It was then.
A subtle yet menacingly sweet scent began to waft through the air. Like a snake gliding silently through the void, it coiled around Yu-jin, encircling him. It was the same scent as Winston’s, and yet, a chill ran down Yu-jin’s spine. It felt as if a venomous viper, fangs bared and brimming with poison, was lunging straight at his face. Startled, he gasped and instinctively clamped a hand over his mouth.
The man’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly—and just like that, the faint aroma vanished without a trace. As the oppressive weight lifted from his lungs, Yu-jin blinked in confusion. Nathaniel Miller, who had withdrawn his pheromones in an instant, adjusted his posture with composed ease. Only then did Yu-jin realize—Nathaniel hadn’t moved a muscle the entire time. The realization that he had been paralyzed with fear from just the faintest whiff of pheromones made his face burn with embarrassment.
Nathaniel spoke up, as if it were no big deal.
“Our firm will do everything possible to serve your best interests. If you have any questions, you can discuss them with your lawyer. We’ll be in touch soon with the documents.”
As if that concluded the meeting, the man stood. Even with the table between them, Yu-jin flinched back like a startled animal, springing away in reflex. Nathaniel looked down at him, expressionless, straightened the collar of his coat, and turned to leave without a word. Yu-jin, scrambling to his feet too late, called out urgently at the man’s back.
“What are you getting as payment?”
Judging from Nathaniel’s reaction, it was definitely not money. Unable to hold back his curiosity, Yu-jin had blurted out the question. Nathaniel paused at the door, hand on the knob, and turned back. His tone was cool, cutting.
“That has nothing to do with you.”
With just that, he exited the sitting room.
Yu-jin stood awkwardly, frozen in place, staring blankly at the spot where the man had disappeared. The only thing he could do was replay that vague, maddening suspicion over and over in his mind—that arrogant bastard had been mocking him.
***
When Winston returned that evening, he found Yu-jin sitting on the sofa, his face twisted in a storm of displeasure. Spotting him as he entered the bedroom, Winston frowned and asked,
“What’s wrong? Something happen?”
Then, unexpectedly, he followed up with:
“Was it Nathaniel?”
Yu-jin’s head snapped around in surprise. Seeing his expression, Winston gave a bitter, knowing smirk.
“I figured as much.”
“How did you know?”
Yu-jin blinked wide-eyed. Winston chuckled under his breath, and Yu-jin’s expression soured further.
“Wait—did you ask that guy on purpose?”
“Yeah. He’s the best.”
Winston brushed it off as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Yu-jin had no argument there. When he first heard about the Miller law firm, even he had been intrigued. But no matter how he tried to justify it, Nathaniel’s attitude was impossible to stomach.
As if reading his thoughts, Winston added,
“It might not feel great now, but you’ll be satisfied with the outcome. And it’s not like you’ll ever have to see him again anyway, right?”
What Winston said was true—but that didn’t mean Yu-jin felt any better. The fact that Nathaniel had released his pheromones, knowing full well that Yu-jin was an Omega—how unbelievably rude could a person be? That had been nothing short of deliberate. It was the simplest, most effective way to shut someone up.
To be able to intimidate someone that much with just a scent…
The more he thought about it, the more unsettled—and frightened—he became.
Would Winston be capable of that too…?
Probably. He was an Extreme Alpha, after all. But Yu-jin had never once felt that kind of suffocating pressure from him. Sure, there were times he’d pissed Winston off—more than a few, actually—and Winston had even deliberately released his pheromones in warning. But this… this was something else entirely.
Maybe Nathaniel had been going easy on him. No—he definitely had.
And what, am I supposed to be grateful for that?
Steeling himself against the sudden wave of weakness threatening to creep in, Yu-jin kept his voice cold and flat as he asked,
“What did you promise him? It didn’t seem like it was money.”
A part of him thought Winston might not answer. But after a pause, Winston spoke.
“Nothing big. Eggs.”
“Eggs?”
Yu-jin blinked in disbelief. Winston just nodded like it was the most ordinary thing in the world, then quickly shifted the subject.
“I told them to prep the paperwork quickly. When are you going to the hospital?”
The question caught Yu-jin off guard. He flinched, then answered hesitantly.
“L-Later.”
The moment he said it, he felt oddly self-conscious and hurried to add,
“I’m feeling a lot better now… I ate well today too, so I don’t really need to go…”
“If you don’t want to ride in the car, we can take the helicopter.”
With that one line, Winston completely cut off his escape. Yu-jin blinked in flustered silence, then eventually dropped his gaze. Truth be told, he was scared of helicopters too. The loud noise, the floating sensation, the surreal sight of people shrinking to the size of ants—it was all deeply unpleasant. But saying no to both cars and helicopters would just make him sound like a pain in the ass.
Stuck between choices, Yu-jin averted his eyes and murmured under his breath,
“…I’ll think about it.”
He couldn’t go through life never riding in a car. Objectively, it made more sense to just get used to that than a helicopter. Still—he suddenly clasped his trembling hands together tightly, and that was when Winston’s voice came, quiet but firm.
“Don’t push yourself.”
Huh?
Startled by the unexpected gentleness, Yu-jin looked up. Winston, in an unusually low voice, muttered,
“It’s just that… if something happens to you, Angie would worry.”
Yu-jin stared at him in silence. For some reason, Winston wasn’t meeting his eyes either. After a moment of quiet watching, Yu-jin finally responded, his voice soft.
“…I’ll try.”
As Yu-jin finally managed to speak, Winston turned to look at him. Their eyes met—then, something utterly unexpected happened.
Winston looked away first, as if flustered.
Yu-jin blinked, wide-eyed. Did Winston… avert his gaze first? What the hell was that? And flustered? That word didn’t belong anywhere near Winston Campbell.
But Winston seemed utterly unfazed by Yu-jin’s confusion and continued, still looking elsewhere.
“Anyway, let’s figure something out. If you’re feeling better, there’s no need to push yourself…”
He cleared his throat awkwardly and abruptly changed the subject.
“More importantly, I was thinking of sending Angie to preschool next month.”
“Preschool?”
The sudden topic shift caught Yu-jin completely off guard.
“Yeah,” Winston said, continuing smoothly. “There’s a school some of the kids she met at that last party go to. It’ll be easier for her to adjust there… and I think it’s time she started getting ready for that kind of environment.”
After saying that much, Winston quickly took a step back.
“Of course, that’s just my opinion. The decision is up to you.”
Yu-jin stared at him, caught off-balance. He hadn’t even considered the idea. But Winston was right—Angela was getting to the age where she needed to make friends, learn how to socialize. She couldn’t stay cooped up inside the estate forever, playing house.
And yet, the realization that his precious daughter was already old enough for that hit him like a blow. Up until now, it had just been the two of them, their own little world. But now, Angela would have to take her first steps away from his side, into a world of her own. And the fact that Winston had thought of it before he did only made his emotions more tangled.
As if he’d seen straight through the conflict, Winston spoke again.
“You’ve had too much on your plate to think about it. I just… had the luxury of more time.”
The last part sounded like it was squeezed out with effort. For a moment, Yu-jin felt strangely unsettled. What exactly does this man want with me?
“That depends on you.”
Winston’s reply was flat and matter-of-fact.
“Once your lawyer prepares the paperwork and sends it over, I’ll have it reviewed. If there’s anything that needs to be added… we’ll add it.”
“Add to it?” Yu-jin asked sharply, immediately on alert.
“Yeah,” Winston said, nodding. “There are probably things you haven’t thought of yet.”
“I just want the rights regarding Angela. That’s all I care about.”
Yu-jin’s response was instant, unwavering. Winston gave a brief smile.
“I know. Don’t worry—it won’t be anything unfair.”
Though Yu-jin was still uneasy, Winston didn’t say anything more. He took off his coat, then added, almost as an afterthought,
“Starting next week, things are going to get noisy. If you plan on having guests, let me know in advance. I’ve already instructed them to turn away all visitors.”
With that, Winston stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
Left alone, Yu-jin quietly mulled over his words, but nothing came to mind.
He didn’t learn what Winston had meant—until the following Monday morning, just as he’d said.
“Eldest Son of the Campbell Family, Gordon Campbell, Arrested on Charges of Rape and Murder”
The shocking headline spread across the entire nation through every media outlet, marking the beginning of the Campbell family’s downfall.
Let’s gooooo
I been ready for the Campbell family downfall!