“Ah.”
Caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, Yu-jin blinked and replied, confused.
“Uh, no… not yet.”
“Not even Angie?”
“Uh, yeah.”
After reading the article earlier that day, he’d been so flustered that he completely forgot to tell Angela. The fact that Gordon had been arrested out of nowhere was shocking enough, but seeing the crowd of people camped out in front of the mansion left him not only bewildered but also scared.
“I just think… maybe it’s a little too soon. There are so many reporters outside and all…”
As Yu-jin hesitated and stumbled over his words, Winston spoke up.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll assign you a bodyguard. And I’ve already made sure that no one without permission can enter the mansion, so you can relax about that part too.”
Yu-jin paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly before speaking.
“Even Madam Campbell?”
He asked with smug confidence, thinking there’s no way he managed that too. But Winston didn’t hesitate in the slightest.
“My mother, of course.”
The one caught off guard this time was Yu-jin. As he blinked in surprise, Winston added casually.
“She already came by. If you’re skeptical, ask the guards. She’ll be on the list of people who were denied entry. Or check the CCTV footage at the front gate if you want.”
It was as if Winston was certain Yu-jin wouldn’t believe a word he said. He rattled off the facts with practiced ease. As Yu-jin continued to stare at him in a daze, Winston didn’t waste any time. He walked over and picked up the phone on the side table, speaking into it in a detached tone.
“Bring me the list of today’s attempted visitors and the security camera footage.”
It didn’t take long before the butler returned with everything Winston had ordered. One of the security staff who had been on duty that day came with him. After checking the footage on a laptop and cross-referencing the list, Yu-jin finally accepted that Winston had been telling the truth.
“Anything else you want to know?”
As Yu-jin closed the video file, Winston asked. Yu-jin shook his head and murmured, “No,” prompting Winston to dismiss the butler and guard from the room.
“I didn’t think you’d go this far…”
The words trailed off, laced with an unspoken doubt. As if anticipating it, Winston answered calmly.
“It’s the least I can do for you to believe me.”
But that wasn’t what Yu-jin had meant. His eyes questioned why—why go this far? Winston gave a short, knowing smile.
“I get it. I know that from now on, every word and action—no matter how small—I’ll have to prove to you.”
Then, almost bitterly, he added,
“This is what they call reaping what you sow.”
From now on. Maybe for the rest of his life.
This was the price of not trusting the person he once valued more than life itself.
Winston’s gaze drifted off for a moment before he casually changed the subject.
“So, let’s put off thinking about kindergarten for now. How about we take a short vacation?”
Startled by the sudden suggestion, Yu-jin’s eyes went wide.
“A vacation?”
***
“Kyaaaaa!”
Angela shrieked like a banshee as she sprinted across the snow. Still a little dazed, Yu-jin glanced around at their surroundings. The snow was piled so high it reached past his ankles, and aside from a solitary, tranquil chalet nestled into the mountain, there was absolutely nothing else in sight.
“You can relax here. No one’s going to find us.”
Winston’s words left no room for doubt. After all, it had taken them more than a full day to get here. First, they took a helicopter to the airport, then boarded a private jet to fly across the sea. Once they landed, they took another helicopter to reach the mountainside. The final stretch was by a massive camper van.
When Yu-jin had first seen the vehicle, he’d frozen on instinct. But stepping inside, he realized the driver’s seat was separated by a screen, and all the windows were covered with screens too—so much so that it felt more like being inside a house. With a living room, bedroom, and even a shower, the camper van felt more like a moving apartment. Once he’d pushed past the initial jolt of fear when it first began to move, he quickly forgot they were even traveling at all.
“So? This is a little better, right? No?”
Winston, who had been watching Yu-jin’s expression like a hawk the whole time, finally asked. His face looked even more anxious than Yu-jin’s, which oddly helped Yu-jin relax.
“I think I’ll be okay.”
He left a bit of wiggle room in his answer, just in case. Saying he was definitely fine and then having a panic attack right after would’ve been embarrassing. So, even though he was on edge, he told himself to stay calm. Thankfully, no unpleasant incidents occurred.
Maybe it was Angela’s doing—she kept chatting away non-stop, poking around every corner of the van. Distracted by keeping an eye on the child, Yu-jin didn’t even realize how much time had passed until they’d already arrived at their destination.
Thank God.
He let out a quiet breath of relief as he stepped out of the van and into a world completely blanketed in snow. And now, he found himself watching the excited little girl run wild across the snowy field.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Winston’s sudden voice from behind made him turn without thinking. The man was still watching him with a worried expression, clear tension etched into his face. It was like he expected Yu-jin to throw up or faint at any moment.
Yu-jin quickly averted his eyes and replied, “I’m fine. Thanks.”
“Good.”
Hoo. He could hear Winston’s audible sigh of relief. When Yu-jin glanced sideways, their eyes met—Winston’s expression had softened, like a man who could finally breathe again.
Caught off guard, Yu-jin quickly looked away and called Angela’s name as an excuse to leave. He hurried over to help her mold a snowball for a snowman. As the two of them laughed and played together, Winston just stood there watching silently.
Standing in place, rooted to the spot—unable to take a single step toward them.
***
Haaa…
Letting out a long breath, Yu-jin sank deep into the lounge chair. Now that the initial excitement had worn off, boredom crept in. Angela seemed thrilled, off outside learning to ski, but Yu-jin had quickly grown tired. Using the excuse of needing rest, he returned to the house, only to be met with a wave of silence.
It’s so quiet…
Everything that had happened before they came here felt like a distant dream—Gordon’s arrest, the swarm of people surrounding the mansion…
He was lost in those fragmented thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching. Moments later, Winston stepped into the living room.
“Are you okay?”
That question again. Lately, Winston seemed to ask it every time he saw Yu-jin’s face. Yu-jin gave a brief, “I’m fine,” and turned his gaze to the window. One entire wall of the chalet was made of glass, allowing for an unobstructed view of the snowy landscape from the warmth of the indoors. Even the ceiling was glass, letting the sunlight stream in unfiltered. It was a little dazzling, but somehow comforting. Feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin, Yu-jin leaned back into the chair—until Winston drifted into his field of vision.
Just like Yu-jin, Winston was staring out through the glass. Yu-jin followed his gaze and saw Angela playing in the snow, making a snowman with one of the bodyguards. Watching the child silently, Yu-jin spoke up.
“Isn’t playing with a kid exhausting?”
“What are you talking about?”
Winston’s voice rose, unusually high-pitched. His eyes widened in surprise, and Yu-jin, unbothered, continued in a calm tone.
“It’s fine, really. You don’t have to push yourself. I get that it’s not easy keeping up with a child.”
Taking care of kids demands a lot of patience. For Winston, who had no experience with parenting, it must be an exhausting and troublesome task. Yu-jin thought it was perfectly understandable. But Winston’s reaction was completely different.
“That’s not why I came in here.”
His expression had stiffened completely. Seeing this, Yu-jin let out a quiet chuckle.
“Then what? You came in because you were worried about me?”
The words came out sarcastic, but he didn’t bother apologizing. This much doesn’t even scratch the surface, Yu-jin told himself, forcing his heart to stay firm.
Winston opened his mouth again.
“I was worried about you… yeah.”
For some reason, he trailed off, hesitant. Yu-jin, suddenly on guard, tried to read what he was about to say. Winston took a breath and murmured under it, like talking to himself.
“I thought maybe… you wouldn’t like seeing me with Angie.”
What?
The unexpected confession made Yu-jin look at him, stunned. Winston’s eyes remained fixed on the child running through the snow as he continued.
“Once everything settles down, you’re going to leave with Angie. Away from me.”
His voice sounded like it was being dragged from the depths of his chest—strained and raw. Yu-jin strained to catch every word, not trusting his ears. But Winston kept going, saying something even more shocking.
“If I get too close to Angie… I thought it would make things harder for you.”
“I’m not against you seeing Angie. It’s your right too.”
It was true.
Now that the truth had been laid bare, Yu-jin had already made up his mind to allow visitation rights. Once every two weeks—or maybe even once a week—should be okay… He was vaguely entertaining the thought when, all of a sudden, Winston asked,
“How did you end up pregnant with Angie?”
