“Daddy!”
Unaware of anything, Angela beamed with joy as she wrapped her arms around Yu-jin’s neck. Startled, Yu-jin hesitated before awkwardly holding the child in return. But as realization struck, he quickly pulled her away, hastily patting her down to check for any signs of harm.
“Are you okay, Angie? Nothing happened to you?”
At his anxious question, Angela tilted her head with a puzzled expression before nodding.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was playing quietly. Right, Mr. Campbell?”
Unexpectedly, Angela turned to Winston as she spoke. And that wasn’t the end of it. Winston gave her a faint smile and nodded in agreement.
“Yes, she was a very well-behaved child.”
As if to say See? Angela looked at Yu-jin with a triumphant expression. Yu-jin, however, couldn’t make sense of what was happening. Then, for the first time, he noticed the stuffed animal the girl was holding.
A massive teddy bear, nearly as tall as Angela’s waist, was a recent trend. The authentic version cost well over $1,000. Since many parents couldn’t afford the real thing, $100 knockoff versions had become popular. But, of course, there was no way the one in Angela’s arms was a cheap imitation.
“Angie, this…”
When Yu-jin trailed off uncertainly, Angela immediately grinned brightly and clutched the bear tightly.
“Mr. Campbell bought it for me! He said it could be my friend while Daddy was away.”
“What?”
Yu-jin’s mind went blank. How exactly had Winston explained this situation to his daughter? He couldn’t have told her the truth—that he had kidnapped and imprisoned Yu-jin. Yet, Angela’s cheerful reaction was far from what Yu-jin had imagined.
While he was still floundering, unsure how to respond, Angela continued speaking with ease, unfazed by his bewilderment.
“Did you come because you were worried? I’m really okay! I can hold out as long as it takes!”
It was only then that Yu-jin noticed her voice was a little higher than usual, as if she were overly excited. And when he realized that her excitement wasn’t just from seeing him, Angela suddenly blushed and dropped a bombshell.
“It’s for my little sibling, after all!”
A chilling silence settled over them. Yu-jin’s mind went completely blank. His mouth fell open, but no words came out.
“…What?”
That was all he could manage after a long pause. Unfazed by his reaction, Angela responded with innocent enthusiasm.
“They said I have a little sibling now. But Mr. Campbell told me Daddy is weak and needs to rest. I miss you, Daddy, but I can wait. It’s okay! If it’s for the baby, I can endure anything!”
Yu-jin could only stare blankly at her face. Angela was already chattering away, asking who would name the baby, whether it was a boy or a girl, and if she could share a bed with them once they were born. But Yu-jin couldn’t answer a single question. He just blinked, dazed.
Then, Winston, who had been silently watching the entire exchange, finally moved. Leisurely, he strolled forward and bent down to grasp Angela by the underarms, effortlessly lifting her up.
Yu-jin panicked and reached out, trying to take her back, but Winston easily kept her out of his grasp.
“There, Angie. Now do you believe me? You don’t have to worry about Daddy—he’s doing just fine.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Angela obediently nodded and looked up at Winston.
“I’ll be good and wait patiently. Thank you for giving me Victor.”
It seemed she had already named the bear. She even bowed politely in gratitude. Winston, however, simply nodded in response.
Yu-jin could only watch helplessly as his daughter fell for a con artist’s lies right before his eyes—and he was powerless to stop it.
***
“What the hell did you do to my daughter?”
The moment they were finally alone, Yu-jin erupted in fury.
Winston, who had closed the door behind him, took his time crossing the room. Deliberately, he pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and lit it with a flick of his lighter. Only after exhaling a slow stream of smoke did he finally respond—with a faint smile.
“You didn’t tell her the truth either, did you?”
Of course not. If Yu-jin had exposed everything—the fact that all of this was a lie, that Winston had kidnapped and imprisoned him—it would have only frightened Angela and thrown her into turmoil. He simply couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth.
But that didn’t mean he could accept this now. Yu-jin, who had barely managed to suppress his emotions, let all of his pent-up rage explode at once.
“You not only lied to my child, but you bribed her too? Do you really think my daughter would be swayed by a damn teddy bear?”
“Obviously, it’s just temporary, sweetheart.”
Winston let out a short chuckle—like he found the whole situation amusing.
“But you’re the one who turned my lie into the truth.”
And because Winston was right, Yu-jin’s anger flared even hotter. The fact that everything had played out exactly as Winston had planned made it all the more unbearable.
“You knew I was going to escape, didn’t you?”
He barely managed to keep his voice steady, but he couldn’t control the ragged breaths escaping him. His shoulders trembled as he glared daggers at Winston—who, infuriatingly, smirked once more.
What the hell was so funny?
Before Yu-jin could even react, Winston suddenly reached out his hand. Instinctively, Yu-jin flinched, his shoulders shrinking inward. Winston, who had halted his movement midair, briefly furrowed his brow—as if displeased by the reaction.
His hand lingered in the air for a moment before it moved again. Then, without hesitation, Winston grasped Yu-jin’s arm and lifted it.
“…Ah!”
A pained sound escaped before Yu-jin could stop himself, his face twisting in discomfort. But Winston didn’t let go. He simply stared at the wound—where the skin had split open again, fresh blood seeping through. Exhaling a slow stream of cigarette smoke, he spoke.
“There was no need to go this far, sweetheart.”
The sneer on his face was directed at Yu-jin.
“Wouldn’t it have been enough to just say something went wrong with the baby?”
For a moment, Yu-jin was caught off guard. Why hadn’t he thought of that? He had gone as far as to lie about being pregnant, yet he had completely overlooked such a crucial detail. His head had been so consumed with Angela that he had acted far too rashly.
Did he mess up? Had Winston figured out it was all a lie?
His heart pounded violently with fear, and Yu-jin hastily wrenched his arm free from Winston’s grip. He was terrified that the erratic rhythm of his pulse would give him away. Raising his gaze with a pale face, he found Winston merely watching him through narrowed eyes, slowly bringing his cigarette to his lips.
Yu-jin clung to a sliver of hope.
“They say you should be careful what you wish for. What if something really happened? Were you actually hoping for that?”
He waited, desperate for Winston to believe him. But Winston remained silent.
What was he thinking?
Yu-jin grew increasingly anxious as Winston took another slow drag from his cigarette, then finally spoke.
“Now that you’ve seen Angie is doing well, you’re satisfied, right?”
His voice was gentle, his smile carefully composed. Yu-jin already knew what he was going to say next.
“You’re sending me back, aren’t you?”
“Isn’t this enough of a walk?”
Without warning, Winston moved. Startled, Yu-jin quickly scrambled backward—only to realize, embarrassed, that Winston had simply walked toward the table. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray before straightening up and turning to face Yu-jin.
“I’ll let you see your daughter. Don’t worry—I’ll allow you to meet her once a week.”
Yu-jin wanted to argue, to demand how he could possibly trust that. But he wasn’t in a position to protest. He had no choice but to pray that Winston would keep his word.
Winston added one last remark, as if sealing the deal.
“I trust you won’t say anything that might make your daughter anxious.”
His voice was impossibly gentle—but to Yu-jin, it was nothing short of a threat.
Biting his lip, Yu-jin said nothing. He simply turned around and walked out of the room.
There was no other way. He had to go back.
Had he only made things worse by acting too hastily and putting Winston further on guard? The thought sent another wave of unease through him.
But for now, he had no choice but to comply.
There would be another opportunity.
Yu-jin steadied himself and forced his feet to move forward. Before opening Angela’s door, he needed one last deep breath. Inhaling sharply, he exhaled slowly, then grasped the doorknob and pulled.
The door swung open, and the moment Angela, who had been playing alone in her room, spotted him, her face lit up with joy.
“Daddy!”
She threw herself into his arms without hesitation. Yu-jin held her tightly, inhaling deeply. He could faintly catch the sweet, familiar scent of his child. Pressing a flurry of kisses to her face, he spoke in a voice thick with regret.
“Will you be okay on your own?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded firmly, as if to reassure him.
Yu-jin regretted it more than anything—his lie had led to this. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he asked,
“Aren’t you scared of Mr. Winston?”
“A little bit.”
Angela admitted it without hesitation.
Yu-jin stiffened. But before he could respond, she continued, enunciating each word clearly.
“But it’s okay. I can endure it.”
Yu-jin had no words. Before he could break the silence, Angela spoke again, her voice calm and mature beyond her years.
“Mr. Campbell promised that he would protect both Daddy and the baby. We can trust him, right, Daddy?”
Yu-jin couldn’t answer right away. His mouth opened, but he could only let out a deep breath. Then, finally, he forced out his reply.
“Of course. We can.”
That was all he could say before pulling her into another tight embrace.
As he felt her small, warm body pressed against his, Yu-jin made a vow.
Next time, he would succeed.
