“What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this?!”
At Madam Campbell’s sharp outburst, Winston didn’t say a word. He simply looked at her in silence. The moment she heard the news, she had rushed to Delights, but she couldn’t even get through the front gate, let alone step inside the estate. Dozens of cars were scattered in chaos in front of the gate, forming a blockade. Forced to keep her distance, she stayed inside the vehicle, parked farther away, and sent her driver to the security office to deal with the situation. At that point, Madam Campbell was only irritated and anxious—never for a second did she think they would actually deny her entry.
But the response the driver brought back after hurrying to the security post was completely unexpected.
“How dare they ban me from entering?!”
Bursting with fury the moment she saw the face of her beloved youngest son, Madam Campbell stormed into the company and lashed out. Her reaction was exactly as Winston had anticipated, so he calmly replied without even lifting his eyes from the document he was reading.
“I’m not staying at the estate right now, so there’s no reason for you to go in.”
“And you call that an answer?!”
Her voice rose in fury, but she quickly bit her lip, trying to rein in her emotions. Despite the deep wound to her pride and the burning anger inside, her son continued his work with detached indifference, and that stung even more. Taking a deep breath, she struggled to compose herself and finally spoke in a more subdued tone.
“What on earth happened? Gordon’s been arrested—surely you’ve already looked into it?”
“No.”
The answer came without hesitation, and Madam Campbell’s face darkened. She nearly screamed in outrage, but her trust in her son kept the impulse at bay. Silently, she counted to herself to keep her temper under control. When she spoke again, her expression had returned to its usual stern composure.
“So what do you plan to do?”
Her voice was deliberately slow and steady.
“It’s chaos everywhere right now. Reporters are swarming the front of Delights. You need to take action immediately. You’re the one in charge of the family now—you have to do something. If Harold were still alive, this never would’ve…”
She stopped mid-sentence, cleared her throat with a pointed cough, then asked again.
“You do have a plan, don’t you?”
A brief silence followed. Winston, still flipping through documents until that moment, finally raised his head and looked at his mother.
“Of course, Mother.”
With a gentle smile, Winston’s calm expression seemed to reassure Madam Campbell, and the corners of her lips finally lifted. She looked at her son with a much more relaxed face as he continued.
“There must have been some kind of misunderstanding. I’ll have McCoy look into it in detail and handle it. So please, don’t worry.”
“Yes, that’s what you should do.”
She nodded, but then immediately furrowed her brow and asked,
“Then what are you waiting for? Why haven’t you done anything yet?”
“McCoy has something more urgent to deal with.”
“Something more urgent? What could possibly be more urgent than the family’s honor?”
Madam Campbell was about to press him further, but Winston spoke first.
“I’ve given instructions regarding the will. That needs to be dealt with as a top priority.”
“The will? What will?”
Just as he expected, she reacted sharply. The moment Harold’s will was mentioned, Madam Campbell immediately thought of Yu-jin. That lowborn thing—had he stirred up trouble again?
As his mother’s voice turned icy and edged with suspicion, Winston answered lightly, as if it were nothing serious.
“It’s not something you need to worry about. It just requires some caution, so I’m handling it carefully.”
“So? What is it, exactly?”
She asked again, clearly wanting specifics, but Winston simply repeated himself.
“There’s really no need for concern.”
His added smile looked nothing short of pure and innocent.
Madam Campbell didn’t like that he refused to give a straight answer, but she also didn’t want to push too hard and risk offending him.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to wait.”
Reluctantly stepping back, she still couldn’t resist adding a warning.
“But listen to me. Don’t, under any circumstances, let that wretched thing manipulate you. Don’t be fooled by anything he says. Never forget what he did to Harold—and what the two of them did together.”
Winston’s eyes narrowed slightly. A faint smile tugged at his lips before he replied, his voice soft and sweet.
“How could I ever forget?”
His tone was calm, but Madam Campbell didn’t miss the way his hand tightened around the fountain pen he held. That gave her peace of mind and even drew a smile across her face.
“Yes, of course. My precious son.”
Leaning over the desk, she tried to kiss him on the cheek, but Winston smoothly leaned back to evade her and shifted the subject.
“I have a meeting soon. Don’t worry about Gordon—just go home.”
“Alright, I will.”
Smiling contentedly, Madam Campbell stepped back.
“I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’ll be going now.”
With a graceful nod, she turned and walked toward the door with her usual elegance. She was just about to leave when her hand paused on the doorknob. Suddenly, she turned back around. Winston, watching her the entire time, met her gaze as she frowned slightly and asked,
“By the way, why did you block access to Delights? Why go so far as to bar me, too?”
Her tone carried both displeasure and a hint of suspicion. Winston responded after a brief but intentional pause—neither too quick nor too delayed.
“There are reporters swarming the estate. It’s best to be cautious. I don’t want to provoke Yu-jin unnecessarily, so I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from visiting for the time being.”
At that, the furrow between her brows softened. Her expression grew lighter as she asked, with a glint of anticipation,
“Then… what you’re looking into right now—can I hope it’s something worth being excited about?”
Winston didn’t answer. Instead, he smiled.
That smile alone was enough to assure Madam Campbell, and her face lit up with the brightest smile she’d shown yet.
“I love you, Winston. You are my everything.”
Declaring her boundless love for her son, she left the office with a noticeably lighter step. Winston didn’t need to ask to know exactly what she was expecting.
She must be convinced that he had come up with a way to exclude Yu-jin from the will and make him disappear for good.
Snap.
The fountain pen in his hand broke cleanly in two.
Glancing down at the shattered pen, Winston casually tossed it into the trash. Ink had spilled, staining his hand black. Wrapping his palm with a handkerchief, he stepped into the bathroom and began to wash the ink off slowly under the running water. Then, his gaze shifted to the mirror.
The face staring back at him had eyes so sharp and brimming with murderous intent, it looked ready to kill someone on the spot.
It won’t take long.
He whispered to himself.
No one will ever hurt Yu-jin or Angie again. No one will ever get close to them again. Not my mother. Not anyone in the Campbell family.
Not even me.
***
“What do you mean Gordon’s been arrested?”
As expected, the moment Winston returned home, Yu-jin turned pale and rushed to ask.
Reporters had swarmed the front of the estate, so Winston had returned by helicopter. He hadn’t been able to breathe easy until he confirmed that Yu-jin and Angela were both safe.
“He’s just paying for what he did.”
Winston gave a simple reply, then gently sat Yu-jin down and spoke with a seriousness he rarely showed.
“A lot of things are going to happen from now on. But they’re all matters for the Campbell family. They have nothing to do with you.”
As Yu-jin blinked in confusion, Winston continued, his gaze unwavering.
“Promise me—no matter what happens, I’ll always believe in you. And I’ll protect you and Angie.”
Yu-jin’s eyes wavered, clearly shaken. Understandably so—Winston was saying things that made no sense. But Winston didn’t bother explaining further.
This wasn’t about Yu-jin’s wishes.
It was Winston’s own decision—his own desire—and it was a Campbell matter.
The only thing Yu-jin needed to know was how he and Angela would live from now on, and just how happy they would be.
Winston quickly shifted his expression and smiled warmly.
“Have you thought about Angela’s kindergarten yet?”
As much as I dislike Winston I appreciate how at least it seems like he’s taking atonement seriously and not just going for some half-assed redemption arc intended as a stepping stone for his dream relationship.