Looking as dashing as ever, he couldn’t help but raise a slight brow when he saw Fabiola drinking alone… “…Someone seems to be in a bad mood…” Looking up, the tipsy woman took a while to reply, “…Neal…? I thought you were-” “Busy? I still am, but since you rarely call me out anymore, I figured I may as well prioritize you.” Upon hearing that, Luna couldn’t help but squint. Talk about double standards! Regardless, after a brief pause, Fabiola simply nodded before saying, “…I see… Anyway, go chat with the others… I’ll be fine…” It was clear that she wanted to be alone, but he wasn’t about to leave her side just yet. Not when she was in this state. Alas, though he continued quietly sitting by her side, he soon realized that Luna now sitting opposite of them, her legs crossed in a seductive manner! Was she still not done tormenting him?! After taking a slow sip of wine, Luna eventually muttered, “You know, had we not done that that night, then I would’ve seriously wondered
“…You’re aroused, aren’t you?” Startled by her words, Neal quickly snapped, “…As if! Anyway, we’ve danced enough!” Following that, he immediately headed to the bathroom and lit a cigarette, hoping that it would help calm him down a little… The truth was, Luna was right. No matter how much he hated her, his body was still reacting to her advances, and he hated himself for it. Thankfully, he was able to calm down shortly after, and after taking a deep breath, he walked out… It didn’t take long for him to find Fabiola again, and by this point, she was drunk out of her mind. Even so, she just kept on drinking… Not liking this, he tried to walk up to her… but before he could even get close, Lea pulled him back and whispered, “Leave her be for now…” “…What got her into such a mood?” “Long story short, she just came over to have some fun with us, but… Due to a misunderstanding, she got into an argument with Hanley…” …So she was going out of her way to get drunk just to forget
Watching as Hanley marched back into his home, Neal couldn’t help but clench his fists. True enough, Fabiola was Hanley’s rightful wife, and… in this situation, he was easily the one in the wrong. Damn it all… Regardless, after finally lowering Fabiola onto the bed, Hanley couldn’t help but sigh. Though he was still mad at her, when he saw how drunk she was because of him… Bah, so be it. After getting some warm water to help wipe her dry, he was just about to sit by her side when he heard her mumble, “…Jerk… I didn’t even do anything wrong… I was just there to have some fun… Why did you get so mad…?” …As much as he hated to admit it, maybe Neal was right this time… Was he really that controlling…? Fast forward to the next morning, Fabiola awoke with a headache… Was she in his room…? Where was he even? Could it be that… he was still mad at her? If so, how petty! Feeling irritated, she sighed before heading downstairs to get some water… but on her way there, she noticed a note
Upon entering, Hanley was nearly blinded by how lavish everything was. From glass chandeliers to the best food one could imagine, everything looked utterly expensive… and among the wealthy folk within the room, was of course, Fabiola. She seemed to be mingling with her friends just fine… Was he even needed here? Before he could even figure out what to do next, he suddenly heard a few people say, “…Hey, that’s your husband, right?” “He must be! After all, he looks absolutely stunning! It’s no wonder you seemed hesitant to introduce us to him at first! You were probably worried that we’d snatch him away, right?” “Really, though, though he looks gentle on the outside, I’m sure he’s a beast behind curtains…” Upon hearing that last sentence, Fabiola simply nodded, her cheeks red. After all, that comment wasn’t wrong… Wait. What was she even thinking?! Shaking her head, she quickly replied, “…A-anyway, Honey? These are my classmates…” Hanley, for one, never really liked rich girls
Upon hearing that, Hanley was prompted to look at Fabiola… but when he saw how happy she was, he soon felt his gaze softening… “…Not that that matters. What matters is that she’s having fun…” Smirking in response, Neal replied, “You say that, but how long can you truly maintain this marriage if you have nothing in common with her, hmm? Have fun figuring that out.” …When he put it that way… He couldn’t help but wonder whether Fabiola felt dejected when he told her that he didn’t know how to play earlier… Before he could even think of a reply, Hanley watched as Neal walked over to Fabiola’s table to begin mingling with the others… and in no time at all, he had managed to fit right in. To make matters worse, he even seemed to be having a nice time with Fabiola… Clenching his fists, Hanley took a deep breath before starting to Google, ‘How to play poker.’ Some time later, several cheers could be heard, with several of the excited classmates yelling, “I knew she’d win with Neal
...Was he seriously mad again? Feeling slightly annoyed, Fabiola replied, “…Well you’re one to talk after leaving without me… Everyone else left with their partners, you know? I bet you don’t even know how upset I felt!” …She was making him the bad guy again? At this very moment, he really wanted to just hug it out, but… at the same time, he knew that there was something terribly wrong with the way they got along. Taking a deep breath, he eventually replied, “…I just didn’t think I was necessary there. Look, you were having fun with everyone there, Neal included, and honestly? That made me wonder who the real outsider was.” Raising a slight brow, Fabiola replied, “…I mean, I did ask you to play-” “Of which, I already told you that I don’t know how to play poker. What’s more, I’m also incapable of dancing with random individuals, especially ones who are trying their best to seduce me…!” growled Hanley who was starting to lose his cool. …Alright, he was totally still mad about
His train of thought was eventually cut short when he realized where his subconscious mind had led him to… It was the coffee shop where he always went to relax… Maybe this was what he needed… Following a sigh, he entered the shop and ordered some hot tea… and just as he was about to take his first sip, he felt a hand on his shoulder, followed by a familiar voice saying, “…Hanley? Why isn’t Fabiola with you?” It was Maison. Since the two were having more business collaborations as of late, Hanley felt comfortable enough to share his woes with him… and by the time he was done, Maison couldn’t help but raise a slight brow. “…Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’ve always known how Fabiola rolled, right? With that in mind, why are you only choosing to pick a bone with her now?” “…I’m not trying to pick a fight, I just… I can’t help being bothered by it, alright?” muttered Hanley who was still hurt by everything she had recently done. Pouring more tea for Hanley, Maison replied, “…Wel
Since Hanley wasn’t replying, Maison eventually added, “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to have a talk with her too, once I have the time…” Nodding slowly, Hanley took a moment to say, “…Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I need to make a move, so enjoy your drink.” Raising a slight brow, Maison couldn’t help but ask, “…Did my words irk you?” Chuckling wryly, Hanley replied, “If anything, they revealed just how petty I am… and because of that, I’m off to buy a durian to kneel on while I apologize to her…” As Maison was left speechless, Fabiola herself was still curled up in her room, feeling immensely burdened. Unable to hold it all in, she ended up sending a text in her group chat that stated, ‘…Hey, I’m not the one at fault here, right? I should still be allowed to party after marriage, so giving him the silent treatment isn’t wrong, right?’ To that, Lea replied, ‘Well he did catch you dancing around with topless guys… Imagine if you caught him doing the same thing around scantily dre
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