“Today was so much fun, Yu-jin, Angie.”
Before getting into the car, Georgina gave them each a farewell, then fixed her gaze on Yu-jin as she continued speaking.
“Thank you for inviting me. I really hope we can meet again sometime.”
“I’ll send you an invitation, Georgina.”
Angela responded as if she had been waiting for that very moment, and Georgina beamed brightly in return.
“I’ll be waiting, Angie. I’m so curious to see which Angie I’ll meet next time!”
“Just wait! I haven’t decided yet, but you’ll be in for a big surprise!”
Seeing the little girl’s cheeks glow with pride, Georgina had to suppress the sudden urge to scoop her up and shower her with kisses.
“She’s so adorable… One day I might just kidnap her.”
Clenching her fists in mock determination as she spoke, Yu-jin’s eyes immediately widened. He knew it was a joke, of course—but just hearing someone talk about his daughter being kidnapped made his heart skip a beat. Noticing his reaction, Georgina let out a hasty laugh and tried to smooth things over.
“I just mean she’s that cute. Haha.”
Yu-jin returned a slightly awkward smile, but at that moment, a faint engine sound could be heard in the distance. Yu-jin, who had turned his head, froze, and soon after, both Charlotte and Georgina also directed their gaze in the same direction.
They all stood still, watching the sedan speeding toward the mansion. The car rounded the large fountain and came to a stop not far from where they stood. As the butler quickly ran over and opened the door, the man they had expected stepped out.
The tall, broad-shouldered man walking toward them made Georgina tense up on instinct. You’d think she’d be used to this by now, but that reaction hadn’t faded in the slightest. Winston had a presence that could terrify people without saying a single word. With a build much larger than most and an oppressive aura radiating from his entire being, anyone would be struck with dread the moment he glared their way.
Thanks to her naturally bold personality, Georgina was usually able to approach Winston without hesitation—but even she found herself intimidated at times like this. A quick glance to the side showed Charlotte had gone pale and was trembling visibly.
Georgina couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for her—and a twinge of regret.
We should’ve left earlier.
She hadn’t expected Winston to return this soon. The moment she felt that tinge of dismay, Winston approached them with slower steps than usual, then came to a stop and opened his mouth.
“Charlotte. Georgina.”
He said their names one after the other, looking them each in the eye like it was a formal greeting. Georgina and Charlotte each responded in turn.
“Hey, Winston.”
“Hello, Mr. Campbell.”
Georgina looked up at his unreadable expression and spoke with a hint of casual explanation.
“Angie invited us for tea. We were just about to head out. Isn’t that right?”
She nudged Charlotte lightly with her elbow, prompting her to flinch and nod quickly.
“Y-Yes… That’s right. We were just leaving… We should go.”
Flustered, Charlotte ended up repeating herself, her eyes falling to the ground. Winston said nothing, casting a brief glance at the car as if to ask: Then what are you still doing here?
Georgina didn’t miss her chance—she swiftly grabbed Charlotte by the arm.
“Well then, we’ll get going. Yu-jin, Angie, let’s meet again soon. Bye!”
“Ah, g-goodbye…”
Charlotte barely managed to stammer out a farewell before scrambling into the driver’s seat. Georgina followed quickly, opening the passenger door and waving once more at Angela before settling into her seat.
Angela stood behind them, waving with all her strength as the car pulled away, while Yu-jin remained silent beside her, unmoving.
Once the visitors were gone, the surroundings fell quiet, and a strange tension settled in with the silence. Yu-jin felt his nerves tighten once again and reluctantly turned his head toward Winston. Their eyes met instantly—Winston had been staring at him the entire time.
For a moment, neither of them said a word. They simply stood there, staring.
“…You’re early.”
Yu-jin finally broke the silence, unable to bear it any longer. Even then, Winston remained quiet for a while, until his gaze slowly shifted to Angela.
“Finished early. Angie, did you have fun?”
His voice was gentler and calmer than usual, and the child nodded right away.
“Georgina is my friend. We had a tea party together.”
Angela hesitated for a second, then bravely asked,
“Um… Can I invite her again next time?”
Yu-jin thought it was a bit late to ask, considering Angela had already invited her twice. Still, he said nothing and simply waited for Winston’s reaction. Judging by how he’d treated the guests earlier, he probably wasn’t too fond of the idea…
“Of course, Angie.”
“…What?”
Yu-jin blurted out instinctively, then hurriedly covered his mouth. Both Winston and Angela turned to stare at him.
With Winston frowning and Angela looking surprised, Yu-jin flushed with embarrassment and stammered,
“I-I just… didn’t expect you to say yes so easily.”
He fumbled to explain himself, and Winston, still frowning, replied,
“Why not? Angie is my daughter. Why would I oppose her?”
To make things worse, Angela tilted her head and looked up at Yu-jin curiously, as if she had the same question. Flustered, he opened his mouth, then closed it again, unable to come up with a reply.
Winston stared at him for a moment longer, then turned away and redirected his attention to Angela.
“Angie, then I guess you’ll need this next time.”
As if on cue, the butler stepped forward, holding out a large box beautifully wrapped in ribbon.
Yu-jin immediately realized Winston must have brought it in the car.
Taking the box from the butler, Winston turned back to Angela.
“Curious what it is?”
“Yup!!”
Angela responded without hesitation, and Winston smiled.
“Let’s go upstairs and check it out. Want a piggyback ride?”
Never missing a chance, Winston offered—but Angela answered crisply,
“Nope!”
A brief flicker of disappointment crossed Winston’s face, but he quickly masked it, lifting the box as he started to walk.
And Yu-jin quietly watched as Angela scampered along behind him, following with her short, quick steps.
They went up to the second floor.
“Wooooow!”
Angela burst into a loud cry of awe as she opened the box in her room.
The elegant tea set, engraved with intricate patterns, looked as if it had been crafted solely to capture a child’s heart. Upon noticing that each teacup had three little legs underneath, Angela could no longer contain her excitement and began to pant with exhilaration.
“Thank you so much! It’s so beautiful!”
The child didn’t forget her manners as she shouted her thanks, and Winston gave her a gentle smile in return.
As Angela pulled out each piece and turned it around in her hands, admiring it from every angle, Yu-jin watched her with a complicated expression. He then glanced at Winston, who was sitting at the tea table, and spoke with a sharp edge in his voice.
“Anyone watching would think you’re actually a sweet and caring dad.”
He didn’t like how Angela kept opening up to him. His sarcasm dripped with disdain, but instead of reacting, Winston let out a hearty laugh and tossed Yu-jin a glance.
“Really? I kind of like the sound of that.”
“Ha.”
Yu-jin let out a scoff, too fed up to hide it. He couldn’t take it anymore. Making sure Angela couldn’t hear, he lowered his voice and hissed,
“What the hell are you thinking? Flattering me or Angie isn’t going to get you anything.”
He fired off the words coldly, but Winston, incredibly, had the audacity to joke.
“I already got something—our kid, growing inside you.”
“Winston Atticus Campbell…”
Yu-jin was so outraged he ground his teeth as he spat out the man’s full name.
Finally, Winston opened his mouth with a reluctant sigh.
“I told you, didn’t I? Let’s get along. There’s no point in wasting energy over nothing.”
It was a fair point. But it had one major flaw—Yu-jin had absolutely no intention of getting along with him.
“I never agreed to that.”
His stubborn declaration made Winston frown as he looked at him.
“Darling, what exactly do you gain by resisting like this?”
Of course, there was nothing to gain. But that didn’t mean he was willing to play along with Winston’s whims.
“So just because you say so, I’m supposed to go along without question?”
“Obviously, darling.”
The answer came so effortlessly that Yu-jin was momentarily at a loss for words. Winston’s lips curved into a smug smile.
“My father’s dead. The Campbell family is mine now. You understand what I’m saying?”
That smile felt especially chilling. His voice dipped low into a whisper, and Yu-jin found himself unable to respond—he could only stare at him.
Winston continued in a quiet, hushed tone,
“My father left you to me. That means everything in this estate belongs to me.
You, Angie—everything.”
Everything.
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him.
Yu-jin’s eyes went wide, and he bit his lip hard in fury.
“I’m not a possession. No one gets to hand me over like I’m some object.”
His voice trembled, but he managed to spit out the words. Winston chuckled softly in response.
“If that’s not what he meant, then why would Father have told you to marry me and have a child? Darling, you’re the one who accepted it.”
“Only because you said there was no other way…”
Yu-jin trailed off, and in that instant, he realized he’d fallen into a trap.
The moment he clamped his mouth shut, Winston picked up the thread.
“Exactly. So now you get it, don’t you? You sold yourself—for money. That means you belong to me now, and you’re not going anywhere from this point on.”
Yu-jin opened his mouth to deny it, but no words came. There was too much to say, and because of it, he didn’t know where to begin. Winston, watching him fumble in silence, chuckled with maddening ease.
“Don’t worry. I’ll honor the will. I’ll make sure you have the money you need—whatever you want. All you have to do is stay right here.”
“As one of your possessions?”
Yu-jin barely managed to force the words out, and Winston threw the question right back at him.
“Isn’t that the easiest, simplest arrangement?”
If Angela hadn’t been there, Yu-jin might’ve slapped him across the face. But all he could do now was clench his fists.
Winston, certain of his victory, rose to his feet and casually sat down on the floor. He began playing with toys alongside Angela, tossing out an absurd joke as if nothing had happened.
Yu-jin glared at him with burning intensity.
Go ahead. Keep wallowing in that arrogance. That’ll only make you let your guard down even more.
And with that, Yu-jin swallowed his present humiliation—nurturing the thought of the day he would disappear with Angela, and just how stunned that smug bastard would be when the time came.
