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
Pursing her lips, she took a deep breath before saying, “…I… Want my name tattooed on your crotch…” “…Come again?” “I mean, don’t you find that idea sweet?” replied Fabiola, her eagerness reflected in her eyes. “…Could we not?” muttered Hanley who had been brought up in a setting that frowned upon things like getting tattoos… Frowning slightly, she then wrapped her arms around his before saying, “Come on, it’ll be great! It’ll represent just how much you love me, and… whenever I see it, I’ll surely love you even more…” Not wanting to disappoint her, all he could do was hopelessly mutter, “…Fine… We’ll do it once I get discharged…” Beaming in response, Fabiola replied, “Great! I’ll do it myself, so please look forward to it! Love you!” …This woman… Their moment was eventually cut short when Fabiola’s phone began to ring… and as it turned out, it was a call from Lea. “Hey, Luna’s already back, so come over to the Red Chamber by eight, alright?” After saying that she wou
...And sure enough, it was Luna! The slim, curly-haired woman had an haute couture gown on, and with how naturally attractive she was, everyone soon had their eyes on her as well. Fabiola herself was quick to exclaim, “Luna! You’re even prettier than I remembered! Dang, you’ve gotten much bustier too! Come on, let me cop a feel!” Chuckling in response, Luna replied, “Maybe you should be dating me instead of Mr. Robinson…” Gulping slightly, Fabiola then said, “I-I was only kidding… Jokes aside, are you seeing anyone? You should be with how gorgeous you are, right?” Shaking her head, Luna ignored the question and replied, “Let’s leave that for another time… For now, I want to know if it’s true that you’ve given up on Neal…” Though slightly taken aback by that question, Fabiola confidently declared, “Love-wise, yes. But I still view him as a close brother! Nothing will ever change that!” Smiling subtly in response, Luna replied, “I see… Well, I wish you happiness.” “Apprecia
Staring in shock at the kneeling man, Yulia mustered her remaining sanity as she replied, “B-but you’re younger-” “Even if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean that I’m much more ‘capable’ than your older pursuers…?” …Why were his words so suggestive all of a sudden?! Forcing herself to calm down, she took a deep breath before saying, “…Elliot, I’m not sure what spurred this decision, but… I’m not the one for you. Please find someone your age. I’m sorry.” After saying that, she strode straight for the car… but before she could start the engine, she couldn’t help but notice how desolate he looked standing under the pouring rain… Clenching her fists, it took her a while to finally sigh and walk back to him… “…Are you really sure about this?” asked Yulia, much to Elliot’s delight. “I am! Please! Give me a chance! You won’t regret it!” …When he put it that way, all Yulia could do was help him up before finally deciding to return his kiss… Sure, things had taken a sudden, unex
She stared in horror as he removed his shirt right there and then! “W-what are you doing?!” yelped the startled woman as she quickly looked the other way. “…Huh? I mean, I’m drenched, so…” “E-even so, you shouldn’t change right in front of me!” “…Yulia, we bathed together as children… It’s not like you haven’t seen everything already…” “Y-you can’t compare that to this situation…!” “Fine, fine, I… Um… Go cook, I guess… I’ll go get a change upstairs first…” muttered Elliot as he headed upstairs. Yulia herself had to try her best to calm down! After all, Elliot had been plaguing her mind in the past few days, and… she even had dreams where he had… …No! She couldn’t be thinking about such things! She needed to cook! Maybe that would help get her mind out of the gutter! Once that was done, she’d leave and finally start devising a plan to get rid of him…! As Yulia scurried off, Elliot himself was currently staring at an old photo that showed him eating some candy in Yulia’
Just as she had arrived at her car, the president of the Halls Group suddenly walked up to her, a bouquet in hand! The Halls Group had collaborated several times with the Burtons before, and because of that, she was well acquainted with the man. Sadly, he had also proposed to her on multiple occasions… and though she kept rejecting him, he never seemed to get the hint! “There you are, Miss Burton… Since you’re off work, I was wondering if you’d join me for dinner tonight…” asked the charming man. Feeling awkward, she was just about to come up with an excuse when Elliot suddenly grabbed her by the waist and said, “Oh? Another one of your admirers, Yulia…? Sorry, but she already has a boyfriend, my man. If that doesn’t deter you enough, then you should know that she prefers her partners younger. Now please leave.” Startled to hear that, the man glanced at Yulia, his eyes begging for an explanation… Yulia herself was eager to just escape this embarrassing situation, but before s
With that tale done, it was now time to return to Yulia’s story… Ever since she was a child, she had undergone countless hardships with her mother… and even after she was able to reunite with her father, things didn’t go much easier from there. To make matters worse, Fabiola ended up getting kidnapped for the longest time, resulting in Frank ending up the way he was today… Because of all that, it only made sense that she’d mature much sooner than others her age, and unlike the naïve girl she used to be, she was an extremely competent woman today. Alas, because of how used she became with working, she soon lost the urge to find herself a romantic interest… Things continued that way until… Well, that time that Elliot… …Wait, what was she thinking?! He was younger than her, for heaven’s sake! Quickly shaking her head, she attempted to force herself to concentrate on work again… But before long, a knock was heard on the door. After being allowed in, the department manager entered t
Knowing that there was no point in keeping things a secret anymore, Rea took a deep breath before saying, “…Alright, so… The truth is, I’ve always been highly competent, but… I’ve been pretending to be useless just so that you’d eventually marry me… The trip my parents are taking… That was my suggestion too…” Feeling speechless, it took Frank a long while to reply, “…So you weren’t really drunk when you did all that last night?” Pursing her lips, Rea awkwardly muttered, “…I wasn’t… Luna suggested it, and since it sounded like a good idea to accelerate things…” …Fucking hell, to think that he had fallen straight into her trap without even putting up a fight! Watching as he glowered at her, Rea gulped before adding, “A-anyway, now that we’re married and there’s potentially a baby in my belly, you won’t divorce me, right…?” “…Oh, believe me when I say that divorce is the easy way out! From today onward, I’m making you pay for your actions for the rest of your life!” Fast forwa
Fast forward to the next morning, Rea awoke with a yawn… What a nice sleep… Wait. Why was she naked? And why was Frank…?! Her following scream immediately woke the icy man up… and upon looking at her, he was immediately reminded of what had transpired last night! Essentially, Rea ended up clinging to him, and though he initially wanted to just carry her to bed to let her rest… Damn it! Had she really been that sensual?! How had he lost control so easily?! His train of thought was cut short when he realized that Rea was bawling her eyes out… and after rubbing his temples, he was prompted to say, “…Why are you crying when you’re the one who initiated this? I’ll have you know that I never forced you-” “I-I know, but…! I’ve just…! This is my first time…!” whimpered the quivering woman, prompting Frank to purse his lips. As if he wasn’t in the same situation… “…You’re not alone there.” “It’s not the same! Men are free to sleep with whoever they want but when it comes to women, I’l
“Say, wouldn’t you agree that the food smells delicious…? Why don’t I teach you how to grill, Rea…? Oh, but make sure to take your clothes off first before we start! Wouldn’t want them to get dirty…” With how drunk Rea was, she wasn’t able to fully register his words… and just as he was about to touch her clothes, an icy voice roared, “Stop right there…!” Instantly feeling a shiver run down his spine, the man turned around… and to his horror, it was Frank! Young Master Burton’s perpetually icy son…! Why the hell was he here?! Before the frightened intern could think of how to even react, Frank walked up to him and growled, “Leave now before I chop your hands off…! Don’t make me repeat myself!” Nodding in terror, the man frantically bolted off… and once he was out of sight, Frank glared at the tipsy Rea before adding, “This is what you meant by learning how to be more responsible…?!” “Huh…? But the food really did smell super good… I want to learn…” mumbled the drunk woman.
After leaving his office, he headed off to look for Rea. She had said that she wanted to use the bathroom, but… It had already been half an hour since she disappeared. What trouble had that idiot gotten herself into this time? Thankfully, it wasn’t long before he found her laughing along with some of his interns… When the interns saw him, they were quick to bow and say, “Good morning, Mr. Burton.” Barely even glancing at them, Frank looked at Rea and said, “It’s time to head home.” “I… Won’t be following you back…” “…And why is that? Are your parents back?” “No, it’s just… These are my good friends back from school, and they’ve been staying together to learn to be more independent… With that said… I think that staying with them will be a good start for me to learn more about how the world works. Thank you for taking care of me up till this point, Frank… I won’t bother you anymore.” Raising a slight brow, Frank then looked at the interns for a while before saying, “…Are you
Regardless, after leaving her in the room, Frank returned to the shower to cool himself off… but no matter what he did, he simply remained irked. It got to the point where he couldn’t relax at all, and after wrapping a towel around his waist, he grabbed his phone to send his father a text. ‘Was there really nobody else who could’ve taken care of Rea?’ ‘What? Can’t even care for a woman properly.’ ‘I’m a busy man.’ ‘I trust in your time management skills.’ …Though he really wanted to tell Zivon that he had misplaced his trust in him, he didn’t want to disappoint his father either. With that, all he could do was clench his fists before giving Rea’s parents a call… “Hello? Frank? Why are you calling at this time of night?” “…When are you and Uncle Saltman returning, Aunt?” asked Frank who wanted them to take back their idiot already! “…Huh? What was that? Sorry, the line isn’t very good… I hope Rea isn’t giving you too hard a time! Don’t worry, we’ll be back after about a