Gulping slightly, he turned to face Neal’s ward… and to his dismay, Neal, who was sitting next to his hospital bed, had his phone in his hand, his fists clenched. Seriously, just how much did his boy have to suffer…? Neal had been scheduled to discharge today, and deep down, he had been wondering if Fabiola would finally consider paying him a visit… Alas, all he got was that fucking message, and to make matters worse, she even deleted it shortly after! What the hell did she take him for…?! Raising a slight brow, Maison, who hadn’t seen the message, was prompted to pat Neal on the shoulder while saying, “Hey, why the long face? You’re getting discharged, aren’t you? Smile a little!” “Right? Fabiola’s probably just absent because she’s busy or something…” added Yulia. Upon hearing that, Lea pursed her lips before muttering, “…If anything, she’s anything but… She… Just sent a message in the group chat, saying that she was going to have the time of her life tomorrow by the sea…”
...Huh? But she did consider his feelings… Why else would she have deleted her text? That aside, this serious nature… It didn’t feel like the Luna she knew at all. Unsure how to even respond, Fabiola took a long while before finally replying, “…I… I just assumed that Neal could take it… We’re all adults, after all-” “Oh yeah? Then why did you do all those things when Hanley was upset? Fabiola, you only think it’s manageable for Neal because you no longer care! I don’t care if you’re in love with Hanley! But you can’t just dump Neal aside and treat him like a complete stranger once you’re done with him! If I knew this would happen, then I would’ve…!” “…Would’ve…?” “…Just… Forget what I said… Here, have this… I bought this nightgown recently and I haven’t had a chance to wear it yet… I think it’d look great on you, so… Just take it and enjoy yourself…” Following that, Luna left without another word, leaving Fabiola momentarily too shocked to even respond… What was all that about?
“Nothing, of course! I no longer feel anything romantically for him, and I refuse to mock him by being by his side simply out of pity… He would probably think the same,” replied Fabiola. Nodding in response, Hanley then said, “Exactly, and as you said, we’re all adults here. If he can’t recover from this loss, then maybe he needs to grow up a little. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll eventually come through… With that said, stop putting so much pressure on yourself, alright…? At the end of the day, love simply can’t be forced…” …Hanley certainly had a point… It took her a while, but she eventually revealed a subtle smile before saying, “…I suppose… Anyway, I told you what was on my mind, so start singing, alright…?” “…You still need me to coax you now that your worries are gone?” “Why not? Listening to your singing will still make me feel even better anyway…” replied Fabiola as she hugged his waist, prompting the helpless man to sigh before starting to sing… Though he had a bass vo
Shortly after, she was greeted by the sight of a long, red carpet leading out of the villa. The sides were filled with blooming bright flowers and colorful balloons, and as the sea breeze blew, countless petals began flying around, making the view even more amazing than it already was! But that wasn’t all. Standing at the end of the carpeted path, was a group of familiar faces, all smiling at her from beneath a flowery arch… They included her parents, siblings, and even close friends…! Literally everyone was here! Now starting to wonder whether she was dreaming again, she turned to look at Hanley before asking, “…What-” “I told you that I’d host a wedding for you, didn’t I…? Remember, we never really hosted a proper wedding after we got married, so… I figured that it was high time I gave you one. At the end of the day, it’s always better to get the blessings from your partner’s family members. Oh, and if you’re wondering how I planned all this without you knowing… Well, just reme
...Was there even a point in doing that anymore? Not only had he rejected her love for years, but she had also moved past him, so… “…There’s plenty more fish in the sea, so why not find someone else? I’m sure you’ll eventually find a woman who will love you just as much… And following that, you’ll be even happier than I am now.” …So that was how she truly felt, huh? To think that this was the same woman who vowed to one day marry him… Though his heart was crushed, Neal eventually forced a smile before saying, “…I see. Well… I hope you’ll forevermore be happy, then… Here…” Watching as Neal extended his hand, Fabiola was startled to see a jade emblem… The same one that she kept promising to buy for him when they got married back when they were still kids… She still remembered how he’d keep saying that he’d never marry her, and that she was too old-fashioned, yet… Oh, how things had changed… It took her a while, but she eventually managed to force herself to say, “…Thank you,
As Maison and Frank walked up to her side, Hanley himself could already be seen waiting for her at the pedestal. With his custom tuxedo on and his hair combed backward, he looked even more stunning than usual… And after taking a deep breath, she began walking toward him. Though Frank really didn’t want to see her go, he knew that he shouldn’t stop her. With that, he simply glared at Hanley before growling, “…Be good to her unless you want a thorough beating.” “Rest assured, I will be… That aside… You look absolutely stunning, Princess…” replied Hanley with a chuckle as he gently held Fabiola’s hand. Beaming in response, Fabiola then said, “Likewise, Prince Charming…” With how affectionately the two were staring at each other, Zivon couldn’t help but nod to himself. Now that was what true love looked like… Shaking his head, he then turned to look at his wife who had a purple dress on… And honestly, it made sense why so many people thought she was Fabiola’s sister. After all,
Now that the main event was over and he had seen how happy she was, there really was no reason for him to continue staying there… Unbeknownst to him, however, there was actually someone who noticed him leaving… And that someone was Luna. However, rather than feeling sorry for him, she had a subtle smile on her face. After all, she had been waiting for such a chance for ages now… Alas, before she could even start walking toward him, she felt someone holding her wrist… It was Tiffany. “Now isn’t the time for you to make a move, dear…” Frowning slightly, Luna replied, “…Why not? We’re both single, and Fabiola’s married too. When else is the proper time to strike?” “Any time but now… He definitely needs some alone time, and… Let’s face it, he won’t be able to forget about her anytime soon-” “That’s a minor challenge, and as you already know, I’m all for challenges. Just you wait and see, Mom! I’ll definitely make him mine in no time!” Upon hearing that, Ian couldn’t help but
Hanley had been looking forward to that too, but… “…Call me Honey again…” …Wasn’t it embarrassing to request such a thing? Then again, she liked calling him that anyway, so she simply did as she was told… and after a while, she even gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. The kiss was brimming with love, and in the end, Hanley couldn’t stop himself from guiding her even closer and deeper into his mouth… but though the kiss was passionate, Hanley soon felt like something was… Off. Had she stopped moving her tongue…? But she wasn’t writhing in pleasure either… What gave? Finally opening his eyes, he was surprised to find out that she had dozed off! How was he even supposed to respond to this…?! Though helpless, he had to admit that today was rather tiring… and following a sigh, he lifted Fabiola in his arms before carrying her to their bed… As he hugged her throughout the night, he couldn’t help but find solace in the thought that he no longer had to hold back from loving her to
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