventually got up and draped his coat over her. What’s more, he even sat in the way of the wind so that she wouldn’t catch a cold. Even so, Fabiola remained silent… and after what felt like forever, she finally heaved a heavy sigh. “…This is pointless-”
“…And why is that?” asked Neal, his gaze slightly darker. When she didn’t reply, he couldn’t help but add, “…Hanley mistreated you, didn’t he? That bastard…! I’m teaching him a lesson-” “Don’t! I… Look, I’m starving, so let’s eat already!” interrupted Fabiola who really didn’t want to bother with that man anymore. Though reluctant, Neal eventually sighed before nodding… and after making sure that everything was packed up, he led her toward his car… It was about twenty minutes later when they arrived at a rather well-known restaurant. Not even bothering to look at the menu, Neal immediately began ordering a slew of dishes the second they sat down! “Pork Rib Roast, Lobster Thermidor, Crab Cakes, Charcuterie Board, Baked Eggs, and a jar of fresh Orange Juice. Oh, and no vinegar for any of the dressings.” Smiling when he heard all that, the waiter couldn’t help but say, “As usual, you remember all her favorite foods… Really, your thoughtfulness knows no bounds! Speaking of whic
Not wanting to bother with him, Fabiola immediately turned to leave… but to her dismay, Hanley simply walked up to her and blocked her path! “…Did you break up with me because of him?” Though Fabiola wanted to tell him that that wasn’t the case, she didn’t want him to get that satisfaction either. With that, she pursed her lips before scoffing, “Use your head.” Following that, she attempted to leave again… but once more, Hanley stopped her. Glaring straight into her eyes, it took a moment for him to ask, “…Are you with him again?” Rather than angry, his voice sounded… Hurt. Why the hell was he talking like that when she was the one who had been scarred? Taking a deep breath, she eventually growled, “…So, not only are you stupid, but you’re also blind…?! If you want a straight answer, then yes! Neal and I are back together again, so stop coming back to me already! Leave-” “Am I really the one at fault when you were the one who came to me asking for marriage? The one who want
That request left Neal stunned. After all, whenever it came to his rejections in the past, she had always just laughed it off… However, when it came to Hanley… It was evident that her feelings for that man far outweighed her love for him. He truly had lost her, huh…? Feeling dejected, all he could do was watch as Fabiola aimlessly walked off… Alas, because of how distracted she was, she failed to notice that she was crossing a road… and when she finally snapped back to attention, two blaring headlights were headed straight toward her! Due to all the rain, the incoming truck was unable to stop in time, and with how close it already was, Fabiola found herself petrified in fear! Was this going to be her end?! Just as she was about to accept her death, however, someone suddenly bolted toward her and pushed her to safety! It took her a while to register what had just happened, but when she finally snapped out of it, she sat up to look at who had saved her… and to her horror, it wa
Before the startled Fabiola could reply, she heard Hanley add, “Also, did you get hurt…? I hope that incident didn’t frighten you too much…” …He still cared so much about her at a time like this… It took her a while, but she eventually clenched her fists before snapping, “…You fool…! You could’ve died back there, you know…?! Do you know how much guilt I would’ve suffered had that happened…!? I… I hate you…! I really hate you…!” By this point, tears were already streaming down her cheeks… and after a brief pause, Hanley gently replied, “…Please don’t cry… Don’t worry, I’m fine… That aside… I’m glad you still care about me enough to cry…” …The way he said it made it seem like his injuries were worth it as long as he could get her attention again… and that alone was enough to make Fabiola feel even more bitter than before. It made her really want to ask why he had said all that to Layla back then… Why he gave up on her… But she was too afraid that he wouldn’t have an answer… Maybe
It was none other than the prestigious Zivon Burton! Though he had certainly aged up quite a bit, he still retained his calm, mature demeanor… and if anything, he looked more charming than ever. Regardless, before anyone could even ask why he was here, Fabiola was already hugging him tightly, tears still running down her cheeks… Knowing how much pain she was in, Zivon gently wiped her tears off before saying, “Don’t worry, the person he’s been talking to… Is me.” “…W-wait… What…?” replied the flabbergasted Fabiola. Naturally, the others were just as shocked! What the hell was going on?! Clearing his throat, Zivon explained, “So… Xav and I had always known that Fabiola never truly loved Neal. She was just obsessed with him, that’s all. With that said, I took it upon myself to help her realize her true feelings… and it all began with me choosing Hanley to take Neal’s place. For the record, I also hired Layla to get in the way, just so that Fabiola would learn what it meant to be