Trying to mend their relationship, yet still refusing to listen to a single word Yu-jin says, while making an effort to get close to Angela—it made no sense at all. Could he have figured out that Angela was his child? No, that was unlikely. Then why was he acting like this all of a sudden? Was it even possible to build an amicable relationship with someone you didn’t trust?
Maybe for him, but not for me.
Yu-jin furrowed his brow, watching them closely. It felt like if he took his eyes off them for even a second, Winston would somehow put Angela in danger. There was definitely something behind this.
I won’t let my guard down.
With his eyes wide open, Yu-jin kept a firm watch on the two. The peaceful atmosphere could shatter at any moment. All of this was a lie—he was convinced of it.
But reality was different. Yu-jin was the only one on edge.
“Kya-ha-ha! I did it, I did it!”
Angela’s delighted laughter rang out. The child had finally managed to float on the water, and her joy was greater than ever. It was the first time Yu-jin had ever heard his daughter laugh so exuberantly. He was dumbfounded, but there was something even more shocking.
“See, Angie? I knew you could do it. You’re my daughter, after all!”
The moment Winston said that, Yu-jin felt as if his heart had plummeted to the ground. Haa… haa… He clutched his chest with one hand, struggling to catch his breath, yet his gaze remained locked onto the two of them. What the hell is he saying? Could he have found out? Is that why he’s doing this? Is he trying to take Angie away from me?
The fear was paralyzing—he couldn’t move a single finger. Frozen in place, he could only breathe heavily, while they, completely unaware of Yu-jin’s turmoil, continued laughing and splashing in the water.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Just keep moving forward little by little. That’s it.”
Winston’s calm voice reached Yu-jin’s ears. His body remained tense, his eyes unblinking as he observed them. Angela, gripping the kickboard with a serious expression as she paddled, and Winston, his hands gently supporting her waist as he guided her forward—it was nothing more or less than an ordinary moment between a father and his daughter.
Calm down.
Yu-jin took a deep breath, forcing himself to settle down. If Winston truly knew, there was no way he would just let this slide so quietly.
He could simply take Angela and leave—that would be the end of it.
A cold chill crept into his chest, but the rapid pounding of his heart finally began to subside. Winston didn’t know. Yu-jin reassured himself as he continued watching them. Angela’s bright laughter, Winston’s gentle voice—snippets of their conversation reached him in fragments.
Then why is he acting like this?
Yu-jin kept staring at them for a long time. The question remained unanswered, looping back to where it started. All he could do was sit there, stewing in his frustration.
***
“It was so much fun!”
Angela, still in her swimsuit, plopped onto a chair and shouted excitedly as they came out of the water for lunch. For their meal, the servants had just finished preparing—
The servants had set up a table by the pool. Yu-jin silently watched as Winston, without hesitation, draped a robe over Angela’s damp shoulders and took a seat. But it didn’t end there.
Once seated, Winston fully embraced the role of a father. He picked up the serving bowl, first placing some salad on Yu-jin’s plate, then on Angela’s, and finally on his own before setting it down. Yu-jin, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture, could only blink in bewilderment. But Winston didn’t stop there—he spread butter, passed jam, and meticulously ensured that nothing was missing from the table.
However, he wasn’t just indulging Angela’s whims. When she began swinging her legs under the table while sipping her soup, Winston gently but firmly corrected her in a strict tone, though his expression remained soft.
“Angie, you shouldn’t move around at the table. That’s bad manners.”
Angela hesitated, sneaking a glance at Yu-jin. For a moment, Yu-jin was at a loss, but he couldn’t contradict Winston just to be defiant. Even if he hated the situation, he couldn’t teach her something wrong. Reluctantly, he backed Winston up.
“That’s right, Angie. Table manners are very important. A princess should behave more gracefully at the table.”
The mention of princesses, Angela’s latest obsession, made her immediately correct her posture. Sitting properly with her legs still, she resumed eating her soup. Winston, watching her obey so readily, gave a faint smile. The sight of it stirred something unpleasant inside Yu-jin once again.
If only things had been different…
If there had been no complications, if he had given birth to Angela without any problems and raised her together with Winston—would this have been their daily life? Yu-jin wouldn’t have felt any resistance toward Winston’s parenting, and they would have taken turns guiding and stepping back for each other, doing their best to raise her together.
It wasn’t hard to imagine. After all, it was happening right in front of him.
But this isn’t real.
Yu-jin immediately snapped out of it. One bitter lesson had been enough. It didn’t matter what Winston was thinking. The fact remained that things between them were over, and the only thing Yu-jin needed to focus on was getting away from this man as soon as possible.
Stay focused. Don’t waver.
He scolded himself. Letting foolish fantasies cloud his judgment would only ruin everything. He was an adult now—he knew better. This was just another one of Winston’s whims. He must have cooked up some absurd thought about him again. But nothing had changed. Nothing ever would.
While Yu-jin forced himself to eat in silence, Winston and Angela finished their meal in a cheerful atmosphere. Before he even realized it, they were done eating. Startled by their expectant gazes, Yu-jin blinked in confusion as Winston spoke.
“Angela wants to go back into the water, but since you haven’t finished eating yet, I told her we should wait.”
“Ah… uh…”
Caught off guard, Yu-jin stammered. When he met Angela’s eager eyes, his resolve immediately softened.
“I-I mean, you don’t have to wait… But swimming right after eating isn’t good for your health.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll go in the jacuzzi.”
Winston easily solved the issue before turning to Angela.
“You can’t go into the cold water, but there’s a warm bubble bath instead. Let’s play there for a little while and call it a day, okay?”
“Bubbles?”
Winston successfully captured the child’s interest. Yu-jin, astonished, could only blink as Winston continued, smiling.
“Yes, the water keeps bubbling up like this. Want to see?”
“Wow, yes!” Angela eagerly agreed, raising her arms high. Although it looked like she was cheering, Winston took it as an invitation. Or perhaps he simply seized the opportunity. Yu-jin watched as Winston effortlessly lifted Angela onto his arm and walked towards the hot tub. Yu-jin braced himself for Angela’s startled cry, but it never came. Instead, he saw Winston’s broad back and Angela’s head resting calmly in his arm as they approached the jacuzzi.
Winston pressed a button on the remote, and the water began to bubble up. Angela exclaimed in delight, and Winston asked her, “Angie, you can’t go straight into the water. What do you have to do first?”
“Um… warm-up exercises?” Angela replied.
“Since it’s warm water, we can skip the warm-up. What else?”
After a moment of thought, Angela remembered, “Put your toes in first.”
“That’s right, well done,” Winston praised, and Angela beamed with pride, her cheeks flushing pink. Seizing the moment, Winston leaned forward. Yu-jin watched in disbelief as Winston lifted Angela onto his shoulders, her legs dangling over his chest. With Angela securely perched, Winston stepped into the jacuzzi, carrying her safely on his shoulders.
