“Ah.”
At the brief exclamation, Yu-jin, who had been chatting and laughing with the other guests, paused and lifted his head. Winston spoke to him with a smile on his face.
“Angie looks really sleepy. I should put her to bed.”
The night had already deepened, creeping toward midnight. Realizing he had been so caught up in the party that he had completely lost track of the child’s bedtime, Yu-jin suddenly felt embarrassed.
“Give her to me, I’ll—”
“I’ll put her to sleep. You stay here.”
Winston carefully adjusted the child, who was already resting her head against his shoulder with her eyes closed, and then tilted his head slightly. He seemed as if he was about to kiss Yu-jin on the cheek, but that wasn’t his true intention.
“Don’t let your guard down. You need to see this through properly.”
At the low whisper, Yu-jin’s eyes widened, but Winston, lifting his head, continued speaking nonchalantly.
“Then, excuse me for a moment. The little one has dozed off.”
As he glanced between the group they had been conversing with and offered his apologies, the guests all responded with warm smiles and nods.
“How thoughtful. I never imagined Mr. Campbell had this side to him.”
Someone commented while watching Winston’s retreating figure. It was only then that Yu-jin fully grasped the meaning behind his words.
People truly believe we’re a happy family who genuinely cherish each other.
It was a bitter reality, but Yu-jin had to play along. It was the best path for both Angela and himself.
“He really adores the child.”
Yu-jin spoke with a smile, but inside, he couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
What exactly is Winston gaining from all this…?
Everything he had done today had been nothing short of astonishing. Announcing Angela and Yu-jin to the public out of nowhere, staying close to Yu-jin throughout the evening while carrying Angela in his arms, chatting with guests, and tending to the child’s needs even before Yu-jin could—whether it was handing her a drink or taking her to the restroom. The guests must have seen it clearly: how much Winston seemed to treasure Yu-jin and the child. Even Yu-jin himself had nearly been fooled.
As time passed and the party reached its peak, Yu-jin gradually adapted to the atmosphere. Of course, it was all thanks to Winston, who never left his side. He was consistently kind and treated Yu-jin with respect.
Just like before.
Even though Yu-jin knew there was no point in recalling the past, the memories surfaced relentlessly. Along with them, the emotions he had buried away stirred once more, leaving him unsettled.
He had sworn he wouldn’t waver.
Besides, hadn’t Winston made it clear? That all of this was just an act. The words he had whispered earlier—perhaps they had been a warning not to misunderstand.
And yet…
Yu-jin felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Even knowing that everything was a lie, he couldn’t help but be shaken by Winston’s warmth—his gentle words, his considerate actions.
So, the human heart is really this fickle.
Seeing him hold and care for the child only made Yu-jin’s emotions more turbulent. What if things had worked out between us back then? If Winston knew Angela was his daughter, and if Angela knew he was her father…
This could have been our everyday life.
Even as he conversed with others, his mind drifted elsewhere.
***
Creak.
With a faint, eerie sound, the door swung open. Winston pushed it open with his shoulder and strode into the room with long, deliberate steps. He didn’t turn on the lights, but the moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the bedroom clearly. Carefully, he laid the child down on the bed, then slipped off her shoes and set them beneath it.
Letting out a deep breath, he gazed down at the sleeping Angela, feeling something strange stir within him. This was the same child who had screamed at him and rejected him outright. And yet, throughout the entire party, she hadn’t cried even once. Of course, Winston had noticed how often she glanced at Yu-jin for reassurance, but he had pretended not to see.
It was obvious. The fact that her daddy was there must have given her the strength to endure.
…She must be around three years old.
If she was his father’s child, then that would be about right. Maybe even older—if Yu-jin had conceived before they met again.
She’s a bit small, isn’t she?
Winston had little knowledge about children, so he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps it was just that he was so large himself, making her seem even smaller in comparison. Still, the fact that such a tiny child had managed to suppress her emotions and endure all evening struck him as rather admirable.
Gently, he reached out and stroked her hair before withdrawing his hand. For a moment, he simply stood there, watching her sleeping face. Then, moving much more slowly than when he had entered, he crossed the room in silence and carefully shut the door behind him.
Click.
After the small sound of the door closing, Winston lingered, his hand still resting on the doorknob before he finally let go. Just as he turned to head back downstairs—
He stopped.
An unexpected figure was waiting in the hallway. The moment their eyes met, the man smirked knowingly, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“Well, well. That speech of yours earlier was something else.”
Winston regarded his older brother, Gordon, with a blank expression as the man strolled toward him, his smirk never fading.
“Bringing some lowborn Omega and his bastard child into the Campbell family—Mother is going to have a fit when she finds out. Guess it’s a good thing she didn’t come today, huh? She might’ve had a stroke.”
“I never told her not to come,” Winston replied flatly.
Gordon shrugged. “Must be her foresight, then. You know how Mother always sees right through things.”
Winston wondered if Gordon was drunk. He had no interest in dealing with a drunken fool, so he ignored him and turned to leave.
But suddenly, Gordon grabbed his shoulder.
Winston’s expression immediately darkened with irritation as he narrowed his eyes. His brother, still grinning, lowered his voice.
“You’ll be in real trouble if you fall under that bastard’s spell again.”
Despite the smirk, Gordon’s eyes were serious.
Winston shook off his hand and responded in a detached tone.
“I know everything I need to know about Yu-jin.”
“Is that so?”
Gordon narrowed his eyes, his tone laced with hidden meaning. As Winston turned to leave, Gordon spoke again from behind him.
“Then, do you also know that bastard has a criminal record?”
Winston froze for a brief moment.
Gordon, enjoying the anticipation, waited for his reaction. Winston slowly turned his head, and after a deliberate pause, finally spoke.
“…What did you say?”
***
Hoo…
Exhausted from keeping up a polite smile, Yu-jin finally excused himself and slipped away to a quieter corner of the party. Taking a sip of water, he let out a slow breath. The short break helped clear his mind a little.
So far, everything had gone smoothly. The night had grown late, and some guests were beginning to leave. Just a little longer. If he could endure for a while more, it would be over soon.
As he finished the last of his water and took a deep breath, someone suddenly appeared in front of him.
“Hi!”
A cheerful voice greeted him.
The girl standing there looked like she was in her teens. Who was she? Yu-jin quickly searched his memory but came up blank. Of all times, something like this had to happen when he was alone. Caught off guard, he hesitated for a moment.
The girl, wearing heels that made her almost the same height as him, beamed as she continued speaking.
“This is our first time meeting. Or wait—second time, actually? I said hello at the wedding, but I doubt you remember. It was really brief, just in passing.”
Despite her bright smile, she didn’t seem offended that he didn’t recognize her. Yu-jin cautiously apologized, “I’m sorry,” but the girl waved it off with a grin and extended her hand.
“I’m Georgina. Lady Catherine—Winston’s sister—is my mother. So that makes me Winston’s niece.”
Yu-jin’s eyes widened at the unexpected introduction. A child of the Campbell family? And yet, she was greeting him so casually?
Noticing his subconscious glance behind her, Georgina added, “I’m the only one who came today. Well, technically, I came with Uncle Gordon’s family. My parents didn’t attend.”
“Ah…”
That explained some things, but he still felt a little dazed. Why was she approaching him so comfortably?
As if reading his mind, Georgina continued smoothly, “I’ve been trying to find a chance to say hello for a while now, but it got too late. I also wanted to meet Angela.”
She pouted slightly, then reached out her hand again. This time, Yu-jin took it, and Georgina’s fingers curled tightly around his.
“I really wanted to meet you, Yu-jin.”
Her face lit up with curiosity, her eyes shining with keen interest.
