The quiet drawing room was filled only with the occasional sound of sniffles. Sitting side by side on the sofa, Sam smiled warmly and gently patted Yu-jin’s shoulder. Even as he felt her warmth, Yu-jin still couldn’t quite believe it. Was it really Sam?
As if she could read his lingering doubts, Sam tenderly wiped the traces of tears from his face. When she saw his nose twitch and his eyes welling up again, she let out her characteristic hearty laugh.
“Oh dear, we haven’t seen each other in so long, and all you’re going to do is cry? Come now, dry those tears. You’re making Angie anxious.”
Her gentle chiding made Yu-jin finally force himself to hold back his tears and take a deep breath. Remembering her words, he glanced down and saw Angela clinging to his leg, looking up at him with a face full of worry. Hastily, Yu-jin wiped his cheeks and picked the child up, settling her onto the sofa.
“Say hello, Angie. This is Ms. Sam Brown.”
“Hello, Angie. I met you when you were just a baby. You probably don’t remember me, though.”
When Sam extended her hand with a smile, Angela pressed herself against Yu-jin, eyeing Sam’s face and outstretched hand with suspicion. Sam waited patiently, giving the child time to adjust. Eventually, Angela hesitantly reached out, grabbed Sam’s hand for a brief moment, then quickly let go and burrowed back into Yu-jin’s embrace. Seeing this, Sam chuckled again. Yu-jin, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief, gently adjusted Angela in his arms so she could face Sam more comfortably.
“Angie, she helped Daddy a lot when you were in my tummy. We stayed at her house until you turned one.”
“That’s right. Your daddy and I took turns waking up in the middle of the night to feed you. I’m so happy to see you again.”
Sam added to Yu-jin’s words with a warm smile. Hoping Angela would grow more familiar with Sam’s face, Yu-jin kept the conversation going.
“How did this happen? I never expected to see you here. What brings you all the way here?”
“Your partner invited me.”
Yu-jin’s eyes widened at her answer. He had heard that Winston had gone looking for her, but he never imagined it would lead to this. Seeing his shock, Sam nodded.
“Yes, he asked if I’d be willing to meet you. And of course, I said yes. Why on earth would I refuse? It was such a wonderful opportunity—I grabbed it without hesitation.”
Her hearty laughter was infectious, and Yu-jin couldn’t help but smile along with her. Meeting Sam again… he couldn’t think of anything more joyous than this.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by the butler stepping inside. He offered a respectful bow to the guest before turning to Yu-jin and speaking.
“I have prepared refreshments for your guest. Would you like to move to the tea room, or shall I bring them here?”
“Ah…”
Yu-jin hesitated for a moment before turning to Sam.
“Sam, would you like a tour of the estate first? Or would you prefer to rest and have tea?”
“Oh, a tour first, please. I’ve been dying of curiosity!”
Seeing the excitement on Sam’s face, Yu-jin turned to the butler without hesitation.
“We’ll have the refreshments in the tea room in an hour. Thank you, Kane.”
“Understood.”
The butler responded promptly, straightening his back before exiting the drawing room. Yu-jin then rose from his seat and extended his hand to Sam.
“Sam, shall we? I’ll give you a tour of the estate.”
“Oh my, this is so exciting! I’ve only ever seen mansions like this in dramas!”
Clapping her hands in delight, Sam was practically giddy with excitement. Yu-jin chuckled and gracefully escorted the middle-aged woman.
***
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the tea room windows, casting a warm glow as the rich aroma of black tea filled the air. Sam took a sip of the hot tea before popping a piece of dark chocolate into her mouth, letting out a satisfied sigh.
“Oh my, my dream has finally come true.”
Seeing the look of sheer bliss on her flushed face, Yu-jin let out a soft laugh. Throughout the entire tour, she had been gasping and sighing in amazement, her eyes wide with wonder. Even now, seated in the tea room, she kept glancing around in awe.
“To think you’re living in a place like this—I never would have imagined.”
Reaching across the tea table, she grasped Yu-jin’s hand tightly.
“I’m so, so relieved, Yu-jin. This is wonderful.”
With her other hand resting over her heart, she smiled radiantly. Yu-jin, however, hesitated, his words trailing off. No one knew how long this life would last. One thing was certain—it wouldn’t even be a full year. By then, the truth about his inability to bear a child would come out, and he would inevitably lose everything.
It was a bitter fate, but for now, he chose to focus on the present. At least Sam would only remember seeing him living well, and that was enough. He’d deal with the future when it arrived.
“I can’t tell you how worried I was, wondering how you were managing alone with a child. I prayed constantly that nothing bad would happen to you. But I never expected you’d be all the way out here in the East.”
Her eyes grew misty with memories, and she quickly dabbed at them with a napkin. Watching her, Yu-jin gently patted her arm in comfort.
“I’m okay now. You don’t have to worry anymore.”
“Yes… it certainly seems that way.”
Smiling with deep contentment, Sam turned her gaze to Angela, who was sitting on the floor, playing with a puzzle.
“Now that the family is back together, what could be more joyful than this?”
“Ah.”
Yu-jin’s eyes widened in shock. There was no way Winston had said something like that. Was he overreacting? Doubt filled his mind, but before he could fully process it, Sam playfully shot him a knowing look.
“How could you be so oblivious? And to think you’re a detective.”
So she had figured it out. Yu-jin was so startled that he stammered,
“I-Is it really that obvious?”
Seeing his nervous expression, Sam smiled slyly. Yu-jin immediately realized—he had walked right into a trap. His shoulders slumped in defeat.
“You tricked me into confessing.”
“I was already certain.”
Sam chuckled as she spoke.
“The moment I first saw Mr. Campbell, I just knew. Ah, this man must be Angie’s papa.”
She lowered her voice to a whisper, as if mindful of Angela. Glancing over at the child, Yu-jin saw that she was completely absorbed in her puzzle, paying no attention to their conversation. He felt relieved, yet at the same time, strangely hollow. Instead of responding, he simply looked at Sam, who continued speaking.
“But it seems like he doesn’t know, does he?”
Yu-jin hesitated for a moment before giving a small nod.
“I see,” Sam murmured, taking a sip of her tea. She seemed lost in thought for a while before finally speaking again.
“Are things not going well between you two?”
“Is this another one of your leading questions based on certainty?”
Yu-jin deflected with a joking tone, but Sam only chuckled.
“I do have my reasons. The fact that Mr. Campbell called me here is proof enough.”
Yu-jin tilted his head in confusion, prompting Sam to elaborate.
“If things were fine between you two, would he have gone out of his way to contact me through his secretary, urgently asking me to come? And not just that—he even sent a plane.”
“…Are you saying he brought you here to mediate between us?”
Yu-jin asked cautiously, and Sam nodded without hesitation.
“What exactly happened? He didn’t say much when he came to see me. The only thing he said was that he was your partner.”
Yu-jin suddenly found himself at a loss for words. There was so much he could say, yet he couldn’t seem to say anything at all. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally letting his shoulders slump.
“It’s nothing new, don’t worry about it.”
He shut down the topic with those simple words, making Sam let out a soft, pitying sigh. She reached out and gently stroked his cheek.
“Don’t let it weigh on you too much, sweetheart. No couple in the world has it easy. You fight, you argue, and you learn to adjust to each other.”
“Hah… Somehow, I highly doubt that he will ever adjust to me.”
The bitterness in his voice was undeniable. Yu-jin quickly pressed his lips together, realizing too late how openly he had spoken. Sam, however, only smiled knowingly.
“But isn’t he already doing just that? Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to bring me here? That man is completely smitten with you.”
That was, without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing Yu-jin had heard all day. His jaw nearly dropped as he stared at her in stunned silence. Then, with a short sigh, he frowned and muttered,
“Sam, I know you love romance, but—”
“I still read one every night before bed.”
She winked playfully, making Yu-jin let out an awkward laugh. He had no idea Sam was this bad at reading people.
“Listen, Sam…”
Yu-jin attempted to change the subject, but unfortunately, Sam had no intention of letting it go.
