Attracted By My Ex-wife

Before Anne could even grasp her own bewilderment, the three boxes were opened at once.

The metal bands inside gleamed, their warm light reflected in Kevin's tender gaze as his eyes spoke to her in a silent question.

Anne could feel herself staggering under the intensity of his eyes. "Wh-what are you going to do with all these rings?" she stammered, her eyes shifting back and forth from the rings to him.

She had already known that Kevin was no ordinary man. His character carried over to his actions, and even now was a testament to that. Still, Anne couldn't help but think that taking three rings out at the same time was stretching things a bit too far.

"Anne, you had already refused me twice before. Each time it happened, I put away the ring and kept it. This is the third time now, and I will keep on doing it until you say yes."

To Kevin, these rings were not a symbol of failure, but his devotion. He wanted Anne to understand that even when she had pushed him away, he refused to let go of her, and he would do it as many times as it took.

As he fell silent again, Anne felt as if her brain had short-circuited.

Her hands went to cover her eyes and she bit back a scream. Burning red to the tips of her ears, she answered,

"Give me a few days to think about it."

The state of her fluster amused Kevin, even as he longed to hear another answer. His eyes bore no trace of displeasure. He had already been waiting for a long time. A few more days would be nothing.

He knew that there was no other person for him than this woman. As long as he worked hard to slowly melt her heart, she would say yes one day.

"When the old town is rebuilt, I'll take you there, okay?" Kevin said simply instead.

He was not pushing her any further and Anne was grateful to his yielding. With a faint smile, she answered, "Okay."

They entered the house where Anne had lived when she was a child. A small, unkempt yard stood, with a small tap at the center. Moss covered the pool under the tap after years of people's absence.

It was as if Anne had been watching her old life unfold before her very eyes. She grew quiet, absorbed in her own reverie. It was not until Kevin called her that she was pulled back to the present.

She looked up at the sky. The orange hues of dusk were quickly taking over daylight. 'Strange,' Anne thought. In her reminiscing, time passed by slowly, but now it was already getting late. It seemed that visits to the past always cost more time than the present.

"It's getting late. Why didn't you remind me earlier?" Anne said in slight dissatisfaction.

"You looked like you were lost in your own world," Kevin answered. She had looked peaceful as she sank into her old memories, and he wanted to watch her for some more moments. "Don't worry. We will go back soon. Are there any good places to eat here? You know this place well. Why don't you guide me this time?" he asked next.

question called a place to Anne's mind. "Yes," she started hesitantly. "But I don't know if it's still there. It's a small snack bar, and the food is great. They make

childhood memories, and she did not know if they were still alive after so

check it out. "Let's

same. As she passed through, more memories had awakened, and she told

to just take in the light that shone in her

livelier self that she used to be when she was younger. He felt a dull pang in

woman—one of the strongest women he knew, but the years had dimmed some of the light in her eyes. It was the cost of that strength, and Kevin knew that everyone had to pay a certain price to survive in a world that grew colder and harsher as one grew up. His eyes never left Anne's face and he said nothing in fear that one word from him would pull her back. A bittersweet yearning grew in his chest. He wanted to let Anne be her old self, even just for a moment longer, and a silent promise rose in him. He would be protecting her from now on, and then maybe,

In the KIA Group.

sun was well into its way, sinking across the horizon at half past six in the afternoon. A glimmer of light penetrated through the pure black curtain,

gone by this time. Ryan stayed behind.

time we teach Kevin a lesson?" Nicholas asked in a

the mention of Kevin's name, there was another face that inevitably came to mind, Anne—the woman he couldn't

clenched his fist as he thought of her. For some reason,

"And as for you… Are you still not going to tell

"Tell the truth? When have I ever lied

him. "I know nothing about your background and identity. It's a little hard for me to believe you when I can’t find

but Ryan had only been half right. It was true that there was no information about him in the CY Group, because

intention of divulging to Ryan. He had been in this side of the world long enough to know that trust was an empty word—one that a lot of people liked to play around

Mr. Ryan, I think you are overthinking this," Nicholas

next is not up to me. It depends on what you would do next," Ryan said,

the outside, he might look imposing, but

for the whole group.

tension in his face relaxed and he started to talk about their next

now. But can you

know this yourself,

be, everything was a gamble. If they won, they

Nicholas' plan had a high chance

defeat someone, the best and easiest way to do that was to find the chink in their

At first, he had dismissed it, thinking that his career would always be the most important thing. However, he grew more unsettled

thought of this, his

we