Mr. Adam arrived home later than usual.
He had decided to stay at the restaurant a little longer after Linda left. Secretary Kim had gone home not long after, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
It was quiet when he stepped into the mansion, the echo of his shoes on the marble floor filling the vast space.
But when he entered the living room, he stopped short.
William was sitting there on the sofa, arms crossed, back slightly slouched, as if he had been waiting for hours. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were cold.
Mr. Adam walked closer, trying to smile.
"How are you doing, Will?"
William didn't return the smile. He didn't even greet him. Instead, his voice came low and sharp. "Where were you?"
Mr. Adam frowned slightly, caught off guard. "You didn't answer my question," he said calmly.
"Neither did you answer mine," William replied, standing up. His handsome face was tense, his tone steady but hard.
The air thickened between them.
"What's the problem?" Mr. Adam asked, his brows furrowing.
Before William could respond, the sound of heels clicking echoed from the hallway. A young woman stepped into view, holding a glass of red wine.
Mr. Adam blinked in surprise. She looked unfamiliar__confident, even smug. Her eyes were sharp and assessing as they met his.
She stopped beside William, and he casually wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Who is this?" Mr. Adam asked, his voice confused.
"This is Veronica," William replied flatly. "My girlfriend."
Mr. Adam was still processing when William continued, not giving him a moment to respond.
"So, are you ready to tell me where you were?"
Mr. Adam frowned deeper. "Will, what's going on with you? I just went out to meet someone."
"Someone?" William repeated, his tone almost mocking.
Veronica finally spoke, her lips curving slightly. "I saw you," she said boldly. "You were at the Happy Hub restaurant. With a young lady."
Mr. Adam turned to her slowly, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"Dad, are you hooking up with little girls now?" William asked coldly.
Mr. Adam blinked, completely stunned. He felt anger rise in him but he held back. "Why would you say something like that, Will? Is that really what you think of me?"
He turned to Veronica. "And you, inwhy would you see me with someone and rush to tell my son like it's gossip hour? That's a very bad personality you're creating for yourself"
Veronica gave a light shrug. "I just thought he deserved to know. If you're introducing him to a new mother, he should at least be informed."
Mr. Adam exhaled slowly. Who the hell is this girl? Her tone was sharp, her attitude was too bold. She had confidence, yes, but not an ounce of humility.
He looked at William again. "You said she's your what?"
"My girlfriend," William said firmly. "Any problem with that?"
Mr. Adam sighed. "Will...."
"In fact," William interrupted, his voice softening slightly, "She's my fiancée. You always told me to settle down and find someone decent. So here she is. It's not official yet, but we're working on it."
Then he leaned in and gave Veronica a light kiss on the cheek. She smiled faintly, her expression almost triumphant.
Mr. Adam stood there, speechless.
He had always told his son to stop fooling around and take life seriously. But this? Of all the women in Seoul, this was who he brought home?
His thoughts were spinning when William spoke again.
"Dad, Veronica will be spending the weekend with us. Just so you know."
Without waiting for a reply, both of them turned and walked upstairs together.
Mr. Adam stood frozen in the center of the room. Slowly, he sank into the couch with a long sigh. The soft leather gave under his weight as he leaned back and rubbed his forehead.
He didn't know what to feel. Should he be happy that William finally seemed ready for commitment? Or disappointed that the woman he'd chosen was arrogant, disrespectful, and possibly the worst influence imaginable?
His only hope, his only wish, was that maybe, this girl could change William's reckless behavior. But deep down, something told him otherwise.
---
William blinked awake to sunlight pouring through the curtains. The space beside him was empty. He rubbed his eyes, still heavy with sleep.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom. He groaned softly, reaching for his phone, it was already past nine. He wasn't used to sleeping this late.
A moment later, the bathroom door opened, and Veronica stepped out wrapped in a towel, her damp hair falling over her shoulders.
She smiled when she saw him. "Morning, sleepyhead."
William smiled back lazily. "Morning " He stretched and sat up, watching her move toward the dresser. "You look good even Without Make-up"
She gave him a teasing look. "Flattery before breakfast? You must want something."
He chuckled, walking over to her and wrapping his arms gently around her waist. "Just a kiss."
She laughed softly and kissed him briefly before pulling away. "Go take your bath. I'll pick out something for later."
William nodded, smiling "Dresses are in the dressing room. The jewelries are there too. Figured you'd want something nice so I sent for some yesterday."
Veronica gave him a small, approving grin. "You're learning"
He winked and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving her in front of the mirror, smiling faintly to herself.
The smell of brewed coffee lingered in the air as Mr. Adam sat at the head of the long table, his expression calm but distant. The silver spoon stirred in his cup, though his mind was far from breakfast.
Secretary Kim entered quietly, holding a neat brown folder. "Sir," he greeted, bowing slightly.
Mr. Adam didn't look up. "You found something."
"Yes, sir," Kim replied, placing the folder on the table. "You asked me to investigate the men behind young master William's kidnapping I think you should probably see this even before work. His adoption wasn't just carried out by random street boys. There's more to it."
As the last words came outKim's lips, Mr. Adam stopped stirring the coffee and raised his head.