Fast forward to that night, a grand feast was held to celebrate the auspicious occasion… After three rounds of wine, Lea eventually flopped on the couch and stared at both Neal and Luna who were standing on the balcony with their baby… It took her a while, but she eventually looked at Elliot and said, “See? Luna isn’t a jerk at all.” Rolling his eyes, Elliot replied, “Same goes for my brother. Sure, he didn’t do much during that year, but his heart was there this entire time.” “…True enough, your brother is pretty pitiful, huh? He seemed to be pretty serious about Fabiola too back then. Alas, that bitch ruined it all… Oh well, at least that allowed Luna to have her shot. I can only hope that things go well for them from here on out…” “Ditto,” replied Elliot as he drank another glass of wine, prompting Lea to chuckle. It took her a while, but she couldn’t help but ask, “…Say, have you truly never been with anyone before? You seem like the kind of playboy to flirt around…”
Pursing her lips, Rea was just about to follow him when all of a sudden, Chace and Bianca stepped in. “Ah, there you two are… Good. So… Basically, Bianca and I are planning on going on a honeymoon soon. With that said, we’d appreciate it if you looked after our daughter during our absence, Frank.” …What? They wanted him to care for this idiot? “…Sorry, I’m busy-” “Your father said otherwise, plus he’s already agreed with our idea, so…” Looking at how unwilling Frank was, Elliot cleared his throat before saying, “…I mean, if you really need help then I can-” Before he could complete his sentence, Bianca and Chace quickly pulled him to the side and whispered, “I know you’re just trying to be kind, but please shush for now…” …Huh? But… Oh. Oh… Seriously? Another budding relationship? That was what this was about?! Feeling helpless, all he could do was sigh with a nod before heading toward the balcony… There, he realized that Yulia was sitting at the gazebo in the front yar
Meanwhile, a car could be seen driving through the late-night downpour… and inside, were both Lea and Maison. Since she had drunk a bit too much earlier, the tipsy woman was eager to just head to bed already. With that in mind, the second the car stopped, she was about to leave when she heard Maison say, “Hold on.” Glancing at him, she watched as he handed her a bottle and some pills before adding, “Here, some hangover meds… Don’t want you feeling uncomfortable throughout the night.” Pleasantly surprised, Lea replied, “…I… Thank you… You know, you’re more considerate than you look…” After drinking down the medicine, she was about to leave again when Maison handed her an umbrella and said, “Hey, at least try to stay dry…” “…Maison, I’m literally just a few steps away from my front door… Jeez, your future girlfriend is one lucky woman…” Following a subtle sigh, Lea decided to lean against her seat for a bit longer before adding, “Makes me slightly envious of people like my pa
Blushing slightly from how intently the two were staring at her, Lea quickly shook her head before winking at Elliot as she added, “…Well? Aren’t you going to say anything in response?” …Just how was he supposed to respond in this situation?! Not only was her declaration outrageous, but Maison was now glaring daggers at him too! In the end, he wriggled free from Lea’s grasp before smiling awkwardly… “…Um… I… I’m sorry, but I don’t like you that way… I-I’ll be heading off first!” Though Lea was curious as to what Elliot meant by, ‘that way,’ the man was already out of sight before she could ask for clarification… Hell, she hadn’t even been given enough time to reveal the heart-shaped cake that she had baked for him! How annoying! It was then that she realized that Maison was smiling to himself… and after raising a slight brow, Lea walked up to him and scowled, “…Did you play a trick on me? You must have! God, I’m so embarrassed right now!” “Hey, I never said that the person
...Huh? But the only possible people left were Elliot and Frank… Weren’t the others already married? What gave? Sensing her confusion, Maison couldn’t help but clench his fists. Could it be that she didn’t view him as a man at all?! It took him a while, but he eventually took the cake out of her hands and cut a tiny slice before giving it a taste… “…Tastes good. I like it,” said Maison who was sure that this would get his message across. Alas, Lea simply beamed as she replied, “…You’re just trying to be supportive, aren’t you? Thanks for always being there for me, but… I think I should handle this from here. I’ll be off to meet Frank so… Enjoy the rest of the cake!” Watching as she began leaving, the speechless Maison couldn’t help but sigh. Oh well, at least Frank wouldn’t be an issue… Once he declined her, she’d surely learn that he was the ‘secret admirer,’ right…? Fast forward to that evening, Maison was greeted by the sight of Lea circling his younger brother while sayin
It took her a while, but Lea eventually replied, “…I admit all that happened, but… Didn’t you do all that out of brotherly love…?” “Have you seen me treating Rea and Luna like that before?” …No… No she hadn’t. Now that she thought about it, he had only ever gone the extra mile for her sake… To think that she had crossed him off her list after everything that he had done for her…! Following a long pause, she gulped before asking, “…Um… Can I… Have some time to process all this…?” Raising a slight brow, Maison replied, “…May I know why? Weren’t you straightforward when it came to Elliot and Frank? Why the hesitation around me…? Then again, I don’t want to pressure you, so… Yeah, you can take your time-” “No, no, it’s just… You’re far better than Elliot and Frank are… Quite honestly, you’re too good even for me, so… I… I just need to process my thoughts so that I don’t end up leaping with joy!” interrupted Lea who had always wanted to replicate scenes in romantic movies… Takin
Moving back to the past, Rea could be seen sitting meekly on the couch as she watched Frank get home from work… As promised, he had allowed her to stay at the Frankston Villa, but boy was it clear that he didn’t like her presence. In fact, before she could even think of anything to say to lighten the mood, she heard him growl, “Stay quietly in your room if you want to stay. I won’t repeat myself.” Before Rea could reply, his secretary quickly ran up to Rea and said, “Here, some snacks and essentials… If you ever need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.” It was evident that Frank and his secretary wanted to deal with her as little as possible, and that made Rea squint. It took her a while, but she eventually replied, “…I’m good for now. As for what else I need… Nothing for now.” “…Then… Shall I lead you to your room-” “I prefer being around those I know, thank you very much. Could you lead me there instead, Frank?” interrupted Rea as she walked up to Frank, instantly causing
He sounded even more annoyed than before, and after freezing for a moment, she hesitantly muttered, “…I… I just wanted to pass your phone over…” …Yeah, he had forgotten to bring his phone along, huh? It took him a while, but he eventually took a deep breath before taking his phone and saying, “…Go get some rest.” “Y-you too…” replied Rea with a smile before running off… and once she was gone, Frank sighed and rubbed his temples. Come to think of it, why was it that he was so mad at her…? It didn’t make sense… Feeling frustrated, he then lay in bed… but as usual, sleep didn’t come easy. The truth was, he had always had trouble sleeping, but nobody knew since he never brought it up. Naturally, he had attempted to get it cured, to the point where he had recently contacted an anonymous hypnotist online to help with his condition. To his surprise, however, the hypnotist didn’t seem interested in his money at all. It almost seemed like she genuinely just wanted to help… But why? As