Months had passed since Seo-jin shared the news of her pregnancy with Min-jae. Their lives had shifted dramatically, and the shadows of their toxic past began to give way to something purer, something truer.
Min-jae had been an entirely different man since that night. He still held his intense love for Seo-jin, but the manipulation and control that once defined their relationship were slowly replaced with genuine care and devotion. He allowed himself to be vulnerable with her, and in doing so, she flourished.
Seo-jin, too, found herself changing. Her once desperate dependence on him softened into a healthy bond, built on trust and mutual respect. The fear that had gripped her heart for so long began to fade as Min-jae showered her with unwavering support during the maternity period.
One evening, as Seo-jin sat on the couch, her hand resting on her growing belly, Min-jae walked in from his home office. He had spent the day managing a whirlwind of business deals, but as always, he left it all behind the moment he stepped into their home.
"How are my two favorite people?" he asked with a soft smile, kneeling beside her.
Seo-jin beamed, taking his hand and placing it over her belly. "We're good. Your daughter's been kicking all day, though."
Min-jae's eyes lit up with joy as he felt the faint movements beneath his hand. "She's going to be strong," he said, his voice filled with pride.
Seo-jin laughed. "Like her father."
Min-jae looked up at her, his expression softening. "Or like her mother. The strongest person I know."
Her eyes welled up with tears at his words, and she leaned down to kiss him. Their love, once tangled in manipulation and control, now felt genuine and full of hope.
The months flew by, and soon the day came when Seo-jin gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Both families gathered at the hospital, their hearts overflowing with joy.
Min-jae held his daughter in his arms, his eyes filled with tears as he looked down at her tiny face. "She's perfect," he whispered.
Seo-jin, exhausted but glowing with happiness, reached out to touch her husband's arm. "We did it, Min-jae. We're a family."
Soobin, who had watched the evolution of their relationship with cautious optimism, couldn't help but smile. The Min-jae she once feared had transformed into a man who genuinely cared for his wife and child.
Even their fathers, once skeptical and wary, were moved by the scene before them. Chairman Kang and Chairman Yoo exchanged a glance, silently acknowledging the love that had brought their families together.
Over the following weeks, Min-jae and Seo-jin adjusted to their new roles as parents. They navigated sleepless nights and endless diaper changes, but through it all, they leaned on each other.
One evening, as they sat together in their daughter's nursery, Min-jae cradled the baby while Seo-jin rested her head on his shoulder.
"You know," Seo-jin said softly, "I used to think our love was like a cage. But now… it feels like freedom."
Min-jae kissed the top of her head, his heart swelling with emotion. "It always was love, Seo-jin. I just didn't know how to show it back then. But now, I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you."
And he did.
Their once-toxic relationship had blossomed into something real, something enduring. The scars of the past remained, but they no longer defined them. Instead, they served as reminders of how far they had come and how much they had grown together.
As they watched their daughter sleep, Seo-jin and Min-jae held each other close, ready to face the future—not as master and pawn, but as true partners and a family bound by love.