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
As Neal followed Zivon downstairs, he was feeling understandably conflicted. To think that Hanley had been the chosen partner for Fabiola… What’s more, he had even gone so far as to claim that Fabiola never truly loved him, and… Judging from how Fabiola always reacted when it came to Hanley, that appeared to be the case. Despite how upset Neal appeared, Zivon eventually said, “…You lost the moment you thought Wanda saved your life.” “…Huh? What do you-” “The person who had saved you from drowning back then… It was Fabiola. You only saw Wanda first because my daughter had run off to call a doctor. Don’t you remember how she suffered from a sprained ankle the week after that incident?” “…That… That can’t be true! I-” “Neal. Were Wanda’s clothes even wet back then?” …They… had been dry… So… Fabiola had been the one who had saved him back then…?! He had been living a lie this entire time…?! Sighing at how defeated Neal looked, Zivon added, “I refuse to let my daughter be with
“…Your imagination is a little too active, I have to say.” Blushing slightly when she heard that, Fabiola took a moment before adding, “…Then… Regarding Layla…” “As he said, he was the one who sent her over, and… Aside from sending her over to make you jealous, she was also there to remind me not to give in to lust that easily… He wanted me to have self-control until you truly realized that you loved me…” …What the hell? That was it?! To think that her father had been the main reason for her suffering these past few days! Still… His intentions were good, so… It took her a while, but she eventually muttered, “…So… You really do like me, right…?” “You know the answer to that.” “Then… How much?” “More than you could ever imagine…” “…Lies. Come to think of it, I don’t even know when you started liking me, or why you even like me in the first place. If you want me to believe you, then explain away!” Chuckling in response, Hanley then kissed her on the forehead before sayin
Now that he was done, Fabiola couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter. All that time when she had been living a worry-free life, he had been trying his very best just to get closer to her… And despite all that… Pursing her lips, she ended up muttering, “…You’re a fool… Still, it makes me wonder what would’ve happened if you hadn’t seen my picture back then…” “Well, I would’ve still majored in R&D and begun work in your father’s lab, so… Meeting you would only be a matter of time…” muttered Hanley as he recalled all the hardships he had undergone just to get to this point. He still recalled his first proper meeting with Zivon during the Robinson Group’s annual dinner… It hadn’t been by chance. Far from it, in fact. The truth was, Zivon had always made sure to pay close attention to those interested in Fabiola… and by then, he had already known about Hanley’s crush on her. Alas, Young Master Burton was not an easily pleased man… To test him, Zivon had sent him to northern Burm
Upon hearing that, Fabiola couldn’t help but gulp. Sure, she had only married Hanley at the start to get over Neal, but… Now that she had seen just how much he cared for her… What’s more, it was undeniable that she felt immensely irked whenever he even got close to Layla before this… She simply had never faced such strong emotions when it came to Neal. Maybe her father was right… She was never in love with Neal in the first place, huh? Which meant that… Since Fabiola wasn’t replying, Hanley eventually lowered his gaze as he added, “…So… You really don’t see me as anything more than a plaything-” “T-that’s not the case at all! I… I’m just… Sorry. I’m sorry for saying all those mean things back then, I just… I was angry, and I wanted you to hurt, so I… I’m sorry…” muttered Fabiola who genuinely regretted being so horrible back then. She looked truly apologetic, and after a subtle smile, Hanley pulled her into his arms and said, “…I don’t take apologies, though… I’m sure you know
Eventually, she couldn’t help but ask, “…Hey… I’m really not that amazing, so… I don’t know, just… What is it about me that you like so much…?” Raising a slight brow, Hanley gently replied, “…I just love you. I don’t need any other reasons to fight for your heart.” Feeling even guiltier than before, Fabiola muttered, “…You’re making me feel guiltier now… I… I just feel so bad for making you suffer so much, and I-” “Hey. As long as you’re by my side, nothing else matters, alright…?” “…You really have the perfect response to everything, huh?” grumbled the blushing woman as she averted her gaze, clearly embarrassed. Smiling in response, Hanley then held her hand before seriously saying, “…I should clarify that though I wholeheartedly love you, I don’t expect you to love me just as much. With that said, please don’t feel too burdened by all this, alright…? Let’s put it this way. We’re still in the testing phase to see if we like each other… Is that alright?” Touched by his thou