“Mr. Campbell, good day.”
The moment he appeared, the secretary stood up and greeted him first. Winston gave a brief nod before heading into his office. He removed his suit jacket, hung it up, and sat down, taking out a cigarette. Right on cue, the secretary entered with coffee. As she continued with the day’s schedule and reports, Winston’s thoughts wandered elsewhere.
He was now commuting daily from the island where Yu-jin was staying. While Winston was away, the hired staff ensured Yu-jin couldn’t even dream of escaping again. Not that he would dare, anyway—Angela was firmly in Winston’s grasp.
According to the butler’s report, Angela was doing just fine. Despite having no one to protect her, she was eating and playing as if nothing had changed. The butler, with a hint of personal sentiment, had remarked, “She’s a remarkably resilient child.” It was unusual for him to make such a comment, given his typically emotionless demeanor, but Winston couldn’t care less. As long as the child was well, that was all that mattered. He would also keep his promise to let Yu-jin see her every week—provided Yu-jin behaved himself.
As long as that child remained in my hands, there’s nothing he can do.
Winston held the absolute advantage. And yet, an unsettling feeling refused to leave him. The way Yu-jin adored his father’s child so much—it kept pushing his mind toward unwelcome suspicions, ones he tried his best to ignore.
What if the one Yu-jin truly loved wasn’t the child, but my father?
A money-hungry whore would have been preferable. At least money and sex were things Winston could provide in abundance. But if Yu-jin had loved his father instead, there was no solution to that.
His brow furrowed deeply as he reached for another cigarette. It’s fine, Winston reassured himself as he inhaled the smoke. In the end, I’m the one holding the gun here. Yu-jin has no cards to play.
Every time that vague sense of unease surfaced, Winston drowned it in alcohol. But even that wasn’t enough. Yu-jin seemed entirely indifferent to the child growing inside him. When he’d told Winston about the pregnancy, he had been drinking, and even when Winston smoked right in front of him, he hadn’t protested. Maybe—just maybe—it really was Winston’s child.
“Mr. Campbell?”
Noticing his superior’s deep frown, the secretary cautiously called out to him. Winston simply waved a hand, signaling her to continue. She hesitated for a moment before resuming the report, but Winston’s mind had already drifted back.
All possibilities were just that—possibilities. If he focused only on what was certain, everything became much clearer.
Whether Yu-jin was pregnant or not, whether the child was his or someone else’s, none of it mattered. The one undeniable fact was that Yu-jin was always looking for a way to leave. The bastard had even tried seducing another man.
What a fucking joke.
Winston had no intention of letting him go. If they had never crossed paths again, that would be one thing. But now that Yu-jin had willingly fallen into his grasp, what kind of idiot would ever let him slip away?
Simply keeping him confined and under surveillance for the rest of his life wouldn’t be enough. In that case—
A thought flashed through Winston’s mind. The most definitive card he held.
***
“Wow!”
Angela let out an excited cheer as she took in the vast indoor space, twice the size of a soccer field, filled with teddy bears of every shape and size. But that wasn’t all. At the center stood a towering structure made entirely of teddy bears, resembling a Christmas tree. Thrilled beyond words, the child dashed toward it with all her might, tilting her head back as far as it would go to take in the sight. Behind her, Winston strolled forward at a leisurely pace.
Winning over a child was easy.
He had dealt with countless businessmen who could swallow a hundred snakes whole without flinching. Gaining the affection of a mere three-year-old was nothing in comparison. Angela had screamed that she hated him, run away, and hidden from him at every opportunity, but he hadn’t paid her much mind either. They were even. A little effort on his part, and she’d come around soon enough. Kids were simple like that.
Winston looked down at the child, who was cradling a teddy bear he had bought her as if it were the most precious thing in the world. His conviction only grew stronger. If he indulged her today, gave her whatever she wanted, she would be in the palm of his hand in no time.
The store they were in was a specialty shop for the brand of teddy bear Angela was hugging, filled with an uncountable number of toys and plush animals. As he observed the little girl, utterly enchanted by the selection, Winston spoke with benevolent generosity.
“You can pick out anything you want.”
“Really?”
Angela’s round eyes widened as she gazed up at him. With an expression softer than usual, he nodded.
“Of course. I’ll buy everything you want, so take your time and look around.”
The child gasped, as if she might forget to breathe. Her little head darted around in frantic excitement before she suddenly sprinted off in one direction. Watching her, Winston smirked.
Too easy.
***
Angela finally returned to Winston four hours later, just as he was starting to grow bored while sipping his coffee. He had thought she had remarkable patience for a child, but seeing her appear after such a long time naturally brought a smile to his face.
“Did you pick everything out?”
He asked gently, but in her arms, she held only a small teddy bear with a pacifier in its mouth. The large teddy bear Winston had chosen earlier was now strapped to her back, but that was it.
Did the guards carry the rest? Winston glanced over at them, the men who had been following her around the entire time. But they were empty-handed.
Turning his gaze back to the little girl, he asked again, “Did you tell the staff what toys you wanted?”
There had to be more. Surely, she had picked out more than she could carry, enough to make a list at the very least. Maybe she was even bold enough to ask for the entire store. Winston had been on the verge of ordering his secretary to buy out the place just in case, but his expectations were completely off the mark.
Angela shook her head and looked down at the teddy bear in her arms.
“This is all I need.”
“…What?”
For a moment, Winston thought he had misheard. He frowned instinctively, but the child answered him firmly.
“This is the only teddy bear I want. I don’t need anything else.”
Winston was momentarily speechless. All around them, children were running through the aisles, pestering their parents for more toys. And yet, here was this child—standing before a guardian willing to buy out the entire store—settling for just one teddy bear. How did that even make sense?
After staring at her face in silence, Winston finally steadied his emotions and spoke in a calm tone.
“I told you, you can have everything. You don’t have to hold back. Just tell me what you want. If you’re shy about asking, why don’t I come with you?”
Maybe she just needed encouragement. Perhaps being alone made her hesitant. For the first time in his life, Winston made an effort to understand a girl who wasn’t even half his height. He rose from his seat, towering over Angela, who craned her neck back to meet his gaze before responding clearly.
“No, this is enough for me. Thank you.”
She even thanked him—firmly and without hesitation. Winston was left without words. He couldn’t comprehend it, but there was no doubt that she was sincere. As proof, Angela turned away from him first and confidently marched forward.
“Where are you going?”
A bodyguard quickly followed her, asking the question Winston himself had yet to voice. The little girl answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“To the door. I bought my teddy bear, so it’s time to go home.”
The guards hesitated, looking to Winston for instruction. Until then, he had remained silent, but now, with a deepening frown, he finally raised his voice and called out to the child, who was already several steps ahead.
“The door is on the right!”
At his words, Angela abruptly stopped, as if slamming on imaginary brakes, before immediately dashing in the correct direction. The bodyguards hurried after her. Watching them, Winston let out a slow breath and finally followed at a measured pace. The smile that had once played on his lips had long since faded.
By the time he stepped outside, Angela was already seated in the back of the car, buckled securely into her car seat with both her new teddy bear and the old one cradled tightly in her arms. She didn’t even glance in Winston’s direction, stubbornly keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Seeing her profile, an unsettling thought flickered through Winston’s mind.
This might not be as easy as I thought.
The unwelcome notion irritated him, and he quickly dismissed it. It was ridiculous—she was just a three-year-old girl. The only issue was that it might take a little longer than expected.
Maybe she just didn’t like that store.
That explanation made far more sense. Leaning back comfortably in his seat, Winston decided he would instruct the butler to arrange another event.
At that moment, he was still blissfully unaware—unaware that he was now dealing with the most difficult three-year-old in the entire world.
