A few days later. The 20th-floor penthouse living room glowed under soft, ambient lights.
Half a bottle of red wine rested between the four of them—still, untouched.
They sat side by side on the sofa.
Tension lingered in the quiet, like an extra presence in the room.
Celeste set her glass down with careful fingers.
"…So, that's how it happened. Starting today, Noah is officially part of the Langley family."
Silence.
Jinwoo and Daniel each raised their glasses, wordless.
Noah reclined with ease against the sofa, exhaling a long, performative sigh.
"Tragic I couldn't make my debut as the third consort in your little harem,"
he drawled, eyes sweeping across to Celeste with a slow, amused glance.
"But hey, just being allowed into the Langley palace feels like a win. Looking forward to serving you well, Madame."
Celeste didn't flinch—she simply picked up a throw pillow and flung it square at his chest.
"You'd be perfect," she muttered,
"if you could just shut that mouth for once."
Noah caught the pillow and hugged it like a trophy, completely unbothered.
Across from them, Jinwoo finally spoke, his voice low.
"Mind keeping a healthy distance from my girlfriend, Mr. Chief Editor?"
Noah turned toward him, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement.
Then, slowly, deliberately, he leaned in.
Close. Too close.
The space between him and Celeste shrank to a teasing breath.
"Healthy distance, huh? You mean like this? Or... maybe this much?"
He inched just a little closer.
"Seriously, knock it off," Celeste muttered, nudging him with her shoulder.
"You're going to make my Jinwoo cry."
Noah tilted his head with a mock-pout.
"…my Jinwoo?"
Celeste blinked. Caught off guard.
Jinwoo let out a soft chuckle, sipping his wine.
"'my,' huh?" he echoed, clearly savoring it.
Celeste groaned and dropped her face into her hands.
Noah, of course, grinned.
"I'll say this—your boyfriend's got guts. Takes serious nerve to date a woman like you."
"Oh, shut up, Malfoy."
That was when Daniel quietly rose from the sofa.
He set his glass down, straightened his sleeves, and said simply,"
I've got an early meeting tomorrow. I'm turning in."
Celeste half-rose on instinct, then hesitated, her gaze darting away.
"Right… Thanks for today. Get some rest."
Daniel gave her a soft smile—but his eyes didn't match.
"Try not to drink too much. You've got your flight to Tokyo in the morning."
"…Right. I'll take it easy."
Jinwoo watched them—closely.
His fingers circled the rim of his wineglass, slow and deliberate.
His gaze, though calm, tracked every silent glance between them.
Noah leaned into the table, chin resting on his palm, watching the whole scene unfold like a live drama.
Finally, he raised his glass and toasted no one in particular.
"This dynamic," he mused,
"is going to be a lot more fun than I thought."
His smile curled with quiet mischief.
And so—The night unfolded.
A night of unsaid things and lingering tension, of glasses half-full and hearts even fuller, as red wine softened the edges of the emotions they all tried too hard to hide.