By Zephyria Soon, the wrinkles between his brows deepened even further at the sweet scent spreading around him.
‘Other kids noticed it too, you know.’
He had such a strong pheromone scent, but Yu-jin didn’t react at all. As if he had made a desperate decision never to react to Winston’s pheromones. Recalling that memory made Winston even more unpleasant.
His father was in the ground now. It was out of the question to dig up the grave and do a DNA test. Instead, he decided to use another method.
He took out his cell phone and dialed a number. Soon, a voice came from the other end. Winston got straight to the point without preamble.
“Find out the birth date of Yu-jin’s child.”
“Understood.”
After hearing the other person’s reply, Winston hung up the phone. Silence returned once more.
It will never go your way.
He rested one arm on the armrest, put his thumb to his chin, and slowly stroked his lower lip with his index finger. The sun had already set, and darkness was beginning to descend in the drawing room, but he remained seated, lost in thought.
* * *
How could he be so cold?
Yu-jin bit his thumbnail and continued to pace around the room. Even though it had been hours since he’d returned from the study, Winston, whom he’d seen there, was stuck in his head and wouldn’t leave.
Winston Campbell has nothing to do with my life anymore.
He had thought so until he came here, but how did it end up like this? It was absurd the more he thought about it. What on earth was Harold thinking when he left such a will? And then he said he loved me? That he was sorry?
Then he shouldn’t have left the will like that.
He couldn’t understand Harold’s intentions at all. If he truly loved Yu-jin and wanted to apologize, he could have just given him some cash.
But to drop such a huge bomb like this.
Only then did Mrs. Campbell’s offer come to mind, and regret washed over him.
I should have taken the money back then and left this place forever.
But it was already too late. He had already heard the will and couldn’t turn back. If he didn’t marry Winston, Yu-jin wouldn’t get a single penny.
He and his child would have to go out on the streets without even getting what they came for.
It’s not like he expected such a big share.
It wasn’t even that much money. Just enough to pay for three months’ rent would have been enough. Recalling his past, when he had relied on him like a father, made him feel even more resentful and wronged.
Harold, how could you be so cruel to me until the very end?
He couldn’t believe that he had betrayed him again. He wanted to ask him why he hated him so much.
Don’t make me laugh, saying you love me.
If he truly loved him, how could he do such a thing? Twice, even.
“Daddy, Daddy.”
Tears welled up in his eyes from resentment, and he hurriedly rubbed them away at Angela’s call. He turned around a beat late, and his daughter’s anxious expression immediately came into view. Only then did Yu-jin realize his mistake and quickly smile and bend down.
“Yes, Angie, sorry, did Daddy scare you?”
He knelt down and met his child’s eyes, and Angela hesitated for a moment before hugging his neck tightly. Yu-jin hugged the small body in return, and Angela said to him.
“Daddy, what’s wrong? Wasn’t our name in the will?”
Sometimes Yu-jin worried that he was letting his child watch too much TV because he was working. Again, his daughter revealed knowledge that she had clearly seen in some drama, and he swallowed a sigh and replied.
“No, it was there. It says they’ll give us money too.”
It wasn’t a lie. He hadn’t told her everything, though. The perceptive daughter pulled away and asked, puzzled.
“Then why do you look so unhappy?”
How should he answer? After a moment of consideration, Yu-jin carefully chose his words to explain.
“There’s a condition attached to getting the money. I’m worried about how to solve it.”
“Is it difficult?”
“Um… a little?”
Not just a little, but completely impossible. Marrying Winston and having a child. Wouldn’t it have been better to just say that they wouldn’t give you any inheritance?
As Yu-jin felt helpless again, Angela said, her eyes shining.
“Daddy, don’t worry. I’ll help you.”
Help? How? This was something that no one but him could solve. But Yu-jin couldn’t help but hug his daughter tightly because her heart was so beautiful.
“Thank you, Angie. I feel so relieved.”
The child also hugged Yu-jin’s neck and leaned her head on his shoulder. There were only the two of them in the world. Before, and in the future.
Winston will come up with something.
It was absurd that the only person he could rely on was that man, but there was nothing he could do. Hadn’t he seen it clearly? Yu-jin was pouring out relentless, insulting words, not hiding his contempt. Yu-jin was reminded of how much Winston hated him, and he pinned his hopes on that. Winston wouldn’t try to follow this ridiculous will so easily either. All Yu-jin could do was wait for Winston’s proposal.
And two days later, after an early dinner, he finished bathing with his child early and returned to his room to read her a book as always when suddenly there was a knock. Winston’s face flashed through his mind for a moment. Yu-jin had seen his car returning home through the window just 30 minutes ago. It was an unexpected timing, but he couldn’t think of any other reason why someone would knock on the door of the room where he and his daughter were staying. He composed himself as much as possible and opened the door, and as expected, the maid was standing there.
“Mr. Campbell is looking for you.”
Finally. Yu-jin took a deep breath and turned to Angela.
“I’ll be back, Angie.”
“Okay, Daddy, do well!”
Yu-jin kissed his daughter on the cheek as she clenched one hand into a fist and waved it in the air, then smiled brightly and went out into the hallway. As soon as he closed the door and turned around, the maid immediately started walking ahead. He silently followed, trying to calm his belatedly pounding heart. It was something he had expected, but he couldn’t help but feel nervous when the time actually came. It was also a problem that he hadn’t prepared himself for the sudden situation.
Wasn’t it something that would have happened sooner or later?
Although he didn’t like it, Yu-jin reluctantly admitted that he might never be ‘prepared’. If he could, he wanted to run away from this mansion with Angela in his arms. Of course, that was impossible.
I should accept the offer as much as possible this time.
Rejecting Mrs. Campbell’s envelope was really stupid. It’s okay. Yu-jin thought. Learn from past mistakes and don’t make the same mistakes again.
All’s well that ends well.
He repeated the words he always repeated and made a resolution. Obey Winston’s words unconditionally. You’re not stupid enough to repeat things you’ll regret again. Suddenly, a past memory flashed through his mind, and he subtly unfolded the fist he had unknowingly clenched.
I’ve done more than enough stupid things.
As he walked silently, he soon reached the study. It was the very place where the will had been revealed. The maid mechanically knocked, waited for a moment, then opened the door and stepped aside. Yu-jin took a breath, exhaled, and then moved his feet. He could hear the sound of his shoes particularly loudly. After taking three or four steps into the study, he stopped. The moment his eyes met the man in front of him, Yu-jin unknowingly held his breath.
The incredibly tall man, over 2 meters tall, was sitting on the edge of the huge wooden desk, looking at Yu-jin. He was wearing a suit, but not the jacket, and instead, a vest was struggling to cover his thick chest.He was still incredibly muscular and just as enormous as ever. The room, wide enough for nearly ten people to sit apart, suddenly felt incredibly cramped. When it suddenly occurred to him that the large man, who seemed to fill the study, had been the captain of the high school football team, he heard the sound of the study door closing behind him.
And they were alone in the study.