Seol Yu-jin hesitated at the small voice. He wanted to tell a lie, just to keep the child’s spirits up, but he couldn’t. If Angela trusted his words and felt reassured, only for that day to suddenly come, the disappointment and sadness would be even greater.
“Yeah, Angie. I’m sorry.”
Yu-jin looked at his daughter and apologized. He braced himself, expecting Angela to cry, but to his surprise, she didn’t. Instead, she wore a cautious expression and asked,
“Then I should be careful not to break anything, right?”
Yu-jin was taken aback by the unexpected response. Contrary to his fears, Angela showed no signs of crying. Instead, she gazed at her daddy with a face full of worry. Seeing that expression, Yu-jin felt so sorry for her that he almost wished she would just cry instead.
“It’s okay if something gets a little broken. Mr. Campbell is rich.”
He stroked her cheek as he spoke, but Angela furrowed her brows and whined,
“But what if he makes us pay for it? We don’t have any money.”
Yu-jin barely held back a sigh. The fact that his child was already worrying about money—this was entirely his fault. Desperately trying to ease her mind, he forced a smile.
“I told you, that’s not the case anymore, Angie. Don’t think like that. You can play with anything as much as you want. Mr. Campbell would probably prefer that, too.”
To reassure her, Yu-jin deliberately glanced toward the playroom as he continued,
“Think about it—why would he buy so many toys if he just wanted them to sit there? If he went through all the trouble to get them, wouldn’t he be upset if no one played with them?”
Angela’s face wavered with uncertainty. Having so many toys in front of her yet being told to restrain herself—it was an unbearably cruel dilemma for a child. She hesitated, stealing glances at the playroom, and Yu-jin gently patted her head.
“Got it? So it’s okay to play with them. We’ll just say thank you to Mr. Campbell later. That’s all we need to do, okay?”
Angela seemed to contemplate for a moment before giving a small nod. Smiling, Yu-jin lifted her into his arms and walked toward the playroom.
“What should we play with first? Do you want to go on the slide?”
Angela hesitated before murmuring, “Doll.”
Yu-jin watched as she carefully picked up a baby doll—so new that anyone could tell it hadn’t been touched before—and gently placed a toy bottle to its lips. The sight made him want to sigh, but he held it in. Even though he had reassured her, it was obvious that Angela was still tense, afraid that she might accidentally damage something.
At least while we’re here, I have to make sure Angie doesn’t feel like she’s lacking anything.
Yu-jin had no idea why Winston was doing all this, but as long as his daughter was happy, none of that mattered. It didn’t matter what Winston called him or how he treated him.
“Should we have breakfast on the balcony tomorrow morning, Angie?”
Angela looked up at him in shock.
“We can do that?”
“Of course. We just have to get permission from the owner of the room first.”
He added with a smile, and Angela’s face tensed immediately.
“Who’s that?”
Yu-jin put on a deliberately serious expression.
“Hmm… Let’s hope they’ll say yes, okay?”
“Okay.”
Seeing Angela freeze up, Yu-jin put on a serious expression and spoke.
“Angie, there’s this incredibly cute and wonderful little girl. Do you think I could have breakfast with her on the balcony tomorrow?”
“Huh?”
Angela blinked, not immediately catching on to his joke. Yu-jin struggled to hold back a laugh as he continued in the most polite tone he could manage.
“She’s such a kind and lovely girl that I really want to have breakfast with her. Would it be okay if I invited her to your balcony?”
Angela still looked utterly confused, only blinking in response. She was a sharp kid for her age, but maybe this one was a little too tricky for her. Watching her struggle to piece it together, Yu-jin finally let out a small laugh.
“Angie, this is your room! You have to give permission.”
“Oh… Oh?”
Her eyes widened gradually as the meaning of his words dawned on her. Her expression, shifting from confusion to shock, made Yu-jin smile even brighter.
“That’s right, Angie. I’m asking you. You’re the owner of this room.”
“Ah… Ahhh.”
Now fully understanding, Angela’s mouth dropped open almost as wide as her eyes. The realization that this room was truly hers was finally sinking in. Watching her face slowly fill with emotion, Yu-jin asked gently,
“So? Is it okay, Angie? Will you allow it?”
“Yeah! Uh-huh!”
She nodded a beat late, her eyes now shining with pure joy.
“Of course! I totally allow it! I love it!”
With an excited squeal, she threw herself into Yu-jin’s arms and showered his cheeks with kisses. Yu-jin held her tightly, laughing as he asked,
“What should we have for breakfast tomorrow? Pancakes? With maple syrup. And milk.”
Angela, overjoyed at the suggestion, let out a loud “Waaah!” and bounced around the room in excitement. Yu-jin watched her fondly, his heart swelling at the sight of her happiness.
***
Perhaps too thrilled by the grand event awaiting her, Angela had trouble falling asleep that night. To help, Yu-jin had bathed her early, made sure she finished dinner, and dressed her in pajamas earlier than usual.
“I’m not sleepy yet, Daddy.”
Her eyes were still wide and alert, making Yu-jin chuckle as he stroked her cheek.
“You need to sleep soon so we can have breakfast on the balcony tomorrow.”
“Mmm.”
Angela obediently nodded, then climbed onto the bed and looked up at him.
“Starting tonight, I sleep alone, right?”
“Yeah.”
Yu-jin felt a pang of guilt, but this was something she had to experience eventually.
“I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep, Angie.”
Yu-jin considered telling a made-up story like usual, but then another idea came to him.
“Do you want me to bring you a doll? There were some this big in the playroom. You can hug one while you sleep.”
At the mention of the dolls piled up in the playroom, Angela looked surprised for a moment before shaking her head.
“No, it’s okay. Max is enough.”
“Max?”
Max was the very first stuffed toy Yu-jin had bought when Angela was born—and the only one she had ever owned. Thinking about the old, worn-out plushie, Yu-jin suddenly realized why she had refused.
“Are you worried you might ruin the new dolls?”
He asked carefully, but Angela didn’t answer right away. Lowering her gaze, she hesitated before mumbling in a small voice,
“I just like Max.”
Yu-jin looked at her for a moment before reluctantly fetching the stuffed toy. As soon as he placed it in her arms, Angela clutched it tightly to her chest and closed her eyes. Yu-jin sat beside her, telling her a bedtime story until her breathing grew slow and steady. Once he was sure she was deep asleep, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before slipping out of the bedroom.
Now…
As the door clicked shut behind him, Yu-jin took a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to steady his nerves before turning his head. Winston was already home. Yu-jin had seen his car pull in through the window earlier.
He’s right behind that door.
Yu-jin swallowed hard as he stared at the firmly shut door. A surge of impulse urged him to turn and run, but he knew that wasn’t an option. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to think of Angela’s face. He had no choice.
Mustering all his will, he knocked on the door. No response.
Is he already asleep? That would be nice…
But Yu-jin knew better than to hope for that. Taking another deep breath, he reached for the handle. The moment he finally pushed the door open, the quiet sound of it clicking against the silence of the mansion made his heart jolt violently in his chest.
Through the slowly widening gap, a familiar sight came into view. And the moment Yu-jin spotted the man sitting alone by the window, he froze in place, still gripping the doorknob.
Winston had taken off only his jacket and tie, still dressed in his vest and the rest of his suit. On the tea table beside him sat a bottle of liquor and a glass, the amber liquid inside nearly gone. He must have been drinking ever since he got back.
Yet despite that, he was calmly tapping at a tablet balanced on his thickly muscled thigh. Occasionally, he checked his phone.
He must have heard the door.
And yet, he didn’t even bother to look up.
