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
An awkward cough was heard. It was the nurse! Oh God, how could they have forgotten that she was in the room as well?! The nurse herself was trying her best to remain calm. After all, as much as she wanted to continue watching, she knew that she would surely be in for a world of trouble if she allowed for that! Thankfully, Fabiola managed to snap out of it and mutter, “…A… A little privacy, please…?” “C-can do!” replied the nurse as she bolted off, making sure to close the door behind her… Once she was gone, Fabiola meekly looked at Hanley and muttered, “…Should… We continue…?” Beaming in response, Hanley nodded before giving her a passionate kiss that would send shivers all through her body… Fast forward to later that night, Fabiola could be seen handing Hanley his meds as she said, “Remember to take these before bed…” Pursing his lips, Hanley leaned against the headboard as he replied, “I don’t want to… They’re really bitter.” …Was he a kid? That aside… “…Alright, m
...These two… Not wanting to stay any longer than she needed to, Lea eventually sighed before muttering, “…Anyway, I’m just here to let you know that Luna is flying home tonight, so… Free up your schedule or something.” “…Huh? She’s coming home? I’ll definitely meet her!” replied the startled Fabiola. Luna was a good friend of hers who had gone abroad many years ago to study, so she wasn’t missing the chance to meet her again! Chuckling in response, Lea then said, “Figured as much… Well, I’ll be taking my leave now. Take care, Mr. Robinson.” “Likewise,” replied Hanley with a nod, prompting Lea to pause for a moment… And after a while, she held Fabiola’s hand and said, “Come out with me for a bit.” Raising a slight brow, Fabiola simply followed Lea into the corridor… and once they were far enough from Hanley’s ward, she heard her ask, “So… Have you thought about how you’re going to make a proper apology to him…? Remember, both his body and pride have been hurt, so it’s only
It was shortly after when Fabiola finally sat up again, her cheeks reddened and her eyes looking away from Hanley. How could she look at him after what she had just done?! Before Hanley could say a word, she had already bolted off to the nearest bathroom… By the time she returned, Hanley had cleaned himself up as well… but unlike before, he was staring at her with a passionate gaze. Feeling more embarrassed than ever, she averted her gaze and muttered, “D-don’t overthink it, I just… Um… Had a bet with Lea, that’s all!” “Sure you did…” “…I-I’m super competitive, so there’s no reason to lie to you!” retorted Fabiola, causing Hanley to grin with a nod. He clearly wasn’t believing her! That aside… “…Hey… Aren’t you taking all this too casually? Didn’t you feel anything while I was… You know…” Pulling her into his arms, Hanley replied, “Oh, I assure you that I felt something… Don’t you remember how quickly everything went?” …True enough, he had shot sooner than she had expecte