Later, alone in the starkly furnished room, Tae leaned against the locked door. The muffled sounds of Ggukie's sleepy whimpers drifted through the wall. The sterile silence pressed in, amplifying the sharp echo of Kook's words, the sting of Yuna's dismissal, the impossible warmth of holding that baby.

She stared at her reflection in the simple mirror above the dresser. The cheap pink lipstick was smudged, her eyes still held a faint redness. But beneath the exhaustion, a fierce, cold determination hardened her features. Taegguk. He named him Taegguk. Kook remembered. He hadn't forgotten them. He hadn't forgotten her.

A slow, predatory smile curved her lips, replacing the earlier pain. Forget cold indifference. Forget survival. She was here now. Inside his fortress. With his son. Yuna was nothing but a brittle obstacle. Kook was already unsettled, already watching her. The fire reignited in her belly, hotter and sharper than before. She would have them both. Kook. Ggukie. Her family. No matter what it takes.

The next morning dawned pale and pink through the high nursery windows. Tae was awake long before her alarm. She slipped into the sluttiest thing she'd packed: a flimsy, electric-blue baby-doll negligee masquerading as a sundress. The thin straps dug into her shoulders, the hem barely grazing the tops of her thighs. It was sheer enough to hint at the shadows beneath.

She padded barefoot into the softly lit nursery. Ggukie was stirring in his crib, his chubby legs kicking against the blanket. "Good morning, my little prince," Tae murmured, her voice instantly softening as she scooped him up. He blinked sleepily, then rewarded her with a wide, gummy smile that melted the last remnants of her icy resolve. She peppered his face with kisses, inhaling his sweet, milky scent.

"Let's start our day, Ggukie." She carried him to the plush changing table, cooing softly as she expertly changed his diaper, her fingers gentle and sure. Afterwards, she warmed a bottle, testing the milk temperature carefully on her wrist before settling into the rocking chair, cradling him close. His eager suckling filled the quiet room, his dark eyes fixed trustingly on hers as she hummed a tuneless lullaby.

Downstairs, Kook sat nursing a black coffee at the vast kitchen island, trying to focus on a tablet displaying market reports. The scent of Tae’s cheap floral perfume drifted in before she did.

He looked up, and his mug froze halfway to his lips. She descended the grand staircase, Ggukie balanced effortlessly on her hip. The blue fabric clung to every curve, leaving almost nothing to the imagination under the bright morning light filtering through the hall windows. Kook’s jaw tightened, a muscle jumping beneath his skin. Tae ignored him completely. She glided into the kitchen, her bare feet silent on the marble.

A young male gardener was delivering fresh herbs to the counter. Tae flashed him a dazzling, flirtatious smile, leaning close enough to let her perfume envelop him. "Oh, thank you! These smell heavenly," she purred, her fingers brushing his as she took the basket.

The gardener flushed crimson, stammering a reply. Tae laughed, a bright, tinkling sound that grated on Kook’s nerves. She bounced Ggukie gently, turning her back pointedly to Kook as she chatted animatedly with the flustered gardener.

Kook slammed his mug down harder than intended, coffee sloshing onto the polished stone surface. The sound echoed sharply. Tae didn't flinch. She just smiled wider at the gardener. Inside Kook’s chest, something dark and possessive roared to life.

The pattern repeated relentlessly. Tae moved through the mansion like a forbidden dream. She wore skin-tight leggings paired with sheer tops that left her lace bras visible; tiny shorts that barely covered her firm bottom; plunging necklines that showcased her full cleavage whenever she leaned forward to burp Ggukie.

She was always touching, always flirting. A laugh shared too intimately with the muscular chauffeur while handing him Ggukie’s diaper bag, her hip brushing his arm. Lingering conversations with the handsome chef, complimenting his food in a way that made his ears burn, her hand resting lightly on his forearm. She’d wink at the young security guard, whispering something low that sent him scurrying away blushing furiously.

Kook watched it all unfold, a silent storm brewing behind his dark eyes. He’d try to talk to her: "Ggukie slept well?" "Does he need new toys?" Tae would offer clipped, dismissive answers, her gaze sliding past him to lock onto whatever male staff member happened to be nearby, her smile instantly warming.

Her indifference stung more than any anger could. She poured all her warmth, her softness, into Ggukie. The baby adored her, reaching for her instinctively, giggling uncontrollably at her playful antics. Tae held him constantly, her laughter genuine and bright only for him. Kook felt like a ghost haunting his own home, invisible and unwanted.