Fast forward to about a year later, Neal could be seen in his office again, looking as dapper as always in his usual black suit… Things were going as they always did when his door suddenly burst open. It was Elliot. “Neal! You’re not going to believe this-” “Did I not tell you to knock before barging in? That aside, what’s the big commotion?” Beaming in response, Elliot replied, “It’s Luna! She’s finally back…!” Instantly squinting, it took him a while to finally reply, “…And? What does she have anything to do with me?” “Listen, she’s returned with a child! And it looks exactly like you did back when you were a baby!” “…What?” Before Elliot could say anything else, Neal had already bolted out of his office… and naturally, Elliot couldn’t help but roll his eyes. She didn’t matter to him, huh? What bullshit… Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Frankston manor was extremely jovial. In the middle of them was Luna, and though she looked as charming as before, she also exuded th
Startled by her question, Neal found himself unsure of how to even reply… Alas, before he could even come up with a response, Luna added, “Regardless, you should know that this isn’t your child… I gave birth to her, so I’ll be the one to raise her. I already have a new boyfriend anyway, so her responsibility isn’t yours to bear. With all that said, run along already. The last thing I want is for my darling to get mad when he sees you.” Following that, she quickly shoved him out of the house… and even after the door had closed behind him, Neal found himself having a hard time registering all this! To think that she had actually managed to get even more outrageous than last time in just a single year…! Unwilling to just let things end like this, he phoned Elliot and growled, “Run a DNA test on Luna’s child…! Stat! Also, find out who her boyfriend is!” Understandably surprised to hear that, Elliot took a moment to reply, “…Why? Could it be that-” “I don’t care about that man! I
When Neal was finally done with her, he got up and buttoned his clothes before glaring at Luna and saying, “…You’re free to continue dating that man… But you’ll have to hand the child to me.” Instantly snapping back into reality, Luna squinted before growling, “…I was the one who gave birth and took care of her this entire time. With that said, what right do you have to talk about custody? Have you no shame?” “And who was it who kept her existence from me…?! Do you think I would’ve sat quietly had I known that you were expecting-” “Well who was it who didn’t bother checking in on me in over a year?! You knew I was overseas yet did you ever consider contacting me?!” snapped Luna, prompting Neal to clench his fists. It took him a while, but he eventually growled, “…As her father, I have a right to raise the child. If you disagree to let me have her, however, then you have to agree never to let her call another man her father! That is my sole rule! If you break it…” …Was he seri
Sensing Luna’s shock, Neal couldn’t help but raise a slight brow as he added, “…What? Don’t tell me you don’t want to after all that you’ve just said… Besides, if you’re worried about nannies abusing her, then I’m equally as worried about her new stepfather doing the same.” …Was this man for real? It took her a while, but she eventually replied, “…Though that’s true, I’m also more than capable enough to look after my child on my own. With that in mind, I’ll just choose to be alone with her, thank you very much. That’s fine according to what you said earlier, right?” “You…! How could you be so fucking selfish after all that you’ve done to me?! You truly are the biggest slut on the planet!” growled the fuming Neal. “Appreciate the compliment,” scoffed Luna before walking off, leaving Neal even angrier than before… Fast forward to the next day, Joe and Luna brought the baby out for some fun. Well, Joe was simply there to carry the baby and her supplies around. Luna, on the other h
“What do you want?” Despite the lack of enthusiasm in Lea’s voice, Elliot calmly replied, “Don’t sound like I only call you when I need something… Regardless, I just wanted to know whether Luna is serious about marrying that man.” “…How should I know? Knowing her, she could proceed with the wedding or just run away without a moment’s notice. She’s just that unpredictable. That aside, did Neal tell you to do this?” “…I see. And no, I just think Luna is terrible for constantly manipulating Neal’s emotions. Remember, she was the one who stuck to him like glue at first, yet here she is now, clinging to some other man.” “…Are you for real? She was being genuine back then, yet what did that man do? He continuously pushed her away! He deserves what he got, and he has no right to make things seem like Luna betrayed him!” “…Of course, I forgot that you’re on her side. Guess there’s no point talking sense with you.” “Likewise,” scoffed Lea before hanging up. So he had called just to
...Actually, hold on. Was the drive-in cinema closing for the day already? Was this his doing as well? Before she could think of how to react, Neal suddenly walked up to them, pushed the flowers into her arms, and said, “You have two options. Either marry me, or hand the child over. Don’t even consider doing such immoral things before my daughter!” …What? What the hell was he on about?! As if things couldn’t get any worse, Luna quickly realized that he had said things loud enough for the people around to hear! “Wait, what’s going on here? Why is he still coming to her when she has that child?” “Don’t tell me… That child belongs to Mr. Xenos?!” “My God, they truly have a complicated relationship…” …Fucking hell, he had done this to pressure her into a corner, hadn’t he?! Alas, before Luna could launch a counterattack, a familiar Frankston chauffeur suddenly walked up to her and said, “Ms. Luna… Your father is waiting for you in the car…” …What? Feeling worried, she looked at
Squinting slightly when he heard that, Neal replied, “…You’re still thinking about that man, huh?” Feeling bitter from how he still viewed her, Luna maintained a calm façade as she said, “…You completely thought of going for the second option instead of the first, huh?” Upon hearing that, Neal was slightly taken aback. After all, why had he jumped straight to the second option? Alas, his silence only made things worse as the disappointed Luna added, “…Don’t even dream about marrying me if you can’t accept being sincere to me! I’m not as desperate as you assume! Also, you want the kid so much, right?! Here! Take her!” Before Neal could reply, Luna had already shoved the child into his arms before leaving the manor… and naturally, Neal was now beyond enraged! So this was what happened to the men she tricked after she got bored of them, huh…?! In the end, he returned to his place with the child in his arms… and when Elliot saw the two, he was understandably surprised! It took him
It didn’t take long for Neal to realize that despite being asleep, the baby looked unusually red… and after placing his hand over her forehead, he was shocked to find out that it was burning hot! Instantly waking Elliot up, Neal yelled, “Hey, wake up! The baby has a fever! Is there anything we can do for her first?!” Startled awake, it took Elliot a short while to reply, “…Um… Fever patch… Also… Some rubbing alcohol on her palms and neck could help…” Nodding in response, Neal quickly began following Elliot’s suggestions… but to his dismay, it didn’t take long for even the fever patch to turn warm! This wasn’t good! By this point, the baby was so uncomfortable that it woke up and began wailing… Feeling heartbroken when he saw her state, Elliot couldn’t help but mutter, “…Hey, maybe you should let Luna handle this…” …As if he’d allow that cold-hearted bitch anywhere near her! Following a sneer, Neal simply opted to call a doctor… Meanwhile, Luna was having fun in a VIP suite
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