“Mr. Campbell, welcome.”
As soon as Winston stepped out of the car and entered the bank, a waiting staff hurried over to greet him. Without wasting time, Winston glanced around inside and asked,
“Where’s Yujin?”
“This way.”
The staff quickly took the lead, guiding him. Winston soon spotted Yujin sitting beyond the transparent glass. Almost as if to prove this was truly Yujin, the child sitting with him also came into view. Winston’s pace faltered for a moment, then quickened. His steps became urgent, almost running, and the distance to Yujin closed in an instant. His heart started pounding fiercely.
As if sensing something, Yujin paused. Slowly, very slowly, he turned his head. Finally, Yujin saw Winston. Winston clearly noticed Yujin’s eyes widening and his face paling.
Hah.
He almost let out a relieved sigh. This time it was real. He had often been disappointed after mistaking similar people, but this time was different. It was really Yujin. Right there.
The one who had abandoned me and run away.
“Eek...”
Clenching his teeth in rising anger, Winston saw Yujin gasp like a scream and suddenly stand up. Yujin looked as if he would run again, but he didn’t move. Frozen in terror, Yujin’s stiffened posture only fueled Winston’s uncontrollable fury. He didn’t care how many eyes were on them. Winston’s focus was only one thing. If he had a gun, he might have shot him on the spot. Grinding his teeth audibly, he clenched and unclenched his fists rapidly, when suddenly Angela jumped off her chair shouting,
“Winnie!”
For a moment Winston froze. Surprised, he stopped walking and widened his eyes, fixing his gaze on the child.
What did she just say...?
“No, Angie!”
Suddenly Yujin shouted and grabbed Angela. Snatching the child who had run toward him, Yujin bolted out of the office and ran in the opposite direction from Winston.
Hah.
Winston let out a short, disbelieving exclamation. Running away again? From me?
How dare he.
“Let him be.”
He stopped the bodyguards who immediately moved to pursue. Hesitant at the unexpected order, they paused, and Winston, still staring toward the direction Yujin had disappeared, spoke.
“There’s nowhere left for him to run.”
Hah, hah. Hah, hah.
Yujin ran inside the building, lost in thought. What to do? What to do?
He dashed toward the emergency exit he had scouted earlier, but men were waiting there too. Panicked, Yujin crossed the corridor and ran wildly up the stairs. The countless footsteps chasing him echoed terrifyingly. Opening the emergency door on the next floor, he ran down the hall again, frantically thinking:
That man might kill me.
Yujin clearly saw the flash of gold mixed into Winston’s deep violet eyes. Terrified, Yujin froze. Facing Winston’s cold rage was terrifying. It would have been better to jump out the window. If he didn’t have the child in his arms, he would have done it long ago.
“Daddy?”
Yujin, barely finding a storage room to hide in, locked the door and curled up inside. Angela, who had been silently frightened until then, cautiously called him. But Yujin could say nothing. He just held the child tightly. There was nowhere left to run. Yujin would probably be caught. Soon, very soon.
If that happened—
At the moment the thought of Winston strangling his neck etched vividly before his eyes—
Click.
The sound of a doorknob turning. Or rather, the dull sound of the knob hitting the lock as someone tried to turn it. Startled, Yujin’s wide eyes saw the handle jiggling motionlessly. The sound repeated a few times, then stopped. Tense, relying on the faint light, Yujin stared intently at the firmly closed door. The silence stretched long. Maybe it was his imagination. His nerves felt worn thin to the point of disappearing.
Click. A cold yet refreshing sound echoed ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ in the darkness. Yujin, holding his breath, saw the door handle slowly turn. Slowly, very slowly the door opened, and bright light poured into the dim space.
Yujin reflexively closed his eyes and curled up as the sudden light flooded his wide-open pupils. All his senses focused on the sound in his ears. Step, step, slow footsteps echoed ominously. Contrary to his expectation, no sweet scent was detected. He had thought Winston’s furious pheromones would press down on his entire body.
The footsteps stopped just before him. He sensed the figure bending down slowly. The only smell was faint dust from the storage room. Could it be Winston’s bodyguard? Yujin suddenly thought so. Trembling in fear, he carefully lifted his eyelids. After blinking a few times due to the blurry focus, he saw the man’s face clearly—and froze completely.
Winston was looking at him. With a cold, hardened face, glaring at Yujin.
This time, he couldn’t even scream. His terrified body trembled uncontrollably. Only then did he realize how ridiculous his actions had been. I was wrong, please don’t hurt Angela! Yujin wanted to beg but no sound came out. Seeing Winston raise his hand, he swallowed and shut his eyes tight, desperately shielding Angela.
Winston remained still for a moment. Not knowing what that silence meant, Yujin only trembled. All he wished was for Angela in his arms not to get hurt. Bracing himself, he waited for Winston’s next move, when suddenly he felt warmth on his head.
...Huh?
A hand slowly stroked his stiffened head, then moved down to his shoulder. Then an arm wrapped around him, warmth spreading all over his body. Only then did Yujin realize Winston had embraced him.
“...Are you okay?”
For the first time, Winston spoke. His voice was lower and hoarser than usual. Yujin noticed Winston’s arms trembling as they held him.
“Are you hurt? ...Everything’s okay, right?”
Noticing Winston’s voice was also faintly trembling, Yujin’s fear clutching his heart gradually dissipated, and his mind calmed. Hesitating, Yujin carefully twisted his body and slipped out of Winston’s arms. Unexpectedly, Winston let him go.
Even this close, there was no pheromone scent coming from him. Why?
Why was this man suppressing his pheromones?
When Yujin thought so, Winston’s face came clearly into view. His lips bitten and twisted in pain—far from anger.
Reading pain, suffering, helplessness, and all frustration, Yujin was bewildered. Why? Why are you looking at me like that...?
“Winnie.”
Confused, unable to speak, Yujin was suddenly called by Angela. As the uneasy silence broke, Yujin witnessed an incredible sight. Angela stretched out her arms toward Winston, who smiled gently and lifted the child into his arms.
“Thank God, Angie. You’re safe.”
Winston spoke in a low voice, holding the child tightly. Yujin couldn’t deny the truth in those words. Staring blankly, Angela wrapped her arms around Winston’s neck and said,
“Winnie, I missed you.”
At the child’s difficult confession, Winston took a deep breath, paused, then answered with a deep sigh,
“I missed you too.”
Yujin just watched them.
