“W-What are you saying?! Enough!”
Seol Yu-jin, who had been blinking in a daze, finally grasped the meaning of the words and recoiled in shock, pushing Winston away. He hurriedly darted into the fitting room, slamming the door behind him. Winston let out a loud laugh, but it soon twisted into a bitter chuckle.
“That was sincere, though,” he murmured to himself with a sigh.
Haah, haah.
Now alone, Yu-jin pressed his back against the door, desperately trying to catch his breath as he ran a hand over his chest. Seriously, that joke had gone too far. Pouting for no reason, he lifted his head, only to catch his own reflection in the massive mirror covering one wall. His cheeks were flushed a deep red, and his eyes glowed with an unmistakable shimmer—evidence of his excitement. Embarrassed, he cupped both cheeks with his hands, only to realize, belatedly, that his heart was pounding violently.
“Baby.”
Winston’s whisper seemed to echo in his ears again. Yu-jin felt like his heart would burst. With a groan, he covered his face with both hands.
***
“Haaaah.”
Winston let out an audible yawn, prompting everyone at the dining table to widen their eyes in shock. His mother was the first to frown and reprimand him.
“What kind of behavior is that at the table, Winston? That is extremely impolite.”
“Sorry, I’m just a bit tired.”
His apology lacked any real sincerity, but his mother’s expression softened almost immediately.
“Don’t overwork yourself too much. You’re already doing exceptionally well.”
The other children at the table exchanged incredulous looks, but Madam Campbell kept her gaze fixed on Winston, her smile brimming with satisfaction.
Winston had begun working in the family business even before entering university. Since middle school, he had shown an early interest in investment, and after moving to England, he fully immersed himself in it. By the time he became a university student, he spent every vacation working at his father’s company. His father had made it clear that he wouldn’t receive any special treatment—and indeed, he hadn’t. However, the results Winston delivered were more than enough to make his father proud.
His sharp instincts and bold investment decisions had repeatedly yielded astonishing results. The most recent investment, which had generated an astronomical profit, further solidified his position within the company.
It was no wonder Madam Campbell was optimistic. She believed that, at this rate, Winston might secure a significant position in the company the moment he graduated—or even sooner. Their firm, the oldest and most influential investment company in the United States, was thriving, with stock prices climbing higher by the day.
If only it weren’t for that recent scandal, everything would be perfect.
“Father is working late again today,” Gordon remarked.
As always, Madam Campbell responded in a calm, detached tone.
“The company is in turmoil—of course, he’s busy. It will be resolved soon enough.”
“It won’t be easy.”
The indifferent voice caused everyone at the table to turn their heads toward the speaker. Winston, unfazed, continued slicing his steak as he spoke.
“It’ll take at least six months—possibly even years. Tax evasion is a serious crime, after all.”
Everyone fell silent. The only sounds in the dining room were the occasional clinking of silverware against plates. Finally, Lady Catherine cautiously spoke up.
“Could it really be true? Father committing tax evasion… that’s ridiculous.”
“Technically, it was the board of directors,” Winston corrected her curtly. Catherine shot him a brief glare, but upon noticing their mother’s gaze, she quickly lowered her eyes. Madam Campbell took a sip of her wine before speaking in an even tone.
“Harold will take care of it. The company won’t crumble over something like this, right?”
As if seeking confirmation, she turned to her son. Winston answered simply.
“It won’t affect the company’s profits. Investments are going smoothly, and operations remain stable. The lawyers will handle everything. Father will be extremely busy for a while, but there’s nothing for us to worry about.”
“Then that settles it. None of you need to concern yourselves with this matter.”
With Harold absent, Madam Campbell’s word was law in the household. No one dared to argue further. However, there was always someone oblivious enough to stir trouble.
“Who would do such a thing, though? Filing an anonymous tax evasion report… To shake up the company this much, they must have had a pretty serious reason.”
Catherine subtly signaled him to stop, but Jason, completely unaware, kept running his mouth.
“Because of that, Father hasn’t been able to visit the annex at all lately. I heard from one of the servants that he always looks exhausted in the morning—so tired he can barely keep his eyes open. Maybe he’s secretly having fun with someone else behind Father’s back?”
“Jason.”
Gordon’s voice cut through the air, sharp and cold. Jason flinched, his shoulders tensing. Realizing his mistake, he quickly bowed his head and stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth, as if that would erase his words.
Through it all, Winston continued his meal unfazed, as if Harold’s crisis had nothing to do with him.
But Jason’s words had already embedded themselves in his mind.
Lately, it was Winston himself who had been taking Yu-jin out every night. They hadn’t been caught yet, but if this continued, someone was bound to notice. Of course, Winston had already anticipated that possibility, but before their relationship became public, there was something he needed to take care of first.
He needed to move faster.
Calculating the days in his head, Winston downed the last of his wine.
***
“Whoooa!”
Yu-jin threw his hands into the air, letting out an exhilarated yell.
They were cruising down the freeway with the convertible’s top down, the wind whipping around them. Under the dazzling sunlight, it was just the two of them, completely alone.
“This is amazing! So awesome!”
Watching Yu-jin cheer with uncontained excitement, Winston could only smile.
It had been a bit of a gamble, but just as he expected, everything had gone smoothly.
They were now on their way to a secluded villa, far from prying eyes.
Winston had put in his vacation request a week ago. Under normal circumstances, taking time off during a company crisis would have been unthinkable. Any other employee would have faced serious backlash. However, he was Harold’s son.
Winston had managed to secure a two-week vacation, and as soon as it was approved, he wasted no time informing Yu-jin. Upon hearing that he could actually leave the estate in broad daylight for an extended trip, Yu-jin was so shocked he nearly stopped breathing. But rather than excitement, his first reaction was anxiety.
“Are we really allowed to leave? In the middle of the day? Just like that? For several days? People are going to see us!”
It was only natural for him to worry about Harold. Harold was the absolute authority in this household. But Winston had already anticipated this concern.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
He pulled Yu-jin into his arms and pressed a light kiss to his lips.
“You trust me, don’t you?”
When he asked with a smile, Yu-jin’s eyes sparkled as he nodded. “I do, Winston.”
Winston smiled again, this time deepening the kiss. And just two days later, as promised, he had Yu-jin in the convertible, driving them right out of the estate. In broad daylight.
“How did you even manage this?”
Yu-jin, now slightly calmer, finally asked. The wind roared around them, forcing him to shout. Winston, too, had to raise his voice to respond.
“Simple. I told them you had the measles.”
“…What?”
Yu-jin’s stunned exclamation made Winston chuckle as he nonchalantly continued.
“If they got exposed, it’d be a huge problem, so I said I’d take you to the hospital myself. And since I don’t get sick easily, it made sense.”
“But… still…”
Yu-jin was amazed at his quick thinking, yet he couldn’t shake his lingering concerns. He was worried about Winston, but Winston misinterpreted it entirely.
“I made sure you got your vaccinations last time, remember? No need to worry.”
That wasn’t all. Winston wanted to give Yu-jin everything he had been deprived of. The first thing he arranged was a full medical check-up, and just in case, he ensured Yu-jin received every overdue vaccination. The only issue was that all of this had to be done at night. And nothing was worse for the body than missing sleep.
But that ends now.
As he drove, Winston thought to himself. This trip was about solidifying their relationship. Telling the family would come afterward. Yu-jin’s feelings were the priority.
Yu-jin definitely liked him, but marriage might not have crossed his mind yet…
Winston kept every possibility open. If Yu-jin hadn’t considered it before—
Then he would make sure he did.
His resolve was unshakable. If Yu-jin wasn’t ready, then he would make him ready.
No matter what, there was no future where he let Yu-jin go.
Winston had never been more certain of anything in his life.
